Long time a watcher, a first-time commenter. I bought this telescope on the basis of ALOT of research and this review. Its truly amazing and totally agree, I'm very attached to it and it's easy to pack up and take on the road! Thank you for this review John - keep doing what you do.
This is a very helpful video. A friend of mine just gave me one of these telescopes (he bought it from a charity shop in the UK), and I'm so pleased that you showed the results of the different eyepieces. Thank you very much.
I'm Antonio from Italy, the refractors with short tube (this is one F5) many problems in high resolution, after 150X low contrast and strange light. But this telescope is nice
Thanks for the excellent review. I own the "little brother" of this telescope, i.e., the StarTravel 80 AZ3. While the optical tube is very good, I am really dissatisfied with the AZ3 mount. The altitude is kept steady by friction; however, they use a self locking nut which will loosen after a couple of repositionings (I keep a wrench handy for tightening it). My tube is back heavy and tumbles back when pointed high; since my tube is also very short (400mm focal length), I can not slide it forward to advance the center of gravity. The adjustment knobs are handy indeed, but I regularly forget to center them, and they always hit the end at the most inconvenient times. My advice to anyone interested in a StarTravel is: buy the OTA, and avoid the AZ3 mount like the plague.
Very helpful comment because I am looking for a decent scope for my adult son who is big on photography and doing video documentaries. He graduated from college with a degree in Video Documentary Filmmaking so I thought he might like looking at the Moon and Planets and maybe take pictures . Thank you for your helpful comment.
Completely agree. I don't have the Startravel yet, but I had the displeasure of using the AZ-3 with an 102mm maksutov and indeed having a wrench close is a must because it keeps getting loose all the time. I upgraded to an AZ-5 mount and I can't recommend it enough, it's a terrific mount even carring a 127 maksutov, keeping steady even at >200x magnification. Also, the slow motion screws don't need to be reseted. It's a lot more expensive than the AZ-3 but is just much better.
My finest scopes are a Takahashi TSA 120, a 12" lx200 and a 16" dob. definitely not beginner scopes... but even with those heavy hitters, my old celestron/Vixen 80mm achro is one of my favorite scopes.. A well made achromat on a good mount is still a wonderful instrument to own, especially for a light, easy to use grab and go scope. There's just something magical about a good refractor, and its alot of fun panning the sky with a rich field scope. This Skywatcher looks like it would make a great grab and go scope for more advanced observers and an excellent beginner scope as well.
I finally bought it after deciding my 70 mm was no longer cutting it. Wish i had bought it from the beginning. So the take away is the following: Terrestial sightings are great. The lunar sightings are amazing. I am looking at the crescent moon at this time. I bought it from amazon for 332 dollars. I bought the 90 degree prism and love it. The red dot finder is amazing. I was able to zero it in immediately. The red dot finder helps me find the stars at night. Thank you for the great video. It did push me to buy it. No regret. It is so easy to take to the lake and look at the birds, trees, and animals. And I agree. This is a keeper. Thank you again.😀
3:00 I think the actual focal length is 510 because 510/102mm = exactly f/5. I have a 102mm f/6.5 refractor and the focal length is an odd 660 because 660/102 = f/6.5. Round numbers of f/5 and f/6.5 are less confusing to newbies than f/4.9 and f/6.37.
I also have a 660/102. What is the lowest focal length eyepiece you would use? I am considering buying a 5mm starguider, but I am concerned that it will give a bad image on my Celestron omni
At 4:14 as much as you have used your neighbor's chimney to sight your red dot finders have you ever wondered how the metal top of the chimney became dented or damaged?? Just a random thought.
Hi John, your video was the final decision for me to purchase this two weeks ago, been having a blast with it seeing Saturn, the moon, and other deep space stuff. Currently waiting for the comet to get a little higher in the sky where I can actually see it too.
Excellent review I ordered the starsence explorer dc 102az just waiting on it to arrive and also ordered 50 things to see on the moon. Thanks for getting back to me with the advice
I picked up one of these used for 250 with mount! Needs a finder scope & good clean but looks to be in great shape. Will use as my portable scope when I don’t want to lug out the Dob. Will be fun to take camping.
Honestly I don't find the blue phase chromatic aberration to detract from the experience because blue is widely considered a "space-y color" I think red or green would probably be a little more distracting lol
OMG someone with some decent knowledge to share who does not send me to sleep ... this is an excellent review ... thank you for sharing ... this is exactly what I wanted to know and has been very useful :)
I also posted it on fb, and after watching another one of your vids downloaded the Stellarium, which is just a game changer and a wonderful piece of software ... thanks for sharing ... just deciding which telescope (I only have binoculars atm) to get which keeps going up the more research I do ... and the other problem is I also have a Nikon DSLR which takes raw images too ... but thank you for your help on starting me on a wonderful new hobby ... this is going to be lots of fun!! without hopefully breaking the bank too much!
Just stumbled across your channel John ans I love the easy approach you deliver your verdict on scopes. I am actually in the market for a good achromat, possibly a 90mm or 100mm with and F10. What would you say the very and most controlled CA you have seen in a sub £300 refactor?
Thank you so much for the review, I'm a noobie and looking for enter into the hobby. How does this compare to the Startravel 102 AZ-GTe? or the GTi? Looking for a versatile telescope to travel and some deeper sky stuff (though I really have no idea ... what i need or don't need)
It sounds like you’re looking for an all-round scope for visual observation. Have you considered the StarSense DX5? Great for deep sky, StarSense makes it easy to find stuff, and it fits in your carryon luggage.
I have a 102, a 120 and a 150 star travel all with f/5 focal ratio except for the 102 which is a f/4.9 instrument, they are awesome deep sky wild field achromatic refractors especially for nebula viewing under very dark sky, best accompanied by a televue 31mm nagler and uhc, oiii, or h-beta filters. Both the eastern and western veil nebula can be seen in the same field of view of a nagler 31mm through the 102 f/4.9, as well as the entire north America and pelican nebula complex. The gamma cygni nebula, the California nebula, the barnard’s loop and the rosette nebula look all glorious in a 150mm f/5 star travel.
@@LearnToStargaze I live under bortle 9 sky but I carry out most of my observations under bortle 3 dark sky, I have observed most of the nebula with very huge angular diameter visible in northern hemisphere under bortle 4 and 5 dark sky, some of them are still visible such as the North America nebula and veil nebula but they appear to be less detailed and also fainter than how they look like under bortle 3
This looks good! Can you connect your phone to it and use it as caneraa to capture photo? As. Beginner which telescope would u recooment? Something with the budget of 350 max? Please help me
Hi! I covered that pretty well in the video. This scope is currently in that price range. Also, the Starsense Tabletop Dobsonian is $350, and the Starsense tech is a lot of fun.
@@LearnToStargaze thanks for replying thats because the more videos i watch the more confused i get about what to get! If you had to choose between this and skywatcher maksutov mc 102 starquest eq? Which would be for beginner?
@@ashkanrmp7442 The Maksutov on an eq mount would be far more difficult to use. The StarTravel has a nice naturally wide field of view, far easier to use with its AZ mount.
Excellent video. I like your "through the eyepiece" shots. It gives beginners a great idea of what they can see. One of my best nights ever was with a 102mm f5. They're wonderful scopes, capable and portable. I think I'll always have one. I wouldn't call it "perfect for planets", though. That's it's weakness.
@@LearnToStargaze I can't say I'd recommend a Newt less than 6". I think if you're not willing to pay $200, you're probably not committed enough to learn to collimate.
Tbh I don’t even know how to use it first the 45 degree one is so hard to use like when I out me eye in side the sky was blur can u make a video on how to use it because I’m a beginner and I have that but don’t know how to use it
You said that you can rotate the telescope within the rings, that is useful when you put it on a different mount. But does it have a Vixen Dovetail? It doesn't seem to. How would you put it on an EQ mount?
I see they also bundle this scope with the GTE mount. Would this be an okay way to begin astrophotography on a budget? Could you start with a Nex yz phone mount and a filter to improve Chromatic aberration? Thanks John!
See my video “starting big with a small scope”. I personally find the GTi (basically the same as the GTe) great for astrophotography, but it was a lot of work to get it up an running .
