Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Kyal
I ordered my Scope online last week and
am very happy with the product. It
arrived within a week of me ordering
and comes almost ready to use. All I had
to do was attach the tube to the wooden
base, collimate, and insert an eye piece,
and I was ready to start viewing.
Although it was a bit of a cloudy night, I
quickly found jupiter and it's moons and
was amazed at the sight, Also blown
away by the moon and all the craters, it
felt so close I could almost touch it. A
couple of things, be careful when
collimating the secondary mirror, it's a
little touchy, also, I recommend
purchasing a kit of eye pieces and filters
off the bat, the views with the ones
provided are excellent, but you'll want
more options. All in all, a very great buy!
Thanks.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Patrick
This telescope is my first scope and the
wide field views have been wonderful.
Even if you move up to a larger scope,
you will always use this one because its
very easy to move from location to
location. I use a retractable table and
i can take it anywhere! Orion was fast
with shipping and excellent
craftsmanship. I will purchase more
accessories from Orion!
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Patrick
This telescope is my first scope and the
wide field views have been wonderful.
Even if you move up to a larger scope,
you will always use this one because its
very easy to move from location to
location. I use a retractable table and
i can take it anywhere! Orion was fast
with shipping and excellent
craftsmanship. I will purchase more
accessories from Orion!
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Douglas
I've only had the telescope a week, but
I'm learning more each time I use it. I
find it easy to set up with the table
top base, and easy to aim with the led
powered scope. I look forward to
planning some observation sessions away
from ambient light. My next purchase
will be one of those cameras that fit
over the eyepiece so I can connect it to
my laptop.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Stacy Jo McDermott
I've had my Starblast 6" for almost a
year now and love it. To Fletcher, this is
a very easily portable telescope. It is
true that Orion does not make a case for
the tube, but that is easily remedied!
Run over to Ross or some such discount
store and purchase a long tote bag. Line
the bag with a towel and voila! A great
carrying case for the Starblast 6".
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Fletcher Sandbeck
The StarBlast is the first telescope I have owned
and it has been fun taking it out. I am finding
that I need to buy filters and probably more eye
pieces for it, but that isn't unexpected.
My big disappointment is that there is apparently
no case available for this telescope. I bought
this particular model in part because it looked
like it would be easy to transport, but I'm going
to have to jury rig a case for it.
Orion does not make and could not even
recommend one of their general cases for this
scope. This is a big disappointment to me. I
would not recommend this scope to anyone who
wants to use it anywhere but at your house.
Even transporting it in a car is going to be
difficult.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Kandan Mobley
I've been through a few telescopes in my
day, most of which were department store
scopes. I knew I was going to like this
one when I read the specs.
This is a great grab and go. I am
fairly well impressed with the optics
and am completely amazed by the
portability and unsubstantial area it
consumes to store while not in use. The
price is right. For anyone who is
interested in a starter scope, don't
waste your money on anything cheaper.
It should have come with at least a 2x
barlow and a wider field lens, a 40mm or
a 32mm. A magnifying finder would also
be useful. You will find yourself
purchasing these things and maybe a 3x
and 5x barlow after you get this setup
as well as the lower powered eyepieces,
so figure in another $100 to $200 for
extras and maybe more than that if you
want to get the most out of the scope.
The 25mm is pretty nice though and the
10mm is still usable but I wouldn't go
any smaller than that because eye relief
starts to suffer substantially.
That said, this thing is usable very
shortly after it comes out of the box
and can give you some great experiences
without the extras.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Raymond
This telescope is very nice you can see
deeper into space. I give the StarBlast 6
a five star rating great telescope Orion.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Jaimes Rizzo
I recently got this as a Christmas Gift.
This is my first ever telescope. First it
comes packaged so securly, 2nd its so
easy to put together. Its kinda like a
plug n play item. Ive been using it
almost everynight and its just amazing
what I can see and the detail. Also I
have had a few questions and have
called customer service. The pick up
very fast, they are so knowledgeable,
they are NICE and give great
suggestions. I would recommend this
telescope to anyone. Thanks : )
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: jeff rudy
I purchased this scope to complimnent
my 6" f8 refractor as a grab-and-go
scope. It arrived well packaged and was
very easy to assemble.
After several months of using this scope
I can say that it is an absolutely excellent
value. It has very sharp optics and very
smooth motions. Objects are very easy
to locate and the scope has plenty of
light gathering to give very pleasing
views. One thing that really srikes me
about this scope is the very wide field of
view it has.
