Used telescope gear sounds great. You get a big discount off of new pricing so that you can spend your hard earned money on more astro gear! And there are plenty of places to buy used astronomy equipment from individual owners including places like eBay and Astromart.
The challenge is that, even with an owner’s best intentions, you just don’t know how well that used equipment will perform. A good compromise, which will allow you to get the great pricing of used equipment with the comfort that it will perform as is should, is to buy used equipment from an astronomy retailer.
Many retailers have trade in programs that allow people to trade in equipment for something new. These retailers take in an item as trade, and to sell that item, they have to make sure the equipment works as it should. And in addition to used equipment, many dealers also have open box or demo items that are discounted at amounts that are close to or equal to that of used equipment, some with a full warranty.
Below is a list of a wide variety of telescopes, mounts, cameras, accessories and more that are currently available from reputable astronomy retailers. These items are only available directly from these dealers, no third party marketing platforms are included. Links are provided and its amazing what you’ll find for sale.
For example, Skies Unlimited has a rare 20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster with Zambuto Mirror. For those in the know, Carl Zambuto’s mirrors are highly sought after as the pinnacle of mirror perfection for amateur astronomy. And Starmaster is known as one of the top custom telescope builders. As the team at Skies Unlimited notes:
“Purchase this freshly re-coated 20-inch f/4.3 Zambuto mirror and we will throw in a Starmaster structure with Sky Commander XP4 Flash Go To control. All joking aside, you could order the same mirror direct from Zambuto, pay 50% down now, wait at least eight to ten months and then pay the balance of $6490 plus shipping and insurance. Call it $6600 and the better part of a year when all is said and done. Alternatively, you can get in your car and drive to our showroom and have this mirror tomorrow for only $6499 plus 6% sales tax. Basically that means you are getting the Go To structure and accessories for next to nothing!”
It just goes to show that there are some really incredible deals available with a little hunting. To help on that hunt, below we’ve provided a number of items that may fit the bill if your looking for new to you telescope gear (we update this list as items change on a regular basis so feel free to come back):
Telescopes and Binoculars
– BORG – 125MM F/6 ACHROMAT OPTICAL TUBE WITH 2″ VISUAL BACK HELICAL FOCUSER – USED $796US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– MEADE – 8″ LX80 F/10 SCHMIDT-CASSEGRAIN OPTICAL TUBE ASSEMBLY (OTA) W/ UHTC – REFURBISHED $695US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– VIXEN 12X80 BINOCULARS WITH HARD CASE USED $499.99US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– WILLIAM OPTICS GOLD 73MM F/5.9 ZENITHSTAR W/DUAL DOVETAIL PLATE OPEN BOX $539US (High Point Scientific)
– EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC 127MM F/7.5 FCD100 TRIPLET CARBON FIBER WITH 2.5” HEX FOCUSER OPEN BOX $2,499US (High Point Scientific)
– CELESTRON CGX COMPUTERIZED EQUATORIAL MOUNT HEAD OPEN BOX $1,795US (High Point Scientific)
– CELESTRON SKYPRODIGY 6 COMPUTERIZED TELESCOPE USED $705US (High Point Scientific)
– 20-INCH F/4.3 STARMASTER WITH ZAMUBTO MIRROR USED $6499US (Skies Unlimited)
– CORONADO SOLARMAX III 90 F/8.9 SOLAR TELESCOPE – SINGLE STACK 30MM OPEN BOX $4,366.95US (OPT)
– VIXEN/ORION VC200-L W/GP MOUNT USED $899US (OPT)
– STELLARVUE SVX130T APO REFRACTOR USED $4,095US (OPT)
– EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC AR102, 102MM F/6.5 AIR-SPACED DOUBLET ACHROMATIC REFRACTOR TELESCOPE USED $419US (Adorama)
– VAONIS STELLINA OBSERVATION STATION AND HYBRID TELESCOPE WITH GITZO SYSTEMATIC SHORT TRIPOD E USED $3,429US (Adorama)
– CELESTRON C5 SCT SPOTTING SCOPE, 125MM, 1.25″ 50X, CG5/AVX/PHOTO TRIPOD DOVETAIL DEMO $425US (Astronomics)
– CELESTRON NEXSTAR 5SE COMPUTERIZED TELESCOPE OPEN BOX $ 629.10US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– SKY-WATCHER USA 150MM MAKSUTOV-CASSEGRAIN USED $799.99US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– ORION 6″ F/4 NEWTONIAN ASTROGRAPH WITH ACCESSORIES USED $675US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– MEADE ETX90EC AND ACCESSORIES USED $599US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– ORION SKYQUEST XT10 CLASSIC DOBSONIAN USED $575US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– CELESTRON C6 OPTICAL TUBE ASSEMBLY USED $475US (Cloudbreak Optics)
Telescope Mounts
– MEADE LX850 GERMAN EQUATORIAL MOUNT WITH STARLOCK DEMO FULL WARRANTY $5,579US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– SOFTWARE BISQUE – PARAMOUNT GT-1100S USED $3,699US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– LOSMANDY – GM8 MOUNT USED $1,099US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– IOPTRON CEM60E EQUITORIAL MOUNT WITH IPOLAR USED $3,299US (High Point Scientific)
– OMEGON MINITRACK LXE ORIGINAL MOUNT NO BALL HEAD USED $74.80US (High Point Scientific)
– ORION STARSEEKER IV MOUNT CLEARENCE $199US (Skies Unlimited)
– IOPTRON 120EC MOUNT USED $4,495US (OPT)
– VIXEN POLARIE STAR TRACKER W/TRIPOD OPEN BOX $535.50US (OPT)
Telescope Eyepieces
– MEADE 13.8MM PLOSSL EYEPIECE USED $85US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– MEADE 18MM SUPER WIDE ANGLE 1.25″ MULTI-COATED EYEPIECE USED $79.99US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– PRIMALUCELAB 25MM PLOSSL EYEPIECE USED $29.99US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– STELLARVUE EUW 15MM 1.25-INCH EYEPIECE OPEN BOX $125.16US (OPT)
– VIXEN SSW 3.5MM 83 DEGREE EYEPIECE 1.25-INCH OPEN BOX $283.50US (OPT)
– TAKAHASHI 4 MM ABBE EYEPIECE OPEN BOX $162.75US (OPT)
– ORION 2-INCH PRECISION CENTERING EYEPEICE ADAPTER USED $34.65US (OPT)
– TELEVUE 3.5MM DELOS EYEPIECE USED $317US (Skies Unlimited)
– TELEVUE PARACORR TYPE 2 USED $399US (Skies Unlimited)
– WILLIAM OPTICS 5 MM EXTREMELY WIDE ANGLE 110° EYEPIECE – 2″/1.25″ USED (High Point Scientific)
– CELESTRON LUMINOS 31 MM EYEPIECE 2″ USED $236US (High Point Scientific)
– TELE VUE NAGLER TYPE 4 82° EYEPIECE 12MM USED $220US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– TELE VUE RADIAN 18MM EYEPIECE USED $180US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– CELESTRON13MM ULTIMA DUO SERIES EYEPIECE USED $95US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– BAADER PLANETARIUM 2″ CLICKLOCK EYEPIECE CLAMP WITH M54 MALE USED $74US (Adorama)
Telescope Cameras and Imaging
– SBIG ST-8300 COLOR CCD CAMERA USED $999US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– STARIZONA HYPERSTAR 8 EDGE HD FOR ATIK CAMERAS VERSION 3 DEMO $899.99US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– QHY8 PRO CAMERA WITH HYDROGEN ALPHA FILTER AND CASE USED $1,699US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– MALLINCAM SKYRAIDER 440 DSC (COLOR) WITH MFR-8 MKI CASE USED $299.99US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– ATIK INFINITY COLOR CAMERA USED $750US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– STARLIGHT INSTRUMENTS POSIDRIVE AND FOCUSER BOSS II FOR FSQ 106 USED $600US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– QSI 683WSG-8 CAMERA USED $2,695US (OPT)
– STARLIGHT XPRESS USB 7 POSITION 1.25-INCH FILTER WHEEL SCT FEMALE INPUT/ MALE OUTPUT OPEN BOX $338.63US (OPT)
– STARLIGHT XPRESS TRIUS 26C CAMERA OPEN BOX $2,995US (OPT)
– MEADE LPI-G MONO CAMERA USED $329US (OPT)
– CELESTRON SKYRIS 132M CAMERA USED $179US (Skies Unlimited)
– IMAGINGSOURCE DMK 41AF02 CAMERA USED $369US (Skies Unlimited)
– ATIK TITAN COLOR CCD CAMERA W/ SONY ICX424 SENSOR USED $485US (Skies Unlimited)
– ATIK EFW2 ELECTRONIC FILTER WHEEL 7-POSITION, 36MM USED $399US (High Point Scientific)
– REVOLUTION IMAGER R2 WITH VIEWING SCREEN USED $247.50US (High Point Scientific)
– ATIK ATIKBASE COMPUTER USED $259.60US (High Point Scientific)
– ATIK 414EX COLOR CCD CAMERA OPEN BOX $1,310US (High Point Scientific)
Telescope Accessories
– PRIMALUCELAB EAGLE OBSERVATORY WITH POWER SUPPLY USED $995US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– ASTRO-PHYSICS VIXEN SADDLE USED $79US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– LOSMANDY 150MM RING SET WITHOUT BASE USED $75US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– ASTRO PRODUCTS DEW DESTROYER – 80 MM STANDARD CAPACITY OPEN BOX $62.37US (OPT)
– STELLARVUE 0.8X REDUCER FLATTENER FOR SV80ST2 WITH 2-INCH FOCUSER USED $158.76US (OPT)
– ADM V SERIES DOVETAIL BAR FOR ASTRO TECH 8 INCH RC TELESCOPE OPEN BOX $63US (OPT)
– PRIMALUCELAB ENVIRONMENTAL COMPUTERIZED CONTROLLER FOR EAGLE ECCO USED $150US (High Point Scientific)
– SKYBT BLUETOOTH ADAPTER FOR WIRELESS CONTROL WITH ANDROID DEVICES USED $120US (High Point Scientific)
– BAADER PLANETARIUM SKY SURFER III 30 MM RED DOT FINDER USED $25.50US (High Point Scientific)
– ADM V SERIES 90MM GUIDE SCOPE RING SET USED $79.95US (High Point Scientific)
– ASTRO-PHYSICS 15″ RIBBED MOUNTING PLATE USED $88US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– STARIZONA POWER PACK II USED $75US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– ORION 2″ REFRACTOR TELESCOPE MIRROR DIAGONAL USED $75US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– ORION DELUXE OFF-AXIS GUIDER USED $59.95US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– FARPOINT 2″ CHESHIRE AUTOCOLLIMATOR USED $59US (Adorama)
Solar Equipment
– ORION GLASS SOLAR FILTER 9.25″ USED $79.99US (Woodland Hills Telescope)
– CORONADO SOLARMAX III 90 F/8.9 SOLAR TELESCOPE – SINGLE STACK 30MM OPEN BOX $4,366.95US (OPT)
– CORONADO SOL RANGER SOLAR FINDERSCOPE OPEN BOX $78.75US (OPT)
– SPECTRUM ST712BP1 SOLAR FILTER USED $49US (Skies Unlimited)
– SOLARMAX 90 HA BF30 SOLAR FILTER WITH 127MM ACHROMATIC REFRACTOR USED $3,295US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– LBASTRO PROXYMA OAG W/QHY 5-II-M AND KISS ADAPTER USED $ 483.75US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– THOUSAND OAKS 7.5″ WHITE LIGHT SOLAR FILTERS (2+) USED $80US (Cloudbreak Optics)
– BAADER PLANETARIUM 80MM ASTROSOLAR TELESCOPE FILTER D USED $45US (Adoroma)
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