Great video. This scope and its mount costs new about 524 Cad. (amazon) in Sep 2024. What would you recommend at 1200 Cad. for an upgrade refractor (scope & mount) to watch the moon and ships at sea from the 40th floor condo. Not interested in far away planets or stars. Concentrate on moon, mars, terrestrial viewing, photos to be with a recent Cannon camera, but can also be carried around like you did on this video. Maybe 5 to 10 pounds heavier??
You could try an 80mm Evolux on the Star Adventureer GTi. These go on sale once and a while and might be within your budget (don’t bother with amazon, they don’t carry accurate prices for telescopes). Try Allstartelescope in Calgary.
@@FooFahFoeFum That's a really large scope, and there are a few versions (if it were designed to take photos, it would generally say "ED" or "APO" in the name). It would also need a mount, but would be too large for the Star Adventurer GTi.
Thanks for video! I am surprised that you reacted about CA already at 20x. But it didn't seem to be much worse with higher magnification? Usually CA is very subtle or not visible at low magnification but increase at high. In my experience, if CA is visible at 20x it would be horrific at 100x. Can it be the 25mm eyepiece which is bad?
great video, i have a question, what type of adapter do you use on your DSLR camera to the telescope?? love to get one and i got a canon camera. thankyou
How does it attach to the mount? Vixen dovetail? Does it have quarter inch thread for a photo screw? Also, could it be attached to Star Adventurer astrotracker? Thank you very much! Solid review
Yes, I wanted to show how it attaches to the vixen dovetail (the included screws should work just fine), but we already had several hours of footage for this video (which got edited down to the current length).
Is there much difference in planet views between the Startravel 80az3 and 102az3 in terms of magnification of what you see or would it be similar? Thanks.
The 102’s lens gathers 63% more light, and the resolution would be higher by about 20%. I’ve found this to be significant. Magnification depends on the eyepiece, and is the least important quality of a telescope.
What are your thoughts on Sky-watcher 102/1300 telescope ? I am a beginner in a search for a first telescope and this one catched my eye in a price/performance range.
@@LearnToStargaze That could be facilitated! The plan would be to connect it to the ASI294MC camera at F5. Also would want to see if its adaptable to the Pegasus focuscube.
great telescope maybe one for me to concider, im looking at upping my range from my mirrorless camera, and looking at connecting a telescope to it, things like orion nebula what would you recommend?
If you’re actually considering astrophotography with a mirrorless camera, you might consider something like the Sharpstar 61 as an entry level telescope, you can pair this with skyhunter mount and get beginner nebula photos. This system is also highly upgradable to include autoguiders etc.
Just bought this from Amazon for $195 used acceptable. Looking for something with quick setup without having to do any calibration at night. My work schedule sometimes only gives me a two hour window before having to shut it down for the night.. It is a way for me to wind my mind down. Any recommendations for a vixen dovetail to be able to mount it in another mount that requires a dovetail mount.
I picked up an orange vixen dovetail on B&H photos for about $20. There are also multipurpose vixen dovetails (with lots of holes) on Amazon for about $20.
Great video review and much appreciated. Have you tried putting a 60mm cardboard mask in the dew shield to make the objective 60mm? I'm sure this would greatly reduce the blue fringing on bright objects. This also helps with seeing as it tightens up the image. I sometimes even stop my 66mm scope down to 40mm when seeing is bad, give it a try! Thanks for the video.
Hi, its a nice video. I am using this telescope with my AZ-EQ5 for the Astrophotography. It works great on nebulas and galaxies as well. BTW, do you have information on what type of glass is used on this telescope?
Hi. I had a question. I'm coming at this from more of a DSO perspective and considering between a 100m and 120 st. If you have first hand experience, I can imagine the 100 being easily portable, is 120 the same? Also is the CA much worse on 120 from a DSO perspective? I'm thinking of either going for a 150 tabletop dob or a 100/120 star travel. I'm leaning more towards the latter just to not deal with portabiity issues. Just not sure if 120 or 100 is the right first scope option for DSOs.
I’d go with the 120. It’ll be a big scope, but it’s beautiful. You won’t have CA on DSOs. Keep in mind the biggest determinant for DSOs is the darkness of your skies.
@@LearnToStargaze thank you so much! Yes I'm also leaning on that and that beginner AZ3 combo with the intent of upgrading to a better mount later. I'm way too strapped on cash to spend ~50-50% on scope plus a better az4 mount. How would I carry it if I wanted to maybe walk 5-15m to find darker clearer spots? That's my final concern really. If this gets unwieldy, I'd consider 100.
What 10mm and 25mm lens did you receive? Yours have black and silver. I received cheap black plastic Photo10mm and Photo20. I don't know why they would send such cheap lens with such a nice scope.
Love your channel John, thank you for all you do and for the 102 AZ3 review. When viewing the moon and Jupiter, I was wondering if you used the cover with the smaller aperture open to tamp down the brightness. Related, I want to purchase a good quality beginner scope for my college age daughter, who has learned using a department store Newtonian reflector so she isn't a complete newbie. I want it to be grab-and-go and from everything I've read and watched, I have pretty much narrowed my search to the SkyWatcher 102 AZ3 refractor and the SkyWatcher 102 Mak. Which one would you recommend? Or do you recommend something different from the two I am considering? Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! If possible, I would get the 102 Mak on the AzGTi or AzGte. They can often be found as a combo for a bit of savings. I can fit the Mak and this mount in a backpack (with a computer, camera, etc). As for your first question, I don’t tend to stop down the aperture with the cover, but that’s mostly because I forget about doing it.
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you for quick response. With the AzGTi, can users do manual sky searching in addition to the auto finding. There is something about the challenge of manual search that is appealing ( at least for a few minutes).
Great stuff John, really hands-on review. I owned this scope years ago (the dark blue ota) and I traded it in for its small/big brother ED 80, which over the years "grew" into the ED 120, my finest scope at the moment. However I acquired recently the Omni AZ 102 and would really like to compare the two AZ 102's side by side. I am extremely happy with the Omni 102 as I could observe Europa's shadow, the ultimate test for small achromats. I believe you still have the Omni AZ 102. At almost half price I think that Omni (in terms of the optics) is still comparable to the SkyWatcher Az 102. Would you agree with that? Thx
Absolutely. The Omni and this scope are very comparable. The difference is in focal length. The Skywatcher will show a wider field of view for a given eyepiece. The Celestron has a higher focal length, so will have, in theory, less chromatic aberration. I think if it weren’t for Costco liquidating these telescopes the price would be comparable. I also personally like the Omni mount a bit more, but on the next clear night I’ll have to compare these scopes side by side.
Hey bud, coming at you from the Southern Hemisphere Australia to be exact, so I’m definitely what you would call a noob, had a cheap scope when I was younger and it got broken by my dads sheep so never went back into it, always been amazed with space and the stars and planets so I’m wanting to get back into it, I seen this telescope and then seen your video and I’m curious would you recommend this scope for me someone coming back for star gazing and maybe putting a camera on to get a couple of shots of the moon ect?. Seen a few vids of people using there Cameras to take shots and I did so last night with no cloud in the sky no moon and living rural i Cleary could see Jupiter and the 4 moons Orion’s Belt, and I’m. It sure I think I may have caught the edge of a nebula it looks so good, so yeah off track there would you recommend this scope to me
Hey! Exact same thing happened to me. My dad had a terrible telescope when I was growing up. Has I caught the space bug earlier, I wouldn’t have waited until my mid 30’s to get an astrophysics degree! I have a list of telescope on the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com for every budget. The ideal all around telescope these days is a Nexstar Evolution if you want go-to or an 8 inch Dobsonian (the one with Starsense is really nice). However, prices have gone up quite a bit in the past few years… so I realize funding the ideal telescope can be challenging.
@@LearnToStargaze yes I’ve been tossing up between an 8 inch Dobson or a refractor haha my wife looks at me and smiles but I know what she’s thinking lol
I am quite interested for this one, mainly because of the pack and go size, but as I am more into deep sky objects, anyone has an idea of how it performs in galaxies, nebulas and stars clusters gazing?
Galaxies and nebula are far more dependent on your sky conditions than aperture. I didn’t test this from a dark sky for this video, but it should perform as well as most other 4 inch refractors for visual observations.
I have a Orion 90 mm and zero chromatic aberration. Super clear views of Saturn and Jupiter. And I just found Uranus the other night and it wasn’t a blue light. I could actually see the planet as a sharp blue period. I thought your telescope would be better but I will keep my 90 mm . I can’t stand chromatic aberration. Great video!
hi, new to the hobbie and looking to spend a lil bit more then entry level to future proof and also have a good base to build on. Settle on a refractor, and Ive watched you other videos where you take a less than ideal refractor scope and add some higher quality components to get much better results. My question, if I buy this scope and get different eye pieces would I be able to get better planetary results? Enjoy the content and you earned a sub!
