Get the right telescope the first time.
Tell us your budget, location, storage situation, and what you want to see. Within 48 hours you get back the safest telescope path for your situation — not a generic top-10 list.
What you get, in writing
- Your main pick — the safest telescope for your budget and goals, with where to buy it.
- A runner-up — in case the main pick is out of stock or the price moves.
- What NOT to buy — the popular models that would waste your money in your specific case.
- First accessories that actually matter — and the ones to skip on day one.
- Two follow-up questions, included — read the recommendation, then ask us anything it raised. We answer both, no extra charge.
Your situation: $600 budget · suburban backyard · mostly Moon & planets, curious about deep sky · must fit in a closet and one pair of hands.
Main pick: a 6″ Dobsonian — we name the exact model and the store with the best price this week, and why it beats every computerized scope at this budget for your goals.
Runner-up: the tabletop alternative if the main pick sells out, with the one trade-off to know about.
What NOT to buy: the two popular Amazon models in your budget whose mounts will frustrate you at high power — named, with the reason.
Day-one accessories: one eyepiece and a $20 finder fix. Everything else can wait until you know what you love observing.
Yours is written for your answers — this is just the shape it takes.
This is especially useful if you are:
- Buying for a kid, or buying a gift on a deadline
- Observing from a city balcony or a small apartment
- Torn between a Dobsonian and a computerized (GoTo) telescope
- Trying not to burn your budget on accessories you don't need yet
Already own a telescope?
The same $27 recommendation works for upgrades. Tell us your telescope model, the eyepieces or accessories you already have, your budget, and what you observe most — and you get back:
- The 3-eyepiece setup we'd compare first for your exact scope — low power, general use, and planetary.
- What to buy first if you only upgrade one thing this year.
- What to skip — the accessories that won't show you more with your telescope.
- Compatibility and magnification notes so nothing arrives unusable.
How it works
- Pay the $27 through the secure Stripe checkout.
- Reply to your receipt (or email info@telescopeguides.com) with your budget, country, storage/space situation, and what you most want to see — Moon and planets, deep sky, phone photos, all of it. Already own a scope? Include the model and the eyepieces you have.
- Within 48 hours you get your written recommendation: main pick, runner-up, what to avoid, and your day-one accessory shortlist.
- Ask your follow-ups. Once you've read it, you can ask up to two follow-up questions by email — they're part of the $27.
Who's answering
The team behind TelescopeGuides.com — the buying guides, reviews and comparisons on this site. We spend all day comparing telescopes so you don't have to, and the recommendation is based on your answers, not on whichever model pays the most commission.
The right-scope guarantee
If the recommendation doesn't clearly fit the budget, space and goals you told us — or you just don't feel more confident about what to buy — reply "refund" and the $27 goes straight back. You keep the write-up either way.
Quick questions
How fast will I get it?
Within 48 hours of sending your answers — usually faster. Buying a gift on a deadline? Say so in your email and we'll prioritize it.
What if my budget is tiny (or huge)?
Works at any budget. Under $200 the "what NOT to buy" section is where we save you the most money; over $1,500 the recommendation focuses on getting the mount and optics balance right the first time.
Do you earn commission on what you recommend?
Sometimes, sometimes not — the pick is based on your answers, and we tell you where it's cheapest either way. If the best answer for you is "don't buy anything yet," that's what we'll say.
What if I'm not happy?
Reply "refund" — see the guarantee above. No forms, no questions.
48-hour turnaround · 2 follow-up questions included · right-scope guarantee
Already have 1–3 specific telescopes in mind? Then you don't need this — use the smaller Telescope Deal Check ($17) instead and we'll tell you buy, pass, or what to get instead.
Scope: this is a personalized beginner/intermediate buying recommendation plus up to two follow-up questions by email — not a full astrophotography rig design, repair diagnosis, or guaranteed stock/price check. Prices and availability at retailers can change after the recommendation is sent.