The Sky-Watcher Heritage 130 FlexTube is housing the same superb Parabolic Primary Mirror as our highly-renowned Explorer-130P, this telescope is an excellent and capable all-rounder which will provide wonderful views of both the Moon & Planets as well as Deep-Sky Objects. The collapsible patented FlexTube system has been incorporated making it even more convenient to transport and store. The uncomplicated manually operated Dobsonian alt-azimuth mount makes it a superb, highly portable, grab-and-go system. The complete telescope & mount comes fully assembled straight out of the box. Supplied in presentation Giftbox Our view A fun, simple to use table-top telescope mounted on a single arm Dobsonian mount. The tube telescopes out to twice its stored length, and can even be carried in one hand by an older child. Same primary and flat as the standard 130P f/5. Great entertainment for the family and neighbours. Observing at its absolute simplest. Tips Keep it covered when not in use if you don’t wish to collapse it down after each night’s use.
The Sky-Watcher Heritage 130 FlexTube is housing the same superb Parabolic Primary Mirror as our highly-renowned Explorer-130P, this telescope is an excellent and capable all-rounder which will provide wonderful views of both the Moon & Planets as well as Deep-Sky Objects. The collapsible patented FlexTube system has been incorporated making it even more convenient to transport and store. The uncomplicated manually operated Dobsonian alt-azimuth mount makes it a superb, highly portable, grab-and-go system. The complete telescope & mount comes fully assembled straight out of the box. Supplied in presentation Giftbox Our view A fun, simple to use table-top telescope mounted on a single arm Dobsonian mount. The tube telescopes out to twice its stored length, and can even be carried in one hand by an older child. Same primary and flat as the standard 130P f/5. Great entertainment for the family and neighbours. Observing at its absolute simplest. Tips Keep it covered when not in use if you don’t wish to collapse it down after each night’s use.
The Sky-Watcher Heritage 130 FlexTube is housing the same superb Parabolic Primary Mirror as our highly-renowned Explorer-130P, this telescope is an excellent and capable all-rounder which will provide wonderful views of both the Moon & Planets as well as Deep-Sky Objects. The collapsible patented FlexTube system has been incorporated making it even more convenient to transport and store. The uncomplicated manually operated Dobsonian alt-azimuth mount makes it a superb, highly portable, grab-and-go system. The complete telescope & mount comes fully assembled straight out of the box. Supplied in presentation Giftbox Our view A fun, simple to use table-top telescope mounted on a single arm Dobsonian mount. The tube telescopes out to twice its stored length, and can even be carried in one hand by an older child. Same primary and flat as the standard 130P f/5. Great entertainment for the family and neighbours. Observing at its absolute simplest. Tips Keep it covered when not in use if you don’t wish to collapse it down after each night’s use.
The Sky-Watcher Heritage 130 FlexTube is housing the same superb Parabolic Primary Mirror as our highly-renowned Explorer-130P, this telescope is an excellent and capable all-rounder which will provide wonderful views of both the Moon & Planets as well as Deep-Sky Objects. The collapsible patented FlexTube system has been incorporated making it even more convenient to transport and store. The uncomplicated manually operated Dobsonian alt-azimuth mount makes it a superb, highly portable, grab-and-go system. The complete telescope & mount comes fully assembled straight out of the box. Supplied in presentation Giftbox Our view A fun, simple to use table-top telescope mounted on a single arm Dobsonian mount. The tube telescopes out to twice its stored length, and can even be carried in one hand by an older child. Same primary and flat as the standard 130P f/5. Great entertainment for the family and neighbours. Observing at its absolute simplest. Tips Keep it covered when not in use if you don’t wish to collapse it down after each night’s use.
