Better than I expected.
Pros:
Light weight, quick to set up, no noticeable halo so far.
Cons:
Some "ghosting" of Moon and Jupiter (may be due to Explorer eyepiece).
The Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a scope under $150, this is about as good as it gets. A fine introductory scope.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Bought this for my son for Christmas, he wanted a scope that he could move around as my 8 inch Dob is too heavy for him. It's been cloudy most of the time since Christmas here in Michigan and one of the clear nights it was cold (15 degrees Fahrenheit) and very windy (we observed for about 20 minutes with much vibration in our view).
The finder scope leaves much to be desired, plastic with only one ring of three screws for positioning; I can't see this holding it's position for long. The alti-azimuth mount is functional, nothing great (but better than the one that came with the first scope I had when I was eleven). I've observed the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and the Orion Nebula. Could not see Cassini's division with this scope, though the rings were easily separated from the planet. I used both the supplied 25mm Explorer II eyepiece and a 25 mm Plossl. Three of Jupiter's moons could be seen, my 8 inch Dob also revealed three, one was in trasit or behind the planet. No detail could be seen of Jupiter with the Orion. In the Orion Nebula I was able to resolve the four stars of the Trapezium, the two closest stars barely with either of the 25mm eyepieces, but much better separation using a 5.1mm ED-2 eyepiece.
This Orion refractor, though not as good as my Dob, is much better than the wretched 50mm refractor I had as a kid. It's light, cools down quickly, no horrid haloes or false colors. Much better than I thought for the price.
