EXPLORER-130PM 130mm (5.1") f/650 Motorised Parabolic Newtonian Reflector

The Sky Watcher 130PM is a winner of numerous magazine and forum shoot-out awards � it really is a stand out example of truly amazing modern value-for-money and performance � this would be a great scope at more than twice the price.

Click the link below to see our informative video tour of this stunning telescope:

Video tour of the Sky Watcher 130 Newtonian telescope series

When we speak directly to customers in the showroom or on the phone this is the scope we most commonly recommend when the budget is up to �200, sometimes, depending on the customers needs even if the budget will run to �300 we�ll still recommend the 130PM as the best scope for the job (I don�t think we can award it a higher accolade than that!).

The EQ2 mount and tripod To the new user it always comes as a surprise that we talk about the mounting before the optics. Are the optics no good they wonder? On the contrary; the large 130mm optics are superb. But it doesn�t matter how good the optics are if the mount won�t hold them steady. The EQ2 mount is solidly engineered and tried and tested for ten years now. It carries the weight of the telescope and is generously specified so that it will work well with the additional weight of accessories such as cameras etc. The included motor drive is a fantastic feature and is an upgrade for most other telescopes. The RA drive is not just an unnecessary luxury � the motor functions to compensate for the daily rotation of the Earth and effectively stabilises the telescope so that the observed target appears to stand still in the eyepiece. True the 130PM has manual slow motion handles that would allow you to examine a target at high magnification without the motor but at higher powers this can feel like the trick of rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time! The motor is a major boon and allows you to get the best out of the instrument and even allows you to do long time exposure motor guided astro-photography (i.e. wide-angle piggy-back camera method).

The 130mm optics The 130mm parabolic mirror of this instrument is superb and is (when used with the appropriate accessories) capable, in ideal seeing conditions, of delivering magnifications up to 265x and 275x without break down. An amazing achievement for a telescope in this price bracket. The parabolic figure on the mirror The 650mm focal length allows medium to high power magnifications to be achieved easily without employing uncomfortably short focal length eyepieces. The 130mm aperture (that�s over 5� in old money) makes this telescope and all-round performer giving high resolution images of the Moon, planets and other solar system targets as well as penetrating deep-sky views of galaxies and nebulae.

Quality accessories includedThe Sky-Watcher 130PM is supplied with good quality accessories (low-quality accessories is a common failing in lesser scopes). The 25mm and 10mm eyepieces are bright and pin-sharp providing 26x and 65x magnification respectively. Optional 2x Barlow lens (see recommended accessories) that is used by positioning it in front of the eyepieces to double the focal length of the telescope and thereby double the magnification of each eyepiece. So when used with the Barlow 26x becomes 52x and 65x becomes 130x; thus the two eyepieces actually provide four different magnifications. The red dot LED finder is also a great boon especially for the inexperienced user. The electronic finder is designed to be used with both eyes open and from just about any viewing distance! These features just make it so easy to use compared with squinting through a little optical finder. But there�s more to it even than that � optical finders give magnified views of the sky and they are usually inverted , this can make accurate targeting star identification difficult for the inexperienced observer (actually, experienced observers can be caught out too! The Ed). The red dot finder in contrast is optically one-to-one having no magnification and the view of the sky is natural and not inverted. Simply look along the telescope tube at the sky (no need to look �at� the finder at all) and place the glowing red dot over the target you wish to view � it�s that simple.

Unanimous � 10 out of 10! We can�t recommend this telescope too highly � it�s a great choice for people who have already enjoyed a basic starter scope and want to move on. But the 130PM is also user-friendly enough to be a first scope for the user who knows that wants something one long stride beyond the basic starter scope.

Don�t just take our word for it � we are after all just dealers with a mercenary interest � instead read on and see what the magazine pundits have had to say.

"An excellent choice for anyone wanting an upgrade from a beginner's scope, to something more advanced that will show celestial objects in greater detail." BBC Sky At Night Magazine

�I was most impressed by the views revealed by the �scope during tests�Despite a phase of nearly 96 percent, the waxing gibbous Moon revealed a seemingly inexhaustible amount of fine detail�The mechanical and optical specification delivered at this price break puts it into an essentially peerless position. Highly recommended!� Astronomy Now

To read the rest of the full Astronomy Now review click the �download brochure� link under the pictures to the left.

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