Whenever I've done any research on this Scope, I continuously notice one thing: EVERYONE mentions this review by Ed Ting. 😂 Because of this review, i went out and purchased it myself. I absolutely Love the scope and after one small "alteration" to the mount, this thing is rock solid. I've been trying to find a motorized tracking drive for the mount, but unfortunately it's on back order for almost another month and a half. My guess is this video most likely played a pretty big part in why so many people have been ordering it. Orion needs to give Mr Ting a check for the service he's done for them. Excellent review, Thank You!!!
My wife got me this model for Christmas after I showed her this video. I wanted a "little more" (like 2" eye piece capable) but so far I am very excited she got it! It looks & feels way more expensive than it is... and it is Ed Ting approved!! I am 62 yrs old and have always wanted a telescope since I was a kid. Wifey got sick of hearing it and pushed me in! The mount is amazing from a beginner standpoint. I have not used it yet as it is still too cold in MI for a newby to venture out but I am even more anxious for warmer weather. The finder scope is cheap plastic & was cross threaded and scewed but I think it's ok now. If not I will replace it with a red dot. I am going straight ahead and replacing the eye pieces now before spring... I have old eyes and wear glasses so I want some mid grade decent ones. Thanks so much Ed for all the videos, inspiration and info... you got me in!!! 😁
SvBony makes some decent budget eyepieces that are pretty good. I picked the 68 degree ultra wide angle(with the red rings) from amazon. I have the same scope as well. I also replaced the finder scope with the SvBony SV182 which I haven't had a chance to try yet but I think the right angle diagonal will be much more comfortable to use.
This baby just came in the mail! It looks beautiful, and I’m very excited for a clear night. Did have to collimate from the shipping experience, and it took only a minute or two. Love Orion scopes. Thanks Ed for your channel, it’s excellent.
I got one a year ago and loved it. And one thing you can do to get a more stable tripod is to remove the extended legs and open the top cap to fill it up with gravel that you can get at a gardening department, to get a heavier tripod. Another thing is that the included tripod and mount pairs extremely well with smaller scopes.
Thanks for the idea. I added a hook to the bottom of the eyepiece tray and hang a grocery bag with 4 cans of beans to help stabilize it. This helps to get the vibration to subside quickly.
Absolutely incredible to see a beginner recommendation that isn't a dobsonian. It's definitely nice to not have to deal with the height problems associated with all the smaller "tabletop" dobs, and it's exciting they've somehow made a light-ish weight equatorial mount that isn't god-awful. The fact that the scope uses standard rings and vixen plate is a great touch too at this price point, no idea how they managed to cram that in instead of just bolting a plate of some sort directly to the tube.
Celestron 102AZ is a great beginner scope (Alt-az, no collimation required, but chromatic aberration making high power on Jupiter and Saturn disappointing).
Ed, I wanted to reach out and thank you, I started watching your channel about 8 months ago. I don't own a scope, but your enthusiasm for the hobby helped me to buy my first starter scope. (Skywatcher 102 doublet startravel AZ3) I should have it either tomorrow or Monday. I don't know if you know what your channel means to people, but I have learned so much from you. (I don't call them lenses, I call them eyepieces) Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your passion for the hobby. We didn't have an astronomy club in my small Northern Ontario town, so I started one, and a facebook channel for our small group. Yours was the first astronomy channel I followed. Once again, thank you so much!!
Thanks for the great review ed! Me and my dad have been watching your videos and they have informed my decision to buy this scope very nicely. Thanks for being a great influence on the hobby.
I bought an Orion 90 mm astroview about 5 years ago and the optics are very good! The tripod is cheap but the view is very sharp. Thanks for the video!!
I bought one of these with the planisphere, moon map, & red light about a year & a half ago for $270. It was my first actual telescope ugrade from department store grade, & I absolutely adore this thing. I later bought a larger right angle finder to reduse strain when switching from finder to eyepiece, butbother than that I haven't had any problems with it. My girlfriend & I will get it out every so often when it's a clear night or we'll take it on a drive to less light polluted areas & still don't get tired of it.
What a surprise! Bought mine a year ago. Suggestions, adjust the focuser tension, get a large plastic clip from Hobo Freight and put on the knob for finer adjustments. Dump the 10mm and get a 2x Barlow. After setting up, tighten the Allen bolts in the tripod legs. reduces wiggle. Would love to upgrade the focuser, but could not find anything decent or cost effective. I'll live with it until I upgrade the whole scope.
Salutations Ed! I discovered your videos last year when I wanted to get into the hobby but unfortunately couldn’t spare the cash at the time. I’ve come back and found this great video on what seems like a perfect telescope for me and of course ORION goes out of business earlier this year. With that in mind do you have any recommendations for alternatives for a scope in this style
Thank you for your honest review which in turn helped me decide to purchase one. I’m now waiting for a collimator for it. I’m a newbie and look forward to getting into astronomy.
Hi Ed. Nice review, and it looks like an excellent first telescope for a beginner. One extra thing you could talk about, especially in reviews of equipment for beginners, is the quality and usefulness of any manual that is supplied with the instrument. Having a good set of clear instructions for assembly and use can save a lot of trouble and worry for someone who isn't familiar with telescopes.
Thanks so much for the recommendation! I'm complete new to this hobby. Last telescope I had was the one I built with two lens and a badminton ball tube almost 40 years ago. I bought it based on your suggestion a few days ago, and like almost everything about it! One thing I have to point out though, the finder scope bracket I got is different from the one in the video. The one I got is make out of rough cast iron. The issue is the bottom part the sits on the tube, it's not smooth, and won't sit flat on the tube. No matter how tight I turn the screws, i can move the scope without trying too hard! I was able to fix it by adding two strips of thick double sided "magic tapes" between the bracket and the tube. Maybe I'll replace the bracket or the entire finder scope some day.
This happens all the time, especially at the lower price points. There's often no consistency from what comes out of China. You get whatever they decide to ship that day.
I just bought one and found I was spoiled by my old 70 mm refractor with a goto mount. I've learned so much in one night. I made some mistakes, I have to re-align my finder, and I have to calibrate my spotting circles as well since they're a bit loose.
i payed $200 2 months ago, i have been loving this telescope, so glad you took a look at it Mr Ting. awful nice to know it has your stamp of approval. Also i cant wait for the motor kit for this thing is back in stock, been out of stock for a good while now
Long focuser means 2 things: - Secondary mirror (obstruction) is bigger, compared to if the focuser was usual + It's possible to replace standard long plastic extension with some thread adapter(s) to screw t-ring and (probably) reach focus with a DSLR
Exactly my though! Around 4 years ago I purchased my first and only telescope (SpaceProbe 130ST) and I needed to move the primary mirror which is not an easy task for an inexperienced person. This new telescope could make that way easier just like you said, cheaper and with a better mount!
You know Ed, I think you could review a monocular and I'd watch. Your videos are always fun and interesting. Thanks for making these. I know a lot of work goes into them.
I think a short tube refractor is a good option for a kid or a beginner. For people on a very tight budget Explore Scientific makes the Explore Firstlight 90×500mm Alt-Az refractor that is a really decent scope for an incredibly cheap price. I picked one years ago for around $160. It's definitely not a high-end scope, but to get someone started in the hobby it is great for some wide field views while casually observing, and learning the basics.
I, too, would worry about the focuser, especially with some of the heavier eyepieces out there. I have a StarBlast 102 refractor and have to limit the weight of the eyepieces I use, for fear of overloading it.
That is why I sold my Starblast. You always need a platform from which to observe, which complicates the use to the point where you might as well pair it to a standard mount. Otherwise you are relegating into using picnic tables and park benches or milk crates that are not at all stable enough to use.
@@edting I love tabletop telescopes, well the mounts anyways. I have a Skywatcher Merlin tabletop mount that's a good display for my Celestron 90 SLT. I also got a Skywatcher Heritage 130p for £30. It got sold cheap on eBay because the previous owner accidentally cracked the mirror but £30 for its mount was a steal and now "displays" my upgraded Skywatcher ST80 refractor. Yes they suck for astronomy but the mounts are both handy for display purposes and useful if you want to point your refractor out of the window for daytime terrestrial viewing with a correct image 45 prism. Still for looking up I still intend to start with a Porta ii or Twilight 1 mount.
I own one of these. Fairly nice low cost Newtonian reflector. I bought the right ascension motor for it. Both cost me $319 at Amazon. Motor drive works really well if the scope is properly aligned. Main problem with the rig is you have to use a Barlow lens to gain focus with a ZWO ASI183mc camera. Secondary problem is lack of standard finder scope mount. I had to jury rig to add a standard mount and add a 90 degree 9x50 finder scope. Tired of wresting with the equitorial mount, so I placed it on a Sky Watcher AZ GTi go to mount.
I agree with the EQ comment. There are so many options (AZ GTi, etc., manual Alt-AZ, and I think Starsense Explorer really opens the sky to beginners).
Yeah, for some reason, they didn't use the standard dovetail mount for the finder scope. The extension legs on the tripod also get a bit wobbly. Otherwise, decent size scope for the price.
Hey Ed, looking for a comparison review between the Observer 114 and the Starblast 114. Noticed they have lightly different focal ratios. f4.4 vs f4. Since there are no 1.25" coma correctors that I know of, I'm guessing the f4.4 might be the better option.
