Review of the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ - Navigate With Your Phone

[@StargazerFS128]

After you mentioned 51 telescopes that’s all I could think about for the duration of the video, 51 telescopes!!!! what? How? Why? OMG. you are a legend, Mr.Ting.

[@jeremydene24]

This was my first telescope and I have no regrets. Did I have "shaky view" issues? Yes, sometimes. But I mostly used the slow motion control knobs and was very careful to not touch other parts of the scope. As a beginner, I wasn't in "the know" on what it is like to own a more expensive and more stable mount, so I had nothing to compare the experience to. For me, a starter scope with these features for $350 (on sale) was a worthy start. I intended to keep it forever, but gave it to a friend in need of a "starter" kit, and they absolutely love it. I have since replaced it with the StarSense DOB 12, and although on the heavy side, this is a HUGE upgrade that will stay with me forever. StarSense is where it's at for beginners in my opinion. Some do say it's like a "crutch" for not knowing or learning the night sky, but actually, it has aided my journey in understanding what's up there to the point where I now know where things are without the app. Kudos to Celestron for this technology.

StarSense dob 12 looks like a huge telescope. Almost the size of a man! Or is there some smaller 12?

[@rakitakhan]

Thanks Ed ! My son bought me the SS 130 about 2 yrs ago without asking me. I'm grateful to have it, but it's too heavy for me and my bad back. I bought a little 102mm Mak by Sky-Watcher and so far it's doing ok for me. I was excited to see in the background an Edmund Scientific Astroscan. I remember the contest they had for naming it. I always wanted one when I was a teenager.

[@k.h.1587]

Eds main room for his video's always reminds me of the old scope city showroom in costa mesa ca

[@tyler77776]

I have this telescope. Yes the mount sucks, however the StarSense system is FANTASTIC. I can rip around the sky and focus on new objects in

[@artyombeilis9075]

I have seen some SSE around in my local community but _none_ of them on an original scope - all cannibalized. But AstroHopper is actually way more popular in my local community for a good reason 🙂

[@j0807m]

I agree the StarSense works extremely well, and even better the darker your sky is. I bought the cheapest StarSense telescope (LT70) and transfered the StarSense phone holder to my 16" dobsonian. Works perfect and will always have the object close to in the eyepiece of my 30 mm 70° FOV eyepiece 🥳

[@artyombeilis9075]

@@j0807m I removed motors for NexStar SE8 - converted it to manual and put AstroHopper on C8 with 2M long focal length. Works like a charm - much friendlier than the robot.

[@tjzambonischwartz]

I love the Starsense explorer system. I bought the 80az and 3D printed an adapter to connect the dock to any Synta-standard finder dovetail shoe and use it on my dobsonians. I always hated the rigamarole of encoder-based go-to and push-to systems and preferred to star-hop with a Telrad and finder. Starsense explorer splits the difference between the two in the best way imaginable. I even have an old offline iphone to use a dedicated Starsense computer for my telescopes. Since Starsense explorer function is now baked into SkySafari, that addressed all of my criticisms of the Starsense app interface. It's wonderful. I wound up remounting the refractor on a CG4 and it's optically quite good. I use it for doing double star position angle measurements.

[@cletuswa]

TIL! Looks like StarSense-in-SkySafari Plus/Pro is currently iOS-only, but Android "coming soon"!

[@millenialfalcon8243]

Love the StarSense Explorer system. I have made additional docks with a modified phone case and 3in square mirror that I attached to my TelRads on my other scopes. Very quick way to bounce from one object to the next, maximizing my observing time. HIGHLY recommended for beginners to prevent frustrations finding objects and giving up.

[@scottm599]

Would love to see your home-made solution!

[@millenialfalcon8243]

@scottm599 I have pics on the CloudyNights forum. Topic title "DIY StarSense Bracket using a Phone Holster Case" As stated, I mounted the bracket on a Telrad lid. I can swap that lid to any other scope with a Telrad. It should be easy to attach the bracket to a finder riser too.

[@millenialfalcon8243]

@scottm599 I have pics on the CloudyNights forum. Topic title is "DIY StarSense Bracket using a Phone Holster Case"

[@guyjordan8201]

Good review, thanks. I find you in your reviews comforting in this hobby. Seeing as it seems we just lost Orion and Mead to bankruptcy. Thanks for all you do Ed.

[@powertrip1050]

Another great review! You helped me find a great beginner telescope for my daughter at Xmas, and we have had an amazing time looking at our wonderful universe (well, that small bit that we can see, anyway)..Enormously grateful, thank you - you are literally the best!!

[@frankcfv4643]

Got my kids, now adults, a Walmart special one year for Xmas. This week I ordered myself a Celestron StarSense Explorer 10-inch Dob. Found your channel look for lens information. Your two lense video was perfect. Going to upgrade lenses to Tele Vue: 35mm Panoptic Wide View, 27mm Panoptic, 13mm Nagler and maybe, just maybe a 55mm Plossl. Thank you for everything you do.

