Best Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics
Comes with aluminum tripod and accessory tray.Focal Length of Eyepiece 1 (mm) 20 mm (0.79 in).Focal Length of Eyepiece 2 (mm) 4 mm (0.16 in).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"1) Collimation. This telescope can be collimated easily by eye, if you want to collimate with a laser, you'll have to remove the corrective lens in the focuser tube. 2) The finder scope is unusable. While I agree, it's not the best finder scope out there and lining it up with the telescope can take a long time but, it is possible with time and patients. (note: it is a scope and not a finder, the image is reversed in the finder). 3) I can't see anything out of this thing. You need to collimate the scope and line up the finder scope, the instructions are in the manual for eye collimation (tip: back the focuser tube all the way out when you collimate, doing this will let you see both the secondary mirror and the primary, also note, this went through shipping and if it arrived with all the mirrors aligned and ready to go, get a power ball ticket because you'd be the luckiest person on the planet. 4) The Barlow is useless. Please google and youtube what a barlow is and how to use them, it's not a true lens and once you find out its true purpose, it'll make more sense. 5) The 4mm lens is useless. See my comment on the barlow, using the barlow with the 4mm will tame things a bit, also, get a lens and filter kit with a 15mm and a 9mm lens. One last comment on this issue is, do not try to push the telescope into position with the clutches locked, use the controls on the tripod to position the scope, if you need to make big adjustments, loosen the clutches (should be OK because your telescope is balanced) position the scope to the general area of viewing, lock the clutches and use the controls to fine tune."
"I later bought the Celestron 24mm to 8mm zoom eyepiece, which allows me to zoom in without changing eyepiece, and it works very well on the smaller 76mm telescope, but again blurry images on this one. I decided to order a Celestron 1.25" collimation eyepiece ($30), which can be useful in aligning the optics (the two mirrors) in reflectors like this one. The reason is that Polaris is faint, and every time you move a mirror by a tiny bit (as explained in the Celestron instruction) the star just darts out of view in the eyepiece. Lastly, I ditched all the Celestron recommendations on day and night collimation (using either the celestron collimation eyepiece or the "ring pattern" for out of focus point sources) and did instead the "EYE-DOCTOR TEST" : I wanted to see how sharp I can get this one, when there is no wind, no shake, no atmospherics, no moving planet, no mist etc. With this method (which I seemingly invented, as it is not described anywhere in the instructions nor on the Celestron site) I was finally able to adjust (by very small increments) the three screws on the secondary mirror till I FINALLY got a nice sharp picture of the writing on the letter. To avoid any further issues due to my previous messing around, I first screwed in the secondary mirror (by loosening up the three alignment screws, and pulling in the secondary mirror all the way in until it barely touches the mount), and later pulled out the primary mirror as well(by pulling out all six screws until the whole unit comes out, then reinserting the mirror after making sure the secondary was pointing the right way, straight to the back). Then, using the Celestron collimation eyepiece with its crosshair, I carefully adjusted the secondary and primary orientations (three screws for each mirror) until all the crosshairs overlapped perfectly. In other words, the crosshair in the eyepiece has to overlap perfectly with its reflection through mirrors 1 and 2, and back to the eyepiece. I found (April 2014) that the best way to collimate this (Bird-Jones or catadioptric design)telescope and get nice sharp images is to remove the focusing lens at the bottom of the focusing tube (takes 10 mins), align the secondary and primary mirrors with an inexpensive LASER collimator (mine is an LK1 $30 from seben dot com, takes another 10 mins to do this part), put the corrector lens back in and reinsert the focusing tube (don't touch the lens with your hands, takes around 5 mins). The secondary (smaller, flat) mirror is oval-shape and mounted right under the focusing tube, held in place by three (outside)-plus-one (center) screws. Now put a focusing cap (just an eyepiece cap with a small 1mm hole in the center) at the (top) end of the focusing tube. Then make absolutely sure (after you take again very carefully the correcting lens out of the focusing tube) that the inside of the focusing tube and the secondary mirror, as viewed through the focuser, are perfectly concentric when you view them through the hole in the cap. That is, the secondary mirror has to be perfectly centered when viewed from the top of the focusing tube. After this is done, make also sure that the tilt on the secondary mirror is such that you can see the center of the primary mirror (on mine I put a black pen mark at the dead center). Now re-align the secondary and primary mirrors with a laser (in my case), with the cap with a hole, or a cheshire eyepiece."
