Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #206046 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Tasco
• Model: ST8040CT
• Released on: 2003-11-06
• Number of items: 1

Customer Reviews

A Beginners Tool?
I was given a Tasco Starguide 80 as a Christmas present 2002. I have no previous knowledge of astronomy. The telescope took a few minutes to assemble with the precise and simple instructions and seemed a very impressive item, particularly with the CDRom software containing all the data I would need with animated charts. The nights were crisp and clear, perfect for star gazing. The first task is to orientate the telescope to your location in the world. This would be very easy if you lived in one of the large cities of the United State. My English town was not listed. This meant I had to discover my longitude/latitude co-ordinates! After finding 8 batteries to power the telescope I was set to discover the Universe.
The telescope impresively boasts that it will automatically align to preset Celestial bodies. This is accomplished by first aligning the Telescope to three known Stars. This was the biggest problem. I do not know any! They all look the same to me on a crisp winters night! I thought the purpose of the Telescope was to educate a beginner to identify the contents of the Universe.
This is were the CD comes in. If you cannot identify the real thing (or if it's cloudy - common in the UK) then it is possible to Star Gaze on a computer. The data available is sufficient to satisfy the most advanced Astronomer. The Novice can enjoy the graphic and relive events (eg total eclipes) viewed from almost any location in the world.
I am not sure if this nice piece of equipment is truly for the total beginner. I found it daunting at first. It would have been nice to have access to an On Line Help Desk because the Tutorials provided could be better - particularly the "Getting Started" section which is very basic.
This is not a toy for children!