Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ-MD has arrived

ninja 12

My new Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ-MD ( and a Planisphere ) got delivered by the postman yesterday
I only ordered them on Thursday , and got free shipping from Amazon .

Here it is sitting in it's new home under the stairs .



All I have to do now is learn how to use it properly , and hope for cloudless nights

No doubt , I'll have plenty of questions for the experts out there .

Popoutman

The best of luck with it. You'll see many fine sights with it.

peterako

You've really lucked out!!

Normally when someone gets a new 'scope it clouds over....but it looks like it's going to be a gloriously clear week, and the moon will be coming back soon too!

Enjoy!!

Peter

mickger844posts

Been thinking about getting a telescope for ages now and seeing your new purchase has pushed me over the edge i think. Must check out Amazon

Edit: Took the plunge and ordered. Just a question, where is the best place online to get a Barlow for this Telescope??? I take it that it would be required as stock magnification is 33x

ninja 12

Thanks for the positive comments .

@ mickger844posts , did you order the same one ? The one with the motor ?


I looked out at about 7 last night and it was just about dark enough , and there were a few bright stars out , so I lifted my new scope out into the back garden .

There was a bright object low in the sky , roughly facing west , so I decided to point my scope at it .

I didn't bother with polar aligning the scope , I just wanted to point it at various object ad try it out .

I have the star pointer viewfinder pretty well aligned , and didn't find it too bad .

Anyway , I got the bright object centered , put in the eyepiece and looked in .

Guess what I saw , a planet :eek:, with 4 moons :eek: :eek:

I ran inside , fired up Stellarium , and discovered I was looking at Jupiter and it's moons

I went back outside and swapped eyepieces and looked again . I got a better view than before . Both the planet and it's moons were a little larger and easier to see

The planet looked like a small silver disc , and the moons were easiy visible , arranged in a straight line .

I assume that to see proper detail , a better eyepiece is needed .

I also had a look at Sirius and Betelgeuse , and they looked like diamonds sparkling away in the eyepiece .


Overall , I'm delighted with my purchase .

---

I have disconnected the motor from the mount , so that I can get used to using the scope properly , and make minor adjustments of it's aim , ( the motor and R.A slow cables can't be both used at the same time )

I'll reconnect the motor when I start polar aligning and using the scope properly .

---

I have a quick question , I hope someone can answer -

I left the scope outside for about an hour and then went back outside for another look .
The scope was pretty damp , and the mirror had fogged a little .
When I brought in inside , I looked down the tube and to my horror saw little rivers of water running down the mirror :eek:

I left it overnight , with the opening pointing downwards , and it seems to be clean and clear today .

Is this normal ?
Will it damage the mirror / scope ?

Thanks .

peterako

There shouldn't be any noticable damage to the mirror. And viewing.

Apparently it IS usual, but it's not happened to me yet.

When I'm not using the scope I tend to keep the covers on it, maybe that makes a difference.

You WILL get fogging on the mirrors if you bring it from cold to warm (outside to inside).

On the lenses, if you get a 6.4mm lens or a 2x barlow with the 10mm you'll see bands on Jupiter

You'll get decent views of The Great Nebula in Orion with the lenses you have.

Stay up late tonight and point at Saturn!!

My first views of Saturn through the Astromaster

Clear Skies

Peter

mickger844posts

I ordered the same one as you Ninja with the motor. Did you order a Barlow x2 as well as i'm looking for a decent one online and am not sure if Amazon have the best price and quality ?? Also for those in the know is the T adapter to hook up a DSLR camera a generic size or does it vary per telescope ??

ninja 12

peterako wrote: »

There shouldn't be any noticable damage to the mirror. And viewing.

Apparently it IS usual, but it's not happened to me yet.

When I'm not using the scope I tend to keep the covers on it, maybe that makes a difference.

You WILL get fogging on the mirrors if you bring it from cold to warm (outside to inside).

On the lenses, if you get a 6.4mm lens or a 2x barlow with the 10mm you'll see bands on Jupiter

You'll get decent views of The Great Nebula in Orion with the lenses you have.

Stay up late tonight and point at Saturn!!

My first views of Saturn through the Astromaster

Clear Skies

Peter

Thanks for that ,

I had a look at a few forums and there's a lot of people get condensation / dew building up on their telescopes . It doesn't seem like there's much to worry about .

Cool pics

mickger844posts wrote: »

I ordered the same one as you Ninja with the motor. Did you order a Barlow x2 as well as i'm looking for a decent one online and am not sure if Amazon have the best price and quality ?? Also for those in the know is the T adapter to hook up a DSLR camera a generic size or does it vary per telescope ??

Hi ,
I haven't ordered any eyepieces yet . I'm going to take my time and get used to using the scope and the eyepieces that came with it .

