My Astromaster 130

[Nereus]

Hello everyone at SGL

After a couple of days with some decent weather after Christmas, things have rapidly gone downhill! Not good, as my brand spanking new Astromaster has been sitting in the warm and dry and I've only had a few nights decent weather in which to take it out and see what it can do. (It was painful enough having to buy it in November and see it sitting there packed up in its box until Christmas day! I had read the manual so much in the meantime that I'm sure a telescope has never been assembled so quickly )

I therefore thought it would be good to tell everyone how I am finding it so far (As I have been meaning to for a while)

Well, I shall start with the tripod. I have been very impressed with this piece of kit. It is surprisingly stable. I wasn’t too sure after looking at pictures of it how stable the tripod would be, but it holds the weight of the mount and telescope very well. It is rock solid when the legs are retracted, but even when they are fully extended the tripod provides a very firm support. And it has an accessory tray, which is nice.

Next, the mount (CG-3 EQ). Whereas I cannot fault the tripod for the 130, I'm afraid the same cannot be said for the mount. Firstly, setting circles: The declination setting circle has been factory set incorrectly. When the tube is parallel to the polar axis, the declination reading is 0 degrees, rather than 90. (I know that setting circles are mostly for show, but it would be nice to know that if I wanted to I could at least track to roughly the right area of sky that I wanted to if I were to use them!) I don’t know if this is the case with all Astromasters or just mine. It is not a huge problem though as I will get the spanner out and fix it easily enough. Secondly, the Right Accession setting circle is a bit awkward to use. To align it you need to need to point at a known object and rotate the dial until the correct reading is given. HOWEVER, once you then start moving the tube with the slow motion cable, the R.A. dial does not move with you! You have to re-align the dial before you can use it to move on to the next star. Finally, the pointers are a bit ‘chunky’ and are set quite far from the actual dial, and therefore do not give an accurate reading as this depends at what angle your eye is to the pointer. Quite annoying, but as I say, the setting circles seem to mostly be for show. They are not very accurate or practical to use.

Next comes the slow motion cables. I’m sure that it’s the case on most mounts, but they do sometimes get in the way each other, and so certain objects cannot be viewed until they have moved to another part of the sky. (Assuming I keep the telescope polar aligned that is) But as I say, I don’t think that this is a problem particular to this type of mount. Something that is particular to this type of mount however is the fact that although the manual says that you can place the cables on either side of the mount, in practice this is not actually possible. The slow motion cables are held to the mount with a small screw that fits against worm gear. This screw can be tightened against one side of the worm gear but not the other, so not great when you’re having to reach right round the tube to turn in R.A.! Plus, after a few turns on the slow motion cables, the screw starts coming loose. I will fix these problems by threading a hole at either end of the worm gear axle, but I doubt everyone who buys this telescope will have the tools to do this!

These are mostly just minor niggling faults however, and on the positive sides, the altitude is easily adjusted and once set is pretty firm. Also, the mount is heavy and sturdy. The counterweights are very easy to place and set correctly, and once this is done the ‘scope balances nicely.

Moving on to the tube itself, I am very impressed with it! The tube is very easily mounted into two tube rings, which in turn attach to the mount via a dovetail attachment (although this looks a bit fragile in the pictures, the tube seems to be very stable, and hasn’t fallen off yet!) The optics are crisp and clear…cannot fault them. The first object I swung to on the first night was M42 (Of course ) and all I can say is, wow! The clarity was amazing, the level of detail that could be seen…just wow!

The Astromaster comes with 2 eyepieces, a 20mm and a 10mm. While these are ok for the first few nights, you soon realize you need more! Even with the 20mm I’m afraid I was getting a bit lost as there is not a huge field of view. Very first thing on the ‘must buy’ list is more eyepieces. I am thinking a 32mm (to get a wide field of view) a 4mm (for moon and planets) and a 2x Barlow to use with all of them.

Finally there is the red dot view finder. This little piece of kit is ok, in as much as it has a red dot, and you can view things through it. The finder is permanently attached to the tube and can be aligned with the main tube by turning two screws on the top left and right of the casing. Problem is, they only turn so far before they stop turning, and to align my scope properly I need them to turn more! I compensate for this by looking through the viewfinder and pointing it at whatever I want to view, but leaving it slightly off centre by however much I know the red dot is out by.

Well, In conclusion I would say that I am very impressed with this telescope. The optics (eyepieces, primary mirror etc) are great. It is really easy to assemble, and is quite user friendly for a first time buyer. Also, for a telescope with an aperture of 130 it really is amazing the quality that you get for such a good price! However don’t buy this telescope for the ‘extras’ such as the red dot finder or setting circles.

