Name: Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ3 102mm Refractor (500mm f/4.9) with Manual Alt-Az Mount
Brand: Sky-Watcher
SKU: SKWS10100
Price: 332.00 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 4.75 (4 reviews)

Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ3 102mm Refractor (500mm f/4.9) with Manual Alt-Az Mount

Sky-Watcher StarTravel

Sky-Watcher

Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ3 102mm Refractor with Manual Alt-Az Mount

Adorama

Optics & Binoculars

Telescopes & Astronomy

Telescopes

Sky-Watcher Telescopes

Sky-Watcher StarTravel 

17% Off: Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ3 102mm Refractor (500mm f/4.9) with Manual Alt-Az Mount Buy now & save $68. Aperture: 4" (102mm), Eyepiece Diameter: 1.25", Type: Refracting

his Sky-Watcher 102mm (4") f/5 telescope is a two-element, air-spaced, fully multi-coated objective, achromatic refractor, which can give exciting "rich field" astronomical views. It can provide excellent vistas of star fields, clusters, nebulae, galaxies, planets, the Moon and (with correct filtering or by projection) the Sun. It is also a fine terrestrial telescope when mounted on an alt-azimuth mount or a photographic tripod.  Crisp images at a reasonable price make it an excellent beginner's "first telescope", or a great travelling telescope for a more advanced observer. Similar to the popular 80mm f/5 refractor, this larger aperture model has more light collecting power at the same focal ratio and accepts 2" diagonals for awesome wide field views, while only a small amount of chromatic aberration and weight.  Weighing about 3kg. (6.5lbs.) the optical tube assembly is readily carried and with a compressed length of approximately 50cm (21.7") it is easily transported. Being a refractor, it is quick and easy to set up and the low- maintenance, enclosed optics come fully collimated from the factory.  The optical tube assembly comes with "tube mounting rings". These hinge open to allow easy installation of the optical tube and the locks can be loosened during use to allow tube rotation and balancing. Mounting the telescope on an alt-azimuth or an equatorial mount is quick and simple with the appropriate mounting plate. This telescope also performs well as a fixed aperture, 510mm lens for both terrestrial and astrophotography.  The "fast" f/5 focal ratio, combined with today's high-speed films, is excellent for capturing lunar and solar eclipses as well as for nature photographs. A solid, equatorial mount and a method of guiding are required for longer exposure astrophotography. A T-mount thread on the eyepiece holder allows direct attachment of an appropriate T-adapter and the optional extension tube gives closer focusing for terrestrial photography.

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.

SkyWatcher Startraveler 102mm telecope review

So happy with this purchase

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.

SkyWatcher 120mm Refractor.

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.

Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ3 102mm Refractor (500mm f/4.9) with Manual Alt-Az Mount

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