Celestron FirstScope 76 - Signature Series Telescope

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[@AstroLaVista]

First Light Optics affiliate links www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes/ref/astrolasvista/

[@petset77]

Thanks for the thorough, honest review. Eyepieces can make a huge difference in viewing, especially through an inexpensive telescope. I just ordered one of these on ebay (open box new, for $30 plus $12 shipping) as a "grab and go" compliment to the 4.5EQ and 8" Dobsonian we already have. I already have a set of Plossl eyepieces, so I'll save the included junk ones to chock the tires on a wagon or something as useful. The base alone makes the FirstScope more valuable than a typical TravelScope refractor on a wobbly mount. Thanks again, and clear skies. ...Subscribed.

[@astronebulee578]

Great video lockie. This was my first telescope I bought ladt April, though it was the celestron cometron white tube one that came with a fs and 20 and 10 mm kelner. This scope gave me the bug for astronomy, Its a fantastic little scope. I did sell it on to fund my next scope at the time. The first time seeing Jupiter's moons and lunar craters close up was mind blowing. I can't recommend this scope enough for starting out to see if astronomy is for you. Keep up the good work and clear skies.

[@AstroLaVista]

Thanks Lee! Cool, I remember seeing the cometron version and being tempted myself. I think Kelner eyepieces would be better than the Huygen's so it's good to hear not all versions come with those. The fact that this scope got you hooked is proof enough that it's a good little starter scope :) Cheers!

[@jamessilvester5169]

Hello Chris, It was a very pleasant surprise to see a familiar face in a KZbin video. Great in-depth review, it encouraged me to pick up the Cometron version for use on my balcony (in Berlin) for quick moon or cluster viewing. Very pleased with it so far. Keep up the great work, and best regards to the family. Cheers James S

[@AstroLaVista]

Hey James, like wise seeing your name pop up in the comments section! Hope you're well. You were in Sweden when I last heard, so it's a surprise to hear you're living in Berlin now. I hope you're enjoying it there, and you must have a few languages under your belt now! Glad you're pleased with the scope; the sturdy easy to use Dobsonian mount counts for a lot. alles Gute

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Chris, enjoyable watch as always.. Love these little table top Dob's, if people insist on buying a cheap telescope I always recommend this type of telescope. In my opion they are on a par to a good pair of binoculars, with the added bonus of having a sturdy mount....you just carn't beat the stability and ease of use of a Dob mount.. One of the reasons I've just built one for my 130, the other is because I have back problems from years of abuse in the building trade, and it's starting to catch up with me the older I get and standing in one posion for any lenth of time gets painful.....AND IT'S STARTING TO EFFECT MY ASTRONOMY!!!..... And that wont do... Now, I can SIT comfortably at the eyepiece all night.....Thank you Mr John Dobson :)

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi Jason, someone commented that I was giving bad advice suggesting a small Dob for beginners so your opinion is music to my ears! : ) So that's what you've been up to! did you do any filming for the build for a video? Well done, and I agree, I would be up for starting a religion in the name of John Dobson :D Sorry to hear about the back, have you had it looked at GP, xray, MRI, consultant etc?

[@smalloptics753]

@@AstroLaVista Really! I'm surprised that somebody said that...They've obviously not had a look though one...Maybe in the past but not with these modern table top newt's..they great... I wanted to film the build of the "Dob" but it would have been to much as it took me a week to build and at the moment I'm doing all my filming on a phone and I just haven't got the storage space..A ho..Yet another thing that needs upgrading lol....I've had back pain for years it started in my late 20s, but seems to be getting, let's say, more noticeable just of late, no I haven't had it checked out yet, but I think it's time I did.

[@karmasutra3851]

thank you for these information. I bought the same and didn't know how to use it. Could you please tell me how to place the little lense inside cause i don't see much and i think it's the problem. Thank you for your concern!

[@robertsonsid]

Thanks. One of the best reviews on the Firstscope.

[@AstroLaVista]

Glad it was helpful!

[@meninomichael]

Great review! Thanks.

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

Hi Chris! Nice video. Was wondering if you have did try focusing with a dslr and if is possible using this telescope. i am currently testing a budget telescope also, but is a refractor and i did not had any problems with focusing. I am waiting now for the moon and clouds to go away so i can make a moon test. I noticed the video footage looks better on color at night , when you used the mono camera you did not had enough light?