[@The-nn6kr]

I bought the Celestron StarSense 10” Dobsonian and I couldn’t be happier! The StarSense app is fantastic! My main fear with the app is that I would get lazy and not learn the night sky, but that hasn’t been the case! Star Sense has been a learning aid rather than a replacement.

[@j0807m]

Hello Ed Thank you for the detailed review, of which I agree to many of the points you make. I don't use the telescopes of the StarSense series, but I did buy the cheapest model (LT70) and transfered the phone holder/module to my 16" dob, where it also works perfectly and ALWAYS have the objects placed within and close to the center of the field of view in the 30 mm 70° eyepiece I start every object search with. I only partly agree to your point about the downside of it being a manual telescope, specifically to what you mention about having to continuously track the object and "loosing" the object if you're away from the telescope for a few minutes.. that's exactly where the StarSense adds an extra strength, as you very easily can use it to find and re-center the object again 🙂 I learned the night sky from childhood, star hopping both with and without binoculars, and I still enjoy to some extent to search for an object. But mostly I want to spend my time just looking at objects instead.. and the StarSense helps with that, even for the faintest of object, which can be hard to locate through a finder scope or laser reticle sight. But I also like to use StarSense as an identification tool, when I have observing sessions specifically dedicated to slow, low power sweeps of the star fields, and comes across an object I don't recognize. Then the StarSense identifies it for me, as it continuously does its plate solving while it "follows my lead" 🥳 It's a different way to learn about and get familiar with the night sky, compared to the good ol' way of studying constellation maps in a star atlas before an observing session. I think it could be a new, and even a good and fun way for newcomers to learn about the night sky. At least as a supplement to the conventional way 👍 I look forward to more of your reviews. They are great! Sincerely, Joachim

[@DavidHernandez-nb9oi]

Hi Ed. Your review is spot on. This was my starter scope and I’ve had it for three yrs and everything you pointed out is true. The tripod, mount, focuser are all issues but it’s fun scope👍🏽👍🏽. It’s portable so I take it camping and the StarSense works great. I’ve since graduated to an 8se with avx mount but my 130 is a quick go-to👍🏽👍🏽

[@tkimble6210]

Excellent advice, Ed. I usually advise beginners to get a pair of binoculars and a comfortable outdoor chair.

[@A0111.]

Ed didn't show it, but you can magnify the view in StarSense app during alignment to get it more precise. I was surprised that I RARELY need to re-align StarSense using this mount, and 6"SCT, even if I take my phone out of the cradle. Moving mount around with the phone in shouldn't affect alignment at all, unless you accidentally bump the phone. The only issue I noticed with Starsense app is that it loses navigation if you switch to another app, like answer the phone call, so I have to restart the app. I usually skip alignment in such cases, as it stays spot on.

[@tuRbo-_-crOw]

Oh good im glad you're still active. Love your channel. I can listen and watch this all day. Yes your channel is definitely worth all your hard work. 👍🏼 Liked and subbed

[@dryisi]

I started with a used Orion 8 inch dob. I then purchased a used/cheap ($50) StarSense enabled scope and installed it on my Dobsonian. For a novice stargazer, the StarSense made a huge difference finding objects in the skies.

[@Sk240DC]

Starsense is fantasic, it is so much easier to use than a GOTO. I can setup my 8" dob with starsense phone mount within 5 minutes of arriving at the observation site, with a GOTO mount, taking 15-20 minutes to get it aligned is considered pretty good. Also, with a GOTO mount, the mount slews to where it thinks the target is and there is no confirmation that you're actually on target. The Starsense mount will plate solve and let you know if you're on target or not, very very useful. Regarding the mount issues, Celestron has a 6" Starsense reflector scope on a table top mount for around the same price, maybe that will address some of the concerns with the mount in this review?

[@nickgruber2593]

Thanks Ed for another great video and great content as always

[@korewest]

Hi Ed, there is also the same telescope with a table-top height dobsonian base. I recently picked up this dobsonian 150mm (6") variant of the StarSense Explorer. Thankfully it does not shake like you have shown in the video with the tripod mount, and gets rid of the zenith problem. (all kudos to you for my preference on dobsonians). I specifically chose this for its somewhat portable size and its excellent ability to be plopped down on camping benches / tables / tree trunks. So if you really can't fathom getting an 8" and you really must get the StarSense there is still hope yet :). Just my very amateur opinion for what it's worth.