Hi John, great video, your love to the subject is really inspiring. Question: do you see a big difference in false colour between this 102/500 refractor and the 102/660 you reviewed in other videos? Or is it similar? It is F/5 vs F/6,5. Thanks for everything! Btw, got your book. Beautiful!
Thanks! I think I replied to this earlier, but the post didn’t go through. I haven’t noticed a difference in the level of Chromatic aberration between these two different focal ratios in these two scopes. Clear skies!
This telescope or the celestron Omni 102..? Its a really difficult choice as I've never had a telescope before. The skywatcher is around £260 but the celestron is currently £180 , im a bit limited for room at home but i don't really need a mak. Just wanted something for casual viewing really. Any advice welcomed thanks.
The skywatcher is more solid, and heavier. It’s also lower focal length (a bit shorter). The mount is also more solid, although resetting the slow motion controls can be annoying. The Omni is still tough, at least the tube is. I broke my mount on the Omni. This is a good reminder that I have to go fix it.
on your link for this its coming up with Telescope Focal Length: 500mm (f/4.9) ? The one I have just bought in the UK is Telescope Focal Length: 600mm (f/5) ? Any info or is it just they have up graded the size
Hey..interesting video...I am interested in skywatching especially the stars...I have searched for telescope in my country I just don't seem to get or I haven't searched enough..kindly recommend a good one for beginners...from Kenya
Which 90* diagonal are you using , the 2” or 1.25 diagonal with the different eye pieces. It shows the two inch diagonal at the end of video but at the beginning of the night viewing which are you using?
I know they are both made basically in the same place, but are they both exactly the same or does one offer better views as a whole, regardless of the accessories diagonals lenses because that can always be replaced?
That’s a solid “it depends”. There are a lot of small differences between these two scopes including focal length and cost. I like them both. I do really like Starsense though.
@@LearnToStargaze well, I went with the Skywatcher . I purchased a 6 mm lens to go with it later on I will upgrade the diagonal and go with a 2 inch 6 or 5 mm
@@sturgis97 I really like the 5mm X-Cel. Quality matter here, because the magnification is just so darn high (high magnification is just for Jupiter / Saturn for the most part).
i have the same telescope but I can barely see Jupiter. I only see bright blue light and its moons even with the 10mm eyepiece. Can you tell me how you made Jupiter look better.
You want to observe Jupiter when it’s high in the sky, not just over the horizon. Make sure you’re outside, and not looking over the tops of nearby buildings. Make sure you have good focus (moons should be tiny specs). The 5mm offered the best views for me.
I do have exactly the same refractor, bought it last year for 289,00 Euro ( OTA ) a very nice pricepoint for the quality you get. I realy love this scope, easy grab'n go. The best scope is always the one you can handle and transport easy, well this one is easy. But do some upgrades! I upgraded the diagonal to a 45 degrees Artesky ( around 70 Euro ), some better eyepieces from Celeston/Omegon ( 32mm, 20mm, 8mm ) and I use it on my Bresser EXOS2 mount from my 127mm longer refractor. But this Skywatcher is a clever thing, not only for beginners. It is also suprisingly good for astrophotography if well used, the short focal length is key for this. Now I ordered my first Newtonian, the Skywatcher 200P, might be also a nice lightbucket. I live in the Netherlands where nice nightskyes are rare eilas. But this summer I will go to italy, much better views. So half of my cargo space in the car will be optical equipment :) clear skyes everyone!
i am planning to buy my first telescope to see planets up-close and sharp , i have a mirrorless camera would like to do some photography as well.is it a right choice in 2024?
@@LearnToStargaze Sorry for asking so many questions. I'm looking to buy a telescope and I can't decide myself. I'm interested both in planetary and dso observation ( more in the 2nd one). I know an 8"dobson would probably be the best choice for the money, but is big, heavy requires collimation and it take longer to cool down. So I was thinking to buy a 120/600 refractor in order to have a decent aperture but keeping thing simple and light. Do you think is a good choice ? (Sorry If I made mistakes, english is not my first language)
Hello! I want to assemble a spotting scope with a good viewing angle, fast aperture and 60x magnification. There are 2 achromat lenses to choose from: 1) diameter 100mm F600mm 2) diameter 100mm F900mm Eyepieces: 1) Celestron f10mm 50⁰ 2) Celestron f15mm 50⁰ respectively Question: In which option at a magnification of 60x will there be a better viewing angle and detail Thanks
I can’t answer that with the given information. You can plug in your own values here and see what you come up with: astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/
I like the 102. I don’t actually care much about Chromatic Aberration with these scopes. It doesn’t really bother me. Also, it’s less noticeable with good eyepieces.
The 500/510 discrepancy is easily explained, albeit wholly annoying. No-one actually sets out to design a 102mm telescope. Someone probably started off designing a 4" telescope, then converted that to 102mm for naming. The target focal length was probably 500mm, which gives an aperture of 102mm/500mm=4.902. Listing a telescope as 102mm f4.902 sounds a bit silly, so someone in marketing called it f5. Someone else writing the manual and specs needed to list the focal length and was too lazy to ask the designer, so calculated 102mm x f5 = 510mm.
. I have been looking at lots of telescopes over the last few days as wanting to buy my first Telescope. After watching this clip I have ordered this scope. I was looking at this scope on a EQ3-2 mount and was looking at buying the longer version (it was out of stock lol). Anyway I went for this scope on the same mount in the clip instead of the EQ3-2 mount. My think was this mount takes no setting to use, un like the EQ3-2 mount and as I am just starting it was more important to buy some up graded eye pieces, barlow, 2" eye piece, 90 bend, moon filter and so on, basically all the bits in your clip and one or two other bits (will listed what I bought when they turn up, already forgotten lol). so as a beginner the money I saved on the mount, paid for all the extra add ons. I bought it all from Rother valley optics. And I must say Adam who I dealt with was great. He even stopped me buying some bits that I did not need. Can not wait to get it all. I am in the highlands of Scotland and have next to no light pollution so really this will be a good scope for me to start with?. BY THE WAY TOP REVIEW. One I could watch without falling asleep that was really helpful. Big thanks.
Hi I have. Bought a telescope called slokey skyway 40070 do you think this is a telescope for stargazing and catching planets If possible could u do a review on it thanks very much
Hello! Look at my video on the travel scope 60. That is basically the same telescope. It is possible to use that for the Moon and maybe Jupiter, but it will be very challenging as that telescope is not designed for stargazing or space.
@@cptpoland7127 Sorry, I don't believe those exist. You can see planets (sort of) with cheap telescopes, but they're typically not good for stargazing. The best deal currently is the Omni 102 from Costco, which some folks are finding for under $200 USD.
@@LearnToStargaze hi sorry again I tried to moon gaze in the past couple of days but all I see is a white fuzzy circle without any moon quality I tried to se the focus knobs but it doesn't change anything and. Same with the eyepiece do you know why this is happening sorry for the questions in advance
You mean a 90 degree diagonal? Yeah, I went on Amazon and bought an extra 90 to go with it. Fortunately it was only about $20, but I agree it’s annoying that you have to buy it extra.
Although I know that I can't buy these telescopes, I still watching your review videos! They are fun and entertaining, and your reviews always show what to expect from the telescope! Also, I plan on buying your 110 Things to See with a Telescope book as it looks like it makes it easy to find things in the sky! But I do have a question, what are your thoughts on the Orion Starblast 4.5? I want to buy this telescope as my first upgrade and I've seen reviews saying that's is amazing, but not many are very detailed, so I wanted to know what you think! :DD
Hi! The Orion Star Blast is a nice little scope. It would be a slightly larger version of the z100 scope I already reviewed. You might want to see if the Z130 is the same price, as that would give you more aperture. The starblast would show you all 110 objects from the book assuming dark moonless skies.
Could u guide me . I am looking to buy a telescope for my daughter . I want a good telescope. And don't want to spend more then 150$ canadian. And want one that easy to understand and easy to find what where looking for . Any help would be appreciated
Hi! I posted a chart and article on the homepage of learntostargaze.com to help answer this question. Let me know if you have any questions on the specific telescopes listed on the chart.