Last updated at 04/03/2026 13:02:12
Sky-Watcher Heritage Telescope
Free delivery
originally posted on ebay.com
A great start into astronomy. Solid mounting and great parabolic optics. Good enough to last many years without exhausting the objects you can view. All the planets. Venus crescent well seen and there's detail on Jupiter and Saturn. All Messier objects are visible under the right conditions. All-in-all a very good Newtonian in an impressive stow away packege.
originally posted on firstlightoptics.com/
I bought this specifically as a grab n go to take on a trip to Hungary & Romania, where, I hope to find the odd dark sky (you live in hope !). Basically I agree with all other comments: the focuser is "a bit odd ball" but made up for by the utter brilliance of the thing as a whole, and you do get used to it really quickly. It's small enough to lob in the back of "even" a Fiat Panda (yep, I am doing a multiple thousand mile trip round eastern Europe in a Panda) and nothing less than a joy to use. The Dob bearings are really smooth & light grasp is wonderful - but then, it's actually a decent aperture wrapped up in a really cleaver collapse-able design, which, despite all fears is solid, remarkably well engineered for the price and just works ! I'm really impressed - ... MoreI bought this specifically as a grab n go to take on a trip to Hungary & Romania, where, I hope to find the odd dark sky (you live in hope !). Basically I agree with all other comments: the focuser is "a bit odd ball" but made up for by the utter brilliance of the thing as a whole, and you do get used to it really quickly. It's small enough to lob in the back of "even" a Fiat Panda (yep, I am doing a multiple thousand mile trip round eastern Europe in a Panda) and nothing less than a joy to use. The Dob bearings are really smooth & light grasp is wonderful - but then, it's actually a decent aperture wrapped up in a really cleaver collapse-able design, which, despite all fears is solid, remarkably well engineered for the price and just works ! I'm really impressed - crazy price really, for what you get, great views, super portable, quick cool down - Chinese mass production at it's very best ! FLO's service was awful - I'm joking ... of course ! You place an order and it simply arrives, with plenty of personal communication in the unlikely event of any issues. The 130p Flex really is a little gem - every home should have one !
originally posted on firstlightoptics.com/
I'm not an astronomer. I just love looking at the moon through my binoculars. I wanted to get a bit closer to it. Well.... this little gem certainly does that ! The two lenses provided will get you a decent ring side seat to that show and more !!! Add a Barlow x2 and you'll be in an Apollo Moonshot about to enter orbit. The bonus for me is that I now get a nice peak at Jupiter and can see it's Newtonian moons. Be realistic about small scopes - Jupiter is the size of a pea through this thing and is rather bright but you can clearly see its bands and - more to the point - you can see that it's a massive object just hanging in space and that impression is mind blowing. What to expect ? A lot depends on 'seeing' quality at the time and how you train your eyes. I've ... MoreI'm not an astronomer. I just love looking at the moon through my binoculars. I wanted to get a bit closer to it. Well.... this little gem certainly does that ! The two lenses provided will get you a decent ring side seat to that show and more !!! Add a Barlow x2 and you'll be in an Apollo Moonshot about to enter orbit. The bonus for me is that I now get a nice peak at Jupiter and can see it's Newtonian moons. Be realistic about small scopes - Jupiter is the size of a pea through this thing and is rather bright but you can clearly see its bands and - more to the point - you can see that it's a massive object just hanging in space and that impression is mind blowing. What to expect ? A lot depends on 'seeing' quality at the time and how you train your eyes. I've ditched my filters and have taught my eyes how to relax and to see the features (planets are very bright.) I have yet to look at Saturn but at this rate expect to be able to see its rings clearly. The joy of this scope is that it is grab-and-go and rather like a Swiss Army knife the one you carry in your pocket is the one that you will use the most. This is a serious scope with an all important parabolic main mirror. Make sure that you get a collimation laser with it too. My only doubt about this scope is that I might go for a 150p version sooner rather than later as I enjoy the concept of this model so much. It's certainly got me obsessed with searching for planets. Why get this and not the 150p ? Price and a slight size differential (if storage is a problem.) Bear in mind that for the extra £80 the 150p offers 30% more light collection. Light = Data in visual astronomy.
| Optical Design | Newtonian |
| Aperture | 130mm (5′′) |
| Focal Length | 650mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/5 |
| Secondary Mirror Diameter | 39.8mm |
Sky-Watcher Heritage Telescope
Free delivery
A great start into astronomy. Solid mounting and great parabolic optics. Good enough to last many years without exhausting the objects you can view. All the planets. Venus crescent well seen and there's detail on Jupiter and Saturn. All Messier objects are visible under the right conditions. All-in-all a very good Newtonian in an impressive stow away packege.
I bought this specifically as a grab n go to take on a trip to Hungary & Romania, where, I hope to find the odd dark sky (you live in hope !). Basically I agree with all other comments: the focuser is "a bit odd ball" but made up for by the utter brilliance of the thing as a whole, and you do get used to it really quickly. It's small enough to lob in the back of "even" a Fiat Panda (yep, I am doing a multiple thousand mile trip round eastern Europe in a Panda) and nothing less than a joy to use. The Dob bearings are really smooth & light grasp is wonderful - but then, it's actually a decent aperture wrapped up in a really cleaver collapse-able design, which, despite all fears is solid, remarkably well engineered for the price and just works ! I'm really impressed - ... MoreI bought this specifically as a grab n go to take on a trip to Hungary & Romania, where, I hope to find the odd dark sky (you live in hope !). Basically I agree with all other comments: the focuser is "a bit odd ball" but made up for by the utter brilliance of the thing as a whole, and you do get used to it really quickly. It's small enough to lob in the back of "even" a Fiat Panda (yep, I am doing a multiple thousand mile trip round eastern Europe in a Panda) and nothing less than a joy to use. The Dob bearings are really smooth & light grasp is wonderful - but then, it's actually a decent aperture wrapped up in a really cleaver collapse-able design, which, despite all fears is solid, remarkably well engineered for the price and just works ! I'm really impressed - crazy price really, for what you get, great views, super portable, quick cool down - Chinese mass production at it's very best ! FLO's service was awful - I'm joking ... of course ! You place an order and it simply arrives, with plenty of personal communication in the unlikely event of any issues. The 130p Flex really is a little gem - every home should have one !
I'm not an astronomer. I just love looking at the moon through my binoculars. I wanted to get a bit closer to it. Well.... this little gem certainly does that ! The two lenses provided will get you a decent ring side seat to that show and more !!! Add a Barlow x2 and you'll be in an Apollo Moonshot about to enter orbit. The bonus for me is that I now get a nice peak at Jupiter and can see it's Newtonian moons. Be realistic about small scopes - Jupiter is the size of a pea through this thing and is rather bright but you can clearly see its bands and - more to the point - you can see that it's a massive object just hanging in space and that impression is mind blowing. What to expect ? A lot depends on 'seeing' quality at the time and how you train your eyes. I've ... MoreI'm not an astronomer. I just love looking at the moon through my binoculars. I wanted to get a bit closer to it. Well.... this little gem certainly does that ! The two lenses provided will get you a decent ring side seat to that show and more !!! Add a Barlow x2 and you'll be in an Apollo Moonshot about to enter orbit. The bonus for me is that I now get a nice peak at Jupiter and can see it's Newtonian moons. Be realistic about small scopes - Jupiter is the size of a pea through this thing and is rather bright but you can clearly see its bands and - more to the point - you can see that it's a massive object just hanging in space and that impression is mind blowing. What to expect ? A lot depends on 'seeing' quality at the time and how you train your eyes. I've ditched my filters and have taught my eyes how to relax and to see the features (planets are very bright.) I have yet to look at Saturn but at this rate expect to be able to see its rings clearly. The joy of this scope is that it is grab-and-go and rather like a Swiss Army knife the one you carry in your pocket is the one that you will use the most. This is a serious scope with an all important parabolic main mirror. Make sure that you get a collimation laser with it too. My only doubt about this scope is that I might go for a 150p version sooner rather than later as I enjoy the concept of this model so much. It's certainly got me obsessed with searching for planets. Why get this and not the 150p ? Price and a slight size differential (if storage is a problem.) Bear in mind that for the extra £80 the 150p offers 30% more light collection. Light = Data in visual astronomy.
