Easy to assemble. Great looking piece. Sturdy tripod which is a plus. But the up-and-down level and adjustment screws could be better they tend to slip and once you get the telescope calibrated or set to the right position you really don't want it to move.

48 year old beginner here with looking into the sky. For a first telescope I found it pretty easy to calibrate the finder scope with the main scope (follow directions). Using a "smart" phone with Google Sky app to first locate planets to seek out with the telescope is a great combination! I hold my phone towards the sky and the gps points out the spot. I have been using less than a month and take it outside most clear evenings to look at Jupiter (see its four main moons too) ,Neptune (glows like a blue jem!), The Moon ( bright and clear!,can see texture details!) I am sure there are more powerful and computer gps guided telescopes for prices up into thousand dollars +. This one I have is portable to take to other locations,quick setup. Still learning and having a blast looking into the sky! It amazes me! Someday will probably upgrade! This scope has me hooked! This summer will be better than after Christmas winter night looking. I plan on taking the scope out to better open locations away from city and suburban lights. Will be looking out over Cedar Lake Indiana skies all summer!

We've seen some great views of the craters on the moon, though at top magnification the view passes quickly. However, the fine tuning worked great to help keep the portions we were watching in our sight after a little practice. First time I had seen Jupiter with 4 moons in view. It was great.

This is my first telescope and so far it has been great. Right away you have to know that deep space objects and planets will not look like they do on the magazines or books. Those come from professional telescopes or from Hubble. However this telescope will help you get acquainted with the basic concepts in astronomy, like the celestial grid, Declination, Right Ascension, the different types of eyepieces and even astrophotography. Be ready to spend another 50 to 100 bucks on accessories if you want to get the maximum potential out of this telescope. I recommend the driver motor, the accessory kit with more eyepieces and the T-ring and adapter for a digital camera. It is a great way to dip your toe on astronomy and if you find out you like it you can move on to a more expensive equipment, if not the you only spend like 200 bucks tops.

This is definitely one of the best things I have ever bought. I am patiently waiting for a clear night and something in the sky to look at. I cannot wait to see some spectacular moon or another planet.