My first scope.. HELP

Hey guys, Im new here and need some help
Im about to buy a Meade 114EQ-AST
http://www.meade.com/starterscopes/eq_series.html
I about to buy means that I'm going tomorrow to buy it.
My budget is miserable. This one is $150 and appears to be a good start for me.

I just want to know if anyone has tried this one.
Please, I've been wanting a telescope for a while and this one it's the only one that looks good and cheap.

Please Help!
E.J.

Its not a bad scope however you can get more bang for your buck right here on Amart. There is an 8" dob for sale right now in the reflectors ads for only 30 dollars more than you are talking about. That might be a better scope for you. Even if you do not want that one you can sit on your cash for 2 weeks and something else in your budget range might come up. Dob's are great first scopes and aperture is king. Just MO.

Eduardo:

Welcome to Astromart, you have done a smart thing by taking a bit of time before buying to ask some good questions.

As far as the Meade 114AST goes, this scope is what is commonly called a "Short tube Newtonian." It uses as fast spherical mirror in conjunction with a corrector lens to achieve the 1000mm focal length. This makes the telescope short and compact which is handy but compromises the optics, the images will not be as sharp as they would be in the standard Meade 114A.

A standard 114mm Newtonian can provide some nice views of many targets ranging from the planets to double stars, open clusters, globular clusters, various nebulas and even galaxies. If you are far from town where there is little light pollution you will see much more than where the lights of the city intrude.

As far as the mount goes, from the photo it is appears to be "marginal." That is to say that while it will hold the telescope, it will not be "rock steady", rather it will vibrate with every touch, whether focusing or tracking. This is frustrating and makes high power views difficult.

I don't know your exact budget but I think there are telescopes that are much better and satisfying to use that are not much more and can be purchased used for even less than these at times.

Many times an astronomy club will have basic scopes which have been donated for use as "loaners." These are generally decent quality scopes that can help someone get a good start.

Myself, I recommend skipping the EQ mount at this stage, inexpensive EQ scopes always have mounts that are just too small. A 4.5 or 6 inch DOB is a much better bet, the mount is similar and solid as well as being intuitive to use.

There are other options as well, 80mm refractors are also something to consider.

I hope that by taking a small amount of extra time before purchasing, you will be able to find a scope that is competent and capable of providing many hours of pleasure and learning under the night sky. While I think the Meade 114AST would be enough to get you excited, I think you would soon out grow its mount and optics.

I think there are other reasonably priced scopes that are capable of providing you with a tool capable of serious exploration for several years to come.

One question: Where do you live??

Best to all

jon isaacs