[@AstroLaVista]

Hey loan, unfortunately a DLSR has the sensor set back around 44mm compared to around 12mm for a dedicated astro cam, so if there isn't enough inward focus with a dedicated astro cam you can rule out using a DLSR also :( I'm looking forward to finding out what scope you're testing, but for fun I'll take a guess, is at an 80mm f/5 achromat? Yes, the colour footage was much nicer I agree, I use a strong LED panel onboard the camcorder for that. The Infra red footage doesn't look as good, but the idea is that you can see when it's completely dark so there's no lighting to interfere with what I'm seeing through an eyepiece or imaging with my cameras. I'm on the lookout for an extra IR light to mount to the camera, hopefully that will improve the quality of filming in the dark : )

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

@@AstroLaVista That camera that you sent me last time that is the ir camera? I do not know how is the focus at the reflector but on refractors i need more back focus using a astro camera, and for that i need a longer extension tube. I am reviewing a 70/400 mm acromat, from svbony easy to focus with a dslr camera, and my first views of the moon through eyepiece and on the town were also sharp. A nice deal for the price with all the accessories, you'll see once i finish and upload. for the moment forecast predicts four days and nights in a row of rain, so have to wait for the first night to clear sky to test it on the moon with a dslr and phone.

[@brandonporter4227]

Good video, Chris! My experience with this scope was very similar to yours. When someone asks what type of telescope they should get as a visual only starter scope, I've always recommended dobs. Moneywise, I don't think there's a better deal on the market for visual observations. Huge apertures for very little money compared to an SCT or a refractor. I recently had a library contact our club asking about inexpensive scopes they could get for loaners. Larger dobs would be a bit cumbersome and occasionally require maintenance, but I thought why not one of these? I purchased one of the Celestron Firstscope models to try it out before I recommended it though. The model I purchased was the National Parks Foundation version. It came with a Kelner 20mm and 10mm eyepieces which weren't terrible, but weren't great either. The stars weren't perfectly sharp, as you noted, but they were cheap eyepieces as were your Huygens/Ramsdens you received. I found my Lunt 7.2-21.5mm zoom eyepiece to perform exceptionally well with this telescope, however at almost three times the price of the scope, it may have been a bit overkill. It definitely does benefit from a slightly higher quality eyepiece and I was also amazed at the difference it made. I was actaully able to detect M42 and M31 with it, which was quite impressive for such a small scope in a Bortle 6 sky. The Firstscopes are just that, a perfect first scope for someone with little experience or kids. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to someone looking for a sub-$100 telescope.

[@AstroLaVista]

Hey Brandon, thanks for the great post! I very much agree that small Dobs are excellent for beginners, and I enjoyed hearing about your experience with the 76 mini Dob :) I'm going to pin your comment for the benefit of anyone thinking about getting one.

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

I am currently reviewing also a budget telescope 89 $ refractor, on my first video tests the images and videos look good a small refractor is to consider also, does not need collimation and focusing is very easy to obtain with any camera

[@martynh5410]

Enjoyed your video Chris. When you said it had a spherical primary mirror that reminded me of my very first telescope that I got for Christmas way back in the early 70’s. It was made by Charles Frank, a now defunct telescope manufacturer in Glasgow. With a faster focal length, the spherical aberration will be noticeable due to the mirror curvature. Shame about the eyepieces but as you said, that’s a great first item to upgrade.

[@AstroLaVista]

Thanks Martyn, Memories hey :) I know a little bit about Charles Frank telescopes, enough to know your scope must have been among the last to be produced by the company. It's a real shame about the decline of UK telescope manufacture but I think Orion Optics UK are still doing alright? The guy from Beacon Hill telescopes must be pretty much retired by now, I don't know if they still sell their own scopes? Then there's the guy from Moonraker who makes wonderful bespoke refractors. It's just not very viable now days with cheaper labour and materials in China .

[@martynh5410]

@@AstroLaVista Seems almost everything is made in China! Some it isn’t too bad. I really like my (made in China) Celestron Evolution 8 SCT but even at that level of scope, I’ve already purchased better eyepieces! One of them (an APM 30mm) actually says “made in Germany”! I still have the old 4” Charles Frank reflector, although the welded steel mount has broken and one eyepiece is cracked. Thinking about it, I probably got it in 1969 not in the70’s. It travelled to the USA in 1979 when I moved here. Still have the Charles Frank telescope catalogue. 4” telescope price was something like “21 Guineas” back then!

