Optus brand telescope from aldi

sparkthatbled · 28-10-2009 07:22PM #1

Some of you may have seen these advertised in the past week. I'm totally new at this and it looked like a bargain so i snapped one up because i'd been planning to get a scope soon. The specs listed seemed to fit perfectly with an article on beginner astronomy in Focus magazine last month. I get the impression, though, that it may be a fancy-looking piece of junk. The instructions were very vague and i'm lucky i'm good at assembling flat-pack type stuff, its just when it comes to calibrating it that the instructions are of absolutely no use. I can't figure out how to focus it, all it says is to pick an object 300-400m away and centre it in the viewfinder and lens. Did anyone here happen to get one of these too? I'm hoping i didn't totally waste my money, maybe someone can give me a simpler rundown of what to do. i did manage to get a random star in the viewfinder but it was just a blur in the lens and i couldn't focus it. Any help would be welcome and if you think its a lost cause and i should try to return it, feel free to do so! For reference, here it is: http://www.aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/2827_10866.htm

jumpguy · 28-10-2009 07:37PM

It's an okay telescope. Perhaps good for beginners, but then again, if a beginner looks through a bad scope and thinks "well, this is it". I'd go to an astronomy meet-up/club and look through other people's scopes.. TBH, I wouldn't be too keen on it, but then again, I'm sketchy about buying any high-tech kit from Aldi or Lidl (like their PC's). 76mm isn't a huge aperture. There's usually a focussing knob but that may differ per telescope.

For 100 Euro though it's good enough.

barr toco · 29-10-2009 07:03PM

point the telescope at adistant object lets say half a mile away,
put in the 20mm eyepiece with out the barlow lense, use the wheels on the shaft where the eye piece goes in to focus the object, turn slowly and the object will come to focus, now make sure the object is in the centre of your field of view, a good object would be a lamp on top of a lamp post at a distance, now for the small scope, the view finder, thats held in place with adjustable screws, place the view finder in and tighten the front screws until each one has about the same amount of threads shown, so basicly the front part of the view finder should be well centred in its holder, now for the back screws on the view finder, start to tighten and adjust until you can see the same object thats in your main scope,
you should only have to adjust the back screws for this, once you have the same object placed perfectly centered in both scopes you are ready to go, remember dont over tighten any of the srews,
its a 76mm scope, if you had went a bit more you could have got a
celestron astromaster 114 for 165 euro,
celestron astromaster 130 for 199 euro
from astronomy ireland,

Azelfafage · 29-10-2009 08:55PM

Don't know about the scope but I bought a zoom Optus 50mm binocs from them last year.

I know "zoom" has a bad name in astronomy..but this surprised me.

On a tripod at 24x there is a hint of softness...but this thing cost only €20.

Saturn still looks magnificent at 24x.

At 10x (a more "natural" magnification for a hand-held)there is hardly a trace of abberations out to about 80% of the edge of field.

A de-facto Apo at 10x. if you disregard the very edge of the field where nobody looks anyway.

(Maybe I got a lucky good one.)

If the scope is half as good as the binocs it is a steal.

.

calchas · 29-10-2009 11:20PM

You could bring it along to the IAS telescope workshop. Or along to our Sandymount observing night.

Details:
http://irishastrosoc.123bemyhost.com/

Regards
Calchas

calchas · 29-10-2009 11:22PM

By the way the focus is just below the eyepiece.

Azelfafage · 30-10-2009 11:13AM

calchas wrote: »

Or along to our Sandymount observing night.

Might well do in the future.

In the South now.

(Tonight will be a complete wash-out anyway...it is bucketing down here in Cork.)

I ived for several years at Nutgrove Avenue, Sandymount...20 seconds walk from the strand.

.

calchas · 30-10-2009 11:54AM

I suspect cork weather will clear in 3 or 4 hours. Bit more touch and go for us here.

There is a cork astronomy club/group

Kelda09 · 03-11-2009 09:09PM

calchas wrote: »

There is a cork astronomy club/group

Hi calcas, just wondering have ye an astronomy club in Galway?

murphyme · 03-11-2009 09:20PM

Kelda09 wrote: »

Hi calcas, just wondering have ye an astronomy club in Galway?

There is one. Try here: www.galwayastronomyclub.ie

Michael.

calchas · 03-11-2009 11:53PM

yep, as already posted

friendly group there too

Kelda09 · 04-11-2009 02:44PM

murphyme wrote: »

There is one. Try here: www.galwayastronomyclub.ie

Michael.

Thanks Michael, Ill have a look at that.

calchas wrote: »

yep, as already posted
friendly group there too

Of course their friendly Calchas, that goes without saying

what else would you expect from a Galway group

. (Can ya tell Im a galway girl??)

jagdish · 28-12-2010 07:16PM

Hello,
Did you finally managed to find the help on telescope ? If yes please forward me the same.
I am looking for the 'Instruction Manual' of Optus GoTo 60 / 700 in ENGLISH

If you have one could you please pass me on jagdishcharde@gmail.com

Thanks
Jagdish

Optus brand telescope from aldi

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