"The instruction manual is weak in this regard and Celestron really should update it to help getting this telescope aligned. If you visit various astronomy forums and ask about this scope, most people will tell you to avoid it because of the time you will be spending collimating it. After you spent time collimating it, then the views are pretty good for the price you pay. I could see the 2 main bands on Jupiter and the moons, the rings of Saturn, but struggled to see the Cassini division. This is the benefits with using an EQ mount where you will only need to turn one knob to keep your object in view."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was able to snake this thing up there and see everything that I was doing with my hand, and also lay under the car in a comfortable position while I watched what I was doing on my phone. Most of us are carrying around super high quality video monitors in our pockets, so I decided to give this device a try. Also those more expensive units have the cable connected to the screen which is usually mounted to some kind of handle. I have a magnet attached to the back of my phone and it just stuck right up to the pan on the bottom of the transmission. As to durability, I have only had it a week or so and it's holding up so far, although I can envision some problems over time with repeated flexing of the cable. The view you get with it is just like with your phone camera, meaning if you rotate the scope clockwise, the image will also turn which can be disorienting. I got the camera in the right orientation and then bent a "W" shape in the cable a few feet back from the end of the scope. The app allows you to show a mirror image of what you are scoping and you can get rid of the icons on the screen so they don't interfere with what you are trying to look at with the camera. Pros: Price, image quality for live video, stills and captured video, long cable length, WiFi connectivity. Cons: Cheap WiFi box, barebones app, resolution not really changeable."
"I bought this inspection camera for my Dillon XL650 bullet press to be able to inspect brass bullet cartridges while reloading them."
"Really impressed with the Depstech Wifi Endiscope."
"For the price it is fine, but if you're looking to use it for serious inspection inside of things, be sure you have a light to chine into the item or run in separately."
"Focus range is extremely limited: 1.2" to 2.4" (3 cm - 4 cm-- same as what the company website says). I'm quite surprised that something with such a tiny sensor would have such a minimum depth of field (focus) (Technically these are different terms, but bottomline is: is it sharp enough to tell what it is? The blurry results from my ear nixed any ideas of DIY colonoscopies.... the other areas it was pretty useless. In the past I've needed a device like this to examine a sewer line, look under tight spaces. I would suggest buying a lower resolution, USB connected endoscope, with a greater depth of field (focus range)."
Preassembled aluminum full size photographic tripod ensures a stable platform. BONUS Astronomy Software download with a 10,000 object database, printable sky maps and 75 enhanced images.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For this price there is no better telescope in the market. Mount (an additional advantage of this telescope is that it is very light so no heavy duty mount is required... however it needs to be properly aligned and you need to be careful not to touch the camera, telescope or mount when taking a photo to avoid vibration)."
"I do not regret a single thing about this purchase and has been a great investment for both my sister and I."
"My 8 year old son loves it, and he is able to figure it out and assemble it... however from an adult perspective the tripod is a bit flemsy, and its a little cheaply built, but overall a great low scope for a beginner."
"This is a fun little telescope."
"My son got this for his birthday, and loves it."
"Flimsy flimsy flimsy, the tripod mount has serious issues, trying to secure the scope to a fixed position between 45degree and 90degress and it just slips under the weight."
"This isn't REALLY a telescope."
"The one I received has glue or some sticky things inside."
