orion starblast 4.5 astrotelescope accessories

#Orion starblast 4.5 astrotelescope accessories portable

The 1.25 inch rack and pinion focuser, while plastic, works better than what’s been seen on some of Synta’s earlier less expensive telescopes (the StarBlast, like most of Orion’s current offerings is manufactured by Synta on the Chinese Mainland). Initial impressions? Sure, the StarBlast has got its share of plastic, including the focuser and tube end rings, but what do you expect for its miniscule price? The little scope is sturdy where it counts, and it’s got a decent primary cell (collimatable via nice, big push-pull bolt pairs) and a real, adjustable spider/secondary support. All I had to do was open the box, pull the telescope out, remove the OTA from its simple tube ring via a single bolt (which is, unfortunately, not a captive one), peel-off the tube’s protective paper wrap, replace the scope on its mount, attach the finder, and the new toy was basically ready to go. I was surprised at the size of the box, which is necessitated by the fact that the telescope is shipped fully assembled. Whether I could use it or not, though, at least I could look at it, and I was soon tearing into the StarBlast’s packaging.

And what’s better than a weekend and a new scope to play with? Maybe a clear weekend on which to play with that new telescope. It was waiting for me on my doorstep when I arrived home one cloudy Friday afternoon. The StarBlast was out of stock when I ordered, but it arrived in a surprisingly short time, a testament to Anacortes’ always-good service. Why not? Combining the gift certificate with the StarBlast’s already low price meant I just couldn’t lose if the scope performed half as well as I’d been hearing it did. Then my friend and observing buddy, Pat Rochford, reminded me that I’d been mumbling about the StarBlast off and on for a while, and that Anacortes is an Orion dealer. What to buy, what to buy? That was the question. OK, OK, not just “in possession of.” It was burning a hole in my pocket. Thanks to the good folks at Anacortes Telescope and Wild Bird, I found myself in possession of a fifty-dollar gift certificate. Even so, I didn’t really set out to buy a StarBlast. The ST80 does a nice job in that role, but I had been keeping my eye out for a quick-look telescope that could give me somewhat better views of the Moon and planets than the 80, which gets “colorful” at much over 100X. I’d been looking for a grab'n go scope (don’t tell me you’re sick of that cliché) to replace my four year old 80mm f/5 Short Tube 80. Who really needs an eleventh or twelfth scope in the house? Still, I could see how one might be useful. Over on the Talking Telescopes Yahoogroup, Phil Harrington and Geoff Gaherty, two observers whose opinions I respect highly, weren’t just recommending the little thing, they were enthusing about it.ĭid I need one? That was difficult to answer.

#Orion starblast 4.5 astrotelescope accessories portable

I began hearing that the StarBlast was not just a kids’ scope, but a handy, portable instrument of surprising power. We’ve seen plenty of kids’ scopes like this - and that is how Orion is promoting the StarBlast - come and go over the years, and none has been of much interest to rank and file amateurs. And, in truth, the Orion StarBlast, a tiny 4.5 inch f/4 dobsonian reflector, looks like a silly little telescope with its metal-flake-green tube perched on its miniature single-arm dobsonian mount. StarBlast? What a silly name for a telescope.