[@lukomatico]

Hey Chris, a super thorough review! - well done mate :) I had a thought occur while watching the stuck eyepiece section, for someone who is stuck using those eyepieces for a while, would perhaps an O-ring on the barrel of the Huygens eyepiece allow it to sit slightly proud of the focuser allowing easy removal while keeping it square with the focuser tube - a little spacer if you will? Great job!

[@AstroLaVista]

Hey Luke, thanks buddy! That's a cool suggestion, I think that would work! I was thinking about putting a rubber band around the top but I think your idea would stay in place much longer hehe. I'll give it a go and let you know if it works :) If I hadn't already pinned a comment you sir would be up there for that idea :D

[@lukomatico]

@@AstroLaVista That's great mate! I hope it works out 👍 Looking forwards to seeing what you get up to next! Clear skies :)

[@Liceng1]

Hello! Great videos! What BST eyepiece did you use in this video in the later part? Cheers!

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi Niklas, thanks for watching. I used the BST 8mm throughout, it's quite a low power eyepiece in this telescope giving 38x magnification.

[@michaelsamuell9377]

Wow, what a journey. A pleasure to watch, sir. Thanx so much for allaying my concerns about the quality of the main unusual spherical mirror. Do You think using Barlow lens (1.5x or 2x) makes any sense with this optics? - assuming using a good eyepiece.

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi Michael, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. The included eyepieces are the weakest part of the telescope. If you upgrade to better lenses you will be fine to use a Barlow as long as you don't go too high with the magnification.

[@AdzworldofcrazySh1t]

Good'ay Chris, what camera are you using for the IR?

[@AstroLaVista]

Haha Good'ay! Dylan would throttle me if he ever saw this :D I'm using a Canon XA11 which has an IR mode.

[@donallen1384]

Just purchased a starter scope from Royal Observetory, Greenwich, simular to the one in this video, can you tell me what the larger eye pieces are called that you used last in the video, and do they come in different sizes, and at what cost(£) Thanks. Don Allen

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi Don, those will be BST Starguiders. These are a popular first upgrade because they have a huge eye lens, good eye relief and good optics for the money: www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces/ref/astrolavista/

[@avt_astro206]

Excellent Review Chris !! I have The Same Telescope, So far Been Quite happy with it. Got Great views of Moon, planets and DSOs..This Galaxy Season. I have Seen M81 and M82 From a Dark Sky Site, Bortle 3 It was Challenging because only 76mms Of Aperture, I have Done lots Of Astrophotography with it too : D been Getting Good Results. Clear Skies!!

[@AstroLaVista]

Cheers! I gave you a thought when I was making the video as I know this is what you use :) I take it you do afocal imaging with a phone and eyepiece. I know you were thinking of getting something like the ASI290mm Mini which can fit inside the focuser to reach focus, but I'm not sure if you got one or not?

[@TheAnoniemo]

I managed to get focus with a Raspberry Pi HQ Camera by replacing both the C mount adapter and the plastic ring on the telescope with the set screws for clamping the eyepiece with a 3D printed piece that combines both. Nice thing about this for the Pi camera is that I can capture in IR and visible at the same time without chromatic aberrations like other cheap refractors would give. Managed to get a decent untracked picture of Orion with 600+ 0.5s images stacked, next up I'll try to make a simple star tracker for longer exposures, and some rings to step down the aperature and reduce the coma (tip by Ed Ting). I used it with the Celestron 8-24mm zoom eyepiece for visual which seemed fine, but I don't have any more expensive eyepieces to compare.

[@AstroLaVista]

Nice work! I've thought bout moving the primary mirror up the tube but after removing the cell I can see how risky damage to the primary would be, it's well and truly glued in place. I could shorten the tube but with such a fast mirror I would need to be super precise, so I think the focuser end of things is the best place to modify as you have done :)

[@UrbanGrrl69]

I just found this review looking for some reviews on this scope and the Skywatcher Heritage 76. What BST eyepiece did you use here?

[@AstroLaVista]

Hey there, I used an 8mm BST in this video which worked well for star clusters, though if you wanted a closer view of the Moon I would go with the 5mm BST. Also consider that for the price of a Heritage 76 plus a BST eyepiece you could get a Heritage 100p which has a larger better parabolic mirror and the included eyepieces are a little better than those pesky Huygens: www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian/ref/astrolavista/

[@UrbanGrrl69]

@@AstroLaVista thanks for the advice. I picked up a cheap 76 on eBay so fingers crossed!

