Celestron 114LCM Computerised Reflector Telescope for Beginners

Son loves this, has been used lots. Zooms in great and gives a clear picture.

I bought this telescope for my son's 9th birthday (young, but a keen astronomer and founder member of the local astronomy club). The verdict after 18 months use: excellent! At club astronomy nights he is often the first to set up, and, using the fully computerised GOTO (the computer is built-in), observes more objects than many much older and more experienced astronomers. A few points to note: The internal battery pack is good for an hour or two (using rechargeable batteries), but for longer sessions I've bought him an external battery and cable. The external power connector socket is a bit unreliable - its a pity it does not have some sort of firm cable retention. It is unavoidable that objects at higher elevation place the eyepiece low (near the ground). I always wear a pair of workman's knee-pads to help me grovel!. When automatically moving to objects at high elevation the scope sometimes runs into the tripod (it isn't cleaver enough to work out that this is going to happen) - this then usually requires realignment from scratch. This can sometimes be avoided by manually moving the telescope near the object first, but sometimes you just have to wait until the object is lower in the sky. The Celestron "red dot" finder (on all the budget Celestron scopes) is completely useless. I've fitted a Rigel Quikfinder ("mini-Telrad") finder that works a dream. Even taking these issues into account, this scope is fantastic value.

Great telescope, a bit frustrating to set up but good quality

I managed to assemble the telescope very easily in less than 4 minutes. The hardest thing to do really was alignment using the Sky Align option, this is simpl;y because the city i live in in the UK is not listed in the program. so you need to use a city that is close top you rather than the one you are actually in. The control unit is easy to use, the finder scope is not that difficult to align really, just remember to put it on the telescope the right way round lol. I would highly recommend this telescope to somebody looking for a beginners scope, and there are a lot of optional extras available if you want to upgrade the system at a later date.

Appallingly poorly made, parts not machined correctly, wheel adjusters turning uneven, cleaned the lens with lens cleaner and correct cloth still scratched it, very cheaply made

I bought the Celestron 114LCM hoping to dive into amateur astronomy, and overall, the optical quality is genuinely visually amazing once you get it pointed at something. The views of the moon and brighter celestial objects are crisp and clear, making it a great tool for sparking an interest in stargazing. However, my experience with the computerised setup was a major hurdle. I really struggled to get the SkyAlign technology to work reliably. After trying off and on for a year, I ultimately gave up on the automated alignment feature and switched to manual positioning. For a beginner-focused telescope, the software setup process can be overly finicky and frustrating. Pros: Exceptional optical clarity and visuals for the price point Great aperture for viewing lunar details and major planets Lightweight and relatively easy to transport Cons: SkyAlign computerised setup is notoriously difficult and unreliable to calibrate Can be discouraging for absolute beginners who expect plug-and-play tracking If you have the patience to troubleshoot alignment tech or plan to use it primarily in manual mode, it's a solid instrument. But if you are looking for a seamless, hassle-free computerized experience out of the box, you might want to look elsewhere.

Great Computerised telescope, best one that i've owned so far, been doing astronomy for 5 years now. The first one had a problem with the motor head and burnt out, but got in contact with amazon and they sent me out a new one before they even got the old one back. Now thats what i call trust and service, you cant beat amazon, e-bay no way, amazon all the way. The telescope does what it says on the tin, and has great features such as solar system align, which is great if you are a beginner, just make sure you read the instructions properly before you start pressing buttons as easy to set up if you do it 'by the book'. All in all though a great product, thanks again amazon for the service you provide.

The software is impossible to conect and make it work automatically!verry complicated no compatibility!it's okay to wach manually it's stable

Un uso un poco difícil al principio, pero al final se vuelve fácil usarlo, y más gracias a su sistema GoTo, que lo hace más cómodo al buscar el objeto en el cielo. Venía bien protegido y sin maltrato. Lo recomiendo.

This is a technical item that I would not recommend for a child under 12. It's a great item though.

El producto CUMPLE, pero los accesorios son limitados, la presentación dentro de la caja ESCASA, y aunque CELESTRON, no lo veo lo suficientemente robusto, se nota la presencia de su fabricación CHINA. Pocas lentes, también algún accesorio como el GPS etc se echa en falta, DOCUMENTACION sobre el resto de conectores y posibilidades NO ESTAN. SALUDOS

Sehr gut

Para ser un telescopio de bajo presupuesto está muy bien. Tiene un seguimiento bueno (si está correctamente nivelado y alineado) a los cuerpos celestes, sea del sistema solar o del espacio profundo. No es necesario alinear con la estrella polar, a diferencia de otros telescopios GoTo. El único pero es que el tripié no le da la altura necesaria para que un adulto lo pueda usar cómodamente. Está ideado para iniciar a los niños a la astronomía observacional un poco más seriamente.