joe aguiar

I mean u already got the scope maybe just get new eps and a finder then enjoy it. If later u upgrade the scope keep new eps and finder for new scope. Sell the 114 with the original stuff Joejaguar

Having the built in cap felt lined is not common. Normally it's just painted back aluminium. So I think that's a plus. I at one time felt lined the refractor cap myself zo to me if it came already done would be a plus, if I had to reglue once ot 2x a yr I would still be ok. Same with the felt rings I would just stretch the felt and reglue it. These are the smaller issues lest to me other scopes may have big issues. I had a focuser stop working after 1st time using it. Joejaguar

I mean I even once replaced the regular teflon pads on both axis with virgin teflon which is more smoother, based on a book I read in the mid 90s. It did help a little bit on my 16 inch dob but still had same issues. Joejaguar

Unfortunately I have said this several posts most people disagree with me it's even worse at high powers 200x to 300x. That's why i prefer eq mounted even if it doesnt have any drive just the manual slow motion controls is much better to use then push pull system of our hands. Getting those dob drive bases can be done but for me $600 costs can be as much as the whole scope. Ie the skywatcher 10 inch dob is on sale for $719 If i use a dob i norm use low to med to medium-high powers after that it's too tricking tracking by hand. Of course the expensive dobs may be alot smother than the regular mass produced dobs. Joejaguar

Since u got just use and see how it goes it might only be an issue more in the high power range or days with a breaze Haha well u got me then Joejaguar

ok that's great then, just point it up and enjoy in that first pic the ep lens looks really small so that must the high power ep then joe

the mount is too small for that ota, maybe it be ok if it was the f/5 small version but not the long version also the finderscope looks like 5x24 finder get a red dot finderscope the focuser and ep look like 0.965 which is not good, only thing 2 thing to do here is change the focuser to a 1.25" then decent 1.25" plossl ep or just get a adptor 0.965 to 1.25 then decent 1.25" plossl ep problem do that can get you a brand new scope with all those items already included joejaguar

Ya looks like eq1 which is really too small for that mount. In one of my YouTube videos I explain meade made versions of the 4500 model in the 80s and 90s for the big box store or Costco where it was same ota but with less quality items or mount like in this case, so those store could have a cheaper costing scope for their cosrtomers. Joejaguar

the heq5 is best of the 4 then the avx the bresser is a manual eq5 where the skywatcher eq5 (1st pic) is a goto eq5 both these are about the same just one is goto other is not joejaguar

once you use tracking you will NOT go back with it again joejaguar

a 3mm ep will be very hard to look through kinda like viewing through a pinhole. The more expensive wide angles ep can have a 3mm or 4mm that easier to look throgh but norm they are expensive. you may need a 2x or 3x barlow with short focal length scopes but you need to calculate the powers are not being doubled up. you may need to upgrade those eps after awhile they are ok to start with for few months but going to decent plossls may be a bit better. joejaguar

yes make sure front cap is off and in a reflector the open tube looks outward, so you are looking on top in the eye pice, in a refractor your are looking at the ep from the back side you also need to align the small finderscope to the main scope do this on a hydro pole or light poles in the daytime. First find it in the main scope then align the view to the finderscope. then at night you can get a bit more accurite. From then on you use the finderscope first then the main scope. alot new people think to use the smallest number that on the ep then go upwards BUT thats backward. You first use the 25mm or 20 mm ep depending what it came with then the mid power like a 12.5mm then the 6mm or whatever the next one is. So it goes the hightest number on ep first then as the numbers go down if it has an erecting eyepice thing dont even bother with it, its normally justan add on item they throw into the package to make the scope package seem like it has alot items but its normally not good quaity nor is it really needed. dont look at the sun umless you buy a proper sunfilter even the moon you may need a moon filter to reduce the glare. hopefully this gets you stared. joejaguar

yep I agree the colour is like light blushish but push the power if u can 200x and more and it will be a small circle the first time I found it was in a 80mmf/5 acro refractor (using it as a finder) using it on my 10"sctf/10 then with the bigger scope I pushed the power to 300x to 400x power I cant remember off hand unless I dig out my journal. use the 8" you will see the colour more in larger scopes so its easier. joejaguar

