This small lightweight reflector is good for beginners and aspiring astrophotographers alike.
T50 – Skywatcher 4.5″ widefield reflector Read More »
available
Much lighter and more easily portable than its 8″ cousin, this 6″ telescope uses the same GOTO interface. It exhibits a minor amount of chromatic aberration, An HBG3 controller and joystick are available which allow control of the telescope via an Android phone.
T47 – Celestron C6 6″ SCT Read More »
At almost 10″ in diameter, this is the largest dobsonian in the library. This venerable telescope (made in Canada!) is mounted on a solid metal base and adjusts easily. It can fit in the back seat of a car, fully assembled, which is quite unusual for a large Dob. It’s a really good telescope, with stars showing nice and crisp. The optical finderscope is somewhat awkward to use since the tube is relatively short.
T46 – Omcon 620D 10″ Dobsonian Read More »
This GOTO telescope with very good optics was produced at an affordable price point. The tripod and mount are undersized, so it is sensitive to wind and takes a while for vibrations to settle down. At 4″ in diameter it has sufficient light-gathering ability to see a great many objects, yet it is not very sensitive to atmospheric turbulence that can ruin the views in larger telescopes. It has a few too many parts to be considered grab-and-go, but it is quite light and easy to set up.
T34 – Celestron 102GT 4″ refractor Read More »
Celestron has made a great many fine telescopes, but some models really stand out. The white-tube C5 is one of those. The optics are very sharp, and the portability is outstanding. Place the mount with its built-in wedge on a flat surface like a picnic table, orient it roughly north/south, and the built-in motor drive will follow objects in the sky faithfully for many minutes. The 9V battery will power it for up to 50 hours.
T32 – Celestron C5+ tabletop SCT Read More »
These well-made binoculars are possible to hold by hand, but will benefit from a lightweight tripod. They are not the highest quality binoculars, but are quite good for casual astronomy.
B05 – Century Mark IV 12×60 Read More »
At 9 pounds these are lighter than the Orion 25x100mm binoculars, and they have a better range in Inter-Pupillary Distance, but their eye relief is quite short. They have individual focus on each eye, which many people prefer for astronomy. Image quality is quite good in the center, but degrades somewhat towards the edge of the field.
B04 – Celestron SkyMaster 25×100 Read More »
The optics on these large binoculars have seen better days, but they still provide spectacular views. At almost six pounds in weight they absolutely require the included tripod for use. The IPD range of 59-72 can be used by narrower eyes because of the large exit pupil. Field of view is 3.5 degrees. Well-machined and a pleasure to use.
These binoculars are larger than many of the telescopes found in the library. They deliver amazing views of star fields. At 22 lbs they are very heavy and can only be used when mounted on a sturdy tripod (another 20 pounds). Includes case and tripod. Well worth borrowing if you don’t mind lugging the weight around.
B02 – Orion Giantview 25×100 binoculars Read More »
This versatile rich field telescope is quick to set up and simple to use.
It is a great first telescope. It has very little chromatic aberration, and its wide field of view is quite crisp and provides fine views of star fields and the moon. It is not quite as well suited for viewing the planets and smaller deep sky objects. It is rather short, which can make viewing of objects which are low in the sky rather awkward. Like all reflectors it can be somewhat counter-intuitive when trying to center the view on an object.
The base has a handle that makes it quite easy to carry. The tube has a handle to make it easy to point.
T27 – SkyWatcher 8″ Dobsonian Read More »
Good quality binoculars with nice views, although somewhat heavy for their size. Some users have noticed a slight yellowish cast to starlight.
This is a well-made telescope, with extremely good optics. Stars are nice pinpoints. It is quite heavy for its diminutive size, but the views make it worth using. Includes a soft travel bag.
T16 – Orion Starmax 5″ Mak Read More »
Uses 1-1/4″ eyepieces.
Includes a set of 2 eyepieces.
Weighs 11 lbs (26 lbs in the case).
Optional tripod available.