[@leesharman91]

Hi. I’ve just got this telescope for Christmas. I’m really new to all this, hence the budget telescope. This video was really helpful for me and I will look at your other videos for help too. Is there any apps, magazines or forums/other KZbinrs to follow to gain more knowledge. Thanks for the vid

[@AstroLaVista]

I would definitely check out the astronomy forum Stargazers Lounge, it's a great place for beginners to learn. Enjoy the new scope!

[@janiswond8556]

Great video, thank you, what was the name/brand of the 8mm eyepiece you were using for better views? many thanks

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi Janis, thank you, that would have been a BST Starguider. Great eyepiece only it costs as much as the telescope.

[@3000KJH]

Hi I just bought that telescope for £20 in a charity shop. Could you recommend a few eyepieces with links ect that would work better than the ones included. Cheers

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

Hey Chris that's a cute little dinky scope you got there! Glad you got clear skies for video and yeah better eye pieces are better for this one. I hope you get great use from this little scope and seeing your images from it will be interesting. Got my backpack sorted out and I'm taking the 50ed guidescope first being lighter and smaller. Just can't wait till I travel up to highlands as I know few quiet spots to start my Astrophotography journey in those dark locations. This little scope will it give you good views of beautiful Saturn? I'm tempted to get it as it's portal and light. I've ordered the smaller dove tail 18cm one for the 72ed as medium one a bit too big. Few nights ago I saw moon but it was cloudy a bit and dark nights are short again. Thanks for this video and stay safe buddy as I just heard there is a new variant of covid-19 from India oh well not to worry. Take care!

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi John mate, Yeah if I get hold of a ZWO mini which can fit further into the focuser to reach focus I would be very keen to give imaging a go with this tiny scope. I'm also looking forward to watching the kids use it :) Sounds like you're all set! I do hope it all goes well for you John, I know you've been planning that trip for such a long time and have been stopped by the obvious. Talking of which I hope we don't have another wave of the obvious. Hopefully the vaccine affords us some immunity from it with a bit of luck. Take care buddy :)

[@aria2565]

I have a problem with my celestron, it turns out that when I point to the orbit of a star I see the small inner mirror instead of the star, and that mirror covers the whole view, what should I do? Also good video, it showed me some things I didn't know about mine

[@AstroLaVista]

It sounds like your star was out of focus if you can see the secondary mirror in the middle of it. Stars should focus to a tiny point of light, was your star a disc with the shadow of the secondary mirror in the middle?

[@eitasistema]

What a great review! Cheers from The brazilian Sky viewer

[@braeboy1]

Hi there, really enjoyed this video as i have recently bought this telescope for my son. You used a BST Starguider eyepiece in the video, would you recommend the 8mm if i was to purchase one?

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi there, thanks! BST Starguider's are easy for kids to use owing to their larger eye lens and large rubber eye cup, though pretty much any eyepiece you buy will be an improvement over the included Huygens eyepieces which are really bad. An 8mm eyepiece will give 38x magnification; good for viewing star clusters like the Pleiades, double cluster, and bright nebulae like the Great Orion nebulae and Andromeda from dark skies. The BST's do cost a fair percentage of the cost of the telescope so you could also consider a simple 10mm Plossl eyepiece which would improve the image quality from the telescope for less money, although these are not as comfortable to use as BST's: www.firstlightoptics.com/astro-essentials-eyepieces/astro-essentials-super-plossl-eyepiece/ref/astrolavista/

[@braeboy1]

@AstroLaVista great info thanks! I will probably heed your advice and go with the plossl 10mm for starters and see how we go from there. Thanks again and enjoying your channel.

[@AstroSoundscape]

This would make a super little starter scope, actually quite staggering for this price. 👍

[@AstroLaVista]

Worth it just for the grab and go mount mate :)

[@sachertorte9806]

Can you please give us a link to the actual eye-piece or pieces that you would recommend for this particular telescope? Going to the site in the description, with hundreds of options to choose from, is a bit of a maze for a beginner. Thank you , greetings from Austrian mountains. Nela.

