Bushnell NorthStar 525mm x 3" Motorized GoTo Reflector Telescope

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Product Details

Product Manual [1.46mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 18.5 x 43.5 inches ; 25.1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 27 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B0000A4LYK
• Item model number: 788831
• Average Customer Review: 1.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank

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  #3 in	Camera & Photo > Accessories > Telescope Accessories > Motor Drives
  #34 in	Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Reflectors

• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 1, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

A quantum leap for computerized telescopes, the North Star offers novice telescope users a plethora of celestial views at the touch of a button. Advanced motorized "go to" technology enables the computer to automatically find and follow any object from its 20,000 object database. Includes a remote control handset with red illuminated LCD readout and red backlit buttons. Also features the new wide-field red dot finderscope, which utilizes a red LED projection. This 1x finderscope will easily allow any user to quickly sight in an area of the sky and find night sky objects quickly. Additional features include quick release accessory tray and tripod legs for an easy two-step assembly.

Specifications for this Bushnell telescope include:

• Power/Obj.: 525x3"
• Style: Reflector
• Focal length: 700mm
• Features: 20,000 Object Onboard Starfinding Computer With Real Voice Output, Kinematic Motion, Quick-Release Adjustable Aluminum Tripod, 1.25" Format Eyepieces, Barlow Lens, Red Dot LED Finderscope, Accessory Tray, Camera Adaptable, 2-Step Assembly

Tech Talk
Magnification (Power): The magnification of a telescope is determined by dividing its focal length by the focal length of the eyepiece being used. For example, a 500mm telescope with a 5mm eyepiece would magnify objects 100x. Thus, a telescope can provide nearly any magnification required depending on the focal length of the eyepiece used.

Objective Lens Size (or Aperture): The size of the telescope’s objective lens, or aperture, limits the amount of power that can be used effectively. As the magnification of an object increases, the brightness of the image decreases. This is because the light gathered by the telescope is being spread over a larger area.

Reflector: The optical system in a reflector uses a primary mirror to reflect the light from a distant object such that it can be focused to a point and magnified by an eyepiece. Popularized by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th Century, it is sometimes referred to as a Newtonian reflector.

Focal Length: The measured light path of the optical system (tube length), typically measured in millimeters.

"Go To" Computerized Star Locator: Utilizes an on-board computer to find over 20,000 astronomical objects. Educational descriptions of the objects are provided at the touch of a button. Plus "go to" advanced motorized technology, where the computer automatically finds and follows any object from its 20,000 object database.

Product Description

See amazing sights in the starry night with the Bushnell Northstar! This impressive telescope pairs amazingly advanced features - computer-driven location and tracking ability, the "go to" feature. Real Voice Output, and Red Dot finderscope with a simple, push button control. Amateur astronomers appreciate a programmed database of 20,000 celestial objects making the cosmos within reach. When using the 20mm lens, magnification is 35x; using the 4mm lens, magnification is 175x. Adult supervision recommended. Measures 44"L x 4"W x 48"H.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Everything bad you've read it true..., October 4, 2006

By	A. Murray (NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Everything bad you've read in the other reviews is all 100% true. From the lack of tracking, poor go-to (because it doesn't keep the time after you've set it), to the way over exaggerated magnification claims, shaky mount-- all true.

I've had one of these scopes for about 4-5 years (got it as a gift). I used it once or twice but couldn't do anything but look at the moon with it. It went in the attic (where most cheap scopes end up) after a short time...

Then I gave it to my sister (she kept it when I moved-- I was going to throw it away). She gave it back after about a year because she couldn't get it to focus. Only useful for the moon she says (couldn't get the computer to work at all-- her fault there-- read on).

Since that time, however, I learned a lot about telescopes in general. So when I got it back, I figured out why it wouldn't focus with the included 4mm eyepiece or the supplied 3x barlow. It was WAY out of collimation. Collimation wasn't even mentioned in the manual at all. They assume it is always in collimation. If a scope gets out of collimation it is useless so it is strange not to put it in the manual at all.

So I take out the primary mirror and mark the center spot with a red sharpie (you need to mark the center of the primary mirror for collimation-- this one doesn't come pre-marked). I put it back in and use a cheshire eyepiece (used for collimation) to line up the optics. Now I knew why there were no instructions on collimating. This thing is almost impossible to collimate! The secondary mirror basically falls out when you loosen any ONE of the set screws! Anyway after about an hour and fifteen minutes I got it in very good collimation.

