Bushnell Voyager


 Info  Votes  Messages  More Stats  Up One Level
Brand and Model:Bushnell Voyager
Price ($USD):$200.00
Type:Newtonian
Attributes: un-checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:114mm (4.5")
f Ratio:f/0
Focal Length:0mm
Finder:none
Electric Power:
Mount:Socket
Tripod:
Weight (lbs):light
Dimensions (w/h/d):small
Description:

Vote Highlights Vote
Bushnell Voyager
The relative ratings of this scope and the Meade ETX70 have made me cynical about ratings. A side-by-side comparison of the Bushnell Voyager to the ETX70 made me want to call up Meade and scream. Nevertheless, the ETX70 is credited with spectacular optics, and the Bushnell Voyager is panned. One reviewer on another site even declared that he saw gull wings around stars in the star test. I saw no such effect.

Very well, this isn't the greatest scope in the world, but it is fine for its target market: casual family viewing. The low-power eyepiece yields a very fine wide view - much broader than the view in the ETX90 at comparable magnification. At 100 power, it reveals surface detail on Jupiter, and shows Saturn clearly. The beloved ETX70 blurs out far below 100 power, and for $150.00 more, it never showed the rings of Saturn in my experience. (That's pretty damning, IMHO.)

At $180.00, there's nothing cheaper that shows as much as the Voyager. It has no snob appeal. It's not for the serious amateur. It's for the casual family, and it's well-targeted.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40111

>The relative ratings of this scope and the Meade ETX70 have made me cynical about ratings. A side-by-side comparison of the Bushnell Voyager to the ETX70 made me want to call up Meade and scream. Nevertheless, the ETX70 is credited with spectacular optics, and the Bushnell Voyager is panned. One reviewer on another site even declared that he saw gull wings around stars in the star test. I saw no such effect. 
>
>Very well, this isn't the greatest scope in the world, but it is fine for its target market: casual family viewing. The low-power eyepiece yields a very fine wide view - much broader than the view in the ETX90 at comparable magnification. At 100 power, it reveals surface detail on Jupiter, and shows Saturn clearly. The beloved ETX70 blurs out far below 100 power, and for $150.00 more, it never showed the rings of Saturn in my experience. (That's pretty damning, IMHO.) 
>
>At $180.00, there's nothing cheaper that shows as much as the Voyager. It has no snob appeal. It's not for the serious amateur. It's for the casual family, and it's well-targeted.

Uhh...why did you post this on the Bushnell Voyager page?

Bushnell Voyager
I have a 3-inch Bushnell Voyager telescope,rather than the 4.5-inch model,and I saw a similar telescope from Orion for around $100 so I think this would cost similar,so I will go from there.

After getting a .965 eyepiece(a 4mm)I took this telescope back.I later learned how to mod my 25mm eyepiece to fit in the .965 focuser.It is in-focus when I put it in,at least for stars,but for planets I seriously need to get an adapater.

Stars are points of light at 28x.At 175x,they break down,but still a bit better than my 60mm Meade Refractor I've been using for a year and a half now.The Moon is incredible at 175x,and I could still clearly see Saturn's shape at 175x,and it was still pretty bright.The Meade couldn't do that.Optically,the Bushnell is quite good.Not perfect,but I suspect a few scratches I found in the mirror may have hurt it.

The mounting is rock-solid.I tapped it at 175x and within 2/10ths of a second,it was done shaking.The Moon didn't even budge.I was quite pleased.This telescope is easy to set-up,and colimination knobs are included,so Colimination is easy as well(although mine rusted a bit and thus is forever stuck colliminated!).I found with the 25mm just sweeping can find you some interesting stuff(I found M44,the Beehive Cluster,before it was even fully dark out).What a deal.I have no finder,it's missing and I never recieved it.

Pound for pound,this $100 telescope is well worth it.It is almost ALL metal,the tripod is ultra-stable,it is easy to use/work on,and more.My only complaint is it takes .965 eyepieces standard,if it took 1.25s it would be even better.This telescope is a well-built one,I suspect this may be from when Bushnell was trying to make a name for itself and just introduced this model.How someone could have let this telescope rust in the basement is beyond me.My 3-inch Voyager is a well-built telescope,and I do not care about the rust and dings.I love it.I am going to somehow get a true 1.25" adapter and a new finder for it.The Voyager has returned as the 76mm Voyager Sky Tour,with GOTO.I don't know how good that mount is,or if the GOTO is any good,but if it is,and the mount is still stable,and the optics are as good,the $170 you pay for it is well worth it.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:8 Mount:10 Ease of Use:9 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=504069