Yes. The problem here is the industry has completely abandoned us by not producing a quality alt-az mount in the ultra-budget category. Look at the lower end of the Orion catalog. The alt-az mounts are all flimsy yoke mounted junk.
@@edtingsir, I'm in India and here ,no orion scopes are available. Skywatcher is available but at double prices A worthy opponent of this scope(orion134) which you reviewed is A startracker(indian brand) 130/650 it's mount is okayish and has a spherical mirror . It needs a barlow for prime focus Other than that A explore scientific 130/600 Parabolic mirror and prime focus without barlow attachment is available at prices cheaper than usa😅. Could you please see it it has eq3 Explore scientific 130/600 nanoeq3 Thank you
Your review is encouraging. I'm a beginner and I borrowed a 6" Orion Dobsonian. I have back problems and probly couldn't lift more than 10 lbs. If the scope is 20 lbs it has to come apart easily. I've been leaning toward the Starblast but this one looks good and the aperture is a bit larger!
Between the Starblast and the 134, get the 134. With the Starblast you will constantly be searching for something to set it on. You won't have that problem with the 134.
@@edting I just bought the 134! It's lightweight & easy to put together. Haven't got too far with the EQ mount yet. I understand how it works, I just don't know how to find stuff yet.
I was looking at the Starblast II scopes on Orion's web site because of your recommendations, and saw they offered one on an equatorial mount with a motor. I was going to ask if you thought the motor was worth the extra $60 but you already answered that here. Plus the question is irrelevant now, since I want an Observer instead. Thanks!
Looks like a great scope to begin with Ed. First thing i would do is put a red dot finder on it and put that piece of cp fiinder back in the box it comes in and forget about it. Love my 6 inch Star Blast. Get to sit comfortable at my old age. May have to get one if the price is right. Looking for a 8 inch Apertura though.
I have the little brother to this scope, the 114mm and I love it. So light and portab[e with great optics. My only complait is it has 2 scews instead of a vixen base plate for the finder scope. Otherwise a great scope.
This is actually on sale right now for $210. That's just insane. It's cheap enough that I'm honestly concerned about things like worker and environmental conditions in its manufacture. Do we have any idea who Orion has making this thing in China?
Try the included eyepieces for a while. This will give you an idea of what focal lengths you like. I would then recommend a Celestron X-cel LX of your size preference for ~$100. They are excellent for the money and not too heavy. A heavy top of the line eyepiece will probably not stay steady in that focuser. @@mikess308
I would like to know if the mount is good to use for other scopes even a bit heavier? Reason: for the price you get a good mount and when you get a better similar type scope or something else if you can re-use the mount it makes it really worth it!
The main attraction of the mount is it's much better than what you normally find at this price point. But it's far more likely the opposite will happen - you'll remove the optical tube and put it on an even better mount.
@@edting Suggestions for an upgraded mount? I am now partial to the EQ mount. Also do you think that upgrading the plastic tube rings would help with the wobble?
Hi Ed, Hope you are well. just wanted to ask what would some better eyepieces be for this telescope. I just got my first telescope 2 months ago (Orion 130st eq) and it came with the same 10mm and 25mm eyepieces. What would you recommend as upgrades to those? The equatorial mount did take a few nights of getting used to but I must say it was worth the slight hardship now that I figured it out. Thanks, Phil
Right now, don't buy anything. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck in the beginning. Keep using the scope and in a year or so you'll know what you need, and won't be needing any advice from me. Keep going!
Much Appreciated! I think the biggest thing is getting to an area of low light pollution. Here in southeast Connecticut it’s fairly bright. Any suggestions on viewing spots here in the northeast?
When you are ready to upgrade I suggest the explore scientific 24mm 68degree or televue 24 panoptic, which give the maximum field of a 1.25" eyepiece and are sharp to the edge (the televue being a little better than it's es clone), es prices are a lot higher than they used to be, but meade used to sell the series 5000 swa which had the same optics as the explore scientific, which is unfortunately now the exclusive source for that particular eyepiece series. A used meade will cost considerably less. I also suggest any version of the meade 8.8mm UWA, and the 5.5mm or 4.7mm UWA. That seems like a super high power eyepiece, but at around f5 it is not too high of a magnification, as it would be on a cassegrain, or long tube refractor or reflector. I think they are discontinued, but can be found used. I used to have the 5.5, and found it to be very comparable to a type 6 nagler, at least when using it with my 7mm type 6 nagler, it was the same quality of view and comfortable eye relief, just at a higher magnification. Many say the 5mm nagler is a star in the series, and in that case might slightly edge out the 5.5mm meade, but I only had a 7 at the time. All of my gear was stolen so I don't have them anymore, but I do now have a 4.7mm which was the older version with the same optics as es82 degree, and it is a decent performer, also a copy of the type 6 nagler design like the es82 are in the smaller focal lengths. The larger ones seem to be more like the type 5 naglers, but those are 2" and irrelevant to the orion 134. A really nice set for that scope would be a 4.7 or 5.5uwa/es82 (you don't need both), an 8.8mm uwa/es82, and the 24swa/es68. If you get all crazy fiddly like many of us do, and want the ability to go in-between magnifications, a 6.7mm UWA/es82, or 7mm nagler (type1 can be found for lower price, sometimes as low as $100), and a 14mm UWA/es82, or 15mm celestron axiom lx or luminos are good compliments, and you might not want to have nothing between the 8.8 and the 24. The 13mm type 6 nagler is the Uber premium option but very expensive. I would not suggest the massive 13mm type 1 nagler or older version meade series 4000 14mm eyepieces for that plastic focuser, stick to the smaller ones. Some might say that is overkill, but if you get a chance to go to a star party and try any of these, and can appreciate the well corrected wider fields, consider it an investment as you will use them as you upgrade to a bigger dob. If you go to an SCT, the 4.7/5.5 will be at the theoretical limit of those f10 scopes, but the other ones are all very usable, especially the 8.8, 13/14/15 and 24mn. If you just want a lower power, brighter view than the 25mm, a 32mm plossl is a good choice, and you don't need an expensive one, a $30-40 celestron omni or orion Sirius plossl is a good one. They are also the widest field in a 1.25" eyepiece, but at 52degrees instead of 68, same true field but at a brighter, lower power. Also consider long eye relief, more moderate 60deg field eyepieces, which are available in many brands and price points, as a lower cost alternative to the 82deg eyepieces in the higher powers, that also have more eye relief than the 82deg eyepieces. Such as the celestron x-cel LX series, and other brands of "long eye relief planetary" eyepieces as they are typically referred to. But me personally, I like the really wide stuff, and only break out the low power plossls when I need a bigger exit pupil than is possible with the lowest power widefield for the given focuser size of the scope I am using. 32plossl 24 5kSWA/es68/panoptic 15mm AxiomLX/luminos OR 14mm 5kUWA/es82 OR 13mm Nagler6 8.8mm 5kUWA/es82 7mm Nagler 1 or 6 OR 6.7mm 4k or 5kUWA /es82 5.5mm 5kUWA OR 4.7mm 5kUWA (there is a 4kUWA and a 4.8 nagler1, but both of these have very short eye relief and are not very comfortable) 4k= meade series 4000 5k= meade series 5000 ES82/ES68 = explore scientific 82 and 68 degree series. Axiom LX and luminos are celestron's 82 degree offerings, the axiom LX was the same optics as the ES/5K, the luminos is not quite as good but close enough for government work.
Yes, that is a problem. See if you have the Zhumell Z114 where you are (same as our Starblast). Sometimes people in Europe have access to things we don't have here. Try Bresser, Konus, and other brands. Try to stay away from junk!
Hey Ed, thank you so much for your videos they have been very helpful and informative. I received this telescope Sunday and have already seen the lines of Jupiter on my 2nd night with the scope. Do you have any eyepiece recommendations for the Orion observer 134mm? Based on your eyepiece video i am thinking about a nicer 25mm eyepiece and also wanted your opinion on using a panoptic with this scope. Thanks for reigniting my interest in astronomy.
Love your nice, reasoned reviews, Ed! Two quick questions about this scope if you are still reading the comments. Firstly, does this new EQ Mount convert to alt az mode like the older ones? Secondly, is the finderscope in a standard dovetail mount? I have a very nice right angle finder scope that I would like to put in there. Thank you!
You could technically set the altitude axis to zero degrees and use it as an alt az mount. I'd just leave it as is. The finder mount is what I call the "cheap standard". It's the one that appears on the Starblast. You can always drill your own holes for your finder.
Ed, have you considered reviewing the Celestron Omni AZ 102 available at Costco for $220? 4" achromat with slow mo alt az mount. Has 2" focuser too. I picked one up last year for $160 during Black Friday. Seems to be a good deal to me. Also since it's at Costco, it's readily available to lot of folks and they may wonder if it's good.
Yep, those are my recommendation for best scope for beginners (under $250). They're capable and easy to use, and far more portable than a dob (my general recommendation is an 8" dob, especially if they come up for sale cheap on craigslist)
all you see is false color on Jupiter and Saturn :) Jupiter washes out at 40x or so, Saturn a little better. But enough to see moons and two bands on Jupiter and the rings. It's really the one thing the scope does not do well. @@JCW86
@@JCW86yes, there will be false color. A fringe filter can help, but gives a yellow tint, more expensive filters like the baader semi apo are an option, but they aren't very cheap
Thanks for your videos! what is your recommendation if one has to chose between a 6” f8 vs a collapsible 6” f5. Eg Apertura AD6 vs Sky-watcher heritage 150p. Objective is to view Messier objects and also travel around via a 3 row SUV
Great video for beginners like me, I’m looking for my first telescope and this was the video I was looking for. I have one question for you, I live 30 miles away from a city and on the light pollution map I am bright red, is that gonna have a heavy effect on my viewing?
