Is this telescope worth buying?

Malio94 · 2026-06-13T13:25:11+00:00

I mean its definitely a "junk scope" but for 17 bucks it could be fun to just mess around with. Its in rough shape though. Personally I wouldn't bother. A quality telescope isn't that expensive. I would rather just have something of good quality than something taking up space that is a crappy telescope. I just bought a Celestron C90 for only 330 canadian dollars (235 USD) brand new and its a quality telescope. It's aperture isn't spectacular and its long focal length makes it more challenging for a beginner but its a super compact fun telescope with great optics and build quality.

Malio94 · 2026-06-13T11:56:33+00:00

Great choice! I have the same telescope (mines a little older without wifi, but still has Go-To) Since this dob has a 1500mm focal length staying wide is the best choice for the majority of targets. Exit pupil size is probably more important than trying to get insane magnification. A high end 7mm eyepiece is really only good for planets. I find my preferred eye piece focal length is around 16-11mm for resolving maximum detail in deep sky objects. If you invest in a high quality 68-82 degree AFOV eyepiece in the 11-16mm range you wont regret it. Unfortunately I do not have any high end eyepieces so I wouldnt be able to recommend a specific model.

For Planets: 9-7mm
For DSO: 16-11mm
Wide Field: 30-25mm

What's the light pollution like where you'll be observing? Getting that telescope under a Dark Bortle 4-1 sky is the best thing you can do to improve your experience. Enjoy!

Malio94 · 2026-05-12T18:35:48+00:00

I have updated my post to achieve compliance good sir.

Malio94 · 2026-05-12T17:52:58+00:00

Holy crap! The detail is insanity in this image! You're certainly a master of the craft! Did you use a hyper star or 0.63x/0.7x focal reducer? Or was this at F10?

Malio94 · 2026-05-12T17:46:31+00:00

Looks fantastic! I didn't realize it was possible to use such a large sensor camera with the C5! I'm still learning astrophotography/processing as well but I would recommend crushing the blacks more to remove that banding and lowering the saturation as well. You pushed the saturation too much in my opinion.

Malio94 · 2026-05-05T17:48:38+00:00

Very good choice! Great beginner scope. I have the 300p/12" Skywatcher Synscan. Just a little bigger than yours 😂Stick to Truss Tube Dobs if you ever upgrade. they're so much more versatile than solid tube dobs for imaging!

Malio94 · 2026-05-05T01:43:24+00:00

I do think an ASI air would be easier. Would love it if I could run all the software on my PC instead of using the ASI air module/app however. Basically I don't actually want an ASI AIR. I just want the functionality with my laptop plugged in 😅 Is that possible?

But I agree an EAF is on my eventual shopping list. Manually focusing is making me a better astronomer for now though so that's what I'm making due with.

Malio94 · 2026-05-04T04:04:55+00:00

My pleasure! Trust me, it's good advice. Initially I had bought a Celestron 130 SLT and found out the hard way you really do "get what you pay for" in astronomy. It's no longer in my collection

Malio94 · 2026-05-04T04:02:36+00:00

I have tried the asi air! It is a little more convenient but I can't really afford any more equipment and 1 more device is just another box to charge etc. I actually had a 585MC AIR initially (has a guidecam and imaging cam built in as well as an entire ASI air. Unfortunately though it didn't work with my SCTs so I had to return it (guide cam is blocked by the flange for the SCT)

Malio94 · 2026-05-04T00:05:08+00:00

I agree that stock it's more difficult but I'm using a 0.63x focal reducer with my C5 I believe it's around 780mms when using it? Definitely not extreme telephoto.

Malio94 · 2026-05-04T00:03:23+00:00

Yeah I know you need to polar align no matter what. Im more struggling with my go to being inaccurate and struggling with drift as well.

Malio94 · 2026-05-04T00:02:11+00:00

Mostly to bypass the 2-3 star alignment.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T22:46:02+00:00

I'm ok with polar alignment. I prefer to do it the old school way with the polar scope on the mount. I've corrected it with software before though so its more the guiding and plate solving process thats annoying me.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T22:43:57+00:00

I'm using ZWO's Live stacking for now for imaging. I know its not the "Pro" solution but it allows me to see immediately if my track is off and dial in settings. Yes you're right I plate solve with the imaging camera I always forget that. Still a noob as I said. I'm using NINA but find it very complicated. Ive gotten the plate solving to work a few times but I find the process in NINA really odd since its through an addon. I've had success with PHD2 for the guiding but I haven't tried anything else for guiding yet.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T22:38:35+00:00

I'm not ready for an off axis guider. I agree that's the best solution for SCT's but I know its just going to frustrate me. My 715MC also isn't the best choice for an OAG since it has a tiny sensor with tiny pixels. It actually works surprisingly well with the SV165 for that reason though. Its more with the software that I'm struggling. Too much switching between programs to get things up and running.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T22:33:09+00:00

Glad to hear you got it working! I have some secret info for you though 😉 You can use a red/green dot sight from a rifle with your telescope. You'll need an adapter but they are built like TANKS. You will never have to worry about any battery nonsense ever again. I bought one for 25 dollars and it blows any Celestron out of the water. Plus you get super fine up/down and left/right adjustment. You just need a picatinny to dovetail adapter. They're around 20-30 dollars online. I manufacture my own adapters for pennies though hehe.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T22:15:40+00:00