[@artyombeilis9075]

You already reviewed 2 (or 3) SSE scopes. While SSE is nice tech it requires to purchase an entire scope (or usually cannibalize one from cheap SSE scopes like most users actually do) Can you please review AstroHopper as non-vendor lock in alternative? It is free and open source and solves same problem as SSE but differently 🙂

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

I don't do much visual astronomy these days but part of the fun of visual astronomy for me was finding an object by using a star chart and star hoping. I even used this technique when I first started imaging with a small scope mounted on the original star adventurer tracking mount, which of course doesn't have goto either. There was a definite sense of achievement in finding a dso this way, but it could be frustrating at time's as well. Cheap telescopes are just that, the mount and focuser are often not really upto the job. Both can be replaced with better quality models, but the scope would no longer be a budget offering. If I ever go back to serious visual astronomy I think I would take your advice and go with the 8" Dob,

[@jonathanwalton999]

I have this telescope and we love it. The mount really is an issue. Curious what people have done to make the mount better or what mount you replaced it with.

[@ValeStro]

Thanks a lot for your info, you help me to choose my first telescope

[@evhvariac2]

Another excellent video. Your professionalism is appreciated

[@flydesigner6742]

I bought the dx130az half a year ago because i really liked the star map of Starsense. i was just starting out in astronomy and this was a good starting telescope for me, not too expensive and not cheap, i ignored the wobble of the stand when the seller recommended it and i read about it on the internet. i ended up buying a Skywatcher eq3d stand for it (of course with a new refractor from another brand), this stand is perfect for me for now. but since i lost the star map i started ordering Onstep.

[@prkroon]

Hi Ed, thanks for the good review of this SS scope. Would it be possible to have a review of the Celestron Starsense Explorer 150 (114, 130) mm tabletop which was released a year a go? I can't find decent user reviews of these tabletop scopes. I follow your channel since a week or 2 and find the information very helpful!

[@DarthScheiber]

Good review. May I suggest showing pictures of a few things you see. For example, you said you looked at M45 using this telescope. As a beginner I would like to see a few examples of planets and nebula as seen by this telescope. What lenses, multiplier and/or filters used.

[@DazzaS83]

This was my first scope which i obtained during Covid when i got back into the hobby through wanting to keep amused and moving to the countryside with my wife. The app is great for guidance and the OTA itself is decent but the mount and tripod wobbled even with little wind. I still have it but have since upgraded the mount and moved the cradle over. I agree with Ed what he said before that the starsense works better on the dobsonian. I have upgraded sinc to an 8 inch dobsonian now as well as a 9.25 sct.

[@aliciamilligan-biffis5360]

I have this telescope. Mine came with a 2” eyepiece holder. Maybe they added that very recently??? I just got mine.

[@OlliesSpace]

Hey Ed - Just thought I would mention the Skywatcher AZ-5 is a good manual AltAz mount still available to buy. I would recommend getting the version with the heavier steel tripod. Great review. -Ollie

[@markuswerner6042]

Hi Ed. Thank you for the review. It seems SVbony has a Alt-Azimut Mount (SV225) still in production.

[@MatthieusStuff]

I was going to say this. As well as explore scientific with the twilight 1

[@mikewarkentin8736]

Great video with solid recommendations 3d. I have used this scope a few times with beginners and agree with all of your recommendations re should you buy it. One small correction, you can move the scope on the mount and not have to realign, as the app alignment basically tells the app where the smartphone is with respect to the OTA, not with the night sky. When I have moved the scope, I did have to wait for the smartphone and app to take another couple of pictures, but then I was good to go.

[@edting]

Thanks for the clarification.

[@jmesch04]

I also had problems with the Focuser. I think I found the issue of wobble. When they are manufacturing the assembly of the focuser is appears that somehow the double sided tape is being applied to the wrong side of the pressure bar. This is causing all weird kinds of stick issues. I took the assembly appear and cleaned everything off removing any adhesive from the pressure bar. There are holes keyed for the set screws and they are not mirrored so this was assembled incorrectly as well. Once I put it back together and set the screws correctly all wobble went away. This is an assembly problem and think most could be fixed with some attention to detail in manufacturing. Not sure what to do on the mount yet 😂. Love the software and it’s a great star party scope. Last year I used it during Halloween to show kids the planets and think I started the hobby for some young ones. Almost 300 kids look through this scope.

[@StarlancerAstro]

51 scopes! Can I be like Ed when I grow up :D

[@poppyk.8036]

Best parts of it: 2 minute set up on the balcony, about 1 minutes to start the app and find an object, observe for 20 minutes or so and then go back inside! Mount and focuser are causing a lot of frustration though :p

[@kasa6038]

You know it is a good presenter when you watch the video but don't have any interest in actually buying the product. Thanks as always Ed!

[@jonathanwalton999]

What AZ mount (that is readily available) would you suggest?

[@_rlb]

I mounted an SSE cradle (off of the cheapest model which is a crap telescope) onto my 8" Evolution. I don't use the goto anymore - I love the Starsense Explorer cradle and app.

[@ericfrizzell2450]

Hi Ed! 51 scopes! I don't feel so bad now! I only got 8 scopes. Clear skies

[@edting]

Yeah, and 12 of them aren't even mine! I need to at least get the loaned scopes back to their owners.