I hope this is helpful to any people out there thinking of buying this telescope. As I say above, it gets a thumbs up from me

Nereus.

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[jgs001]

Nereus, Nice review, sounds like you will enjoy your viewing when this weather decides to leave us alone.

[radioactive]

A nice review indeed Ok you can say its got this n that you ain't too happy with but are clearly the one in command ans sorting them things out yourself that's a bonus And the fact this scope set up has WOW factor is great to read I can tell you are very pleased and I am sure every one on the forum will be equally thrilled for you I can agree you will be better off with more Eyepieces I like the idea of the 32mm Not so sure of the 4mm though I am cautious here as I don't know the scope I would maybe try the 10mm in the 2x barlow Which I think yes get one. see how the optics stand upto the 10mm through the Barlow this may give you an idea if the Scope would benefit from a 4mm (not that of a test) with seing conditions often a major factor at higher powers anyway which ever you do I am sure you will be a happy Astronomer

Best wishes

[daz]

Nice review Nereus.

Unfortunately, your experiences with the setting circles is a common factor in all but the top-end mounts it seems. Even the HEQ5 and EQ6 don't fare much better and for people without GOTO it is very frustrating. I really wish manufacturers would either do the damned things properly, or just not bother!!

As for the RDF - is there no lateral movement in it or in however it is affixed to the tube? this would solve the issue you have with not being able to align that properly.

All that aside, it looks pretty good and sturdy and I'm sure will give you great views!!

[Nereus]

Thanks for your reply Radioactive..I think i will hold off getting the 4mm for now then. As you rightly say the 10mm with the barlow would give similar results, and then if i find that i get pretty decent views through that i can then buy the 4mm.

Unfortunately Daz the RDF is fixed to the tube. I may rummage around inside the tube itself and see if its attached from the inside, if so i will hopefully be able to make the larger adjustments needed to align the damn thing.

Hopefully when i get the other eyepieces the setting circles will become less of a hassle, but i'd imagine that if they were up to scratch they would be useful for finding those hard to find objects out there

[Col 130EQ]

Nereus

Thats actually quite freaky, I got my 130eq for xmas off my girlfriend, assembled it on boxing day. Had it out about 10 times since. Ive had exactly the same problems as you with the set up.

My tripod is very shaky, but to be honest I think thats more to do with the block paving on my back garden patio being a little uneven

My red laser finder does not work at all. That was my fault though, as I was putting in the lithium battery and screwed the battery holder back in, I sheared the whole battery compartment out of the finder assembly. Which snapped the wire. Simon from telescopeplanet.co.uk told me to try soldering it back on myself and he would not invalidate my warranty, so need to get a soldering iron and see what I can do with it.

The slow motion cables keep working themselves loose, but as you say, thats the screws that need tightening.

My actual viewing experiences so far have been awesome. The moon / saturn / mars I have found. Although with my 20mm and 10mm eyepieces that came with the scope the planets are no more than dots, however I did make out saturns rings, there was definition enough to see them on my very first outing!! Awesome!!!

Like you, im waiting til pay day and Im going to get a 4mm and a 2x Barlow. Ive heard that the rule of thumb is useful magnification is 2X aperture. So thats 2x130=260 for me and you. Therefore a 4mm and a 2xbarlow will push it to the limit for us. A barlow will be useful with the 20mm to make it a 10mm. Because the 20mm is an erecting lens so I can see stuff the right way up!!!! the 10mm is a plossl which puts things upside down.

You said you also fancied a 32mm as well. What more could you see with the 32? I would have said the 32 would only make it easy for initial object finding?

Drop me a reply nereus or PM me. Would love to hear how you get on.

Regards

Col

[philsail1]

Yes, good review "Radioactive." We all get some teething troubles at some time with astro equipment. As "Daz" says, I too wish manufacturers would spend more time getting the attention to detail either exactly right, not bother putting some items onto scopes at all.

Is your "Astromaster" a "long focal length" (f7 or f8) instrument then? I ask this as you are getting good sharp views, and reflectors are usually around "f5" for general purpose use. Anyway, it's nice that your getting clear and sharp views. This aspect is much more important than pure magnification. (I've heard that one can only use up to about 300x even with the biggest telescopes - due to the vagaries of our atmosphere).

Good viewing!

regards,

philsail1

[Nereus]

But this is my review Philsail Lol, seriously though...the focal length is not huge really, f5. Though the few nights that i have managed to get some viewing in without getting pee'd on were pretty clear, which always helps I will be getting a few pics posted on here eventually, once ive got my head round the whole editing process This will hopefully give peeps a good idea of what this baby can (or can't!) do.

