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I recently got a Celestron Astromaster 130EQ Telescope for my birthday and have been having loads of fun looking at and taking photos of the Moon over the last few days. One issue I had with the scope was that I couldn't angle the Red Dot Finder down enough to align it with the object I could see in the Telescope. I have been using it by taking note of the distance the red dot was out and trying to direct the telescope taking this difference into account. It occurred to me (before I looked at this forum) that if I could only raise the tail of the red dot finder higher (I could see that to bring the dot down the LED at the back was raised), I could get the alignment accurate. I took the mounting bracket apart and looked at the design of the plates. I then designed some new ones in Sketchup widened the back dimension and, as I have a 3D printer, printed the new ones out. The new bracket plates are 2mm wider at the back hence raising the back of the finder higher by 2mm, which in turn lowers the red dot down to it's correct alignment point. I thought I'd post on here to say how I resolved this issue as I notice that others had also suffered from this problem. I have posted the STL (design) files for the 3D parts up onto Thingiverse should anyone want to download and print some for themselves, I will also put out an offer to print some for others should they not have access to a 3D printer (just PM me). Here is a picture of the new mount plates in place. Terry.

Has anyone any experience of using the Celestron oag with either a ZWO ASI 120MM mini or ASI 224MC as a guide camera? After a few nights of unsatisfactory guiding my 8” Edge HD with a piggy back 60mm scope I’m thinking about getting the oag. Unfortunately I can only afford the oag and not a new guide camera with a sensor large enough to make best use of the large prism. I already own the 120 mini and 224 and wondered whether they’d work. Thanks.

Hi guys I just set up my new Celestron Astro FI 125mm and I'm having teething problems straight out the gates! Everything was going well until I tried to align it using the SkyPortal app and use the arrow controls on there but it will only move up and down and won't rotate Im sure there's something super simple I haven't done or have missed but I'm at a loss at the moment Thanks in advance!

Hi all, was just going through the garage to find something and had come across my dads old Celestron telescope the ,model of the scope says it’s a 21066 wos a. The focal length is 900mm and aperture is 2.3”. Was wondering if any of you knows something about this telescope? I’m guessing it’s not that great. here’s a few pictures of it. Olly.

Hi there! i bought my very first telescope but it was second hand and the eyepieces were missing. it’s an AstroMaster 70 AZ - i’m hoping to get good views of the moon/jupiter etc so i was wondering what eye piece everyone would recommend? very thankful for any help given! - bri

Hi. I've had a long term interest in astronomy and am just preparing to start getting some gear. I've spent a while now doing some research, reading and watching videos. I want to get started in visual observing, but I hope to, get into some astrophotography as well at some stage. I will definitely always want to be able to do visual, so I can share this with my family, and also I plan to get some decent scope experience for a while doing visual, plus I was thinking in terms of cost, starting out just visual allows me to stage the cost outlay by buying the camera gear later. I've mostly settled on the gear I'm looking at getting, but wanted to get some advice on one aspect. I am planning on at the start getting a Celestron SCT with a CGX mount plus the SkyPortal WiFi module. I was planning on also initially getting the Celestron StarSense. My plan for later was to get a not-too-expensive ZWO mono camera (at least to start with), EFW, plus a ZWO mini guide camera and an OAG. To manage all this I was planning on using either an AsiAir or Astroberry setup. So my question mostly revolves around whether or not the StarSense is effectively a waste in the long run? It seems to me that the functions the StarSense performs will end up also being able to be done by the cameras with the AsiAir/Astroberry. So instead of spending the money on the StarSense, can I simply earlier on buy the OAG, guide camera and AsiAir (or Astroberry) and then attach the OAG inline with the star diagonal, and then use the guide camera and AsiAir/Astroberry for alignment and mount control, while still doing visual astronomy (i.e. before I actually buy the "proper" main camera"), and thereby obviating the need for the StarSense altogether? Or is the idea/setup I've described completely stupid and non-functional in terms of visual observing? Can I actually use a guide camera via AsiAir/Astroberry for alignment, or does it have to be the main camera (which I wouldn't have in the initial setup I've described)? Hopefully I've explained myself well enough. Thanks.

