Skywatcher Startravel 120 Review

So, you’re looking for a new telescope, and you’ve set your heart on a really good one (who wouldn’t?) But where do you go from here? There are so many to choose from! We are here to help, having tried and tested some of the best scopes out there.

If you are looking for a stargazing telescope with limited terrestrial viewing capabilities that is suitable for a keen amateur astronomer on a budget, this telescope would suit you perfectly.

Skywatcher Startravel 120 review

What are you buying?

With this scope, you are buying an easy to assemble device that has an equatorial mount and a large refractor, in an easy to handle bundle.

In the box, as well as the scope, you will receive magnifications with supplied optics, in 24x, 48x and 60x, plus 120x. The scope has a multi coated lens, which will reduce the loss of light to tenths of a percent.

You will also receive 2 luxury Barlow lenses, which, when fitted to the telescope, increases the magnification. Great if you are looking for more detail on a far-away planet!

A camera adaptor is also included, so you can link your devices to get some great shots of the night sky recorded. In the box is also a Dual Fit 2” focusing lens, and a 1.25 Star Diagonal.

How easy is it to use?

This is a very user-friendly telescope, which is another added bonus when buying any new piece of equipment. Some scopes can be wieldy and hard to set up, but this one is a dream, in my experience.

The assembly is straight forward and simple, and the telescope came with detailed instructions so it is hard to go wrong. It was also packaged really well, so there were no issues with damage in transit.

What accessories do you get?

As mentioned previously, this scope comes with a camera adaptor so you can connect your camera and either capture stills or film footage of what you are viewing.

Because the Skywatcher Startravel 120 has an equatorial mount, you won’t need any extra equipment to get some great shots (scopes without a “driven” mount require extremely long exposures to prevent star shots appearing as long streaks of light).

You can get some really good shots using this scope with your camera attached, for very little effort!

Skywatcher Startravel 120 Pros and cons!

Pros:

• Easy to assemble and light enough to move about – This is great for those who don’t drive, or who go on camping trips to enjoy some stargazing.
• Comes with a great selection of lenses – A brilliant feature of a telescope is having good lenses included, so you don’t have to spend even more money!
• 38% more light capture than 102mm – This makes for a really good, crisp image.
• Red dot finder is easy to set up – Anything in a set-up that is easy is a bonus, in my view!

Cons:

• Not brilliant for terrestrial viewing – This can be changed with extra lenses, but if you’re after terrestrial viewing then other telescopes are better.
• May need additional filters to help with contrast – It can be irritating to have to deal with contrast issues, but these are easily fixable.

Anything else you should know?

For an affordable, strong, well made telescope that can give fantastic results to the keen stargazer, this one is at the head of the pack.

The tripod is sturdy enough to keep everything still enough for great viewing, and you can get some spectacular shots of the moon – especially at the highest magnification – and even Jupiter’s bands and its four largest moons.

You will experience some stunning sights of deep space as well as some of the closer planets, so whether your interest is planets or the fullness of the night sky, you won’t be disappointed.

To conclude…

For the astronomer with more than a passing interest in stargazing, who has a bit of cash to spend on a really good telescope that is quick and easy to set up and will be amazing for viewing stars and planets, the Stargazer Startravel 120 is the one for you.

The stable mount and steady tripod makes it an enjoyable experience – no cursing as your telescope wobbles all over the place! It is light and easy to transport, so you can take it with you wherever you go and set up quickly for a bit of on the spot stargazing.

Where to buy?

• Amazon UK: >>Click here to check today’s price