Orion Skyquest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Review
Orion Skyquest XT4.5 Review
Table of Contents (click ahead!)
Intro Features Video Powerful Optics Easy to Use Easily Assembled
Value for Money Pros and Cons Conclusion
Intro
The Orion Skyquest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope is one of the most compact telescopes in the Dobsonian category, and is quite powerful as well. Usually telescopes of similar power and clarity come in intimidating sizes, and prove to be too much for amateur stargazers. However, the Orion Skyquest XT4.5 stands only around three feet tall, and is at an ideal height for a child, and an adult amateur can sit comfortably on a chair, and enjoy viewing celestial objects.
Orion Skyquest XT4.5 Features at a Glance
- 4.5 inches (114mm) aperture diameter and primary mirror
- 910 mm (f8) focal length
- Achromatic 6×26 finder scope with easy two-screw mechanism for alignment
- Two Sirius Plossl eyepieces – 91x (10mm) and 36x (25mm)
- Rack and pinion 1.25 inches Focuser for easy viewing, and navigation knob for easy maneuvering
- Includes stripped version of astronomy guide software Starry Night
- Limited Warranty for one year
Powerful Optics
Orion Skyquest XT4.5 features top quality optics with a respectable power, which is more than enough for amateurs, and intermediate stargazers. The 4.5 inches primary mirror with a focal length of f8 is much more powerful compared to a refractor of 60mm, and is able to capture two and half times more of the starlight.
The mirror itself is spherical rather than parabolic, but it does not affect the viewing in any way. This light gathering power makes it ideal for watching relatively fainter celestial objects in better detail, making it one of the top contenders for telescopes in its price range.
The nearest contender could be the Meade ET60AT, which has a 60mm lens, but is left way behind in terms of clarity and size of image compared to the Orion Skyquest XT4.5. You can get great views of galaxies, nebulas, craters of our moon, and breathtaking vistas of Jupiter, and rings of Saturn.
(Back to Top)
Easy to Use and Great Educational Tool
The compact design of the Orion Skyquest XT4.5 makes it quite portable within your premises, even when it is fully assembled. You can just carry it out to your terrace or porch on a starry night, and enjoy the skies. All controls are easily accessible, and maneuvering the device is quite simple, once you have read the instruction booklet, which is in fact quite well written. You do not need technical knowledge for aligning the scope, and the included software proves to be of great help in finding celestial objects.
Once you have assembled the telescope, it is ideal for a child to operate the device because of its low height. In fact, it is the best astronomical learning tool you can find in the market today. Even though, the Orion Skyquest XT45 does not have an intimidating size, it is much more of a professional device, compared to the huge flimsy models available at many departmental stores.
This telescope is definitely not a toy, and is the ideal device to encourage interest of young minds in the astronomy field. The Orion Skyquest XT4.5 delivers razor sharp resolution, and you can have hours of educational entertainment with the whole family.
(Back to Top)
Orion Skyquest XT4.5 can be Easily Assembled
The Orion Skyquest XT4.5 comes in two packages. One carton houses the optical tube, and the other packs the base and other components. However, the whole configuration is quite easy to set up with the help of the instruction manual. The product packs all the tools and hardware required for the assembly, and even an amateur can set up the telescope with proper alignment, within the hour.
(Back to Top)
Great Value for Money
Although the Orion Skyquest XT4.5 is a highly professional telescope with very good optics, it comes at a relatively low cost, when you compare other bulkier telescopes having almost the same power and configuration. In fact, in this price range there are many models, which might look impressive but prove to be useless junk. The Orion Skyquest XT4.5 has broken the price barrier in a big way, and made a professional device accessible to people at a much cheaper price.
For instance, the Meade ETX60AT comes with an electronic hand controller, but it all proves to be just a gimmick, as this feature is useless at the practical level, and does not work as promised. The Orion Skyquest XT4.5 on the other hand is stripped of all electronic gimmicks, but is much easier to operate, and gives fantastic images.
(Back to Top)
Pros and Cons
No device can be perfect, and as per reviews from users, we have gathered the Pros and Cons of the Orion Skyquest XT4.5.
Pros
- Orion Skyquest XT4.5 has excellent optics, and very good mechanical performance
- Good set of accessories that compliment the telescope
- Orion Skyquest XT4.5 is available at a very reasonable price
Cons
- Focuser of the Orion Skyquest XT4.5 is made from plastic rather than metal
- Due to the compact design of the Orion Skyquest XT4.5, the height of the eyepiece can prove to be quite short for an adult, who will have to stoop down in a standing position.
Further investigation into the cons of Orion Skyquest XT4.5, has shown that they might not actually be much of a problem. Although the focuser is made of plastic, users have not found it to be flimsy, and the knob seems to be quite long lasting.
The compact design of course has its set of advantages and disadvantages. The height of the eyepiece makes it ideal for children, and adults have found it quite convenient while sitting on a chair. The device is easily portable while fully assembled, and can be operated quite comfortably even when it is set on a blanket on the floor.
(Back to Top)
Conclusion
If you were looking for a professional telescope for amateurs and intermediate stargazers, then the Orion Skyquest XT4.5 would be the ideal choice. The telescope also proves to be a great educational tool, as the compact design makes it ideal for children. The cost of the Orion Skyquest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian telescope is quite low, when you consider the professional features, and the set of quality optics included in the package.
Tagged: featured, Orion Skyquest XT4.5, Orion Skyquest XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Review
Got something to say? Click here to reply
