ar102

ES AR102mm Achromat

In the most bang for the buck category, I'd have to put an 8" or 10" dobsonian reflector. Big light gathering without little chromatic aberration.

They're big and heavy. For homes with a view or for terrestrial or birding, a refractor is a better fit.

Refractors that can handle high magnification require exotic glass to minimize chromatic aberration (false color) that degrades the image at higher powers. Long slow focal lengths can help alleviate that issue - some. They tend to create long tubes, which is not cool if you want to keep the scope set up indoors.

I like short 4" scopes on alt-az (vs. equatorial mounts). The cheapest are about $200. Those that can handle their theoretical limits (2x per mm or 200x) start at around $1000.

For indoor setup, wooden tripods are attractive, where those of aluminum seldom are.

Here's a link on "window scopes".

One of the best short 4" achromats is the AR102 from Explore Scientific. With the Manufacturer Advertised Price at $549, it's overpriced new. Frankly, at the price, you start getting to a point where better glass (EDs with a better element in it (FPL-51)) becomes competitive.

The nice things about the AR102: