Celestron Green Laser Optical Kit
The Celestron Green Laser Optical Kit 72105 is the ultimate star gazing kit for every astronomy lover, from beginners to advanced users. 10x50 Binoculars 10x50 UpClose binoculars offer a wide field of view making them great for astronomy, sporting events, outdoor and nature use, and many other activities A great companion when looking at the stars with your green laser pointer Rubber covered and water resistant Fully coated optics Wide 7 field of view (367ft. @ 1000 yds.) Nylon carrying case Weight - 25 ounces (709g) 2-year limited warranty Green Laser Pointer Green laser is 20 to 30 times brighter than red lasers. Perfect for pointing out astronomical objects in the night sky. Also works great for lectures and presentations. Green laser beams are 20x to 30x brighter than red laser beams The green beam reflects off of dirt and other particles in the air and reaches from 15,000 to 25,000 ft. (depending on the atmospheric conditions) Designed for short-duration use (less than one minute at a time) with a momentary button Aluminum body that weighs just 2.7 ounces (76.5g) with 2- AAA Alkaline Batteries (life is 2 to 4 hours of normal usage) 9/16 in (14.3mm) diameter x 57/8 in (149.2mm) length <5mW power and electric current of < 280ma 2-year limited warranty Red LED Flashlight Red LED flashlight (5 Red LEDs) is ideal when using it under the stars to preserve your night vision. Also good for use in nighttime hiking, hunting, and other activities where white light is distracting. Good for use in nighttime hiking, hunting, and other activities where white light is distracting Uses 3- AAA batteries (user supplied) Durable aluminum housing which is water, shock, and corrosion resistant Weighs just 3.5 ounces (99.2g) with batteries 11/16in (27mm) diameter x 4.5in (114.3mm) length 2-year limited warranty
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Celestron Green Laser Optical Kit Reviews
The green pointer works well for about the first 15 minutes of use, then the batteries need to be changed, because the beam gets weak. But for the people about to pay full price, I write this review. The metal, 5-LED, red flashlight is worth around $5 dollars and functions very well. In order to see the laser beam stretch into the sky, you have to be within 2-3 feet of the pointer. The binoculars could have been left out of the kit in my humble opinion.
That is fine for showing a small group of people what you are looking at, which is exactly what I wanted it for. I have a pair of Bushnell $60 binoculars that work very well at night and put the Celestron set to shame. The binoculars are worth about $25, because they are not multicoated and they have very noticeable blurriness around the edges of the view field. Knowing what I know now, I would not have paid the full price of $40 for the kit, but for the $10 I did pay, I feel like I stole it. The pointer alone is worth more than the $10, and the flashlight is just an extra value.
While the batteries are fairly fresh, the pointer works about as well as a 5mw green laser can. I only paid $10 dollars (after promotional discounts) for the kit, so I can't complain.
The laser works good. . I was originally looking for just the binoculars that come with this set and was ready to pay just about the same cost.
I am glad I checked amazon before I ordered. If you are just getting started in astronomy this is a great deal. I havent had much chance to check out the binoc's yet but from what I did see earlier they are great.
The flashlight is amazingly bright (by the way, Celestron's website plainly states that batteries aren't included so I don't understand why the other person gave it a bad review for that reason). If you look at this product on other vendor sites geared towards astronomy you will find this EXACT kit going for close to a hundred dollars.
The red LED light is very sturdy and gives off plenty of light (without blinding you). Also, if the laser does not power up the first time, let go of the button, wait a bit, then fire it again. The laser is fairly powerful, but it can be tough to spot if there is ambient light (like the moon). Also, I was surprised at the quality of the binoculars - everything I've observed has been crystal clear and free of any optical defects. I had some trouble at first but it was related to the battery; always make sure you bring a few fresh batteries as this laser can drain them like crazy. I was very happy with this purchase. If this doesn't work, check your batteries.
After a 20 minute phone call I finally convinced the supervisor to have fedex pick the item up, no charge to me. Will never do business with Beach Camera again. Flashlight had no batteries. Contacted company to return item because it did not work and they told me I had to pay return shipping. Laser was shipped to me in non-working order. Charge is still on my card. Binoculars seemed okay.
For looking at maps, it may be on the bright side and I prefer the flash light with the 2 red LED's that has a dimmer switch on it. Laser pointer works great in dark skies.
In fact you could buy this first and then if you find you are interested you could get a telescope and you will continue to use this package extensively even with your telescope. The flashlight is great to use at a dark site when you are walking around or hunting for something you may have dropped.
However in light polluted skies don't expect it to work. The beam extends all the way to the star or object you are pointing to.
10 X 50 Binoculars have 7 degree field of view and are excellent to use with a telescope to locate the object you want to see and familiarize yourself with the immediate vicinity before looking through the finderscope of the telescope. This is a great buy and it complements a telescope very well.
All in all a great deal for the $49 I paid for it and it sees a lot of use.
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