Great way to start to learn the night sky!

I ordered my SkyScout in September hoping that the initial rush on this item was over and that it would be in stock (as listed) when I ordered it. Sadly it was actually out of stock and took a few months to arrive. The unit powered up and seemed to function but was unable to get a GPS fix in a clear field. Hoping that it was a simple matter of updating the unit I attached it via USB to my computer and followed the simple directions on the screen. It updated quickly and easily but I still was unable to obtain a GPS fix. Using the instructions provided I contacted Celestron and was directed to return the unit to them for evaluation and repair. Less than two weeks passed when a new unit straight from Celestron arrived in the mail. This one worked perfectly and as advertised and without any problems!



Now that I've actually used my SkyScout I can say that it is great fun to use! Now December and January in Wyoming isn't the best time of year to be outside at night...wind chill last night was -40F for example but the SkyScout still works like a champ. Multiple modes of function exist as listed in the description but my personal favorite is being able to identify just about anything you can see with the naked eye in the night sky. Just view the object through the sky scout push a button and you'll get the name of the object as well as at least a few lines of text of information. Brighter objects or better known objects also have an audio commentary that will teach about the history and/or significance of what you're looking at.



While I was disappointed about my first SkyScout not functioning properly the quick customer service and the replacement working flawlessly have overcome my initial disappointment. The SkyScout is quite simple to use and provides a great way for anyone who can read to start to learn the night sky. I highly recommend it for individuals with an interest in astronomy families star parties and youth groups such as the Boy Scouts.More detail ...

Great Portable Telescope

I was looking for an affordable and portable telescope so that I can easily set up without taking too much time. A friend recommended this so I decided to purchase this (for $50 I can't go wrong). I was skeptical at first but that went away when I unpacked this. The telescope is 3" which is better than the 60mm telescope one usually sees in this price range. It came with 2 decent eyepieces (2 decent eyepieces by themselves already costs around $40 - $50). It was easy to put together as it was ready to use out of the box. For the price I paid the base was well made like a dobsonian. It had a smooth swiveling motion so that I can easily point it at celestial objects and tracking it by gently pushing the tube. I was able to see Jupiter and its moons Saturn craters on the moon and on a clear night the Orion nebula. The images were brighter when I compared it to my friends 60mm telescope becasue this is a 76mm telescope. I am very pleased with my experience with this telescope and the price is great. It doesn't take long to set up so when I feel like just going outside to take a look at a celestial object i can easily do it. My 9 year old daughter loves it too. Definitely a telescope I would recommend to anyone who is interested in looking at the night skies.More detail ...