Astromaster 114 EQ

Review of Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ Reflector Telescope: Update (July 2018): I've spent a lot of time with this telescope now, perhaps 100 hours, and have an even better opinion of it than before. As a cheap small telescope it is ideal for beginners like me and I couldn't ask for a better experience for the right-above £100 price I paid. It is one of the most cost effective pastimes I've enjoyed. With the telescope, I've observed: The Moon Venus Mars and its ice cap Jupiter, its cloud lines, and its big red spot Saturn and its rings Satellites Many open clusters Many globular clusters A few nebulas (The orion nebula is amazing!) The Andromeda Galaxy Over the past months I have gathered some tips for getting the most out of this telescope: * The 114EQ has a corrector lens built into the eyepiece tube that also acts like a 2x barlow lens, essentially "zooming in" by 2x power by default. This works well for planetary viewing, but for objects like open star clusters and the andromeda galaxy it can be too much magnification to get a wide enough view with a 20-24mm eyepiece. Also, for faint objects like nebulas it can reduce the exit pupil of the telescope to a very small size, which limits the ability of your eye to gather light. A solution I found is to use a 0.5x barlow lens to reduce the overall power to 1x. I recommend the Solomark 0.5x Focal Reducer available on Amazon, which screws into the bottom of your eyepiece. * I tried a number of different eyepieces, including moderately expensive ones. My favorite experience was the Seben 7.5-22.5mm Zoom Eyepiece. While being one of the least expensive eye pieces I used with the telescope also offered the most adaptable experience. I rarely use the other eyepieces now because the seben zoom allows me to spend more time viewing and less time fiddling. When paired with a 0.5x barlow, it gives the telescope a wide range of configurations that allow it to be a nice platform for viewing all objects below absolute magnitude 10. * The mount has a cheap bearing for the equatorial axis which has a bolt that both acts as the axle and as the tightener. This is where most of the vibration in the mount comes from. In order to make it work well, it is critical that the washers go in the correct order and that the bolt is torqued such that it is tight but not binding. The correct order is the metal washer first and the rubber washer second on the bolt. If they are reversed, the bolt will back its way out when turning the equatorial axis and lead to a lot of wobbling. * I removed the locking screws for the collimation knobs on the primary mirror. The telescope keeps its collimation well without the screws, and the knobs are much easier to adjust in the field without having to take the screws out first. Speaking of which, accurate collimation is critical for all reflector telescopes, so if you are not comfortable learning how to do this time consuming process, you should buy a refractor telescope instead, which does not require collimation. After learning the process, it is painless to do. Reflectors like the 114EQ are cheaper for better image quality than refractors, but collimation is the price you pay. * I switched to using Stellarium for my session planning instead of the included Starry Night. I find Stellarium easier to use, and it also allows me to plan which eyepiece configurations are appropriate for a particular object. The mobile version of stellarium is way better than the mobile version of starry night -- more stars included, and easier interface. Really love this telescope! While viewing feint objects like nebulas begs for a larger telescope, I have found my time with this scope highly rewarding at a fraction of the price. I highly recommend this telescope for budding astronomers. Original Review (March 2018): I spent some of my teenage summers with a cousin who loved astrology and introduced me to many of the concepts. Many years later I decided to invest in my own small scope, nothing like the big one my cousin had. After reading reviews and studying specs I picked the Astromaster 114eq for it's nice blend of small size, price, and performance. On our first night viewing, my girlfriend and I caught views of the Orion nebula and beehive cluster right out our apartment window. Wow! It made me realize what I had been missing out on! I am far from an astrological expert, but I can see that the EQ114 can go far, especially with the right adjustment. Collimation is difficult with the stock screws, but after spending several hours over multiple sessions I got it pretty darn good and the picture is nice to my uneducated eyes. The included software helped a lot to find things to view and to track them down in the sky. I don't want a big telescope due to storage, but I'd like to see how far my eq114 will go. To that end I bought a better eye piece than the cheap ones it comes with to see how far the little guy can stretch. The eye piece cost almost as much as the telescope, but I hear they make a huge difference so I am looking forward to trying it out. It's the kind of thing that will last for 50 years so I'm not worried about the investment. You shouldn't be either! Don't hesitate if you're on the fence, this is a good little scope I can fully recommend.

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.