The same goes for the camera adapters . I'm going to wait a while .

I think the T adapter is universal - click here, but the T ring is specific for different camera models .


There is also a universal camera adapter - here .

Hope this helps .

Ninja 12

mickger844posts

Just got mine this morning. Only 2 days for delivery. Now to set it up and start viewing. Happy days

ninja 12

mickger844posts wrote: »

Just got mine this morning. Only 2 days for delivery. Now to set it up and start viewing. Happy days

Congrats , and have fun

mickger844posts

Any tips on how to align the Star pointer as i was trying for a few hours earlier to get a lock on Jupiter but no joy????
Did get to see a nice few stars close up but wasn't sure what they were as was just free styling and getting focus. Overall is a nice piece of kit but will take a bit of time to get used to it but thats part of the fun

peterako

I just gave up on the star pointer on the Astromaster

In the end I learned how to point the 'scope by lining up objects through the gap in the tube rings (where they open/close on the tube).

Still not as good a as a proper star pointer, but much better than the stock pointer.

Other owners have mounted a camer on the tube rings and used this as a much more effective pointer.

The Astromaster tube rings should have a camera mount on it already. Mine does.

Clear skies,
Peter

mickger844posts

peterako wrote: »

I just gave up on the star pointer on the Astromaster

In the end I learned how to point the 'scope by lining up objects through the gap in the tube rings (where they open/close on the tube).

Still not as good a as a proper star pointer, but much better than the stock pointer.

Other owners have mounted a camer on the tube rings and used this as a much more effective pointer.

The Astromaster tube rings should have a camera mount on it already. Mine does.

Clear skies,
Peter

So if i mount a digital camera on the tube rings and use this as a viewfinder it would be better than the star pointer??? Would that be very accurate?? Would it not just see the star pointer?? Will have a look at the telescope and see how it would work.

ninja 12

mickger844posts wrote: »

Any tips on how to align the Star pointer as i was trying for a few hours earlier to get a lock on Jupiter but no joy????

Hi again

To align the star pointer , I aimed and centered the scope on a streetlight about half a mile away ( during the afternoon ) and locked it into position .

I then looked through the starpointer and tried to see if the streetlight was centered in it , looking from the back of the scope , with the two dots in the starpointer lined up .

It was way off alignment , so I adjusted the two little screws on the star pointer until the streetlight was centered as good as possible , both with the red led on and off .

That evening , I used it to centre on a few stars , and had to make minor adjustments to the starpointer .

Now , I think I have it set as good as I can .

Last night , I brought the scope into the back garden at about 7:15 , and it only took me a few seconds to get Jupiter lined up properly

Viewing through the starpointer isn't crystal clear though , it's only made of plastic , if they had made it with glass it would have made all the difference .

mickger844posts wrote: »

Would it not just see the star pointer?? Will have a look at the telescope and see how it would work.

You can rotate the tube in the retaining rings so that the starpointer isn't directly in line with the camera , obscuring your view .

Hope this helps .

Plug

I aimed mine like a gun. The star finder is rubbish.

Bohrio

mickger844posts wrote: »

So if i mount a digital camera on the tube rings and use this as a viewfinder it would be better than the star pointer??? Would that be very accurate?? Would it not just see the star pointer?? Will have a look at the telescope and see how it would work.

You shouldnt have any issues with the alignment if you follow ninja's advice.

I also have an astromaster 130EQ (not the MD tho) and had to replace the slow mag scope (like your star pointer) by a telrad and it make a huge difference. After installing it I was able to find objects that they were almost impossible to find with the original piece... def recommend one! it will make your life much easier!

mickger844posts

Thanks guys for all the advice. First step tomorrow will be to line up the scope as per Ninjas suggestion in daylight and take it from there. Hopefully this will give me more success in lining up objects in the night sky.

mickger844posts

Bohrio wrote: »

You shouldnt have any issues with the alignment if you follow ninja's advice.

I also have an astromaster 130EQ (not the MD tho) and had to replace the slow mag scope (like your star pointer) by a telrad and it make a huge difference. After installing it I was able to find objects that they were almost impossible to find with the original piece... def recommend one! it will make your life much easier!

Where did you get your Telrad Bohrio ???

mickger844posts

Didn't want to start a new thread so i will ask my question here. Reading reviews of the Telrad star pointer it seems like just what i need. I found one place online that sell it for 56 euros. Where is the best place to get it???? Also is 56 euros the normal price?

peterako

It might be worth saving up for a new scope rather than getting one considering that €56 is a high percentage of the price of your existing scope.....

mickger844posts

peterako wrote: »

It might be worth saving up for a new scope rather than getting one considering that €56 is a high percentage of the price of your existing scope.....

