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!

The Zhumell Z130 arrived on time in perfect condition.Already assembled except for eyepiece tray - just slip tray onto screws already placed and tighten with supplied phillips screwdriver.Easy to set-up right out of the box.Collimation fine right out of the box. Note: you will need two hex drivers, one 2mm and one 2.5mm.I purchased a laser collimator separate from the telescope, in advance, and only used it once so far to check accuracy of alignment from factory. AOK.Red dot finder works good. It does tend to dew up though during long viewing sessions. I had to wipe the red dot finder glass occasionally with a q tip.The supplied eyepieces are sufficient for enjoyable visual use.Jupiter is enjoyable - on excellent viewing nights on my light polluted area I can make out slight banding.Saturn enjoyable. Small but sweet.Alberio looks fantastic.DSO faint mostly but detectable in many cases.The moon is great - especially with polarizing filter on the supplied 25mm eyepiece.Overall the optics are sharp. The ease of use is outatanding.Quality build product for $200.Portability is supremely capable here.This unit takes up relatively small real estate on a shelf or counter top. It looks like a bonefied scientific instrument; it truly is once you get one in your hands.

Theres really nothing I didn't like about this telescope. Great price, 97% already to use, great for beginners, family and friends. Tryed it out the night we got it, and all the kids learned how to focus and track objects in the sky. It was a good night, all 3 plants and moon were lined up. First the moon, then Jupiter and the moons (but no red spot), next was Saturn and the rings. Everyone just loved it.I liked the hole deal, when the daughter in-laws sister asked what she should get I recommend that one, or its little brother (next size down 4.5 inch. So yes highly recommend for firstimers and kids, even yourself.So as I use mine, everyone can play with that one, great home combo, 1 higher end telescope and one of these, and it's very portable for though events or camping.Photos are from iphone or android 1 from each.

I bought this to replace an old 2.5" refractor telescope, in part for easier observations by my children.One caution, you will need to collimate both the primary and secondary mirrors, and adjust the red-dot sighting scope.I purchased a collimation cap to ensure the secondary mirror was aligned, and a laser collimator to collimate the primary mirror. Fortunately, the secondary mirror was well aligned. Once collimated, I adjusted the sighting scope.The included 25mm wide angle eyepiece is very good. I have not used the 10mm eyepiece, instead I purchased 9mm and 6mm wide angle SVBONY eyepieces. With a well collimated mirror and adjusted sighting scope, I am able to sight a planet and have it within the field of view of the 6mm eyepiece. I didn't need the 9mm after all.Despite being relatively small (~5") for a reflector telescope, and having a relatively short focal length (650mm), this telescope brings in a lot of light, and provides good magnification. The wide aperture and Dobsonian mount make it very easy to keep objects in the viewing field. I need to use a moon filter to observe Venus in a half-phase, as it is very bright with this telescope. Jupiter's cloud bands are clearly visible, as are the Galilean moons. Saturn is sharp, but small and distant with the 6mm eyepiece.I definitely recommend it, especially if you plan to share your hobby with children or as a gift for 12 year and older aspiring astronomers, but also consider a laser collimator, a 6mm wide angle eyepiece for planetary observations, and a moon filter.