[@AstroLaVista]

No problem :) Any eyepiece I recommend needs to have a cost proportionate to the low cost of this telescope, and there is one common type of eyepiece that's good but not too expensive called a Plossl. I gave this telescope away to a local boy who was interested in Astronomy and I couldn't bring myself to give him the supplied eyepieces fearing they would put him off the hobby, so I gave him 2 Plossl eyepieces like these ones: www.firstlightoptics.com/astro-essentials-eyepieces/astro-essentials-super-plossl-eyepiece/ref/astrolavista/

[@AstroLaVista]

p.s. The Austrian mountains sound like a very cool place to live! : )

[@sachertorte9806]

@@AstroLaVista thank you so much, I still have a question though. How do I decide between 7,5mm and 56mm which one is for the telescope I just ordered online? It is this one: Celestron Firstscope 76 - 76/300mm (I am lost again). The Austrian mountains are a place with very very low light pollution, so the stars and the sky at night from my balcony look just amazing (I live just over 1000m above sea level). I could not help but - well, start with my first telescope 😁 (am I allowed to bother you here if I have a question when I get "the box in the post" ?) Thanks, Nela.

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

i wonder if someone might explain me how to make good photos through the scope. i have trouble focussing and even more trouble getting the camera lens properly up against the eyepiece. thankees in advance !

[@AstroLaVista]

With this telescope you are best using your smartphone with a smartphone adapter, however these adapters are quite expensive compared to the price of the telescope: www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/celestron-nexgo-smartphone-adapter/ref/astrolavista/ I think you could make a basic smartphone adapter, I might look into this for a video :)

[@sachertorte9806]

what is light and pinion focuser? where is it? Is it in the accessories , or part of the telescope. You use words that us beginners do not really understand... I am listening on, though. Thank you, new subscriber

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi There! A focuser is where you place the eyepiece, and it's the part of telescope that moves in and out so the eyepiece reaches focus. A rack and pinion focuser is just a type of focuser. Other types of focuser include Crayford and helical. Cheers :)

[@catalingiurgiuman3024]

Hey, i'm really wondering, is this telescope any good for viewing the planets with the eyepieces it comes with? i considered buying this since it is pretty cheap compared to other telescopes and i assume there aren't much better choices in this price range.I'm thinking it'll be a good choice for a first telescope.

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi, honestly the eyepieces that come with the telescope are terrible. I think Christiaan Huygen's invented the this type of eyepiece in 1662, and it was ok for the time, but even a simple Plossl eyepiece transforms this Telescope. I've since gifted this telescope to a local boy and I coudn't bring my self to give him the Huygen's and Ramsden eyepieces that came with it. I just thought they would ruin the experience for him, so I gave him two of my Possls.

[@catalingiurgiuman3024]

@@AstroLaVista yeah, probably the best thing to do is to change the eyepieces as you said in the video, thanks for the answer :)

[@geoffreyrudd448]

I bought this telescope and had same issue with 4mm eyepiece, the lens came off and cylinder is stuck.

[@starsandnightvision]

The Sky Watcher Heritage 76/300 is the same thing right?

[@AstroLaVista]

Yep, loads of versions all from the same Synta factory in China.

[@GarnettLeary]

It’s a fantastic scope for kids. I love mine. Mine doesn’t express it’s feelings tho. That’s an awesome upgrade. Go back to school lol.

[@AstroLaVista]

:D

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

how can i tell if the mirror on mine is parabolic? my unit is the '2009 international year of astronomy' version. another youtuber claimed that some versions of this unit have a parabolic mirror.

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi, I'm certain all the 76mm mini Dob variants from the Synta factory in China have spherical mirrors. I did see Rory's (Astrobiscuits) video claiming some had a parabolic mirrors but I think he was mis informed on that point. Love his channel though, I'm not dissing him just I think he was wrong on that point.

[@stanleybest8833]

Celestron really shot themselves in the foot. A parabolic mirror would be so much better a tool for kids to grow into astronomy. It's the same Pyrex disk and mirroring and coating. A 76 MM telescope can still gobble up fancy eyepieces and work with a camera. Please, Celestron and everybody. Make them parabolic.

[@AstroLaVista]

I parabolic version would be nice, still there is the Heritage 100p Mini Dob which is parabolic at least. Good scope that!

[@k.h.1587]

The cost of figuring the mirror is more significant than the materials used. But then again the difference in price between these and the similar 100mm parabolic ones is not that much. But perhaps they needed as much margin as possible on the 76s, because surprisingly, the masses who buy the cheapest scopes are a more significant source of income for telescope companies than the much smaller serious amateur astronomy community.

