| | |  | iOptron | Home » » Celestron 31045 AstroMaster 130 EQ Reflector Telescope | | | | | | | Description: | | If you're looking for a dual-purpose telescope appropriate for both terrestrial and celestial viewing, then the AstroMaster Series is for you. Each AstroMaster model is capable of giving correct views of land and sky. The AstroMaster Series produce bright, clear images of the Moon and planets. It is easy to see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with every one of these fine instruments. For views of the brighter deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae, we recommend the larger aperture and light gathering ability of the Newtonian reflectors. | | | Features: | |
• Quick and easy no-tool setup
• Permanently mounted StarPointer
• Erect image optics - Ideal for terrestrial and astronomical use
• Quick release dovetail attachment - no tool setup
• German Equatorial mount with Setting circles - to accurately locate and track sky objects
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 34.7 inches | | Product Width:
| 18.6 inches | | Product Height:
| 11.4 inches | | Product Weight:
| 38.75 pounds | | Package Length:
| 34.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 18.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 11.2 inches | | Package Weight:
| 39.8 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 10 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Mediocre at best.Aug 26, 2010
The star finder is a joke. It will be by luck alone that you are able to find distant objects. It needs a much more finely tuned focuser as well, it is impossible to focus on more distant objects and see any detail at all. I have gotten many good views of the moon, but the planets and other objects are too blurry to see any detail at all. I purchaced high quality lenses, which help, however they are too much for the scope and were more for a higher quality telescope. With a ton of patience, and keeping your expectations in check, this can be a decent scope. The motor mount (optional) is a must to keep track of objects. It is way hard to manually track, keep focus, and enjoy planets and smaller objects.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 "Big Bang" for your astronomy buckApr 15, 2010
Let me say right from the start that you must set up some parameters or boundaries to work within when shopping and comparing performance, features, etc. When I was shopping around I kept asking myself what if a spend a little more, over and over. By the end of my browsing session I'm seriously considering a 16" light bridge truss dobsonian. So here's the highlights.
1. Looks. I think you'll be hard pressed to find anything in this price range that looks more the part. I really like the orange annodized alum. bits & pieces. They really pop against the metallic blue optical tube. To me this thing looks like more scope than it really is.
2. Apeture. 130mm is about as big as you'll find at this price point. Apeture is everything. The more the merrier. Do not get caught up in the magnification hype that is very common in department store telescopes. As a matter of fact this scope does not have very high power as supplied. With it's reletively short focal length, you'll need a barlow lens to get some big mag. numbers.
3. Mount. Since I come from a cheap department store scope background, this is the best mount I've owned. Now that said, it is still very light, and there are plastic bits on the telescoping legs that will break if you get over assertive when tightening fittings. To a serious amature astronomer this thing is probably shakier than a Chihuahua at the north pole. The tripod probably is the weakest link in the package. THe legs are steel, but of the shower curtain rod wieght, not electrical conduit weight. It's probably the best place for them to skimp, in my opinion. There are tricks to make a mount more stable, but most of us don't want to grind our own optics at home. If you keep your hands off the scope while observing, it's more than stable enough for some good viewing. It will take some time for it to settle down after focusing, but that's what we have to deal whith at this price point.
4. Optics. They seem pretty good. I get sharp points when viewing stars. I've found nebulae for myself for the first time with this scope. It's small and light enough to grab and go, which is how I use it so far. The viewfinder is on the weak side. It's a red dot finder with no magnification. That's not the bad part. It's that they used plastic lenses that definately eat some of the light passing through, and also seem to illuminate a slight bit when the red dot is on. Combined with the positions you may have to contort yourself in when viewing objects near azimuth, it's my least liked feature on this scope.
5. Overall you get good apeture and optics for the money, it's nice enough looking to leave set up in a corner. You get an equatorial mount that can be motor upgraded cheaply. I'm happy with my purchase, and I've since spent more money on eye pieces and accesories than I originally spent on the scope itself.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Excellent astronomic equipment and good priceApr 03, 2010
Already I have had opportunity to do a few tests of this telescope and can comment to them that the image is excellent.
The construction and the design is robust enough.
Only I found two negative details of design.
First the screw that is used for adjustment of this latitude evil designed.
When one increases the latitude due to the weight of the this assembly it becomes hard to manipulate and when one tries to diminish the latitude, that is to say to slacken the screw in order that the set goes down, the plastic piece separates of the metallic screw turning out to be very inconvinient to do that the assembly goes down almost to the point of remaining united.
I come second, the unions of the tripod of stainless steel to the assembly are plastic, these should be metallurgies to give him better permanence in the time.
A recommendation for CELESTRON, they must improve the protection of the packing of the Mount CG3, it(he) is not alone to put it in a box without any protection, this one should come protected by rubber(gum), to avoid what happened to me, that in the sending(parcel) and due to the weight of the mount, the mount I strike and there was doubled the screw of Slow Movement in DEC.
Lamentably I cannot do claim for guarantee since I am in Venezuela, and the costs of movement going and return of the equipment(team) they be be very high in comparison with the cost of the Telescope. I do not still have mas remedy that to try to repair the piece.
David Trujillo P.
Barquisimeto, Edo. Lara
Venezuela
Español.
Ya he tenido oportunidad de hacer unas pruebas de este telescopio y les puedo comentar que la imagen es excelente.
La construcción y el diseño es bastante robusta.
Solo encontré dos detalles negativos de diseño.
Primero el tornillo que se usa para ajuste de latitud esta mal diseñado.
Cuando uno incrementa la latitud debido al peso del montaje este se torna duro para manipular y cuando uno intenta disminuir la latitud, es decir aflojar el tornillo para que el conjunto baje, la pieza plástica se separa del tornillo metálico resultando muy incomodo hacer que el montaje baje casi al punto de quedarse trabado.
Segundo, las uniones del trípode de acero inoxidable al montaje son plásticas, estas deberían ser metálicas para darle mejor durabilidad en el tiempo.
Una recomendación para CELESTRON, deben mejorar la proteccion del empaque de la Montura CG3, no es solo ponerlo en una caja sin ninguna protección, este debería venir protegido por goma, para evitar lo que me pasó, que en el envío y debido al peso de la montura, la montura se golpeo y se dobló el tornillo de Movimiento Lento en DEC.
Lamentablemente no puedo hacer reclamo por garantía ya que me encuentro en Venezuela, y los costos de traslado ida y vuelta del equipo serían muy altos en comparación con el costo del Telescopio. No me queda mas remedio que tratar de reparar la pieza.
David Trujillo P.
Barquisimeto, Edo. Lara
Venezuela
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Don't expect too muchMar 28, 2010
We found it difficult to use and tough to keep on objects once we were able to finally find them. The image magnification isn't significant enough to make great observations. Views of the moon were interesting.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great GiftFeb 11, 2010
I gave this telescope to my fiance for Christmas and he loves it. He never had a telescope before, but he was able to find things with it still, so it was "beginner friendly". Overall, if your looking for a telescope for a beginners, that is also high quality, this is a great choice!
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