Any light pollution will degrade the images you see through the telescope. Start with the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. Those are bright enough to burn through. There are some bright deep sky objects that will show up under mild light pollution, like the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula. For best results, get to the darkest location possible.
I’ve been watching your other videos where you recommend that 8 inch dobsonian….. I have found some for around 200-300 dollars used and was thinking of getting one but now I just saw this video. My goal is to be able to look at planets and some deep space stuff eventually working my way into astrophotography. This looks like something I can build towards that in the future vs the dobs… I’m sure your bombarded with questions and appreciate any recommendations. One other item my 6 year old is REALLY into space , blows me away with stuff he spits out on galaxy types names and even star types… pretty advanced for his age and I’m pretty sure he would like to look at those also so need to keep it kid friendly. One of my observations is the height of these things are not friendly for little kids. Also he’s done moon stuff with a tiny department student grade that causes more dissatisfaction than enjoyment so I really want something he can use too.
There's a 'knock-off' version of this as well in 152mm (6 inch), which is quite nice for the price. it's definitely on the upper limit of what the mount will handle though.
Great review. How much shimmy in the scope when using the slow-motion contol? I wish you had tried some beginner photography with a phone mounted over the eye piece. Maybe a follow-up video. Beyond most beginners, IF I had this scope (or any scope), I would try photo stacking, and the manual slow motion would allow keeping the object in frame for a few minutes.
What is your opinion of the Orion SpaceProbe 130ST Equatorial Reflector Telescope? Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge and experience with us. Your videos are awesome and very informative.
The space probe has the same optics as the nexstar 130, vixen r130, and the awb130 and skywatcher 130. A consistently decent set of objects. But the mount is a little on the undersized end, being an eq2
Used it for the first time last night, actually the first time using a telescope.The EQ mount took some time to figure out. I just set the latitude didn't actually polar align it yet and it was good enough to test it. Only viewed Jupiter and was pleased with the results. I could see some banding on Jupiter but no detail of course. Started with the 25mm eyepiece and switched to the 10mm for a better view. I am pleased, have much to learn, thanks Ed. @@edting
On the off chance you see this: Can you suggest something small enough to take camping? I have a 7 year old boy and his interest in stars begins and ends at the fact that we can see them at night. But it's fun when we're camping and there's not a lot else to do. It needs to be portable and sturdy enough to not break with bumps that come with traveling in the car.
The issue with any travel scope isn't the optical tube, it's the mount. That's where people get tripped up. Good, steady mounts are not light or portable. If you can find and Orion Starblast it might work but you have to find something to set it on.
Hi Ed. Great video! I am looking for a a beginner telescope. Would you recommend this over a 6 inch dob? With this scope being about half the price I am not sure what to get.
The 2 inch eye pieces on the dob are great! You'll love the huge field of views you'll get from a 25mm eye piece. Just point it around some constellations and enjoy the amazing sky Remember to keep your finder eye piece oriented straight up from the scope. That will help as you slew it around tracking from a constellation star towards an object off to one side or the other. Try turning the finder and you'll probably notice its more difficult. Just a beginner tip I figured out but it could be a me thing.
This is a total newbie question. Since you also recommend Dobsonians as simple telescopes, good for beginners, what would be the difference in view between this and something like a 6" or 8" Dobsonian? Ignore the difference in price and portability.
If you have the money, go for the 6" or 8" Dob, no question. This telescope is an ultra-budget alternative for those who cannot afford anything more expensive. It is not perfect but it beats the other ultra budget gear out there.
OK, what would you suggest to upgrade the focuser? I'm fairly handy with telescopes having built several, but I'm too old and weak to cart around a big dobsonian or even a C-8 outside on our few good nights in Oregon. Do you have any ideas for a better 11/4 or 2 inch focuser that could be adapted? Thanks for your great and comprehensive reviews.
Not too long ago, it was easy to find replacement telescope parts. These days it is almost impossible. You have to resort to ebay or Chinese sources, and even then the mounting holes and/or stack height may not match up.
What two replacement eyepieces would you recommend for my new Orion Observer 134? - it has only 660 mm focal length. I think you said eyepieces are for certain focal lengths. For example, for the 1500mm +/- focal length telescopes you recommend the 24mm Panoptic eyepiece to replace the original and for lunar and planetary use the 13mm Nagler 82 degree field of view. And there were two different eyepieces for the 2500mm and 3000 mm scopes.
I wouldn't buy anything for a while. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck at this point. If you must spend money, get a TeleVue 25mm Plossl to replace the stock eyepiece. If you must spend a lot of money, get a 24mm Panoptic.
There is a lot of things to take into consideration with all the options. Im looking to buy my first scope. I live in chicago. Would something like this be good or should i go with a DOB
The optics are decent, I didn't worry too much about this. I don't think we can be too picky at this price point. The mount is where all these cheap scopes fall down, and the fact that this one actually works was a big pleasant surprise.
@@edting Thanks! I cam across a vid on youtube about this scope where this guy said his had very good optics and it make me think that maybe the Meade mirror quality was involved. Likely he just got a good sample. Anyway I shouldn't buy it since I have a good 130 Newt already. Thanks for the input.
Ed, can you please recommend an eyepiece upgrade for this telescope? I’ve watched your eyepiece video but I believe this telescope falls pretty shy of the focal length you based your recommendations on in that video. Please!
My usual recommendation is not to buy anything for a while. The eyepiece is not your bottleneck here, it's usually the mount that causes you frustrations. If you must, replace the stock eyepiece with a TeleVue 25mm Plossl or a 19mm Panoptic. As you grow, those eyepieces will stay with you.
I've been curious if the Gskyer refractors are of similar quality to the Orion short tube 80. The mount doesn't seem terrible and it would be nice to find a kit so i don't have to track down a set of rings. They are both in the department store junk price range though. Are they worth looking at? Either the 80mm or the 90.
So I know entry level scopes at this size tend to have cheap and plastic focusers to keep costs down but it would be nice to know that such a recommended scope has an ability to have the focuser upgraded to a better metal one possibly with dual speed control. The only other times I have seen reflectors of this size with upgraded focusers are on cloudy nights and stargazers lounge forums with a SW 130 PDS and Intes reflector being upgraded with moonlite focusers. If this could have the focuser upgraded it's something I would personally consider. If not I would probably save up a bit more for Orion's 6 inch f4 Newtonian or anything else that was similar. But that's just me. Having said that, Ed Ting speaks a lot of sense so if this is his new default recommendation then you could do worse than not get one. Especially if you are just starting out. As an astronomy enthusiast myself I am subscribed to lots of channels that deal with this subject but of all of those channels then I tend to find Ed as interesting to watch as Carl Sagan. Yes, he's that good.
Unfortunately, there's no reflector I know of under $350 that has a metal focuser. And that price is for the OTA only, no mount included. This telescope and mount are selling for $209 currently, which is practically a steal nowadays.
Hi Ed. Have you done any reviews of the Celestron Nexstar SLT series of telescopes? I bought the Nexstar 130 SLT as my "Starter" telescope and have been happy with it in general. It does have a fair bit of vibration when focusing which you just learn to live with. I am curious to know what you think about this series of scopes.
The SLT is a cheaper version of the NexStar se, and if you've followed me here you know I have mixed-to-positive feelings about the whole NexStar series. The SLTs and ETXs have typical lower-end Goto problems - pointing accuracy and long-term reliability. I'm curious, does your SLT always find every object you ask it to find? If so, does it always place the object in the center of the field of view in a low power eyepiece, or is it off to the side?
@@edting I have really liked it. Although lately I am having trouble getting it to align. Once I do get it aligned it tracks well and gets the object I am slewing to pretty close to the center of my 25mm eyepiece. I am going to check for updated firmware and see if that helps. The other issue I am having is the direction buttons on the controller seem to be wearing out. I may need to get a new controller, unless you know of a way to "reset" the buttons so that they respond to the firs touch. I have to press them multiple times to get the scope to move.Other than that I am very happy with it. I do want to get an SCT at some point though.
Hello Ed ! Thx for the videos. My son and I have learned so much ! I do have a question. In your opinion, is it worth getting a Celestron 5SE over the 6SE to get the wedge ? We're looking at both but are unsure which at this point. I'd love the 8" but funds are limited due to me being disabled and on a fixed income. Thank You !!
I recommend the NexStar 5 and 6. Ignore the wedge "feature", it doesn't do much. I talk a lot about the NexStar mounts on this channel. Don't go bigger than the 6, the mount can't handle it. The 8 is too big. Also, NexStars are good, but not great in the accuracy dept. They also tend to develop problems as they age. If your disability and budget can handle it, the AVX mount is better than the NexStar mount.
Mr. Ting, I noticed that the focuser has a long plastic extender, Is that thing removable? If it is, how about adding a threaded metal extender tube to attach an all metal visual back?? Would you think it will be too heavy for the plastic focuser itself and would you think it can ruin the balance of the OTA? Thank you for your time, and thanks for your videos!
How about removing the plastic extender, adding a metal visual back and placing a 1.25" Paracorr ( I have one for my Starblast 4.5). It should have enough focus travel and will slow the OTA to f/5.5!