This telescope is good value, well built and reasonably easy to set up. It is heavy enough to reduce vibration but light enough to make it completely portable. The two lenses supplied are of good quality, You will need a little patience setting up the red dot finder scope but once done larger objects like planets and constellations are easily viewed. I have immediately bought a 2x Barlow lens and a moon filter, it is a pity Skywatcher dont include these as they would make the first experience so much better. The main drawback of this extending design is the fact that any light pollution from nearby street lights etc makes highly magnified viewing impossible as the mirror is effectively open to the environment. Its a compromise worth making if you view dark skies but ... MoreThis telescope is good value, well built and reasonably easy to set up. It is heavy enough to reduce vibration but light enough to make it completely portable. The two lenses supplied are of good quality, You will need a little patience setting up the red dot finder scope but once done larger objects like planets and constellations are easily viewed. I have immediately bought a 2x Barlow lens and a moon filter, it is a pity Skywatcher dont include these as they would make the first experience so much better. The main drawback of this extending design is the fact that any light pollution from nearby street lights etc makes highly magnified viewing impossible as the mirror is effectively open to the environment. Its a compromise worth making if you view dark skies but will detract from your viewing if you live in a town. On the whole I am happy with the telescope for its price.
This is a really nicely designed product and I have enjoyed it very much since I got it in 2014 from FLO. Let me first mention the positives. The primary mirror is good: a nice size and high quality. I did an artificial star test and the results looked very good. I also looked at it with a Ronchi eyepiece and the pattern looked perfect. The flextube structure is brilliant: is allows for compact storage, good protection and, perhaps not so obvious, good ventilation. Another secret is that you can actually increase the back focus by shortening the tube by not fully extending the tube. Because the position can be locked with screws, the shortened tube is stable. Also great is that, unlike similar models of this size Newtonian, it comes with an attached Vixen dovetail. ... MoreThis is a really nicely designed product and I have enjoyed it very much since I got it in 2014 from FLO. Let me first mention the positives. The primary mirror is good: a nice size and high quality. I did an artificial star test and the results looked very good. I also looked at it with a Ronchi eyepiece and the pattern looked perfect. The flextube structure is brilliant: is allows for compact storage, good protection and, perhaps not so obvious, good ventilation. Another secret is that you can actually increase the back focus by shortening the tube by not fully extending the tube. Because the position can be locked with screws, the shortened tube is stable. Also great is that, unlike similar models of this size Newtonian, it comes with an attached Vixen dovetail. I actually have always used it on my small Vixen mount, not on the Dobsonian mount that is included. I can complain a bit about the focuser. I needed to put some Teflon tape on the threads since there was too much slop in the movement. The tape made it stiffer and you can keep putting on more layers of tape to make it however stiff you like (and remove it easily too). Teflon is very low friction so it ends up moving surprisingly smoothly. The only complaint is that the whole eyepiece rotates, which is an issue if you attach a camera to it (I have attached a small ZWO camera to take some images -- the guide camera ones are perfect for this telescope). An improvement on the focuser is to attach a helical focuser. Since I had one anyway, I have used it this way when attaching a camera (although I suspect the focuser costs as much as the telescope so it kind of goes against the the theory of buying this telescope). The included focuser plus Teflon tape works well enough. Now the only major complaint I have: the secondary mirror. First of all, the way it attaches to the tube is a bit finicky and it came very loose so that the secondary mirror rotated way too easily. This needed to be tightened with a small pair of pliers (there is a locking nut next to where the metal rod attaches to the inside of the tube). In a quality control issue, my secondary came installed rotated by 180 degrees from the correct orientation. On first thought you would think the mirror is symmetrical but in fact it is not. So the way it came, it appeared not circular as viewed from the primary mirror but rather as an oval. This is a subtle error and might not be realised at first so it is worth checking. The mirror is attached with double sided tape which required careful pulling off (using cotton gloves to avoid messing with the mirror coating). I then reattached the secondary using a useful product from 3M called "Damage-Free Picture Hanging Strips". This is similar to Velcro but stronger and more secure. That way I could play with the position of the secondary and also easily swap it for another one. The reason I mention swapping is because