Reviewer: Preferred Customer

i recently purchased the Orion StarBlast 4.5 mini dob... and i totally like it. it's small, which is handy, making it way easier to carry around. it sits very comfortably in the back seat of any small car (belted in of course!). the view is pretty good as long as you bear in mind you're not viewing space and all its treasures from a "Hubble" point of view. we are so spoiled seeing space in vivid detail and color... but the reality is much different. jupiter is a white-ish disk with gray horizontal stripes, not the mysterious banded monster planet with all those reds and browns swirling around. anyway... every accessory i add enhances it that much more... so investing in quality accessories you can afford will never be a waste of money because if/when you upgrade to something with a larger aperture, all the eye pieces and filters you purchased for the StarBlast can be used for your next scope. another good idea for this scope is to buy it for a young person. IF an "impact" event should happen and your child ruins it, at least this is an inexpensive scope. however, it seems to be a rugged little unit. i admit i knocked mine over onto the ground the very first time i planned to use it! (it was sitting on the seat of a picnic table and fell over onto the soft grass)... the mirror didn't need to be readjusted or anything. i was pleasantly surprised as i expected it to at least be knocked out of alignment or something. it's still a very capable instrument, so i don't recommend dropping it like i did. if you are looking for an inexpensive telescope that is easy to carry around, easy to set up, and easy to use... then perhaps this scope is what you're looking for... i'm very pleased with it! enjoy and good seeing :)

Reviewer: Testicus

As of this review (01AUG09 evening), I am using it to view the waxing moon... and it's so cool! The two eye pieces that come with it are nice, but they're only a tease... i'm seriously considering adding some more... and some filters too! very handy little newt... easy to carry and transport (i seat belt mine right in the back seat)... sturdy little unit. it's a real telescope, but it's also "cheap" enough that if it were given to a child/young person, you don't have to feel quite so badly if it gets damaged. but if you treat it with the respect due optical instruments, it is built well enough that it should be just fine. adjustments to the mirrors and little tweaks like that are a snap. if your kid is smart enough to even be interested in astronomy, then s/he's clever enough to learn how to adjust all aspects of this scope him/herself. i purchased this scope to keep "children" away from my other scope... but i'm actually enjoying it a little more than i expected... Thanks Orion :)

Reviewer: Stephen

I've had the scope for quite a while. Got it not long after they were introduced. Clever and very handy mount. I love the mount. Optics are truly terrible: an F4 mirror made with the care of an F10 mirror. When I called customer service about it, I was told that is pretty much normal for this, and I should not expect any better result with a replacement mirror. OK for scanning, using for same type of observing as with binocular. Might make an OK finder scope for a big Dob, but nearly useless as a real telescope. Really nothing more than a department store toy for a kid. I own multiple scopes from 60mm Meade Etx up to 10-inch Ed Stevens mirror -- refractors, Dobs, catadioptrics. This one is in a league of badness all its own. (Note from Orion: In situations such as this Orion customer service advises customers that the StarBlast 4.5 is an excellent quality parabolic mirror that has received rave reviews from astronomy publications as well as many customers. If a customer is having difficulty with their images it is best to check collimation, seeing conditions, and appropriate magnification levels. If that does not work, we are happy to do an evaluation of the mirror under the terms of the warranty.)

Reviewer: N6VMO

Having shared my interest and 8" dobsonian observing time with a young friend of mine, I decide to get him a scope of his own. I needed something easy for a seven year old to setup, point and use. The StarBlast 4.5 fit the bill perfectly. The robust mechanics, smooth az/el movment and once the red-dot finder is aligned, it points easily. Austin can maneuver and locate object on his own and is content with just roaming around the sky. I now find myself borrowing the StarBlast for quick grab and go session in the back or front yard. The optics make the views very sharp, even with the supplied Plossl lenses. Installing my Baaders only improves the views. I would and have recommend this scope for adults new to the hobby or that special young viewer.

Reviewer: Scott Madden

I have a lot of scopes and they all offer something that ensures they'll stay part of my arsenal for a long time to come. In addition to their qualities they also share a "but" that keeps them from becoming the ultimate no-brainer "grab- and go". Enter the Starblast 4.5". Its "kid- friendly" aimed audience kept me from purchasing one but I (skeptically) took the dive and I'm glad I did. When it comes to walking the razor's edge between versatility, size and performance, it has no equal. 4.5 inches of aperture in a 13lb package is easily carried by one hand while its compactness makes it easy to navigate without bumping into things on the way outdoors. Mirror cool down under the worst conditions never exceeds 20 minutes. It has a bit more plastic than I'm accustomed but it still maintains the degree of overbuilt structural integrity required to fend off being roughly handled by small, relatively careless hands. The green metallic speckled paint on my sample, while attractive, is less robust than Orions gun metal grey I'd prefer and there are some minor flecked off areas in the tight spots (screw head areas..) The one arm support is surprisingly smooth and structurally very strong. Azimuth motions are equally smooth leaving nothing to be desired. The focuser, including the drawtube and collar is plastic, yet smooth as butter with zero image shift, again more than adequate. Its stout size will require you to at least prop it up on something but that's a bargain price to pay for its grab- and-go-ability. Most importantly, it is optically excellent. However, because of physical optical laws, its short focal length will give bad edge performance relative to higher f/ratio scopes. Understanding this limitation, an ordinary Orion Shorty 2x barlow is kept in place within the focuser permanently. This allows it to perform as an f/8 scope with sharp edge performance and it's now a cinch to reach higher powers. Barlowed, images are jaw-droppingly sharp and even a good deal brighter than I'd ever expect. It sees more use than all my other scopes combined and under urban (Brooklyn. NY) skies, it will show you all that can possibly be seen despite an increase in aperture. Jupiter, Saturn and Venus, are easy fare for this scope right to about 170x, more than the 150x I generally consider high power. Collimation is ultra simple and a snap to do. Since the initial fine tuning I did on mine when I got it nearly a year ago (well over a hundred uses ago I should say), I have given the primary mirror a minor tweak once, took a total of twenty seconds with its supplied collimation cap. (which by the way I prefer over some more expensive collimation tools I own!) I'm a rather picky consumer and I give this scope the highest marks for build quality and performance for the money, even with the price of the indispensible barlow I consider a must have added into the equation. This scope is easily one of amateur astronomy's best-kept- secrets. In short, if you've found yourself interested enough to be reading this review, not purchasing one would be denying yourself something special. You've much to gain and only a few bucks to lose on return shipping should you be dissappointed.

