A telescope I don't recommend but you will buy it anyway - The Orion Observer 70mm Alt Az Refractor!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- Amazon affiliate links:
Link to the telescope in this review amzn.to/3aVA073
(Please watch review first)
Orion Starblast Telescope amzn.to/3N3GYp9
Zhumell Z114 Telescope (same as the Orion Starblast) amzn.to/363jVdH
Orion Skyline XT6 Telescope (new version as of 2022) amzn.to/3JMho5T
Orion Skyline XT8 Telescope (new version as of 2022) amzn.to/36u3hUJ
Sky-Watcher 6” Dobsonian Telescope amzn.to/3CXUZAi
Sky-Watcher 8” Dobsonian Telescope amzn.to/3wkAQmt
TeleVue 24mm Panoptic (my favorite 1.25” eyepiece) amzn.to/3NtKHwl
TeleVue 13mm Nagler Type 6 eyepiece amzn.to/3t248F4
TeleVue 7mm Nagler Type 6 eyepiece amzn.to/31xtq2q
TeleVue Everbrite 1.25” Diagonal amzn.to/3JWEveT
TeleVue 2X Barlow (Much better than the cheap throwaway barlows found in cheap scopes) amzn.to/335DAaI
Heated gloves amzn.to/2R45aiW
Heated vest amzn.to/3nVoefs
Small planisphere amzn.to/2JAGvyK
Large planisphere amzn.to/3qsiRFh
The Cambridge Star Atlas amzn.to/3mDAakC
The Stars: A New Way To See Them amzn.to/3lvEUaA
Sky & Telescope's Pocket Star Atlas amzn.to/2VrcDrb
The 21st Century Atlas of the Moon amzn.to/3bsk4Hk
Turn Left at Orion (good beginner’s book about finding stuff) amzn.to/3fYPRQQ
My tiny 8X21 binoculars are here amzn.to/39RdfyP
A decent pair of 7X35 binoculars amzn.to/3mESBoV
A decent pair of 7X50 binoculars amzn.to/3g6amLB
The Orion 8X42 binoculars are here amzn.to/37vW1UK
Camera used for filming amzn.to/38QrkLv
Camera I’m using for 4K video and some B-Roll amzn.to/3D1pOmk
The lens I use for filming (80% of the time) amzn.to/38QIN6i
The lenses used for filming the rest of the time (17-40 f/4 and 24-70 f/4) amzn.to/3cITdpV and amzn.to/3ns4cck
My tripod amzn.to/2OEDhNo
My ballhead amzn.to/3cLeLSW
The softboxes I use amzn.to/3qSDp91
Wireless mic: amzn.to/3tQcRHv
My astrophotography book contains advice on telescopes observing, and taking pictures (based on my award-winning Dartmouth thesis, June 2020) 255 pages, 258 color images: amzn.to/2Jt1O5o
Top Three Recommended Beginner’s Telescope Video: • Top 3 Beginner's Teles...
Top Beginner’s Astronomy Books: • Top Beginner's Astrono...
For Complete Beginners, Part 1: • Getting Started in Ama...
For Complete Beginners, Part 2: • For ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS...
Hundreds of other telescope reviews on my web site at:
www.scopereviews.com
My parents bought me a very similar telescope when I was 14 or 15. I think its still in their basement. Wobbly mount, uninspiring focuser. But I loved it. I de-wobbled the mount using rubber washers at the leg pivots and greased the worm gears and used duct tape to hold the larger eye pieces in place. It may be considered a hobby killer by todays standards, but I have too many fond memories of discovery to dismiss it.
true passion will overcome poor teachers or equipment. glad you stuck with it!
@@sharknatho2406 Poor teachers or equipment will kill any passion. I got a full size bicycle from my grandmother when I grew out of my kids bicycle my parents bought me. I loved riding on the kids bicycle but my grandmother bought a cheap supermarket bicycle that had all sorts of issues. Thanks to that "gift" I stopped riding bicycles and returned to it just recently when I bought my own proper bicycle.
But that was a valuable lesson I learned from my grandmother. Never EVER give low quality gifts.
@@yarpenzigrin1893 quite a pessimistic take, i'm sorry that happened to you. kids can either have infinite patience or zero, and thats of no fault of their own. i do agree that you shouldnt buy the cheapest thing to see if you or a loved one end up liking it.
