Bushnell ares 5in compact truss-tube dobsonian - Bushnell ARES 5 inch Compact Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope OpticsPlanet Edition

As an experienced amateur astronomer who has owned more than 100 telescopes, I've finally found an entry-level scope that won't disappoint. This Bushnell 5in. "flex-tube" design has amazed me with the quality of its optics and elegant mechanical design - all at a low price point. The 5-inch parabolic mirror star tests very well and delivers sharp, detailed images on all classes of celestial objects. Jupiter displays a good deal of belt and zone structure at 65x, and with the power boosted to the 125x range, shows irregularities in the equatorial belts, several minute details in the temperate and polar areas, clean satellite shadow transits, and the faded Great Red Spot. Double stars are resolved to Dawes'limit with nicely tight airy disks and well-defined first diffraction rings. Lunar detail is sharp and contrasty. Deep-sky objects such as the Great Orion Nebula show wonderful detail with a dark sky background, and open clusters such as M35 , M37, and the Pleiades sparkle with pinpoint stars.
Mechanically, the Bushnell moves smoothly in altitude and azimuth, and the tube assembly can be removed for mounting on any Vixen-style dovetail mount. The 2 eyepieces provided with the scope are of decent quality and don't detract from the mirror's performance. Two minor difficulties were easy to remedy: The scope arrived slightly out of collimation and was dialed in with about 90 seconds of adjustment. The helical focuser was a bit too tight, but a shot of silicone spray smoothed it out nicely.
Overall, this telescope seems ideal for a child or entry-level astronomer. It combines excellent optics, ease of use, and portability in a low-cost package. I heartily recommend it.
Pros: Terrific optics, bargain price, ease of use
Cons: none of significance

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.