The scope is so easy to use that I find
myself using it more frequently than my
refractor, and when i do set up the 6"
refractor, I find myself setting this one
up beside it, just for the wide field of
view.
An excellent product well worth the
money!.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Ryan Solomon
This is my first scope and I'm very
happy with the package. I expected to
have to pay more to get this level of
quality. Would recommend to anyone.
Pros: Well made, clear views, decent
aperature combined with great
portability. Finder scope is adequate.
Cons: Minor complaint only - required
some slight collimation upon delivery.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: The Andrew
This scope has it all...good movement
for aiming and it is very portable...even
though there is a lot of light pollution
here in Chicago...this thing can still show
a lot of work in the heavens...I saw the
beehive cluster, M 46 and M 47 with the
Orion constellation all in the same night-
which was also the first night I took the
shining piece of metal out. I would
suggest this telescope to anyone even if
this is the only one the people are
using...it still does all the work finding
everything with this huge 6 inch
telescope.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Michael Kuhns
I received this scope for Christmas and
it saw "first light" that same night. It
was very easy to assemble, collimate
and use. The Double Cluster was
spectacular as both fit into the same field
easily. Plus, harder to see objects like
the Triangulum Galaxy were quickly
located. The best aspect of this scope is
its portability. Many nights I do not
have time to set up my 16" Dob or even
my 120 mm refractor, so the StarBlast
6 will be my "grab and go" scope that
will still providing very pleasing views.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Walt Schnabel
I found the StarBlast 6 to be easy to
assemble and
use. When I called customer service
regarding
some questions about the accessories the
phone
was answered on the first or second ring
the
customer service representative quickly
addressed
my concerns. I'm glad I found such a
user friendly
telescope manufacturer.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Larry Huff
How often do we buy something and
were disappointed by the claims made
by the seller.Well i can tell you from my
experience the little Star Blast 6 if any
thing is under stated.Every thing came
and has performed exactly as there
ad.No collimation needed and the views
are a pleasure and this little table top
Dob is just and amazing performer as in
my case i have a little metal short table i
set it on and just pull up a chair and
enjoy.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Dave Arbon
I owned the smaller version and always
wanted a bit more aperture, here it is,
works straight out of the box, I touched
up the collimation and was rewarded
with crisp clear views, bought at the intro
price ...
this little gem is a keeper, minor
complaint is that its a bit heavy but that
also makes it stable, highly recommended.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: ricky johnson
I love the starblast 6 scope, it's
portable, has great optics and
accessories for an unbeatable price! I
recently observed a double moon transit
on Jupiter along with the two black
shadows as perfectly round ink dots, The
double double in Lyra is easily split. The
contrast on this scope is incredible with
vividly sharp views of the moon. I have
a 20'' scope but now use the starblast 6
scope on many nights for some quick
viewing. Nothing beats aperture but
nothing beats portability and east of use
either! This scope is a keeper! Thanks
ORION!
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Douglas Castleman
Works great right out of the box, and
sets up in
about a minute. I have several other
telescopes,
but sometimes, or most of the time, you
just want
to grab and go, and this scope is
perfect for that.
On the evening of the first night after
it arrived, my
family all went out and checked out
Jupiter, and
the view was much better than I expected
from a
6". The price cannot be beat, and comes
with two
great eyepieces.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: peter ashley
This nice little package is a REAL
telescope. Unlike 70mm binoculars,
small refractors or the 4.5 "ball"
reflectors, this scope delivers the light
gathering and power needed to view all
the key objects and star systems visible
in a much larger scope. Finding is a
breeze with the wide field of view. Even
dimmer targets for suburban skies like
the veil and blue flash nebulas are
visible. The scope does run out of
resolution for resolving details on planets
or globular clusters compared to a large
dob, but I will frequently be happy to
make that trade so that I can fit a scope
in the car for weekends away.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Mike Cefola
Wanted a small scope with easy setup to
take with me to dark sites. The Starblast
6 is that scope. Factory collimation was
excellent and views were crisp and
bright under a dark New England sky.
M13 was terrific as were both parts of
Veil Nebula. Double cluster was
spectacular. Even pulled in NGC891, the
edge-on galaxy in Andromeda with has a
very low surface brightness. Couldn't
have asked for a better small scope to
compliment my 11 inch cassegrain and
18 inch dob.
Mike C.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Nikki
I spent many hours reading reviews over
a telescope for our family before
purchasing the Starblast 6. I probed the
minds of amateur astronomers at every
backyard meet we could find in our area!