@@sharknatho2406 A gift can be inexpesive but has to be good quality. You can buy a Victorinox swiss army knife for only $30 and it will be the best pocket knife anyone could dream of. Or you could buy a $30 telescope and it will be the worst telescope anyone could get.
@@yarpenzigrin1893 we agree then
I started with a Tasco telescope like this in the 60s. It was all I could afford, but it was simply a great telescope to me. I eventually became a professional astronomer, and I owe a lot to that telescope fueling my interest.
Tasco telescopes of the 1960s were great telescopes! Recall the 4" Observatory model....good luck in finding one. Even the 4.5" f/8 11TE Lunagrosso models were superb as long as you ditched the crappy eyepieces that came with it and used Japanese standard orthoscopic eyepieces which are available to this day! Incidentally, the primary was spherical yet you couldn't tell from the very high quality images of the planets it delivered.
I recently purchased a Celestron 90AZ-AR for $159 from Costco. It’s my first telescope that I’ve actually owned. It’s for visual, not photography. I think it’s fine for casual observing and I can just take it out back and be ready in a minute.
In 1962, at age 10, my parents gave me a telescope like this for Christmas. Looking back I know they didn’t have much so I’m sure it was inexpensive. But it amazed me and my dad. It came with a long tube that went between the telescope and the diagonal that was called the lunar scope. It had a little lunar filter you could put in it. I could clearly see the craters, especially along the terminator. I could see the moon slowly moving across the field of view. I ran in to get my dad, and he was also astonished. Later I figured out how to find Saturn and the rings were clearly visible. I could see the bands on Jupiter and the moons around Jupiter. And it almost felt as if I could feel the earth itself was moving as I watched these planets moving across the field of view. To put things in perspective, imagine how this telescope would compare with Galileo’s.
I had a similar scope as a kid, a Jason I believe. No adults were ever interested in helping me with it and other than the Moon I could never find anything else. Got very frustrated and left the hobby. Fast forward 40 years when I picked up a 102 MM Mak. That was the telescope I wanted as a kid and I would recommend it to anyone getting started - easy to use, portable and crystal clear viewing. Now making my way slowly, step by step, inch by inch, into astrophotography.
My first scope was on the worst mount. I bought it used in 1979 for $3 at a yard sale. It was a wooden tripod alt/az design and the tube itself was a 4" f/7 cardboard tube with an okay focuser and 3, 0.96" eyepieces. It was actually not terrible. I had no idea how to collimate it but I could see the bright planets and the moon and it lit the fire that I'm paying for to this day!
I bought several older of these types, used, for cheap prices, worked to take the slop out of the mount and focuser, replaced the diagonal if needed, bought a set of 3, 62 degree SVBONY type eyepieces for 35$, bought a carry case and gave them away to deserving children of friends. The azimuth can be tightened by slipping a thin piece of aluminium from a coke can in the space between the plastic bearing surfaces. The friction screw for the azimuth is sharp at the end and presses against the plastic. It needs rounded and will now touch against the aluminium. Even better if you first put plastic or Teflon in the hole so there's no metal to metal contact.
The attitude can be made to have smoother action by placing plastic bearings made from milk bottle material on the two side bolts. The rod can be tightened up with Teflon plumbing tape on the threads including a plug of Teflon in the hole for the tightening screw so the metal screw doesn't touch and scratch the rod. The focuser needs work on the bearing surfaces, too, to take out the slop and make it work smoother. I've used layers of simple Scotch tape to make tighter bearing surfaces. If you do all these things, it makes a decent first scope for a child. My total cost was only about 100$ each since I bought them used.
Oh, and tell the kid to hang a gallon of water from the center of the tripod to stabilise it more.
How do you not have more subscribers? Your channel is awesome! Very well produced and very interesting topics!
When I was a youngster, I started with a similar scope. Only it was a Tasco. I loved it and spent a lot of time learning how to improve it and the mount. I upgraded to other scopes from there, but that simple "Crappy" scope got me started in my addiction. I was, and still am, a very stubborn geek who doesn't give up! :-))))) I managed to spot a few of Jupiter's moons and was hooked from then on.
I will never forget that night!
I agree. I got a cheap refractor as my first scope, and almost gave up. My next scope was the Zhumell Z130 dobsonian, and suddenly I was actually enjoying stargazing. Now I want to actually invest in a long term higher grade telescope for planetary and deep space viewing. So I wish I had just bought the Zhumell as my first scope to begin with.