I realised that the secondary mirror that came with the telescope was quite a bit oversized. The specs on the SkyWatcher website say that the secondary is 34.5mm. In fact, the one I got was 40mm (minor axis diameter). This represents a 31% central obstruction, which is quite high, even for a fast Newtonian (the secondary mirror gets smaller as the F number increases). In fact, the maximum size of the secondary mirror holder is 35mm in diameter and a quick calculation shows that for most objects (such a looking at the moon), a 30mm mirror is large enough. So I ordered a new 35mm diagonal mirror from Orion Optics UK and with the "Picture Hanging Strips" it was then very easy to swap the secondary mirror. All in all, a lovely telescope that I have used for many applications. So light and simple and I do not worry about children damaging it. I actually bought this with the intention of using it for a special purpose: a solar Newtonian telescope. This involved etching the mirror coating off the primary. See "Dave Groski's White Light Newtonian Page" for details about this approach. The results were brilliant and this telescope was perfect for that application. I actually have one secondary with no mirror coating and one that still has it on so that I can have more or less attenuation, depending on what I want to do (i.e. visual or imaging).
The heritage 130p is not a toy, it might look diminutive or flimsy but these are traits that do not apply to this telescope. The base is strong and easy to use and the telescope is fully functional and packs a punch. Since purchase I have bought several additional eyepieces to further improve the observing experience. I have seen a Jupiter moon shadow transit; wow never thought a telescope this size would reveal that from my own front garden. For observing I sit on a plastic garden chair and place the telescope on a paving slab as decking provides for too many vibrations. If I want to raise the telescope higher then I plonk it on an upturned bucket. The telescope can be removed from the base and has a standard fitment so can be used on other tripods. There is also a ... MoreThe heritage 130p is not a toy, it might look diminutive or flimsy but these are traits that do not apply to this telescope. The base is strong and easy to use and the telescope is fully functional and packs a punch. Since purchase I have bought several additional eyepieces to further improve the observing experience. I have seen a Jupiter moon shadow transit; wow never thought a telescope this size would reveal that from my own front garden. For observing I sit on a plastic garden chair and place the telescope on a paving slab as decking provides for too many vibrations. If I want to raise the telescope higher then I plonk it on an upturned bucket. The telescope can be removed from the base and has a standard fitment so can be used on other tripods. There is also a big following on this telescope in the US where it is branded the OneSky.
I had some experince with a 50mm refractor that my dad owned, so I'm not an absolute newbie, and with that being said, this one doesn't feel like a toy like a small refractor does.It has great optics and it is just plain capable. It is small so it is not the more powerful telescope in the world, but for something you can carry around I don't think you can ask for more. I just keep it on it's box and travel with it in my car to use whenever I see fit.I was a bit apprehensive since is my first own telescope and people make collimation sound like a hussle, but mine came with the primary slightly out of collimation and it was remarkably easy to realign it.The moon looks just phenomenal. Jupiter and Saturn are pretty and detailed, albeit small. It may be a good ... MoreI had some experince with a 50mm refractor that my dad owned, so I'm not an absolute newbie, and with that being said, this one doesn't feel like a toy like a small refractor does.It has great optics and it is just plain capable. It is small so it is not the more powerful telescope in the world, but for something you can carry around I don't think you can ask for more. I just keep it on it's box and travel with it in my car to use whenever I see fit.I was a bit apprehensive since is my first own telescope and people make collimation sound like a hussle, but mine came with the primary slightly out of collimation and it was remarkably easy to realign it.The moon looks just phenomenal. Jupiter and Saturn are pretty and detailed, albeit small. It may be a good idea to purchase more powerful eyepieces along with a low power plossl, since the kellners that comes with this are just ok. I wasn't able to see any deep sky objects yet since I live in a heavily light polluted area.The focuser is regarded as a low point in this kit, and it feels somewhat fragile. It can vibrate a bit, but with a little teflon tape it becomes a lot better to use. The glare of the open design can be bad if you have light sources around, but I solved with a thick cardstock paper.Delivery was really fast, i live in Brazil and it came by DHL in only 10 days. The telescope dobsonian base came with two dents, nothing really big, but I'm finicky with this kind of thing, and I think it was a manufacturer fault since the box was perfectly sealed. The store staff was helpful and informed me perfectly, full remarks to the store.