Reviewer: Walter Cook

A well-built telescope that combines small size, moderate aperture, good optics, and affordabllity.

Reviewer: stephen fuqua

The scope performs as advertised. It is a blast. I can find many more objects from my light polluted location than I would have expected. Its portability means that I use it frequently. It's great for putting in a few random moments of observation while waiting to pick up a kid from football practice or the like. I love it. steve

Reviewer: jim ferraro

this scope is a very good value, for a childs first telescope. with the 75 x we could make out the 2 dark bands on jupiters face. and the finder works! my plan now is to determine what type of eyepiece to buy that would satisfy an f4 , but would add the possibility of a true rich field.

Reviewer: Mike Lexa

We are happy with the telescope with one exception. Your website indicates that the above mentioned telescope is for astronomy and terrestrial use. It is the only dobsonian on your website that advises that the use is terrestrial. As such we thought that we would be able to view terrestrial (and astronomical) items in their right view, not inverted which is the case with reflector telescopes. We presumed that an erecting eyepiece would have been included to correct the view. Had we known this we would have most likely purchased the SkyQuest XT4.5 or XT6 Dobsonian. But, due to the shipping costs involved, we will continue to use the scope but would be curious to know about the availability of an erecting eyepice. The Celestron telescope we purhcased recently through Costco came with a 20MM erecting eyepiece (Celestron PowerSeeker 114EQ). Thanks, Mike

Reviewer: K.L.

This is a great little scope! I have enjoyed scanning the heavens with it. My favorite objects are the moon, the Pleiades, Sirius, Taurus stars, and the Great Orion Nebula. I purchased this scope because I wanted an easy-to- use, easy-to-carry, easy-to-slew little scope that did not require all the hassle, set-up time, and effort that the EQ mount refractor telescopes have. The fact that it was one of my favorite colors was boost too! :D I've been very satisfied with my purchase. Thanks Orion for great products!

Reviewer: Dave Corkery

5/08 Just bought my second Starblast . First one was great on "everything" I viewed. The one I just bought,this week showed me very nice images of both deep sky objects and the moon. Great value for the money;"it's nice to be able to sit down and view also;an added benefit for us seniors".

Reviewer: Tim Martin

This is a great first telescope. I have been an amateur astronomer for years and a Earth Science teacher for 9 years. I purchased the StarBlast for my son (11 yrs). He can easily set up and operate the scope. Optics are bright images are sharp and clear. I will highly recommend this to others.

Reviewer: Eric

I debated long and hard on wether to get the StarBlast Astro, the StarBlast 4.5 EQ (same scope different mount) or the Observer 70mm EQ. I was purchasing this as our first family scope and in the end I got the Astro largely based on its ease of use. I couldn't be happier. Setup is simple and my 8 year old took to it like a fish to water. Setting up a tripod and an EQ mount would have taken to long to hold his attention and he would have had trouble viewing due to its height. The Astro is a literal point and view and it is light enough for my son to carry for short distances. Our first night out we had some great views of the moon and we even found Mars. Our next purchase will be a Barlow lens but this is such a great scope that I'm not planning on getting the Barlow till summer or late spring. In short I feel this is the perfect scope for kids and first time adults like myself.

Reviewer: cspan

First one arrived with a eyepiece securing thumbscrew sheared off. Orion was good about taking it back and replacing it. It needs a (steady) table to raise it to viewing level. Nice features include 2 eyepieces and the eyepiece holder. I added a Shorty 2x Barlow and moon filter, and it has me off to a good start. The sturdy base swivels a bit too easily, so if you switch from the 17mm to the 6mm eyepiece and have to re-focus, it will probably move azimuth on you. The altitude can be secured pretty well, but it would be nice to be able to secure it in 2 directions. It is my first scope, so I can't make comparisons to others, but it fits my needs as a grab & go scope that can bring in a lot of light (compared to a refractor). Not sure if the EQ mount would be preferable - probably some pros/cons either way.

Reviewer: Kurt

Really like the mount; it's easy to manually find & smoothly track your target. Didn't like the EZ finder, replaced it with a 6x30. The focuser was sloppy, so replaced it, too: the collimation was irritatingly put off just by the amount of tube wiggle (F/4 leaves no room for error). While it's a fairly nice compliment between my 15x50 binoculars and XT8 Skyquest, I think I'd prefer a 130 or 150mm, at f/5 for "wide-field" visual use, on the same style mount (which works very well attached to a tripod, by the way).