[@millenialfalcon8243]

The other big issue with this mount is the bottom leg clamps. Mostly poor strength plastic with a bolt. On mine, I have to screw the bolts very tight to prevent the legs from slipping. But it is very easy to overtight the clamps, cracking the plastic clamps.

[@A0111.]

Yes, broken leg clamps are a common issue with this tripod. The black coating is very smooth that makes legs to slide down, so people overtighten the clamps. I'm thinking to spray paint some legs side surfaces with black paint to get more grip.

[@leemcdannold]

One of my leg clamps completely broke from "over" tightening, which was the only way I could keep the legs locked in place. Are there any fixes for this that people have found?

[@millenialfalcon8243]

@leemcdannold Mine is only a little cracked and still usable, so I haven't figured out a fix yet. Maybe some long hose clamps.

[@Agent-vj3ns]

​@@leemcdannoldi bought a dobsonian mount

[@mediocrefunkybeat]

SVBony offer a relatively inexpensive alt-az mount much like the Orion. I'd be interested in your thoughts on it.

[@Kwayzar_]

The telescope shop Im on has a very similar looking telescope without "DX" part of the monkier. Struggling to figure out if its the same scope.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

Interesting evaluation.

[@MichaelEdelman1954]

For those really drawn to StarSense: There are several apps for iPhone and Android that allow you to use your phone as a finder if you can rig a clamp to hold the phone to the scope.

[@nman2563]

You didn't comment on the optical quality?

[@talesoftheinlandseas5063]

hey ed, im wondering if you have any thoughts on the recent news about Orion and Meade. As a budget astronomer, Orion has been a friend for some time and I am deeply saddened to see it go.

[@jongroubert4203]

Their intellectual property will be bought up by some other astro-company, and they'll return. Not as the same companies, not as the companies we knew. But the products will come back eventually.

[@edting]

That's all we have been talking about this past weekend. Let's see what this week brings.

[@Youtuber-ku4nk]

It would be interesting to see a comparison between a GSO Newtonian or dobsonian and an Orion, Celestron or Sky-Watcher, since those who have tried a GSO say that they have better optics, and they cost the same. It would be relevant for when you recommend dobs for beginners. Also, if GSOs in fact are better, beginners and other people buying a dob or newt should at least consider one instead of just buying the default Orion or Sky-Watcher just because of brand recognition. We do want to optimize what’s going into your nice eyepieces 😊

[@googlecrazy657]

You should try the 114 tabletop version of that

[@davidkerski7147]

I have a StarSense on a 10 inch dobsonian and a late model Samsung phone. I had the problem mentioned with the StarSense not working, saying it could not find any stars. I solved this by first just using the camera to look at the night sky. It selects the best camera/lens to view the sky, which then carries over to the StarSense, allowing it to work fine. So every night I mount the phone, turn on the camera, see a few stars, then switch over to the StarSense app, seems to solve the problem.

[@mesenteria]

I enjoyed this comprehensive review. It really is too bad for all newcomers to the hobby to have to go through all the heavy, up-front, learning that such feeble engineering and materials require. The Starsense module is worth the price of a $200 scope to some, but really a newish smart phone using Astrohopper or Stellarium or SKy Safari is going to provide the same capability for free or for a few bucks for the 'pro' versions.

[@10ozGold]

Could this Explorer DX 130AX be used for landscapes 5 miles (8 kilometers)? Would images be right-side up? Or please recommend an alternative. Thanks in advance.

[@edting]

You need something called a spotting scope. It's not my area of expertise. 5 miles is a lot of atmosphere to look through.

[@snifrbelin]

@9:00 Good thing you could find the moon with the starsense. 😊😊

[@edting]

Actually the moon is a good test. Someone taught me this a long time ago. If you want to test any electronic telescope, make it go to the planets or the moon. You'd be surprised how many of them fail, and fail badly.

[@tranxuannhon]

I just bought a reflector telescope D114F640, it look very nice image at 100 times magnification

[@gwuengr2]

There is an alternative: The 150mm tabletop version with the optional tripod. It is excellent and very portable.

[@jongroubert4203]

I'll disagree somewhat. The tabletop version is only as stable as the tabletop you put it on. If you've got a great big heavy picnic table where you're going to be observing from, great, you're in good shape. Otherwise, not so much.

[@gwuengr2]

@@jongroubert4203 note I stated with the optional tripod..with the tripod I found the telescope to be stable, portable and easy to use.

[@prkroon]

It seems you are the owner of a starsense explorer 150 mm tabletop. So the mount is (much?) better as the mount evaluated by Ed? And the optical achievements of this 6 inch tabletop? Enough for DSO's? A bigger aperture is always better but 8/10 inch dobson telescopes are getting heavy and become not practical for portability reasons. I am in favour to buy the 150 mm tabletop but I do not want to be disappointed if the optical results are not as expected!