I have three young children who are very
interested in astronomy therefore ease
of use was a big factor. I was a bit
skeptical of an "intuitive" scope as
I've wrestled with others before, but am
amazed at this 6 inch. It truly is not
only easy to maneuver and adjust, it is
a wonderful tool. We are charting the
orbit of Jupiter's moons as well as
checking off deep sky objects on the
Messier list with great clarity every
clear sky night we're given. Thank you
so much for this product. It has taken
our home-school to a new level and will
be cherished for years to come. Children
and adults alike will benefit from this
product for sure! Thank you!
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Larry Huff
Star Blast six is a easy to use,easy to
set up and the quality of Telescope is
excellent. Only draw back is it is a little
heavy for a older person and children
under 15 years of age to carry around.
Also did notice when the Kansas winds
are blowing which is normal that it has a
tendency to shake slightly but was easy to
stop by merely placing hand on tube.
Collimation was dead on out of the box
and views were very good. Would
definitely recommend as a excellent
purchase for experienced and beginners.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Stacy Jo McDermott
Having had a number of telescopes over
the past few years, I have to say that
this is at the top of my list for a great
grab-n-go reflector. Even from light
polluted urban areas, this baby pulls in
the sky stuff. It is fabulous for beginners
as well as for more experienced
observers. The views are crisp and
clean. Alignment is a breeze and holds
well. This telescope will keep you busy
for years.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Scott D. Holland
I have used a variety of telescopes over
the years, everything from a Selsi 60mm
refractor thru the Questar we used in
Astronomy lab in college, to the 10 inch
Meade LX200 I use here at home.
The 6 inch Starblast is a very good little
telescope.
Assembly was a no brainer. Everything
went together in just a few minutes. The
short tube makes collimation with the
collimation cap (mini cheshire tool) a
breeze.
It is a little heavier than I had
anticipated, but it is a very stable little
dob with smooth movement on both
axis. Star testing revealed that there is a
bit of spherical abberation in the mirror,
but in focus images are quite crisp.
Jupiter revealed three bands at ~75X
using the 10mm Sirius Plossl this past
Saturday night.
Although I didn't need another scope,
I'm glad I bought this one. It will be fun
to use at our club's dark sky site.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Tim Tanner
My new StarBlast 6 has been great! I am
very pleased with the telescope and it
fits my needs perfectly. I was amazed at
the quality of the optics compared to my
old telescope. I was able to clearly see
the Great Red spot on Jupiter and
spotted the Ring Nebula last night! And
that is from my light polluted urban
location. I can't wait to get out where it
is really dark.
The StarBlast 6 is a great telescope for
the price, it sets up very quickly, I just
set it on a small table in the back yard,
pop in a lens and away I go!
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: Robert Erickson
I bought this scope for the size and
because I didn't want to unbolt anything
when I transported it. I also hoped to
get something better than a spotting
scope. It is the perfect size for my
children to look through. They think it
is cool. For the price, I can't believe
how good of a scope this is. It was
packaged well for shipping. The
costumer service was great when I
ordered it. It was easy to put together.
The software was included and that is
great as well. I saw the belts on Jupiter
after using the scope for about ten
minutes. With the help of the software I
located Saturn and saw the rings which
were impressive because you can only
see it a few minutes before it dips below
the horizon right now. Wow! It is pretty
easy to track something once you have
used the scope for a few minutes. This
is my first scope and I am thrilled with
it. I recommend it and for the price you
absolutely can't go wrong.
Orion StarBlast 6 Astro ReflectorTelescope
Reviewer: robert
I must first state that while I've always
been fascinated with astronomy, this is
my first telescope. It's very simple,
decent quality and easy to use. I have
been a semi-pro
photographer/videographer for 10 years
and know a lot about optics but my
knowledge of telescopes only date back
a couple of months. All the reviews of
beginners telescopes were pointing me
towards the XT6 but I really like the idea
of an F5 scope to see dimmer objects. So
when this one went on sale, I had to
pounce.
Even under the influence of waning
anesthesia from a minor surgery, I was
able to assemble the scope without the
use of instructions (though I wouldn't
suggest it). It came together very easily
and intuitively. Later, when I was more
myself, I got the optics collimated in a
few minutes and by nightfall, was
viewing the craters of the Moon and
rings of Saturn.
The images are sharp, clean and bright.
I'd definitely recommend this over any
spherical or higher F-ratio Newtonian. If
you need more magnification (which a
beginner probably shouldn't), you can
just get a shorter eyepiece. My only
wish is that it had degree markings on
the large base plate.
