![]() ![]() Slightly nicer optics, easier to reach high powers, and a larger aperture. If you can save up the extra hundred or so dollars for a good 6” Dobsonian, (assuming you can handle the added bulk), I’d go for that instead. If it was a little cheaper it’d be worth it, but as it is it’s more expensive than the Z130 for no good reason. The Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 is a 4.5” long-tube Dobsonian which rests on the ground instead of a table. If you think this whole tabletop business won’t work for you, consider either the XT4.5 or a 6” Dobsonian. The real competitors of the Z130 are Dobsonians and other Table-Dobs. Tripods and mounts in this price range are cheap and wobbly, and the telescopes put on them are typically cheaper. There’s virtually nothing on a tripod that is as good a deal as the Zhumell Z130. Any short-tube 4.5” or 5” Newtonian reflector with a focal length of around 1000mm (these are horrible-quality Bird-Jones which are even worse than these spherical mirror newts.).The Bad: these have spherical mirrors which can’t focus light, and other weird quirks. An additional 2.2lbs counterweight would do it, and it’d be more sturdy than the EQ2 mounts from Synta.) (For the record, I tried my Z130 on my EXOS Nano EQ3-it needed more than 4.4 lbs counterweight. This OTA must be much lighter because it only uses a 2.2 lbs counterweight. The OTA is more affordable, but all the mounted options are more expensive. Available as an OTA, or on their Twilight Altaz mount, or on their EXOS Nano Equatorial mount. Explore Scientific FirstLight 130: These are different optics, with a shorter focal length.For the same price, you could get a bigger Dob instead. Celestron NexStar 130SLT: A computerized telescope (I don’t like computerized mounts, but for a budget Go-To mount these are fine) with the same optics set and a souped up focuser.SkyWatcher 130PDS: OTA only, designed for astrophotography with a souped up focuser and finder.EQ mounts are unintuitive and finicky to use, so I’d take the tabletop version even at the same price. Orion SpaceProbe 130ST/SkyWatcher Explorer N 130/650: Identical OTA to the Z130, on a slightly undersized EQ-2 mount, and more expensive.If for some reason you must have an EQ mount, consider the SpaceProbe 130ST or Explore Firstlight 130 EQ3. None of these telescopes have mounts that are as easy to use as the Z130’s Tabletop Dobsonian base. Spherical mirrors are to be avoided at all costs in a short-tube Newtonian. There are several equatorial mounted 5” f/5 reflectors on the market which mainly differ by whether or not they have a parabolized or spherical mirror. ![]()
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