I have the Z100. These small scopes they are actually very capable. Parabolic mirror makes it enjoyable
The bain of astronomy! I have had people try to give these to me...but never had to accept one.
😂😂😂
It's not really that bad a scope. I've used one before. Not great, but reasonable at 109 dollars. The eyepieces are Kellners and not bad
Ed quote..... "at this price range, just being able to see something is a victory in itself'. Priceless!
The one I bought 20 years ago was good at splitting double stars, especially Albriero. still have it collecting dust in my garage.
I guess there’s a problem with the OTA or 45 degrees diagonal tested by Ed Ting because I have a 70/700 mm achromat sold by Opticon (from Poland) identical to his, but mine has very sharp image quality even at 175x. It also has very little chromatic abbreviations, very similar to my bigger 102/714 mm ED FPL51 refractor. It’s only downside is it’s low light gathering capacity. It’s acceptable for the Moon and planets and bad for DSOs - galaxies and nebulas.
Dude...
Love watching your videos.. Even on crappy scopes!
My first 'real telescope' and still have it. I still use it for my solar viewings. It may not be the best and no matter how much I upgrade, I'll never forget the things I saw in it for the first time.
I appreciate the genuine honest efforts you put into your reviews. Thank you!
Hi Ed, it's amazing that this thing is now $99.99. I think they saw your review and are trying to get out while the getting's good. Oh MY... Only 17 left in stock - order soon. LOLOL.
Rather put it into an eyepiece.
As much as those hunks of junk are frustrating I have to admit it was one of those sad things made by safari which sparked my love for astronomy. Would I recommend one to a beginner? no way, but wait! I’m forgetting my previous sentence all together, I’m torn.
I’m just getting into astrophotography, and am planning on upgrading to a mount that can hold my telescope. Your reviews have been very helpful in planning which telescopes to look for in the future. Thank you!
It is all relative to your budget and how much pain you are willing to sustain. I am new myself and I can tell you that whatever you buy it comes with extra expenses some more some less for example I have redcat51 and skywatcher mn190 and samyang 135. Samyang is the least expensive. You need only t ring for start with out guiding and if you want to guide you better find 3d printer. Redcat same or you pay for extra for braket for guiding anoh boy oh boy mn190 is pain. Pain to carry pain to blance and the focuser is awful you need to change that and price is rally big on that for me and you need to remove glass. But you have a 1000 mm almost perfect optic with out any flat flatener or comma corrector. But forget using it on the wind or carrying around all day. Clear skys.
I've only recently discovered your channel. You explain things in a way that even I, an utter novice astronomer, can understand them. So, thanks! A question for a future Q&A: is there any thing special that people who wear glasses should do when using a telescope?
The common advice is to take off your glasses if you have simple near or far sightedness. That is what the focuser is for. If you have astigmatism, you will likely need your glasses. If your eyepiece doesn't have sufficient eye relief (18-20mm or so) you may need to purchase a long eye relief eyepiece.
Glad to see you reviewing an entry level scope. I wish that more knowledgeable people with means would do this. It serves a purpose to the hobby.
Recently I bought a Celestron Astromaster LT70 at Walmart on clearance for $40. I just had to see for myself how bad this could be. Wow! Out of the box it is pretty awful. Movement is jerky. The tripod flexes quite a bit. And I recently discovered that the collimation was way off……..varies due to the plastic focuser. They are just slapping this junk together and making it look pretty to get the unsuspecting public to make a purchase. It’s really sad when you think about it.
If this hobby dies, the manufacturers have no one to blame but themselves.
Even though I got stuck with a Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ from Walmart (also a $40 sale) with bad objective lenses some 8 yrs ago (along with poor quality accessories), a new Celestron Astromaster 70 AZ (OTA only) I got from a telescope warehouse for about the same price came with excellent optics. The store fortunately checked (and corrected if necessary) the collimation on each of the OTAs before they put them up for sale.
I bought this scope for my father and personally I think it is a reasonable scope. The mount is extremely lightweight. But honestly it can be used with some patience. I don't think it's as bad as it was made out to be. But sure, a good alt az costing 3 times this entire setup would be way better. The one we got had decent optics. Probably a lot of variation between samples.
Read my previous comment to see how I fine tune and upgrade these scopes to be more usable.