It's twice your budget but the Celestron Omni AZ 102 is back in Costco. It's a terrific starter scope; I've kept mine even though I now have a 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain.
@@oldebill1807 The Omni 102az is awesome. My older kids (aged 7 and 8) still prefer the z100 (they've used both), but yes the 102az is superior. Last year some people were finding it at costco for as low as $160...
Great video, I really like the look of this scope. But am tempted to go up to the 120 or 150 version, do you think the CA will be much worse on those versions? What you get on the 102 wouldn't bother me.
I should add, I'm toying up a 5 or 6 inch sct, or 5 or 6 inch star travel. For a mixture of deep space, planets and moon. Mostly just observing, but with photography an option on the future
Can anyone help me with this matter please? I bought that scope from somebody few weeks ago but unfortunately, I only have shitty 1,25" eyepieces. To maximize my star gazing experience, I know that I need a set of eyepieces, a 90 degree diagonal and a couple filters. But as the scope comes with a 2" focuser, and considering the fact that I need to buy quite a few components to get started, I am thinking about going right away with a celestion 2" set (#94305) that comes with 3 eyepieces, the diagonal, few filters and even a 2X barlow… Now, I know that this telescope has awfull chromatic aberration at high power and I also read a lot about fast scopes (short FL) vs 2" eyepieces and even thought, I cannot set my mind whether it’s a good or a useless move. So the question is: is upgrading the Startravel 102 AZ3 with 2" kit a stupid idea?
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you for answering! Some say that going for 2" eyepieces make sense only with long focal lenght, what do you think of that principle?
Really nice video and very informative! I will say that IMO using astro scopes for birdwatching is a bad idea and mostly just a sales pitch from astro scope companies. My birding scope is far lighter than my astro scope, it is designed to withstand wet weather and to be carried for miles, but more importantly it is rubberised and armoured, I have dropped it a couple of times and it's been OK. I can't imagine a thin steel tube astro scope would have survived. Maybe if you have a view from a fixed point they would be OK but otherwise I wouldn't risk it.
@@LearnToStargaze thank you for responding, i actually fixed the problem today, i Have no idea what it was but now its thankfully fixed, the moon is so so beautiful
The bird looks like a Starling. I have the Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ-GTe 102mm f/5 and love it! I've taken it on family car trips. The image is great with it! I've had it for about a year now, and really glad I bought it.
Long time a watcher, a first-time commenter. I bought this telescope on the basis of ALOT of research and this review. Its truly amazing and totally agree, I'm very attached to it and it's easy to pack up and take on the road! Thank you for this review John - keep doing what you do.
Thanks for the feedback!
This is a very helpful video. A friend of mine just gave me one of these telescopes (he bought it from a charity shop in the UK), and I'm so pleased that you showed the results of the different eyepieces. Thank you very much.
You’re most welcome!
Been following for a year or so now. Glad to see the channel grow. Congratulations.
Thanks!
Fantastic review! I know exactly what to expect to see from your video. So exciting!
Thanks!
I'm Antonio from Italy, the refractors with short tube (this is one F5) many problems in high resolution, after 150X low contrast and strange light. But this telescope is nice
Hey Antonio from Italy,im Mario from Serbia , i wonder which telescope do you use and what is resolution of it if you dont mind answering 😅
Thanks for the excellent review. I own the "little brother" of this telescope, i.e., the StarTravel 80 AZ3. While the optical tube is very good, I am really dissatisfied with the AZ3 mount. The altitude is kept steady by friction; however, they use a self locking nut which will loosen after a couple of repositionings (I keep a wrench handy for tightening it). My tube is back heavy and tumbles back when pointed high; since my tube is also very short (400mm focal length), I can not slide it forward to advance the center of gravity. The adjustment knobs are handy indeed, but I regularly forget to center them, and they always hit the end at the most inconvenient times. My advice to anyone interested in a StarTravel is: buy the OTA, and avoid the AZ3 mount like the plague.
Very helpful comment because I am looking for a decent scope for my adult son who is big on photography and doing video documentaries. He graduated from college with a degree in Video Documentary Filmmaking so I thought he might like looking at the Moon and Planets and maybe take pictures . Thank you for your helpful comment.
Completely agree. I don't have the Startravel yet, but I had the displeasure of using the AZ-3 with an 102mm maksutov and indeed having a wrench close is a must because it keeps getting loose all the time. I upgraded to an AZ-5 mount and I can't recommend it enough, it's a terrific mount even carring a 127 maksutov, keeping steady even at >200x magnification. Also, the slow motion screws don't need to be reseted. It's a lot more expensive than the AZ-3 but is just much better.
How the heck do you not have at least 100K subs? Your videos are amazing
Yeah, I think it’s because I don’t have any viral videos on my channel. Someday!
My finest scopes are a Takahashi TSA 120, a 12" lx200 and a 16" dob. definitely not beginner scopes... but even with those heavy hitters, my old celestron/Vixen 80mm achro is one of my favorite scopes.. A well made achromat on a good mount is still a wonderful instrument to own, especially for a light, easy to use grab and go scope.
There's just something magical about a good refractor, and its alot of fun panning the sky with a rich field scope. This Skywatcher looks like it would make a great grab and go scope for more advanced observers and an excellent beginner scope as well.
I finally bought it after deciding my 70 mm was no longer cutting it. Wish i had bought it from the beginning. So the take away is the following: Terrestial sightings are great. The lunar sightings are amazing. I am looking at the crescent moon at this time. I bought it from amazon for 332 dollars. I bought the 90 degree prism and love it.
The red dot finder is amazing. I was able to zero it in immediately. The red dot finder helps me find the stars at night.
Thank you for the great video. It did push me to buy it. No regret. It is so easy to take to the lake and look at the birds, trees, and animals.
And I agree. This is a keeper. Thank you again.😀
You’re most welcome!
3:00 I think the actual focal length is 510 because 510/102mm = exactly f/5. I have a 102mm f/6.5 refractor and the focal length is an odd 660 because 660/102 = f/6.5. Round numbers of f/5 and f/6.5 are less confusing to newbies than f/4.9 and f/6.37.
I also have a 660/102. What is the lowest focal length eyepiece you would use? I am considering buying a 5mm starguider, but I am concerned that it will give a bad image on my Celestron omni
Please also review the Skywatcher 150/750 mm or the longer 150/1200 mm achromat.
I’ll consider it :-)
At 4:14 as much as you have used your neighbor's chimney to sight your red dot finders have you ever wondered how the metal top of the chimney became dented or damaged?? Just a random thought.
Who knows! Some of these houses survived the Halifax explosion (worth a Google).
@@LearnToStargaze That would have to be an old house lol!
@@lornaz1975ours was built a few months after the explosion, pretty sure the wood in our house was scavenged from the wreckage.
@@LearnToStargaze Wow! Kinda haunting!
Hi John, your video was the final decision for me to purchase this two weeks ago, been having a blast with it seeing Saturn, the moon, and other deep space stuff. Currently waiting for the comet to get a little higher in the sky where I can actually see it too.
Wonderful!
This Sky-travel refraktor scope has an amazing potential in it! I love your channel!
You mean the “StarTravel”?
@@LearnToStargaze Yeah :D Sorry
Excellent review I ordered the starsence explorer dc 102az just waiting on it to arrive and also ordered 50 things to see on the moon. Thanks for getting back to me with the advice
You’re most welcome!
Great video man, most useful review and even short and sweet!
Thanks!
I picked up one of these used for 250 with mount! Needs a finder scope & good clean but looks to be in great shape. Will use as my portable scope when I don’t want to lug out the Dob. Will be fun to take camping.
Congrats on finding this for $250, that’s awesome!
Honestly I don't find the blue phase chromatic aberration to detract from the experience because blue is widely considered a "space-y color" I think red or green would probably be a little more distracting lol
OMG someone with some decent knowledge to share who does not send me to sleep ... this is an excellent review ... thank you for sharing ... this is exactly what I wanted to know and has been very useful :)
Thanks for the feedback! Not everyone appreciates the lightheartedness of these videos, it’s great to get some positive feedback :-)
I also posted it on fb, and after watching another one of your vids downloaded the Stellarium, which is just a game changer and a wonderful piece of software ... thanks for sharing ... just deciding which telescope (I only have binoculars atm) to get which keeps going up the more research I do ... and the other problem is I also have a Nikon DSLR which takes raw images too ... but thank you for your help on starting me on a wonderful new hobby ... this is going to be lots of fun!! without hopefully breaking the bank too much!