Bushnell Voyager
Whlie being my first telescope I don't have much to compare it to. And also being quite studious I got really into the lingo of what I need to look out for in a telescope. While it does suffer from sphericial aberration (about 10% around the edges) I was able to bring up Saturn on my first night out. While still small it did show differations in the clouds (dimly and not much difference in colors) and it didn't show the Cassini Division. I've also noticed that this scope's specs say it's 4.5" but mine is 3". I also I couldn't get the barlow to focus on it. I should have tried practicing against the moon since it was just yesterday that it was full. For being quite the novice and getting this for Christmas I'm quite happy with how performs.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=410411

>Whlie being my first telescope I don't have much to compare it to. And also being quite studious I got really into the lingo of what I need to look out for in a telescope. While it does suffer from sphericial aberration (about 10% around the edges) I was able to bring up Saturn on my first night out. While still small it did show differations in the clouds (dimly and not much difference in colors) and it didn't show the Cassini Division. I've also noticed that this scope's specs say it's 4.5" but mine is 3". I also I couldn't get the barlow to focus on it. I should have tried practicing against the moon since it was just yesterday that it was full. For being quite the novice and getting this for Christmas I'm quite happy with how performs.

I got this telescope(at least I think it's the 4.5" Bushnell Voyager Reflector)from a friend and gave it away to another friend.Sounds like performance is similar to my NGC-60...but this telescope is bigger...nearly 2 whole inches bigger...it is probably better for deep-sky objects.

Bushnell Voyager
Hi, I found this scope to be an excellent value and a good little scope. It is extremely easy to use and setup is merely removing the dust cover. I found mine to be out of adjustment when I got it ,but after making the adjustments to the secondary mirror, I was able to pull in sharp views over 100 x. Images were surprisingly sharp, even next other larger dobs. We are very pleased with ours.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:7 Mount:7 Ease of Use:9 Value:9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=352589


Bushnell Voyager
I am very pleased with this scope.
This is the sope that got me hooked in astronomy.
I now own an Orion XT8, so my little B/V 4.5" gets little use, but I've held on to it for travel.
It's not a perfect scope, but it is very usable.
At $99 it was a great buy.
I have no regrets.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:6 Mount:6 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=345390


Bushnell Voyager
I have used this scope for over 1 year now;it is easy to set up in seconds and you can use higher power with an good eyepiece,but of course it is fantastic at lower powers.I have had two 8 reflectors and one 4 inch refractor,but this scope is so easy to set up and I have tinkered with it adding flock paper inside and fine tuning it with the front diagnol mirror.This is why most people who had bad images with this scope.At $169 it was a great buy!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:9 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=70075


Bushnell Voyager
Great little scope for lunar, and lower power wider-field views.
Great portable, quick setup..simple..it gets used, and has decent light
gathering

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40110


Bushnell Voyager
Useful only for very low (under 25x) power viewing. Terrible optics, dews up extremely quickly, poor quality eyepieces, no finder and huge strap lug holes snag and rip bearings (RUINS the big plus of a ball mount scope - smooth motions and many aftermarket eyepieces and barlows will not come to focus. A pathetic imitation of the Astroscan. There are VERY good reasons the Astroscan costs more, do yourself a favor and pass up this cheap imitation.

Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40008


Bushnell Voyager
It appears as though there are two schools of thought on this telescope. The two examples I have seen in our club, were both terrible! Spherical abberation that leaves stellar images looking like spikey ovals, and the planets just unobservable.

The gentleman above's claim that as long as you use good eyepieces the telescope gives good images, just does not hold water as we tried everything that people in the club had, ranging from RKE's to Televue premiums.

I am not doubting that some people have gotten "good examples" of this telescope. It just seems to me that either there are huge variences in quality control, or they are making these things at two different locations. I just don't know if anyone should take a $200 chance that you will get one of the good ones! Can't recomend this telescope to anybody, because I don't dislike anybody THAT much!

Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40007


Bushnell Voyager
For what I paid and expected I am totally satisfied. Stars focus to sharp pinpoints up to x100 (with a good quality eyepiece) and I have been able to detect surface detail on Jupiter as well as the Cassini division in Saturn's rings. Extended objects stand out well including nebula and clusters.

I have an 8" equatorial which I like very much but the convienence of this 'scope can't be overstated. I can literally go from thinking about using the 'scope to observing in just a few minutes. It's compact enough that I take it with me when I travel and camp.

I would give it a 10 except for the totally worthless 5mm eyepiece that comes with the 'scope. This poor quality eyepiece makes the abberations from the spherical mirror all too obvious. A better decision by Bushnell would be to include a 17mm or 12.5mm instead. This is a LOW POWER 'scope that fits it's role very well and is much more enjoyable than any pair of binoculars could be.

I do recommend the addition of a Rigel Systems Starfinder finder scope. Mounting this on the back end of the tube against the "ball" part provides a lightweight pointing device that will save a lot of time when searching for celestial targets but does not mess up the balance of the 'scope in it's mount.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40006

[Click Here to Login]
Don't have a login? Register!