[@gwuengr2]

@@prkroon So I’ll let you in on a little secret (imo). I bought the 130 Ed reviewed about 18 months ago and immediately sent it back; the mount is so unstable I’m pretty sure starsense struggled to maintain its position.

[@gwuengr2]

@@prkroon I recently bought the tabletop 150mm and it’s one of the best telescopes I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned many. Under Bortle 3 skies I was able to make out structure in the Whirlpool (m51).

[@confidentstreetlamp1762]

What do you think of using a William optics guidestar 61 visually? I can’t afford a better apo since it is on offer for £270

[@edting]

That should be good. You might be able to find an Astro-Tech AT72 (and its clones, I don't know what name they go under in the UK) for about the same price. The most important thing is to get a good solid mount. The better the refractor, the better the mount...

[@garylawson5381]

I heard Orion Telescope went out of business. I tried calling them a few days ago and couldn't get an answer. Do you know if they went out of business?

[@edting]

That has been a huge topic of discussion this weekend. Let's see what Monday brings.

[@johnrobison1413]

I just bought a second hand Meade 8 inch f6 on a massive GEM, something I can just barely pick up. I’m fairly handy and will build a dob base for it. Although at 75 I swore I’d never get aperture fever, it looks like I caught it after all. Will put azimuth degree scale and elevation scale also, there are several apps that will show that data in real time and you just push to with your lowest power eyepiece to locate.

[@DevilsInc323]

Question do you got to align the telescope every time you visit a new location?

[@edting]

Yes.

[@Sk240DC]

For low cost alt-az mount, there is a new one by Svbony, SV-225, for well under $200. You will need a tripod for it, however. My friend has one and said it is more stable than a Vixen Porta mount that he also owns.

[@DMGinc77]

I have the Celestron DX5, i love it. Sure the mount is pretty bad. I think the SCT model is way better. I've 3D printed a finder base to it, so i can use it with every telescope i want. Very easy mod to do, and also you can take it off and use it normally. You just see inserts in the bottom of the dock.

[@k.h.1587]

I bought a used st80 a few years ago, but i dont think I actually had a first light with it back then. I first used it the last 2 nights, the first was cloudy and I was barely able to catch the moon a few times it peeked through sucker holes. Last night it was clear, and it gave enjoyable moon views, i even had it up to 200x on the moon with a 4mm omni plossl

[@emranismail]

Im looking for an art canvas like the ones behind you, where can I find some quality ones?

[@edting]

I thought about selling these prints, but they are expensive to make shipping costs are prohibitive.

[@emranismail]

@@edting do you know any1 that does sell them? I want a nice piece to put in my room but cant find any reputable sellers

[@vbikcl]

Ed, did you do any tests to see if it's a parabolic or spherical mirror?

[@jongroubert4203]

It's a parabolic mirror.

[@vbikcl]

@@jongroubert4203 Thanks. Has that been verified by users? Celestron has questionable consistency in their messaging about their 130mm F/5 reflector mirrors and user tests of the AstroMaster 130EQ show it is a spherical mirror.

[@robertsonsid]

The "Sparta" mount and SVBONY SV225 mounts are low-cost mounts that might be good review subject.

[@xtraflo]

Wish he would finally review the Celestron 130SLT I like it but would like to hear his take on it!!!

[@edting]

I usually tell people to avoid all SLT models. They are cheaper versions of the NexStar se mount and I'm not thrilled with the NexStar as it is.

[@xtraflo]

@@edting Yay!! I've asked about this in the past!! Is the Telescope itself decent? Seems very similar to this DX 130ZX you just reviewed? Except, I'm fairly sure the Eyepiece actually accepts a 2 inch Eyepiece...?

[@xtraflo]

@@edting Thanks -BTW !!

[@jongroubert4203]

@@xtraflo I completely disagree. I've got the 127SLT, and it's fine. Keep the tripod legs low - use a chair to observe - and you'll keep the center of gravity low . . . and thus the vibrations low, too. Also, use anti-vibration pads if you're observing on concrete or asphalt. (It's better to observe on ground/earth because it absorbs a lot of the vibrations.). Yes, you need a light touch when you focus, but you can do that. The 130SLT telescope is EXACTLY the same telescope as the 130DX in this review. No difference.

[@xtraflo]

@@jongroubert4203 I've had my 130SLT for a few years now and I Love it! Plenty of optional add-ons and compatibilities available for it and I've bought quite a few. I've seen some great images of our Skies! I'm really surprised that Ed hasn't done a review on either of our scopes??

[@lornaz1975]

Ed that Orion mount is currently sold under Explore Scientific as their Twilight I mount.

[@vbikcl]

Svbony also has a variant of that mount - the SV225. It doesn't come with a tripod though.

[@gigglecon999]

Can you take pics using the app?

[@edting]

No, that is something called a smart scope.