Based on reviews had this bought as a Christmas present. Very good, prompt delivery meant that could take advantage of the cold, clear nights that we have had recently - strictly a bit before Santa officially arrived. Very easy to set up and check alignment. Easy to guide to the right position. The knob on the elevation control does take some effort to turn so that the telescope is maintained on an object but the azimuth mount is very easy. Superb views on its very night out of the orion nebula, Pleiades (so beautiful) and Jupiter (with 4 moons easy to see). I'm not sure if it is my eyes or the lenses but colour differentiation of stars was not obvious - Mars and Betelgeuse appeared to me to be the same colour as Bellatrix for example. All in all a great fun ... MoreBased on reviews had this bought as a Christmas present. Very good, prompt delivery meant that could take advantage of the cold, clear nights that we have had recently - strictly a bit before Santa officially arrived. Very easy to set up and check alignment. Easy to guide to the right position. The knob on the elevation control does take some effort to turn so that the telescope is maintained on an object but the azimuth mount is very easy. Superb views on its very night out of the orion nebula, Pleiades (so beautiful) and Jupiter (with 4 moons easy to see). I'm not sure if it is my eyes or the lenses but colour differentiation of stars was not obvious - Mars and Betelgeuse appeared to me to be the same colour as Bellatrix for example. All in all a great fun telescope and fits nicely in a cupboard when the skies are cloudy.
Well I was very lucky! When the parcel came I had three straight nights of nil cloud, apparently a minor miracle ! So I very quickly unboxed and attached the finder scope. Adjusted it to match the telescope. And I was ready to go, so incredibly easy. The views of the moon were simply stunning with the x25 eyepiece. Had a great night just picking targets and looking at them. Sadly Saturn and Jupiter were too low from where I was. On the other nights my youngest son and grandson were also suitability impressed with the views of the moon. It's a great little scope that's easily moved. And my wife is pleased as it takes up very little room. Delivery was super quick thanks to FLO! Will definitely be buying future products for this scope from FLO, and ultimately an 8" ... MoreWell I was very lucky! When the parcel came I had three straight nights of nil cloud, apparently a minor miracle ! So I very quickly unboxed and attached the finder scope. Adjusted it to match the telescope. And I was ready to go, so incredibly easy. The views of the moon were simply stunning with the x25 eyepiece. Had a great night just picking targets and looking at them. Sadly Saturn and Jupiter were too low from where I was. On the other nights my youngest son and grandson were also suitability impressed with the views of the moon. It's a great little scope that's easily moved. And my wife is pleased as it takes up very little room. Delivery was super quick thanks to FLO! Will definitely be buying future products for this scope from FLO, and ultimately an 8" dobsonian (don't tell my wife lol). Also easy to collimate with a collimation cap as has a doughnut on the primary mirror.
I have read numerous places the screw focuser was loose and sloppy and that you needed to apply plumbers tape to the treads. They must have improved the design because mine works perfectly as is. I recommend that you watch the YouTube videos showing how to make a shroud that fits inside the tube. My main passion is astrophotography, but once everything is set up and running there's very little to do for 3 or 4 hours. So I bought this scope to enjoy space walking the sky. I love that I can just set this scope down and start observing without in cables, computers, polar alignment or 2 star alignment. It is the opposite of setting up for astrophotography. B&H has impressive systems in place that are reliable and user friendly.
| Optical Design | Newtonian |
| Aperture | 130mm (5′′) |
| Focal Length | 650mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/5 |
| Secondary Mirror Diameter | 39.8mm |