I got my first telescope when I was about eight years old. It was a Christmas present from a relative and was no different to the “kid’s telescopes” sold today. It was almost entirely plastic (I’m not sure whether the lens was even glass!) and the mount was so weak it kept breaking and had to be held together with electrical tape. It was an absolute hobby killer, but I persevered and used that scope on several home-built mounts for many years. Around age 15 I was given a small, previously owned reflector. I was shocked at how clear the sky looked through that humble scope. Fifty years later I bought my grandson a scope for his eighth birthday. Needless to say, his scope is a world apart from the one I contended with in my early years.
I love my Orion Starblast. With Ed’s recommendation, I bought it one year ago. However, I struggled with finding something stable to rest it on. The plastic tote idea wasn’t convenient or practical for me, because I tried to find a tote that would hold the telescope when stargazing but could also be used to store it. Unfortunately, to keep the size reasonable and retain portability, my tote isn’t big enough to store the telescope without taking it apart. I’m not a fan of that. However, I just bought an outdoor three-legged wooden side table that is approximately 16” high with a 16” circumference. It’s also really light. I recessed three holes in the tabletop with a paddle bit for the Starblast’s feet, and it works great! I can pick up the telescope and table at one time, making portability so much better. I’ve used the telescope more in the past few weeks than I have in the past several months. Oh, and I use one of those portable telescoping folding stools that I can even hang over my wrist when collapsed, allowing for one trip when it’s stargazing time. Nice!
There's also a small end table from IKEA that's become popular. If anyone knows the name, please let us know.
@@edting KYRRE, I believe.
@@edting I built a collapsible tripod and love it. This is the exact one I made. th-cam.com/video/HsGD9mU8cR0/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=EyesontheSky
I would use a refractor only for planetary viewing or other objects inside the solar system not globular clusters or galaxies
Ed is right, I could see advanced astronomers rotating, centering and respacing the lens elements to try to work out some of the aberrations. Also a lot of cheap scope have horrible baffling and stray light suppression, which is something an advanced person would correct. That being said, I got my start with n old 40mm Empire scope that had erecting lenses, no eyepiece or mount. I ended up using a projection lens from a 8mm projector, and made a parallelogram mount out of old fence pickets. Post and some bars meant for hanging shelves on a wall. The point is don’t be deterred by what you have, there is always a way to make something work and improve apon.
I have an 80mm Celestron with an equatorial mount. I also have a regular solar filter for it. I've used it for many an transit across the sun and also for the recent American eclipse. It has been a very useful second telescope.
Thats What I Done About 4 Years Ago With My Celestron 114LCM,But It Doesnt Even Get Used Anymore😥,I Got The 80mm Travel Scope For My Great Niece a Cpl Years Back,And She’s Always Like It.
I think the 80mm ones are decent , low priced scopes.
Hi Mr Ting. Just wanted to say I learned a lot from watching your channel the last 6 weeks or so. I ended up getting an 8se. Also just wanted to mention that my Father and and Uncle Bob were graduates of Dartmouth in 1949. They were sent there by the War Department after the war as they joined the Navy when they turned 18 in 1944. They were twins. My Uncle Bob first was sent to Brown University because the Navy would not station siblings after the Sullivan brothers at the same location. My Grandfather convinced them that the Germans, Japanese and Italians were not going to bomb Hanover in 1946 so Uncle Bob could transfer to Dartmouth. 😀
Thanks for the nice story!
In the day of Japanese imports, the bar altitude control combined with a worm azimuth control was quite better than adequate.
I had a very similar Tasco at the start of the 90's as a teenager. I remember clearly the frustration of trying to find M44 over several cold winter nights (back when we still had cold - but clear - winter nights. Now it's endless rain). Anyway it got me started, gave me a look at (the coma off) Hyakutake but when Hale-Bopp arrived I had already upgraded to Dob. Still I got many views of our moon, Jupiter's moons, Saturn and yes a number of Messiers eventually. But with the price and availability of astro gear today (no online shopping back then) I would not wish it on anyone, especially a beginner.
I recently got an Antares 511AZ on loan. Similar optical tube to the Starblast 4.5 but on a mount like the Portamount. Also comes with 80 degree eyepiece, 3x barlow and red dot finder. A beginner scope that is actually fun to use! Only weak point is the flimsy tripod.
My first telescope was very similar to this one. My dad got it from one of his co-workers of the time. I was only about 9 or 10. I remember it was about the time Hale-Bopp came in 1997. I still have it, but ever since upgrading to my Meade 114mm scope ten years ago, I haven't used it.
What Meade 114mm? Reflector with an equatorial mount?
