Sky watcher telescope6/22/2023 ![]() ![]() Although the freedom of movement it gives is excellent, it's not as precise as it could be. It's something of a surprise to find an EQ mount on a telescope of this low price, but it's not a shock to discover that the EQ mount on the Explorer 130 suffers from a fairly basic build. ![]() However, the Explorer 130 is not the best EQ mount available. It's worth the time to get to know how the EQ mount works and, we guarantee, you'll never want a non-EQ telescope again. These coordinates are the space equivalent of longitude and latitude coordinates on Earth and they're expressed in hours and minutes. ![]() It represents an initially steep learning curve that not all users will be happy to take, not only in how the mount actually works but also in finding objects using the right ascension (RA) and declination (often referred to as RA/Dec). The EQ2 mount on the Explorer 130 is a step up in terms of functionality and versatility compared to an alt-azimuth, but in terms of quality, it's only just about adequate. So make sure you have significant spare room before buying the Explorer 130. Although not impossible, we think the Explorer 130 is likely going to stay in one place and it's best stored in its ready-to-observe configuration. If you master the EQ mount and set it up you're basically done because when its mount (14.8 lbs/6.7 kg), tube (7.5 lbs/3.4 kg) and tripod (5.5 lbs/2.5 kg) are set up it's just too big and heavy to then take it down travel to dark skies. (Image credit: Jamie Carter)ĭon't plan on taking the Explorer 130 anywhere. This Newtonian reflector uses a rack-and-pinion focuser. For example, for London it's 51º, for New York it's 41º and for Los Angeles, it's 34º. If you use it in the northern hemisphere then it needs aligning to Polaris, the North Star, with a dial on the side for the user to set for the latitude of the observing site. An equatorial mount instead has the same two axes, but one of them has a polar axis tilted so it's parallel to Earth's axis. However, it is a much better mount for a telescope than alt-azimuth. It's not as intuitive as alt-azimuth mounts that almost all beginners telescope use, largely because it goes beyond merely manipulating the telescope up or down (altitude) and left and right (azimuth). Don't be scared off by its equatorial mount. (Image credit: Jamie Carter)Īt its core, this is a Newtonian reflector telescope with an aperture of 5.1"/130 mm, which is about the minimum required to begin exploring the deep sky. The Explorer 130 comes with an equatorial mount (EQ2). ![]()
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