Explore Firstlight 114mm Newtonian Telescope - Full Review

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A review of Explore Scientific's Explore Firstlight 114mm Newtonian. Note: This is one of the few 114mm telescopes that does NOT have a barlow hidden in the focuser (commonly known as "Bird Jones")
Collimation video: • Collimating the 114mm ...
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110 Things to See With a Telescope:
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LearnToStargaze for Kids:
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7 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 108

@scottyh3779 Год назад

As always a fun and informative video. I have the StarSense explorer 102 and am very pleased with it. Fun to see how it stands up to other scopes in its “class”. When I’m out with with my astronomy club I get the same reactions the “wow” factor. Thanks again Clear sky’s from El Paso TX

@CanadaAstro Год назад

Glad to hear you and your family are safe and sound !The 25mm plossl supplied with this scope does not need to be replaced. It’s fine.

@k.h.1587 Месяц назад

True, but even the 25/26mm plossls that come with synta and GSO scopes are better. Synta "comes with scope" plossls are the best chinese plossls I have ever seen, better than GSO taiwan plossls, which in turn are still better than the one that comes with the first light telescopes. But that being said, a 24mm panoptic, or es68 is what someone should be using as a widefield in a scope like this. Better yet would be to find a used meade 5k 24mm SWA, which had the same optics but costs less on the used market than a used es68, since es jacked up prices several years back after cutting off celestron and meade from their supply of joc 82s and in meades case also the 68s. Joc made ES the exclusive source and then doubled their price to posture as a premium brand in the market perception. And it worked. Almost like someone high up at JOC knew that several years in the future covid would hit and increase the number of new amateurs entering the market during the lock down.

@oldebill1807 Год назад

Hi John, I'm glad to learn that you and the family made it through Fiona. Thanks for the review, I got to feeling a bit smug about having gotten the Omni AZ 102 from Costco earlier this year and was very pleased that your findings validate my own. This 4" refractor is my quick to deploy go to for nights when I don't want to spend the time needed to set up and align my Nexstar 6SE. As always, I enjoyed this video and I look forward to your next one.

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Thanks for the kind note Bill! Yup, that Costco refractor is a winner, especially with upgraded eyepieces.

@cnnlive10 Год назад

Same here. I was looking at some budget friendly reflectors and asked John for some advice for my first real telescope around 11 months ago. He said, Omni AZ 102GT as a reply. I couldn't find those but I did find a Celestron Nexstar 102GT in my area for a steal. (owner didn't like it) It's freaking awesome! I also picked up a Orion StarBlast 80mm tabletop for quick views. I think I'm set for life...

@kmichaelp4508 Год назад

Wow! I could see exactly what you were looking at. Say hello to Mrs Stargaze ❤

@ChrisJohnson-yw2ky Год назад

It seems that you get a sharper image through that Omni 102 refractor than I do through my 8 inch SCT. These refractors are amazing for planetary work!

@amarbirk8987 12 дней назад

Is the 102mm achro better than 8inch sct in your opinion?

@k.h.1587 Месяц назад

I also suggested this telescope for a friend in 2017 when it was $100. I was going down to opt to pick up a tpo 6"f6 newtonian tube for myself so i also picked up the explore and a zoom eyepiece and a basic tpo shorty barlow for him. I have to say I was expecting a little better from the mount and tripod. He was a complete noob and took it camping and i wasnt there to help him. I think he just ended up selling it anyway.

@DanOh1951 Год назад

I am glad you survived the hurricane and I hope you didn't get too much damage. Thanks again for your great videos.

@k.h.1587 Месяц назад

457 is usually called the owl cluster or et cluster, and some kids at outreach events were calling it the wall-e cluster. Fast parabolic 114s will always beat bird jones on planets, in the center of the field

@MarkMphonoman 3 месяца назад

Bravo for doing a video during hurricane cleanup. 👍

@BurningFlame1999 9 месяцев назад

Excellent video. So a 102 mm achromatic refractor has a similar image quality as a 130 or 150 mm Newton or Maksutov ?

