Zhumell Z130 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope

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.

The scope itself is easy to focus and align. I put it on the AZ-GTI mount with tripod just to get it up to standing height. I didn't power up the mount I left the clutches loose and used the red dot finder for a few easy to find objects. I also only used the 2 eyepieces that came with it. They are marked KE10mm & KE25mm wide angle, so Kellners? I aligned the red dot finder using the street light on the corner 1/4 mile away with the field of view in this scope it's close enough. The tube rings and Vixen bar are a nice touch. I can easily rotate the scope for the best viewing angle. The first target was the moon. Big, bright (almost blinding!), very clear. I could see very good detail in the craters and nice sharp, crisp detail all over. Although I did see a significant shadow from the secondary mirror. Next I took a look at the Orion Nebula. The stars were nice sharp round points with just a bit of flare. Probably the local air with the clouds moving by so fast. And the central nebula 'cloud' was very easy to see. Next was Betelgeuse. It was big and dull red. The color was very obvious and seemed reasonably accurate. I didn't notice any color shifting or chromatic aberration on anything that I looked at. Sirius was big and bright but again, a nice round point with minimum flair. I looked around at a few other random stars and the color and sharpness holds true. Dim stars were easily visible and the field of view makes it easy to see the bigger objects. The moon for example had a nice amount of sky around it so that I didn't feel like it was too close, like it was framed nicely. Overall, I'm pleased with it. It's solid and well made. Fit and finish are good. The focuser moves smoothly with plenty of range and it's easy to find focus. I think this will be very good for a simple light 'grab & go' scope. It did have the shadow from the moon so very bright things may not be best but for the size and price it's a great scope.

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.

A falta de probar más a fondo por culpa del clima lo poco que e podido probarlo de lujo imagen muy clara la entrega en perfectas condiciones entregado perfecto venía perfectamente colimado apesar del viaje de una semana muy contento con el producto y con la entrega por parte de Amazon

TOP ALLES BESTENS, BIN SEHR ZUFRIEDEN.ES MACHT SPASS, MIT DEM TELESKOP ZU ARBEITEN.

Every place I went when researching my first telescope suggested the Z130 and it has not disappointed, it is simple, elegant, sturdy and offers great results. One thing to keep in mind is if you plan on taking it from place to place like me, invest in a travel bag for sure.

Couldn't ask for a better small scope to carry around. Fantastic optics and easily modifiable and tons of support online on how to get the most out of it.

I had been really looking forward to receiving the telescope and could hardly wait. The weather has been great and the nights super clear. However the excitement was quickly replaced by dissapointment on opening the box. The build quality of the frame is just awful. The rubber edging on the base is badly glued on and not straight, worst of all it doesn't even go around the base leaving about 1cm worth of exposed chipboard. As for the scope itself, on setting it up I discovered the mirrors are not clean. There seems to be some debris on them and clearly visible when looking through both eye pieces. I was expecting to perhaps do some calibration to get it right but have to also do a cleaning job in addition. I've read multiple reviews and others seem to have had a decent experience with the telescope. Maybe I'm the unlucky one that has received the one bad example.