Best Binoculars
10X magnification, 50-Millimeter lens diameter, and auto focusing Porro prism. 10X magnification, 50-Millimeter lens diameter, and auto focusing Porro prism.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"i'm 64 years old and have hunted and fished all my life, and have bought at least 25 binoculars throughout my life, none have compared to this one."
"These are full size heavy binoculars.The principal difference between these and the next level more expensive Bushnell's are higher quality lens coating, and anti-fog and waterproof sealing to prevent moisture. If you intend to carry these anywhere I strongly recommend buying a better case to prevent damage of bangin into other things in transport .The strap supplied for the binoculars are also cheap trash."
"I wanted to give these Bino's 4 and a half stars."
"Hubby loved these binoculars."
"I was not sure how good these would be for such a cheap price but I am very happy."
"Have ordered a few sets of binoculars in the past few years for beach homes."
"We love these new binoculars."
"No problems."
Best Gun Scopes
There is no need for centering, due to the parallax free design in which the dot follows the movement of the user’s eye while remaining fixed on the target. An illumination setting that is too high for ambient light conditions typically results in a dot that appears distorted and non-concentric. For best results, increase the red dot setting until the scope gives the user an aiming reference that is perceptible but not glaring. Finish: Matte, Realtree APG Camo Power / Obj Lens: 1 x 25mm Reticle: 3 MOA Red Dot Field of View: Unlimited Weight (oz/g): 3.7 / 106 Length (in/mm): 2.4 / 61.8 Eye Relief: Unlimited Click Value (in@100 yds / mm@100m): .5 / 14 Adj Range (in@100yds / m@100m): 70 / 1.9 Mounting Length (in/mm): 1.1 / 28. The company's guiding principle is to provide the highest quality, most reliable, and most affordable sports optics products on the market. Bushnell product lines enhance the enjoyment of every outdoor pursuit, including nature study, hunting, fishing, birding, and stargazing. Indoors, the company's binoculars bring the audience closer to the action in fast-moving sports or the fine arts at theaters and concerts. TILTED front lens reflects LED light to create red dot; Colors on the lettering May vary. Red dot may appear blurry or misshapen if the dot intensity is set too high for the ambient light conditions (most likely to occur indoors with artificial light).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I also have a Aimpoint CompM4 , in comparison yes the quality of the Aimpoint is a better ......but I can tell you I have about 800+ RDS threw one rifle with the Bushnell trs25 on it and it holds zero dead on , I had one issues with it once where the red dot was flickering but I'm pretty sure I had the switch in between clicks ."
"Rear cap attachment ring had to be trimmed down to the flip up hinge leaving about a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of attachment ring. Little super glue to both ends of red dot and slide them on."
"Not sure about the sight, but I give Midwest Archery 5 stars."
"The weight and size is impressive especially attached to an AR where every ounce counts when carrying the rifle around the woods or target shooting all afternoon. The batteries are cheap and plentiful with a life of about 3000 hours on low, so you can expect 1000 on high maybe, still a good chunk of time for such a small battery."
"Very highly recommended product."
"I have had one for a few years and it is great."
"With a UTG mid level riser, this co-witnessed perfectly with the irons on my M&P Sport II."
"Red dot was not visible or illuminated."
Best Laser Rangefinders
The primary HCD mode displays an angle compensated distance that is ideal for the majority of hunters and shooters. An advanced LOS mode provides you the option to calculate long distance, high angle shots with increased precision.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was a little skeptical purchasing it, but reviews for the ranger 1000 were good, the product warranty was superb and the price was much lower than comparable products so I took a chance and I am glad I did. The unit returned a reading 3 or 4 times out of 5 when ranging the cow. I was far from steady and didn't expect to get a return so I was happily surprised. For this reading I used a very steady rest. As I use the Ranger 1500 under different conditions such as snow and cloudy skies, I will update this review. Normally I would have waited to write this review until I had used the range finder more, but since there are no other reviews, I am giving my initial impressions to help others as they consider purchasing this product. With the limited use I have given it, I am giving the Ranger 1500 two thumbs way up. UPDATE 2/6/16. I have had the opportunity to use the Ranger 1500 some more and here is what I have found: With the sun almost directly overhead with a very thin overcast layer, I was able to range a deer at 561 yards in a snow covered field. At that point he came back to the house so I don't know how much further I could have obtained a reading on him. While hunting in mid twenty degree weather I continually got a low battery reading and the unit wouldn't give a distance reading."