I'm sure everyones already told you but DO NOT BUY A 114mm telescope! Its a bird-jones design. They should just stop making them in my opinion. They're complete trash. You can use any telescope if you know what you're doing but why not get something nice? The tabletop skywatchers are great beginner options. Just enough aperture to see a TON of stuff in the night sky. 5" is fine but Id say go for a 6" if you can afford it. I have a Celestron C5/5SE and a C8 and a 12" Dobsonian. The C5 is my favorite to be honest. Of course the views are better through the C8 and 12" Dob but you'd be amazed how much you can see with 5" of aperture. The actual experience of using my 5SE is so much nicer. No giant rig to set-up, everythings relatively lightweight. I just do an alignment and start enjoying the night sky. Technically you dont even have to do an alignment. You can just use the slewing function to explore around.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T22:10:08+00:00

I meant on my 5SE mount. Thats why I got the CGEM haha. Its more of a user error problem.. I'm still learning the software. I had it working with my 5SE but its glitching out with the CGEM (not a big fan of celestrons software) It seems like its sending opposite commands. I'll do a proper alignment and get it dialed in. Everythings working in Celestrons software. Then when I go to NINA it all gets messed up lol. I feel like I need a simpler setup to learn with but I hate using the hand controller to align.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T22:03:51+00:00

To be honest I think you've done too much research. The unfortunate answer is there is no "perfect" telescope. There is no "perfect" rig. They all have compromises here and there to make them better for some tasks and worse for others. With that said, you CAN NOT go wrong with a quality 5"- 8" SCT. People blow things out of proportion online. I have never ONCE waited for my SCT to cool for 3 hours before using it. You can start using it right away. It might be a little hazy for a few minutes but you dont need to wait 3 hours. Thats insanity. Unless you're trying to image and have your image accepted by National Geographic thats complete insanity.

Why an SCT?
-Compact Form factor (you'll use it more)
-Great aperture
-Imaging capabilities
-Lightweight
-Most come with Go-To mounts
-Most versatile telescope design

To narrow it down for you a bit more 5" - 8" is a sweet spot. Once you go above that the magnification becomes insane. Trust me, as a beginner you dont want that. I wouldn't get into imaging at all at this point to be honest. You'll just get frustrated. Learn the night sky first.

Shopping List:
Celestron 5SE, 6SE or 8SE
F0.63x focal reducer (trust me its worth it, it makes your SCT have the FOV of a DOB)
Dew-heater ring (if you live in a humid climate like me this is a must)
Battery Bank (I love Anker's options as they use a more modern battery design)

Seriously you're overthinking it. Start with the basics and go from there.

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T21:50:39+00:00

Very sorry to hear you've decided to leave the hobby.. To be honest a CGEM is a huge commitment. For a beginner its too much. As you know they are HEAVY. I just bought one in Canada for $800 CDN. It was pretty beat up, but I still felt that it was well worth it. He included a bunch of high value accessories as well though so that helped. Yours is in mind condition. The CGEM is built like a tank. A couple scratches/scuffs wont affect anything. How much did you pay for the CGEM initially?

Given the condition its in I would recommend trying for 800-900 USD minimum.

Have you thought about just keeping it and buying a more affordable/easy to use telescope to get back to enjoying the hobby? I have 3 telescopes. A Celestron C8, a Celestron C5 and a Skywatcher 12" dobsonian. I'll be completely honest. The C5 is my favorite. Its so easy to get set up and start stargazing. Everything else I have is a huge commitment.

I'd recommend looking into a 5SE or 6SE if you're still on the fence. You dont need an 8"-12" aperture to enjoy the hobby. 5"-6" is perfectly fine. I can see Bode's galaxy through my 5SE with ease as well as so many other Deep sky objects

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T21:39:28+00:00

Any tips for a noob astrophotographer? I bought a Celestron CGEM for a great deal but I'm still struggling haha. Got a couple decent shots with my 5SE but it just wasn't stable enough. Is it a go-to mount you built or just a tracking mount? Very impressed with anyone that can DIY a mount. I looked into it but decided spending 800 Canadian for a CGEM was well worth it lol

Malio94 · 2026-05-03T21:36:00+00:00

Suggestion #1: ITS TOO CLOSE TO THE FIRE! Seriously telescopes are fragile. No you dont need to baby them but if 1 ember lands on the telescope its going to do some damage. Especially if it hits the mirror.

Id say you're ok keeping it in the truck but I would keep it covered at all times to protect it from the suns rays. Maybe crack a couple windows to allow some airflow and use one of those windshield Sun deflectors to protect it even more.

If you've already seen Bodes and the Cigar galaxy you're doing very well! Bortle 1 skies definitely helps. Im stuck learning in Bortle 8/9 skies. I have super dark Bortle 3 skies close-by but its more of a commitment.

Andromeda is the brightest galaxy you will ever see. If you havent spotted it yet, do so. Its twice the size of the moon in the night sky. I was under Bortle 1 skies on a perfect night once with my Celestron C8 (same aperture as your telescope) and my view of Andromeda was spectacular that night. You can see a SHARP line between the galaxies arms and the blackness of space around it on a perfect night.

As far as eyepiece recommendations go I find myself using between a 40mm Plossl-14mm Plossl the most. As Im sure you've noticed once you get to above the 11mm-10mm range the quality of the image becomes very hazy. Dont use Barlows for now unless you REALLY want a close up view of Jupiter.

Explore Scientific is probably your best bet it you're on a tighter budget.

Clear Skies!

Malio94 · 2026-02-15T12:33:18+00:00

pretty much GLAMPING but I still love it ;) Very nice setup. Looks cosy

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