Zhumell Z130 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope

First and foremost I would like to ask all the Amazon people that wear sneakers, jeans, and corporate vests to shake each-other's hand and say "I appreciate your hard work!" When I checked the tracking on this item to determine why it was going to be late, I discovered it was shipped from Florida while Hurricane Ian was passing over their neighborhood. I can't be upset with people that live in a State full of alligators and iguanas. You guys made it happen throughout the pandemic and still doing it well. Amazon could never be this big without you!I am a beginner like most of the people who have already reviewed this telescope. It gets redundant after a while.The one person I know that owns a telescope said......Don't purchase a telescope that's smaller than 4.5inches(114mm), you're not going to be happy with it after a month. Go for something 5inches or larger, if it's in your budget. If you have space get a 6-8inch dobsonian and work on a 3 eyepiece/2x barlow collection. You won't need anything more than that. Translation....select what you want according to your needs and stay away from the ones that don't fit the very basic parameters.I have a small living space. It had to be light enough to carry in and out without causing bodily injury to myself. It had to be small enough to store in a closet. I live in an area that is rated Bortle 9 (very high light pollution). It took a week to locate the Pleaides and a month to locate all the stars in Bootes and Cygnus using an 8x25 binocular!I stayed away from Amazon reviews and began with top 5/10 articles, which led me down a rabbit hole to astronomy forums and astronomy equipment dealers. What I began to realize was that most of the top/best/most purchased items were cut and paste reviews from Amazon/manufacturer advertisements and had no hands on review of any of the telescopes they were cutting and pasting about.In 2022, the year of my purchase, there is a major shortage of telescopes because they're all manufactured in the same geographical location/factories, no matter the brand.My research within these parameters kept returning to 4 telescopes. One that has been a mainstay for decades as a tabletop which is now on an equatorial mount that is too light for the telescope and vibrates. Sadly, that's a dealbreaker for me. The second was a 6inch(150mm) that can be shortened to fit inside it's own tube and has a different style focuser. Did I mention I'm a newb that lives under Bortle 9 skies. Too much fiddling for my temperament. The third was also a 6 inch which was much more expensive and on the same equatorial mount as the first.....double deal breaker.The price dropped to approximately $20 above the Z114 and I decided to make the purchase earlier than I was planning to. It was simple to set up. The mirrors are already aligned (collimated) perfectly from the factory and now I patiently wait for clear skies!I hope my journey to this point helps the next New Kid on the block make an appropriate decision for his or her self.Addendum: I've had several clear nights and used them to look around. The eyepieces that come with this kit are very sharp and clear all the way to the edges as long as you don't move your head too much. I notice that when I do move outside of the pupil zone the stars near the edges will take a birdlike shape. It's not the fault of the eyepiece. If you notice this occurrence take a breather, reset yourself and observe again.2024 UpdateThe telescope is still on it's original stand and it works perfectly, although the mirror alignment is just a tiny bit offline. This does not effect the fantastic views when I take it out on clear sky nights.The first upgrade I made was a 2x Barlow, which worked wonders with the supplied eyepieces.The second upgrade I made was the purchase of a 7-21mm Zoom eyepiece. The reason for this purchase? I did not have any idea how much I could push the capabilities of this telescope. The field of view is much narrower than a dedicated eyepiece and it gave me a better idea of what I wanted when it came to upgrading the original eyepieces. Which leads me to the last upgrade made since purchasing this telescope.I purchased three "planetary" eyepieces and WOW! They made a HUGE and pleasant difference. The 25mm and 9mm have forever replaced the original eyepieces until the nieces and nephews want to take a peek. I also purchased a 4mm for planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars. With the 4mm plan on moving the mount frequently because the higher the magnification the quicker things move across the eyepiece.The Z130 is highly approved from a Bottle 9 backyard. 11 out of 5 stars!

Two years ago, my 8yo son received a plastic 50mm scope for his birthday. This flimsy toy scope, of the "hobby-killer" variety, intrigued me with it's view of the moon, and i wondered what the moon would look like through a "real" telescope. I set a budget of $120 and began my research. After skimming many articles, reviews, and rankings lists, i realized i would have to increase my budget; I didn't know much, but I knew I wanted a scope that would allow me a few years growth in this new hobby. On paper, the z130 seemed to meet all my criteria, and for only $198. Btw, the current 2023 price would have put this way outside my budget at the time; $350 would have been too much considering i was still in the curious phase regarding skywatching. I have more to say about that later.The z130 arrived, and significantly altered my life. Skywatching immediately became one of my favorite hobbies, and to this day, no clear sky goes unviewed. I marveled at the moon and became familiar with it's features and geography. I was fascinated by Jupiter, it's equatorial bands, and Galilean moons. My first view of Saturn, an orb encircled by a mass of rings, all in pristine, geometric perfection, was a moment of silent astonishment. Beyond our solar system, I would observe my first two deep sky objects, the ring nebula and the Sombrero galaxy. I would go on to observe many more nebulae and galaxies, as well as globular clusters and other deep sky objects, always excited with each new discovery. I once, and not for the last time, stayed out until three in the morning. Using stellarium as a guide, I toured the entire, viewable sky, lingering over every dso I could locate. I felt as though I had traveled our galaxy and beyond, and it remains one of the most memorable experiences of my life.Among other skywatching instruments, I would eventually acquire a ten inch dobsonian and a 102mm ed refractor. Both of these scopes outperform the z130 in many ways. However, the z130 is just so comfortable to use. I can set the z130 on a sturdy table or chair and, while seated, observe the night sky for hours in a steady position with no discomfort. Comparatively, the 10" dob can have me stooped at times, and the 102ed will have me in any number of positions ranging from low-seated to standing stretched. The z130 is incredibly portable, while my 10" dob is a beast to carry, and my 102 ed requires a somewhat hefty tripod and mount. The z130 is ready to go, while the 10" dob takes it's time reaching equilibrium and the 102ed requires eq alignment. The z130 is easier to use; just point and observe. It's also a hunter; with a wider field of view compared to the 10" dob, finding objects takes much less time, meaning more objects can be observed per session.The z130 won't replace my 10 inch dob when I want to view transit shadows on Jupiter or some obscure rille on the moon. The z130 won't replace my 102ed when I need that extra bit of contrast and stars with less spike. However, the z130 is no slouch in the performance department. In fact, it has spoiled me to the point that I find views through a size-smaller 4 1/2 inch reflector to be unsatisfactory. Besides that, the z130 is at least, roughly, a third the price of a 10" dob or 102ed- keeping in mind the 102ed requires the additional purchase of a solid mount.On the subject of price, the current price of the z130 is around $350. While I certainly feel that it is worth that price, and that I have gotten more value than that from the z130, It now finds itself in a problematic range. It's hard to imagine that a curious pre-novice on a tight budget would make that splurge. On the other hand, someone willing to spend that much on a first scope should probably at least consider spending a little more for a six or even 8 inch dobsonian.That said, this is still a five-star scope. It's my most used scope. It's very portable, comfortable, provides substantial views, and is easy to use. It's also a great hunter. If you get one, consider getting some binoviewers down the line; the z130 is sturdy enough to handle them, and Jupiter, Saturn and especially the Moon will provide some next-level viewing through them.