"Vortex has a sealed waterproof design and comes with lifetime warranty, Leopold has neither. Both use their own flavor of range compensation (Vortex has HCD and Leopold calls theirs DNA) based on angle but the Leopold adds an additional function of being able to load BDC based on your ammo using an on board table. Both the Leopold 1000i and the Ranger 1000 are made there and from the looks of the packaging and documentation of both, i would not be shocked if they both came from the same factory. If people who are harping about finding one made in USA or Europe then look elsewhere and subsequently look forward to a much higher price point. I find the Leopold easier to use overall, ranges faster, feels slightly more compact, and the fit and finish seems nicer even tho it does not claim to be water proof. The vortex is a sealed coin slot screw but the Leopold uses a flimsy lever twist latch which feels like it might break one day."
"Excellent and easy to use."
"Also, I love the Vortex has a great warrantly."
"this is a product from a serious company that is always behind their products!!!"
"Amazing Product and works better than anything I have ever used."
"Fantastic quality, glass is crystal clear, reading very precise."
"The red display makes the yardage easy to read in lower light conditions."
Best Microscopes
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was able to snake this thing up there and see everything that I was doing with my hand, and also lay under the car in a comfortable position while I watched what I was doing on my phone. Most of us are carrying around super high quality video monitors in our pockets, so I decided to give this device a try. Also those more expensive units have the cable connected to the screen which is usually mounted to some kind of handle. I have a magnet attached to the back of my phone and it just stuck right up to the pan on the bottom of the transmission. As to durability, I have only had it a week or so and it's holding up so far, although I can envision some problems over time with repeated flexing of the cable. The view you get with it is just like with your phone camera, meaning if you rotate the scope clockwise, the image will also turn which can be disorienting. I got the camera in the right orientation and then bent a "W" shape in the cable a few feet back from the end of the scope. The app allows you to show a mirror image of what you are scoping and you can get rid of the icons on the screen so they don't interfere with what you are trying to look at with the camera. Pros: Price, image quality for live video, stills and captured video, long cable length, WiFi connectivity. Cons: Cheap WiFi box, barebones app, resolution not really changeable."
"I bought this inspection camera for my Dillon XL650 bullet press to be able to inspect brass bullet cartridges while reloading them."
"Really impressed with the Depstech Wifi Endiscope."
"I like this unit."
"When my husband was changing a filter on my car, he accidentally dropped a screw into the abyss and used this to find it (never would've found it otherwise)."
"So while it won't compete with endoscopes in the several hundred dollar range, it will get you an answer for a lot less, and not leave you worried you will damage a very expensive scope."
"The image quality is quite good on my iPad and it’s nice the display and camera are separate from each other."
"Used it a few times so far to find tools or hardware dropped in confined spaces."
Best Monoculars
COSBITY Monocular See what you wanna to see. -Are you looking for the most clear view from a monocular, along with durability ? Ground breaking new and advanced prism view optical structure enhances your nature watching experience. What Are You Waiting For, Get Your COSBITY Monocular Today! Package Included: 1 x Monocular Telescope. 1 x Lens Cloth. 1 x Lens Covers. 1 x Hand Strap. 1 x Cloth Bag. 1 x User Manual. 1 x Phone Clip. 1 x Extendable Tripod. 1 x Flexible Tripod（If your phone is too heavy, please use Flexible Tripod to support the Phone Clip）. Clear Image --- Large BAK-4 Prism and Fully Multi-Coated Lens elements for Light reflection and minimal distortion, better image brightness, contrast and quality.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This telescope works fine, and it comes with gear to support with cell phone, so I can take picture of the telescope view."