"Come take a look at what I brought for tonight's session." "What the hell is this pathetic little thing? It's just a funny little toy!" One hour later: "Stop fooling around with that Firstscope already and come take a look through the 12" dob." "Nah, I'm good." Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the mighty Celestron Firstscope 76; and I put thit to you, this funny little thing is probably the best astro purchase I have ever made. Ok, now, I'm fully aware that most of you will skip this review with derisive grin, but before you do, consider the following: Optically, It is a fully capable newtonian refelctor with a primary mirror diameter of 76mm, which, given its inherent lack of chormatic abberation, will outperform most of the cheap entry-level acrhomats. And it gets better. With just 300 mm focal length, it gives low magnification and amazing widefield views, which is especially handy with some large objects you will struggle to fit in your large telescope's field of view. For example, Adromeda Galaxy is way more enjoyable in the Firstscope than in my 12" dob (despite the fact that the dob allows me to see the dustbands clearly), and I really mean it. Same goes with Pleiades, or moon/planet(s) conjunctions or large star clusters. Supplied eyepieces are, as you would expect, fairly poor, but at least totally functional. But, if you are already into this astro business, chances are that you have some fairly decent eyepieces lying around unused, so why not use them with this little toy? I had a spare TS 17mm 70° ERFLE eyepiece myself, so I assigned it to this half-pint for good. Ok, the scope is 76/300, which means it is an F/3.9, which means, in case you are bad in math, that its a pretty "fast" scope. That means that you can't expect to see point-sharp stars across the entire field of view, even with a decent sort of EP, and distortions around the edges of the field of view are very noticible, but hey, don't be picky. It's a firstscope for Chist's sake, not some fancy hi-tech japanese triplet. Whatever eyepiece you stuff into this thing though, it will probably give something like 15-20x magnification, which means that all of the advantages describe above apply. And, since it has so low magnification, it means that you probably will do without a finderscope. But if you require one, there are some pre-prepared fixture bolts, intended for those terrible 30mm plasticky finderscopes you probably have buried deep down in your astro stuff drawer that is full of stuff you were too fond of to throw away, so problem solved. The primary mirror sits solidly in the back of the tube, which means its uncollimateable (is that even a word?). However, the primary mirror is somewhat adjustable, so if you are skilled enough, alligning the optical assembly properly will not be a major issue. I myself made a centre spot on the primary and alligned the optics as best as I could using laser collimator; it was fiddly, but doable. Build quality of this little dwarf is, considering its class, amazing. It is not some cheap department store telescope that breaks into little pieces in a light breeze. The tube itself is made from metal and the plastic focuser assembly feels solid enough to withstand for ages (if you treat it well). It all sits on a sturdy alt-az (dobsonian type) chipwood mount, which means that it is very stable, giving it advantage over a pair of big binos. Oh, and did I mention that it is a table top? What was I thinking - guys, it's a table top scope, allright? I bet most of us use table or a surface of some sort when observing, so no big deal. The scope then is small, robust and very light, so it is an ideal grab-and-go; I call it grab-and-throw actually, because I just take it as it stands and throw it into a boot of my car when I'm going observing. It's designed to take some battering (with children in mind), so it is unlikely that you will ever knock the optics out of allignment, or break anything. Practicality-wise, it is as straight forward as it seems. You just grab it, put in on a table, remove the dust covers, and without it cooling down (image distortion with such low magnifications is negligible) you are ready to use it. No finderscope needed, you just aim from the hip and fire. One thing that seems a bit odd is the positioning of the focuser on the OTA, which makes it a bit awkward when you try observing something near the horizon, but hey, drill some extra holes in it an rotate it anyway you want it - even a toddler can do that. Most significant I think is the Firstscope's didactic value - it scores high in quite a few areas. First, it is absolutely superb for when you want to explain to someone how a newtonian telescope works, because it is as simple and as clear as it can be. Then, it is utterly foolproof and totally intuitive to use; you must be a total idiot to not know how to use it. Learning-wise, it is not wrong to point out that the views from the scope are very basic, which gives you some idea as to what the pioneer astronomers saw with their modest equipment. It is wonderful to think that you see the Jupiter and its moons roughly as Galileo did. Moreover, the IYA edition was designed with astronomy outreach in mind, so you have the OTA covered with names of notable astronomers, so if you get even a little bit curious, you can google for hours, finding out why were they so significant to deserve a place on this telescope, which is absolutely magnificent in my book. Then, you have the fabulous IYA sticker on it, which, for me, was the main reason (I am not ashamed to admit it) why I bought this pigmy scope. The IYA project allowed me to access a wide range of educational resources on astronomy otherwise unavailable in my country, so I fell I owe it one. And I bet I'm not the only one. So why was this little nipper the best astro purchase I have ever made? Well, I bought it brand new (auction of a last piece in stock) for the equivalent of only £24!!! I bet you will have little problem finding one second hand) Allow me to point it out: BRAND NEW FOR ONLY £24 !!! The eyepice I use with it was almost twice that price! Your significant other, your child, your toddler, your grandpa, your grandpa, your dog, your friends, they all can use it with ease. The wide field of view, the simplicity, the quality, the practically and above all, the amazing didactic value, and only £24 ??? I rest my case!

