celestron astromaster

[luna 2011]

hiya all,new here.has any one got a celestron astromaster i was wondering how good they are as im getting a new telescope next year as ive had a few bad experiences with my tasco luminova. last straw was the tripod cracking at the turn bolt part cuasing the scope to topple over damaging it.im after the 5 inch version with motor drive as im on a very low budget.ive already seen a world wide ear bashing on tasco telescopes i had 2 the first being better,so wont be getting another lol.any good and bad points will be a help cheers

[JamesM]

The scope itself is fine but the tripod, like many in this price range, is very twitchy so that any adjustment or movement takes a long time to settle down. The motor option would help certainly as it will be one less point of contact with the scope. The other criticism would be the red dot finder. You can't dim the light and being too bright will obscure your target and it is a bit tricky to align with the scope. Personally I would stick with the Skywatcher brand and in particular a dobsonian scope as it will give you the biggest aperture for your bucks. Your means of tracking an object will be you nudging the scope as there are no motors that can be obtained to help your with this - not until you buy the more expensive models. Aperture helps resolve detail because it can gather more light and it is the information contained within that light which is what you see at the eyepiece.

What I would always recommend to anyone wanting to buy a scope is to 'try before you buy' so you can build up an idea of what type and size of scope that will meet your expectations. Astronomy clubs and observing groups provide observation evenings which will facilitate this 'research' as well as introducing you to different eyepieces which can make a difference to the viewing experience. The best advice really is to take your time as the stars aren't going anywhere!

James

[marcdearn]

I have both the Celestron 130 and the Skywatcher 130

The mount is better on the Celestron but the tripod is better on the Skywatcher!

There is little to choose visually between the two, but cosmetically the Skywatcher just edges it

The RDF on either is rubbish but a Rigel Quikfinder sorts that problem out....

[jenksie]

i have recently purchased the astromaster 130md (with motor) for what i feel is a very good price of around £135 from binocular uk over in blackpool. Not really had a chance to use it yet due to weather etc but for cost seems really great value and build for an entry scope. just want to get an extra eyepiece now around a 6mm i think

[JonnyP]

I've got the 76mm Astromaster.

I'd agree with JBM1165 about the red dot finder (I can't get on with it at all), and the shakiness of the tripod. Even a moderate wind shakes it too much.

However, I have seen Jupiter clearly, plus a few DSOs. It's got me interested for not much outlay. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the 76mm, but I'd certainly lend it out, with a little bit of instruction.

I have added a Rigel Quikfinder which makes looking around the sky a doddle and pretty much doubles the value of the scope.

I am curious about how good the actual scope would be with better eyepieces. I'll be getting a 200mm dob in two weeks so maybe I'll experiment...

[luna 2011]

hiya all thanks for the responses ive had a look at the astromaster and skywatcher explorer both have there downsides,ive noticed the skywatcher has almost an identical tripod to my tasco of which caused the sad demise of the tasco,the plastic bit with the tightening bolt is brittle and cracks which caused the sudden collapse of the scope.the astromaster has had a huge slating over the starpointer and wobbly tripod.is it possible to change the starpointer on the astro.celestron seems to have more accessories and spare parts.hoping to order this week so need to make my mind up fast lol :-)

[Madhatter]

I have both the Celestron 130 and the Skywatcher 130

The mount is better on the Celestron but the tripod is better on the Skywatcher!

There is little to choose visually between the two, but cosmetically the Skywatcher just edges it

The RDF on either is rubbish but a Rigel Quikfinder sorts that problem out....

Just out of interest, why do you think the skywatcher RDF is rubbish?? i find mine to be excellent , and cheap..£9 from astroboot, adjustable brightness and accurate.

[dag123]

Hello Luna,

Here is the link to another recent thread where I commented on my experiences with the Astomaster 130EQ. I hope it helps.

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-discussions-help-telescopes-whole-setups/155364-celestron-astromaster-130-eq.html

At present I am more than happy with this scope and I think I even managed to bag the supernova in M101 with it last night. Although I'm still waiting for someone to read my report (link below) to confirm this.

http://stargazerslounge.com/observing-deep-sky/156443-did-i-just-see-supernova-m101.html

Regards

dag123

[luna 2011]

hiya all thanks 4 the help its been great. the skywatcher i looked at seems to not have the parabolic mirror which seems strange as i thought a newt always had parabolics.this is all new to me as my last telescope entertained me but not enough to kickstart the hobby but after setting it up to see the pinwheel supernova something happend in my noggin and said get a better telescope so here i am starting out properly and enjoying somthing i should of when i was small,so for my tiny little budget i think the astromaster 130 will take the top prize despite the problems iv heard about them as in starfinders ect il replace it with a recomended 1.welcome to the stars hehe with better telescope