Just got this one so want to hold on to it for a while. I won't be paying 56 euros for a Telrad anyway so i guess i will just have to get used to the Star Pointer i have.

Tea drinker

It might not be the best, but I don't even use a finderscope. I just nudge the scope around a bit until I find what I want. I also use a bottle cap which fits into the eyepiece holder and I can line up perfectly using that. Jupiter, the moon can be seen using this "projection" method. Needs a semi transparent cap like the danone or evian ones.

mickger844posts

Tea drinker wrote: »

It might not be the best, but I don't even use a finderscope. I just nudge the scope around a bit until I find what I want. I also use a bottle cap which fits into the eyepiece holder and I can line up perfectly using that. Jupiter, the moon can be seen using this "projection" method. Needs a semi transparent cap like the danone or evian ones.

Had a look last night without the finderscope and it took me a while to lock on to Saturn but i got there in the end. I think pointing the scope like a gun is the best method for me at the moment.

rhonin

mickger844posts wrote: »

Didn't want to start a new thread so i will ask my question here. Reading reviews of the Telrad star pointer it seems like just what i need. I found one place online that sell it for 56 euros. Where is the best place to get it???? Also is 56 euros the normal price?

I bought my Telrad on ebay for €40.
I have the astromaster 90EQ and I was close to giving up on it as the finder scope was so bad. Somebody recommended the telrad finder and it made such a difference.

mickger844posts

rhonin wrote: »

I bought my Telrad on ebay for €40.
I have the astromaster 90EQ and I was close to giving up on it as the finder scope was so bad. Somebody recommended the telrad finder and it made such a difference.

Just found a guy in the USA selling them for 40 euros postage included which is not too bad.

mickger844posts

Just tried the 3x Barlow i got recently with the 20mm and 10mm lens but can't focus on the Moon. Is there any particular reason why it won't focus??? Is it not compatible with my Telescope???

peterako

Could be one or all of the following:

- "Focal length" of the Barlow could be such that your Focusser does not have enough travel to focus.... (what make is it?)

- On your 10mm the 3 times barlow is making it like a 3.3mm lens...much too much for the 130 Astromaster

- Your collimation could be out?

The 20mm is not a great lens, but even if you do use it it'll push teh scope to it's limits with the 3x Barlow.

Clear skies,
Peter

mickger844posts

peterako wrote: »

Could be one or all of the following:

- "Focal length" of the Barlow could be such that your Focusser does not have enough travel to focus.... (what make is it?)

- On your 10mm the 3 times barlow is making it like a 3.3mm lens...much too much for the 130 Astromaster

- Your collimation could be out?

The 20mm is not a great lens, but even if you do use it it'll push teh scope to it's limits with the 3x Barlow.

Clear skies,
Peter

I only put the Barlow about 1/3 into the lens chamber and i was able to focus on the Moon with both 20mm and 10mm lens. Will try the same with Saturn a bit later. Could you recommend the best lens for the telescope i have???

peterako

I'd just go for a 6.4mm first and see how it goes.

6.4mm give you approx 100x mag with your scope.

6.4mm lens:

Meade 6.4mm 4000 Series

Then maybe later you'd consider:

A 26mm Lens (for wide):

Meade 26mm 4000 Series

(both lenses that'll happily move with you when you upgrade)

And a decent 2x barlow. (I've yet to find a decent priced GOOD barlow, but have heard that TAL do a good one)

I'd just use the stock 20mm for terrestrial observation.

That's give you:

26mm, 10mm, 6.4mm AND
13mm, 5mm (pushing it)

The 6.4mm Meade 4000 is still one of my most used lenses.

Links above are just for reference, not recmoomendations on who to buy from

I could not find my regular seller to link for you.

Peter

mickger844posts

peterako wrote: »

I'd just go for a 6.4mm first and see how it goes.

6.4mm give you approx 100x mag with your scope.

6.4mm lens:

Meade 6.4mm 4000 Series

Then maybe later you'd consider:

A 26mm Lens (for wide):

Meade 26mm 4000 Series

(both lenses that'll happily move with you when you upgrade)

And a decent 2x barlow. (I've yet to find a decent priced GOOD barlow, but have heard that TAL do a good one)

I'd just use the stock 20mm for terrestrial observation.

That's give you:

26mm, 10mm, 6.4mm AND
13mm, 5mm (pushing it)

The 6.4mm Meade 4000 is still one of my most used lenses.

Links above are just for reference, not recmoomendations on who to buy from

I could not find my regular seller to link for you.

