I bought this scope for an industrial client whose needs are industrial, not astronomical, and this Explore Scientific ED127 is intended to be a beam expander in various Interferometric testing setups. For this, optical quality must be high and the carbon fiber tube is a plus for thermal stability. My purchase of the Explore Scientific ED127 F7.5 APO Triplet through Telescope Space was straightforward and pleasant. Ryan made sure everything was smooth.
Upon receipt I tested the scope by looking at a power pole 700 feet away, one that I have used for many such tests. The star test from the insulator glints was good – the focus snap was crisp, the in-focus diffraction blur was round with a faint first ring. I did not look at the through focus balance with a narrow passband filter as it was obvious there was no SA3. Color correction is very good as you would expect with the glasses used. There is no color in focus, and only a hint of subtle color fringing in the just out of focus edges of details. Extended details on the pole were rendered as well as, or better than, with any similar scope I have used on this target – this includes TMB, Astrophysics, and Takahashi scopes.
The build quality of the carbon parts is gorgeous. The metal parts are good quality anodized machined. I would prefer machined tube rings as the cast ones supplied are a little chintzy compared to the rest of the scope. The rack and pinion focuser works well, but the feel is not as good as some stock friction focusers I’ve used. Considering the extra high weight capacity of the focuser the feel may be the price paid. Overall I think the mechanical appearance and function is in line with the price.
I would certainly consider the Explore Scientific ED APO FCD100 triplet scopes for my personal use. My transaction with Telescope Space was great and I will do business with them again.

A great package for the price! The mount is steady! The Optics excel, in that the resolution and contrast are everything to be expected in a quality refractor! H.B. Appleton, Hi.

The staff at Telescope Space were very supportive and helpful as well!

I did considerable shopping around and finally decided to buy my 152 Mak from Telescope Space. Ryan was very helpful with all my questions concerning Explore Scientific and my specific purchase. After a short period using my scope and mount, the mount seemed to have more play than it should have. Ryan had the Explore Scientific owner call me directly, where he immediately offered to exchange my mount. He also had the factory ship out the new mount while I was still using my original unit. Excellent service and sales support from both Ryan at Telescope Space and Explore Scientific. I will buy again from Telescope Space!

Prompt customer service, positive attitude, great results

I have owned many tripods. I have spent years trying to find an altazmith tripod that could carry a reasonable amount wieght, yet be portable, and have the handling and maneuverability of a Porsche, especially as the power goes up. This is a very well enginered tripod. It is as if they said let's not try to make it look a certain way, let's make it work a certain way, and that's why it looks extraterrestrial. Very well made with very little plastic. Fit and finish is close to perfect........9.9 on a 10 scale....5 stars +.....Carlos B.

As a higher-level amateur, I was looking for a decent scope & mount that I can modify for my needs. The 130mm Newtonian scope fits my needs quite well. It comes with a 25mm eye piece--which is great. I would consider purchasing other eye pieces at the same time to give you a variety of magnification options. I'd recommend something like a 12mm and 8, or 6mm eye pieces to complement the 25mm. Getting a 2X Barlow will double your eye piece viewing options. The higher number will give you a wider view, smaller number a tighter, more magnified view. In order to just resolve the bands & zones of Jupiter, I need to use an 8mm eyepiece. For exploring Lunar geography, or seeing the Galilean Moons, the 25mm is sufficient. Saturn is just discernable, until you switch-out the eye piece for a 12mm, or smaller. The heavy & stable tripod mount is easy to set up, and the large rotation nobs allow you to smoothly track your subject as the Earth rotates. The Red Dot spotting site is dead-on accurate (once you dial it in). If you want a good, intermediate telescope: one that's neither too cheap, nor one that's too expensive, the 130mm Newtonian should fit your needs quite well. (Image of the Moon has been rotated and adjusted with photo software).

the best telescope shop on the web!!! I received excellent customer service from Ryan. He helped me choose the telescope i needed and was very informative about all the products!!

very easy to put together,,,,,,,good view if moon,, waiting for good weather to check out saturn s rings,,,,,,im happy so far,,,130,mm,,,,,1st light telescope,,,,,these people are very helpful,,,,,

For an amateur astronomer, this scope fits quite nicely. Everything arrived about 2 days after ordering. Assembly took less than an hour, and that was with a cat continuously attacking plastic wrapped items (cat not included). After assembly, I spent about 30 minutes fund-raising the control placements, mount angles, etc.... It comes with a 25mm eyepiece, which is a decent, general purpose unit. Perfect for observing the geography (selenography?) of the moon. Was also able to observe Jupiter and 4 of its moons. Couldn't resolve the Jovian bands with the 25mm eyepiece, so will purchase other eyepieces for viewing the gas giants. The red dot spotter scope was easy to dial-in for accurate spotting. It came with a battery, so all good. I would recommend this scope for serious amateurs, consider buying other eye pieces at the same time for various magnifications that you might need.

I wanted to take advantage of the recent Explore Scientific sale on their 8” imaging Newtonian Optical Tube Assembly when I came across this new company. The deal included a well discounted OTA, an in-store discount and a choice of accessories for which I wanted a nice bahtinov mask. I decided to call before I order. I received a call back within 15 minutes. All my questions were answered, my concerns about a new company were eased and I placed my order. Shipping literally took one day from the Explore Scientific facility. I’ve received a couple of follow-ups from Ryan from Telescope Space just to see how I liked my new scope! I’m looking forward to my next purchase from them!

Randy Roy

Lakeland, TN

A very great product! Easy and simple to use. Their customer service is second to none.

I purchased this telescope at Telescope Space and was very pleased with the process and the follow up support. Ryan made every effort to answer my questions that came up. I know that smaller companies have a tougher time to sell their merchandise compared to the "big" ones, but that does not necessarily mean that they are better. I have a good comparison right now since I purchased some other items from a different vendor and the answers I got from them were by far not as good (and timely!). The telescope itself is a wonderful piece of current technic, I already spent many hour taken some photographs through it (since I was lucky to have several cloudness skies since I purchased the telescope). Attached some examples what is possible with this telescope!

I lost my opera glasses and needed a quick relacement before seeing a show. The glasses are perfect and arrived in a short turnaround time. They made my theater experience so much better, aesthetically beautiful but functional. The company's flexibility and attention to customer service are outstanding! Thank you so much! I highly recommend this company.