However, even in good collimation, the 4mm eyepiece will not come into a sharp focus and NOTHING in the 3x barlow will come to focus AT ALL. This is definitely due to very, very poor quality of the supplied eyepieces. I've tried other eyepieces which make this scope perform much better so I know it is the eyepieces. The 3x barlow is 100% useless and it is also 100% plastic (I think it even has a plastic lens). The *only* reason the barlow is in the box is so they can advertise 525x magnification (700mm/4mm * 3 for the barlow = 525x). But the useful magnification for any scope maxes out around 60x the aperture (in inches). In this scope's case that is 180x.

The computer works like it is supposed to (except it doesn't keep the time once you enter it which makes it pretty useless). The problem with the computer and "go-to" in general is the user has to know a bit about the sky before it is useful because you have to line up the scope manually on two stars to set the computer. The novice probably can't do this properly. Note, too, that the second star must be found fairly quickly after the first or the settings won't be very accurate (hard, again, for the novice). The most useful part of the computer is using the direction arrows to manually keep an object in view since they slew the scope at a fairly slow rate.

So, the user should know a bit about the night sky before attempting to ever use ANY go-to system.

First of all, the best way to do that is to buy NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe (Spiralbound) by Terence Dickinson. That'll get you oriented in the night sky and give a good starting point.

Second, pick up a good starter scope. A good starter Newtonian (same style as this scope) with an object locator (doesn't automatically move the telescope, though) is an Orion SkyQuest XT6. It has twice the aperture of this scope. If you get the XT6 without the intelliscope option it is even cheaper. General rule is buy the bigest aperture scope that your budget allows.

Personally, I don't think you need a go-to at first. It is much more fun to be able to read start charts and star hop your way to find those deep sky objects. Very much like the difference between watching a movie vs. reading the book.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Different model, same problems, October 18, 2004

By	Jon (Ohio) - See all my reviews

First off, I just want to say that I have the model up from this scope (with the 4 inch mirror), and I have the exact same problems as with this model.
To begin, the optics are actually fairly good, but nowhere close to what bushnell says they are. My scope claims to have a magnification of 675x, but it maxes out at a more reasonable 225x. While this is a good magnification, producing clear images, it is almost rendered useless by the fact that the telescope couldn't track an object if its life depended on it. I was able to see Jupiter, its gas belts, and four of its moons, but within about 30 seconds, it completely drifted out of the eyepiece. Optics wise, this is a good scope that allowed me to see the moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn, though only for short periods of time before I needed to re-align the scope. And just as a general warning, no matter how high the magnification is, the planet will always be about the sixe of the head of a pin. If you let your eyes focus you can begin to see details.
My main prolem with this scope is the tripod. Every one of the claims that this scope can track is not true. It says it uses some kind of revolutionary new kinematic mount that is incredibly precise. This is not true. All this scope uses is a wobbly alt-azimuth mount that is anything but capeable of tracking. It is very shaky, making it hard to focus at high magnifications.
The computer system on this scope is a total joke. It does not track mainly due to the fact that it doesn't keep time. You enter in the time when you go outside, so that the computer can then in theory point the scope to where objects are in the sky. This would work incredibly well...if it kept up with the time. The clock on the computer never changes, so if you enter in 10:25 when you go outside and check an hour later, it will still read 10:25. The location of objects does work in the sense that it can find any object at that given moment in time, but once a minute has gone by it is rendered completely useless. Seeing as how this is the main selling point for the scope, this is not a good thing.
The only other pro to go along with the optics is the finder scope. The red dot finder scope is excellent, and if for some reason you buy this scope, you sould learn to use it. It is easy to align, and is prety accurate. I only saw the things I did because I was able to use this little attachment.
Overall, you shouldn't buy this scope. The optics and finderscope don't match up to the other shortcomings. The only saving grace for me was that I got it at a reduced price. I would recommend looking at a scope in the Meade ETX series, mainly because they now have an attatchment on the mounts that makes them a simple equatorial mount, making it able to track. From the reviews I've read form that series and brand, it sounds like it may actually work.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very poorly made telescope, July 1, 2004

By	Mightyweb (Terrace B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews

For someone who even knows where the stars are in the night sky, this thing won't find any of them after you have aligned them. I found the telescope to be cheap construction and poor optics. I am just wondering if anyone has got this product to work like bushnell says it does??? I for one lost alot of respect from this company. Mabey they should stay out of telescopes, or make quality products with better manuals and customer support. I tried to phone the toll free # and got the big company run around, talking to no-one. I am taking this product back tomorrow.