BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Compact Refractor Telescope with Table Top Tripod And Carrying Case

by Barska

Product Features

• Entry-level telescope with 300x power and 400mm focal length
• Coated glass optics for enhanced image brightness
• Interchangeable eyepieces with 3x Barlow lenses for versatility
• Includes beginner's version of Deepsky Astronomy software
• Adjustable tripod and soft carrying case; limited lifetime warranty

Product Description

Amazon.com

An ideal entry-level telescope for amateur astronomers, the Barska Starwatcher 300-power telescope brings you closer than ever to the stars and planets. The refractor telescope is equipped with such features as coated glass optics for enhanced image brightness, interchangeable eyepieces with 3x Barlow lenses for increased viewing power, and smooth-functioning mounts. For good measure, Barska added a beginner's version of the highly popular Deepsky Astronomy software, which is packed with a searchable database of more than 10,000 objects, including nebulae, star clusters, double stars, variable stars, and other types. Simply load it on your PC and begin your journey to the stars and planets. Bundled with a sturdy adjustable tripod and a soft carrying case, the telescope carries Barska's limited lifetime warranty.

Specifications

• Max power: 300x
• Focal length: 400mm
• Finder scope: 5x24
• Draw tube: 1.25 inches
• Eyepiece 1: SR4
• Eyepiece 2: K20
• Diagonal: 45 degrees
• Warranty: Limited lifetime

About Barska
Barska is a worldwide sport optics company with strong brand recognition within the optics industry, with corporate offices in La Verne, California, and warehouses and distribution centers in La Verne and Shanghai, China. Barska offers an extensive line of precision sport optics products, such as binoculars, riflescopes, spotting scopes, and telescopes. The product range has been designed and built with the latest optical technology, allowing users to enjoy all their favorite leisure time outdoor activities, including bird watching, outdoor observation, hunting, fishing, stargazing, concerts, and sporting events.

Product Description

Max power: 300x, Focal Length (mm) 400, Finder scope: 5x24, Draw Tube (inch): 1.25, Eyepiece#1:SR4, Eyepiece #2: K20, Diagonal: 45°, .

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.5 x 3.9 x 4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000BY2DJQ
• Item model number: AE10100
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,256 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #3 in Electronics > Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Refractors

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't expect too much..., January 7, 2011

By 

A. Wasen (Sweden) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Compact Refractor Telescope with Table Top Tripod And Carrying Case (Electronics)

I am a pretty advance amateur-astronomer and have used a few different telescopes. I bought this as a "travel scope" and to use as a guide-scope for astro-photography.
I suspected it would be plastic and rather "cheapo" looking, and I was right... it is!
But, it is not wobbly or bad to handle, surprisingly sturdy and good optics considering the price.
You do get what you pay for when it comes to telescopes and expecting to see "Hubble" images through this scope is bound to make you disappointed.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the crisp image this scope gave when looking at the moon.

The supplied barlow (3x) and eyepieces are laughable to a "serious" amateur-astronomer but they do actually perform very well. Unfortunately a 4mm eyepiece is too powerful for a scope like this, it would have made more sense to ship it with a 8 or 12 mm instead. The barlow is plastic but the lens is actually of quite good quality and does not stretch or blur the image noticeably around the edges. If you already have a set of eyepieces you can throw the supplied once in the garbage without any regret, if not, the supplied ones will work pretty good but don't expect any 300x magnifications to work, that's utter bull and shouldn't even be mentioned...
Make sure to use the 45 degree diagonal as you will not get focus otherwise...

You will get stunning views of the moon using this scope, you will also be able to see the bands on Jupiter and the rings on Saturn as well as track their moons.

I would rate the image quality of the scope to 4 stars considering the price but the poor quality of the eyepieces and the finder-scope takes it down to a 3 star.

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent value, January 24, 2008

By 

Larry Goodman (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Compact Refractor Telescope with Table Top Tripod And Carrying Case (Electronics)

I purchased this scope based on positive reviews on a couple of web sites that cater to amateur astronomers. I wasn't disappointed. A couple of things prevented me from rating it a 5. The 45-degree diagonal and the tabletop tripod are better suited to terrestrial viewing. If you plan on astronomical use you'll want to use a full-sized tripod and add a 90-degree diagonal at some point if you don't already have one. Also, a 2x barlow lens would have made much more sense than the 3x. On the plus side the scope is sturdily constructed and has good optics for the price. I live in the heart of St. Louis and haven't been able to take it to a dark viewing area yet, but from my backyard the moon was excellent as was the Orion nebula, and Mars presented a nice sharp disk. The stock eyepieces are fine, but using a 9.7mm super plossl the results were great!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great telescope very powerful, October 11, 2008

By 

Trish Collins "yazmo" (old town maine) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Compact Refractor Telescope with Table Top Tripod And Carrying Case (Electronics)

This telepscope is a very good telescope.very powerful and clear.easy to use even for a beginner.the only complaint may be the tripod is small and you need to have a sturdy base to set it on for it is too small to use by itself.but if you have a sturdy deck or outside patio or just happen to have a full sized tripod of your own this makes an excellent telescope for astronomers of all ages and skill levels.