...and also, Yay! Another Astromaster 130 owner Good aren't they? I get about the same for the maximum 'useful' magnification for the 'scope, though im afraid i still use the old imperial measurements (and im only 23!) and so using the rule of thumb of 50x per inch gives 50 x 5 = 250 (though did you notice that in the manual they state 65x per inch) I hate it when companies just post 'amazing 365x magnification' or something similar on the packaging...a sentiment which i think is shared my many in this forum.

Once i've tapped and threaded new holes for the slow motion cables i will post a pic and let you know if there is any improvement Col, hopefully the damn things won't keep working themselves loose after that!

Im going for the 32mm just as you say, for initial object finding. I find that with the 20mm it zooms it down too far, and while i'm pretty good at my constellations, i cant really tell exactly where im looking though the 20mm and seeing stars that you cant see with the naked eye. Also, with the 2x barlow that will mean a 16x focal length aswell. I did think about getting a 4mm too, but i've now decided to keep that on hold for a month or two as the 2x barlow with the 10mm will give me 5x anyway. But let me know what views you get with the 4mm and 2x barlow!

[philsail1]

Please accept my apologies Nereous! (a senior over-excited moment there!!).

Focal length "f5" and good clear views. It must have very good optics then.

regards,

phil (philsail1).

[SteelRat]

The red dot on my Astromaster76EQ works fine. The spring loaded window was a little stiff from new but I managed to fettle it OK. If you slack the two adjusters right out and move the window frame around and around and around with your finger until it moves smoothly in all directions against and toward the spring, then tighten the two adjusters back up again it should start to play ball. Might take a couple of goes.

I also dimmed the red led HTH.

Enjoy that 130 Nereus 8)

Cheers

Matthew(SR)

[Nereus]

Aah that's a pretty neat trick there SR, I'll have to give that one a go! Cheers

Nereus (Chris...btw )

[SteelRat]

Let me know how you get on Chris

[Col 130EQ]

But this is my review Philsail Lol, seriously though...the focal length is not huge really, f5. Though the few nights that i have managed to get some viewing in without getting pee'd on were pretty clear, which always helps I will be getting a few pics posted on here eventually, once ive got my head round the whole editing process This will hopefully give peeps a good idea of what this baby can (or can't!) do.

...and also, Yay! Another Astromaster 130 owner Good aren't they? I get about the same for the maximum 'useful' magnification for the 'scope, though im afraid i still use the old imperial measurements (and im only 23!) and so using the rule of thumb of 50x per inch gives 50 x 5 = 250 (though did you notice that in the manual they state 65x per inch) I hate it when companies just post 'amazing 365x magnification' or something similar on the packaging...a sentiment which i think is shared my many in this forum.

Once i've tapped and threaded new holes for the slow motion cables i will post a pic and let you know if there is any improvement Col, hopefully the damn things won't keep working themselves loose after that!

Im going for the 32mm just as you say, for initial object finding. I find that with the 20mm it zooms it down too far, and while i'm pretty good at my constellations, i cant really tell exactly where im looking though the 20mm and seeing stars that you cant see with the naked eye. Also, with the 2x barlow that will mean a 16x focal length aswell. I did think about getting a 4mm too, but i've now decided to keep that on hold for a month or two as the 2x barlow with the 10mm will give me 5x anyway. But let me know what views you get with the 4mm and 2x barlow!

Yes the 130 seems from what I have read up about it a very good scope for the price. Few teething problems as you say, but on the whole im very happy. Havent used the setting circles at all yet. Its kinda awkward for me because to see different things I have to move my scope to different sides of the house. Ive got a werird shaped back garden, which means have to set up to see the south in the front garden, the north and west in the back garden, and the east to the side of the house. So I can never quite be bothered to reset the alignment everytime I move it. As long as I know what im looking at and the scope is balanced im quite happy with just the old point and find method rather than using the long and lat etc.

My scope seems balanced, but I am a little confused about the screw on the top of the tripod which pushes the mount. The altitude screw? I dont really find the point of it? Am I missing something? The scope changes latitude and longitude and is balanced. What is the 3rd screw for? Would love to hear your views on which make eyepieces to go for too, although thats probably for a different section of SGL.

Cheers my friend

Col

[zavoid]

hi guys

i'm new here but i'm planning on getting the astromaster 130 on monday(placing order then) or possible nexstar 130(but problably astromaster since i can get it for like $190) . it sounds like everyone is pretty happy with it.. any other thouhts on it(or sample pics?) before i order it?

