Testing the DX 130AZ
The scope arrived securely packaged in a double-walled box. Inside was the scope itself, a preassembled mount and tripod, and a box of goodies: the smartphone dock, a pair of flexible slow-motion arms, a red-dot finder for aiming the scope by eye alone, an eyepiece/accessory tray, 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, and clearly written instructions.
The telescope tube attached to the mount easily via a dovetail plate that locks it securely into the mating side-mounted base. The spring-loaded smartphone dock locked into the altitude axis’ mating bayonet with a discernible click.
The dock held my iPhone securely no matter which direction the mount was aimed, from horizon to zenith. That’s important because the phone’s aim is critical. The dock’s secure locking system prevents it from shifting during use, but the phone’s aim toward the dock’s tilted mirror needs to be calibrated after initial set-up. The StarSense app offers easy-to-follow instructions to do this quickly by turning the dock’s fine-thread adjustment screws.
The on-screen instructions recommend doing the alignment during the day on a distant terrestrial target, but I opted for the Moon instead. First, I attached the red-dot finder to its mounting shoe and then swung the telescope the Moon’s way. As luck would have it, the finder and the scope were in alignment from the factory. Continuing through the app’s instructions, I zoomed in on the Moon’s image on my phone’s screen and turned the dock’s adjustment screws until the image was centered.
The Moon was nicely displayed in both eyepieces and would surely impress first-time observers. As you grow more seasoned, however, I would recommend new eyepieces. The 130’s focuser accepts 2-inch barrels, but high-quality 1.25-inch Plössls would be ideal.
With the scope and phone aligned, I was ready to explore with the Explorer. The app shows the sky, complete with constellation names and line drawings. Along the bottom of the screen are several options. Pressing the pulsating star icon brings up a list of suggested targets, divided into “Tonight’s Suggested Objects” and “Tonight’s Challenge Objects.” Each gives a little capsule summary, including whether it is “City Viewable” or “Dark Sky Viewable.” The list is limited to the Messier catalog and other relatively bright deep-sky objects, as well as prominent stars, double and binary star systems, asterisms, and, of course, the Moon and planets. The choices are designed to match realistic expectations for the scope’s aperture.
I put aiming accuracy to the test right away by swinging from the Moon, far to the south at the time, toward Albireo, the beautiful bicolored double star halfway across the sky in Cygnus. After I selected it from “Tonight’s Suggested Objects,” directional arrows appeared, showing the way. Grabbing the mirror-end of the tube, I pivoted the scope’s aim. Sure enough, after the bull’s-eye on the screen changed from red to green, signaling acquisition, I peered into the 25mm eyepiece and saw Albireo perfectly centered. I was impressed. Pausing for a moment, I selected the “Celestron Audio” feature and listened to a short description of what I had in view. The screen also displayed information about Albireo, including hints on how to best observe it.
Each successive target was also within the 25mm’s field of view. Be aware the StarSense may need a moment to catch up if you move the telescope too quickly. A pop-up note will appear at the top of the app’s screen advising you that it needs to resync its aim. So, pause and wait for the crosshairs to turn either yellow, meaning that you’re close to the selected object, or green, which means you’re there.
One night, high clouds began to filter in and thicken. Although I could still see stars through holes in the clouds, the StarSense lost its ability to effectively plate solve the scope’s aim. It returned to full functionality without hesitation whenever breaks in the clouds allowed.
Whenever the app is opened, it gives the option to either start immediately, assuming the phone and dock are still aligned from the previous session, or to realign the pair. I found it best to do the latter each time. Typically, when I removed the phone, the cradle slipped a little, since there is no way of locking the dock itself in position.
