( 20 reviews )
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Posted: 07-20-2009
This telescope is like the transistor radios in the 60's, more numbers are better. Back then they would install totally nonfunctional transistors, and boast that they were 18 transistors (maybe 6 functional) and jack up the price. Celestron specifies 1000mm focal length, with a 700mm tube, this is impossible...magic? No. Add a lens at the bottom of the focuser, and voila ! But then you are only using the center 2/3 or less of the mirror, not the whole thing. Collumation (alignment)is impossible with this pig. Truly a POS
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Posted: 02-02-2009
I have absolutely zero background with telescopes but was able to get this one together and take a nice look at the moon. Out of the box, it was straightforward to assemble. Because it was already dark, I didn't take the time to align the little finder scope but I still managed to focus the big guy on the moon and a few stars. The view of the moon was pretty solid, in my opinion. When viewing planets and stars - even using the highest magnification objectives included - the scope vibrates unless you are very still (and maybe hold your breath) so the image bounces wildly. Also, the stars don't seem to magnify to a size that is really more interesting to view through the telescope than they are with a naked eye. On another good note, this scope makes it very easy to track a star across the sky as the Earth turns. It only requires the turn of a single knob. Basically, I think this scope is fairly solid given the price. I'm sure I could spend 10X the money and get almost everything I could hope for from a telescope but I'm happy with this one.
