Celestron AstroMaster 130 EQ Reflector Telescope

[rtsutton3]

I am looking at getting this scope for my children to observe the planets. This is the first telescope I have bought, so I am new to the hobby. Does anyone have any experience with this model? My goal is to use a 2x and see Saturn.

[dag123]

Hi,

First I see this is your first post so welcome to the Lounge!

I have the same scope as you have mentioned for almost a year now. I am very happy with it. I have seen the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter. I have also seen a number of galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, double stars and even a supernova!!!!

You say you want to see planets, Jupiter is the most obvious target right now as it is pretty much overhead all night.

Regarding suitability for children, that would depend on their age and if you intend to just leave-them-to-it or join in with them.

If you to a search for this scope you will find many threads discussing the pros and cons for this scope. The main bugbear being the red-dot-finder. Which I agree, is not great for directly pointing at some small object but for something big and bright like the moon or jupiter is not too bad. For me the scope has worked out well, it has the equitorial mount which will take a bit of getting used to rather than up/down/left/right. It is completely manual which forces me to learn where things are in the sky. It also has the RA/DEC rings so that you can (if you have the will) set it up to point at any given location in the sky by the standard co-ordinate system.

I have upgraded to much better eye-pieces than those that came with the scope and they have made a huge difference to my viewing.

So in my opinion, a perfectly fine scope for a beginner, but please don't rely on just my slightly-biased view.

There are lots of other scopes on the market to suit all budgets and don't forget you can always start with some cheap binoculars (you will easily see the 4-main moons of Jupiter).

Have a read through other threads in the forum and if you are still interested in this scope I'll be happy to answer further questions.

dag123

[AstroTux]

I also bought this scope to get me started again after a lay-off of nearly 40 years from astronomy and have to say that I am still impressed by the 'value for money' it represents. 40 years ago a 5" reflector would cost you at least a months pay ( even if you were Prime Minister ).

This is a good scope BUT be aware that if you are going to buy it you will be learning a lot. Mine needed collimating, so I had to learn that art before I started getting really good views. In addition I bought a couple of better eyepieces and also added a laser pen as a guider instead of the Red Dot Finder that has been my continual bug-bear ( I can get away with this as I am a backyard astronomer and therefore do not inconvenience others when using it ).

As the mount is a straight forward equatorial I find that the motor attachment is very useful but consumes batteries relatively quickly. This can be overcome by using a small 9v mains adapter.

I have heard somewhere that the optics are the same as the Skywatcher 130 but have no evidence to back this up. There are a number of similar scopes on the market

You should have no problem with Saturn or Jupiter but do not think that you are going to see enormous pictures of these as seen on the internet. A 6mm eyepiece is good for planets, or a 12mm with a 2x Barlow. Beyond that and you are stretching this size of scope to its limits. That said I still like this scope and I am even using it to learn a little about imaging before embarking on the journey of my 'next scope'.

[brantuk]

You'll need to replace the finder - it's naff

[derekm]

For children, or even an adult beginner, I'd suggest forgetting the equatorial mount and go for a Dobsonian, as it's far easier and more intuitive to use.

My suggestion would be:

Sky Watcher Heritage 130P FlexTube™ 130mm (5.1") f/650 Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope

I bought one as a grab & go and am quite impressed with it. My first scope was a Celestron 114 on an EQ and though the scope was fine as a starter, the mount was a hassle.

A beginner (and many non beginners) want to jump all over the sky and with an EQ mount, you are frequently having to turn the tube in it's mounting rings to look through the eyepiece.

If you could afford the cash & space for a bigger Dob, 6" or 8", so much the better, but the 130 will give plenty of satisfying observing.

[AlBoning]

A newtonian reflector is like a musical instrument. It needs periodic tuning to perform to its full capabilities. Collimation is the name given to the procedure for bringing all the components into optical alignment. Here's a link to the procedure ...

Astro Babys Guide to Collimation

The purchase of a telescope is only the tip of the iceberg. One is likely to find they have a desire to purchase a number of accessories. One of the cheapest and best accessories to have is membership in an astronomy club. Often they have loaner scopes of several different types which would allow you to assess what type of scope is best suited to you and also assess your interest and the interest of your children in pursuing the hobby without actually having to buy a telescope. In addition it gives one the opportunity to learn from and observe with experienced amateur astronomers, and of course you get to look through their scopes too.

A short list of likely and desirable accessories would include one or two eyepieces, a barlow, a collimation tool, a planisphere, a star map, and an introductory book to astronomy. I've read quite a few reviews of this scope at vendor web sites and the general consensus is that the finder needs to be replaced. That was the case with mine, mostly because it was defective in manufacture, which I didn't discover until after I had removed it, replaced it (with a Telrad), and then took it apart.

I have one of these scopes. It fueled my passion for the hobby. But it hasn't seen any use at all since I got an 8" EQ newtonian (which is my preferred type of scope and mounting). Be prepared for a moderately steep learning curve partly due to collimation (seems to baffle everyone at first till it becomes second nature), partly due to the equatorial mounting, and partly due to the difficulties associated with finding a non-naked eye visible celestial wonder in the night sky and pointing a telescope at it.

[rtsutton3]

Thanks for all the great information. I have been doing a lot of research in the last week of what I want out of a scope and what I'm going to do with it. I think I've found a strong interest in the Celestron Omni XLT 150. I believe I can move from the learning phase to astrophotography on this scope (after the purchase of a few accessories). I have also found a great astronomy club to join to learn about other scopes and maybe get a little help setting up my new scope.