[@Markaras]

I want a telescope recommendation at any price, any size, for the night sky, (moon, planets, nebulae, galaxies). Needs to be really good and have correct orientations, (up - down, left - right), in the eyepiece. If not, then it has to be able to accept a diagonal or something to correct the orientations, without any loss on the quality of view, thanks.

[@EdwardRLyons]

Great review. My problem with the whole Starsense idea is that you are supposed to be doing visual observing through the eyepiece. So, presumably you dark adapt to see the faint fuzzies like nebulae and galaxies. But every time you look at your phone you destroy your dark adaptation. So you're really limited only to viewing brighter objects, which are generally so easy to find that Starsense isn't necessary. It just makes no sense to me. Other than as a marketing gimmick to sell telescopes.

[@A0111.]

Turn Night Mode on. Red ligh doesn't affect night vision much.

[@EdwardRLyons]

@@A0111. That's not quite true. Dim red light will work. Brighter red light will not. The "black" part of phone screens still emit a certain amount of white light, too. Even in "night" mode, phone screens are still too bright not to affect dark adaptation. That's been my experience, anyway.

[@A0111.]

@@EdwardRLyons Black parts of most modern phone displays (OLED) don't emit ANY light. Brightness doesn't really matter if the light is pure red, and it is in StarSense night mode if your phone has OLED display. Make display dimmer if you want, but rods in human eyes are insensitive to wavelengths longer than about 640 nm. Red OLED is 630nm, so as I said, it doesn't affect you much.

[@blobrana8515]

I would avoid this telescope. But the star sense is great for beginners and for casual observers.

[@peter7624]

I think the starsense device is made to appeal to those people who are more into their phones than they are telescopes, or maybe they feel more comfortable using an app to help them navigate the night sky, but really there is no substitute for learning your way around the constellations with the naked eye, it's all a part of the learning process. Great video as always Ed, thanks for posting.

[@A0111.]

Yes, but many people buy telescopes, and "can't see anything". Starsense is a great help for a beginner.

[@jongroubert4203]

"but really there is no substitute for learning your way around the constellations with the naked eye, it's all a part of the learning process." So so soooo very wrong. Your statement is exactly like saying, "there's no substitute for learning how to drive from New York to Cincinnati." Yeah, there is: it's called the GPS system in your phone that will tell you exactly how to get from any point A to any point B. The StarSense system is no different. Just like no one needs to know how to drive from New York to Cincinnati any longer, no one, and I mean NO ONE, needs to learn the sky any longer. That's a 20th century attitude.

[@terry58501]

Starsense is not compatible with every phone. The Google Pixel pones are iffy at best. I've also found that zooming in on the target with the crosshairs helps with alignment. Mine came with an adapter for 2 inch eyepieces.

[@KingLoopie1]

It's too bad that Celestron makes you buy the whole setup and that they didn't just make the starsense a separate option with just a tube mount. I might get one if that were the case but the last thing I need right now is another ota and another useless mount hanging around the house after I rob the starsense and adapt it to my other ota's. I don't have 51 telescopes, but I have enough to put 2 or 3 in every room of the house...

[@k.h.1587]

Bird Jones and other spherical newtonians are definitely an optical problem. I am pretty sure the 130 is parabolic though, like the 130slt

[@jongroubert4203]

This is not a B-J scope. It is parabolic.

[@k.h.1587]

@@jongroubert4203 you must have one of the early ones. They have been spherical for a long time now

[@k.h.1587]

@@jongroubert4203 you must have an early one, they have been spherical (but still f5, not bird jones) for a long time, but when they came out they were parabolic. The astromaster 114 has always been bird jones though.

[@grantsorenson4113]

Well Ed this review was much better than your last one around the Seestar which you got a lot of things wrong and for sure was not a fair review. I agree on everything you said around the starsense 130AZ. The mount being the worst part of this scope very shaky and unstable. What I do not get is why Celestron just does not sell the starsense system on its own seperately and allow users to self mount it on your own scope? makes no sense to me....The starsense system is good for finding celestrial targets but very very limted system without tracking. Of course once you find the target you want to be able to track it right? Honestly for the money spent on the 130AZ you might as well buy a Seestar...

[@edting]

Thank you. The SeeStar review is correct. If anything I went easy on the device. I didn't even talk about how much it sucks on the planets. Wait. They're fixing its flaws as we speak.

[@grantsorenson4113]

@@edting well unless you have a mak or sct scope most scopes of low focal length suck on planets you need high focal length period. This is already a known limitation of the Seestar so that really is a ridiculeous and idiotic comment Ed. ZWO never advertised the Seestar for planetary but Deep sky, etc. You need to grow up a bit and learn to take some fair criticism and learn from your mistakes obviously I hit on a sore spot. Takle care.

[@fermoCR]

Thanks for a great video! I'm on the market for a new OTA for visual astronomy, I got a Orion Atlas EQ-G mount with a payload capacity of 40lbs. Anyone has a recommendation for someone that does only visual? I'd like to keep a good light collection for DSO's

[@edting]

An 8" SCT comes to mind!