Great review Mr Ting. Although the price point is fantastic I will be purchasing the Orion Starblast 4.5 as a first scope for an eight year old. I believe the height will serve him better, appears slightly more portable, comes with a better initial finder scope, and he will not have the frustrations of learning the EQ mount as a beginner. I do have a question regarding the Orion Starblast 4.5 with its 450mm focal length. I plan to purchase a couple plossl eyepieces. A 10mm for a 45x magnification and would you have a recommendation between 5mm @ 90x magnification and a 3mm @150x magnification for moon/planetary viewing? Although I am aware Tele Vue eye pieces are the gold standard I will be looking for a mid tier eye piece in the "everything else category" Or Would you recommend different focal length eyepieces altogether? I have researched the library program (unfortunately, we do not have anyone offering this in my city) with this scope, and many are modified with a zoom eyepiece. Would this be the preferred method over two individual eyepieces?
Good job getting the Starblast. A couple of thoughts: 1) That thing is really low to the ground. Even a kid will need it boosted. You will need something steady and will need to watch to see the scope doesn't get pushed off. This is your major challenge (I'll note the Orion 134 avoids this problem entirely). 2) Don't get the 5mm/3mm eyepieces. That is way, way too much magnification. Neither the optics nor the mount can support that kind of power. I wouldn't buy anything for now. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck in the beginning. If you must, a TeleVue 20mm Plossl is a good replacement for the stock Kellner and won't break the bank.
Ed Ting This is going to be my very first telescope I just purchased this it should arrive next week. In the next couple of months with this telescope, I hope to get better with it. So the next question is what kind of upgrades should i be looking at or mods to make my telescope better if there is any? Thank you
Ed, can i ask you this? i was thinking about getting just 2 filters, a moon filter, and a light pollution filter. The only reason I was thinking about it because I'm in NYC What do you think? THANK YOU for the help .
Thank you for the insight. I'm just watching your video to learn as much as I can before it gets here. PLEASE do a video about it help me understand more.
I have been considering getting this one but also have been looking at the Celestron 124LCM computerized/motorized telescope which is priced around $325 now. Which would you recommend for a first time owner telescope?
Do not buy that Celestron. That isn't nearly enough money for a computerized scope. The optical tube is the dreaded Bird-Jones type design, an automatic sign of junk. There's more but I don't want to pile on.
@@edting I truly appreciate you replying so quickly. I trust your advice, so, I will go with this Orion Observer 134 and will plan to eventually “graduate” to something else as I gain experience. Thank you!
Hello once again, I am planning to make a solar filter for this telescope with a proper solar film and some cardboard papers, how safe would you say this is?
Hi Ed I’m returning to astronomy I am trying to choose between a Sky-Watcher Dob 8 inch a XT8 and a Bresser messier 8 inch Dob I have reduced mobility So looking to not move it much which one of these do you think would you choose the prices are all around the £350-450 mark Cheers Simon 🇬🇧
Thank you so much for the video. I am hoping of gifting this to my 10 year old nephew. Just a quick question- would he be able to see the Saturn rings through it. I feel that is a fascinating image and gets you hooked. Also, is (134”) too big to carry in a suitcase to a airplane flight? Thank you so much for the video!
Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons are no problem. Forget about taking it on a plane. The idea of an airline portable scope is a big debate. The problem isn't the optical tube, it's the mount. You saw the size of the shipping carton, right?
I really love seeing stars and I thought to do my research first to see what is a good one for beginners and I found one but it doesn’t even ship to the location I am in. It can ship it to Australia, how else am I supposed to get one if it doesn’t even get shipped here😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
I am astronomy lover since my childhood and I want to start looking at sky with a toll as I had been looking it using naked eyes and a app but I wanna upgrade. I have low bidget of 200 - 230 $ so what telescope do you prefer and can I buy one from Amazon. Also I live in such a city where there's too much smoke in winter while I travel from city to city too. (Empty highways are population less)
Does anyone have a suggestion for an upgrade to the plastic focuser? I foresee smacking this thing off the tube the first time I move it from storage location to the drive way 😆
I’m totally new to this and was looking at the space probe 134st eq and then seen this video. The space probe is $100 more. Are you getting $100 more in worth? Both prices are in the budget so I’m not looking to skimp but neither want to spend $100 more if it isn’t really worth it. Appreciate any advice and thank you.
That Space Probe is very similar to the Observer 134. I'd get the Observer and save a bit of money. Be very careful at these low price points, there's a lot of junk down there.
@edting thanks for such a quick response. I think I'll go on your recommendation and see where this leads. As long as I can see something up in the sky and it's not total junk it should fit the bill.
Two of my favorite budget apos are the Astro-Tech AT72 (either version) and the Orion ED80 (check for clones). Reviews of both are on this channel. Keep in mind, the purchase of any good refractor begins with the mount. Have that sorted away before buying the optical tube.
Currently it is at a good price, around 210 dollars or if you like to save more at 170 if you buy it used, it sounds very tempting, unfortunately because of where I live (Chile) I highly doubt that I can Bring it, if I could because Amazon according to my location is not available (like most equipment) importing it costs between 150 dollars more, for the moment I have been able to see options in my area and I have been able to find a copy of Meade's starblast 4.5, so I think I will go for it as my first telescope (its mount will improve it of course)
@@edting I kept looking for almost the entire day for pages that sell in my country, the truth is I was surprised by the low number of telescopes to start with that are worth it, the prices leave a lot to be desiredAmong what I could see related to was an Orion Skyscanner 100 mm but with a high price (in used sales I found it for 105 dollars), Bresser I could not find and konus about 2 60 mm refractors, for the moment I think I'm getting together for this Orion Star blast (Meade) I liked the price although it may vary (it is used), But if it's sold and the ad was still there, I'll look for a second option.
Whenever I've done any research on this Scope, I continuously notice one thing: EVERYONE mentions this review by Ed Ting. 😂 Because of this review, i went out and purchased it myself. I absolutely Love the scope and after one small "alteration" to the mount, this thing is rock solid. I've been trying to find a motorized tracking drive for the mount, but unfortunately it's on back order for almost another month and a half. My guess is this video most likely played a pretty big part in why so many people have been ordering it. Orion needs to give Mr Ting a check for the service he's done for them. Excellent review, Thank You!!!
My wife got me this model for Christmas after I showed her this video. I wanted a "little more" (like 2" eye piece capable) but so far I am very excited she got it! It looks & feels way more expensive than it is... and it is Ed Ting approved!! I am 62 yrs old and have always wanted a telescope since I was a kid. Wifey got sick of hearing it and pushed me in! The mount is amazing from a beginner standpoint. I have not used it yet as it is still too cold in MI for a newby to venture out but I am even more anxious for warmer weather. The finder scope is cheap plastic & was cross threaded and scewed but I think it's ok now. If not I will replace it with a red dot. I am going straight ahead and replacing the eye pieces now before spring... I have old eyes and wear glasses so I want some mid grade decent ones. Thanks so much Ed for all the videos, inspiration and info... you got me in!!! 😁
SvBony makes some decent budget eyepieces that are pretty good. I picked the 68 degree ultra wide angle(with the red rings) from amazon. I have the same scope as well. I also replaced the finder scope with the SvBony SV182 which I haven't had a chance to try yet but I think the right angle diagonal will be much more comfortable to use.
This baby just came in the mail! It looks beautiful, and I’m very excited for a clear night. Did have to collimate from the shipping experience, and it took only a minute or two. Love Orion scopes. Thanks Ed for your channel, it’s excellent.
I got one a year ago and loved it. And one thing you can do to get a more stable tripod is to remove the extended legs and open the top cap to fill it up with gravel that you can get at a gardening department, to get a heavier tripod. Another thing is that the included tripod and mount pairs extremely well with smaller scopes.
Thanks for the idea. I added a hook to the bottom of the eyepiece tray and hang a grocery bag with 4 cans of beans to help stabilize it. This helps to get the vibration to subside quickly.
I love just seeing those massive Meades standing in the corner just like “ONE MORE REVIEW ED AND THEN WE WILL LET YOU LEAVE!!”
You are a genuinely good soul. Thanks Ed
Absolutely incredible to see a beginner recommendation that isn't a dobsonian. It's definitely nice to not have to deal with the height problems associated with all the smaller "tabletop" dobs, and it's exciting they've somehow made a light-ish weight equatorial mount that isn't god-awful. The fact that the scope uses standard rings and vixen plate is a great touch too at this price point, no idea how they managed to cram that in instead of just bolting a plate of some sort directly to the tube.
Celestron 102AZ is a great beginner scope (Alt-az, no collimation required, but chromatic aberration making high power on Jupiter and Saturn disappointing).
Ed, I wanted to reach out and thank you, I started watching your channel about 8 months ago. I don't own a scope, but your enthusiasm for the hobby helped me to buy my first starter scope. (Skywatcher 102 doublet startravel AZ3) I should have it either tomorrow or Monday. I don't know if you know what your channel means to people, but I have learned so much from you. (I don't call them lenses, I call them eyepieces) Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your passion for the hobby. We didn't have an astronomy club in my small Northern Ontario town, so I started one, and a facebook channel for our small group. Yours was the first astronomy channel I followed. Once again, thank you so much!!
Congratulations. Keep up the good work .
