Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Telescope Review

Hello stargazers,

I want to start out by letting you all know why I wanted to write about telescopes. Couple years ago I had an a strong astronomy class for my general education requirements and loved it! I didn't want to lose the information I learned I figured the best way to retain what I learned about the universe is to use it everyday or at the very least once every couple weeks. I am indeed an amateur, I mean well, and I'm sure it past time with as many avid and learned devotees as astronomy will have plenty of comments and remarks about my reviews. Just know that I am in no way professional and my recommendations are based purely on my personal experience and three units of astronomy. That said it's the first review.

First telescope I want to review is the Orion SkyQuest XT4.5, Classic 4.5" Dobsonian Telescope Kit. It retails for about $199, and I know some of the more hard-core fans out there who probably leave numerous comments telling me how buying anything under $300 is a waste of money. Well, go ahead and leave those comments and by the telescope you really want. I am talking to the novice or beginner. The best part about this telescope is the stellar views you can get! I'm sure there are better telescopes out there, but I haven't had the privilege of using. You'll be able to pick up many popular objects in the night sky like Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons, but I personally could spend hours on end playing this thing at the moon.
If you're new to the hobby you'll probably hear a lot about a program called The Sky. It's an expensive program, but it's very robust. Newbies to the hobby will probably find the full version of the sky intimidating or confusing at best. The Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Telescope comes with a slimmed down version of the sky that most people will probably find more helpful than restrictive, especially if you're a beginner.

A couple things you need to be aware of before buying this telescope is that it can get a little difficult to assemble. There some parts and people that put it together have said that the instructions can be a little vague at times. The other thing I really just don't like is the plastic focus or. I prefer the feel of metal and it makes me nervous when I think about longevity. I haven't heard anybody complain about broke in focus pieces, but it does give that “cheap feel” to it. The other thing you watch out for is the height of this telescope. Adults are probably going to want to put this telescope on the table or something else to raise the level of the eyepiece because this telescope is short.



Alright guys, that's my first review I hope you found it helpful if you have any comments or suggestions just leave a comment and I'll be happy to read it.

Sincerely,
Johnny