Galileo 700 x 60 Refractor Telescope
- Optical Diameter: 60 mm
- Finderscope: Red-Dot
- Mount Type: Altazimuth
- Focal Length: 700 mm
- Optical Design: Refractor
Available From
Why are these offers here?
Lowest Price!
- Overview
-
Reviews
- Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
buy something else
Pros
optics are decent, has enough accessories
Cons
cheap, tripod too unstable and wobbly, not user-friendly
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
This thing is a piece of junk. I'm sending it back today, two days after Christmas.
First of all, the telescope I own is the 800x60 model, not the 700x60. However, it is still basically the same thing.
I have been into astronomy for over 30 years, and thought I'd introduce it to my 10 yr old son. So, one night as I'm watching TV, I land on HSN. I'd seen the guy with the long gray hair on there before, but this time I watched with more attention since Christmas was coming soon. I ordered the telescope, and waited for Christmas.
As nightfall came, we were excited to try out the telescope, first by viewing Saturn, and then Jupiter, which were conveniently in the eastern sky shortly after sunset. The 'Mars finder scope' takes some getting used to, and I still would prefer a normal finder scope with crosshairs, but it works OK. (The fact the battery died 20 minutes after we turned it on kind of took some fun out of it, too) Our first disappointment came when we tried to sight in Saturn. With its alt-azimuth mount, this scope has no 'fine tuning' apparatus for the horizontal motion, just the vertical. Trying to get the scope tightened down on the target was a frustrating experience from the beginning. I'm a full-grown man, but I had difficulty reaching the tightening knobs when looking through the eyepiece. There is no way a 10 yr old could ever do it. I finally got the scope locked on the subject, but my frustration only deepened. This telescope and it's aluminum tripod is so wobbly and unstable that by the time I'd gotten it focused, and waited for the vibrations to end, the subject had moved out of the field of view. And that was on low magnification. With higher magnification, forget it. I can't state enough how bad the vibrations are.
This scope is, in my opinion, virtually worthless. It is so difficult to lock on to something, and even more difficult to focus on it without shaking and wobbling until its out of view, then the process begins all over again. The horizontal axis is just a single bolt with a plastic handle attached. When moving the scope horizontally, it either tightens up, or becomes too loose, depending on which way you move it.
In closing, I'd like to remind the reader that I've owned several expensive telescopes over the last three decades, so I do know how to operate one. I thought this would be a great gift for my son, but I think I'll return this 'toy', and buy him a decent Meade or Celestron. I may have to spend $500 compared to $100, but if this one is not going to be used due to the frustration factor, then I haven't saved anything, have I?
I have been into astronomy for over 30 years, and thought I'd introduce it to my 10 yr old son. So, one night as I'm watching TV, I land on HSN. I'd seen the guy with the long gray hair on there before, but this time I watched with more attention since Christmas was coming soon. I ordered the telescope, and waited for Christmas.
As nightfall came, we were excited to try out the telescope, first by viewing Saturn, and then Jupiter, which were conveniently in the eastern sky shortly after sunset. The 'Mars finder scope' takes some getting used to, and I still would prefer a normal finder scope with crosshairs, but it works OK. (The fact the battery died 20 minutes after we turned it on kind of took some fun out of it, too) Our first disappointment came when we tried to sight in Saturn. With its alt-azimuth mount, this scope has no 'fine tuning' apparatus for the horizontal motion, just the vertical. Trying to get the scope tightened down on the target was a frustrating experience from the beginning. I'm a full-grown man, but I had difficulty reaching the tightening knobs when looking through the eyepiece. There is no way a 10 yr old could ever do it. I finally got the scope locked on the subject, but my frustration only deepened. This telescope and it's aluminum tripod is so wobbly and unstable that by the time I'd gotten it focused, and waited for the vibrations to end, the subject had moved out of the field of view. And that was on low magnification. With higher magnification, forget it. I can't state enough how bad the vibrations are.
This scope is, in my opinion, virtually worthless. It is so difficult to lock on to something, and even more difficult to focus on it without shaking and wobbling until its out of view, then the process begins all over again. The horizontal axis is just a single bolt with a plastic handle attached. When moving the scope horizontally, it either tightens up, or becomes too loose, depending on which way you move it.
In closing, I'd like to remind the reader that I've owned several expensive telescopes over the last three decades, so I do know how to operate one. I thought this would be a great gift for my son, but I think I'll return this 'toy', and buy him a decent Meade or Celestron. I may have to spend $500 compared to $100, but if this one is not going to be used due to the frustration factor, then I haven't saved anything, have I?
