Sky-Watcher StarTravel 120mm f/5 Refractor Telescope with Manual Alt-Az Mount (AZ3)

2021-11-07T04:52:38

Well packaged, arrived in excellent condition. Performs as advertised as a "grab and go" scope that is light weight. AZ3 mount not as smooth as one might like out of the box and adjusting the bolt tension will help with that issue. Nice balance of first telescope with dual use as terrestrial scope so it won't collect dust in the closet if astronomy turns out not to be your thing and you stick with daytime birding. Achromatic refractor telescope with f/4.9 best for deep sky observing but for serious astrophotography you will probably upgrade later to better optics in a refractor or reflector scope. The photo shows it just fits in a Monoprice Weatherproof Hard Case - 22 x 14 x 8 Inches. I added a 90º star diagonal for sky observing in addition to the 45º prism diagonal that came with the kit. Also added a 8-24mm zoom lens that avoids lens changing while looking at wildlife that tends to move out of the frame quickly.

JAMES D.

2021-01-10T08:43:26

Works perfectly! Great for beginners!

OWEN S.

2020-11-15T12:28:24

Bought this to replace a 8" Celestron that was more than this 83 old could handle any more. Initial observations indicate a much better all around scope in terms of performance, weight, and grab n go.

Charles B.

2019-12-06T12:24:56

This is everything it is said to be. Although the pic is a little deceptive, the finder is a red-dot device, not a small scope. The tripod is very sturdy, but operating instructions a bit vague. I was suprised to find the tube rings bolt directly to a bracket of the tripod, rather than to a vixen-style bracket. That arrangement would make putting up and taking down the scope assembly noticably simpler, especially in the dark! I guess Sky Watcher expects users to leave the whole rig assembled. Not a real practical idea in today's light polluted world. I was also a bit disappointed that the packaging was not really useful for storing or transporting the scope. Also, the front cap doesn't fit all that well. I is a pretty loose fit to the inside of the fixed dew shield. Optically, scope very nice, rugged, and sturdily made. Tripod, as noted, also very solid, works smoothly, very little jitter. All in all, a great scope, especially at the price. The supplied eyepieces were pretty generic looking, and probably not very state of the art. Fortunately, I had a good selection of modern Plossls, as well as other accessories. The scope comes with an erecting prism. No idea how much light lost to it.

David B.