"50mm lens is also the best size from my point of view because the larger the lens the heavier the telescope. One is for the telescope and the other is for the cell phone. The scope is very clear not matter whether you see it in the mobile phone or without mobile phone."
"The size and the surface material are comfortable for handling."
"It’s a super Lurxy product, great for spotting things-great for a far thing you want to see."
"I love it.I can adjust the focus and able to see good clear distance."
"I love using this telescope for pictures and videos."
"Can't zoom, NOT hi powered."
"Cheap quality, not zoom, does not focus, lots of eye shadows, rubber on knob slips."
Best Hunting Night Vision
Low Light Night Vision Our binoculars have adopted BAK4 prism, 25mm big objective lens, Full HD green film with excellent light transmittance reach up to 99.5% and brightness. Suitable for both adults and kids,fit for hunting, hiking, exploring,viewing,sailing,bird watching, concert, outdoor sports etc.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have five other pairs of binoculars of differing powers and the illumination of the Aurosports is the best of the bunch even though some are much more expensive."
"This is a great set of binoculars. When I first looked thru the binoculars, I was amazed at how clear and precise they were!"
"These binoculars are great!"
"I bought these as a Father's Day gift for my husband, and before wrapping them I had to try them out."
"We already have a pair of Nikon Travelight 10X25 that we have used in Africa on Safari and needed to get another pair so we don't have to share."
"I needed a good pair of binoculars for an upcoming international trip."
"He's an avid hiker and likes the distant views and bird watching sometimes while he rests on his long hikes."
"This is an amazing binoculars."
Best Opera Glasses
+BK7 Prism(Optical glass). +Easy to focus, ideal for opera, concerts, theater, shows, traveling, safari, birding, wildlife, walking, climbing. Angle of field: 6 degree. Exit pupil diameter: 5.2mm. This mini binocular is quite suitable for kids, adults, opera, concerts, theater, shows, traveling, safari, birding, wildlife, walking, climbing. Application:Perfect for adults,kids,concerts, theater,opera,plays,shows,travel,hiking,camping,sport events ,bird watching ,etc.--any short distance viewing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The binocular is great."
"Great for bird watching in my back yard."
"Quality is very great for the price and its many features."
"Purchased as a gift for my husband fr bird watching."
"These binoculars are really nice!"
"They are a good balance of magnification,wide field of view, and brightness (exit pupil). The higher magnification 10x42 would also be good for these things, but you give up some field of view with the higher magnification. The larger exit pupil makes viewing easier, even in bright daylight, because you can see the full image circle, even if your eyes aren't perfectly lined up behind the eye peices."
"Perfect stocking stuffer for my little boy who loves to go bird watching."
"I could spot the birds just as quickly as the others with these binoculars and I can use the money saved to buy a quality zoom lens for my camera!"
Best Spotting Scopes
Our premium construction features High Definition Optical Glass With Premium Fully Multi Coated All Glass Lens which guarantees superior light transmission and brightness for optimal bright, crisp, clear viewing. Accessories include a carry pouch with belt loop + cleaning cloth and neck strap. Ideal For: Travel, Concerts, Outdoor Activites, Nature, Bird Watching, Hunting, Archery, Target Shooting, Hiking, Camping etc. Our Top Of The Line WIDE VIEW Monocular True 6 x 30 Viewing - Compact, Durable, High Quality Precision Design Featuring All Glass High End Optics, (FMC Superior BAK4 Green Film Prism).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The optics seem to be high quality and the wide field of view makes the image less jumpy and brighter than the smaller 1/2 priced Roxant mini-scope. It's still useful for the indoor pistol range at 25 feet or checking on archery scores, but if you want it for shooting longer distances, just spring for the more expensive 30-60x scopes made for this purpose."