Thanks for the great review ed! Me and my dad have been watching your videos and they have informed my decision to buy this scope very nicely. Thanks for being a great influence on the hobby.
I bought an Orion 90 mm astroview about 5 years ago and the optics are very good! The tripod is cheap but the view is very sharp. Thanks for the video!!
This is the scope I started with, had amazing contrast
Always a good day when Mr Ed uploads! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I bought one of these with the planisphere, moon map, & red light about a year & a half ago for $270. It was my first actual telescope ugrade from department store grade, & I absolutely adore this thing. I later bought a larger right angle finder to reduse strain when switching from finder to eyepiece, butbother than that I haven't had any problems with it. My girlfriend & I will get it out every so often when it's a clear night or we'll take it on a drive to less light polluted areas & still don't get tired of it.
What a surprise! Bought mine a year ago. Suggestions, adjust the focuser tension, get a large plastic clip from Hobo Freight and put on the knob for finer adjustments. Dump the 10mm and get a 2x Barlow. After setting up, tighten the Allen bolts in the tripod legs. reduces wiggle. Would love to upgrade the focuser, but could not find anything decent or cost effective. I'll live with it until I upgrade the whole scope.
Salutations Ed! I discovered your videos last year when I wanted to get into the hobby but unfortunately couldn’t spare the cash at the time. I’ve come back and found this great video on what seems like a perfect telescope for me and of course ORION goes out of business earlier this year. With that in mind do you have any recommendations for alternatives for a scope in this style
Thank you for your honest review which in turn helped me decide to purchase one. I’m now waiting for a collimator for it. I’m a newbie and look forward to getting into astronomy.
Hi Ed. Nice review, and it looks like an excellent first telescope for a beginner. One extra thing you could talk about, especially in reviews of equipment for beginners, is the quality and usefulness of any manual that is supplied with the instrument. Having a good set of clear instructions for assembly and use can save a lot of trouble and worry for someone who isn't familiar with telescopes.
Another amazing review Ed! I've been watching your reviews all day😂
Thanks so much for the recommendation! I'm complete new to this hobby. Last telescope I had was the one I built with two lens and a badminton ball tube almost 40 years ago. I bought it based on your suggestion a few days ago, and like almost everything about it! One thing I have to point out though, the finder scope bracket I got is different from the one in the video. The one I got is make out of rough cast iron. The issue is the bottom part the sits on the tube, it's not smooth, and won't sit flat on the tube. No matter how tight I turn the screws, i can move the scope without trying too hard! I was able to fix it by adding two strips of thick double sided "magic tapes" between the bracket and the tube. Maybe I'll replace the bracket or the entire finder scope some day.
This happens all the time, especially at the lower price points. There's often no consistency from what comes out of China. You get whatever they decide to ship that day.
I just bought one and found I was spoiled by my old 70 mm refractor with a goto mount. I've learned so much in one night. I made some mistakes, I have to re-align my finder, and I have to calibrate my spotting circles as well since they're a bit loose.
I ended up grabbing the 114 version just for the mount and the mounting rings for my homemade refractor. But I will definitely use the scope as well.
i payed $200 2 months ago, i have been loving this telescope, so glad you took a look at it Mr Ting. awful nice to know it has your stamp of approval. Also i cant wait for the motor kit for this thing is back in stock, been out of stock for a good while now
Long focuser means 2 things:
- Secondary mirror (obstruction) is bigger, compared to if the focuser was usual
+ It's possible to replace standard long plastic extension with some thread adapter(s) to screw t-ring and (probably) reach focus with a DSLR
Exactly my though!
Around 4 years ago I purchased my first and only telescope (SpaceProbe 130ST) and I needed to move the primary mirror which is not an easy task for an inexperienced person. This new telescope could make that way easier just like you said, cheaper and with a better mount!
You know Ed, I think you could review a monocular and I'd watch. Your videos are always fun and interesting. Thanks for making these. I know a lot of work goes into them.
He's actually made a monocular video (well not exactly, it was about internet budget hoax telescopes/monoculars)
And we all watched, it was great 😃
2:10 - it would have been interesting to see a side by side image comparison between the 90 mm refractor and this Newton telescope.
Ed. You are a legend.
You've delivered again, as always. Another great comprehensive review!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. I think I'll purchase this telescope!
I think a short tube refractor is a good option for a kid or a beginner. For people on a very tight budget Explore Scientific makes the Explore Firstlight 90×500mm Alt-Az refractor that is a really decent scope for an incredibly cheap price. I picked one years ago for around $160. It's definitely not a high-end scope, but to get someone started in the hobby it is great for some wide field views while casually observing, and learning the basics.
I, too, would worry about the focuser, especially with some of the heavier eyepieces out there. I have a StarBlast 102 refractor and have to limit the weight of the eyepieces I use, for fear of overloading it.
That is why I sold my Starblast. You always need a platform from which to observe, which complicates the use to the point where you might as well pair it to a standard mount. Otherwise you are relegating into using picnic tables and park benches or milk crates that are not at all stable enough to use.
Yes. The older I get, the less tolerant I have become for tabletop telescopes. But that's me. Others do not mind.
@@edting I love tabletop telescopes, well the mounts anyways. I have a Skywatcher Merlin tabletop mount that's a good display for my Celestron 90 SLT. I also got a Skywatcher Heritage 130p for £30. It got sold cheap on eBay because the previous owner accidentally cracked the mirror but £30 for its mount was a steal and now "displays" my upgraded Skywatcher ST80 refractor. Yes they suck for astronomy but the mounts are both handy for display purposes and useful if you want to point your refractor out of the window for daytime terrestrial viewing with a correct image 45 prism. Still for looking up I still intend to start with a Porta ii or Twilight 1 mount.
Any updates for what would fill this void for a starying oiunt for beginnners with orion out of business? Much appreciated for an enthusiast beginner.
OK inexpensive 90mm refractor sparks my interest. Easy to pack and if it falls off a cliff I won't have tendency to jump after it.
Fantastic video. Thank you very much. I am looking for a telescope for my son currently and this is perfect. Checks all the boxes.
I own one of these. Fairly nice low cost Newtonian reflector. I bought the right ascension motor for it. Both cost me $319 at Amazon. Motor drive works really well if the scope is properly aligned. Main problem with the rig is you have to use a Barlow lens to gain focus with a ZWO ASI183mc camera. Secondary problem is lack of standard finder scope mount. I had to jury rig to add a standard mount and add a 90 degree 9x50 finder scope. Tired of wresting with the equitorial mount, so I placed it on a Sky Watcher AZ GTi go to mount.
I agree with the EQ comment. There are so many options (AZ GTi, etc., manual Alt-AZ, and I think Starsense Explorer really opens the sky to beginners).
Yeah, for some reason, they didn't use the standard dovetail mount for the finder scope. The extension legs on the tripod also get a bit wobbly. Otherwise, decent size scope for the price.
@@skiinggator Don't know about extension legs. Always do my sky watching sitting down and never extend legs on any tripod.
@@skiinggator ((I have a Gators Ski Club patch on an old jacket of mine))
Hey Ed, looking for a comparison review between the Observer 114 and the Starblast 114. Noticed they have lightly different focal ratios. f4.4 vs f4. Since there are no 1.25" coma correctors that I know of, I'm guessing the f4.4 might be the better option.
Get the Observer, because it has a better mount. Remember, in a cheap scope, it's all about the mount.
Enjoy your videos, this one is no exception. My only concern with this setup is the EQ mount. Alt-Az is a much better option for beginners.
Yes. The problem here is the industry has completely abandoned us by not producing a quality alt-az mount in the ultra-budget category. Look at the lower end of the Orion catalog. The alt-az mounts are all flimsy yoke mounted junk.
@@edtingsir,
I'm in India and here ,no orion scopes are available.
Skywatcher is available but at double prices
A worthy opponent of this scope(orion134) which you reviewed is
A startracker(indian brand) 130/650 it's mount is okayish and has a spherical mirror .
It needs a barlow for prime focus
Other than that
A explore scientific 130/600 Parabolic mirror and prime focus without barlow attachment is available at prices cheaper than usa😅.
Could you please see it it has eq3
Explore scientific 130/600 nanoeq3
Thank you
Your review is encouraging. I'm a beginner and I borrowed a 6" Orion Dobsonian. I have back problems and probly couldn't lift more than 10 lbs. If the scope is 20 lbs it has to come apart easily. I've been leaning toward the Starblast but this one looks good and the aperture is a bit larger!
Between the Starblast and the 134, get the 134. With the Starblast you will constantly be searching for something to set it on. You won't have that problem with the 134.
@@edting I just bought the 134! It's lightweight & easy to put together. Haven't got too far with the EQ mount yet. I understand how it works, I just don't know how to find stuff yet.
I was looking at the Starblast II scopes on Orion's web site because of your recommendations, and saw they offered one on an equatorial mount with a motor. I was going to ask if you thought the motor was worth the extra $60 but you already answered that here. Plus the question is irrelevant now, since I want an Observer instead. Thanks!
Looks like a great scope to begin with Ed. First thing i would do is put a red dot finder on it and put that piece of cp fiinder back in the box it comes in and forget about it. Love my 6 inch Star Blast. Get to sit comfortable at my old age. May have to get one if the price is right. Looking for a 8 inch Apertura though.
I have the little brother to this scope, the 114mm and I love it. So light and portab[e with great optics. My only complait is it has 2 scews instead of a vixen base plate for the finder scope. Otherwise a great scope.
