For my Heritage I made a cardboard shroud. Most telescopes come with one or two eyepieces which give you one or two magnification options. Zhumell Z130 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope. This means the Heritage 130p performs better regarding resolution, brightness at the same magnification, and overall contrast. It’s the same type of telescope (Newtonian reflector), and the tabletop Dobsonian mount is almost identical. Although the Zhumell Z130 is very powerful considering it’s price, if you can spend a hundred dollars or so more, you can invest in a more powerful telescope like the Orion SkyQuest XT6. That’s where the “grab-and-go” telescope comes in. The Zhumell Z130 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope is one of the best telescopes you can buy for under $200. If you already know that you love astronomy, you may want to start with the StarBlast or Z130 (or a larger Dobsonian). If you buy the FirstScope and discover that you really love astronomy, you’ll probably want to upgrade to a better telescope. This will be easier to use, contrast will be higher, and dew will not be as much of a problem for the secondary mirror. Roll a big sheet of black cardboard into a tube, roughly cut an opening for the focuser. The Zhumell z130, Bresser Messier 5" are better in that regard. If you don’t have a table handy, you can also put it on the hood of a car – it doesn’t really matter if it’s perfectly level. In regards to its portability, the Z114 shouldn’t disappoint you there whatsoever. Now, you can get Zhumell’s unmatched quality and value in a portable tabletop Dobsonian with the compact Z100. Now, you can get Zhumell’s unmatched quality and value in a portable tabletop Dobsonian with the compact Z100. Long Version; so my wife and me want to do some casual stargazing. But there is a downside to the tabletop Dobsonian design. Thanks for this informative reply. Based on optics alone, this telescope would not make the list. I would pick the the Zhumell Z130. Now, you can get Zhumell’s unmatched quality and value in a portable tabletop Dobsonian with the Z130. 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. Zhumell’s innovative Z Series Dobsonian telescopes have taken the world of amateur astronomy by storm. Since everything is fairly small, you’ll either need to elevate it by putting it on a table (hence the name), or place it on the ground and sit or kneel next to it (make sure the ground isn’t wet!). Stunning On the other hand, it only weighs 4.5 lbs (2 kg), making it very portable and a good choice for kids. It has a 76mm aperture, so it won’t pull in as much light as the other scopes. Press J to jump to the feed. If you’re headed to the mountains for a car camping trip or going out to the country, you may not be able to bring a large Dobsonian – but your grab-and-go scope will ensure that you are ready in case your destination has clear skies. Because they’re so portable, it’s easier to take them to remote areas with darker skies. That means you’ll have less wobble to deal with, giving you better views. Zhumell used high-reflectivity coatings with its optics on this model. The Orion is a bit smaller but doesn't have this open construction and had similar reviews. Sky-Watcher Heritage-130P - seems well regarded but out of stock everywhere. Same optics as the Heritage 130p and same price, but closed tube and rack and pinion focuser. Generally, longer focal lengths are better suited for higher magnifications (but less well-suited for low-magnification, wide-field observing). On the surface, the Orion StarMax may look a lot like the Orion StarBlast or the Zhumell Z130, but it’s actually a completely different type of telescope: a Maksutov-Cassegrain. It's really not a big deal! Often, they just don't know better. The Skywatcher has a larger mirror, and a F/5 aperture ratio. We live in a city appartement so light pollution is an issue. Size:Z130 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope Zhumell’s innovative Z Series Dobsonian telescopes have taken the world of amateur astronomy by storm. TLDR; I narrowed the choice to the Skywatcher 130p Heritage and the Orion 4.5 Starblast. Any of those telescopes will give better views of the night sky. This is designed to be a very inexpensive telescope, and that means corners had to be cut. Like the StarBlast, the Zhumell Z130 has a parabolic mirror. The 130 heritage had this slide out construction which worries me since we won't have perfect light conditions. You can use an even lower focal length eyepiece if you have one, to get a higher magnification. This will affect the quality of the views. I want to help you select the best eyepieces for your budget and your telescope. This is why the Powerseeker 127eq and such have so good ratings on Amazon, despite being garbage. How would you compare the Zhumell to the Bresser Messier 5 (also 130). I think this telescope is mainly for someone who wants something they can take on hikes and use primarily for terrestrial viewing. So Zhumell Z100 tends to get more favorable ⭐ reviews than Orion StarBlast 4.5, as seen on the chart below. I definately want a Dob and everyone talks about the XT scopes as great products, however the Zhumell has very similar specs and of course the same size aperture. The Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector Telescope is no toy - it's a real reflecting telescope that is wonderfully simple to set up and use! With the Z130, Zhumell has combined their superior quality and value with the portability of a tabletop D I know people make light shrouds but I know myself enough to know this isn't realistic for me personally. Unlike a larger Dob, it’s very easy to transport this telescope in one piece – in fact, the mount has a handle to make it even more convenient. Zhumell Z130 Portable Alt-Az Reflector The field of amateur astronomy has been rocked by Zhumell's new cutting-edge Z Series Dobsonian telescopes. It’s the perfect way to get started with astronomy or add a … Parabolic is the ideal shape for a Newtonian, but many small telescopes use spherical mirrors instead to save on cost. This allows a Mak to have a longer focal length while keeping the size very compact. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The telescope itself is a refractor (it has lenses instead of mirrors) with a 70mm aperture and 400mm focal length. They engineered themselves into a corner focused on the upselling of their Orion StarBlast AutoTracker Altazimuth Mount Tripod to mount the little dob, rather than creating something with interoperability for Vixen side-mount tripods. It’s easy to adjust the tension to control how the mount moves, and the telescope can also be rebalanced if you want to use a much heavier eyepiece. Now, you can get Zhumell’s unmatched quality and value in a portable tabletop Dobsonian with the Z130. Combined with 5”(130mm) aperture Zhumell Z130 will bring in substantial amount of light, even more than popular tripod models such as Orion StarBlast 4.5. You can find a lot of overly enthusiastic reviews from beginners for any telescope. This is an inconvenience, but it’s not a deal-breaker. But due to the small aperture and entry-level optics, you won’t get great views at high magnifications. Also, we love camping so we want to have a portable and easy to store telescope. Once you find what you’re looking for, you can switch to the 4mm eyepiece if you want higher magnification. The Zhumell has a longer focal length than the StarBlast (650mm). Just like a larger Dobsonian telescope, this type of mount is much more stable than a flimsy tripod. The parabolic mirror removes visual defects like spherical aberration, providing noticeably sharper views. This means you can use the telescope for birdwatching or other terrestrial viewing (unlike many reflector telescopes, which flip the image). Stronger coma, worse performance in cheap eyepieces. Some of the other features of the Orion StarMax include: Click to see the Orion StarMax on Amazon.com. Unlike the other telescopes on this list (which have to be carried), this one fits entirely inside the included backpack. http://blog.pixelgiraffe.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/DSC_07391-e1483442518269.jpg#awb_heritage_cardboard. Top 5 Best Portable Grab-and-Go Telescopes | Look at the Sky So what does this all mean for stargazing? I’ve also used it to see various faint galaxies, as well as the moon, planets, sun (with a solar filter, of course), and many other objects. In the photography world, there is a saying: “The best camera is the one you have with you.”. What makes this scope special is that it’s actually a fairly serious telescope in terms of optics and features, while still being relatively portable. The Cometron FirstScope includes 20mm and 10mm eyepieces (15x and 30x magnification). Just not as close as you would see on Zhumell Z130 or Orion XT4.5 since they have longer focal lengths. Where did you look? The home to all amateur astronomers & telescopes! Note: The Celestron Travel Scope also comes in a 50mm and an 80mm version, which you may want to check out if you would like a lighter or larger telescope. Whether you are a beginner, an expert, or want a good telescope for your high school kid, this telescope offers high-level performance and is worth your investment. As equipped, it comes with two of the standard Orion Sirius Plössl eyepieces (25mm and 10mm, providing 30x and 75x respectively) and a red dot sight. Which would you pick? Zhumell’s innovative Z Series Dobsonian telescopes have taken the world of amateur astronomy by storm. Even though the StarMax is much smaller than the StarBlast, the focal length is 1250mm – almost 3x longer than that of the StarBlast. Zhumell Z130 - the bigger aperture is appealing, but at almost 10kg might be a bit heavy for the recipient to move around. Like the Celestron FirstScope, this telescope is designed to be inexpensive and portable. For example: Given the price and the portability, this telescope is still a good deal if you know what you’re getting. It includes a 45° erect image diagonal. However, if you want a telescope that is more optimized for astronomy, and don’t mind carrying it by hand, I would strongly recommend getting the Orion StarBlast, Zhumell Z130, or Orion StarMax instead. It’s the perfect way to get started with astronomy or add a grab-and-go scope to your collection. ... almost the same to the Orion Starblast and Edmund Millenium Astroscan 114 with minor cosmetic differences its far more capable and better designed for observing comfort. It’s better to use this telescope at low magnifications, which will give brighter, wider-angle views. As I mentioned earlier, the best telescope is the one you have with you, so the portability of this telescope may allow you to bring it with you to more places than the other telescopes on this list. The optics are not great, so this scope may not be for everyone. The Zhumell Z130 Portable Reflector Telescope features a 130mm parabolic primary mirror, a high-end feature not usually found in telescopes of this size. I’ll admit, this telescope looks a bit funny to me because Orion has loaded it with a bunch of features that are usually found on larger telescopes: The tabletop Dobsonian mount is one of the biggest “pros” of this telescope, as well as a potential “con”. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Zhumell Z130 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope at Amazon.com. The primary mirror is spherical, not parabolic. I’ve personally used my StarBlast to observe the Veil Nebula, which is a fairly faint object. Although it will do fine with the included eyepieces, using a Barlow lens or a shorter focal length eyepiece to raise the magnification even higher may not give good results, as the image will tend to get blurry. It’s the perfect way to get started with astronomy or add a grab-and-go scope to your collection. The same applies to telescopes. Feel free to discuss anything here, from what sort of telescope you should get, to how to actually use that scope of yours! The SkyQuest is similar to the Zhumell, but quite a bit more powerful. The StarBlast is a Newtonian reflector with a 4.5″ (114mm) parabolic primary mirror. I chose these 2 dobsonians since they get recommended over tripod mounted scopes most of the time. The 14% difference in aperture by diameter, turns out to be 30% difference regarding the surface area. Industry standard 1.25” focuser, compatible with many different accessories Changing magnifications is easier than ever with included 25mm and 10mm eyepieces Easy to use red dot finder makes aiming the Z130 a breeze for any level of user.