I'm going to get the Celestron Motor Drive for AstroMaster Telescopes as well since i plan on doing mostly astrophotography of deep space objects(and lunar and solar too)..

anything special i should know before i take the plunge?

I'll post images as soon as i'm up and running too

thanks

Colin

[Nereus]

Hi there Colin

Nothing special you should know really, i am finding it a great 'scope..whenever the clouds clear long enough for me to use it!

Getting a motor drive for it sounds like a good idea. I am thinking about getting one too, but will leave it for a few months until im completely comfortable using the 'scope manually. I would recommend a few more eye-pieces though, as the two that are supplied arent really enough for all the various objects you will want to view.

The only pics i have so far are the ones above in my review. Let us know how you get on!!

Nereus

[Nereus]

Hi Col,

Yes, I think the screw you are talking about is the altitude screw. You need to adjust this to correspond with the latitude where you live. (you can find out your latitude easily from an OS map, or on google earth) Once your 'scope is adjusted, you can then polar align it. Doing these two things will mean that you will only need to adjust the tube in RA to track any object in the sky, which when you get to higher magnifications is a very useful thing, as the objects quickly go out of view in the eyepiece! (As you've probably found already)

As for eyepieces with this scope, yeah i guess thats for another part of SGL as you say, but quickly i would just say that i personally am planning to get the 32mm and a Barlow, and then see where to go from there

Hope this helps a bit! And lets hope for some clear skies...which last longer than just one night eh!!

Nereus

[The Warthog]

Hello everyone at SGL

Next comes the slow motion cables. I’m sure that it’s the case on most mounts, but they do sometimes get in the way each other, and so certain objects cannot be viewed until they have moved to another part of the sky. (Assuming I keep the telescope polar aligned that is) But as I say, I don’t think that this is a problem particular to this type of mount. Something that is particular to this type of mount however is the fact that although the manual says that you can place the cables on either side of the mount, in practice this is not actually possible. The slow motion cables are held to the mount with a small screw that fits against worm gear. This screw can be tightened against one side of the worm gear but not the other, so not great when you’re having to reach right round the tube to turn in R.A.! Plus, after a few turns on the slow motion cables, the screw starts coming loose. I will fix these problems by threading a hole at either end of the worm gear axle, but I doubt everyone who buys this telescope will have the tools to do this!

I was a little bit confused by this, but looking at the picture it is clear that you can undo the set screw on the RA control stalk, and move it to the other side. If the problem is that the screw won't hold, try filing a flat spot on the RA spindle, for the set screw to rest on. It should be about 1.3 of the diameter of the spindle. You will then be able to move the stalk to whichever side is convenient. Don't file all the way to the end of the spindle - leave a ridge for the set screw to catch on.

When setting up my reflector, I put it on the mount so that the Dec control stalk lies along the front end of the tube. this makes it easy to find while looking through the eyepiece. I never found it too inconvenient to reach for the RA stalk, but with the refractor I seriously considered buying a second control stalk and attaching it to the other side of the RA gear. You could do htis, as control stalks are reasonably cheap.

[scotastro]

Hi All

Has anyone who owns an AstroMaster 130 checked the collimation. I ask as have been checking one for a friend and the secondary mirror was positioned more than 1/4 inch to high in the tube. I used cheshire and laser collimators and a lot of patience to get the mirror into the centre of the focuser.

If you don't have either of these collimators then an old 35mm film canister with very small hole in the centre of the closed end will do. The canister will fit into the focuser and will ensure your eye is kept central in the focuser. The secondary should appear circular completely within the bounds of the focuser. If it does not I would suggest you do not try re-collimating yourself usless you really understand the technique.

In all reflectors particularly small, fast ones collimation is critical. With a relatively small aperture you don't want to lose any light that getting in.

On another point a couple of suggestions regarding the slo-mo control. I hardly ever use them, if a scope is well balance it will sit where you point even with the RA and DEC axis locks unlocked. So unless you are working at high power the gentlest of nudges will keep the object in the FOV. Alternatively, if you check out DIY stores you can find small knobs that can be modified to fit. Without the extending rods they don’t catch on each other.

I did not get a chance to see the night sky through the scope, but for the price it is well made except for the rather cheap EPs and the red dot finder (but I have a personal dislike RDFs).

Scotastro

[nostraticispeak]

Hi Nereus, hellooo everyone!