Thanks for that. I'm hoping to get my hands on the 114 mm to compare to this one.
I paid $200 for mine when it first came out a few months back. Now it's on sale for $149 with the same mount as the 134mm. A true bargain!@@edting
What's the diff between the 2? Im a beginner and looking to buy one for my 10 year old she's been begging for one since she was 8
I have the smaller one which is much lighter and perfect for a child.@@janjaf844
This is actually on sale right now for $210. That's just insane. It's cheap enough that I'm honestly concerned about things like worker and environmental conditions in its manufacture. Do we have any idea who Orion has making this thing in China?
That thought crossed my mind too. In today's inflationary environment the price of this product has (at least temporarily) gone down 25%. Wow.
Hey Ed, can you suggest some eyepieces for upgrade? Im purchasing this telescope as I type this.
Try the included eyepieces for a while. This will give you an idea of what focal lengths you like. I would then recommend a Celestron X-cel LX of your size preference for ~$100. They are excellent for the money and not too heavy. A heavy top of the line eyepiece will probably not stay steady in that focuser. @@mikess308
Thats not cheap😢
@@baileyslater2009 For a good telescope these days it is
I would like to know if the mount is good to use for other scopes even a bit heavier? Reason: for the price you get a good mount and when you get a better similar type scope or something else if you can re-use the mount it makes it really worth it!
The main attraction of the mount is it's much better than what you normally find at this price point. But it's far more likely the opposite will happen - you'll remove the optical tube and put it on an even better mount.
@@edting Suggestions for an upgraded mount? I am now partial to the EQ mount. Also do you think that upgrading the plastic tube rings would help with the wobble?
Hi Ed,
Hope you are well. just wanted to ask what would some better eyepieces be for this telescope. I just got my first telescope 2 months ago (Orion 130st eq) and it came with the same 10mm and 25mm eyepieces. What would you recommend as upgrades to those?
The equatorial mount did take a few nights of getting used to but I must say it was worth the slight hardship now that I figured it out.
Thanks,
Phil
Right now, don't buy anything. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck in the beginning. Keep using the scope and in a year or so you'll know what you need, and won't be needing any advice from me. Keep going!
Much Appreciated! I think the biggest thing is getting to an area of low light pollution. Here in southeast Connecticut it’s fairly bright.
Any suggestions on viewing spots here in the northeast?
Excellent advice!!!@@edting
When you are ready to upgrade I suggest the explore scientific 24mm 68degree or televue 24 panoptic, which give the maximum field of a 1.25" eyepiece and are sharp to the edge (the televue being a little better than it's es clone), es prices are a lot higher than they used to be, but meade used to sell the series 5000 swa which had the same optics as the explore scientific, which is unfortunately now the exclusive source for that particular eyepiece series. A used meade will cost considerably less.
I also suggest any version of the meade 8.8mm UWA, and the 5.5mm or 4.7mm UWA. That seems like a super high power eyepiece, but at around f5 it is not too high of a magnification, as it would be on a cassegrain, or long tube refractor or reflector. I think they are discontinued, but can be found used.
I used to have the 5.5, and found it to be very comparable to a type 6 nagler, at least when using it with my 7mm type 6 nagler, it was the same quality of view and comfortable eye relief, just at a higher magnification. Many say the 5mm nagler is a star in the series, and in that case might slightly edge out the 5.5mm meade, but I only had a 7 at the time.
All of my gear was stolen so I don't have them anymore, but I do now have a 4.7mm which was the older version with the same optics as es82 degree, and it is a decent performer, also a copy of the type 6 nagler design like the es82 are in the smaller focal lengths. The larger ones seem to be more like the type 5 naglers, but those are 2" and irrelevant to the orion 134.
A really nice set for that scope would be a 4.7 or 5.5uwa/es82 (you don't need both), an 8.8mm uwa/es82, and the 24swa/es68.
If you get all crazy fiddly like many of us do, and want the ability to go in-between magnifications, a 6.7mm UWA/es82, or 7mm nagler (type1 can be found for lower price, sometimes as low as $100), and a 14mm UWA/es82, or 15mm celestron axiom lx or luminos are good compliments, and you might not want to have nothing between the 8.8 and the 24.
The 13mm type 6 nagler is the Uber premium option but very expensive. I would not suggest the massive 13mm type 1 nagler or older version meade series 4000 14mm eyepieces for that plastic focuser, stick to the smaller ones.
Some might say that is overkill, but if you get a chance to go to a star party and try any of these, and can appreciate the well corrected wider fields, consider it an investment as you will use them as you upgrade to a bigger dob. If you go to an SCT, the 4.7/5.5 will be at the theoretical limit of those f10 scopes, but the other ones are all very usable, especially the 8.8, 13/14/15 and 24mn.
If you just want a lower power, brighter view than the 25mm, a 32mm plossl is a good choice, and you don't need an expensive one, a $30-40 celestron omni or orion Sirius plossl is a good one. They are also the widest field in a 1.25" eyepiece, but at 52degrees instead of 68, same true field but at a brighter, lower power.
Also consider long eye relief, more moderate 60deg field eyepieces, which are available in many brands and price points, as a lower cost alternative to the 82deg eyepieces in the higher powers, that also have more eye relief than the 82deg eyepieces. Such as the celestron x-cel LX series, and other brands of "long eye relief planetary" eyepieces as they are typically referred to.
But me personally, I like the really wide stuff, and only break out the low power plossls when I need a bigger exit pupil than is possible with the lowest power widefield for the given focuser size of the scope I am using.
32plossl
24 5kSWA/es68/panoptic
15mm AxiomLX/luminos
OR
14mm 5kUWA/es82
OR
13mm Nagler6
8.8mm 5kUWA/es82
7mm Nagler 1 or 6
OR
6.7mm 4k or 5kUWA /es82
5.5mm 5kUWA
OR
4.7mm 5kUWA (there is a 4kUWA and a 4.8 nagler1, but both of these have very short eye relief and are not very comfortable)
4k= meade series 4000
5k= meade series 5000
ES82/ES68 = explore scientific 82 and 68 degree series.
Axiom LX and luminos are celestron's 82 degree offerings, the axiom LX was the same optics as the ES/5K, the luminos is not quite as good but close enough for government work.
Great info, thanks!
Ok .... when you tossed on the low power tele vue what were your thoughts???
Great review! Alas, this will not ship to The Netherlands... what would be a good alternative?
Yes, that is a problem. See if you have the Zhumell Z114 where you are (same as our Starblast). Sometimes people in Europe have access to things we don't have here. Try Bresser, Konus, and other brands. Try to stay away from junk!
@@edting thank you Ed! Couldn’t find those brands except the Bressner brand and just ordered one. My first! Thank you.
Hey Ed, thank you so much for your videos they have been very helpful and informative. I received this telescope Sunday and have already seen the lines of Jupiter on my 2nd night with the scope. Do you have any eyepiece recommendations for the Orion observer 134mm? Based on your eyepiece video i am thinking about a nicer 25mm eyepiece and also wanted your opinion on using a panoptic with this scope. Thanks for reigniting my interest in astronomy.
Would you say this one i sbetter than the Sky-Watcher Heritage 150p Tabletop Telescop ?
I like the 134 better because you don't have to find something to set it on.
Love your nice, reasoned reviews, Ed! Two quick questions about this scope if you are still reading the comments.
Firstly, does this new EQ Mount convert to alt az mode like the older ones?
Secondly, is the finderscope in a standard dovetail mount? I have a very nice right angle finder scope that I would like to put in there.
Thank you!
You could technically set the altitude axis to zero degrees and use it as an alt az mount. I'd just leave it as is. The finder mount is what I call the "cheap standard". It's the one that appears on the Starblast. You can always drill your own holes for your finder.
Just bought the last one from Amazon! 1st telescope
Nice. Someone just told me they just bought one off Orion's "clearance" section for $174. Wow.
Very cool. It looks very similar to my first telescope, the 130 mm Meade Polaris.
Ed, have you considered reviewing the Celestron Omni AZ 102 available at Costco for $220? 4" achromat with slow mo alt az mount. Has 2" focuser too. I picked one up last year for $160 during Black Friday. Seems to be a good deal to me. Also since it's at Costco, it's readily available to lot of folks and they may wonder if it's good.
Yep, those are my recommendation for best scope for beginners (under $250). They're capable and easy to use, and far more portable than a dob (my general recommendation is an 8" dob, especially if they come up for sale cheap on craigslist)
do you see any false color on things like the moon, jupiter, saturn?
all you see is false color on Jupiter and Saturn :) Jupiter washes out at 40x or so, Saturn a little better. But enough to see moons and two bands on Jupiter and the rings. It's really the one thing the scope does not do well.
@@JCW86
@@JCW86yes, there will be false color. A fringe filter can help, but gives a yellow tint, more expensive filters like the baader semi apo are an option, but they aren't very cheap
Thanks for your videos! what is your recommendation if one has to chose between a 6” f8 vs a collapsible 6” f5. Eg Apertura AD6 vs Sky-watcher heritage 150p. Objective is to view Messier objects and also travel around via a 3 row SUV
Great video for beginners like me, I’m looking for my first telescope and this was the video I was looking for. I have one question for you, I live 30 miles away from a city and on the light pollution map I am bright red, is that gonna have a heavy effect on my viewing?
