SkyWatcher 130 Newtonian reflecting telescope with tripod
Posted on by
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay. Click here for more information and to buy from eBay.
SkyWatcher 130 Newtonian reflector telescopeThe SkyWatcher 130 telescope of 900mm focal length has been described thus on Jessops web site:”The award-winning Sky-Watcher Explorer 130 is a fantastic choice for the serious beginner and also receives high marks from more seasoned astronomers. With an extremely useful 130mm of light gathering aperture, this telescope is a highly capable all-rounder for the observation of the Moon, bright planets, nebulae, galaxies and star clusters. Supplied with the EQ2 equatorial mount, which when polar aligned, will allow you to easily track objects as they move across the night sky via its slow motion control cables.”So what does this particular telescope come with?Telescope tube including all fittings with the exception of the lens cap2″ – 1.25″ eyepiece converter10mm 1.25″ eyepiece2x Barlow magnifying lensRed dot finder scopeEquatorial mountAluminium tripodFurther details for each item as follows.Telescope tubeThe tube is in fairly good condition with a few light scratches to the outside of the body, and the internal surfaces are all nicely black and undamaged as far as I can tell. The important thing with a reflecting telescope is obviously the primary mirror, which is in very good condition, no damage and clean, although I can’t vouch for the collimation, although the collimation adjustment screws are all there on the backplate and working. The secondary mirror is in good condition and shows no sign of any damage, and the focusser (2″) all works OK. Note that the tube is missing its end-cap.Eyepiece and associated kitJust the one eyepiece, a 10mm 1.25″ eyepiece which is in good condition with a little slight discolouring to the rubber eyecup. The 2x Barlow lens (that doubles the power of the eyepiece) is in good condition and the 2″ to 1.25″ focusser adapter is also in good condition.FinderscopeThe red dot finderscope is in good condition and works perfectly well, and comes with a new CR2032 battery installed, all adjustments working as designed.Equatorial mountMechanically this is fine, with no damage to the drive mechanism, both the slow motion controls for declination and right ascension working well. The setting circles have some superficial damage, and the counter-weights have a certain amount of pitting on them. The mounting rings are in very good condition and the telescope rotates and moves freely within them when the grip is loosened. Note that the mounting bolt that attaches the mount to the tripod is missing, but it should be fairly simple to find a replacement.TripodAs can be seen from the photographs, there is damage to the plastic mount on one leg that has been repaired. As can also be seen from the photographs, the repair is effective enough to hold the not inconsiderable weight of tube and mount, so whilst not pretty, it works. The accessory tray that sits between the legs is also missing. Bottom line, the tripod is not the best, but worked OK in the test that I made with it.SummaryThis telescope was being thrown out by someone no longer able to enjoy astronomy, and I opted to see if I could sell it on as it deserves better than being taken to the tip. It is not perfect, but on a quick test, I was able to focus clearly on some very distant trees, so the optics appear to be in fine fettle. I would suggest that this may suit someone who either wants a larger diameter tube to go with kit they already have, a cheap equatorial mount or for someone who wants to look into using a reasonably good telescope at low cost before spending many hundreds of pounds on much better equipment.Queries If you have any queries, I will, of course, be happy to answer them. However, I cannot guarantee to be able to answer any queries that are asked within 24 hours of the end time.Any problems If you have any problems with your purchase, please contact me directly in the first instance. Nothing is listed in a knowingly-defective condition unless explicitly stated in the item details.
Category: Cameras and Photography:Telescopes and Binoculars:Telescopes
Location: Winchester, Hampshire
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay. Click here for more information and to buy from eBay.
See below for similar items.
![[Error]](images/important.gif)