Hello I need reviews on Celestron CGX L. Is it a good mount ? My scope is Celestron cpc EdgeHD 1100. reliabilty ? disconnetions ? tracking ? My current mount is Celestron Alt Azm Mount and I have all my accessories from Celestron like focus motor, Starsense, Skyportal, All Star Polar. Allignment etc, these have made my life very easy. Else I do have option to buy ioptron CEM70 but I’m not familiar with the product but most of my Celestron accessories which can be connected to CGXL will go in waste. Secondly how important is the GPS that I will have to buy separately because CGXL doesn’t have built in. Thirdly I can buy CGXL without mount. Is there any way I can fit this on to my current Alt Azm Mount? Or Pier. I can easily save 1100 USD. Right now my Telescope is fitted on the Alt Azm Mount and giving me lots of disconnections on WiFi. That’s the problems I am facing. If it’s no more in new CGX L I would go for it. im confused.

I just recently got 15x70 Celestron Skymaster binoculars, and finally got a nice clear sky. I'm in bortle zone 4. I looked up online how to find certain messier objects, and looked for them, but i couldn't find them. (btw, i do have a tripod, and i used that most of the time) Why couldn't I find ANY messier objects?? I was certain i would be able to find some.... Any tips?

Just a quick comment on the service I've received from Steve Collingwood at SCTelescopes. I had a 14" Meade LX200 which had developed a very serious intermittent fault with its electronics. By arrangement, I took the scope to Steve today for him to look at as he is a trained Meade service engineer with many years experience behind him. He offered to work on the scope while I waited since I had a 260 mile round trip and it would potentially save me a second journey to collect the scope. In addition I would provide a second pair of hands as the 14" is a good weight to manhandle. That suited me fine so work began. The electronic faults were investigated and fixed. The scope was then thoroughly cleaned and serviced to a good standard. Normally Steve would accurately collimate the scope before it left the workshop but, as it was going to be bounced around in the back of a car for several hours, we agreed it probably wasn't worth as it would be better done once remounted in the dome. Even so, Steve had a quick check for any obvious misalignment before letting the unit leave. Steve was a very pleasant and knowledgeable chap with a good, traditional approach to and appreciation of quality engineering. The final price was reasonable, the work quality good and, most importantly, the tea was nice! All-in-all a good experience. AndyG

Which eyepiece and filter and barlow lens is needed foe celestron astromaster 130eq telescope . ..don't know what to buy...help me ..