Is that a red dot finder? The cheap ones are junk, designed as daytime weapon sights I believe. You lose at least a magnitude from the 1x eyeball visibility limit.
I have a 80 mm Celestron which is quite serviceable after
-- putting it on a heavier equatorial mount inherited from a 5 inch Newtonian (spherical mirror, bad idea, I've forgotten the manufacturer)
-- adding a right ascension drive
-- fitting a straight 30mm finder AND a right angle 50mm finder. The 30 mm goes on a home-made plywood adaptor which screws to the 1/4" threaded holes on the tube-rings. The 30mm is for the initial ballpark finding, the right angle finder is for fine tuning. Ideal for those less young and lithe of limb.
The Orion 4.5" becomes a much more user friendly instrument if you put it on an alt-az tripod and get it up to chest level or a little below. The tripod legs being adjustable also solves the uneven ground problem that is a the bane of three legged stools. I had it out next to a 130mm Astro-physics and was impressed at least at low and medium powers. Certainly a lot more bang for the buck. Celestron 70mnm spotting scope or similar probably better than the one in this video. He certainly is right that the presence of that bar signals an inferior experience lies ahead.
"this thing..." Very polite! 👍
Thanks Ed. Great info.
I had an even WORSE refractor telescope when I was a kid as my first telescope. It was frustrating but I loved it anyway because I just didn't know any better! I actually got quite a bit of use out of that junky telescope.
Just a tip for people who really want to try out a cheap telescope like this...check garage sales. I see SO MANY scopes like this at garage sales for dirt cheap. That way when you agree that the scope sucks, you haven't spent much on it!
It might make a good guide scope for long focal length astrophotography
I had the equivalent scope branded Conus for only 7 nights. It only proved the saying that such cheap scopes are not made for viewing. They are either made to make you spend more money on the hobby or to give it up completely.
I cant wait to have so much astronomy gear that I can't remember where I got it 😀
The OTA on this looks exactly identical to a Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ I got at a Walmart sale for $40 about 8 yrs. ago. The focuser end is completely made of plastic, even the focuser tube. The dew shield is plastic as well. The objective is of poor/terrible quality and stars wouldn't focus to a point/dot at high magnification (but as a large circle). It looks like the OTAs used for this scope has gotten worse over the years, hence the price of this scope going down despite inflation. The earlier versions of this scope most likely had better optics.
You are seeing Airy disk. All small refractors at high magnification will show a star as a circle which may be surrounded by another circle. Not defective optics.
😂 funny title for this video, I enjoyed that immensely 😂😅
The only thing I had 25 years ago were borrowed binoculars from a friend.. a scope like this would’ve been awesome.
But the year is 2022.. Kids shouldn’t be tormented with a scope like this just to save a 100$. No wonder they use it twice and decide astronomy is a meh hobby..
My kids are getting my 8 inch DOB when they get older :).. And I am getting a 12
There may be two things that led to the odd price trend. First something manufactured long enough may have a very lean process with cheaper goods. Second Synta may have manufactured tons of these in the past and has a surplus. Sounds odd in today’s supply chain shortages, but they could be sitting in volumes of excess supply. It may leave their catalog after they sell them all. 🤷🏻♂️
Yes, I've wondered that too. Are they blowing them out to make room for something new?
Hi Ed. Newbie here. Can you make a video on how to stargaze? Like how to setup a telescope and how to locate objects in sky?
There are channels that do that. This one doesn't.
Get You Tripod At The Height You Want,Make Sure It Is Level.Turn Your Scope And Look At The Moon With The Viewfinder or Red Dot,Whichever You Have,Put The Moon In The Center Of Your Telescope,Now Look Thru The View Finder and With The Little Knobs On The Side and Back,Or Under,Pending What You Have,Adjust It Where The Moon Is In The Center(It Is Easier To Do This Step In The Daytime With A Tree Top Or Something) Once What You See In The Finder Is What You See In Your Scope…Your Aligned.
@@davidwilliams7935 ,Its Also Never An Issue To Explain It To Someone New,Instead Of Being Ignorant,This Is What Shy’s A Newbie Away From Asking A Question…Wow..
@@PafMedic thanks for the info! What can be done about artificial light from neighbors homes? Can i still get great results? Or do i have to drive to a place which is competely dark?