I bought this because I fancied astronomy as a hobby I can do in my back yard, but due to space considerations (or lack of!) I really needed a small telescope that wasn't going to break the bank. The 114EQ seemed to tick all the boxes as far as a starter kit goes, with Celestron being a fairly decent brand name so I felt that I could trust it. Seemed a popular model too, but I still read the reviews. It arrived in excellent condition without any damage, so I was optimistic. Well packaged, actually excessively packaged...so many boxes! Boxes within boxes within boxes..then bubble wrap..yikes! As others have seemed to notice, yes, the tripod is a little wobbly, but being an avid DIY'er I decided to investigate. Loose bolts here and there, with some of that awful super-thick grease some manufacturers use which ends up being practically glue instead of a grease, yuck. That stuff does not help when you need smooth operation. I cleaned all of that out and applied some proper moly grease here and there, adjusting bolts and brackets as I went. Lo and behold, an extremely sturdy and smooth-working tripod and equatorial mount. Brilliant. Moving on, it's a good thing I also bought a laser collimator from a decent brand. The 114EQ is a Bird-Jones Newtonian, notorious for being a nightmare to align. Again, the investigation spectacles went on. It turns out, if you remove the focusing tube and (with extreme care!) remove the corrector lens from the bottom of it, then reinsert the tube, it suddenly wants to collimate properly without any weird distortion. Huzzah! This is the point that many seem to be giving up on this telescope, from the factory, mine turned out to be badly misaligned. I suspect many of them are, as it is a time-consuming process. I checked three times and rechecked my laser collimator until I was happy with the alignment. If you don't take out the corrector lens, you'll have a very hard time aligning this, again there are videos on how to do this so research is key. Also, the focusing tube can be a little wobbly, but it can be adjusted so don't worry. After a good few hours of tinkering around with setting up this telescope ready to go, reading up on helpful tips'n'tricks and more than a few videos on basic astronomy, I found that the image from when I first started was vastly improved. So why do people end up being unhappy with it? People may be struggling with this because they expect it to be able to work perfectly right out of the box, forgeting that although it is marketed as an 'entry-level' scope, it is still a piece of sensitive optical equipment. It won't work right straight out of the box, it must be set up correctly, especially for alignment of it's mirrors and lenses, or you simply will never get the performance out of it that it's capable of. Once it's aligned, it needs to be checked fairly frequently, or it'll become a problem. That being said, many of the lessons you end up learning with bringing this telescope up to scratch are things you'll need to know, so I'd say this was less of a 'beginner' kit and more of an 'advanced learner' into the world of reflector telescopes, perhaps not for kids or adults that have limited patience. I just wish that we had clearer nights at this time of the year to really go nuts with this, but I can wait :D

This telescope has won the 2012 best telescope for best all rounder and value for money - on telescopes .com - My experiance great packaging nice and secured(with a PEGAN) - easy set up (EQ mount is set just need to scre dovetail attachment to tripod) view through this telescope? amazing great optics, great light gathering, extraordinary details at such incredible close ups! Me and the Wife have enjoyed this very much so far! there hasnt been alot of clear nights but the first two night when the telescope arrived was clear and hardly any atmospheric pollution - although I do live in the city so light polluction is a factor - but didnt hinder the operation of this little beauty! star finder is rubbish well not that bad but does take alot of time to scope in on a star - The Moon - brilliantly details through both 20mm and 10mm celestron lens great details from great optics - next Jupiter - the wife spotted I thought it was Mars but once located via viewfinder on the scope it turned out to be jupiter with its four moons - beautiful details just about make out the bands (would get a better view with on of the celestron kits or just a 2x barlow) but still something that can be cleary distincted from other stars or planets - overall Great value for money if you purchased these parts seperatley it would easily amount to £200! Nice packaging from Amazon and a Godspeed delivery!!! Nice! Sephigij

I am a total ammeter when it comes to astronomy and finding things in the night sky isn't my thing, but I am learning. Lets start with the Downsides, No Moon filter, and even their own Moon filters cannot be used on the 20mm eyepiece. However you can fit a Moon filter on the 10mm eyepiece. I am just working out how to use the telescope so I didn't expect much, However what I didn't expect was how clear the Moon was without a Moon filter. As the moon was at about 10% crescent, not sure how you say it, I got GREAT picture quality when using the 20mm eyepiece, haven't really tried the 10mm out yet as I am still new to all of this. Looked for Jupiter and found a light blob in the sky and tried to focus in on it to get some visible features but I did not ger any colours from the planet itself, however I could clearly see 3 of the moons which orbit. I am extremely impressed at this telescope. Telescope aside, Rom Disc Software is useless, if it was toilet paper you would need a few more rolls. Actual software which you download (This model has Starry Night 8) is ok if you want to look at the night sky, however it always resets to USA and not the country you have chosen as Default. I have to say that I have downloaded software on my phone which is better and it gives you an idea where the stars actually are. What would make this sell for everybody is if they allow people to download and buy the phone app content where it helps people find objects in the night sky like they give away on other models. This software is a must for new people to astronomy and not just those with big bucks. Still a GREAT Telescope 5 stars

