Orion GoScope 80mm Tabletop Refractor Telescope Review

The Orion GoScope 80mm tabletop refractor telescope is a great way to start your journey among the stars. Although it may look like a simple child’s toy or a decoration adorning a collector’s office, the GoScope 80 mm is actually a very powerful stargazing tool that is able to focus light to up to 80 percent efficiency.

The Orion GoScope is an eyepiece designed primarily for beginners and children. Sporting out an 80 mm aperture, this scope has a great field the view, allowing the user to spot the finer details of the Moon’s surface, Saturn’s Ring or the moons around Jupiter.

Rediscover the beauty of stargazing with this outstanding eyepiece; that can be carried around by hand on your camping trips.

Orion GoScope 80 mm Tabletop Refractor Telescope – Product Description

Being a small refractor telescope, the GoScope 80 mm is better suited for viewing bright sky objects rather than comets. Still, on a clear night, you can observe additional sky objects like star clusters.

The Orion GoScope 80mm tabletop refractor telescope sports out an 80 mm aperture, with a focal length of 350 mm and a focal ratio of f/4.3.This telescope comes equipped with two eyepieces: a 20 mm eyepiece that has 12x magnification factor and 10.00 mm eyepiece, with a total magnification factor of 35x.

Furthermore, the telescope’s optical elements are fully coated, being able to focus light more efficiently. Another great thing about the Orion GoScope 80mm refracto tabletop telescope is its altazimuth dovetail mount, which greatly increases your precision when it comes to tracking the planetary object.

Also, the mount has an additional tripod slot at the bottom, which means that you don’t necessarily have to set the telescope on the table in order to operate it. The additional tripod slot is compatible with any camera tripod, which means that you won’t have to buy additional equipment.

Other Specs and Features:

• This telescope is great for both planetary and celestial observations;
• Optics type: air-spaced doublet;
• Glass materials: crown and flint;
• Lowest magnification factor: 12x;
• Highest magnification factor: 160x;
• Finder Scope type: EZ Finder II;
• 90 Degrees Star Diagonal;
• Weight: 5.7 lbs.;
• Tube Material: Aluminum;
• Base material: wood.

(Click image to see more pictures on Amazon)

Additional Accessories for the Orion GoScope 80mm Tabletop Refractor Telescope

Here’s a complete list of additional accessories you can buy for your Orion GoScope. Note that most of them are available on Amazon.com, and can be bought together with the telescope itself.

• Orion 08711 1.25-inch Shorty Barlow Lens;
• Orion 05662 1.25-inch 13 Percent Transmission Moon Filter;
• Orion 05598 1.25 25 Percent Transmission Moon Filter;
• Orion 04110 Star Target Planisphere;
• “Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe” by Terence Dickinson;
• Gosky Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount;
• Celestron 932610 AstroMaster AZ Tripod for small telescopes;
• Orion RedBeam II LED Flashlight;
• Orion E-Series Beginner Telescope Eyepieces;
• Orion ID 4.30-inch Full Aperture Solar Filter.

What’s in the Box?

As part of our Orion GoScope 80 mm tabletop refractor telescope review, we are going to tell you what you’re going to find in the box after you’ve purchased your very first Orion GoScope 80 mm.

• Orion GoScope 80 mm Refractor Telescope;
• One 20.00 mm eyepiece (17x);
• One 10.00 mm eyepiece (35x);
• 90-Degrees Star Diagonal;
• EZ Finder Scope II with Reflex Sight
• Starry Night: Special Edition;
• Threaded Adapter for Tripod Attachment.

Pros:

• Great telescope for beginners;
• Compact;
• Easy to carry around;
• Fast-tracking features thanks to the altazimuth dovetail mount;
• Very easy to deploy;
• Attractive price.

Cons:

• Lacks magnification power;
• You can’t attach a DLS or DSLR camera for celestial photography;
• Low-quality

Customer Reviews

According to Amazon’s customer review section, the Orion GoScope 80 mm tabletop refractor telescope received a 4.6-stars rate, which places it in front of many professional telescopes. Most of the customers said that although this telescope was designed for beginners, it’s very powerful. Furthermore, some of them even said that they are willing to recommend this telescope to friend and family.

Of course, the customer review section does contain some negative comments. According to the complaints sections, it would seem that all customers who gave a bad grade to this telescope had shipment-related issues rather than technical problems.

All in all, we can say for sure that the customers really appreciate this product, regardless if they are beginners of pros.

(Click image to see more pictures on Amazon)

Where to Getting It From

Currently, the best place to purchase the Orion GoScope 80mm tabletop refractor telescope is Amazon.com. The telescope can be purchased for the sum of $129.94, and Amazon will even deliver it for free. If you’re not sure whether this telescope suits your needs or not, you can always buy a used telescope.

On Amazon.com, you can buy a used Orion GoScope 80mm refractor tabletop telescope for $104.89.

Here are some other places from where you can buy this outstanding telescope:

• telescope.com -the GoScope 80 mm tabletop refractor telescope has a price tag of $119.99, but you’ll have to pay an extra $46.00 for home delivery;

Our Verdict

In order to summarize our article, we have to say that testing out the Orion GoScope 80mm tabletop refractor telescope was a once in a lifetime opportunity. At first, the telescope seemed no more than an exquisite toy, rather than a fully functional telescope.

But the GoScope 80mm managed to prove us wrong after we took it out of the box and began to calibrate it. The images seen through the two eyepieces are astounding indeed: crisp and with little chromatic aberration.

Setting up the telescope was very easy indeed, the whole operation lasting no more than 5 to 10 minutes. You virtually don’t need any tools in order to set up the scope as all the pieces are secured in place with knobs and nuts.

After setting up and calibrating the scope, we were able to distinguish the fine outlines of the Moon’s seas and other details from the surface. However, we did have some issues tracking a comet across the sky, as the altazimuth dovetail mount is far too rudimentary to allow the user to keep a celestial object between the reflex sight.

Unfortunately, if you’re interested in celestial photography, this telescope won’t be of much use, as the eyepiece socket is not compatible with a Universal T-Ring adapter.

Of course, the telescope’s magnification capabilities can be enhanced by buying an extra Shorty Barlow lens. Furthermore, with the 1.25-inch 13 Percent Transmission Filter, you will clearly distinguish the finer details of the Moon’s surface, without having to worry about the extra light.

Compared to the 70mm series from Orion, the Orion GoScope 80mm tabletop refractor telescope is able to focus 80 percent more light creating crisp images.

All in all, we can say that this piece is a good start for any beginner and a beautiful gift for someone who has been practicing this hobby for a long time.