Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS Telescope Review

Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS telescope will be the perfect instrument for you. It is extremely easy to set up and use, and very simple to calibrate. Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS is an ideal guide through the mysteries of the universe for children and adults alike, showing you breathtaking views of the lunar surface, rings of Saturn, moons of Jupiter, and even the brightest nebulae and star clusters.

The standard kit

This telescope comes with a lot of reference materials, additional eyepieces (including a zoom eyepiece) and a  Levenhuk Zongo 20 telescope case for storage and transportation of your stargazing equipment. All these accessories will certainly help newcomers who are interested in exploring the celestial sphere quickly become more experienced and delve into unexplored corners of the universe.

Here's what you get with the standard kit:

• Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS Telescope, with an altazimuth mount
• Aluminum tripod
• Plastic 1.25" focuser
• H20, F6 mm eyepieces
• 6.5-21 mm zoom eyepiece
• 3x Barlow lens
• Red dot finderscope
• Star diagonal
• "See it all!" Astronomer's Handbook with descriptions of 280 celestial objects
• Set of space-themed posters (The Moon, The Sun and Other Stars, and The Solar System)
• Planisphere
• Stellarium software CD to assist you during your astronomical observations
• Compass
• Levenhuk Zongo 20 Telescope Case
• User manual and warranty

This is the smallest telescope in the Strike PLUS series; however, due to its size, it is also much lighter. The box that the telescope comes in is quite bulky, but you'd have no problem carrying it around.

Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS is a traditional achromatic refractor with fully multi-coated optics. It is very easy to set up, as the altazimuth mount is already attached to the optical tube. Before you begin your first observation, I'd recommend removing the dew cap from the optical tube and cleaning the objective lens with a soft brush.

The red dot finder works just like a laser pointer. Remove the paper pad between the contact and the battery, and then turn on the finderscope. Always make sure that the finderscope is properly aligned with the optical tube, (so that they are both pointing at exactly the same spot on the celestial sphere). Such alignment should be done during the day, which makes it much easier. Choose an object that is at least a 100 feet away and use adjustment screws on the finderscope to align the accessory with the optical tube.

The standard kit also includes a star diagonal, which comes in extremely handy during observations of objects near zenith.

The star diagonal itself is made of plastic. The thumbscrew on the collar holds the chosen eyepiece in place.

A small bracket on the optical tube is used to attach the finderscope. It is held in place by two locking screws.

The rack-and-pinion focuser is made of plastic and metalized foil and is fitted with large plastic knobs that make it extremely easy to operate the focuser in the dark. After you insert an eyepiece into the focuser, don't forget to lock it in place with a plastic thumbscrew on the collar of the focuser. When attaching multiple accessories (for example, a star diagonal with a camera), be mindful of their total weight. Heavier set-ups put too much stress on the focuser tube, and may even break it. Once you finish your stargazing session, always slide the focuser tube to its default position.

The telescope is set up on an altazimuth mount. Such mounts are perfect for amateur stargazers, as they are extremely simple to use. Additionally, altazimuth mounts are lighter than their equatorial counterparts, as they are designed to be used without any counterweights.

Once you have attached the mount to the tripod, you can slew the optical tube with two locking knobs. Loosen the azimuth locking knob to rotate the tube horizontally, or the altitude locking knob to tilt it. In the picture below you can see the coupling of the mount and the tripod head.

The handy accessory tray may be attached to the tripod with three screws. The tray makes the tripod even more stable and rigid. You can place the accessories that you use the most during observations into special holes on the tray. This way, it is impossible to accidentally drop them or lose them at night.

The collapsible tripod of the Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS telescope may be adjusted to height.

The standard kit also includes Levenhuk Zongo 20 - a very useful telescope case, which is perfect for storage and transportation of the instrument and accessories.

Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS test

The image above showcases the wonderful capabilities of this telescope.

Summary

Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS is a traditional refractor that is perfect for observations of starfields, thanks to its small focal length. With its practical optical tube and easy-to-use altazimuth mount, I'd recommend this telescope as a primary instrument for any amateur stargazer. This telescope will allow you to navigate across the Milky Way, enjoying crisp and clear views of myriad stars. The sturdy tripod may be adjusted to height and has a useful accessory tray. The precise red dot finder allows you to quickly find the desired object in the night sky. The standard kit includes three eyepieces - high-quality 6-mm and 20-mm eyepieces and a practical 6.5-21 mm zoom eyepiece, giving your telescope all the versatility you'll ever need. All optical elements are fully multi-coated, which means that produced views will always be bright and sharp. All in all,  Levenhuk Strike 90 PLUS telescope is a perfect instrument for anyone taking the first steps in stargazing.

Any reproduction of the material for public publication in any information medium and in any format is prohibited. You can refer to this article with active link to eu.levenhuk.com.

The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the pricing, product range and specifications or discontinue products without prior notice.