I also agree that way too much play for a full turn or more , something coame off inside maybe. is there aperson near u that's into this hobby or store? its not really too hard to open it up and check if rod came out of the hole inside but if your brand new I could see someone not wanted to do that. if not put up another tread of anyone who knows the hobby well close to u joejaguar

ohh that I didn't know that rechargeable are 1.2v, I just memtioned that so he doesn't throw money out in long run joejaguar

I also heard many times regular people in the past have also confused venus with a alien ship and called 911, and I got that from discovery channel or history channel before when I watched some astro progams. haha joejaguar

with an open tube you need a shroud to protect it from stray light and maybe a dewstip for the dew on the 2nd mirror (altho I don't use powered dew caps) or a regular dewcap on the front that will prolong the dew from going on 2nd mirror joejaguar

well I did go on his channel and see other videos he has only 3 videos of planets. the other video juipter it shows again same scope and says 3mm ep not sure its a typo but it does say same scope as the sauturn one. But every other video (99%) is of fire works not astronomy. in any case neil it doesn't matter you have that scope and its not a trash scope (its a good starter scope) its just the finder and ep that are not the best after that we are sure you can have lots fun with it joejaguar

neil I don't think john or alan are saying its fake but they have a doubt. if its a 4mm ep then that also fits into a power of 114 max power which is 225x power. its the max but since we are not at that country its hard to say if the sky conditions there can or cant support it. It could be ones those perfect nights where it could. Also remember neil as my other post says Phillpines is a lot futher south making it twice as high as we are in the north this next few years. Also just in cae someone didn't know that video is from 2018 not 2019 so that can make some difference if Saturn again was even a bit highter then it was on 2019 down there. I would doubt it to if he made the scopes to sell it then maybe hes hyping it more then he should. Could he have taking that video from somewhere else and make it like it was his for his channel, suure he could do that I guess but we cant prove it or say one way or another . so hard to say, I guess you can go to his over videos and see other videos and if his gear makes sence too. joejaguar

About your battiers just wondering if u should just get good 3500 ma rechargeable batteries and charger and save money on the long run.not saying that's the issue of tracking tho. I think it may be the imbalanced. Even a little weight off can put alot stress on the smaller motors. Joejaguar

Yep looks good u should get good views from her, glad u saved her. Joejaguar

I use az mounts if it's just a fast 5 min to 10 min viewing, or looking at land viewing. EQ may be abit harder to a new person but once u learn it's not hard at all. If u want to push the power up to 150x to 250 power I would also get eq. With a eq mount u can buy those simple ra drive so it can auto track which is handy. They are not expensive $50 Manual tracking is easier to on EQ mount just polar align doesnt have to be perfect or even if u cant see Polaris just point north and u just track mostly on one axis .so it's less work to keep object in ep. Joejaguar

Ya it will be fine in a 6 inch or even if u get a 8 inch scope. Joejaguar

My thinking is its probably the eye rielf if your hovering over the ep then your probably missing the fov sometimes. If u got the eye cup back on your eye could sit or at least know where it I'd to the ep lens. Joejaguar

Worst case is u can turn that into a fully manual mount, if the goto messed up even for parts like the motor or hand controller would get u some money. Alot of gotos u cant turn it to a fully into a manual mount BUT in this case u can. U can take out both motors drive and cog wheels put on slow motion controls and there u go. I have done this in the past and u can then sell the motors gear hand controller etc. Several yrs ago I did that and got a decent amount for it if I can remember correctly maybe $299 for all that. For someone who has any cg5/ eq5 they can convert that to a fully goto system for still less than half the price. Consider if u buy a skywatcher eq5 goto mount that's $1200 b4 taxes that's almost $1400. A brand new sw manual eq5 is 550 b4 tax so $600 then plus 299 if u did this would still only be $900 . A savings of $500 and if u get a used eq5 mount then it will be even cheaper. In the summer I sold an older synta eq5 probably 12 yrs old maybe even up to 15 yrs. It had the aluminium tripod so it was the first or 2nd generation models. I had for long time. Anyway I sold it for $220. I am just doing this again with my lxd mount and putting dual axis drives to it altho now being several yrs later I may only get $200 for the hc motors and drives. Joejaguar