Telescope Reviews: Galileoscope status?

I put one together last night and grabbed a quick peek at the moon through some thin clouds. I can't give a very thorough optical evaluation based on that, but maybe I'll see better conditions this weekend. Anyway, I'll share my impressions so far.

First impression when I opened the box were that there are a lot of pieces. The box is smartly designed to hold all the plastic bits in place with little chance of damage from shipping. Removing all the pieces from the box and laying them out on a table for assembly took no time at all. Please note that the eyepiece lenses are much smaller than the objective lens, but packed with it in a thin piece of foam. Take care not to throw them out with the foam in which the objective lens comes wrapped.

The 2 page instruction sheet included in the box gives step-by-step guidance on how to assemble the scope. It is plain and simple to follow with a couple of exceptions. First, all the parts that you will find in the box are listed but there are no pictures to identify them individually. There are, however, pictures of the relevant parts shown adjacent to each step in the assembly procedure. Second, the printed instructions finish up with a procedure for assembling the eyepiece lens, but do not specify the correct orientation for constructing the barlow (or Galilean eyepiece) lens. A different version of the instructions found online here specifies the proper orientation.

Assembly takes 5 or 10 minutes at most. I think a 8-10 year old child could easily put the scope together with little or no help. I had two rubber O-rings left over. Perhaps I am not as smart as an average 8-10 year old. Or, perhaps there were 2 extras in the box. Everything seems to work properly without them.

The scope is designed to fit the 1/4-20 screw on most camera tripods. I grabbed a cheap tripod from a closet and had no trouble mounting the scope on it. Even with a shaky mount, I was easily able to get the scope pointed at the moon using the "gun sights" along the top. Kudos to the designer!

Optically, I was easily able to see several brightly sunlit peaks just on the dark side of the terminator, some detail in crater walls, and ejecta rays radiating out from craters. As noted, there were thin clouds obscuring the view, but the image was pleasing. I am not sure how they managed to include a 50mm cemented doublet objective in this kit for only $15, but I am impressed. But for the mosquitoes, I was tempted to go grab my observing chair and sit down for a while. This is FAR BETTER than the type of "toy telescope" you would expect to get for the price. The biggest limiting factor for me in this short observing session was the focuser. It is simply a sliding tube that you push/pull until the image is sharp. I managed an acceptable view after a few seconds, but I had to re-center after each adjustment due to the cheap tripod I was using. I think I could have gotten a slightly sharper image with a bit more effort. This weekend, I will put it on a better mount so I can keep it pointed at a target while pushing the focus tube back and forth.

Let's talk about the eyepiece. The eyepiece lenses, unlike the objective, are made of plastic. This worried me a bit during construction. However, they seem to work pretty well! The scope designers thoughtfully included pieces to make a Plossl eyepiece and a Galilean eyepiece that doubles as a barlow lens. This was really smart, because the Galilean configuration is an exercise in frustration due to the narrow field of view. The Plossl, on the other hand, has a wide enough FOV to provide for reasonably comfortable viewing. And, by providing a barlow they give you the ability to increase the magnification. The scope, as shipped, is actually usable!

Yes, it does accept any 1.25" eyepieces you may have on hand. I stuck a 13mm Ethos in just to test the fit and have a nice laugh. Didn't attempt to point the scope skyward with the Ethos hanging down from it though... you understand. I did hold it horizontally and was able to bring it to focus.

My overall first impression is that this is a great scope with which to get a kid (or anyone) interested in looking at the night sky. The view of the moon was pleasing, and I expect to get pretty good low power views of Saturn and Jupiter when the weather clears. I don't see it being a primary instrument for long, as anyone bitten by the astro-bug will quickly want a scope with a real focuser. However, I think it is great for outreach events, as the tube can be quickly disassembled to show people the inside so they can see how a telescope actually works. I bought several of them so that I would have some to give away. I think it is great!

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Clear skies,
Mike K.

30°31" N 97°44" W, LP: Red
Observe: Once or twice a week back yard, once a month under dark skies
Favorites: Globulars, planets, face-on spirals
Equipment: CPC925/XT10i/TMB-92SS/Lunt LS60THaDS
Eyepieces: Naglers, Ethos, UO HDs, Hyperion Zoom