[@fermoCR]

@@edting thank you sir!

[@marcov9808]

Just buy the cheapest Celestron that has the mount directly on the tube. Remove the mount add magnets and buy an Apertura Dobsonian. Thats probably the only setup you'll ever need.

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

Much better to buy a 100/1000 mm F10 achromat for the same price. On the planets and the Moon it will be clearly better and on DSO it will be just as good. But you won’t have to collimate it and it will have very fast cool down time.

[@dieguerrero]

Thanks for the review Ed!! Wow...the focuser design is absolutely the stupidest thing I've ever seen. Putting a 2" size focuser that can't use 2" eyepieces...my God what were they thinking? If weight was a concern, why not just use a 1.25" focuser???? Did the designer actually ever use a telescope?

[@deltacx1059]

4:07 stelarium and a 90° bracket gets you almost the same thing.

[@StarlancerAstro]

And just like that the Orion is gone, maybe they will come back as a new company in the future.

[@edting]

I really hope that isn't true. Here's hoping...

[@arcadioherrera]

In my case, does not work in light contaminated sky.

[@edting]

Yes, that is a problem...

[@jongroubert4203]

In our case, it did. We used it in a parking lot, with parking lot lights, less than an hour after sunset, when the sky wasn't fully dark yet. The StarSense was pulling down stars we couldn't even see yet.

[@artyombeilis9075]

@@edting yes I've heard it from some users if there are lights around or objects obscuring some of the sky you'll have issues. It is one of the advantages of open-source/free alternative many mention here - AstroHopper - as long as you identify some stars visually you are good to go.

[@richardpallechio257]

51 telescopes!!! Are you single? If not, you've got to tell us how you convinced your partner to let you have that many telescopes in the house. I'm at four and just got permission to bring in number 5.

[@jongroubert4203]

Ed, you literally answered your own complaint. "The mount is too unsteady when you move the tube by hand." "I didn't use the slo-motion controls; I always moved the tube by hand." You see the problem here? If you do move the tube with the slo-motion controls, your complaint against it is fully answered. You don't have the vibration problems you identified. As for the problems focusing it, and inducing vibrations, you're only focusing once, not constantly. Once you achieve the correct focus, that too is no longer a problem. That's really quite an unfair attack on an otherwise very good system. Oh, and by the way, Orion went under on Wednesday. Gone, goodbye. So, there go those recommendations.

[@artyombeilis9075]

I think there is lots of "overrating" for mount. While I agree good mount is good there are plenty of mounts that are good enough and fully useable. Yes, they may not be as stable as some better mounts but they are good enough.

[@jongroubert4203]

@@artyombeilis9075 Yeah, while I love Ed and his reviews, he's approaching them from a perspective - his perspective - of having been in the hobby for 30 years or more. What he forgets is that people buying introductory scopes are not at his level. Not even close. He reviewed the SeeStar a few weeks and similarly pooh-poohed it as not being up to snuff. I'm sorry, but $500 for a complete astrophotography rig? And he's expecting the performance of an EQ6-R Pro? That, too, is quite unfair. The 130DX and the SeeStar are not only good enough, they're more than good enough; for a beginner. And Ed can't see that.

[@Foxman114]

The slow motion controls are on spring stalks. They constatnly shake and wiggle. If your mount is shaky, they will keep it shaking so the slow motion controls wouldn't make a difference. Also, you have to constantly touch it to focus and If the mount is shaking it's almost impossible to focus. If you can't focus, then there's no point.

[@jongroubert4203]

@@Foxman114 All slo-motion controls are on spring stalks, so this mount is no different than any other. As for the slo-motion controls causing the scope to wiggle, you haven't used any slo-motion controls lately. They don't. I'll grant you that you have to touch it to focus, and that that will impart shaking. But - constantly? Who's focusing constantly?

[@running2standstill685]

I got the astromaster 130 eq instead, on sale at almost 50%. As a relative begginer i learned to use the eq mount and i just use the astrohopper free app to locate difficult to find DSOs.

[@artyombeilis9075]

Does astrohopper deal well with EQ mount?

[@running2standstill685]

@@artyombeilis9075 good question, mount the astrohopper when you are at the vicinity of your target when all you have to to is move the RA or DEC a bit, but yes it does work

[@running2standstill685]

@@artyombeilis9075 and i just use a rubber band and a thin wrapping foam to mount the smartphone on the tube

[@artyombeilis9075]

@@running2standstill685 good to know. I've read numerous reports it works but I still try to understand how well. I designed it with AZ mount in mind but I continue to receive reports that it works on EQ as well. How do you connect it to OTA?

[@benedetto1975]

as far as I'm concerned, the app doesn't work, it always says it can't find the telescope, and the quality is also terrible, a toy that costs 500 dollars, I took it and destroyed it and put some garden flowers in it. The only use

[@parks51998]

I dont use it. I bought an 8 in dob with it. Phone didn't work with it (celestron said it would). Got a new phone eventually app worked ok, but I had already learned much of the sky, so I don't use it. Another gimmick, save your money, and buy a better scope.