I am another nooobie about to purchase my first telescope (am even setting up a blog to write about my first 6 months, including this post ). I've been studying telescopes with great interest and a limited budget for the past month. Based on what I've read on this forum and elsewhere, here's my list of things to buy (gulp!).

1. Celestron AstroMaster 130 EQ

2. Celestron Collimation Tool for Newtonians

3. Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit - 1.25 Inch Format

4. NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe

Total price from various vendors (Amazon and OpticsPlanet) = $319.

Is this a good list? Which one(s) should I put off for later? and what should I replace?

Do I get the book now, or just get objects off of Google Sky? Most important, do I need all those filters or go for one good Baader for the same price as the whole kit (gulp! again) ?

I have my card ready!

Classic case of Paralysis by Analysis

Thanks!

-(Atom???)

[Starjumper]

Hi Guys,

I also have the 130EQ, does anyone know what the little silver crew on the side of the mount is used for.??

Rgds

John

[Nereus]

Hi Guys,

First off, apologies for not replying to your posts sooner, there have been a fair few starry few nights here recently, and have also recently moved jobs, so I haven't had too much time spare to get on here.

Nostraticispeak, you seem to have an exellent choice there. This is assuming you havent bought all you listed items already:

I would definately recommend the eyepiece kit as i got this a few weeks after buying the 'scope itself, and it has been a great improvement having the extra lenses. The one thing missing from the 130 is a barlow i feel, which this set will provide you with, along with some great other eyepieces. (Check out the FOV on the 32mm, I couldnt take my eyes away and was whizzing all over the sky for hours with that one eyepiece)

Im not really up to speed with collimators, as i have found my set up to be tuned well enough not to need one, if there were one thing on your list that you needed to bump off to save some money I would say it was this. However, Scotastro posted earlier that he did have some problems, so i guess it just depends varies from one to the other. let me know how your one turns out and whether yo uneeded any collimation on it.

Im sure the book will do you a great deal of service and will be a very useful guide. Also consider 'Turn left at Orion', as many people seem to rate this book.

Hope this helps you Nostraticispeak, let me know how its working out for you!

Starjumper, the little screw that i think your talking about allows you to freely rotate the RA circle to re-set it before you move to another object (you'll notice that as you move in RA in slow motion the dial does not move with you. You therefore have to re-set it to the correct readings for the object yo uare viewing if you want an accurate reading for where to do next) though really, the dials have been quite a pain and as others have mentioned on this post it is much easier to just 'point and shoot'. I have found that since getting the celestron eyepiece set that using a low magnification to find objects, then 'zooming in' with ever higher eyepieces, is a very good, and revealing way to find what you are looking for.

I hope this helps, I am certainly having fun with my Astromaster, and hope you guys are/will too

Nereus

[riogrande100]

I have the same scope and the EQ mount is the weakest thing about this scope. The setting circles are a joke, and the alignment for them are really to far away. I have had beautiful views of the moon, jupiter and it's moons though was very bright.

The tripod is excellent and very sturdy, and the mount does balance well, though screwing the counterweight against the bar doesn't seem to work.

How did you find M42, i have tried but it's been difficult aligning it.

[johnkirkpatrick]

I have this scope too, Its a good little starter, but everything is so small through the eyepiece, and found myself wanting a bigger mirror after a few months, Saturn through the supplied 10mm and a 2xbarlow is ok, again small but i could make out bands and a few moons. mars was a no go just an orange disk no detail at all, but clusters are great through the 20mm, not seen any galaxies as yet. I think what lets it down is the rubbish ep's and the mount shakes like mad when the legs are fully out, but i found if i have the legs right in it stabled its self better and easier to view through, but saying that for the money its good.

[FerK]

Hi Guys,

I also have the 130EQ, does anyone know what the little silver crew on the side of the mount is used for.??

Rgds

John

John: As long as you're talking about the small screw with the internal allen drive, it's there only to let you fasten the Motor Drive to the mount. I got my Astromaster a few days ago, and I'm quite happy with it. Downsides...pretty much like everyone else stated.

To Colin/zavoid: I guess over 2 years is a LONG time to reply, but I would not get the Astromaster 130 for mostly AP. You need a very sturdy mount to manage the scope and your camera, and the EQ3 is just not designed for it. You might be able to get a few decent pictures piggybacked, but don't expect excellent results otherwise.

Finally, @riogrande100: make sure you know your way around the sky. M42 should be quite easy to find. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, just trace an imaginary line between Bellatrix and Mintaka and then extend it by 30%. You'll find yourself in "Orion's sword". M42 is right there between HIP 26241 and HIP 26237 (check out Wikipedia or Stellarium to find them).