Hello, I have recently bought a 76AZ and seen some incredible sites of the Moon, Venus was good to observe too (all through the 20mm) However Mars was a disappointment probably due to its size; and when I attach the Barlow Lense the zoom is there but the quality is definitely compromised. (Also find trouble with focusing as it shakes finding it hard to find the 'sweet spot') I am asking for some advice on how to 'tune up' or get the best out of my 76AZ, and for any advice on what optics/eyepieces to buy as I have read that the standard ones are not the best of quality. The finder scope is also terrible and will probably resort to fitting an Air Rifle scope in its place! Although guess work with two people works reasonably well! I would love gain any valuable Pointers & Tips anyone may have on how to use this telescope to its maximum performance or what things I can do to improve the quality etc. you can also be honest and say I need to just upgrade ha ha Thanks a lot in advance! ?

Inspired, as usual by Gina's exploits with a Raspberry Pi and Indi I decided to have a go myself. I have ordered an RPi 3 and await arrival. In the meantime I decided to modify a cheap 28BYJ-48 stepper motor for bipolar operation following Gina's instructions. Then I tested the motor with a Pololu A4988 stepper driver I had left over from my 3D printer build using details I found here and it worked first time. I needed a 12V supply to drive the 5V motor as now the windings are being used in series. Once the Pi arrives I will be installing Raspbian, Indi and connecting up to my Nexstar 127 SLT and then building a new focuser using my existing sketch and the motor I modded today.

Greetings All, I got a Celestron Inspire 90AZ for Christmas from my wife. It apparently has a 3.5" aperture, from what I've read. I have always wanted a telescope, and now I have one. I have been somewhat disappointed with what I've been able to see so far however.. I have not been able to go to a completely black sky yet, so some of the lackluster images I've seen may be affected by that. I'm wondering if I should return this telescope in favor of one with a larger aperture, or if I should try to adjust/upgrade the eyepieces? It came with a 20 and 10 mm eyepiece. I am learning here, and don't know if I will be able to get the satisfaction out of this telescope that I was hoping for. Please let me know your insights, and recommendations regarding keeping this telescope and upgrading eyepieces, or returning it and getting something better, and something that I can upgrade over time. Thanks so much! Raazor

Getting back into astronomy after many years. Really tasted the thrill as a youngster: eg Jupiter Saturn conj of 1981 viewed through a 4" refractor Splitting the double on the 'tip of the sword' of Cygnus - which as I recall were red and green. Naked eye all night sessions in Spain and New Zealand. For the last couple of weeks I have been getting off to dark skies a few miles from where I live and using 8x32's and I have just bought some used Celestron (Echelon) 16x70's which came a couple of days ago - since which time, in accordance with the Laws of Physics, the skies have been cloudy! I am probably going to get an Orion parallelogram tripod, but there are long waiting times - in the meantime would love to know of any advice people may have on monopods / heads and a mount that will fix to the Echelons.

Hi everyone, I looking to get my husband his first telescope. I am currently undecided between the Skywatcher Explorer 130P (EQ-2) and the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ3. I believe the Celestron has a better tripod and the Skywatcher has a better mirror but otherwise they are very much the same, is that correct? In your opinion which would be the better telescope to get for a beginner but with room to still grow into it? Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

Hi, I have always had an interest in astronomy/stargazing. Looking up into a clear night sky wondering what it would be like to be out there is always a summers night pass time favorite of mine. Although, having a high interest in this area as a child I became otherwise engaged in other activities like playing console games, and then more recently raising my own young children. However, my interest in astronomy and stargazing has since returned and I have recently wanted to begin looking into the night sky with a telescope. I am a complete novice when it comes to this and just wondered what would be a good beginners scope. I have recently been interested in buying the Celestron Astromaster 130EQ. I have read numerous reviews about this scope and everyone says that its really good scope for beginners. I have looked at images that people have taken through this scope using additional filters and lenses and I am more than impressed with what can be achieved. I am completely new to telescopes and wouldn't really know where to start. I had a low-grade telescope as a child, branded National Geographic which was great for looking at the moon with, it came with 2 lenses. I still have it but would prefer a 'more advanced', 'more profesional' scope. Any help/tips would be great. I have a maximum budget for this of £250GBP but could stretch to £300GBP Thanks all.

