Tasco 30060402 Novice 402 x 60mm Telescope

by Bushnell

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 30 x 10.7 x 6.8 inches ; 7.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000A0AIX
• Item model number: 30060402
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,500 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #60 in Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Refractors
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 16, 2003

Product Description

From The Manufacturer

Tasco's Novice telescope is a great place to start for budding astronomers--and especially for those who want to go deep into space without going deep into their pocketbook. Maximum magnification of 420x brings the rings of Saturn, Jupiter, and even bright objects looming deep in space into view without trouble. The refractor design is reliable, easy to operate and, when combined with high-quality glass optics, images are clear, bright and crisp. Rack and pinion focus and alt-azimuth mounts add to its popularity among novices of all ages. The portability and rugged construction make it possible to hit the road with your telescope.

Tech Talk
When selecting a telescope, consider which target objects you plan to explore as well as your level of experience. For viewing most night sky objects, you'll want a telescope with as much aperture as possible. Keep in mind that as the size of the objective lens or mirror increases, so does the size of the telescope. So be sure to select a telescope that isn't too heavy to manage or too complicated for you tot set up - especially if portability is a necessity.

• Refractor Telescope: A refractor telescope collects light though a large objective lens and directs it through the telescope to the eyepiece for magnification. Invented by the famous astronomer Galileo, refractor telescopes are noted for bright, high-quality images with excellent resolution.
• Reflector Telescope: Reflectors use a large concave mirror to collect and focus light back to a diagonal mirror which redirects the light to the eyepiece for magnification. Reflectors deliver the most magnification in a compact design because they achieve a longer focal length through the use of mirrors.
• Eyepieces: Lower power eyepieces provide a wider field-of-view and a brighter image making them ideal for viewing the full Moon and planets, star clusters, nebulae and the constellations. To focus in on the finer details of the Moon and planets such as mountains, ridges and craters, use an eyepiece with higher magnification.
• Mounts: There are two basic types of telescope mounts, the altitude-azimuth (also referred to as alt-azimuth or altaz) and the equatorial. Altaz mounts are the easiest to maneuver and are ideal for first-time astronomers. Equipped with a manual control or motor drive that allows you to follow the movement of objects across the night sky, equatorial mounts are ideal for more experienced astronomers.

Product Description

The controls are easy to operate, the strong magnification, presision optics and rac and pinion focus make the images clear to see for your kids new appreciation of the universe

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Do not buy this scope, June 21, 2007

By 

M. South (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tasco 30060402 Novice 402 x 60mm Telescope (Electronics)

Hi,
I've been an amateur astronomer for over 30 years. Do not waste a dime on this scope. It is USELESS and will end up in a closet collecting dust.

Hope I've save you money and time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth the money, November 4, 2011

By 

Miner2341 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tasco 30060402 Novice 402 x 60mm Telescope (Electronics)

Allow me to warn the prospective buyer beforehand that this telescope is not worth the $$--it is an old marketing scheme by low-end telescope manufacturers to sell a telescope based on its magnification. Any decent introductory book on astronomy will tell you that the most important trait of a telescope is to make images brighter, not larger. It is the size of the telescope's lens or mirror-its aperture-that is the important factor. Also, a telescope should not be used at magnifications above 50x per inch of aperture. For a 60mm telescope like this, which is 2.4", that translates to 120x. Any magnification above this will make the image dimmer and fuzzier and will not increase the resolution. There is a reason that the professional astronomical observatories use telescopes with apertures of 10 meters (about 300 inches!!)--bigger telescopes allow for higher magnifications and brighter images.

So here is my advice: look for an entry level telescope by Celestron, Meade, or Orion. These companies make excellent entry-level telescopes, and while they are more expensive than this scope, they will prove more fulfilling and less frustrating for the novice astronomer who wants to start exploring the night sky! Some great beginner telescopes are Orion XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope & Beginner Barlow Kit and Orion Observer 60 Altaz Refractor. The latter is just slightly more expensive than this Tasco, but its tripod is sturdier and its eyepieces are higher quality--and it does not offer outrageous magnifications!!

I have been an amateur astronomer now for 13 years, and started off with one of these 402-power Tascos. So I am not just basing this review on hearsay, and want to save you the two years of frustration that I had to deal with before moving to a better instrument.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Novice Refractor Telescope, January 25, 2010

By 

J. N. Ruggiero "nigelneon" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

Bought for my 14 year old astronomer, it gives him the ease of use needed with the expanded possibilities of additional optics choices.