Any light pollution will degrade the images you see through the telescope. Start with the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn. Those are bright enough to burn through. There are some bright deep sky objects that will show up under mild light pollution, like the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula. For best results, get to the darkest location possible.
Awesome, thanks for the response
Now that Orion is gone, is there any other telescopes that you would recommend under $300?
I’ve been watching your other videos where you recommend that 8 inch dobsonian….. I have found some for around 200-300 dollars used and was thinking of getting one but now I just saw this video. My goal is to be able to look at planets and some deep space stuff eventually working my way into astrophotography. This looks like something I can build towards that in the future vs the dobs… I’m sure your bombarded with questions and appreciate any recommendations. One other item my 6 year old is REALLY into space , blows me away with stuff he spits out on galaxy types names and even star types… pretty advanced for his age and I’m pretty sure he would like to look at those also so need to keep it kid friendly. One of my observations is the height of these things are not friendly for little kids. Also he’s done moon stuff with a tiny department student grade that causes more dissatisfaction than enjoyment so I really want something he can use too.
No debate on this one - get the Dob. This Orion 134 is a budget scope and can't compete.
There's a 'knock-off' version of this as well in 152mm (6 inch), which is quite nice for the price.
it's definitely on the upper limit of what the mount will handle though.
Great review. How much shimmy in the scope when using the slow-motion contol?
I wish you had tried some beginner photography with a phone mounted over the eye piece. Maybe a follow-up video. Beyond most beginners, IF I had this scope (or any scope), I would try photo stacking, and the manual slow motion would allow keeping the object in frame for a few minutes.
What is your opinion of the Orion SpaceProbe 130ST Equatorial Reflector Telescope? Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge and experience with us. Your videos are awesome and very informative.
That should be OK. I prefer this Observer 134 though.
The space probe has the same optics as the nexstar 130, vixen r130, and the awb130 and skywatcher 130. A consistently decent set of objects.
But the mount is a little on the undersized end, being an eq2
Like! For 300$ I purchased a 102/1000 mhz achromatic refractor with EQ3, I didn't wanted to bother with collimation.
collimation is pretty quick and easy, and doesn't have to be done often unless you're rough with a reflector.
What would you suggest now since Orion is out of business?
Yeah, that's a sad situation. We're back to recommending any 6" or 8" Dob for now.
Just ordered one on Amazon for $210.00 based on your review. Will report how it works out
$210, great deal!
Yes, thanks. What eyepieces would you recommend as an upgrade@@edting
Just received mine today👍
Used it for the first time last night, actually the first time using a telescope.The EQ mount took some time to figure out. I just set the latitude didn't actually polar align it yet and it was good enough to test it. Only viewed Jupiter and was pleased with the results. I could see some banding on Jupiter but no detail of course. Started with the 25mm eyepiece and switched to the 10mm for a better view. I am pleased, have much to learn, thanks Ed. @@edting
On the off chance you see this: Can you suggest something small enough to take camping? I have a 7 year old boy and his interest in stars begins and ends at the fact that we can see them at night. But it's fun when we're camping and there's not a lot else to do. It needs to be portable and sturdy enough to not break with bumps that come with traveling in the car.
The issue with any travel scope isn't the optical tube, it's the mount. That's where people get tripped up. Good, steady mounts are not light or portable. If you can find and Orion Starblast it might work but you have to find something to set it on.
Hi Ed. Great video! I am looking for a a beginner telescope. Would you recommend this over a 6 inch dob? With this scope being about half the price I am not sure what to get.
No, get the Dob. This is an ultra-budget alternative for those who cannot afford to spend more. It is flawed but it will get the job done.
The 2 inch eye pieces on the dob are great! You'll love the huge field of views you'll get from a 25mm eye piece. Just point it around some constellations and enjoy the amazing sky
Remember to keep your finder eye piece oriented straight up from the scope. That will help as you slew it around tracking from a constellation star towards an object off to one side or the other. Try turning the finder and you'll probably notice its more difficult. Just a beginner tip I figured out but it could be a me thing.
This is a total newbie question. Since you also recommend Dobsonians as simple telescopes, good for beginners, what would be the difference in view between this and something like a 6" or 8" Dobsonian? Ignore the difference in price and portability.
If you have the money, go for the 6" or 8" Dob, no question. This telescope is an ultra-budget alternative for those who cannot afford anything more expensive. It is not perfect but it beats the other ultra budget gear out there.
@@edting Thanks!
OK, what would you suggest to upgrade the focuser? I'm fairly handy with telescopes having built several, but I'm too old and weak to cart around a big dobsonian or even a C-8 outside on our few good nights in Oregon. Do you have any ideas for a better 11/4 or 2 inch focuser that could be adapted? Thanks for your great and comprehensive reviews.
Not too long ago, it was easy to find replacement telescope parts. These days it is almost impossible. You have to resort to ebay or Chinese sources, and even then the mounting holes and/or stack height may not match up.
10:48 para un niño esta bien este modelo de telescopio 134mm..llegara a visualizar?
What two replacement eyepieces would you recommend for my new Orion Observer 134? - it has only 660 mm focal length.
I think you said eyepieces are for certain focal lengths. For example, for the 1500mm +/- focal length telescopes you recommend the 24mm Panoptic eyepiece to replace the original and for lunar and planetary use the 13mm Nagler 82 degree field of view. And there were two different eyepieces for the 2500mm and 3000 mm scopes.
I wouldn't buy anything for a while. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck at this point. If you must spend money, get a TeleVue 25mm Plossl to replace the stock eyepiece. If you must spend a lot of money, get a 24mm Panoptic.
There is a lot of things to take into consideration with all the options. Im looking to buy my first scope. I live in chicago. Would something like this be good or should i go with a DOB
If you have the means, get a 6" or 8" Dob.
@@edting thank-you. I am really trying to spend between 2 and 300 dollars to start. Am I going to be sorry if I don't spend more?
Just gained a subscriber friend.
it looks like celestron powerseeker 127eq but much better
😂
Thank you.
Just made a link to this review in my review of the Orion Spaceprobe 130mm Reflector.
Ed what is your opinion about the quality of the optics? Are they the usual level of quality or are they better than usual??
The optics are decent, I didn't worry too much about this. I don't think we can be too picky at this price point. The mount is where all these cheap scopes fall down, and the fact that this one actually works was a big pleasant surprise.
@@edting Thanks!
I cam across a vid on youtube about this scope where this guy said his had very good optics and it make me think that maybe the Meade mirror quality was involved. Likely he just got a good sample. Anyway I shouldn't buy it since I have a good 130 Newt already. Thanks for the input.
Not a fan of equatorial mounts for beginners, not very intuitive. Can it be setup in alt-az mode?
yes it can. you can look up how to adjust an EQ mount to AZ setup on youtube.
Nice Looking Set Up,I Started With The 114LCM,Looks Similar To My Exos Nano From ES I Paired With My Mak90,Great Review Ed Thank You❤🔭❤️Clear Skies
Ed, can you please recommend an eyepiece upgrade for this telescope? I’ve watched your eyepiece video but I believe this telescope falls pretty shy of the focal length you based your recommendations on in that video. Please!
My usual recommendation is not to buy anything for a while. The eyepiece is not your bottleneck here, it's usually the mount that causes you frustrations. If you must, replace the stock eyepiece with a TeleVue 25mm Plossl or a 19mm Panoptic. As you grow, those eyepieces will stay with you.
@@edting thanks so much!
I've been curious if the Gskyer refractors are of similar quality to the Orion short tube 80. The mount doesn't seem terrible and it would be nice to find a kit so i don't have to track down a set of rings. They are both in the department store junk price range though. Are they worth looking at? Either the 80mm or the 90.
What would you recommend as an alternative, since Orion just recently closed it's doors in California?
Sad situation. I'm back to recommending the good ol' 6" or 8" Dob.
So I know entry level scopes at this size tend to have cheap and plastic focusers to keep costs down but it would be nice to know that such a recommended scope has an ability to have the focuser upgraded to a better metal one possibly with dual speed control. The only other times I have seen reflectors of this size with upgraded focusers are on cloudy nights and stargazers lounge forums with a SW 130 PDS and Intes reflector being upgraded with moonlite focusers. If this could have the focuser upgraded it's something I would personally consider. If not I would probably save up a bit more for Orion's 6 inch f4 Newtonian or anything else that was similar. But that's just me. Having said that, Ed Ting speaks a lot of sense so if this is his new default recommendation then you could do worse than not get one. Especially if you are just starting out. As an astronomy enthusiast myself I am subscribed to lots of channels that deal with this subject but of all of those channels then I tend to find Ed as interesting to watch as Carl Sagan. Yes, he's that good.
Unfortunately, there's no reflector I know of under $350 that has a metal focuser. And that price is for the OTA only, no mount included. This telescope and mount are selling for $209 currently, which is practically a steal nowadays.
Ed, is the primary mirror parabolic or spherical ?
The manual says it's parabolic.
Hi Ed. Have you done any reviews of the Celestron Nexstar SLT series of telescopes? I bought the Nexstar 130 SLT as my "Starter" telescope and have been happy with it in general. It does have a fair bit of vibration when focusing which you just learn to live with. I am curious to know what you think about this series of scopes.
The SLT is a cheaper version of the NexStar se, and if you've followed me here you know I have mixed-to-positive feelings about the whole NexStar series. The SLTs and ETXs have typical lower-end Goto problems - pointing accuracy and long-term reliability. I'm curious, does your SLT always find every object you ask it to find? If so, does it always place the object in the center of the field of view in a low power eyepiece, or is it off to the side?
