Remanufactured Meade DS-114ATE Refractor Telescope

A step up from entry-level 60mm refractor telescopes, the remanufactured Meade DS-114ATE features a 114mm primary mirror that produces images three-and-a-half times brighter than objects seen through comparable 60mm lenses, making planets, stars, and other celestial bodies look remarkably sharp and clear. The scope is still a great fit for budding backyard astronomers and hobbyists, but the upgraded lens gives the DS-114ATE added value, as does the Autostar computer controller, which automatically adjusts the optical tube to track more than 1,400 celestial objects. The dual motor control and pinpoint tracking helps you easily view the major planets, star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae that otherwise might be difficult to locate, instead centering them directly in the lens’s field of view. As a final bonus, the DS-114ATE also makes a nice choice for such terrestrial tasks as bird watching, nature gazing, or neighborhood surveying.

Meade’s topnotch optical design also boasts a 5×24mm viewfinder, a rack-and-pinion focuser, two eyepiece holders (1.25 and 2 inches), and two eyepieces (MA25mm and MH9mm), which enable magnifications of 36x and 101x respectively. The focal length of 900 mm (with an f/8 ratio), meanwhile, isn’t as powerful as many high-end telescopes, but still keeps objects looking razor sharp. The instruments are housed in a durable aluminum tube assembly and mounted on a fully adjustable aluminum tripod (with an accessory tray) that ensures a stable viewing platform with minimal vibration–the bane of telescopes everywhere. As a bonus, the telescope also comes with an electronic eyepiece that connects to your TV or VCR via an RCA-type video plug. Thanks to the eyepiece, users can view the moon, planets, and other bodies directly on their TV screen, or record them to the VCR for later viewing. It’s particularly cool for rare events, such as meteor showers, eclipses, or comet sightings.

The telescope also comes with a copy of Meade’s astronomy software, which boasts a database of more than 10,000 celestial objects. The application offers an ideal way to virtually explore the heavens before looking through the telescope’s eyepiece and finding the real planets, galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. The software also includes detailed star charts for printing, along with easy-to-use Microsoft Windows pulldown menus and online help.

The DS-114ATE telescope is backed by a 90-day warranty.

What’s in the Box
Telescope with viewfinder, software CD-ROM, user’s manual.
Customer Review: not highly recommended
First off, this is NOT a refracting telescope as the description says, it is a reflector (that is amazon’s error, not meade’s). Realize that with a reflector you must take care of your mirrors and keep them well collimated on a regular basis or your images will suffer. That’s the downside of a reflector. My experience with this is that the autostar is very finnicky, right out of the box. I have owned 3 meade telescopes with the goto system and there has been problems in ALL 3 of them, including this one. The optics however are some of the best so… save your money and buy an instrument with larger aperture without the goto function…you’ll be happy you did since finding your way around the sky with starmaps and a larger aperture to see the faint fuzzies is the best way to learn and you won’t have to put up with the system failures that autostar gives you.
Customer Review: Like New! Love this thing!
Let me preface this review by stating that this is the 1st telescope I have ever bought. I did some research about what to look for in a telescope, but I’m no astronomer. Well, I got the telescope in the mail and opened it up. I got to say, it looks brand new. All the pieces were wrapped carefully. It came a little dusty, but that wasn’t too bad. Also, the ONLY used part about this telescope would be the tube. It has no scratches and was clean, but I saw 1 minor ding about the size of a dime. It took me about 2 hours to put it all together. This includes focusing the viewfinder and properly aligning everything. Instructions were alright, they could’ve been better and more specific, however, it looks like they use the same manual for about 4 different models with minor variations. Anyways, I got it all set up and plugged in the AutoStar system. Well, the telescope works like a charm, and the included eyepieces are definitely great for a first time user. You can clearly see craters and details on the moon. As for other stars, they still look like dots, even with the telescope. I’ll have to try out that 8mm eyepiece and see how that goes. About the Autostar system, i think its pretty good. When I tried to focus on the moon without autostar, i kept going the wrong direction and missing it back and forth, and that was realllllllly frustrating. Once i plugged in autostar, you can use the arrow buttons on the remote to move the telescope, and that was much more accurate. I haven’t messed around with the GO TO functions and locating stars with the push of a button yet, but I’m sure it wont be too bad. Overall, i’m really satisfied, especially for spending only $130. Again, I’m just a novice in the matter of telescopes, but it seems like a good deal for me.

Posted in Astronomy