I bought the Zhumell100 F4 and the focuser is aggravating. I had to modify it to stop the focuser from wobbling and staying in collimation was a hassle until I did. Also you can only collimate it by the secondary mirror and so buy a laser collimator and check it for collimation. I use a machinist's Vee block and spin the laser around pointed at a dot on a wall 6 feet away. If it keeps within an 1/8 inch circle your good for 400mm.
Celestron bought out Zhumell by the way, so don't be fooled by a YT reviewer who seems to be a shill for Celestron. Said the plastic focuser on a cheap $100 scope was perfect. Mine wobbled trying to focus it so I had to fix it. I hope the Z-114 isn't like that.
There is a big difference between the Z100 and the Z114. The Z100 appears to be very similar to the old Orion SkyScanner 100, which was never a good telescope.
@@edting Glad to hear. My brother bought a 100 and called me asking why he can't get it to focus. He wasn't crazy about buying a laser collimator, but he did. Says it works after collimating it, but fixed it like I told him to and likes it now.
Hi Mr Ting! I’m in a bit of a tight spot when it comes to buying my first telescope! I’m a new college student and I have some money saved up from summer, I’m pretty new to amateur astronomy but I’ve had a love for space all of my life! I’m between getting a 8inch DOB or a 4.5 inch DOB because of the prices and want your input on whether I should buy the 8inch! (I’ve also got a pair of binoculars and have been using those for the past couple weeks but the area I live in is heavily light polluted so it’s been mixed results on what I see each night!) I love your videos and they’ve been what’s pushed me to the next step in my astronomy journey! ❤
Get the 8". It will last you a lot longer (ie, you won't outgrow it).
I think the only thing I’d use that scope for is a quick look at the Sun via projection.
150mm reflector Alt-Az GoTo , 200mm reflector on EQ or 10 inch dob what would be better for observation and some basic photos ,nothing crazy
Any 12 year old as a first telescope, wonderful
Thank you
Gotta say, I never would have been able to afford even this as a kid. I had a clone that was picked up at a garage sale, and that was a big part of what got me hooked on astronomy. Yes, it sucked. Really really bad. But I could look at the moon, the easy planets, and birds and that did it. An 8" dobsonian is great, and 100 times better than this, but it was way, way out of my price range even at $500 or $800 or whatever it is.
Right,lol..I Had A 70/300 Nat Geo😂And Used It More Like A Pirate Scope Than With A Diagonal That Broke My Neck..Im Still Pretty Good At The Pirate Scope Look With My Evoguide50ed😂😂
I Ran Around In The 70’s and 80’s With A 70/300 Nat Geo(Still Have It)That Was What I Learned On.And Think I Have The Celestron Version Of That,No Mount,Not Even Sure Where It Came From,lol..I Didnt Buy It
What's that tell you about worker exploitation?
Sir ed. Can you review the skywatcher matsutov newt 190. I have that optic. There are big cons and pros on that scope. Not very popular but can be useful for other people. I am a new imager would like to know about your perspective on it.
I won't buy one, I promise. I already have a Tasco 60mm plastic refractor on an execrable German equatorial mount. I don't need a second crappy telescope. I got it at a garage sale for $25 and wanted to compare it to memories of a childhood 60mm Tasco telescope. I suspect my memories but the newer one is nowhere near as good a telescope as my friend's old refractor from 55 years ago.
execrable!!!!!! i remember that from the jack benny show!! only time i've ever heard it. what a wonderful (obsolete) word!!
My Dad had a Tasco very similiar to this. It wasn't the James Webb, but it got me interested in the hobby. If you want to poo-poo the affordable hobby starters, that's a great way to end any store that deals in telescopes.
Stores that deal in telescopes don't tend to bring this kind of stuff in. Better with a celestron first scope which is still retailing for 99$ Canadian.
Because it's good is why it's also usually out of stock. Anyone worth listening to would urge you to wait and get that instead
@@reallifeistoflat ,Im Going To Agree,And Its Been More Than Eds Videos That Have Reviewed The 1st Scope,and The Skywatcher Version Is A Good 1 As Well From What Ive Watched Over The Last 3-4 Years.I Started As A Kid With A 70/300 Nat Geo,1.25 Lens Wont Even Fit In It😂But Loved That Scope,Still Have It,Wrapped Up Somewhere,lol
@@PafMedic you can still find .965" eyepieces used. ebay, craigs list...
Would higher quality eyepieces be very helpful (after changing the mount out)? Sorry if this has already been asked! Thanks.