Just stumbled across your channel John ans I love the easy approach you deliver your verdict on scopes. I am actually in the market for a good achromat, possibly a 90mm or 100mm with and F10. What would you say the very and most controlled CA you have seen in a sub £300 refactor?
Thank you so much for the review, I'm a noobie and looking for enter into the hobby. How does this compare to the Startravel 102 AZ-GTe? or the GTi? Looking for a versatile telescope to travel and some deeper sky stuff (though I really have no idea ... what i need or don't need)
It sounds like you’re looking for an all-round scope for visual observation. Have you considered the StarSense DX5? Great for deep sky, StarSense makes it easy to find stuff, and it fits in your carryon luggage.
I have a 102, a 120 and a 150 star travel all with f/5 focal ratio except for the 102 which is a f/4.9 instrument, they are awesome deep sky wild field achromatic refractors especially for nebula viewing under very dark sky, best accompanied by a televue 31mm nagler and uhc, oiii, or h-beta filters. Both the eastern and western veil nebula can be seen in the same field of view of a nagler 31mm through the 102 f/4.9, as well as the entire north America and pelican nebula complex. The gamma cygni nebula, the California nebula, the barnard’s loop and the rosette nebula look all glorious in a 150mm f/5 star travel.
That’s great you’re able to see such detail. How dark are your skies?
@@LearnToStargaze I live under bortle 9 sky but I carry out most of my observations under bortle 3 dark sky, I have observed most of the nebula with very huge angular diameter visible in northern hemisphere under bortle 4 and 5 dark sky, some of them are still visible such as the North America nebula and veil nebula but they appear to be less detailed and also fainter than how they look like under bortle 3
This looks good! Can you connect your phone to it and use it as caneraa to capture photo? As. Beginner which telescope would u recooment? Something with the budget of 350 max? Please help me
Hi! I covered that pretty well in the video. This scope is currently in that price range. Also, the Starsense Tabletop Dobsonian is $350, and the Starsense tech is a lot of fun.
@@LearnToStargaze thanks for replying thats because the more videos i watch the more confused i get about what to get! If you had to choose between this and skywatcher maksutov mc 102 starquest eq? Which would be for beginner?
@@ashkanrmp7442 The Maksutov on an eq mount would be far more difficult to use. The StarTravel has a nice naturally wide field of view, far easier to use with its AZ mount.
@@LearnToStargaze I appreciate it! Thanks for guidance
Excellent video. I like your "through the eyepiece" shots. It gives beginners a great idea of what they can see. One of my best nights ever was with a 102mm f5. They're wonderful scopes, capable and portable. I think I'll always have one. I wouldn't call it "perfect for planets", though. That's it's weakness.
Yes, it’s nothing compared to an SCT or a Mak for planets, but it performs far better than a beginner Newtonian of similar aperture.
@@LearnToStargaze I can't say I'd recommend a Newt less than 6". I think if you're not willing to pay $200, you're probably not committed enough to learn to collimate.
Tbh I don’t even know how to use it first the 45 degree one is so hard to use like when I out me eye in side the sky was blur can u make a video on how to use it because I’m a beginner and I have that but don’t know how to use it
@@B-DRG I’m pretty sure I covered everything in this video. Just make sure you practice focusing the telescope on different targets during the day.
@@golookup I had a Russian TAL 1 4.5" Newt years ago and learned to collimate on that.
You said that you can rotate the telescope within the rings, that is useful when you put it on a different mount. But does it have a Vixen Dovetail? It doesn't seem to. How would you put it on an EQ mount?
I bought a vixen dovetail for about $20. The rings should thread right in.
I see they also bundle this scope with the GTE mount. Would this be an okay way to begin astrophotography on a budget? Could you start with a Nex yz phone mount and a filter to improve Chromatic aberration? Thanks John!
See my video “starting big with a small scope”. I personally find the GTi (basically the same as the GTe) great for astrophotography, but it was a lot of work to get it up an running .
Great video. This scope and its mount costs new about 524 Cad. (amazon) in Sep 2024. What would you recommend at 1200 Cad. for an upgrade refractor (scope & mount) to watch the moon and ships at sea from the 40th floor condo. Not interested in far away planets or stars. Concentrate on moon, mars, terrestrial viewing, photos to be with a recent Cannon camera, but can also be carried around like you did on this video. Maybe 5 to 10 pounds heavier??
You could try an 80mm Evolux on the Star Adventureer GTi. These go on sale once and a while and might be within your budget (don’t bother with amazon, they don’t carry accurate prices for telescopes). Try Allstartelescope in Calgary.
@@LearnToStargaze I will look into it .. What about the Explore Scientific AR127 772.00$ cad ...
@@FooFahFoeFum That's a really large scope, and there are a few versions (if it were designed to take photos, it would generally say "ED" or "APO" in the name). It would also need a mount, but would be too large for the Star Adventurer GTi.
Thanks for video!
I am surprised that you reacted about CA already at 20x. But it didn't seem to be much worse with higher magnification?
Usually CA is very subtle or not visible at low magnification but increase at high.
In my experience, if CA is visible at 20x it would be horrific at 100x.
Can it be the 25mm eyepiece which is bad?
Probably.
Looks like I found my upgrade replacement telescope. My Zhumell Z100 fell off the table. Thanks for the video 😊
Great Video What did you mean by centering the fine motion controls? Thanks
They only turn so far. After they reach their limit, you have to turn them the opposite way to reset them.
Thanks much appreciated
great video, i have a question, what type of adapter do you use on your DSLR camera to the telescope?? love to get one and i got a canon camera. thankyou
It’s called a T adapter.
I have a video on this topic called “how to connect a camera to a telescope”
How does it attach to the mount? Vixen dovetail? Does it have quarter inch thread for a photo screw? Also, could it be attached to Star Adventurer astrotracker? Thank you very much! Solid review
Yes, I wanted to show how it attaches to the vixen dovetail (the included screws should work just fine), but we already had several hours of footage for this video (which got edited down to the current length).
Is there much difference in planet views between the Startravel 80az3 and 102az3 in terms of magnification of what you see or would it be similar? Thanks.
The 102’s lens gathers 63% more light, and the resolution would be higher by about 20%. I’ve found this to be significant. Magnification depends on the eyepiece, and is the least important quality of a telescope.
@@LearnToStargaze Ok thanks. Just I have just bought the 80AZ3 so was just curious. Thanks.
Do you have a part number/description for the spacer you used when attaching the DSLR to the scope? TIA
www.amazon.com/Alstar-Variable-Universal-Camera-Adapter/dp/B074FWRX1L/
You need to screw in the T adapter that matches your camera (sold separately)
@@LearnToStargaze Thanks, I've ordered one and a T Ring and will use my 102 to capture the comet that is passing by.
Fantastic review! I just bought the same telescope with a 25,20,9,5 and a 2.5 eyepiece
Great video as expected!
Thanks!
What are your thoughts on Sky-watcher 102/1300 telescope ?
I am a beginner in a search for a first telescope and this one catched my eye in a price/performance range.
Yes, this is a Mak telescope. Check my grid on LearnToStargaze.com to see where it fits among other telescopes in the same range.
great in-depth review, I'm completel;y new to telescopes and I found this very helpful!
Hey John, did you have to send the scope back or do you own it now? I might want to try it on the MRO to see if the image quality is good enough.
I think if we made a video about it we could keep it for a bit longer!
@@LearnToStargaze That could be facilitated! The plan would be to connect it to the ASI294MC camera at F5. Also would want to see if its adaptable to the Pegasus focuscube.
Great video. I have a question: On the All-Star Telescopes website, are the costs listed in CAD or USD? Thanks.
I believe it’s Canadian.
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you so much!
great telescope maybe one for me to concider, im looking at upping my range from my mirrorless camera, and looking at connecting a telescope to it, things like orion nebula what would you recommend?
If you’re actually considering astrophotography with a mirrorless camera, you might consider something like the Sharpstar 61 as an entry level telescope, you can pair this with skyhunter mount and get beginner nebula photos. This system is also highly upgradable to include autoguiders etc.
@@LearnToStargaze thanks ill check it out, currently using 200mm sony lens shooting the orion nebula stacking images, want more reach
Great video!! Just got the Orion observer 114mm reflector, any thoughts?
