Review: SV510 Travel Solar Telescope

After several weeks of cloudy days and nights, I finally had the opportunity to test the Svbony SV510 solar telescope.

Svbony provided me with the specimen for testing, for which I am very grateful - the following test reflects my personal opinion.

The telescope arrived in a well-packed box and I was initially amazed at its dimensions - it really is very compact! After unpacking, you first find a black backpack in which the telescope tube, the tripod, the star diagonal mirror and the 20mm eyepiece are stowed. Instructions were also included, but assembling the components is very easy even for inexperienced beginners and only takes a few minutes.

The tube is attached to the tripod via a screw thread, the tripod is extended and set up, the star diagonal and eyepiece are plugged in - done!

The tripod supplied is very light and a little wobbly when fully extended. However, if the tripod legs remain retracted, it is quite stable.

Instead of a finder scope, the SV510 has a "solar finder" in which the sun is projected onto a small disc - so you avoid looking directly at the sun and still have the object centered in the eyepiece.

As the sky was only streaked with clouds, I was able to carry out a practical test directly on the evening sun.

The image of the sun was very sharp, the focuser worked perfectly and after a few seconds I could see the red-yellow disk of the sun and also sunspots in the center - very impressive! 

As the telescope is designed to take 1.25" eyepieces, I was also able to carry out tests with my SV605cc astro camera. This is very heavy and pushed the tripod to its limit, but I was still able to record sequences of the sun via Lucky Imaging and process them on my laptop - I am very satisfied with the initial results, considering that the SV510 is designed as a lightweight travel telescope.

I will carry out further tests with my Goto mount and push the limits of solar photography, but I am very satisfied with the visual observation.

Especially for traveling or hiking, but also for a quick look at the sun, the telescope is very well suited due to its dimensions and low weight, and the SV510 is also a good choice for observing solar eclipses or ISS transits!

I hope this review is helpful for you. As described before, it reflects my personal opinion and I am happy to share my experiences with you if you have any questions.

Best regards and clear skies!

Sven