rjayne's Full Review: Celestron NexStar 114GT (269 x 114mm) Telescope
This is my first telescope purchase. I'm an amateur at best; primarily someone who has always had a fascination for the sky and space but no formal education in the field whatsoever. That being said, I'm an avid reader who spent a fair amount of time researching my purchase. I paid significantly more for my scope ($400) than what you can buy one for now because, I bought mine roughly 3-4 years ago. To be able to buy this scope now for 1/2 of what I paid is awesome!
If you do some ground work you'll see a fair amount of debate about "goto" (computerized goto capability) or no goto. Yes, you can buy a bigger (being mirror size, not power) scope for less money if you skip the goto feature, but from my perspective, if you are a beginner I think it adds a tremendous value to your experience. Bottom line is I would not be able to view all the objects I find without the goto feature of my scope. Add to that the fact that I'm a typical guy who loves gadgets and the goto feature is the "bomb"!
Speaking size wise, the 4.5" or 114mm is a minimum if you want to be able to view the planets with any hopes to seeing some features. Even at this size, looking at Jupiter, Saturn and Mars provides a minimum of details and a very small actual appearance of the planets. For the most part they are about the size of a pencil eraser in your view finder. But it still does not detract from the first time your scope slews around the sky and stops on Saturn showing you a clear view of a "ringed planet". It's awesome to say the least!
One thing about the NextStar is they are often much more compact than some comparable size scopes. This means a lot more than you think when you go to lug your equipment out of the cupboard a time or two. A couple of drawbacks I found on my scope: the tray that fastens between the tripod was cumbersome and really did not fit well from the start; the moon filter falls out of the scope lens cover (I had to tape it in); and the mount for the goto control has to be almost completely removed each time you collapse the tri-pod. Now keep in mind that my scope is 3-4 years old; these features may have been improved since then.
Some of the things I might look for on my next scope: a bigger mirror is a definite, and a carrying case capable of storing all the peripheral you need to take to the field with you. I only go out into my back yard (I live in the country) but you still lug a rather large amount of "stuff" when you go out to skywatch.
All in all, I love my Celestron and it makes a great first scope-especially in the $2-300 dollar range.
CLOSEOUTS . With both 40x and 100x magnifications, the Celestron Nexstar Skyalign 114GT-SA telescope opens the heavens for your view. It's easy to lea...More at Sierra Trading Post
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