Thanks! The Orion is a challenging first telescope, but if you can master that mount you’ll have a lot of fun with it.
@@LearnToStargaze so thanks to watching a lot of your videos, I was able to set it up and was able to see Jupiter and it's 4 moons. Thank you!!
Just bought this from Amazon for $195 used acceptable. Looking for something with quick setup without having to do any calibration at night.
My work schedule sometimes only gives me a two hour window before having to shut it down for the night.. It is a way for me to wind my mind down.
Any recommendations for a vixen dovetail to be able to mount it in another mount that requires a dovetail mount.
I picked up an orange vixen dovetail on B&H photos for about $20. There are also multipurpose vixen dovetails (with lots of holes) on Amazon for about $20.
Nice video. Could you please Make a review of skywatcher startravel 150 ?
Hi! That would basically be the same video. Not sure if there is much I could add.
Can i get a mount for this for a DSLR camera? If not, which telescope like this would you recommend? Thank you, much appreciated.
See my starting big with a small scope video. The only change would be using a Skyadventurer GTI vs the AZ-GTi
Great video review and much appreciated. Have you tried putting a 60mm cardboard mask in the dew shield to make the objective 60mm? I'm sure this would greatly reduce the blue fringing on bright objects. This also helps with seeing as it tightens up the image. I sometimes even stop my 66mm scope down to 40mm when seeing is bad, give it a try! Thanks for the video.
Will do!
Love your channel. Thanks for this review.
Thanks so much Wendell!
Hi, its a nice video. I am using this telescope with my AZ-EQ5 for the Astrophotography. It works great on nebulas and galaxies as well. BTW, do you have information on what type of glass is used on this telescope?
I’m not sure, but I assume it’s not ED (premium) glass.
@LearnToStargaze Thanks for replying. I found out that it is a doubled glass element with a WIDER AIR GAP that helps in reducing CA.
Hi. I had a question. I'm coming at this from more of a DSO perspective and considering between a 100m and 120 st.
If you have first hand experience, I can imagine the 100 being easily portable, is 120 the same? Also is the CA much worse on 120 from a DSO perspective?
I'm thinking of either going for a 150 tabletop dob or a 100/120 star travel. I'm leaning more towards the latter just to not deal with portabiity issues. Just not sure if 120 or 100 is the right first scope option for DSOs.
I’d go with the 120. It’ll be a big scope, but it’s beautiful. You won’t have CA on DSOs. Keep in mind the biggest determinant for DSOs is the darkness of your skies.
@@LearnToStargaze thank you so much! Yes I'm also leaning on that and that beginner AZ3 combo with the intent of upgrading to a better mount later. I'm way too strapped on cash to spend ~50-50% on scope plus a better az4 mount.
How would I carry it if I wanted to maybe walk 5-15m to find darker clearer spots? That's my final concern really. If this gets unwieldy, I'd consider 100.
I think I'm going to get this did you try the 120 ?
I’ve always wanted to try the 120. That extra 20mm probably makes a big difference in dark skies.
@LearnToStargaze thx u for your fast reply....I might just get this one I wanna look at planets and stuff
Can you please tell what brand 90 degree diagonal you used? Also, what are the focusing mechanisms for this telescope?
For the two inch diagonal I used explore scientific. I think the 1.25 inch was generic from Amazon. The focuser is 2 inch rack and pinion.
Also, thank you for the reply!
Would you prefer this over the Celestron Omni 102? Which mount performs better between these 2?
This one is built more solidly, and has a naturally wider field of view (lower focal ratio). Besides that they’re pretty much the same.
What 10mm and 25mm lens did you receive? Yours have black and silver. I received cheap black plastic Photo10mm and Photo20. I don't know why they would send such cheap lens with such a nice scope.
I don’t remember, sorry, it was a loaner telescope. Best to upgrade the eyepieces anyway.
Great review! What T-adapter would you recommend for this scope for Cannon EOS series? (EOS 700D)
Thanks! Any Canon EOS adapter will do.
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you!
Love your channel John, thank you for all you do and for the 102 AZ3 review. When viewing the moon and Jupiter, I was wondering if you used the cover with the smaller aperture open to tamp down the brightness. Related, I want to purchase a good quality beginner scope for my college age daughter, who has learned using a department store Newtonian reflector so she isn't a complete newbie. I want it to be grab-and-go and from everything I've read and watched, I have pretty much narrowed my search to the SkyWatcher 102 AZ3 refractor and the SkyWatcher 102 Mak. Which one would you recommend? Or do you recommend something different from the two I am considering? Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! If possible, I would get the 102 Mak on the AzGTi or AzGte. They can often be found as a combo for a bit of savings. I can fit the Mak and this mount in a backpack (with a computer, camera, etc). As for your first question, I don’t tend to stop down the aperture with the cover, but that’s mostly because I forget about doing it.
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you for quick response. With the AzGTi, can users do manual sky searching in addition to the auto finding. There is something about the challenge of manual search that is appealing ( at least for a few minutes).
Thank you for your wonderful videos. I’ve learned a lot from you.
Thanks Bryan!
As I already had a Bresser 102/460 and a Celestron 102/1000, I just bought a Sky Watcher 120/600, instead of a Sky Watcher 102/500.
Great stuff John, really hands-on review. I owned this scope years ago (the dark blue ota) and I traded it in for its small/big brother ED 80, which over the years "grew" into the ED 120, my finest scope at the moment. However I acquired recently the Omni AZ 102 and would really like to compare the two AZ 102's side by side. I am extremely happy with the Omni 102 as I could observe Europa's shadow, the ultimate test for small achromats. I believe you still have the Omni AZ 102. At almost half price I think that Omni (in terms of the optics) is still comparable to the SkyWatcher Az 102. Would you agree with that? Thx
Absolutely. The Omni and this scope are very comparable. The difference is in focal length. The Skywatcher will show a wider field of view for a given eyepiece. The Celestron has a higher focal length, so will have, in theory, less chromatic aberration. I think if it weren’t for Costco liquidating these telescopes the price would be comparable. I also personally like the Omni mount a bit more, but on the next clear night I’ll have to compare these scopes side by side.
So glad I read these comments.....
Almost pulled the trigger on the skywatcher and the Omni is 100 bucks cheaper! 😳
Hey bud, coming at you from the Southern Hemisphere Australia to be exact, so I’m definitely what you would call a noob, had a cheap scope when I was younger and it got broken by my dads sheep so never went back into it, always been amazed with space and the stars and planets so I’m wanting to get back into it, I seen this telescope and then seen your video and I’m curious would you recommend this scope for me someone coming back for star gazing and maybe putting a camera on to get a couple of shots of the moon ect?. Seen a few vids of people using there Cameras to take shots and I did so last night with no cloud in the sky no moon and living rural i Cleary could see Jupiter and the 4 moons Orion’s Belt, and I’m. It sure I think I may have caught the edge of a nebula it looks so good, so yeah off track there would you recommend this scope to me
Hey! Exact same thing happened to me. My dad had a terrible telescope when I was growing up. Has I caught the space bug earlier, I wouldn’t have waited until my mid 30’s to get an astrophysics degree! I have a list of telescope on the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com for every budget. The ideal all around telescope these days is a Nexstar Evolution if you want go-to or an 8 inch Dobsonian (the one with Starsense is really nice). However, prices have gone up quite a bit in the past few years… so I realize funding the ideal telescope can be challenging.
@@LearnToStargaze yes I’ve been tossing up between an 8 inch Dobson or a refractor haha my wife looks at me and smiles but I know what she’s thinking lol
I am quite interested for this one, mainly because of the pack and go size, but as I am more into deep sky objects, anyone has an idea of how it performs in galaxies, nebulas and stars clusters gazing?
Galaxies and nebula are far more dependent on your sky conditions than aperture. I didn’t test this from a dark sky for this video, but it should perform as well as most other 4 inch refractors for visual observations.
A great review, I just find the comment about this space station a bit odd saying it's Chinese without having identified it.
I use an iPhone app for identifying satellites that pass over. It was the Chinese Space Station.
@@LearnToStargaze I didn't realise they would divulge such information to the public with an app.
So they have corrected the image in the scope? Otherwise it wouldn’t be used as a.. Bird scope?? 🤷♂
I added a 90 degree diagonal for looking at space.