The stock eyepieces are actually OK. It's the mount that will drive you nuts. Solve that problem and this thing will be usable for a while. Learn all you can from it and move on when you outgrow it.
Hi Ed, have an Orion XX14G telescope. Everyone tells how to put them together but no one tells you how to align one. I have been using go to telescopes for many years but am having a really bad time in trying to get the telescope to align. Any chance you can show how to align this scope?
Because the Orion XT6 isn't available, should I buy the Skywatcher 6-inch?
Any commercial 6" or 8" Dob is worth it. Most of them come from the same couple of sources in China.
Mr. Ting
I ask as a curious subscriber. What is that white telescope behind you in all the videos?
Made #591 and Meade #826. I talk about them in the State of the Collection 2022 video.
Regarding the 80st observer, which comes with an EQ mount, is it worth it?
Don't get the ST80 Observer series. It is a cheaper variant.
its 90 bucks on amazon
Can you review the Hadley 3D printed telescope? It’s less that 100 dollars
I'm sure that idea is fully here yet...
Thanks for taking the time to suffer going through this POS barely a telescope to explain why you should look for better alternatives. I really laughed hard when I saw what is behind you over your left shoulder. Good job containing yourself and keeping it professional.
Bet there are outtakes.. 😆😆😆
TBH, Orion should think a bit more about the negative impact to their business and to their reputation. Better not to sell a product then create negative feelings associated with the hobby and the company name at least in my opinion . For newbies that first impression is everything.
The best suggestion by far: join a local astronomy club and go to a star party and look through other people's telescopes. Be sure to talk with people. Things are starting to come back after the Pandemic hiatus. Attend a few events and let people know you're looking for a used scope to get started with and I'd be willing to bet someone will come up with a decent scope for whatever the budget constraint might be. Outreach and encouraging new people is the mission of the amateur community.
One final thought. I haven't been keeping up with your videos lately (I am subscribed andn now I'm going to turn notifications on 😁) so you may have done videos on it, but IMO, EAA is quickly becoming a game changer for visual observing especially as more and more people live under light polluted and muggy skies with super bright LED streetlights. You can't see enough stars to make out major constellations!
It can be done pretty easily as a DIY project with some reading on CloudyNights.com and watching a few TH-cam videos . Even with VERY modest resources people can greatly expand their visual observing targets even if the sky is often just weird grayish colors. ❤ your YT channel!
Ending with a joke befitting the thing you just showed us.
Why are astronomy clubs so hard to find? They are always meeting in the dark.
🤪
About to buy my first telescope. Looking at the Aptura DT 6 and the Skywatcher star travel 120. Any better recommendations around that price range?
Get the Apertura Dob. It will be better in the long term.
Can someone here tell whether if one shall go for starsense 8 inch dob or a normal 10inch dob (with the addition of a few extra dollars)
10:30 oh boy.... you know us enthusiasts thinking: "hmm... I could mount this cheap scope onto my 1500$ mount... add some 1000$ tracking and a 1600$ camera... and it might be slightly better at *instert some random niche task of the hobby* than my present gear." And then our women look at us when we get a box, insisting it only cost 100$ :D
Unless Your The Woman Of The House and The Box Is Yours😂😂😂😂😂😂Im The Space Nut,Not Him,lol..And Honestly Soooo Happy He Doesnt Really Say Anything When I Get Something New,lol
Wanna review my lightbridge 12?
Ed, have you seen or been able to review the Celestron StarSense Dobsonian 8 or 10"?
I know it's new but wondering on your thoughts as I'm looking to buy my 1st dob.
I have a 10" StarSense in for review right now. Just keep in mind, I usually spend months working on a review.
@@edting Ed - before you review the starsense - please take a look on alternative - it is highly popular in my community: th-cam.com/video/AtArqBLWWJ8/w-d-xo.html
I mean SSE adds $100-$250 to the scope of same price, while you can have solution for same problem but open source: Disclimer - I'm the author
Hello Mr. Ting. I have a question. Before I waste my time and effort trying to do so, will my Orion XT10I be able to split Sirius A and B? I live in Southern louisiana with relatively clear weather, warm, and high humidity.
In theory, you can split Sirius with that scope. In practice, there is a lot that can go wrong. The bright component is VERY bright and can blow out the secondary component even though the separation is theoretically within the limit of your scope.
Hi Ed I am curious, what watch are you wearing? Is it a G-Shock of some type? Thanks.
