Overall Rating: 8 Optics:10 Mount:5 Ease of Use:8 Value:8 Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote) Date: 03/18/2008 11:31:12 am PST By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.32.182) Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=576019
Overall Rating: 9 Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote) Date: 05/18/2001 06:13:31 am PST By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.6.55) Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41235
I agree with this, having owned one since 1972. I've since moved up to bigger and better scopes, but I would recommend this scope highly, it is very dependable, easy to setup and use and like already mentioned the optics are excellent. If you beef up the mount ( I mounted the GEM on an concrete pier) you will have a wonderful scope. I used to slpit doubles that my 8" reflector couldn't. I'll never regret having purchased this scope nor will ever part with it. >This is a "NO FRILLS" nothing fancy telescope form the 60's or 70's. The rating is mostly based on the optical performance. It's a white aluminum tube lined with flocking paper on the inside and three cardboard stops.It does not have an adjustable cell and the focuser is not very smooth. It is however optically excellent. Planetary perforemance is superb! Excellent contrast and sharpness. Under good conditions it easily handles 350X showing a wealth of detail on Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter's moons are resolved into tiny orbs and the GRS is easily visible. Detail within the belts is also visible. The Cassini,s division is obvious along with the Crepe ring. Diffraction patterns are virtually identical in and out of focus. It does have some negligable color that is practically gone as magnification increases. It's wonderful scope to own!
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