@@edting I have really liked it. Although lately I am having trouble getting it to align. Once I do get it aligned it tracks well and gets the object I am slewing to pretty close to the center of my 25mm eyepiece. I am going to check for updated firmware and see if that helps. The other issue I am having is the direction buttons on the controller seem to be wearing out. I may need to get a new controller, unless you know of a way to "reset" the buttons so that they respond to the firs touch. I have to press them multiple times to get the scope to move.Other than that I am very happy with it. I do want to get an SCT at some point though.
Hello Ed ! Thx for the videos. My son and I have learned so much ! I do have a question. In your opinion, is it worth getting a Celestron 5SE over the 6SE to get the wedge ? We're looking at both but are unsure which at this point. I'd love the 8" but funds are limited due to me being disabled and on a fixed income. Thank You !!
I recommend the NexStar 5 and 6. Ignore the wedge "feature", it doesn't do much. I talk a lot about the NexStar mounts on this channel. Don't go bigger than the 6, the mount can't handle it. The 8 is too big. Also, NexStars are good, but not great in the accuracy dept. They also tend to develop problems as they age. If your disability and budget can handle it, the AVX mount is better than the NexStar mount.
@@edting Thanks Ed ! I'm glad that I asked before buying.
I would pick the 6 over the 5, more aperture and beefier mount. The 5 comes on the smaller mount that the 4 comes on.
I’m getting my first telescope and don’t want a big dob to start with. Would you start with this or the starsense explorer dx 130az?
A 6" or 8" is still miles ahead of this scope. If you have the money, get the Dob.
Mr. Ting, I noticed that the focuser has a long plastic extender, Is that thing removable? If it is, how about adding a threaded metal extender tube to attach an all metal visual back?? Would you think it will be too heavy for the plastic focuser itself and would you think it can ruin the balance of the OTA? Thank you for your time, and thanks for your videos!
How about removing the plastic extender, adding a metal visual back and placing a 1.25" Paracorr ( I have one for my Starblast 4.5). It should have enough focus travel and will slow the OTA to f/5.5!
@@luisrosa55331.25" paracorr is a rare item, they haven't been made in decades and the chance of finding one is nil. You are lucky to have it
Great review Mr Ting. Although the price point is fantastic I will be purchasing the Orion Starblast 4.5 as a first scope for an eight year old. I believe the height will serve him better, appears slightly more portable, comes with a better initial finder scope, and he will not have the frustrations of learning the EQ mount as a beginner.
I do have a question regarding the Orion Starblast 4.5 with its 450mm focal length. I plan to purchase a couple plossl eyepieces. A 10mm for a 45x magnification and would you have a recommendation between 5mm @ 90x magnification and a 3mm @150x magnification for moon/planetary viewing?
Although I am aware Tele Vue eye pieces are the gold standard I will be looking for a mid tier eye piece in the "everything else category"
Or
Would you recommend different focal length eyepieces altogether? I have researched the library program (unfortunately, we do not have anyone offering this in my city) with this scope, and many are modified with a zoom eyepiece. Would this be the preferred method over two individual eyepieces?
Good job getting the Starblast. A couple of thoughts: 1) That thing is really low to the ground. Even a kid will need it boosted. You will need something steady and will need to watch to see the scope doesn't get pushed off. This is your major challenge (I'll note the Orion 134 avoids this problem entirely). 2) Don't get the 5mm/3mm eyepieces. That is way, way too much magnification. Neither the optics nor the mount can support that kind of power. I wouldn't buy anything for now. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck in the beginning. If you must, a TeleVue 20mm Plossl is a good replacement for the stock Kellner and won't break the bank.
Ed Ting
This is going to be my very first telescope I just purchased this it should arrive next week. In the next couple of months with this telescope, I hope to get better with it. So the next question is what kind of upgrades should i be looking at or mods to make my telescope better if there is any? Thank you
Don't buy anything for a while. There is plenty here to keep you busy for a long time. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck at this point.
Ed, can i ask you this? i was thinking about getting just 2 filters, a moon filter, and a light pollution filter. The only reason I was thinking about it because I'm in NYC What do you think? THANK YOU for the help .
Argh, don't buy that junk! Filters are beyond useless. I am thinking of doing a video telling people never to buy filters.
Thank you for the insight. I'm just watching your video to learn as much as I can before it gets here. PLEASE do a video about it help me understand more.
@@edting please make this video
I have been considering getting this one but also have been looking at the Celestron 124LCM computerized/motorized telescope which is priced around $325 now. Which would you recommend for a first time owner telescope?
Do not buy that Celestron. That isn't nearly enough money for a computerized scope. The optical tube is the dreaded Bird-Jones type design, an automatic sign of junk. There's more but I don't want to pile on.
@@edting I truly appreciate you replying so quickly. I trust your advice, so, I will go with this Orion Observer 134 and will plan to eventually “graduate” to something else as I gain experience. Thank you!
Hello once again,
I am planning to make a solar filter for this telescope with a proper solar film and some cardboard papers, how safe would you say this is?
Hi Ed I’m returning to astronomy I am trying to choose between a Sky-Watcher Dob 8 inch a XT8 and a Bresser messier 8 inch Dob I have reduced mobility So looking to not move it much which one of these do you think would you choose the prices are all around the £350-450 mark
Cheers
Simon 🇬🇧
All that stuff comes from the same place. Pick the one that's in stock, that offers the best deal, or (if all else fails) which one looks best to you.
@@edting thanks Ed 👍🏼😊
Thank you so much for the video. I am hoping of gifting this to my 10 year old nephew. Just a quick question- would he be able to see the Saturn rings through it. I feel that is a fascinating image and gets you hooked. Also, is (134”) too big to carry in a suitcase to a airplane flight?
Thank you so much for the video!
Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons are no problem. Forget about taking it on a plane. The idea of an airline portable scope is a big debate. The problem isn't the optical tube, it's the mount. You saw the size of the shipping carton, right?
Hi ed. for a 550€ budget (It's going to be my second telescope) should i get an 8inch dob? or maybe a 150/750 from omegon? help me please.
If it's your first scope, I will always recommend the 8" Dob!
I really love seeing stars and I thought to do my research first to see what is a good one for beginners and I found one but it doesn’t even ship to the location I am in. It can ship it to Australia, how else am I supposed to get one if it doesn’t even get shipped here😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
I am astronomy lover since my childhood and I want to start looking at sky with a toll as I had been looking it using naked eyes and a app but I wanna upgrade. I have low bidget of 200 - 230 $ so what telescope do you prefer and can I buy one from Amazon. Also I live in such a city where there's too much smoke in winter while I travel from city to city too. (Empty highways are population less)
I just get worried when newbies get EQ mounts. They often don’t take the time to understand them. AltAz is the way for visual observation.
Does anyone have a suggestion for an upgrade to the plastic focuser? I foresee smacking this thing off the tube the first time I move it from storage location to the drive way 😆
I’m totally new to this and was looking at the space probe 134st eq and then seen this video. The space probe is $100 more. Are you getting $100 more in worth? Both prices are in the budget so I’m not looking to skimp but neither want to spend $100 more if it isn’t really worth it. Appreciate any advice and thank you.
That Space Probe is very similar to the Observer 134. I'd get the Observer and save a bit of money. Be very careful at these low price points, there's a lot of junk down there.
@edting thanks for such a quick response. I think I'll go on your recommendation and see where this leads. As long as I can see something up in the sky and it's not total junk it should fit the bill.
How do I find the Polaris? I’m new at this and don’t understand how to do this. Thanks. Suggestions?
There are a lot of good youtube videos that show you how to find Polaris. If you can find the Big Dipper you should have no problem.
What would you say is the best refractor telescope without color aberration for beginners?
Two of my favorite budget apos are the Astro-Tech AT72 (either version) and the Orion ED80 (check for clones). Reviews of both are on this channel. Keep in mind, the purchase of any good refractor begins with the mount. Have that sorted away before buying the optical tube.
Cheapest option would be a newtonian reflector of some sort. More expensive option is an APO refractor.
Currently it is at a good price, around 210 dollars or if you like to save more at 170 if you buy it used, it sounds very tempting, unfortunately because of where I live (Chile) I highly doubt that I can Bring it, if I could because Amazon according to my location is not available (like most equipment) importing it costs between 150 dollars more, for the moment I have been able to see options in my area and I have been able to find a copy of Meade's starblast 4.5, so I think I will go for it as my first telescope (its mount will improve it of course)
Check to see if you have similar/clone models where you are. Bresser, Konus, etc often brand label the same products.
@@edting I kept looking for almost the entire day for pages that sell in my country, the truth is I was surprised by the low number of telescopes to start with that are worth it, the prices leave a lot to be desiredAmong what I could see related to was an Orion Skyscanner 100 mm but with a high price (in used sales I found it for 105 dollars), Bresser I could not find and konus about 2 60 mm refractors, for the moment I think I'm getting together for this Orion Star blast (Meade) I liked the price although it may vary (it is used), But if it's sold and the ad was still there, I'll look for a second option.
Maybe JMI or somebody will consider making an upgraded focuser (and finderscope adapter?) for this scope?
JMI has not really been in business for a long time and many of their products are now permanently out of stock.
i'd look at agena astro for some possibly parts upgrades