[@fcoucelo]

Thanks for the review Chris! Trying to decide if I should buy this for 7 year old daughter. It’s priced at 76€ in Europe but for 170€ I can get the CELESTRON STARSENSE EXPLORER 70 LT with Starsense Explorer app. Also looked at the Sky-Watcher Heritage-100P but in Europe it costs the same as the Starsense 70 LT. What Celestron, Bresser, Omegon would you reccomend I buy for my 7 year old? Thank you for your help!

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi Fernando! the Starsense 70LT has much better optics compared to the FirstScope 76, especially for the planets and the Moon because of it's longer focal length. However its on an awful flimsy yoke mount which would be wobbly and frustrating to use. The Sky-Watcher Heritage 100p is a great little telescope with a decently sharp parabolic mirror and sturdy mount, we sell these at First Light Optics for closer to £100 by the time 20% VAT is removed for overseas customers, however the suppliers are out of stock until March 2023 :( www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian/ref/astrolavista/ If you want a tripod mounted refractor I would stretch to the Evostar 90/660 for it's sturdy and easy to use AZ Pronto mount: www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-pronto/sky-watcher-evostar-90-660-az-pronto/ref/astrolavista/ Or maybe the 114ps AZ Pronto, which would be like the Heritage 100p with a touch more aperture and a decent and easy to use tripod and mount: www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-pronto/sky-watcher-skyhawk-1145ps-az-pronto/ref/astrolavista/ In terms of Heritage 100p alternatives also consider the Ursa Major range here, these include decent quality Plossl eyepieces to get the most out of the telescope: www.firstlightoptics.com/ursa-major-telescopes/ref/astrolavista/ Maybe the 102mm table top Dobsonian model? Clear skies! Chris

[@fcoucelo]

@@AstroLaVista thank you for the reply. I’m now trying to decide between a refurbished Bresser 130mm Dobson 5 for 150€ or the Celestron LT 70 for 180€ because of the app to help navigate the sky. What would you reccomended?

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

hi i just bought a version of this celestron, second hand but unused. it came with 5x24 finder, H20, H12.5, H6, H4 eyepieces. given that i paid very little for and that i am not prepared to throw a lot more money into it, what is your recommendation in terms of additions to it to make a more heavenly experience (pun intended)?

[@AstroLaVista]

Eyepieces! The Huygen's eyepieces that come included with these telescopes are simply bad. A couple of Plossl eyepieces will be much sharper than the Huygen's but they are around £20 a pop. You can get them for a tenner on the second hand market though :)

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

thnx for reply. which sizes would you recommend? also, is a barlow lens a significantly worthwhile thing to have and if so then which one? thanks again!

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

@@AstroLaVista i used it first time last night (jan 8-9/2023). not to sound corny, but when i accidentally sighted venus and then tracked its evolution i felt like what i saw was life changing. i think i can live with the H20mm and H12.5mm, but the H6mm and H4mm i will replace with a high quality 6mm. btw i like your humour at the start of the video.

[@k.h.1587]

Even plossls are a huge impact. Heck even kellner and ma/sma would be better, but the plossl will have less chromatic abberation and sharper edges than a kellner in an f4 scope. The problem is the short focal length requires very short focal length eyepieces, which are uncomfortable in any classic design up to the plossl. A barlow lens is a good idea, but i am not sure if it would hold up higher than 4mm equivalent being spherical. At f4 a 2mm equivalent would be about 150x the maximum theoretical power for a 76mm scope. It has been a long time since I played with one of these, i had one sitting next to me at work all day, but i think it really starts to fall apart if you try to go much more than 75x on it. Which is plenty on the moon and enough to see Saturn's rings. Where it excells is super wide field milky way scanning at low powers, especially with a nice max field eyepiece like a 16mm nagler or 24mm panoptic. Not something a beginner is going to havez but even a 25mm plossl is an amazing view. Personally i woild rather have an ST80, or one of the 114mm parabolic f4 mini dobs, that also have the benefit of the vixen dovetail system so you can put the OTA on a small goto mount, and use the dob mount for other scopes like short refractors and 90-102mm maks. I had a lightbridge 114, and a GT mount I was planning on using as a widefield, and goto assist (using a small goto mount to help locate objects in a bigger dob). But i loaned the 114 on its dob base to someone who refused to return it, and the gt mount was one of a few mounts and scopes, among other things, that were in my van when it got impounded and i was prevented from getting it out in time, so i never got to use it in dark skies. Though my SCTs, 4" refractor, and one of my equatorial mounts were safe at home, all but my 4# counterweights were in the van, so i cant even use the 4" unless i get more weights, so if i do try to go out, it looks like my st80 on that mount with the lighter of my 2 remaining compatible tripods, will be the widefield setup, with no goto, not that I really need goto anyway. I only paid $40 for the 114 dob so i didnt press the issue, also since i lost the goto mount i was going to use it with. I did buy a 24mm ES68 for that scope, but also for my 6"dob and ST80.