"I was looking for a monocular that stows easily for day trips and canoeing. If you don't want to lug a full size set of binoculars, but still want to view wildlife, concerts, or mountain vistas, I think you will be happy with the Grip Scope. While on a cruise just for fun I help the Grip Scope up to my cell phone and took some shots. You are not going to get a perfect picture every time, balancing the cell phone and Roxant together, but what you can get with the Grip Scope is soooo cool."
"From the reviews I read by other users, it holds its own in the field and I'm not worried about just tossing it in my pack and having it remain intact. I am trained to work with crews in an effort to control and fight wild fires as they occur across the country. Although I have not had the chance to use this scope in the field yet, I have high hopes for its helpfulness."
"Not bad, but since it is already at the low end of most field telescopic devices sure hate to loose that 1 power. https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R14YP7NPL49EOM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B014UMFNIM. So all being said it is bright and usable, especially if you are chasing for views of birds in the trees. I have included photos taken with my Pentax Optio using optical zoom set at about 2x. If you measure width of the board in both pictures, the 2nd photo shows about a 5 times increase."
Best Telescopes
PowerSeeker 127 EQ Telescope (item #21049) PowerSeeker 127 EQ - General Features Quick and easy no-tool setup Slow motion controls for smooth tracking Erect image optics - Ideal for terrestrial and astronomical use Fully coated glass optical components with high transmission coatings for enhanced image brightness and clarity 3x Barlow lens triples the magnifying power of each eyepiece Accessory tray for convenient storage of accessories "The Sky" Level 1 planetarium software with 10,000 object database and enhanced images. No tools are required for assembly! PowerSeekers are designed and manufactured using all fully coated glass optical components with high transmission coatings for enhanced image brightness and clarity. Optical Design: Newtonian Reflector Aperture: 127 mm (5 in) Focal Length: 1000 mm (39.37 in) Focal Ratio: 7.87 Eyepiece 1: 20 mm (0.79 in) Magnification 1: 50 x Eyepiece 2: 4 mm (0.16 in) Magnification 2: 250 x Barlow Lens: 3 x Finderscope: 5x24 Mount: German Equatorial Tripod: Aluminum Accessory Tray: No-Tool Tray with Eyepiece holder CD ROM: "The Sky" Level 1 Weight: 17 lb (7.71 kg) Limiting Stellar Magnitude: 13 Resolution (Rayleigh): 1.1 arcsec Resolution (Dawes): 0.91 arcsec Photographic Resolution: 254 line/mm Light Gathering Power: 329 x Angular Field of View: 0.8 ° Linear Field of View (@1000 yds): 43 ft (13.11 m) Optical Coatings: Aluminum Secondary Mirror Obstruction: 1.6 in (40.64 mm) Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Area: 10.2 % Secondary Mirror Obstruction by Diameter: 32 % Optical Tube Length: 20 in (508 mm). B. All returns must be accompanied by a written statement setting forth the name, address, and daytime telephone number of the owner, together with a brief description of any claimed defects. (310) 328-9560. Fax. Monday-Friday 8AM-4PM PST. Comes with aluminum tripod and accessory tray.Focal Length of Eyepiece 1 (mm) 20 mm (0.79 in).Focal Length of Eyepiece 2 (mm) 4 mm (0.16 in).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"1) Collimation. This telescope can be collimated easily by eye, if you want to collimate with a laser, you'll have to remove the corrective lens in the focuser tube. 2) The finder scope is unusable. While I agree, it's not the best finder scope out there and lining it up with the telescope can take a long time but, it is possible with time and patients. (note: it is a scope and not a finder, the image is reversed in the finder). 3) I can't see anything out of this thing. You need to collimate the scope and line up the finder scope, the instructions are in the manual for eye collimation (tip: back the focuser tube all the way out when you collimate, doing this will let you see both the secondary mirror and the primary, also note, this went through shipping and if it arrived with all the mirrors aligned and ready to go, get a power ball ticket because you'd be the luckiest person on the planet. 4) The Barlow is useless. Please google and youtube what a barlow is and how to use them, it's not a true lens and once you find out its true purpose, it'll make more sense. 5) The 4mm lens is useless. See my comment on the barlow, using the barlow with the 4mm will tame things a bit, also, get a lens and filter kit with a 15mm and a 9mm lens. One last comment on this issue is, do not try to push the telescope into position with the clutches locked, use the controls on the tripod to position the scope, if you need to make big adjustments, loosen the clutches (should be OK because your telescope is balanced) position the scope to the general area of viewing, lock the clutches and use the controls to fine tune."