T03 – Astroscan wide-field Read More »
This featherweight travel telescope has quite acceptable optics on a very shaky mount. It packs into the included small backpack. Lenses are plastic, the finderscope is not necessary, and the whole thing threatens to blow away if there is some wind, but it is quite usable as a telescope.
T25 – Travelscope 70mm refractor Read More »
This observer’s chair has a built-in tray for eyepieces. The seat height is fully adjustable. The chair folds out and packs flat without tools. Lightweight and much nicer than squatting or bending over. The tray is a little sketchy.
Bausch&Lomb 9mm eyepiece with illuminated reticle.
An eyepiece with an illuminated reticle (crosshair or grid) has many uses for the astronomer. It’s a necessity for long-exposure astrophotography, where it is used in conjunction with a guide scope or off-axis guider to hold a guide star in a fixed position, to prevent star trailing.
E03 – 9mm illuminated reticle Read More »
Harvey has been around for many years. This high resolution telescope is quick to set up and simple to use. It has little chromatic aberration, and the quality of its field of view is quite comparable to the larger 8” reflectors in the telescope library. It provides nice views of nebulas, planets, and the moon. It lacks sufficient power for viewing smaller deep sky objects.
It is rather tall, and the tube is quite sturdily constructed. Unfortunately the one-arm Dobsonian mount is a lot shakier than ideal, and has a tendency to spring back when pointing the scope. Like all reflectors it can be somewhat counter-intuitive when trying to center the view on an object.
Comes with a deep sky filter for nebulae and galaxies.
T13 – Harvey, the 6″ Dobsonian Read More »
This telescope is well suited for high magnifications when viewing the moon and planets. Focus is easy and the mount is surprisingly stable. It’s a great grab-and-go telescope for the brighter objects.
T18 – Tasco Galaxsee 60mm refractor Read More »
This is versatile telescope with very little chromatic aberration. Its wide field of view is quite crisp and provides fine views of star fields and the moon. It is not quite as well suited for viewing the planets and smaller deep sky objects. It is rather short, which can make viewing of objects which are low in the sky rather awkward. Like all reflectors it can be somewhat counter-intuitive when trying to center the view on an object.
The base has a handle that makes it quite easy to carry, but it is still large and cumbersome.
T21 – SkyWatcher 8″ Dobsonian Read More »
This versatile rich field telescope is quick to set up and simple to use. It is a great first telescope. It has very little chromatic aberration, and its wide field of view is quite crisp and provides fine views of star fields and the moon. It is not quite as well suited for viewing the planets and smaller deep sky objects. It is rather short, which can make viewing of objects which are low in the sky somewhat awkward. Like all reflectors it can be a little counter-intuitive when trying to center the view on an object.
T07 – SkyWatcher 8″ reflector Read More »
This older reflector provides good views of rich fields and expansive star clusters. It is relatively short and easy to set up and carry. It is most comfortable to use when sitting on a chair.
On the downside, it can be difficult to find objects because of lack of a finderscope and the ergonomics. Planetary and nebula views are not the best, and it is somewhat difficult to achieve sharp focus. Like all reflectors it can be somewhat counter-intuitive when trying to center the view on an object.
Eyepiece insertion is a little unusual. The eyepieces are pressure-fit into the eyepiece holder, and consequently there is no need for the retaining screws found on other telescopes. Lined up perfectly an eyepiece will slide in smoothly and stay firmly in place.
T11 – Coulter 8″ Dobsonian Read More »
This unusual pick-up-and-go elbow telescope is easy to transport and a joy to use. It’s a wide-field right-angle refractor married to a Dobsonian mount. The objective is almost 5” across, and it has a single fixed eyepiece. Telescopes don’t get much simpler than this, nor easier to use. Pull out the eyepiece for coarse focus, twist it for fine focus control. The field of view is about one quarter that of 7×50 binoculars and rivals that of many larger telescopes. The stars are crisp, with very little distortion until the edge of the view.
Unlike all other designs of telescopes, the eyepiece always remains at the same height no matter where the telescope is pointed. The mount can be placed on a picnic table or attached to the optional tripod. Very suitable as a grab-and-go during winter. Highly recommended.
T04 – Rich-field elbow refractor Read More »