[@Steven-l5y8x]

Did you say less to learn at the beginning of the video Ed? That's why everyone is getting dumber. Let's go back to learning! Memorization is how we learn. Not using smart devices! Sorry for being curt. It touched a nerve. Yes, it will get people exploring.

[@jongroubert4203]

So so soooo very wrong. Your statement is exactly like saying, "there's no substitute for memorizing how to drive from New York to Cincinnati." Yeah, there is: it's called the GPS system in your phone that will tell you exactly how to get from any point A to any point B. The StarSense system is no different. Just like no one needs to know how to drive from New York to Cincinnati any longer, no one, and I mean NO ONE, needs to learn the sky any longer. That's a 20th century attitude.

[@hmuphilly9129]

The mount is terrible though and thats how starsense gets to you if youre not a DIY person

[@-vermin-]

There's really no excuse for such a terrible mount in this day and age, where every engineer and their dog has access to finite element analysis. It's just penny pinching and profiteering of the worst kind.

[@jongroubert4203]

Sorry, but it's not "such a terrible mount". Unfortunately, Ed is approaching this product with the perspective - his perspective - of having been in the hobby for 30 years or more. And his critiques are coming from an expert level. What he forgets is that people buying introductory scopes are not at his level. Not even close. He reviewed the SeeStar a few weeks and similarly pooh-poohed it as not being up to snuff. I'm sorry, but $500 for a complete astrophotography rig? And he's expecting the performance of an EQ6-R Pro with a 115mm apo? That, too, is quite unfair. The 130DX and the SeeStar are not only good enough, they're more than good enough; for a beginner. And Ed can't see that.

[@kevchard5214]

Its sad that even this hobby is becoming electronic addicted. I dont understand buying a electronic mount that will fail in a year and cost thousands of dollars just because the people are too lazy to turn a knob and use a star chart.

[@M0unta1n777]

Not sure where you got the one year figure from but go-to/ push-to mounts have been around for decades and they are very mature technologies. StarSense is just a clever implementation of push-to that utilises a smartphone so there’s no electronic components on the telescope package, hence reducing cost (So they don’t cost thousands of dollars). Some people simply want to look at different objects without having to learn star hopping, either because they’re not interested or because they can’t due to light pollution. In the end both methods serve the same purpose, albeit with one being much quicker and much more convenient. Complaining about the tech is like complaining about the use of electronic calculators because people are ‘too lazy to use a slide rule’ or the use of digital cameras because people are ‘too lazy to develop films’. There’s so much more to astronomy than recognising the constellations I don’t think it is healthy to gatekeep our hobby just because it is becoming more accessible. Also planetarium softwares are far superior to paper star charts for sooooo many reasons.

[@tyler77776]

Lol. An “electronic mount”. It’s a piece of plastic you put a phone into. The SS system is great for beginners because it prevents the “well I can’t find anything.”. Then the telescope goes in the closet for 3 years.

[@kevchard5214]

@@tyler77776 That is the reason why everyone should watch Eds videos before buying a scope.

[@kevchard5214]

@@M0unta1n777 Obviously you are a electronics fanatic from your LONG comment. The main point of star gazing is to learn and find things in the sky not have a computer do it for you. That is just plain lazy. This mentality of laziness is why one day no one will be able to find things in the sky because they cant read. The point of astronomy is exploring not having a self driving Tesla (which you probably have) bringing you there.

[@M0unta1n777]

@@kevchard5214 Not sure how those ad hominem attacks and name calling help demonstrate your point but: 1) You can look up the definition of star gazing in any reputable dictionary and it simply means looking at the stars or objects in space. You’re entitled to your opinion on what the main point of this hobby is but I respectfully disagree. Being able to match some pattern of stars in the sky with a star chart isn’t learning, it is just basic pattern recognition. Those stars appear to be there becuase of the earth’s location in the universe and most of the time those stars have no physical relation with each other whatsoever. Being able to recognise them doesn’t mean you’re smart. Real learning comes knowing and understanding what you’re looking at. To achieve that you pick up a book or attend a lecture. 2) Calling people lazy and suggesting that it means they are unable to read and won’t be able to find things in the night sky really is some next level boomer mindset. Ironically I don’t think you’ve read my comment thoroughly enough to understand it because I’ve already proposed some reasons to why one would prefer having an electronically assisted pointing system over doing it manually. 3) I suggest watching the video ‘The (Professional) Backyard Astronomy’ by sixty symbols here on KZbin where Professor Merrifield talks about his experience with his first smart telescope. At the 0:30 mark he admitted that he doesn’t even know how to set up a telescope, yet he is a PROFESSIONAL Astronomer. Is he lazy? Maybe. Does that mean he can’t read? You tell me lol