Celestron Omni XLT 102 Refractor Telescope

Comments about Celestron Omni XLT 102 Refractor Telescope:

Was easy to set up and use

Comments about Celestron Omni XLT 102 Refractor Telescope:

This is my second telescope. I will first explain what went wrong with my first scope to provide context for my comments on the Celestron XLT 102. My first one was a more economical GO-TO computerized reflector. I thought the computer would help me to learn the sky. Instead of learning the sky, I spend most of my time and energy went to trying to figure out how to use that frustrating computer. Once I did find what I was looking for, I had difficulty in following that object as the fine tuning of the telescope motion could only be accomplished by turning off the computer, loosening the head and moving the scope with hands on the barrel.
This time I wanted a scope that had reasonable power to see the planets and some galaxies but not so big that transport and setup time would discourage using it. I also wanted one that would grow with me. For example, I thought I might like to add 2" eyepieces at some point and would also like to experiment with astrophotography.
The XLT 102 scope comes with an equatorial mount. I am not sure I understand all there is to know about that type of mount but I can say that fine tracking of an object that I have located is fairly easy now. I can use my highest magnification eyepieces and still keep them in view as long as I wish to with the excellent fine tracking control knobs.
The mount is very substantial in size and weight and is rock solid in use. The eyepiece holder doubles as a leg stabilizer as you tighten the large, easily used adjustment knob. This locks the legs in place an eliminates any wobble.
The telescope itself seems well made and sturdy. The finder scope was easy to align. Optics seem excellent to me. I bought the smallest of this series as I figured it would be easier to tote around and will give me good views of the basics.
Setup took a little time but included instructions were marginal. I needed to search online videos about setup as the company seems to think that everyone who buys this scope already knows how to assemble and use it.
Once I got the everything assembled and telescope mounted it didn't take me too long to locate Saturn and get some great views. That first clear view was worth the price of admission.
Some say to add one motor drive at a time and that's probably what I will do. That way I can easily just manually adjust the other axis. After that I will add a web cam-type camera and maybe start adding 2" eyepieces too.
I do recommend purchasing an eyepiece kit. I purchased a good eyepiece kit with filters when I had my last scope and fortunately decided to keep the eyepieces when I decided to part with the scope.
Overall, I would classify this scope as an excellent entry-level, serious telescope. I find this a nice complement to my two sets of binoculars and SkyScout.

Comments about Celestron Omni XLT 102 Refractor Telescope:

I've always wanted a big refractor - in my youth, it was always recommended that a 3" was the minimum, so a 4" seemed to be a really good idea. I researched widely and this was the most scope I could get for the money. I've only had it for a couple of weeks, but wow - I'm impressed! Easy to set up, big lens, superb construction, great accessories, and easy to add to. I got an extra Celestron Omni 9mm eyepiece and a Barlow, which gives a great coverage of magnifications. So far I've seen cloud bands on Jupiter, polar cap and markings on Mars, Saturn and Titan, a whole load of Messier objects, including M1, the Crab nebula, which I've never seen before. The Moon is just incredible! The lens cap has a central aperture which really helps reduce the brightness, so try that if it's too bright.
The heaviest part is the equatorial mount, but it's easy to move and set up, so that's not a big deal, and the weight really helps with the stability.
Soon, I'll be getting the motor drives and the polar finder, a 32mm eyepiece for DSO's, a laser pointer for a finder, but really - it's a great scope right out of the box. I'm extremely happy with it, and would gladly and confidently recommend it to anyone thinking of buying it.

Comments about Celestron Omni XLT 102 Refractor Telescope:

[@] originally bought Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ, later returned it and bought Celestron OMNI XLT 102. There was nothing wrong with the previous product; I just wanted a superior product. OMNI XLT 102 is a very good product. It has very good value for money. Optics used in this telescope is very high quality. So far I have done a lot of planetary (moon craters & Saturn) and a little deep space observation using 25mm and 10mm X-Cel series lenses, with and without X-Cel series Barlow lens. The image quality is excellent and resolution is very sharp, even at high magnifications. It is a great telescope at intermediate level. But I would recommend using fringe killer and sky glow filters with this product to make it perfect.

Comments about Celestron Omni XLT 102 Refractor Telescope:

This is my first telescope, so I bought this 4inch refractor because it is such a low maintenance item and since there is a lot of light pollution where i live, i've read that refractors are most ideal. It's not too big and not to small and for the price its really the most aperture in a refractor that i'm gonna get for the money. I know i could've gone bigger but this is my first scope and i wanted to make my veiwing sessions as hassel free as possible. A larger scope is heavier and with a reflector i'd always have to worry about collimating it. So far i like it and if i continue with this new hobby my next scope will be larger. Really the only con about this item is that since it does not come with a motor drive, at high magnifications the objects in view quickly drift out of view, so you really have to make sure that you've established polar alignment to make tracking things easier; i know because i went some nights without doing this. Moon views are nice with this scope and so far the only planets i've had a chance to view have been saturn and venus. Saturn appears small but very discernable; And venus a little larger but very bright so you will need a minus v filter to help clear up the purple halo around it.