2022 Xmas Telescope & Binocular Buyers' Guide Part 3 -

Binoculars and Spotting Scopes

Viewing Mars with Celestron

Value for money binoculars for nature, summer sport and more - Nikon Aculon and Action from $159 

Larger Meade telescopes on the way- LX90 10" Telescopes now stock

BINTEL Family Day 3rd December - Fun Space activities for the kids

BINTEL Xmas Trading Hours and Shipping info

Bill Kaloudis captured this dramatic portrait of Saturn the other night. He used a Celestron C11 XLT telescope on an iOptron CEM70 mount using a ZWO ASI290MM camera and a Tele Vue 2X Powermate.

BINTEL's Christmas Buyers' Guide Part 3 - Binoculars and Spotting Scopes

BINTEL's 2022 Christmas Buyers' Guide Part 3 is now available. 

Summer is the perfect time to be out and about, whether viewing nature, watching birds or ocean life, or even spending a day at the cricket. 

We've picked some of our most popular binoculars and spotting scopes at attractive prices, as well as including plain explanations about common terms used with optics. There are also suggestions about the best binocular choices for your lifestyle. It covers:

• Nikon Binoculars from $159
• Binoculars for an active lifestyle from $239
• Bird Watching Binoculars from $279
• When do you use a spotting scope?
• Celestron Astronomy Binoculars from $175

Viewing Mars with Celestron - NexStar Evolution 8 telescopes now in stock

Portrait of Mars by Vesselin Petkov showing several features that are visible in a telescope 

More coverage of Mars is on the way, however we've had some questions about options for a premium telescope that will offer great views and the potential for photographing the upcoming Martian opposition.

Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 

It's hard to go past the 8" version of the Celestron NexStar Evolution range. This telescope optical tube is the latest version of the legendary Celestron C8 8" SCT (Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope) which has served astronomers for decades.   This type of telescope works well on planets as well as deep-sky objects. 

The NextStar Evolution mount is a beefed-up version of the Celestron NexStar mount. It features full computer control over via your phone, tablet or PC for finding and tracking objects in the night sky, and a built-in rechargeable battery. 

This telescope would make a great choice for someone who's upgrading from a starter telescope and wants to take their astronomy seriously. As it's easy to use, we also often have beginners use Celestron Evolution telescopes quite successfully too. 

Speaking of Binoculars, value for money viewing for nature, summer sport and more - Nikon Aculon and Action from $159 

For affordable quality companion optics this Summer no matter where you are, BINTEL has good stocks of the Nikon Aculon A211 and Action series binoculars. 

The Nikon Aculon binoculars have multi-coated optics for bright, clear views.  They start at $159 for the 8 x 42 size and go up to 16 x 50.  If you're not sure what's the best magnification and size to suit your viewing, we can help with a quick phone call or chat. 

Nikon Action binoculars are waterproof to 1 metre to 5 minutes, resistant to fogging up and better suited to more active lifestyles. They start at $239.

Both the Nikon Aculon and Nikon Action binoculars are suitable for eyeglass wears and have optional tripod adaptors.  They're some of the favourites of our BINTEL customers and we thoroughly recommend them as gifts this Christmas or for your own use. 

Larger Meade telescopes on the way- LX90 10" Telescopes now stock 

The return of Meade at BINTEL continues with the arrival back into stock of the Meade LX90 10" telescope. 

This is the larger version of the popular LX90 8" telescope.  It means brighter views of planets, deep-sky objects like nebulae, star clusters and even galaxies. 

A dual arm fork mount and the superb Meade ACF (Advanced Coma Free) optics will mean some of the sharpest, most detailed views on offer for any telescope in its class, along with superb tracking. 

What's included with the Meade LX90 10" telescope

We have the LX90 and other Meade telescopes on display in our Sydney showroom. Pop in or have a chat. 

BINTEL Extended Xmas Trading Hours  

The BINTEL retail showroom will open these extended hours leading up to Christmas:

• Thursday 1st December - 9.30am to 7.30pm
• Thursday 8th December - 9.30am to 7.30pm
• Thursday 15th December - 9.30am to 7.30pm
• Thursday 22nd December - 9.30am to 7.30pm
• Sunday 18th December - 10am to 4.00pm

During the times, the BINTEL back-office phone lines will close at 5.30pm during the week and they won't be open on Sunday the 18th of December. 

Christmas Eve:

• Saturday 24th December - 10.00am to 2.00pm

Outside of these extended hours, BINTEL will be open 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am to 4.00pm on Saturdays. 

Our retail store and phone lines will be closed on NSW public holidays over the Christmas/New Year period plus the 31st of December due to Sydney Harbour foreshow crowds gathering for the New Year's Eve celebration and fireworks.  

We will be closed:

• Monday 26th December 
• Tuesday 27th December 
• Saturday 31st December
• Monday 2nd January

Xmas Shipping Dates Order before these dates to make sure Santa delivers

These are the last dates for shipping orders from BINTEL for items we have in stock to make sure they arrive in time for Christmas 2022.

Orders must be received by 12pm Sydney time on these dates to ensure shipment.

• NSW:  19th December
• ACT:    16th December
• QLD:   16th December
• SA:      16th December
• WA:     15th December
• TAS:    16th December
• NT:      9th December 

We will keep sending out orders placed after these cut off dates, but we cannot promise delivery by Christmas for them.

Next BINTEL Workshop 3rd December 2022 Family Day - 

We're running a Family Day at BINTEL!

• 3rd December 2022
• 11am - 3pm
• Kids' astronomy and space questions answered. (Yes, we know - that one could be tricky...)
• Kids’ Fun will include Space Craft, Discovery Activities, Competitions & Prizes
• Popular Stocking-fillers such as Astronomy & Landscape Calendars, Bird Callers, Books, Moon & Planet Maps, Planispheres
• Have a chat with the friendly BINTEL team about telescopes, astrophotography, bird watching, nature viewing and more

Looking forward to seeing you there.  More details on the link below. 

* Please note - adults will need to remain with the kids on the day.   

Artemis 1 Launched - Shaun the Sheep is in Space!

NASA launched the Artemis 1 mission. The Orion spacecraft it on the way to the Moon.

After months of delays, NASA launched the Artemis 1 mission. This is a test of key hardware that will return humans to the Moon after an absence of more than half a century and pave the way for further exploration to the planet Mars. 

Next time....next part of the BINTEL Christmas Buyer's Guide plus we'll explore the question of  "Was there ever life on Mars?" Short answer:  We don’t know.  Longer answer: stay tuned....