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Lots of fun for anyone serious about getting a "real" first telescope. Pros: The intuitive interface makes the learning curve fast so it won't take long to be able to use it with confidence. It will stay on target by compensating for the Earth's rotation. After panning back and forth and/or up and down with the direction keys it instantly starts tracking again. The whole thing, including tripod and accessories, fits into a large padded gym bag for easy transportation. Setup is quick and easy. Takes about 15 minutes and another 5 or so to do a two star alignment. (I'm a newbie so maybe a lot faster for some.) Cons: It will not always put the scope exactly on target when trying to find something but it will get close enough that finding it with a lower power eyepiece and then stepping up to higher power eyepieces is easy. Once an object is found it automatically tracks that spot of sky. On pleasant evenings many will prefer the company of a NexStar 4, which can be damaging to social life ;) Recommendations: Auto align works ok but identifying two stars on opposite sides of the sky and doing a two star alignment is faster and works well. (A Sky Scout is great for identifying two stars when in doubt.) For the most accurate alignment get the first star in the center of the eyepiece using the lowest magnification eyepiece and then switch to a higher magnification to align. The higher the final magnification used to center the star the more accurate the alignment. Use the arrow keys to move scope to second star. Repeat for the second star but don't take too long to finish doing the second star alignment since the world is still turning and waiting too long will cause poor alignment. Get Starry Night software to stay updated on what is where without having to go online.Read full review
When I first bought the Nexstar 4 GT I could not believe how much I saw out of it, and how easy it was to use. The high-quality optics provide crisp views. I love the flip mirror system. It comes in handy for photographic purposes. The only problem is with the original hand controller. Using the original hand controller, your images creep out of view after a while. I upgraded to the new firmware-upgradeable hand controller, though, and it does away with the tracking problems. This little jewel is super portable due to its small size and light weight. I have enjoyed mine, and have gotten plenty of use out of it. I have had mine for almost 3 years now.
This is the second one I have owned (Gave the first on to my son) Super clear optics and a snap to set up and use. The hand controller is easy to use and understand. The go-to feature directs the telescope to the inputed target with ease For the price it's hard to beat !!! Highly recommended for the Novice or the seasoned astronomer !!!
ya never know, 'till you get it--best ebay purchase i ever made--i need a portable telescope for getting urban kids into astronomy--this is perfect. came with fully-bound manual, and you need that w/these computer driven 'scopes. thank you so much.