I have read a lot of reviews here on amazon. I was really impressed by such feedback, so I bought one, because I wanted so much. The moment I received it, I was disappointed, and I understood again how the marketing is working these days. But, let me be more specific(I am a beginner in astronomy, but not a narrow person how devices should behave): 1. The box was like returned back to the seller several times 2. The setup is pretty easy, if you're a technical person, but only if. 3. The scope is shaking like hell, if you want to see something, you must be dead still 4. The 10 mm is for me useless (this is x100 one). It's image is inverted, and I still don't get why I need that in a beginner-intermediate scope. 5. The only eyepiece that you can actually use is the x50 20mm one 6. If you approach the eyes too much, they get dirty, so prepare to clean them, often! 7. These eyepieces are totally useless if you want to observe the sky, and trust me, you will not see any planet with these. What this means? This means that you need to spend another bunch of money on accessories, and they can be even more expensive than the telescope. 8. The first thing I did after getting the scope, buying a 10 pound moon filter, trust me, you need it. After 2-3 minutes the eyes start to hurt! 9. Also, bought a burlow x2 lens. Without it, observing the sky is practically impossible, and even it is not enough to see something useful. So, conclusion: Good scope, but not worth if you're interested in exploring deep universe. Also, be prepared to spend from the start another 25 pounds, and also, to wish new eyepieces now and then if you really want to see something. Think again before buying!

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!

Bought for christmas, great value and one foe best things I have bought. The crescent moon was out tonight and was the first chance to use the telescope. I only have the 2 lenses supplied but have been surprised with the detail I have seen. Craters on the moon are amazing, can't wait for a full moon! The surprise for me was when I found Jupiter - amazing to see the moons and you can also see the bands of Jupiter with the supplied lenses, although faint - I will definately be getting the 2x Barlow lens shortly. The telescopes very easy to set up and I found he finderscope ok to setup, it is a tad annoying at night that you cannot see the black rings through the finderscope but I used the light from my mobile phone to see the black rings and it worked fine. The tripod is sturdy and the mount follows what your looking at excellently with the twist of 2 slow motion knobs. I have a 4 year old and a 7 year old and they both looked through it tonight and loved what they saw, they can't wait for next time. I would recommend this to everyone, fantastic!

The telescope is fantastic with great potential. Pulls in an abundant amount of light. Moon looks stunning and I saw jupiter... sort of. I was able to focus it in and even sorta make out the gaseous nature of the planet, and I saw one of the moons. Blurry though at high magnification. All in all, is it worth the price? Definitely! But you'll do yourself a favor making the extra investment Buying an eye piece kit. If you want to see planets, Plossl eye pieces would be the way to go along with light filters. It's difficult but doable to make out the gasses on Jupiter but to really pull in it's detail, you'll need filters. High quality eye pieces like Plossl will be my next purchase so I can push this scope to it's limits which seem far beyond what the included eyepieces can offer. Oh yes, the star finder thingy. It's like using a red dot scope on a riffle. It's a bit of a pain to use but sight it in on a terrestrial object (land) far away first, converge the two dots and it'll put you right on that object. I used it to find Jupiter and it worked well. It took less than a minute to align the scope on it so it did it's job. The tripod. It works nice and all but very shaky. Basically, you have to center it in and don't so much as breath on it and look through the scope. Kinda a pain when you have to touch it to keep it tracked in as the object moves away as the earth spins. Anyways, good beginner set up. Get a high quality eyepiece set to take it to the next level. I gave it Five stars because the Scope for the Money you pay is just Fantastic and this could be an Excellent set up with the high quality eyepieces, filters, and maybe a sturdier tripod if that's an issue for you.

Could see bands of Jupiter. Couldnt spot saturn yet. Will buy some accessories for attaching an SLR and some filters.

Das Teleskop ist schön und gut. Die Eq Montierung ist nach ein Monat kaputt gegangen Mann kann es auch nicht mehr Reparieren. Kauft nicht das Teleskop zu mindestens mit dieser Montierungen.

Hasta ahora me a encantado llevo un tiempo usándolo y por el momento me ha podido ofrecer un buen desempeño en fotos y observación visual eso sí la montura no es tan estable pero si da un buen desempeño a la hora de su uso y ya con unos accesorios extras como oculares o una montura más robusta estaría excelente. Hablando de observación los planetas por ejemplo marte, mercurio, neptuno, y urano son casi indistingibles y suelen verse como unos puntos brillantes sin forma aparente de ahí en fuera Venus, Júpiter y Saturno son muy distingibles y dejan ver más detalles de los mismos mostrando como serían los anillos de Saturno las fases de Venus y las lunas y franjas de júpiter. Además para los objetos del espacio profundo si puede ser bastante útil se notan como manchas grises y blancas algunas y con una cámara y un motor para la montura pueden distinguirse más detalles colores etc un muy buen telescopio para iniciar y practicar el manejo de las monturas ecuatoriales tiene sus detalles pero con unas mejoras es un excelente telescopio Y mencionar que el buscador puede ser complicado de usar pero con una aplicación como stellarium se facilita bastante el proceso de encontrar los objetivos en el cielo

Ease of set up with logical progression of steps.