I have a Orion 90 mm and zero chromatic aberration. Super clear views of Saturn and Jupiter. And I just found Uranus the other night and it wasn’t a blue light. I could actually see the planet as a sharp blue period. I thought your telescope would be better but I will keep my 90 mm . I can’t stand chromatic aberration. Great video!
Thanks!
hi, new to the hobbie and looking to spend a lil bit more then entry level to future proof and also have a good base to build on. Settle on a refractor, and Ive watched you other videos where you take a less than ideal refractor scope and add some higher quality components to get much better results. My question, if I buy this scope and get different eye pieces would I be able to get better planetary results? Enjoy the content and you earned a sub!
Yes, I found that the 90 degree diagonal combined with the X-Cel eyepieces was a very nice combination.
Hi John, great video, your love to the subject is really inspiring.
Question: do you see a big difference in false colour between this 102/500 refractor and the 102/660 you reviewed in other videos? Or is it similar? It is F/5 vs F/6,5. Thanks for everything! Btw, got your book. Beautiful!
Thanks! I think I replied to this earlier, but the post didn’t go through. I haven’t noticed a difference in the level of Chromatic aberration between these two different focal ratios in these two scopes. Clear skies!
@@LearnToStargaze Ah, good to know, thank you.
This telescope or the celestron Omni 102..? Its a really difficult choice as I've never had a telescope before. The skywatcher is around £260 but the celestron is currently £180 , im a bit limited for room at home but i don't really need a mak. Just wanted something for casual viewing really. Any advice welcomed thanks.
The skywatcher is more solid, and heavier. It’s also lower focal length (a bit shorter). The mount is also more solid, although resetting the slow motion controls can be annoying. The Omni is still tough, at least the tube is. I broke my mount on the Omni. This is a good reminder that I have to go fix it.
Thanks for your swift response. I'll probably end up flipping a coin though. £180 though.... I could get that and upgrade the eyepieces.
on your link for this its coming up with Telescope Focal Length: 500mm (f/4.9) ? The one I have just bought in the UK is Telescope Focal Length: 600mm (f/5) ? Any info or is it just they have up graded the size
Seems like a typo somewhere. It is 500mm.
My mistake I bought the 120 not 102 lol. same size ie the shorter one
Will there be much difference between the two @@LearnToStargaze
The 120 has 18mm of additional aperture.
Yeah I get that will there be much improvement over the 102 or basically the same. Just wondering was it worth the extra cash.
Hey..interesting video...I am interested in skywatching especially the stars...I have searched for telescope in my country I just don't seem to get or I haven't searched enough..kindly recommend a good one for beginners...from Kenya
Hi! Go to the homepage of LearnToStargaze.com for match a telescope to your budget. I think B&H photo will ship to Kenya. Good luck!
Which 90* diagonal are you using , the 2” or 1.25 diagonal with the different eye pieces. It shows the two inch diagonal at the end of video but at the beginning of the night viewing which are you using?
45 degrees for landscape, 90 degree for space. Ends with the 2 inch 90.
@@LearnToStargaze so you had 2 90 degree diagonals a 1.25 and a 2””
@@sturgis97 yes. The 2 inch was used to show that it worked.
@@LearnToStargaze ok have you compared the sky max (c90) with the skywatcher 90?
I know they are both made basically in the same place, but are they both exactly the same or does one offer better views as a whole, regardless of the accessories diagonals lenses because that can always be replaced?
I found a celestron 102mm refractor at f/5 and bought, did I make a good decision?
It’s probably the same lens.
Ok good
I have some news right now
The omni 102 az is back in stock from celestron
Nice!
Do you recommend this over the celestron dx102 star sense? Is there a better way to message you
That’s a solid “it depends”. There are a lot of small differences between these two scopes including focal length and cost. I like them both. I do really like Starsense though.
@@LearnToStargaze well, I went with the Skywatcher . I purchased a 6 mm lens to go with it later on I will upgrade the diagonal and go with a 2 inch 6 or 5 mm
@@LearnToStargaze what should I look for in a 5 mm or 6 mm lens is 62 Ultra Wide too big
@@LearnToStargaze the other question is which do you think will hold up better the Celestron or the sky watcher
@@sturgis97 I really like the 5mm X-Cel. Quality matter here, because the magnification is just so darn high (high magnification is just for Jupiter / Saturn for the most part).
Excellent as always thank you.
Thanks! I sure was lucky to accidentally wake up this morning in time for the Eclipse. I didn't set an alarm!
@@LearnToStargaze I slept through my alarm.
@@DAG4219 Ahh, that's too bad!
i have the same telescope but I can barely see Jupiter. I only see bright blue light and its moons even with the 10mm eyepiece. Can you tell me how you made Jupiter look better.
You want to observe Jupiter when it’s high in the sky, not just over the horizon. Make sure you’re outside, and not looking over the tops of nearby buildings. Make sure you have good focus (moons should be tiny specs). The 5mm offered the best views for me.
@@LearnToStargaze ahhh i see i looked it when it was right next to the horizon. Thank you so much.
I do have exactly the same refractor, bought it last year for 289,00 Euro ( OTA ) a very nice pricepoint for the quality you get. I realy love this scope, easy grab'n go. The best scope is always the one you can handle and transport easy, well this one is easy. But do some upgrades! I upgraded the diagonal to a 45 degrees Artesky ( around 70 Euro ), some better eyepieces from Celeston/Omegon ( 32mm, 20mm, 8mm ) and I use it on my Bresser EXOS2 mount from my 127mm longer refractor. But this Skywatcher is a clever thing, not only for beginners. It is also suprisingly good for astrophotography if well used, the short focal length is key for this. Now I ordered my first Newtonian, the Skywatcher 200P, might be also a nice lightbucket. I live in the Netherlands where nice nightskyes are rare eilas. But this summer I will go to italy, much better views. So half of my cargo space in the car will be optical equipment :) clear skyes everyone!
Great comment!
i am planning to buy my first telescope to see planets up-close and sharp , i have a mirrorless camera would like to do some photography as well.is it a right choice in 2024?
Have you tried it on some dso object ?
Like some messier object
Yes, of course. It performs as expected for a refractor telescope of this aperture.
@@LearnToStargaze im thinking about buying the 120/600 version of this as my first telescope, would you recommend it ?
@@1224-q3x sure! Upgrade the diagonal if it doesn’t come with a 90degree, get a few good eyepieces and it will make a great scope.
@@LearnToStargaze Sorry for asking so many questions.
I'm looking to buy a telescope and I can't decide myself.
I'm interested both in planetary and dso observation ( more in the 2nd one).
I know an 8"dobson would probably be the best choice for the money, but is big, heavy requires collimation and it take longer to cool down.
So I was thinking to buy a 120/600 refractor in order to have a decent aperture but keeping thing simple and light.
Do you think is a good choice ?
(Sorry If I made mistakes, english is not my first language)
@@1224-q3x sound like the StarSense DX5 or DX6 might be the right choice for you. Have you watched my video on the DX5?
Hello!
I want to assemble a spotting scope with a good viewing angle, fast aperture and 60x magnification. There are 2 achromat lenses to choose from:
1) diameter 100mm F600mm
2) diameter 100mm F900mm
Eyepieces:
1) Celestron f10mm 50⁰
2) Celestron f15mm 50⁰ respectively
Question:
In which option at a magnification of 60x will there be a better viewing angle and detail
Thanks
I can’t answer that with the given information. You can plug in your own values here and see what you come up with: astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you very much 👍🏻👍🏻
Hi which telescope is the best from these two SKYWATCHER 90/900AZ3 or SΚΥWΑΤCΗΕR 102 ΑZ-3? How significant is the chromatic aberration of the 102?
I like the 102. I don’t actually care much about Chromatic Aberration with these scopes. It doesn’t really bother me. Also, it’s less noticeable with good eyepieces.
@@LearnToStargaze 🙂thanks
Excellent vid got 50 things to see on the moon so looking forward to the moon appearing so I can go exploring
John they kept the more expensive finder and gave you a cheaper one!
The 500/510 discrepancy is easily explained, albeit wholly annoying.
No-one actually sets out to design a 102mm telescope. Someone probably started off designing a 4" telescope, then converted that to 102mm for naming.
The target focal length was probably 500mm, which gives an aperture of 102mm/500mm=4.902.
Listing a telescope as 102mm f4.902 sounds a bit silly, so someone in marketing called it f5.