[@MM0IMC]

I bought one of these second hand from eBay, for a friend. I've not seen it in the flesh as yet, as I had it sent to his address. I've got some surplus supplied Sky-Watcher 25mm and 10mm modified achromat eyepieces, that I'm going to give him. Do you think this will be an improvement of the supplied H and SR ones that he got with the scope?

[@AstroLaVista]

That's a very nice thing to do that for your friend, I actually did very similar with the telescope in this video (gave it to a local lad interested in astronomy - plus a couple of Plossls) Yes anything is better than the Huygen's and Ramsden eyepieces, these were designed for f/15 scope and above so don't belong anywhere near an f/4 reflector in my opinion. I'm sure your friend will love it as a gift with the Sky-Watcher modified achromat eyepieces :)

[@MM0IMC]

@@AstroLaVista the telescope came second hand from the British Heart Foundation ebay shop for under £30 (Inc postage). I bought the eyepieces new from a fellow member of the SGL forum. 😉

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

EDIT: jan 8-9/2023 (not dec 8 -9/2023 -i have not yet mastered time travel) i was lucky to have clear sky/full moon just a few days after obtaining this really great scope. 10pm until 1.30am, local time, (UTC-4) i at random picked a bright light from inside my apt and focussed on it. i then noticed some sort of apparent abheration above and left of it -like a sloppy loop. i focussed on that and it was venus! i tracked it continuously from 10pm-11.15pm and observed spectacular evolutions in the (monochromatic) manner it was illuminated. i then studied the full moon and its craters of which were most stark and apparent along the right side edge of the moon. this unit is fantastic. had i not obtained this i would never have gotten around to astronomy -at any level. this great little telescope makes one realise just how important a good 2way swivel stand is as well as the invaluability of the compact size. my favourite eyepieces are 12.5mm and 6mm. i would like a sharper 6mm and maybe a moon filter. i cannot speak highly enough of this really great little scope. EDIT: as i initially suspected, i missed the totally full moon by one night; the moon's image appeared to be very slightly clipped at its top right edge.

[@vrman4600]

great video man :)

[@AstroLaVista]

Thanks!

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

Such a great review Chris, looks like a great beginner scope at that price point.

[@AstroLaVista]

Thanks Vineeth :) Yeah I think it's a good place to start for a beginner on a tight budget, plus they're in stock which is rare at the moment p.s. I'm thinking about moving the primary mirror up the tube so I can attempt to image with it :D

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

@@AstroLaVista That should be interesting 👍

[@dileonardo.federico]

Can you distiguish Saturn's rings with this telescope regardless of the image quality?

[@AstroLaVista]

Yes you can just about make out Saturn rings looking like two little ears either side of a bright dot

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

i tracked saturn for about 1.25hrs and it was nothing less than fascinating to see the evolution of saturn's appearance as it crossed the sky.

[@KimSevern]

Thanks. So if I get the right eyepiece could a five year old enjoy this?

[@AstroLaVista]

Hi Kim, I think if your 5 year old is space mad go for it. On the other hand my kids have grown up with telescopes about the place and all have only been averagely interested. With an average interest the wow factor of looking through a scope only really clicked with them at around 7 years old. This was the age all 3 of them seemed to get why I spent so much time peering through a telescope on clear nights lol and it was the first time I heard any of them say wow when looking at the craters on the Moon, Saturn's rings, or Jupiter. The Celestron First scope definitely benefits from better eyepieces, the only problem being by the time you've spend 40 quid on a couple of simple but much better Plossl eyepieces you could get the Heritage 100p instead which is noticeably better with its supplied eyepieces compared to the Celestron first scope with upgraded eyepieces. www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian/ref/astrolavista/ If you can stretch it the Heritage 100p it's larger and sharper parabolic mirror is well worth it.

