The entire family will be happy with the Orion FunScope. This is the ultimate beginner telescope, specially designed to be simple to use and fun. It’s exactly what its name says: a funscope. You and your family can start exploring the moon’s craters, as well as some of the brighter star clusters and nebulas with this Orion scope for beginners.
It’s an amazing device which will allow you to discover the wonders of astronomy from your own bedroom or the back of your house.
What is the Orion 10033 FunScope 76mm TableTop Reflector Telescope Moon Kit?
The Orion FunScope comes with a 76mm-diameter optics. Being so wide, this tabletop telescope collects 60 percent more light than any other typical beginner scope. The best part are the accessories: two eyepieces of 20 and 10 mm. They will give all the magnification needed to see our planet’s natural satellite, making it a legitimate moon telescope. Speaking of which, the scope comes with a detailed moon map with all the moon’s craters, valleys and mountain ranges. In addition, it shows all landing sites used by both US and Soviet astronomers in their lunar exploration missions.
Being rather light weighted, the Orion FunScope is more than portable, making it easy to be taken in camps or field trips. It’s simple to use anywhere. However, as it doesn’t have a tripod, you may want to set it on a table or a rather flat surface. The name says it all: it’s a tabletop telescope. That means that the Orion FunScope was originally designed to be used on a table, rather than unstable conditions.
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Pros and Cons to Using the Orion 10033 FunScope 76mm TableTop Reflector Telescope Moon Kit
PROS:
- Price – this telescope’s price is just incredible. The amazing combination of excellent optics and a great price makes this moon telescope an incredible purchase.
- Portability – the Orion FunScope is very light. With only 4lbs, this moon telescope can fit in any bag pack.
- Eyepieces – the tabletop telescope comes with two incredible eyepieces. That means that the Orion FunScope images of the moon are other celestial objects are clear and crisp.
- Easy to use – as soon as you get this scope out of the box, you can use it. Remove the dust covers, put the eyepieces and start your astronomical adventure.
- Possibility to mount it on a tripod – the Orion 10033 FunScope 76mm tabletop reflector telescope moon kit comes with a built-in table-top tripod of 3/8 inches. In itself, it was designed to stay on the top of a table, but being very versatile, you could attach a tripod. However, that’s on the condition that you use a strong, steady device and not a weak aluminum. The Orion FunScope works best on a table, but at the very least, it’s not your only choice.
CONS:
- A beginner’s scope – if you are not a beginner or if you don’t buy it for a kid, you will be disappointed. Even if the Orion telescope in itself, is very good, a rather experienced astronomer will have nothing to do with it. Besides that, this is really a fantastic piece for all children and teens. Therefore, it’s best that you purchase it for beginners.
Where to Find the Orion 10033 FunScope 76mm TableTop Reflector Telescope Moon Kit?
The Orion FunScope comes at a low-cost, suitable for all beginners. Its price starts from $67, including all the pieces mentioned below.
Amazon is probably the best place to purchase. Amazon best price starts from $67 with free shipping included. They will offer a variety of discounts and special prices, so you can find the Orion FunScope even cheaper. Your product will arrive safely in a matter of days and the case of any type of problems, you can return the product without any problem whatsoever.
Extra Info:
Maintenance Advice
Store the fun scope in a clean, dry place and try to keep it away from humidity. Clean the lens and the mirror as rare as possible. It’s very important to keep the caps on whenever you’re not using the Orion FunScop. It can really make the difference. For the lenses, just use a clean cloth and some lens cleaning solution. Don’t rub too hard, as you will scratch the surface.
For the mirror, try to limit the cleaning as much as possible. Scratching it will destroy it. Cover the Orion FunScope with a dust cap, whenever you’re not using it. If you go stargazing outside and then take it back to the house, leave the telescope uncovered during the night to let any moist evaporate.
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As this is a Newtonian telescope, you will have to collimate or align the mirrors. The procedure in itself is not so difficult, but it may be a bit tricky if it’s your first collimation. The Orion telescope’s manual offers a very detailed guide on how to align it, but you can also find some reliable YouTube videos on how to collimate your scope.
Telescope Accessories
The Orion FunScope comes in a 13.5 inches box with almost everything you need. You will receive two eyepieces: a 20mm one (15x magnification) and a 10mm one (30x magnification).
In addition, you will get the Red-dot reflex sight finder scope and the Orion MoonMap 260.
Warranty and Guarantee Information
The Orion FunScope has a full warranty assured for up to a year, provided there’s no neglicence. Actually, the warranty covers any defects that may appear in the material. If your telescope stops working properly, do not try to fix the tabletop telescope yourself, as this will result in the loss of the warranty.
Our Recommendation
This is one of the top telescopes for kids and beginners. The Orion FunScope is probably the best gift for kids and teens, and it would make anyone want to learn more about the moon and the universe. With all its accessories and some extraordinary optics, this is the telescope to buy if you want to make someone interested in astronomy. However, in the Orion FunScope vs. Celestron Firstcope debate, the latter might win due to affordability.
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