SkyWatcher Explorer 130PS AZGTi or AZGTe

This SkyWatcher Explorer 130PS Newtonian telescope is one of the highest performace instrument in the beginner's recommended segment. With it's 130mm main mirror it can be used for Deep Sky objects observations besides the Moon or planet hunting. Under a clear sky up to 500 Deep Sky objects are visible. It's an ideal telescope for travelling thanks to it's short build.

While most small telescopes utilize spherical mirror, this scope offers parabolical mirror which makes it suitable for observations with higher magnifications. The F/5 aperture is a high advantage in portabilty, utilizing and balancing since the tube is short. The main use is in smaller magnifications, however it's excellent image quality allows higher magnifications and even using a Barlow lens. The package includes a 10mm and a 25mm eyepieces (26x and 65x magnifications) which can be extended up to 260x magnification with optional eyepieces and Barlow lenses. Finding objects is assisted by the included red dot (StarPointer) finder. Secondary mirror is 34,5mm which causes only 26% shadow in the center which slight effect on contrast.

The AZ-GTi or AZ-GTe mounts are extremely compact, motor-driven Azimuthal GoTo mechanics that can be controlled via Wi-Fi on smartphone (or tablets). It is motor driven, but can be moved manually as well. Automatic object search (GoTo) can be used with a smartphone (or tablet). The power supply is from 12V, but it can be operated with the built-in battery compartment (runs from 8 pcs AA batteries). Thanks to internal power supply and wifi connection, the mechanism can be operated without any cables, which is extremely comfortable and safe. The included StarAdventurer tripod provides an extremely compact and lightweight set that is ideal for traveling. The head has standard 3/8 "connections, so it can be mounted on other photo tripods as well.

Connecting the telescope is quick and does not require a tool. The mount creates a Wi-Fi network that you can connect to your phone as you normally do. The required SynScan application can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store or Google Play stores. The mount is set up with 1 or 2 star alignment and then the mechanics will automatically be move to the selected objects. There are several extra features available. Excellent cooperation with the SkySafari 5 planetarium program. The product is under development, so later options and other planetary programs will be available.

Two versions are available:

Encoder version (AZ-GTi): Manual movement can be made after star alignment. Built-in encoders are constantly seeing the position of the mount while moving, so you can switch between auto- and manual object search without losing the position.

Economy version without encoder (AZ-GTe): After aligning the telescope it is not advisable to move it manually, as it will lose the learned position and resume the aligning..