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Choosing an astronomical telescope for the first time can be a bewildering task. There are a great many telescopes available, advertised as being ideal as beginners instruments. The reality is that because of the convenience of shopping at High Street retailers, many first time buyers are advised to choose their equipment because of bargain prices, the attraction of colourful boxes showing exciting images of celestial objects, and the lure of modern telescope electronic gadgetry. The first time buyer is often misled by these sales techniques, because it is too much trouble to question the advice, or because beginners simply rely on the level of knowledge and honesty of the sales staff. As with all markets and products which serve a purpose, there are fundamental truths about their quality and operation which are often overlooked or undersold purely for sales reasons. Astronomical telescopes, or any optical instruments for that matter, are no different. In order to enjoy them and to fully experience rewarding astronomical observing, it is important to remember some basic points about telescopes which are irrefutable.

1. The most important  area of all is optical quality.  No electronic gadgetry or other feature can make up for poor images with low contrast and sharpness. Detail on the planets is minimal, stars are not pin-point, and deep sky objects are indistinct blurs. Regardless of telescope price, the optical quality is the first consideration.

2. Engineering quality and mechanical stability. A good quality optical telescope is difficult to use on a poor mount. Low quality tripods introduce image shake, as do mass produced mounts engineered purely as a low price product. There are few if any exceptions.
The same is equally true for the telescopes. If attention by the manufacturer is paid to the important operating components of a telescope instead of gadgetry, the telescope will work correctly and provide images that are stimulating.

The two points outlined are vital in telescope design. When these criteria are met, only then can attention be paid to accessories and convenience add-ons. Unfortunately, many manufacturers, because of mass appeal and the modern fascination of techno-gadgetry, concentrate their efforts in these areas. The crucial points that define a telescope are overlooked and, over time, this practice becomes the norm because it is gradually accepted by the market.

The points raised above should not lead the first time buyer to assume that the only telescopes or astronomical products that are worth buying are expensive. There are some telescopes and accessories at budget prices that we champion here at Bray, because they offer great value for money in some if not all of the important areas.

Some examples.

The Siberian manufacturer TAL Novosabirsk produce a range of Newtonian reflectors, refractors and Cassegrains which are all budget priced. None of them include any GOTO system and they are certainly all very plain, no frills instruments. However, the mounts are solid, the optical accessories are of good quality, and the main optics outperform many far more expensive instruments. This is typical of the Russians, they pay attention to the correct areas of telescope design.

One of the world's largest manufacturers, based in China, produce hundreds of products for the budget sector of the telescope market. Most are for the High Street environment, and in our view, do not meet the required standards of a competent astronomical telescope. Some of their products however, do meet some of the requirements, and these we supply. The SkyWatcher Newtonians beginning at 130mm aperture, f/8 refractors beginning at 102mm and the Maksutovs are all good value for money and represent sensible beginners instruments that will perform to a satisfactory level.

TS (Teleskop Service) in Germany provide a range of telescopes that represent the finest instruments of their kind within the budget to mid-price sector of the market. Firstly, the TS achromatic refractors offer superior correction for chromatic aberration in comparison to other mass produced achromatic refractors generally available. 102mm, 127mm and 152mm refractors are available in both conventional longer f/ (focal ratios) and shorter f/ for wider field visual and photographic use. Unlike the other mass produced short f/ achromatic refractors available, the level of correction for spherical aberration is pleasingly higher than would be expected for instruments of this price level. This claim is backed up by the availability of documentation describing the optical quality of the objective lenses in each refractor. This service is unique, and a first for budget and mid-price mass produced achromatic refractors.

TS Dobsonians also represent a great cost-effective way (and perhaps the only way) to obtain larger aperture telescopes at lower cost, without sacrificing optical and mechanical quality. 6", 8", 10" and 12" Newtonians on Dobsonian mounts are all available, including a new split tube 12".

At Bray Imaging Technologies, our main aim is to supply and manufacture high performance instruments, but we also use discrimination to recommend the correct budget telescopes for first time buyers as the few examples above show. Our philosophy remains constant in all areas of the telescope market and we pride ourselves in this unique approach.