Comments on: Sky-Watcher GreatStart 130N-EQ2 Newtonian Reflector Telescope

By: Kieran A. Griffith

Kieran A. Griffith — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:18:23 +0000

The Telescope is easy to put together and I had the whole thing fully assembled in about 20 minutes before took it apart again and I took it outside (Its probably a good idea to have it figured out before you go outside on a dark night). Since then I use it every night I can. I have to say I am mostly interested in viewing the Mountains, Craters and valleys on the Moon so while this telescope is perfect for that in a town with light pollution it might be lacking for views of planets and I believe the purchase of an additional 4mm lens to add to the 12mm and 25mm lens that comes with this telescope is a must (I will be interested in viewing of Jupiter and Saturn when Jupiter becomes visible later this year and Saturn’s rings are at a better angle for viewing in a couple of years. The 2XBarrow Lens that comes with this telescope has got some very bad reviews for looking at smaller bodies but it works great if you are looking at the Moon. Only planet I have looked at successfully is Venus which is at a poor angle for viewing in my opinion but looked like a large white disk. I tried to look at Saturn and Mars but had great difficulty seeing anything, and I blame being in the middle of a town for that instead of the quality of the telescope. If your living in a well-lit town the only thing you would have success looking at is the Moon and Venus phases in my opinion and that is mostly my interests but if you want to view any nebulae, planets and thier moons/rings other then Venus you have to do two things, Get a 4mm Lens and go in to the country where there is no light pollution. The levers on the telescope will be useless if you want to take photographs, but are just super-fine for eye viewing. I have read dozens of other reviews and I see that most of the bad reviews are from people who did not have the patience and/or intelligence to assemble the telescope quickly and correctly. If you have an average or above IQ or patience then you can put it together perfectly first time and enjoy yourself for hours. Overall its a great telescope and its worth a lot more then it costs. I made my purchase very carefully and took a couple of weeks looking at telescope reviews and prices. and I am fairly certain this is one of the best 130mm telescopes available at the moment and at the same time the cheapest which is a major stroke of luck. One interesting fact I found out was the Sky-Watcher Great Start is actually the same telescope as the Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker marketed under a different company name, the only difference being the lenses that come with it and the finder scope, (The laser finder scope on the telescope being reviewed is totally adequate.). The PowerSeeker can sell for about 190-200 US Dollars, but is selling at Amazon for a massive discount at the moment of this review for 127.99 US Dollars. This telescope comes with better lenses in my opinion so if you decide to get a 130mm Telescope you can chose the Sky-Watcher GreatStart and buy a 4mm lens separately or chose the PowerSeeker for 28 dollars more and you would get pretty much the same item.Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope.
Rating: 5 / 5

By: John Giroux

John Giroux — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:35:47 +0000

I recently bought one of these for $100. When it arrived, I noted that the hole for the screw that holds the finder on the dovetail base was stripped out. I called SkyWatcher’s 800 number and explained the defect. A week later, I received another finder, rather than the base, so I called again and spoke with the same woman who I had spoken with a week ago. She remembered me from the earlier call and admitted that she wasn’t sure which part it was that I needed, apologized, told me to keep the second finder, and she sent the correct part. My only complaint is what someone else noted here; the focuser tube in which the eyepiece is inserted is plastic (chrome plated) and not metal, which I sort of scratched my head over. I see that these are currently not in stock, so I’m definitely glad I jumped on it when I saw it on Amazon.
Rating: 4 / 5

By: M. Babcock

M. Babcock — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:35:29 +0000

This was my first telescope so I can not compare it to others but it has been great. Saw the moon last night and nearly went blind it was so bright.
Rating: 4 / 5

By: Thomas Bain

Thomas Bain — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:50:42 +0000

I have used telescopes before, but this is the first one that i bought. It comes with 2 lenses and a barlow lense, and is 130 mm. For 100 dollars your cant get anything better for a first telescope.
Rating: 5 / 5

By: Patricia Pierson

Patricia Pierson — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:34:30 +0000

This telescope is not worth the money. Tech support is even worse. I sent 2 emails to the company asking if there is some way to improve the performance of the scope and never even got an answer back. I guess if they have your money then forget you and any problems you have with the product. I knew that I wasn’t going to get a telescope that saw into deep space for the price but what really has me angry is the lack of support. I found out from an Astronomy club member that this scope is considered junk by members.
Rating: 3 / 5