Orion SpaceProbe 130ST Equatorial Reflector Telescope
by Orion
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List Price: Category: Digital Camera See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Orion SpaceProbe 130ST Equatorial Reflector Telescope
Customer Review: A Terrific First Scope
Summary: 5 Stars
Orion telescopes are known for their quality and exemplary customer service (after the purchase). I have owned over half a dozen scopes and the Orion SpaceProbe 130ST EQ Reflector is a great scope for the beginner, and is also a highly portable scope for the amateur.
There are so many things to like about this scope. First of all, I have always liked reflectors, since the eyepiece is at a height that is convenient for viewing. (A refractor is much harder to look through, especially at objects directly overhead). At 27 pounds, this telescope is quite portable, enabling one to excape one's backyard for other viewing locations if desired. With its equatorial mount, once properly set up, the scope will follow the night objects with a tiny twist of the RA control wheel. Many newbies do not realize how fast stars, planets, and the moon drift from east to west, so having a manual fine control knob to follow objects across the sky is a huge plus. (Note: An optional EQ-2M or AstroTrack electronic drive can be added for automatic tracking - see Orion website). The tripod is best set up on grass or solid ground, rather than a deck, patio, or concrete surface, as the tripod legs may skitter or vibrate a bit on an artificial surface (Some people put rubberized thin carpet tags under the tripod bases when they set up on asphalt or concrete). Orion provides a one-year warranty, which provides peace of mind.
As far as viewing is concerned, this is a great scope for crystal-clear images. It has a wide field of view due to it shorter focal length (f/5), so objects are a bit easier to find. The 130 mm (5.11 inch) optical parabolic mirror gathers enough light to make images bright and clear (especially compared to a refractor). The light-gathering power of this scope is what makes it so special. In order to see celestial objects clearly and distinctly, enough light needs to be gathered and focused to a sharp point. This scope accoplishes this - stars are pin-point and planetary views show the moons of Jupiter (cloud bands on Jupiter), rings of Saturn, and more. Being a short focal length scope I think this instrument excells at star clusters, nebula, Messier objects, etc. The lunar views are quite good - sharp and clear.
The scope comes with 2 eyepieces (25mm and 10mm). You may want to purchase a "shorty" barlow lens for added versitility. The barlow magnifies the views of the two eyepieces by 2 power, effectively giving you 4 different views. The shorty barlow gives a wider range of viewing options, especially for planetary and lunar viewing. Orion Shorty 2x Barlow Lens, 1.25"
I don't think you can find a better starter scope for a child or teen interested in astronomy. Yes, you pay more for this scope than the much cheaper store brands, but the extra money buys QUALITY - which cannot be stated enough. Observing with a quality instrument is pure joy, compared to the frustration of a cheaper store scope.
This is a good scope at a reasonable price. (A scope like this one will also hold its resale value compared to the store-bought cheapies). Recommended.
konedog
Customer Review: Very Nice Telescope!
Summary: 5 Stars
O.K. so I have had this scope for about 3 weeks now and all I have to say is WOW. First, with the pros:
1. It has a rock-solid mount (however the scope is a little heavy with the counterweight)
2. The generous 130 mm mirror really takes observation to a new level
3. It has a setting circle (however, I haven't really gotten around to using it yet)
4. I received this scope within a week (sweet indeed!)
5. The 2 eyepieces supplied are of good quality
The Cons (and they are not a big deal at all)
1. It takes awhile to get used to an equatorial mount (at least for me it does)
2. I was confused with the manual on orienting the telescope correctly (not really an issue because I usually do not polar align the scope, see note below)
3. The right ascension (R. A.) fine control cable I received was too short (I took it off and now use the side metal gear)
Some of the things I have seen so far include the Pleiades, the Double Cluster, Jupiter (at 130X and great seeing conditions, Jupiter's cloud belts look amazing), Venus, and the Moon. The crown jewel,though, was looking at Orion's Nebula. I could make out fine detail in it's nebulosity; so awesome!
