Buy Celestron 31042 Astromaster 114EQ Reflector TelescopeCelestron 31042 Astromaster 114EQ Reflector Telescope Product Description:
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360 of 363 people found the following review helpful.
Superb Value for Money
By Thea R. Schultheiss
My boyfriend and I have recently acquired a sudden fascination with the universe. He's always wanted a telescope and we started looking into getting one about a week ago.All of the Celestron telescopes looked really appealing, especially the Astromaster range for their affordability. We were toying between the 130EQ and the 114EQ, eventually we choose the later for the difference in price weighed up against the specification.We are so glad we bought this scope... the second night we had it, when the skies were clear, our first mission was to see the moon, and boy did we see it! The craters were so crisp, it blew my mind. Though we will certainly be investing in a moon filter, as the moon can be very bright, it will soon hurt your eyes.We knew Saturn was visible that night, but being complete newbies we didn't really know where it was, so we decided to try and point the scope at the brightest star near to the moon, turned out it wasn't a star, but Saturn!!You could clearly make out the rings, although small - don't be fooled, this is a "budget" scope, you are not going to see Saturn at the same size of the moon, but we found it to be very crisp with the Astromaster 114EQ. To think that we were looking at something over 750 million miles away is just astonishing!Our scope was perfectly collimated out of the box, though we gather this is not always the case, however there are instructions on how to test whether your scope is set up correctly in the manual.We feel that for the amazing sights we have already seen in just one night, the scope has already paid for itself. The manufacturing quality is very good, the tripod and equitorial mount alone seem like pieces of kit that could easily sell for over £100 on their own.A great scope for anyone thinking about delving into astronomy. I have yet to try any astrophotography with it, but there are attachments available to enbable you to attach your SLR directly to the eyepiece, I can't wait!
58 of 58 people found the following review helpful.Oozes quality
By JDuu
You're probably reading this having never bought a telescope before, wanting to know exactly what you're going to get and SEE for your money. As far as the telescope is concerned it's more of an investment than a purchase. It's a real quality piece of kit which I've surprised many people by telling them it only cost ~£100. Once set up it looks quite impressive and I'm sure with proper care it will continue to give you gazing pleasure for many years to come. One of the advantages of a reflector scope such as this is that the optical tube is open allowing you to maintain the mirror surfaces and also collimate the optics for optimised performance. Allow a good hour for proper initial set up (which for me was part of the fun!). It's got a fair weight to it but not to the extent it makes it impractical to move, the tripod can be easily dismounted and collapsed to be put in the boot of a car, for example.The first week I had the scope I was desperate for a clear night until eventually I got my wish and managed to view Saturn from the comfort of my back garden. Despite moderate light pollution and a slight haze in the sky, the scope still produced a crisp, colour image, complete with rings. Admittedly it was small in the viewfinder but you always have the option to purchase additional barlow lenses for increased magnification. It's also amazing just to aim at a seemingly clear patch of sky to reveal a dense patchwork of stars not visible to the naked eye. For optimal viewing its mainly about the conditions, the scope claims to be capable of imaging "deep sky objects" which I believe is possible but you need to be in a seriously dark area, which I shall soon be experimenting with during a drive to the countryside! I'm currently waiting in great anticipation for the next lunar transit to use my newly acquired moon filter.If you're thinking of getting into astronomy and debating whether to push the boat out I would say it's DEFINITELY worth going the extra buck. As a complete astro-virgin, I was able to set the scope up and view a planet over 700 million miles away in the space of a few days. One thing I will say is you need a great deal of patience, aligning the viewfinder is extremely sensitive and takes practice (which again is part of the satisfaction). The scope comes with a software CD allowing you to view when and where objects will be on any given night. The 114 also performs exceptionally well during daytime, using the terrestrial scope I've counted the feathers on many a pigeon from hundreds of meters away, so any budding Ornithologists will also find this function useful.All in all, a great value scope which will delight many an amateur stargazer.
41 of 41 people found the following review helpful.Very impressed
By Malcolm Mccleery
I think this is a brilliant telescope.We've looked at the moon, Saturn and various 'deep sky' objects.Sure the red dot star finder is hopeless but I replaced it with a little finder scope.Very very good value for money.
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