Tasco Luminova 660 x 60mm Telescope

by Bushnell

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 30.5 x 11 x 8 inches ; 12.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000A0AJ5
• Item model number: 40060660
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,243 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 7, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Tasco Luminova 660x is a good 60mm beginners telescope, complete with all the accessories you'll need to study Lunar craters, Jupiter's moons, and even the rings of Saturn. The package includes a lightweight tripod, three 1.25-inch eyepieces (H25, H12.5, and SR4), two barlow lenses, a Moon filter, a Solar projection screen, and even a program disk that turns your computer into a desktop planetarium.

The Alt-Azimuth tripod included with the Tasco Luminova package is light and easy to use, but it doesn't track stars and planets as the Earth rotates. It's best to use the low power 25mm eyepiece to find your target, then use a high power lens to zoom in for a closer look.

While "more power" is a good advertising slogan, I have more fun with this little telescope by keeping the power down. In fact, the best upgrade for this telescope is a low power Celestron 25mm E-Lux eyepiece (about 32x). The Celestron E-lux eyepiece has a much wider field of view than the standard equipment H25 eyepiece. A wider view means the Moon remains visible nearly twice as long, I see more than twice as many Milky Way stars at one time, and it's easier to find deep space objects like the Orion Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy! As a general rule, 60mm telescopes perform best at magnifications of 120x or less. With a 6mm E-Lux eyepiece (133x) for example, I can actually see Saturn's rings or the pine needles on a distant tree branch more clearly than I can using Tasco's economy-grade high power eyepieces and barlows. The high power 400x and 660x images are basically useless because they are dim, fuzzy and hard to focus.

Overall the Tasco Luminova 660x is a good beginners telescope with a generous accessory package. One of its virtues is that it can be easily upgraded with better eyepieces. For a little more money, the Nexstar 60 GT is a 60mm telescope complete with a computerized tracking system. In this price range, also take a look at Celestron's Firstscope 60AZ and Orion's Spaceprobe 3 Altaz, which come with better eyepieces right out of the box.--Jeff Phillips

Pros:

• Low cost
• Lots of accessories
• Easy to add better 1.25-inch eyepieces

Cons:

• Does not track stars and planets
• Narrow field eyepieces

Product Description

Perfect for the amateur astronomer, for an amazing look at our closet celestial neighbors.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice scope for the money, March 17, 2006

By 

Donald A. Crawford "Stargazer" (Phoenix, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I shopped around for a few weeks before I bought the Tasco Luminova, and felt it was the best deal for the money. My wife (The Boss) limited me to $100 from our budget, and this scope had the features I wanted.
It was nicely packed, the parts were clearly labeled and fit together without a hitch. The instructions were clear and the pictures informative. I assembled it in less than an hour.
I have enjoyed it for both stargazing and terrestrial use, watching hikers make use of the many trails in and around South Mountain Park, near our home.
All in all, I have to say I have been pleased with my purchase, and would have paid more for a lesser telescope elswhere.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very bad, June 7, 2007

By 

Mark Chen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tasco Luminova 660 x 60mm Telescope (Electronics)

My first telescope was just like this one. A telescope that has a 60mm apature can not be pushed to 660x and still be useful. For a 60mm apature you'll want to stay under 125x. Power for a telescope is not important. I got a very clear view of Saturn with only 80x. I have a scope that has 8 inches of apature. Do yourself a faver and spend more money and buy a better scope.