"I later bought the Celestron 24mm to 8mm zoom eyepiece, which allows me to zoom in without changing eyepiece, and it works very well on the smaller 76mm telescope, but again blurry images on this one. I decided to order a Celestron 1.25" collimation eyepiece ($30), which can be useful in aligning the optics (the two mirrors) in reflectors like this one. The reason is that Polaris is faint, and every time you move a mirror by a tiny bit (as explained in the Celestron instruction) the star just darts out of view in the eyepiece. Lastly, I ditched all the Celestron recommendations on day and night collimation (using either the celestron collimation eyepiece or the "ring pattern" for out of focus point sources) and did instead the "EYE-DOCTOR TEST" : I wanted to see how sharp I can get this one, when there is no wind, no shake, no atmospherics, no moving planet, no mist etc. With this method (which I seemingly invented, as it is not described anywhere in the instructions nor on the Celestron site) I was finally able to adjust (by very small increments) the three screws on the secondary mirror till I FINALLY got a nice sharp picture of the writing on the letter. To avoid any further issues due to my previous messing around, I first screwed in the secondary mirror (by loosening up the three alignment screws, and pulling in the secondary mirror all the way in until it barely touches the mount), and later pulled out the primary mirror as well(by pulling out all six screws until the whole unit comes out, then reinserting the mirror after making sure the secondary was pointing the right way, straight to the back). Then, using the Celestron collimation eyepiece with its crosshair, I carefully adjusted the secondary and primary orientations (three screws for each mirror) until all the crosshairs overlapped perfectly. In other words, the crosshair in the eyepiece has to overlap perfectly with its reflection through mirrors 1 and 2, and back to the eyepiece. I found (April 2014) that the best way to collimate this (Bird-Jones or catadioptric design)telescope and get nice sharp images is to remove the focusing lens at the bottom of the focusing tube (takes 10 mins), align the secondary and primary mirrors with an inexpensive LASER collimator (mine is an LK1 $30 from seben dot com, takes another 10 mins to do this part), put the corrector lens back in and reinsert the focusing tube (don't touch the lens with your hands, takes around 5 mins). The secondary (smaller, flat) mirror is oval-shape and mounted right under the focusing tube, held in place by three (outside)-plus-one (center) screws. Now put a focusing cap (just an eyepiece cap with a small 1mm hole in the center) at the (top) end of the focusing tube. Then make absolutely sure (after you take again very carefully the correcting lens out of the focusing tube) that the inside of the focusing tube and the secondary mirror, as viewed through the focuser, are perfectly concentric when you view them through the hole in the cap. That is, the secondary mirror has to be perfectly centered when viewed from the top of the focusing tube. After this is done, make also sure that the tilt on the secondary mirror is such that you can see the center of the primary mirror (on mine I put a black pen mark at the dead center). Now re-align the secondary and primary mirrors with a laser (in my case), with the cap with a hole, or a cheshire eyepiece."
"The instruction manual is weak in this regard and Celestron really should update it to help getting this telescope aligned. If you visit various astronomy forums and ask about this scope, most people will tell you to avoid it because of the time you will be spending collimating it. After you spent time collimating it, then the views are pretty good for the price you pay. I could see the 2 main bands on Jupiter and the moons, the rings of Saturn, but struggled to see the Cassini division. This is the benefits with using an EQ mount where you will only need to turn one knob to keep your object in view."