Peter

Thats brilliant information Peter. Just what i was looking for. At least i know now what i need to get the best from my Telescope

mickger844posts

Got a Telrad today for my scope and i have to say its brilliant. Very accurate and so much better than the stock finder on the scope. Will save a lot of time now looking for wonders

Bohrio

mickger844posts wrote: »

Where did you get your Telrad Bohrio ???

Sorry for the delay

Got it on ebay from the states. I think I paid 32 euro for it.

Bohrio

mickger844posts wrote: »

Got a Telrad today for my scope and i have to say its brilliant. Very accurate and so much better than the stock finder on the scope. Will save a lot of time now looking for wonders

Oooh!! Great to hear that. Sorry it took so long for me to reply I was on holidays.

It made my life so much easier! Its worth the money and if you upgrade your telescope you can always place it on the new one!

rhonin

mickger844posts wrote: »

Got a Telrad today for my scope and i have to say its brilliant. Very accurate and so much better than the stock finder on the scope. Will save a lot of time now looking for wonders

Good stuff. Its well worth the money

ninja 12

peterako wrote: »

I'd just go for a 6.4mm first and see how it goes.

6.4mm give you approx 100x mag with your scope.

6.4mm lens:

Meade 6.4mm 4000 Series

Then maybe later you'd consider:

A 26mm Lens (for wide):

Meade 26mm 4000 Series

(both lenses that'll happily move with you when you upgrade)

And a decent 2x barlow. (I've yet to find a decent priced GOOD barlow, but have heard that TAL do a good one)

I'd just use the stock 20mm for terrestrial observation.

That's give you:

26mm, 10mm, 6.4mm AND
13mm, 5mm (pushing it)

The 6.4mm Meade 4000 is still one of my most used lenses.

Links above are just for reference, not recmoomendations on who to buy from

I could not find my regular seller to link for you.

Peter

Hi Peter , That's just the info I was looking for myself .

I have a couple of questions for you , if you don't mind .
Is there any need for an eyepice above 26mm ? Say 30+ , or would that be a waste ?

Would it be worth getting a 2x Barlow first or would it be too much with the supplied 10mm eyepiece that came with the scope ?

How do the Meade eyepieces compare to the Celestron Omni eyepieces that are available on Amazon ?

Thanks.

mickger844posts wrote: »

Got a Telrad today for my scope and i have to say its brilliant. Very accurate and so much better than the stock finder on the scope. Will save a lot of time now looking for wonders

Seems like it might be worth investing in one myself ...

Have you a pic of it mounted on the scope ,and where did you get it from ? How much was it ?

Thanks



Sorry for all the questions

mickger844posts

Here is the link on ebay to where i got it. Works out around 40 euros. My Telrad is mounted exactly as this guys is in the link below.


http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220752345377&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_500wt_1156

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-reviews/130152-telrad-finder-130eq.html

Gator

They wont deliver to Ireland

mickger844posts

Gator wrote: »

They wont deliver to Ireland

The link i posted is where i got mine so i know for sure they deliver here. Also looking at the link again it says Worldwide postage unless they have changed their policy in the last month. I presume your comment is in reference to the Telrad ?

Gator

mickger844posts wrote: »

The link i posted is where i got mine so i know for sure they deliver here. Also looking at the link again it says Worldwide postage unless they have changed their policy in the last month. I presume your comment is in reference to the Telrad ?

Sorry, meant the Celestron, well they do but its fifty quid!!

ninja 12

Gator wrote: »

Sorry, meant the Celestron, well they do but its fifty quid!!

make sure you select Amazon as the seller

www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-31045-Astromaster-130EQ/dp/B000MLL6RS/ref=pd_cp_ce_1

it qualifies for free postage to Ireland .

edit , posted from my mobile , link not showing properly

Gator

NIce one! Its on the way!!

ScrubsfanChris

Just bought a Celestron AstroMaster 130 myself from Amazon and after spending a week in the room above the garage, the clouds finally parted for a while last night.

I agree with lots about what has been said before, the star finder is rubbish and the tripod isn't the greatest, but hey, you get what you pay for I guess. I removed the motor drive when I was putting the scope together, so I haven't tested that out yet.

Got a great clear image of the moon, Jupiter and three of its moons before the clouds rolled back in again :mad:
If anyone could recomend other lenses/eye pieces, that would be great.

Attached is the fruits of last night (taken with phone camera and a steady hand )

peterako

Nice pic!

If you go to the previous page of this thread you'll see a number of recommendations I made for lenses as a past Astromaster 130 EQ owner.

Enjoy the scope.....and pray for some clear skies.

In anticipation of later nights I made myself a sun filter in May/June to observe the Sun this 'summer'.......so much for that plan

Clear skies,

Peter

ScrubsfanChris

More from just a while ago.....




Eventually I will have to get a proper DSLR insted of just using my phone