It's actually a Baby-G, reference # BA110BC-1A
@@edting Thanks!
Would you ever look at the Orion Observer 134mm and review it? Or have any experience with it?
I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of those.
@@edting I picked one up about 8 weeks ago been having fun with it but I would love an in-depth review from the man himself🫡
I am new to this field. But I have been studying astronomy
I want to buy my first brand new telescope. I am interested in Dobsonian telescope. The person whom I'm buying the telescope from has given me two options .
Meade flexible Dobsonian 10 inches (726$) or 12 inches(1050$)
or
SkyWatcher flexible Dobsonian 10 inches (750$)
You are a very professional person so could you please advice me on which is the better telescope.
Very Kind.
Those are all OK, but I would still steer you towards an 8" if you can get one. Experience shows that a 10" gets used about half as often as an 8, and a 12 gets used about 1/10th as often.
That's very generous of you
Thank you so much
You need to stop degrading the lower end telescopes. That is how I'm sure most of you got your start in looking at the stars and planets. Good telescopes are expensive and starting at the lower end is fine until you learn about what is a good telescope. Growth always starts at the bottom.
is Meade eclipse view 114 at 200usd good
That is the same as the Starblast/Z114/etc that I have been recommending for years, so yes. Two things though - it has been discontinued, and do not look at the sun with it. The supplied solar filter is of poor quality.
@@edting it's still available in India at about 210 USD😊
@@edting what about the eclipse view 82mm dobsonian its a bit cheaper (on the cost of aperture)
I learn the hard way never buy a telescopes from eBay. There just like department stores
You know what. I think you missed big. Yes, the mount isn't most stable. Yes it has some backlash - but actually it cheapest mount that provides slow motion control to handle this. Many-many started with such scopes. Now 70/700... how much CA it shows? It is still way less than ST80 - that BTW you did recommended...
But it still show you hell more than pair of binoculars, it still will be more stable than holding the scope with two hands. So instead of telling how bad it is I'd rather show how to work with this mount - because you can make it work well and probably much easier than what I did with some really terrible mount (see th-cam.com/video/3XyGeXell04/w-d-xo.html )
The mount is balanced, stays in place and has slow motion control to make it ease on backlash.
But having a $100 scope that actually shows your globular clusters, planets, nebula is actually great thing. Yes - if you can afford $300 of course $300 is better. But if you can't? With this every newcomer will see planets, huge amount of details on Moon and DSO.
I don't think it is fair review. I recently got SVBony sv501p with horrible mount and I was surprised how much it can show me. So if somebody is willing to spend no more that $100-$150 I think this scope is more than great deal because it will get you to field. And if you don't have passion, $500 scope will not help.
You can fine tune your mount to make it work quite a bit better. I described how I've done this with several scopes in a previous comment here.
I also have a 70/700 mm achromat. The chromatic aberrations are minimal, similar to a 102/714 mm F7 ED FPL51 semi-APO. The chromatic aberrations are not a problem at all. Also it has a sharp image even at 175x magnification. I look at the Moon and Jupiter with 140-175x and at Saturn with 115-140x magnification. The Kellner eyepieces are junk, I use better ones. It’s also very light at just 1.0 kg / 2.2 pounds. I purchased mine for just 80 $ usd new, I am very pleased with it. I also have high-quality refractors but I still use this small 70/700 mm achromat because it’s very lightweight and easy to setup and handle.
Buy it just for the eyepieces! Than buy a bigger better Orion!
My first telescopes were made out of paper, lots of chromatic aberration lots of spherical aberration, very low power, no tripod and beginers get frustrated with these entry level telescopes?
I made one of those too! And mine (and yours) may have been better than these things...
@@edting Hehe. Well, I wasn't expecting that answer. Truth is It was really fun to look through paper telescopes.
It's probably just as bad as the starblast, but for less then half the price
👍👍
Yeah do it anyway
To describe a thing as "not that great" is mealy mouthed.
I’m other words, don’t buy this.
Orion is a ripp off company...you can get a lot of their stuff half price on ebay and direct from China under other names. They choose to do business in the most expensive city of San Francisco and pass the cost on to consumers.
Except Orion has been around long before there was a vast market of no name versions of the same stuff, and long before internet shopping was even a thing
well done my friend I did the same thing I got on like that and trashed it. so went out and got myself a good Orion SkyQuest XTplus Dobsonians #10279 Xt6 Plus I Just Love It.