Can someone help me understand how to use the right Ascension setting ring and vernier scale on my CG-4 GEM from Celestron. Thanks

Hi all, Been a while since I have been on the site – work has been really busy these last 18 months, and although it’s still manic, things are slowing down a bit!! Viewing my previous posts, you will see that I was in the market for a new scope to adorn my EQ3-2 mount that I had purchased ages ago now!! Well, things didn’t turn out as expected, and while I am still hoping to get a scope, hopefully at Christmas if Santa is kind to me (I have been a good boy lol!!) I decided to get a pair of Binoculars to fill the gap! Budget was tight, and I did want a pair of larger aperture bins. A lot of reading up on the internet, and I settled on the Celestron Skymaster 20x80’s. I already have a pair of 10x50’s so was after something with a bit more power, and larger objective’s. The skymasters seemed to fit the bill, and the price was right as well! I dropped into Rother Valley Optics with my cash on the off chance they would have a pair in stock – they didn’t, so I left my details, and less than 24 hours later, Adam from the shop called me to say they had a pair in! I drove over to their shop, tried them out outside the shop, as I had read that some pairs are known to have collimation issues. These where perfect, so I parted with my £99 cash and went home with them! First class service from RVO, and I will be using them again when it comes to getting my scope – thanks guys! So, onto the bin’s. They came double boxed up, and within the branded box inside the plain box, the bin’s were securely packed in foam and wrapped in plastic. They come with a basic carry case, which won’t protect them from hard knocks, but will keep the dust off them while not in use. The eye pieces are protected by a one piece cover, while each large objective is covered by its own, separate cover. There is also a basic neck strap, but it appears quite flimsy, and I won’t be using it. The bins have a built in tripod adaptor, on an adjustable slider, meaning they can be securely attached to a tripod and balanced up. Weight wise, they tip the scales at just over 2.6kg. This isn’t hugely heavy, and while I did use a tripod for some observing, when I wanted to look at things nearer the zenith, I hand held them, and did so for quite some time. I didn’t feel they were overly heavy, even after prolonged use. It seems that new scope curse also affects owners of new binoculars, as I had to wait 5 days for clear skies!! I went out at about 10:30pm into the back garden, and while the side of house has a street lamp directly over the hedge, round the back its cut off, and quite dark. I began by finding M31, which at is currently nearly at the Zenith. I could see the central core clearly, and with some averted vision, make out some finer details in the disk. Moving on to M45, the Pleiades, that was just rising over my neighbours fence – what a sight!! Even though it was quite low down, the cluster filled the view, and I could see loads of fainter stars within it. Moving through the Milkyway, the view was filled with thousands of stars and star clusters!! I was really impressed. I intend to go to a dark sky site up in the Peak District, just north of Ashbourne when time and the weather permit, to get some proper dark sky viewing in! I have not yet been able to look at the Moon or any planets through them – the Moon hadn’t risen by the time I turned in, and is now a very small waning crescent. I will have to wait a bit longer, and will update the review once done. Mars was up, but low in the sky, and due to the street lights, swamped with LP. With terrestrial viewing, they provide bright and crisp views. While there is some CA when looking at things with bright edges, general viewing wasn’t affected in any way. I plan to take them to my local nature reserve to test them out on some wild life as well. I am also a bit of a plane fan, and when time permits I park up near East Midlands Airport to watch the aircraft coming and going – these will be great for that, set up on my tripod for easy viewing! Conclusion – the Skymaster 20x80’s are a decent pair of binoculars. While they don’t have the build quality of more expensive ones, treated well I can see no reason why they won’t last for years. They actually come with a 5 year Celestron guarantee anyway! For causal use when you don’t want to set up the main scope I think these fit the bill nicely, and I would recommend them to anyone. Cheers all Nige

Hi everyone - juts purchased my first telescope and am asking for advice on what is best to be seen through this telescope as a starter - have already seen the moon and some distant stars and am comfortable with using all of the eye pieces included. What would anyone recommend?