Celestron AstroMaster 114AZ Telescope
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Good deal, can see moon craters easily
I bought this on sale for half price. When you do your research, you will realize this model is discontinued by Celestron (a well-known brand). The 114EQ replaced the AZ model. Essentially the only difference is the EQ has a counter weight on the tripod.
July 30, 2012
Sadly this is likely going back to the store
I picked it up on special today, @ 179.99 it's a decent entry level telescope, sadly it's plagued by a terrible mount. The clutch system is so loose that the whole thing seems to wobble whenever you aim at something and try to tighten it.
Had I paid the regular 299.99$ for it I'd already be on the way back to return it. But because I got it on special, I'll test it again tonight and decide thereafter.
Optics are good. Tripod is good, the mount though... terrible. Unbalanced, and too hard to keep on sight.
September 25, 2010
Quite good
The optics on this unit are excellent. Optics are clear, bright, and easy to focus. Perhaps better suited to terrestrial viewing than astronomical, as this does not include a 4, 5, or 6 mm eyepiece (recommended for high magnification/detail). Nighttime views using the 10mm eyepiece are good however, and the bands of Jupiter are (presently) visible on a clear night. However, the tripod and mount are a bit disappointing as they are difficult to adjust and the pivots aren't machined very well. Also, the scope is very heavy so adjusting the scope up/down can be awkward and if not tightened properly there's a danger that the scope could fall over. Also, the finderscope is completely useless at night, so aiming could be troublesome.
Overall however, I'm quite pleased with the scope itself, as the optics are superb. I added two after-market components (finderscope and 4mm eyepiece) and I'm much more satisfied with it now. I'm happy with it.
July 2, 2008
