Voyager telescopes offer impressive optical quality and precise mechanical construction resulting in the clearest view of the most distant objects in the sky. Loaded with innovative features - such as our zoom eyepiece, patented Penta mirror technology and our rotary power turret - ruggedly constructed and convenient to use, there is no better choice when it comes to balancing performance with affordable price.

The Harbormaster's classic, elegant design with its solid cherry tripod legs and polished hardware brings to mind images of the swift clipper ships and jaunty seafarers of the late 19th century. Yet beneath the solid brass surface lies a 100% modern, high-powered 35 x 76mm telescope with coated optics and an achromatic air-spaced objective lens for brilliant images and razor-sharp resolution. From a seaside cottage to an executive suite, the Harbormaster® makes a striking design statement in a variety of settings. FEATURES: Refractor telescope Coated optics Achromatic air-spaced objective lens Solid cherry tripod legs Solid brass tube and hardware

The Konusmotor 90 equatorial refractor telescope is an impressive telescope for a very reasonable price. At about 30 pounds, this is an adult-size telescope. The orange and black optical tube is 40 inches long, and the sturdy equatorial mount and tripod stands nearly 5 feet tall. The very complete accessory package includes a 6x30 finder scope, two plossl eyepieces, an electronic tracking motor, and even a large-format lunar map and moon filter.

Refractors are known for their sharp, high-contrast views of the moon and planets, and the Konusmotor 90 includes everything I need to get sharp views of the moon right out of the box. The low-power 17mm plossl eyepiece (58x) shows a nice overall view of the moon, while the 10mm plossl (100x) can be used to zoom in for more detail. When the quarter moon is in the sky, I like to look for detail along the "terminator," the dramatic boundary between bright sunlight and dark shadow. At 100x, the Konusmotor 90 shows me a great view of the "straight wall" in Mare Nubium. The straight wall lies between the craters Birt and Thebit, numbers 179 and 181 on the Konus moon map.

Brighter deep space objects also show up nicely in the Konusmotor 90. On a moonless night, I like the way the 17mm plossl eyepiece frames the ghostly glow of the Orion nebula. Zooming in with the 10mm eyepiece, I can easily pick out all four stars of the Orion nebula's embedded multiple star, the Trapezium. The moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn are easy to see with the 10mm plossl eyepiece (100x). With careful focusing, I was even able to detect the Cassini division in Saturn's rings using my own Ultima 7.5mm eyepiece. Low-cost refractors like the Konusmotor 90 can be troubled by false color and spherical aberration, but I find these effects are well controlled at moderate powers. When I look at Jupiter and Saturn at magnifications over 100x however, the images are not as sharp as I see with my C102HD refractor.

The standard equipment plossl eyepieces are a good match for the optical quality of the Konusmotor 90. I'd suggest adding a low-power 25mm plossl to take in the full view of deep space highlights like the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pleiades, and the Double Cluster in Perseus. The electronic motor drive included by Konus comes in handy when sharing the telescope view with others without having to constantly adjust the slow-motion knobs by hand. I find the motor to be a mixed blessing because the slow-motion knobs and the motor cannot be used at the same time. In practice, when observing by myself, I often don't use the motor. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

• High-contrast views of the moon and planets
• Durable, low-maintenance design
• Everything is included, even the batteries

Cons:

• Equatorial mount wobbles a bit while focusing
• Planet views could be sharper at powers over 100x

With its relatively large 70mm aperture, yet affordable price, Meade's DS-70 refracting telescope makes a perfect instrument for the serious beginner. It features a multicoated, achromatic two-element objective lens and precise, smooth altitude and azimuth movements for easy object location. It includes Meade's StarNavigator software, which displays more than 10,000 celestial objects for help in locating galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, stars, and planets. It also includes a full-length adjustable aluminum tripod.

The DS-70 exhibits Meade's fine attention to detail and quality, from the precision-polished crown and flint optical glass components and contrast-increasing multicoatings, to oversize bearings on both telescope axes that facilitate great precision in tracking. It offers a resolving power of 1.6 arcseconds, a limiting visual magnitude of 11.3, a 250x maximum practical visual power, and a 5mm by 24mm viewfinder.

The DS-70 is built to be fully compatible with Meade's dual-motor electronic controller and Autostar computer controller, for easy location and tracking of celestial objects.

