Celestron powerseeker 114: your opinions

[yeti monster]

Hi Folks,

Knowing that my old reflector is most probably well past its best, I have just been rather impulsive and "won" a celestron powerseeker 114 on fleaybay. It's quite local to me, so I won't need to worry about it getting man handled by rouge postal services.

I'm wondering what other members impressions and opinions are of the model scope for a budding novice.

YM

[resonator77]

It is newtonian, so needs more collimating. Other than that decent scope. I have had Celestron EQ130, it was a good scope with one hindrance be absence of goto. For a lazy astrostarter like myself it is paramount to have computer navigation.

[yeti monster]

Thanks, I'm not bothered for goto atm, I want to learn "ye olde worlde waye", also, being firmly planted in 20th century, have little faith in this new fangled techmolology. Perhaps when I graduate to a big dob and have built my own observatory, I'll be thinking of puterized scopyness.

I'd read that celestron are a good make, so I recon I'll be ok for a while with this one. Should be collecting it on tuesday after I return to Blight-y.

[yeti monster]

Could someone tell me what's missing here?

Thanks.

P.S., I just spent ages typing a long tale of how I got my "new" scope home, cleaned it and collimated it, only to turn my back and it all be gone when I returned!

[John]

Looks like a standard red dot finder to me

What's the problem ?

John

[yeti monster]

Shouldn't there be something more?

[yeti monster]

And what does/should this red dot finder do?

[martin_h]

the red dot finder is use to get you close to where you want to be in the sky, On the right hand side at the rear should be a knob that you turn to switch it on and adjust the power of the dot. Look through the sight with both eyes open and it will superimpose a red dot of light in the sky, move the scope and the dot will move, put the dot where you want to be and there u go!

[yeti monster]

Ah, thank you. I've now got that working, now that I know what it is. Next, some clear skies during the hours of darkness please............

[stev74]

Hi yeti,

Maybe worth setting up in daylight and making sure your scope and red dot finder are aligned.

Basically you just need to find say a distant chimney pot or something and centre it in your scopes eyepiece. Then look through your red dot finder and see if the red dot is over the same object. If not there should be knobs, dails or maybe screws not sure which for your finder. You can then use them to move the red dot so it is pointing at the same spot as your scope.

So at night it works in reverse use the red dot to point the scope at something you want to see closer then look through the eyepiece and it should be there. I think it would be a bit confusing if it wasn't aligned and in the dark harder to fix. It maybe ok as it's second-hand and the guy you bought it from may already have it set but worth checking.

Hope that helps and once your set up I'd recommend looking at Jupiter you should be able to see four of it's moons with your scope.

Cheers

[stev74]

Hi again,

Sorry thought I better add if you do set up your scope in daylight to check your alignment, make sure you NEVER point in near the Sun as it can damage your eyes if you do.

Cheers

[yeti monster]

Thanks Steve, re: viewing the sun, better sfae than sorry.

The scope was miles out on collimation, as was the red dot thingy, the vendor knew naught about the scope, other than it was a disapointment to him.

The church opposite is Ideal for setting up on, and the ring binder reinforcement ring trick (astrobaby ?) works a treat. Further collimation will have to wait.

I've re-set my old (Prinz?) scope too, I have a sun filter for that one (1" EPs), so IF the sun pops out at any time, I might have a looksee.

[themos]

Sun filter? What kind? If it's an eyepiece filter, throw it away now. Solar safety filters fit over the objective end of the telescope (before the light rays hit any optics)

[yeti monster]

It is a very good sun filter, I have briefly been able to observe the sun this afternoon, couldn't see any sun spots, but the disc was very clear and focused, so I know my old scope is ok.

I'll get proper solar filters for both scopes though, as it is too easy to catch a "flash" whilst changing lenses, or worse still, change lens without fitting the sun filter!

I'm still waiting for a chance to use the Celestron though, really looking forward to seeing Jupiter again, it's been a long time.

[vinny]

you said

"as it is too easy to catch a "flash" whilst changing lenses, or worse still, change lens without fitting the sun filter"

if the sun filter fits on the eyepiece of your scope and not over the objective lens smash it with a hammer then throw it away

[yeti monster]

I got a couple of brief views of Jupiter this evening, and could clearly see 2 moons. However, as it was very breezy, as well a s rather cloudy, I settled for that. The red dot finder isn't too far out, I'll adjust it when I get better cobditions.

[SouthernRider]

great to find this thread and site...i have just bought a powerseeker 114 off trademe (a local auction site)...anyway am trying to set it up today and calibrate the viewfinder to the telescope...they don't quite line up yet...blumming telescope is a lot bigger than I thought it would be ...last one I had was a hand held one when i was a nipper....

Anyway gidday from new Zealand (-: