# How We Research & Score Smart Telescopes > How Smart Telescope Review researches smart telescopes: where specs come from, how we treat marketing images, and how the 10-point score is weighted. - Source: https://smarttelescopereview.com/how-we-research/ - Markdown version: https://smarttelescopereview.com/how-we-research.md --- - [Home](https://smarttelescopereview.com/) - How we research # How we research and score smart telescopes We'd rather tell you exactly how our recommendations are made than imply something they aren't. Here's the process behind every guide, review and tool on Smart Telescope Review. ## What we do (and don't do) Smart Telescope Review is a research-based buyer's guide. We haven't tested these telescopes ourselves, and our reviews are not hands-on tests. Where a test result appears, we name the outlet that ran it. For every telescope we: - **Start from the live Amazon listing and the maker's spec sheet**: aperture, focal length and focal ratio, sensor and pixel size, field of view, mount and EQ-mode support, battery, weight, storage, filters, solar filter, app and any paid features. - **Compute what the maker doesn't state.** Where a field of view or focal ratio isn't published, we calculate it from sensor size and focal length and say so. - **Cross-check with independent hands-on reviews** from astronomy and photography outlets, and note where their results differ from the claims. - **Read owner reports** (retailer reviews, forums such as Cloudy Nights, maker communities) for problems that show up after months: firmware bugs, dew, battery life in the cold, app changes and support. - **Treat marketing images with care.** Listing photos are often hours of data from dark sites, processed on a computer. Our tools and reviews describe what a typical owner gets from a typical sky. - **Flag uncertainty.** When a spec is missing or sources disagree we say so, and we leave a field blank rather than guess. Each telescope page lists the sources we relied on. ## How the 10-point score works Every telescope gets four sub-scores, each out of 10: - **Image quality & optics (35%)**: aperture, optical design and color correction, sensor, resolution and field of view, filters, and the image quality independent reviewers report for deep-sky targets, the Moon and (where relevant) planets. - **Ease of use & app (25%)**: setup time, automatic alignment, focus and stacking, app quality and stability, EQ mode, mosaics and how forgiving it is for a beginner. - **Portability & build (20%)**: weight and size, battery life, weather and dew handling, build quality, warranty and the maker's support record. - **Value (20%)**: what you get for the street price, including the extras you'll need (EQ head, solar or narrowband filter, power bank) and any subscription or paid features. The overall score is the weighted average, rounded to one decimal. A 9+ is exceptional, 8–9 is a strong buy for the right observer, and under 7.5 means real compromises. Newer models with few owner reviews are scored cautiously and can move as the record builds. Smartphone-guided traditional telescopes are scored on the same scale, but their image-quality score reflects what you see through the eyepiece rather than stacked images. A higher score doesn't mean it's the right telescope for your sky and targets. A wide-field 30 mm scope is a poor buy if you mostly want planets. That's why we built the [telescope matcher](https://smarttelescopereview.com/tools/telescope-matcher/) and the [sky target checker](https://smarttelescopereview.com/tools/sky-target-checker/). ## How our tools estimate results Field of view comes from sensor size and focal length. Stacking-time estimates use a simple background-limited model: brighter skies need proportionally more time for the same signal-to-noise, dual-band filters remove most of the sky background for emission nebulae, and faster optics need less time. Target difficulty tiers are our editorial judgment. Each tool page spells out its assumptions. ## Solar safety Never point a telescope at the Sun without a certified full-aperture solar filter fitted as the maker instructs. Our solar guidance summarizes maker instructions and published safety guidance; it isn't a substitute for your telescope's manual. ## Prices Prices are the US Amazon price at the time of our last update, also shown as price tiers ($ to $$$$) because telescopes are discounted and re-bundled often. Always check the current price and what's in the box on Amazon. ## Editorial independence Brands cannot pay for placement, and we don't accept free products in exchange for coverage. We earn a commission when you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you. ## Updates and corrections We review our main buying guides at least quarterly and whenever a significant model launches. Each page shows its last-updated date. Spot an error? [Tell us](https://smarttelescopereview.com/contact/) and we'll fix it.