Galileo CCJRME 600x 50mm Refractor Telescope

by Galileo

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.5 x 3 x 5.5 inches ; 5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001AC0BG
• Item model number: CC-JRME
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,811 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 2007

Product Description

Begin your journey of the universe with the Galileo CC-JRME Refractor Telescope. Great for kids or the kid in you! This one is perfect for the beginning explorer or as a starter telescope for children. It's compact size makes it a perfect fit for any room. The 360-deg. rotating focuser allows turning of the eyepiece to fit the shortest little observers. Don't think it's any less powerful. One look through the 50 mm airspaced achromatic objective lens and you'll feel like you're walkin' on the moon and swingin' from the stars. Explore this: 600 mm focal length; Mars-eye electronic finder scope helps you locate an object without losing reference points; Erect image prism for land and daytime viewing; Two eyepieces 6 mm (100 power) and 20 mm (30 power); 3x barlow lens; Rack and pinion focus; Pre-assembled tripod; Measures 12 1/4 x 6 1/2 x 27 1/2", weighs just 7.9 lbs.; Includes carrying case, Galileo planetarium CD-ROM with instructional video and limited 1-year manufacturer's warranty. Take a trip to the stars without leaving your home! Order yours today! Galileo CC-JRME Refractor Telescope

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a good choice, December 30, 2006

By 

Doug Rice (Twin Falls, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Galileo CCJRME 600x 50mm Refractor Telescope (Electronics)

This is not the way to get started in astronomy.

The red flag is the ridiculously high advertised magnification of "600x." Do you know what you will see at 600x in this scope? Nothing but a dim blur. Note that the objective (main) lens is 50mm. All telescope optics have inherent limitations; maximum useful magnification per millimeter of aperture is about 2x. Therefore, with any attempt to use this scope at magnification of over 100-120x, the increase in image size will be more than offset by breakdown, and that's even assuming the quality of the objective lens is any good. The ad's description of the objective is impressive but--given the deceptive magnification claim--not credible.

To their credit, the manufacturers have added a reflex finder instead of one of the ridiculously small magnifying finders that commonly plague these scopes. The 52-degree apparent field of the eyepiece is creditable, better than the junk so often found on these scopes. But it is too high a magnification to be used with this scope, and don't even think of using the barlow.

Using an astronomical telescope is not like playing an MP3 file and but rather like playing a guitar. It is a learned skill. And you must do a lot of homework before you buy a telescope. Buying without prior experience is like buying a car without knowing anything about driving. If you want to see the wonders of the sky, contact your local astronomy club and attend one of their star parties. The members love sharing their hobby and can set you straight as to how to get started. The best way is to learn the sky with the unaided eye and 10x50 binoculars (decent ones are available on this website), then graduate to something along the lines of a 150-200mm (6-8") Dobsonian; good ones can be found on Amazon starting at under $290.

For more information on buying telescopes, see my encyclopedic guide on Amazon: "So you want to buy a telescope."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Well... it's a telescope..., October 27, 2007

By 

K. Frushour (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Galileo CCJRME 600x 50mm Refractor Telescope (Electronics)

I got one of these for my birthday in 2000, and have used it on and off. I only go out and use it (if you'll pardon the pun) once in a blue moon. I lack the funds and time involved to bother with buying a more expensive telescope so I just stick with this one.

It's a telescope, and works as such - though it can be frustrating to work with and aim. The knobs to set it in position are finicky and either render it immovable or too loose. It's hard to get pointed at anything smaller than the moon. It's very light, and a slight jostle will knock you off of whatever target you're looking at - that is if you don't knock it over. Because of all this THIS IS NOT A BEGINNER TELESCOPE FOR KIDS in my opinion.

However, once lined up properly, it's still a telescope. It shines on looking at the moon, you can just barely make out the thicker bands on Jupiter (don't try to look for the red spot), and you can see the rings of Saturn (small, but you can tell). Don't bother looking for Messier Objects with it. Don't bother with the "best" eyepiece - it makes everything too dim.