Someone else writing the manual and specs needed to list the focal length and was too lazy to ask the designer, so calculated 102mm x f5 = 510mm.
This is my exact telescope 🔭 I need more patience but I’ll get there eventually ⭐️
What about the 120 600???
What about it?
About thé Sky watcher 120 600 .do you have a made. Vidéo? I d like to buy this one . Is good it s thé same as thé 102 ? But bigger? Thxx
This or the Celestron omni 102AZ?
This has a slightly shorter focal length, but I found it to be a more solid scope. The CA seemed to be minimized in premium eyepieces.
@LearnToStargaze ended up with the costco special. Half the price got me.
. I have been looking at lots of telescopes over the last few days as wanting to buy my first Telescope. After watching this clip I have ordered this scope. I was looking at this scope on a EQ3-2 mount and was looking at buying the longer version (it was out of stock lol). Anyway I went for this scope on the same mount in the clip instead of the EQ3-2 mount. My think was this mount takes no setting to use, un like the EQ3-2 mount and as I am just starting it was more important to buy some up graded eye pieces, barlow, 2" eye piece, 90 bend, moon filter and so on, basically all the bits in your clip and one or two other bits (will listed what I bought when they turn up, already forgotten lol). so as a beginner the money I saved on the mount, paid for all the extra add ons. I bought it all from Rother valley optics. And I must say Adam who I dealt with was great. He even stopped me buying some bits that I did not need. Can not wait to get it all. I am in the highlands of Scotland and have next to no light pollution so really this will be a good scope for me to start with?. BY THE WAY TOP REVIEW. One I could watch without falling asleep that was really helpful. Big thanks.
Glad you enjoyed the review!
Yes mate simple to follow easy watching with out to much unnecessary info @@LearnToStargaze
Hi I have. Bought a telescope called slokey skyway 40070 do you think this is a telescope for stargazing and catching planets
If possible could u do a review on it thanks very much
Hello! Look at my video on the travel scope 60. That is basically the same telescope. It is possible to use that for the Moon and maybe Jupiter, but it will be very challenging as that telescope is not designed for stargazing or space.
@@LearnToStargaze ok thanks very much I will have a look
Do you know any cheap (less than 100) telescope for stargazing and planets
@@cptpoland7127 Sorry, I don't believe those exist. You can see planets (sort of) with cheap telescopes, but they're typically not good for stargazing. The best deal currently is the Omni 102 from Costco, which some folks are finding for under $200 USD.
@@LearnToStargaze ok thanks very much
@@LearnToStargaze hi sorry again I tried to moon gaze in the past couple of days but all I see is a white fuzzy circle without any moon quality
I tried to se the focus knobs but it doesn't change anything and. Same with the eyepiece do you know why this is happening sorry for the questions in advance
For some reason when I put my eye in the telescope and I see stuff it was blur like shit
PLS HELP ME @LearnToStargaze
You need to practice focusing on different objects during the day. Practice switching eyepieces and using the focusing knobs.
Oh that’s awesome you seen the lunar eclipse I saw it from my roof quite a sight if u say so myself
If it only came with a 45° diagonal it would be the great recommendation for a beginner telescope.
You mean a 90 degree diagonal? Yeah, I went on Amazon and bought an extra 90 to go with it. Fortunately it was only about $20, but I agree it’s annoying that you have to buy it extra.
@@LearnToStargaze yes 90° 😆 they were so close. Me too lol!
I have a 102mm Maksutov Cassegrain Sky-Watcher with an F12.7 focal length. It is awesome.
Yes, I love my Mak. I used to travel with it everywhere.
@@LearnToStargaze Why I got it.
I have this same scope. Stars are really pin sharp at all magnifications.
Although I know that I can't buy these telescopes, I still watching your review videos! They are fun and entertaining, and your reviews always show what to expect from the telescope! Also, I plan on buying your 110 Things to See with a Telescope book as it looks like it makes it easy to find things in the sky!
But I do have a question, what are your thoughts on the Orion Starblast 4.5? I want to buy this telescope as my first upgrade and I've seen reviews saying that's is amazing, but not many are very detailed, so I wanted to know what you think! :DD
Hi! The Orion Star Blast is a nice little scope. It would be a slightly larger version of the z100 scope I already reviewed. You might want to see if the Z130 is the same price, as that would give you more aperture. The starblast would show you all 110 objects from the book assuming dark moonless skies.
And what about the 120 600? Thx
Basically the same review, it would just have higher resolution and light gathering.
@@LearnToStargaze can i see orion .and other nebula?
@@linou1968 Absolutely, nebulae are more dependent on the darkness of your skies than the aperture of your telescope.
You still got this telescop?
@@linou1968 no, I sent it back to All-Star
Could u guide me . I am looking to buy a telescope for my daughter . I want a good telescope. And don't want to spend more then 150$ canadian. And want one that easy to understand and easy to find what where looking for . Any help would be appreciated
Hi! I posted a chart and article on the homepage of learntostargaze.com to help answer this question. Let me know if you have any questions on the specific telescopes listed on the chart.
It's twice your budget but the Celestron Omni AZ 102 is back in Costco. It's a terrific starter scope; I've kept mine even though I now have a 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain.
@@oldebill1807 The Omni 102az is awesome. My older kids (aged 7 and 8) still prefer the z100 (they've used both), but yes the 102az is superior. Last year some people were finding it at costco for as low as $160...
Great video, I really like the look of this scope. But am tempted to go up to the 120 or 150 version, do you think the CA will be much worse on those versions? What you get on the 102 wouldn't bother me.
I should add, I'm toying up a 5 or 6 inch sct, or 5 or 6 inch star travel. For a mixture of deep space, planets and moon. Mostly just observing, but with photography an option on the future
Already a few minutes in I am informed that there are more things to buy. And no finderscope with this unit, so another major expense.
I’m confused as to why you would want a finderscope. The ridicule finder is far superior for locating targets.
@@LearnToStargaze Good way to attract customers who may use the wrong terminology.
@@LearnToStargaze I will now unsubscribe to the retail outlet in Alberta who provided the link to this video. Thank you for your reply.
This is the one I have in mind😮
Can anyone help me with this matter please? I bought that scope from somebody few weeks ago but unfortunately, I only have shitty 1,25" eyepieces. To maximize my star gazing experience, I know that I need a set of eyepieces, a 90 degree diagonal and a couple filters. But as the scope comes with a 2" focuser, and considering the fact that I need to buy quite a few components to get started, I am thinking about going right away with a celestion 2" set (#94305) that comes with 3 eyepieces, the diagonal, few filters and even a 2X barlow…
Now, I know that this telescope has awfull chromatic aberration at high power and I also read a lot about fast scopes (short FL) vs 2" eyepieces and even thought, I cannot set my mind whether it’s a good or a useless move. So the question is: is upgrading the Startravel 102 AZ3 with 2" kit a stupid idea?
I’d say go for it. I was very impressed with the performance using a two inch diagonal and 2mm two inch eyepiece.
@@LearnToStargaze Thank you for answering! Some say that going for 2" eyepieces make sense only with long focal lenght, what do you think of that principle?
@@doumgreg I’ve never heard of that. My two inch eyepieces works great at low focal lengths.
I found a new omni AZ 102 in the box never used I put it together last night easy to put together ,I payed 200 cash at a pawn shop
Fantastic!
I'm going to show roger my step grandson the planets ,and moon and whatever else we can see
Really nice video and very informative! I will say that IMO using astro scopes for birdwatching is a bad idea and mostly just a sales pitch from astro scope companies. My birding scope is far lighter than my astro scope, it is designed to withstand wet weather and to be carried for miles, but more importantly it is rubberised and armoured, I have dropped it a couple of times and it's been OK. I can't imagine a thin steel tube astro scope would have survived. Maybe if you have a view from a fixed point they would be OK but otherwise I wouldn't risk it.
I think this telescope would be fine if you dropped it off a cliff.
@@LearnToStargaze interesting!
I sadly Have a problem with this telescope becouse even tho the sky is clear everything is really really blurry.
What eyepiece are you using and how does it perform on different targets during the day?
@@LearnToStargaze thank you for responding, i actually fixed the problem today, i Have no idea what it was but now its thankfully fixed, the moon is so so beautiful
The bird looks like a Starling. I have the Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ-GTe 102mm f/5 and love it! I've taken it on family car trips. The image is great with it! I've had it for about a year now, and really glad I bought it.
Great to hear!
Might have to get this ngl