The ED "S" apochromatic refractor features Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass in its objective lens to suppress chromatic aberration to a virtually invisible level. Coupled with a medium f/7.7 focal ratio, the ED "S" series provide a sharp, color-free image of high contrast for both visual and photographic applications. For ease of target location and precise tracking, the OTA comes on Vixen's state-of-the-art SPHINX (SX) mount with computer database and visual goto. Includes SX HAL130 tripod (adjustable from 70cm to 110cm). The SX Half Pillar accessory is recommended. The SPHINX equatorial mount and STAR BOOK controller have been intelligently engineered for high-speed automatic location of celestial objects. It is now possible to explore the beauty of the night sky with greater ease and stability. The SPHINX comes standard with built in motors and the world's first star chart go-to controller, STAR BOOK, with a large full color LCD display. The SPHINX's design is exceptional and the exterior styling is equally attractive.

This very affordable Table Top Refractor telescope is perfect for the adult casual observer and is great for the kids. This telescope features a Patent Pending Erect Image Lens which allows it to be used as a Spotting Scope and Telescope All In 1 for observing both land objects and objects in the sky! Key Specifications: Objective/Aperture Size: 50mm, Focal Length: 450mm, Mount: Universal Camera Mount. High quality plastic lenses and a durable plastic tube. Accessories include: 10 inch metal tripod ( No Assembly requried and it comes with an easy to use universal camera mount that can also be used with other camera brands and Spotting Scope brands when not using the Cstar TT-75 scope), 3 Eye-Pieces (H-20, H12.5, SR-6), New Erect Image Lens (Allows user to use the product like a Spotting Scope and Telescope in 1), Usable Magnification: H-20 = 22x, H-12.5 = 36x , SR-6 = 75x, and a Tripod: Table Top Tripod

Our newest "ED" refractor was designed with the astro-imager in mind. Outstanding 102mm optics, heavy-duty Crayford-style focuser, and superb fit and finish combine to set a new standard for quality and performance. The Premium 102mm ED has a 714mm focal length and a moderately fast focal ratio of f/7.0, delivering higher magnification and bright, high-contrast images with modest exposure times. Its fully multicoated, air-spaced 102mm doublet objective has one element made from extra-low dispersion (ED) optical glass for shade. The machined aluminum 2" Crayford-style focuser provides ultra-smooth dual speed focusing. It handles heavy cameras and accessories and rotates for optimal camera positioning. Includes metal tube rings and an 8" long dovetail mounting plate for attachment to most Orion EQ mounts. Also includes dovetail base 7214 for an Orion finder scope (finder scope not included).

Meade is a world leader in the design and manufacture of telescopes and accessories for amateur astronomers. The company's innovative and technologically advanced products are recognized to be among the best in the world.

The Vixen ED103S is an apochromatic refractor, with fantastic contrast and 4" aperture, sufficient for viewing most of the planets and many stars.  With its ED glass elements, chromatic aberration has been reduced to nearly undetectable levels, permitting a much more practical use of the higher magnifications quoted in the specifications than when seemingly identical in a normal achromatic refractor.  Vixen’s ED Glass has brought refractors back to the forefront of premium telescope choices, to compete with the 8" and larger ubiquitous Schmidt-Cassegrains that, while bringing in enormous quantities of light, simply cannot compare to the contrast of the apochromatic refractor. The included flip-mirror adapter allows either 90° or straight-through observing.  With an eyepiece upon each end of the flip-mirror, you can quickly switch between the two as the declination of your object of interest changes its location in the sky. The SPHINX equatorial mount and STARBOOK controller have been intelligently engineered for high-speed automatic location of celestial objects. It is now possible to explore the beauty of the night sky with greater ease and stability. The SPHINX comes standard with built in motors and the world's first star chart go-to controller, STARBOOK, with a large full color LCD display.

The Vixen ED 100Sf APO refractor features high-grade glass and quality components. Coupled with a medium f/9.0 focal ratio, the ED "S" series provide a sharp, color-free image of high contrast. For the astronomer that wants the best value for the dollar in a 4" APO, this is the one to buy. Apochromatic refractors from Vixen have extra-low dispersion (ED) lenses that depress residual aberration to achieve a high level of performance. The ED100Sf features a Crayford focuser for smooth operation without backlash. Performs nicely on the Porta Mount for visual observing or as a travel scope, or mount the OTA to a larger telescope for use as a guidescope.