amateur novice amateurs rookie newbie starter in Reviews and Ratings

…John Dobson's simple and portable design made large telescopes available to the average amateur astronomer. But the bulky tubes limited the portability of really big sizes.

The… 10 more reviews »

… many sights in one night as opposed to spending a lot of time trying to find just one (OK, I'm a very amateur astronomer).
- with proper (and periodic) calibration, the goto function… 9 more reviews »

…I am truly an amateur astronomer. My childhood was peppered with dime-store telescopes that showed me a new blurry world. When I got the EXT-90EC I expected little more than a brighter blur. To my… 37 more reviews »

… recommend this to anyone on a budget and is looking to get into amateur astronomy. Of course, if you have the money to spend, I suggest a larger aperture such as the 6" 8" or 10" Dobsonians. Larger aperture…

…I have been interested in astronomy for over 50 years and am familiar with many amateur level scopes. Never had a chance to view with the "big boys" but I do know the difference between a toy… 16 more reviews »

… up the package we tested it out, and it worked great. The features on it are limited, but that's perfect for an amateur astronomer. We get a clear view of the skies, and since December it's been…

…The products lacks basic instruction. For the novice it would help if the product came with some detailed operational instructions… 68 more reviews »

…We bought this for our granddaughter, she will have alot of fun with it in the future, good starter telescope.…

… this is a great scope for the amateur astronomer. It's cheap enough that it won't break the bank (good especially if you're not sure if astronomy is for you) but still plenty good enough for some great… 6 more reviews »

… great views, and took a rank amateur (me) less than an hour to assemble and align the optics, thanks to a very good instruction manual.

The small size is a plus for me. I keep it fully…

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Hello!

This is a great telescope for a beginner.

First, let me share my credentials: I'm an advanced amateur astronomer, having been in the hobby for over 15 years. I… 16 more reviews »

…As a proficient amateur astronomer, I was given an opportunity to play with this telescope at a friends house. My conclusion: it's not worth the money.

Here's why:
- only the azimuth…

…As a proficient amateur astronomer, I was given an opportunity to play with this telescope at a friends house. My conclusion: it's not worth the money.

Here's why:
- only… 3 more reviews »

… this is a great scope for the amateur astronomer. It's cheap enough that it won't break the bank (good especially if you're not sure if astronomy is for you) but still plenty good enough for some great… 1 more review »

… a bit about the sky before it is useful because you have to line up the scope manually on two stars to set the computer. The novice probably can't do this properly. Note, too, that the second star… 12 more reviews »