[masraum]

Originally Posted by fireant911

The timing of this thread is great. We live far out in the country and I often go out at night and simply marvel at what I see in the sky above. Earlier this week, I started looking for a decent telescope for someone that wants to look closer at some of the objects in the sky without spending much cash. I did a little research and the reflector-type scopes came up as the best bang-for-the-buck. I have narrowed my search down to these two inexpensive models. What say the experts here? Are these two choices okay for novice's purchase if $200 is my limit?

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-StarBlast-Equatorial-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B06XSM4R74/ref=dp_ob_title_ce?dpID=41geR02qr%252BL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-31042-AstroMaster-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B000MLL6R8/ref=nsa_prb_sm_n_au_dka_US_pr_prb_0_0?adId=B000MLL 6R8&creativeASIN=B000MLL6R8&linkId=af6c99962dc3f544dabbc09b3a576f21&tag=opticsden-20&linkCode=w48&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opticsden.com%2Fbest-telescopes%2F&slotNum=0&imprToken=2ecoyRhLQaoEDp1nK6gmdw

It's a shame their budget isn't $250. This style of scope is pretty much the gold standard for beginners on a budget.
Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope | Orion Telescopes