A great scope which punches well above its weight - Luke
Hi,
I bought this telescope as my first telescope, and somehow, avoided buying a 6 inch Dobsonian, and went for the smaller refractor.
I had my reasons. It's more portable. It doesn't require collimation. It doesn't have a noticeable cool-down time, and it has better contrast (no central obstruction).
So, first light.
Opened up Stellarium, and got to work. Picked off the Orion Nebula (M42), which looked stunning. A sparkling star arrangement on a dark velvety backdrop. The nebula was clearly visible, however didn't extend too far. I then moved over to the Pleiades (M45). Wow! the seven main stars were very bright, and were accompanied by many other fainter smaller stars. The view was stunning.
However, the best view came when I decided to check out the Beehive Cluster (M44). Lined my scope up using the supplied Red Dot Finder, and put my eye to the eyepiece. Absolutely incredible. I cut fit the whole cluster into the field of view using a 32mm eyepiece, and the view was absolutely stunning! Incredible! The contrast was outstanding.
The Moon is also definitely worth a look in this telescope. It seems so much sharper than in a compared 6 inch newtonian reflector.
I only gave this telescope 4 stars, as the mount provided (AZ3), isn't really up to handle the work. I quickly replaced it with a AZ4, and am extremely happy with the telescope.
Don't be afraid to buy this telescope over a 6 inch reflector. Aperture isn't ALWAYS king.
