Is AstroSeeker 15075 Reflector a good telescope?

[Jackal1258]

I'm looking at getting a new telescope and the saxon  15075 Reflector Telescope is one I'm looking at. Can you guys give me some advice on whether or not this is a good choice.

Edited January 18, 2023 by Jackal1258

[Giles_B]

Other than second hand examples on ebay, this is not a brand I've heard of particularly. What are the specs (can you post a link?) My suspicion is that it's an inferior scope, and you'd be better served by a reputed brand such as Skywatcher, Bresser, Celestron etc. etc.  These forums will give you plenty of buying advice, but it would be useful to know what you are after and why you think this is a good scope for you.

Where are you thinking of buying it from? I'd suggest buying from a proper telescope dealer like First Light Optics, Rother Valley Optics, 365 Astronomy etc. rather than Amazon and suchlike.

[Cornelius Varley]

@Giles_B Saxon telescopes are rebranded Synta telescopes in Australia, just as Orion are in America. This one is the Star Discovery 150 under another name. Sky-Watcher Star Discovery 150i WiFi | First Light Optics

[Giles_B]

1 minute ago, Cornelius Varley said:

@Giles_B Saxon telescopes are rebranded Synta telescopes, just as Orion are in America. This one is the Star Discovery 150 under another name. Sky-Watcher Star Discovery 150i WiFi | First Light Optics

Thanks @Cornelius Varley - that's useful to know, and my apologies for any aspersions about the quality. I guess the question becomes the standard: what does @Jackal1258 want and expect from this scope?

[Jackal1258]

38 minutes ago, Giles_B said:

Other than second hand examples on ebay, this is not a brand I've heard of particularly. What are the specs (can you post a link?) My suspicion is that it's an inferior scope, and you'd be better served by a reputed brand such as Skywatcher, Bresser, Celestron etc. etc.  These forums will give you plenty of buying advice, but it would be useful to know what you are after and why you think this is a good scope for you.

Where are you thinking of buying it from? I'd suggest buying from a proper telescope dealer like First Light Optics, Rother Valley Optics, 365 Astronomy etc. rather than Amazon and suchlike.

I've listed the specifications below. And here is the link

https://telescopes.net.nz/collections/telescopes?_=pf&pf_t_usage=usage%3Aastronomy computerised&pf_v_brand=Saxon Optics

Warranty Information	5-Years Limited Warranty
Optical Design	Parabolic Newtonian Reflector
Aperture	150mm
Lowest Practical Power	N/A
Highest Practical Power	300x
Focal Length	750mm
Focal Ratio	F/5
Eyepieces	Super 25 and Super 10
Barlow Lens	N/A
Diagonal	6x30
Mount Type	AstroSeeker
Tripod	Steel

[Jackal1258]

32 minutes ago, Giles_B said:

Thanks @Cornelius Varley - that's useful to know, and my apologies for any aspersions about the quality. I guess the question becomes the standard: what does @Jackal1258 want and expect from this scope?

I want to try photography and just general observation.

Edited January 18, 2023 by Jackal1258

[Giles_B]

With the caveat that I'm relatively new to this (got my first scope a couple of years ago - I'm sure more expert voices on the forum will have more insight) the optical quality will be good. A 150mm aperture will give decent views of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn, and deep sky objects, although the best views of the latter will need dark skies (and would be with any scope).

It won't be ideal for photography, but you should be able to get some pictures at the eyepiece. It has tracking capability so this will help a great deal.

I'm not familiar with the "astroseeker" part of the setup, but it looks Iike some kind of go-to system. This will probably need alignment with 3 bright stars to get started, but will be helpful navigating the skies.

the general recommendation on this forum is that it's a good scope (discussed under its skywatcher branding).

Overall it sounds like a decent telescope, so go for it!

[Cosmic Geoff]

The scope could be used for planetary imaging, with a suitable astro camera.  It would only work for deep-space imaging of the most basic kind, with short exposures.  Upgrading the eyepieces, particularly the 10mm, and buying a Barlow lens, would be advisable.

If the mount has WiFi, the handset may be a costly optional extra.

[Trickysystems]

I actually have one of these scopes, purchased on FB for a very low price last week, due to being partly disassembled by the original owner's 2 year old daughter. Her modifications included ripping out the hand controller cable, trashing one eyepiece completely , disassembling the other eye piece and the finder scope no longer has a reticle. Luckily I also have  a SW 250P GoTo Dob which I recently fixed the electronics on, so a spare hand controller and eye pieces to use. The mirror on the Saxon was well out of adjustment, so much tweaking and it is now collimated. GoTo works well and had a quick look the other night at Jupiter, and thanks to the Goto, saw Uranus.

The Saxon Astroseeker 15075 is almost equivalent to the Sky-Watcher AZ GoTo Star Discovery 2i, with the exception of having a finder scope and not a red dot finder. The hand controller is included and not an extra. It is the version 5 hand controller with the USB port on the controller. I used that port to upgrade the hand controller to version 4.39.21 and the motor controller to version 3.40.A6. I don't think this particular mount supports motor controller upgrade via WiFi, besides I already had the files on the laptop computer. Wifi works well from Android, although I find the hand controller good as well. The hand controller bracket is attached using velcro straps which slips down the tripod leg. I found a much better clip-on version on Thingiverse which was easy to 3D print. Also did a Cheshire from there and that worked well as an assist to the laser collimator I used to get the scope back into use.

The one operational Saxon eye piece I have is a Saxon Super 25 wide angle with long eye relief. It works well with this scope. The other eye piece is supposed to be a Saxon Super 10, but that didn't survive the 2 year old.

The scope is well made, dare I say, built to survive? The steel tripod is very solid. While the complete assembly is easy to shift around, I find it easier to remove the OTA from the tripod, setup the tripod in the viewing area, making sure it is level, then place the OTA back on the tripod, finding the balance point. Turn on the GoTo, do the setup, and in a few minutes you are ready to go (well after the scope has got to temperature).

From the short time I have had this scope, I've found it very good. It is also easily transportable and a lot lighter than my 10" Dob. It is also a lot easier for my grandchildren to look through compared to the dob.

There aren't many reviews for the Saxon scope, but most of the ones for the SW Star Discovery are good. The Saxon prices are good as well in Australia.

clear skies

Richard