The Bottom Line: I really like the simplicity of this scope. It's easy to set up, and it performs wonderfully. This scope will give you hours of viewing pleasure.
happydave1's Full Review: Celestron NexStar 114GT (269 x 114mm) Telescope
I will preface this review with the following caution: I AM A BEGINNER IN THE WORLD OF ASTRONOMY!!! Now, having thrown down that gauntlet, let me explain to you the virtues of this particular telescope made by Celestron
You may find this telescope listed as the NexStar 114GT on various web pages. Celestron introduced the NexStar line of telescopes as an easy entry for folks like me to get out at night and gaze into the stars. The 'GT' on the name stands for 'Go-To', meaning that it has a hand held computer that, once the telescope is properly pointed, can find and track THOUSANDS of celestial objects. The 114GT is a Newtonian Refractor, a fancy term meaning that it can capture very dim light and refract it to the viewfinder. Since there are few lenses in the tube, it is not quite as fragile as a reflecting telescope, but that does give it the downfall of having images that can sometimes be not as crisp.
Nevertheless, for viewing deep space objects, refractors can't be beat, and this telescope makes it painless to view the heavens. Instead of using a complex series of weights and motors to mount and balance the tube, it uses a single mounting arm which attaches to the provided tripod with a single mounting bolt. Out of the box time to attach the telescope to the mounting arm and the mounting arm to the tripod is approximately 3 minutes. The hand held computer mounts to the mounting arm, as does the power pack which requires 8 AA batteries (buy plenty of them, because it can eat them up pretty quickly!) The sight that comes with the telescope uses a red LED light to help you point the telescope at a target for viewing. Since it is removable, the sight needs to be aligned on a close-by, earth-bound object (like a house) before using it to point to the stars. Simply point the telescope at the object and center it in the viewfinder of the telescope. Then, using the mounting screws on the sight, adjust the sight until it is also centered on the object in the viewfinder. At this point in time, your telescope is ready for use, even without the formal polar alignment.
As for the actual use of the telescope, it is simple and fun. The scope comes with two eyepieces for the viewfinder, a 25mm and a 10mm SMA lens. These lenses provide clear vision toward the center of the lens, and are good for general viewing. The 25mm provides approximately a 40X magnification, and the 10mm provides 100X magnification (the tube has a focal length of 1000mm). The maximum recommended strength on this telescope is 250X, so it might not be bad to see if you can find a good 4mm eyepiece, too. The 'Go-To' functions of the telescope are easy to use, and the motors on the mounting arm provide smooth, quick movement between objects when in general star-gazing mode, and can also provide pretty good tracking of object when using the computer. I did have a problem with the mounting arm of my telescope when I received it, but Celestron's customer service quickly resolved the issue for me.
My only complaints have to do with the PC software provided and the documentation provided. The instruction manual I received was more detailed for the 60GT and the 80GT than the 114GT, and it also forces you to read the little slips of paper inserted into it that you would usually put on the shelf to read later. Let me tell you why this is bad. When setting up the 114GT, the instruction manuals tell you to program the hand held computer to match the model of telescope you have. Celestron has already done that at the factory. If you follow the directions in the instruction manual, you will screw up the computer in a big way (well, it just won't know how to rotate and elevate the computer). One of the little inserts tells you to NOT do that, but if you do, it walks you through the steps to reprogram the computer. Also, the PC software provided with the scope is called 'The Sky Level I'. A good introduction to looking at the star charts, but I had a close encounter with a Meade telescope before returning it, and that telescope came with a program called 'Starry Night'. For my money, it was much more intuitive to use.
So, What Have You Seen?
First off, let me say that you really need to be someplace that can get moderately dark to enjoy any telescope. The light pollution will obscure many potential targets. Having said that, I have been able to observe (with great enjoyment) the planets Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, as well as the Moon in its many phases from my front yard. With the 10mm lens, most of the planets resolve themselves to a disc, so the colors might not be that awe-inspiring, but on a good clear night, I have been able to see individual rings on Jupiter's surface, and I have been able to see the individual poles on Mars. For viewing the moon, I would recommend getting a moon filter, so you won't feel so blinded after watching it for a while.
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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