[@rubyx8350]

how would i take a picture of the moon with this just put my phone over the eye piece?

[@AstroLaVista]

It wont reach focus with an astronomy camera, but after this review a gave the telescope away to a local lad and he sent me a picture he took of the Moon using his phone above the eyepiece, so yes.

[@rubyx8350]

@@AstroLaVista thank you very much!

[@andrewpattie358]

Iv got the meade 82mm table top scope can't recommend it as the focuser is really baggie wich is very poor

[@AstroLaVista]

I remember seeing ads for the little Meade Dob's. They looked good but that's a real shame about the focuser slop.

[@andrewpattie358]

@@AstroLaVista yer I must admit I was a bit disappointed I managed to sort it out by rapping it/ putting some packers in and a bit of cutting away at the sides 😬 and now its good👍 but still shouldn't have to spend hours getting it right apart from that it's very good and solid I put a counter weight on the side so I can use a short Barlow or it won't focus, and my zoom eyepiece wich is quite heavy and it holds it well I would say the image isn't as good as my 76mm though, even at the same magnification 🤔 I'm going to get 130mm with md in the next few weeks having the too scopes has really helped me to decide what I'm looking for and I think has saved me a lot of money in getting something that isn't suitable for me and what I want it for and considering both only cost me £100 i think it was money well spent it's great that you do the videos there really helpful I think that some of the people who review stuff forget that not everyone wants to spend 10k on astronomy stuff 🤣

[@TheWoollyG]

I have a Meade Lightbridge Mini 82, and have also owned a Celestron Firstscope 76 and Skywatcher Heritage 76 mini dobsonians. It's clear they all probably come off the same Chinese production line at Synta and they all use the same focusser for standard 1.25 inch eyepieces. The Meade primary mirror.is slightly larger, (I've measured it), and there's nothing wrong with the focussed on my scope, which works very smoothly. The various brands market these mini-dobs as starter scopes, or for kids, but I keep my Lightbridge-Mini in a soft Meade ETX shoulder bag, along with 3 flat-field eyepiece and a x2 barlow, for easy carry to dark sky sites where it's great for viewing wide field deep sky objects, (fair fuzzies), such as the brighter Messier and BBC objects, open clusters and asterisms, like the Cheshire Cat, Leaping Minnow, Kembles Cascade, Brocchis's Cluster, etc. As a grab and go scope for dark sky observing with no need for power or a bulky mount, mini-dobs are really useful tools to have in one's observing lineup, and not to be derided.

[@TheWoollyG]

That should have read NGC objects, not BBC (spellchecker).

[@FernandoFAyala]

mine, everything is seen upside down. what I do?

[@mikebennett2015]

This is normal for an astronomical telescope. As there’s no up or down is space it’s not important. You just have to get used to it when moving the scope.

[@AstroLaVista]

Mike is spot on, there is no up or down in space. If you want a telescope for daytime use maybe look at getting a Maksutov design telescope : )

[@allnamesaretaken]

This is one of the reasons why i recommend refractors as a first scope because almost everyone complains about Newtonians being upside down and struggling to move the telescope because the object comes into view from the opposite side and they all want to use it for daytime. Maks are fine but can be too powerful for daytime use at their lowest magnification to focus in close up or because of the atmosphere.

[@MarkMphonoman]

The scope balances nicely with large eyepieces. Makes me laugh, i owned expensive tripods that don’t operate as smoothly and securely as this little Dob. A fun little scope, but to me it is still just slightly above the level of a toy. A good intro to recreational astronomy.

[@AstroLaVista]

The mount is excellent, but I do agree about the border line optics and try and push folks towards the Heritage 100p with it's parabolic mirror if they can stretch to it.

[@davidphillips8485]

Hi. Chris, I have tested these scops lt has been fixed !! collimated from the factory and I have used my collimation tools also the focuser is loose not stable and tight lt can be used for astronomy but the image I get it's clear in the middle and the the outer edge is blurry 🔭. It's really nice toy and I will not recommend this one. You can't grip the eyepiece because it is a low profile lens and junk quality!!!! Chris, please don't say fuckin when you are recording your self 😮. and those eyepieces are like looking through a straw 🔭