Hi Mark,

I don't think I would count on those claims (1/6 & 1/8 wave). At those
prices, I would be very happy with 1/4 wave.

Some other thoughts --- How old is your son? Is he big enough to transport
each of these scopes outside by himself? Does he know his way around the
sky? That is, can he identify constellations and find things?

Your might want to find an astro club in your area. You can check at:
http://skyandtelescope.com/resources/organizations/ to find one nearby. Then
you can take him to a public night where he can meet other amateur
astronomers and learn the constellations. Even more, you may find a much
better scope available (second-hand) for the same amount of money.
Telescopes do not decay and with only a little care, are just as good as the
day they were manufactured.

As to your three, 6" is a lot bigger than 4" It has more than twice the
surface area which means it collects more light which means it sees a lot
fainter objects. Additionally, even on bright objects like the moon, it will
handle higher magnification and show much smaller details.

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try the Lunar Observing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/
************************************************** **********


"Mark Segall" wrote in message
...
BlankI am lookingf at getting my son a first telescope and we are
budgeting
$200-300USD.

Possibly I did too much (or not enough) research, but have narrowed down
to
the following reflectors: TAL-1 (110mm $299), Orion SpoaceProbe 130mm
($229), and Hardin Deep Space Hunter 6" Dobsonian.

From my reading, the TAL-1 would probably have the best optics (1/6 wave),
mount (German EQ), and base (rock solid pedestal); but the smallest
aperture
and highest price. Plus, this includes a barlow, solar projection screen,
lunar filter, and camera mount. But harder to find compatible upgrades.

The Orion is ok-good optics, bigger aperture, and lowest price but light
aluminum tripod.

The Hardin has the biggest aperture of the group, Dobsonian base (which
has
its pros and cons), good price (currently on sale from $299) but not sure
of
the optics.

Also, I recently saw an online add for an "Event Horizon" 6 inch Reflector
which they claim was MSRP $649 on sale for $189 (closeout) with 1/8 wave
mirror; but I haven't heard of that brand in my research.