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What is the Celestron Travel Scope 70 Refractor Telescope like?

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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I would totally disagree with others here though. In regards to buy this then get a better tripod. That will be 40-50 for the scope then another 30-50 on a tripod. That’s just a waste of money. I would say buy this and try it out to see if you get interested with astronomy or not.

with the supplied tripod,any interest in astronomy will be quickly lost. It really is that bad. You are much better off investing in a better/sturdier tripod ASAP. RedSnapper sell quality tripods for very good prices (£30-50). Redsnapper tripods are as good (maybe even better the the Horizon 8115) and cheaper. With a sturdier tripod, the scope will perform much better and allow you to kick up the magnification even though by design the scope does not work under high magnification.

I still say though that due to its design and limitations, that it is not the best all-rounder scope to start off with. It does what it does and does it well. Its not a scope for observing DSO's or planets. I really think this is the important thing to keep in mind before buying.

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PlanetGazer

PlanetGazer

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with the supplied tripod,any interest in astronomy will be quickly lost. It really is that bad. You are much better off investing in a better/sturdier tripod ASAP. RedSnapper sell quality tripods for very good prices (£30-50).

Agreed. You can always try a second hand tripod as well. I would say that you should get the telescope first ,check it out and see for your self if you need another tripod or not. That is if you are not sure whether you'll get into astronomy or not yet, otherwise you should increase your budget and look for a better set.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Agreed. You can always try a second hand tripod as well. I would say that you should get the telescope first ,check it out and see for your self if you need another tripod or not. That is if you are not sure whether you'll get into astronomy or not yet, otherwise you should increase your budget and look for a better set.

When you buy the scope the tripod comes with it (obviously), and yes the first thing you do is try it out. It very soon becomes blatantly obvious that the tripod is not much good and an upgrade is needed. In saying that...................if you leave the tripod legs on the shortest height, the tripod becomes a bit more sturdier but you would need to be on your knees to observe or put the whole set-up on a table of some kind.

That is if you are not sure whether you'll get into astronomy or not yet.

Ive said it a few times, but i'll say it again: the travelscope is specifically designed for widefield observing. That is all it is designed to do. Its not a great starter scope to test the water to see if you may like astronomy or not. A much better scope for that which does not cost much more is the Skywatcher Heritage 130P. Thats a proper all-rounder that really will let you know if astronomy is for you.

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PlanetGazer

PlanetGazer

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When you buy the scope the tripod comes with it (obviously), and yes the first thing you do is try it out. It very soon becomes blatantly obvious that the tripod is not much good and an upgrade is needed. In saying that...................if you leave the tripod legs on the shortest height, the tripod becomes a bit more sturdier but you would need to be on your knees to observe or put the whole set-up on a table of some kind.

That is if you are not sure whether you'll get into astronomy or not yet.

Ive said it a few times, but i'll say it again: the travelscope is specifically designed for widefield observing. That is all it is designed to do. Its not a great starter scope to test the water to see if you may like astronomy or not. A much better scope for that which does not cost much more is the Skywatcher Heritage 130P. Thats a proper all-rounder that really will let you know if astronomy is for you.

Well he is looking for a starter.

he mentioned to have a look at the CELESTRON Travel Scope 70 Refractor Telescope as it might be something to start off with.

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robhatherton

robhatherton

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Ok well i found it fine as starter scope and soon got a second hand photo tripod for 20 quid. I have a bigger refractor now an xlt 120 but I still use the travel scope to take on hol or for a grab and go with the eyepieces from the big scope. It's also good for bird life which was what I wanted too at the time. I don't regret the purchase at all!

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Ok well i found it fine as starter scope and soon got a second hand photo tripod for 20 quid. I have a bigger refractor now an xlt 120 but I still use the travel scope to take on hol or for a grab and go with the eyepieces from the big scope. It's also good for bird life which was what I wanted too at the time. I don't regret the purchase at all!

I dont regret my purchase of the scope. Its great for some things and not so good for others. I knew that when i bought it. It will show the Moon and clusters,constellations. It wont be much use for planets or DSO's simply because of the magnification limitations. Mine has been away with me a few times to Canary Islands and around Ireland. Its great for that for a bit of casual observing. It has worked better on my 8115 tripod at home. Much more stable and can take a good bit more magnification.

Its great for solar observing (with the proper filter in place). I love my little 70mm refrac. Great for wldlife observing too (as you said)............with an erect prism..............which i think comes with it.

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bomberbaz

bomberbaz

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ok not trying to rubbish the 70 but had the 90 up to 225x on the moon last night and the results were amazing. Looking threw a little cloud but I was bowled over by the views bearing in mind my main scope is a 12". (The OP did ask) Also fab views of the double OC's in Cassiopeia.

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mdstuart

mdstuart

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For what its worth I found sighting things in the 70mm refractor easier than in the mini dob...

I found the views in both fairly similar in terms of light gathering etc. Both were best for wide field low power views..

So for me the refractor once mounted correctly wins..

Mark

Sent from my BlackBerry 9320 using Tapatalk

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