I would definitely suggest getting at least a 2X Barlow lens (although the one I got had some dust on the lens, I cleaned it off very carefully and it works like a charm.) Included with the scope is a 25 mm and 10 mm eyepiece, which with the Barlow lens will give you magnifications of 52 and 130 respectively. 130X does not seem much but it's plenty for me (although a little higher magnification would be nice for planet viewing.)
I also got a 13% light transmission moon filter which works nice for details on the surface of the moon.
I believe this scope can have a tracking motor (for R. A.) attached to it for following objects in the sky. This would be very handy for anyone dabbling in astrophotography.
The first telescope I owned was a cheap plastic refractor for ~100 bucks. It did not perform very well but luckily I didn't get discouraged and just worked with what I had. The second scope I acquired was very nice but it used the GoTo motors that just drained batteries! Also, in my opinion, half the fun was lost due to automatic slewing to whatever was up that night. This scope is great however. I believe it to be the perfect portable size (as opposed to a large scope that has to be dismantled or a permanently mounted scope.) With this scope I am usually viewing within minutes. :)
Note: I personally like having the eyepiece at eye level when I am viewing; it's the most comfortable to me. However, when slewing the scope in all 4 cardinal directions the eyepiece changes its location inconveniently. I just rotate the tube to accommodate my viewing height. I have to be careful though to keep the tube balanced with the counterweight. I was wondering if they have something to lock the tube into and then turn it somehow on its axis without it sliding.
All in all I think this is a great scope for a great price. Overall I am very pleased with the craftsmanship and I plan on doing business with these folks again.
Customer Review: Amazing Views!
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, everything I know about using a telescope comes from the Orion website. They have articulate, concise, and well written articles/tutorials/star charts, that gently introduce beginners to the hobby FOR FREE! Second, and most importantly, this little scope is amazing! I live in suburbia next to a street lamp, and down the road from an obnoxiously bright Walmart. Even with the moon setting in the western sky, I could easily see Saturn, and the Cassini Division. In the week that I've owned the scope, I have also seen Sirrius, Mars, and spectacular views of the moon w/ terminator. My house blocks the northern sky from the backyard, so I haven't been able to Polar align the scope yet. But with a star chart, objects are relatively easy to find using the finder scope. The 130mm aperature captures a lot of light! Deep sky images are wonderful with high contrast and wide field of view. Planetary images are very well defined with higher magnification eyepieces. I have had the best luck setting the tripod in grass, because hard surfaces tend to cause a little vibration. Additionally, the physics of the EQ2 mount may necessitate an above average degree of mechanical aptitude (The original owner I bought it from assembled it completely wrong, and even discounted the price because she thought it was missing parts, which it wasn't)! I can't wait to take it away from the city lights! I highly recommend this telescope for its quality and value (even when purchased new). I also recommend the company for its dedication to my enjoyment of the hobby, even though they made no profit from my purchase (yet! They've won me over for the next one though).Customer Review: An amazing telescope
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased the 130St about two years ago ever since I've had nothing
but enjoyment from this telescope. On my first observation I picked up
the double cluster in Perseus(NGC869 and NGC884) which was so clear the
stars looked like bright pinpoints of perpendicularly crossed lights.
Venus was also quite amazing to see, its cresent disk could be easely
and clearly seen. I later on saw Saturn you can easily see its rings
and moons,and Jupiter was a sight to see with propper focusing you could
easily see its cloud belts. Galaxy's where clearly seen on dark nights
,but don't expect to much on galaxy's because they are so far away even
a twelve inch scope won't pick up much more than a five inch scope.
I can't say enough good about this telescope it comes with great accessories and every thing you need to get you going.
Customer Review: Orion telescope 130st eq
Summary: 5 Stars
This telescope is quite fun for a newby, but definately should get more lenses. I recomend getting a barlow lense, i just bought a 3x and will review the difference when i recieve it. i also got the moon filter which i recommend for close ups on the moon. with the two lenses included you can get semi close to the moon from the 25 mm and even closer with 10mm, but still when looking the moon's edges are still fully in view with the 10mm, so not too close. i might have seen jupiter since in my area it's out in september. but also very far away and hard to make out. the software is not windows 7 compatable as far as i can tell, i installed with xp pack 3 on windows 7 and didn't not work, so i put it on a xp computer and works like a charm.