@LearnToStargaze 9 месяцев назад

Newtonians and Maksutovs are very different. But yes, subjective image quality all things equal is higher in the refractor than an equivalently sized Newtonian. The I need to compare a Mak side by side, but Maks tend to have quite good contrast, this might be due to the very long focal lengths.

@k.h.1587 Месяц назад

@LearnToStargaze other than the false color on planets. But the views of open clusters in a refractor, even a fast achromat, are always more pleasing than any obstructed reflector or cat. Especially in light pollution, refractors pull out some more contrast and much tinier pinpoint stars. For resolution, the larger aperture scope will always win, even if it is obstructed, though the contrast is always greater in the refractor unless looking at bright solar system objects, or bright doubles, where the CA takes away the contrast advantage . A mak or sct all day on planets vs all but the longest /slowest achromats, like a japanese f15 for example

@ChrisJohnson-yw2ky Год назад

Nice garage, never too many telescopes!

@artyombeilis9075 Год назад

Nice comparison between Newtonians and Refractor. Just shows once again that up to 4.5" the refractor is clear winner even slightly lower aperture and with CA.

@dcartref 6 месяцев назад

Thanks for the informative comparison. I came here for the FL 114, but now I’m on the fence! I’m new to astronomy and looking for a first scope for my 6yr old daughter and I to use together. Until now I’ve been on the reflector wagon, trying to decide between the Powerseeker 114EQ (despite its flaws, at $180CAD new it’s a lot of telescope for the money - with a home built dobsonian mount in the near future it seems like it could be an excellent beginner scope) and the FL 114, although the thought of spending $330CAD on a hobby that could potentially fizzle out after a few month/year seems like a bit of an extravagance. However, now that I’ve watched this video, I’m also debating a lightly used Omni 102 AZ for $180CAD about 2 hours away. I based my original leaning towards a reflector, on your previous videos about beginner telescopes, but in this instance would you say the Omni is the better option? I get that this is still a fairly broad question but I’d appreciate your opinion. Thanks again for your content, you seem to address a lot of the questions I have as a newbie!

@LearnToStargaze 6 месяцев назад

Hi! I quite like the Omni, did you see my video on that scope? The 114 is pretty much flawed in every way (the powerseeker that is, not the explore scientific version).

@dcartref 6 месяцев назад

@@LearnToStargaze thanks so much for the response! I have since watched your video on the Omni, and it was very helpful. I guess I’m just hung up on the used 102mm refractor vs a new 114mm reflector (albeit not the best!) for the same price. As far as the Powerseeker goes, from what I gather the 114EQ appears to be somewhat better than its siblings, since it doesn’t have the bird-jones configuration, and by some accounts it may also have a parabolic mirror. I’m wondering if this might be an OK scope that just got tarred with the rest of the Powerseeker range? Sadly, as much as I like the Explore Scientific 114, I can’t really justify the extra spend right now. Incidentally, we’re also in maritime Canada, it seems pickings are quite slim both new and used, otherwise I’d be opting for an Orion/Zhumell tabletop dob, as you’ve recommend elsewhere (loved the scopes for kids video) Again, thank you for entertaining my questions and musings! I’ll continue to refer to your videos and books!

@tracysmith9409 Год назад

Hi John I bought a Coleman astrowatch 114 reflector telescope it got 1 star in the reviews did I waist my money glad to you keep moving after the storm

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

It looks like a small knockoff version of this scope: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IXfR7YTF5a4.html

@tracysmith9409 Год назад

Sometimes knocks are okay hopefully this one is good thank you I like the white telescope you showed in your video out of this world

@confidentstreetlamp1762 6 месяцев назад

Such a shame, the Omni 102 is the perfect scope for me and it’s only £129! But I don’t qualify for a Costco membership :(

@Astroturf100 Год назад

I thought it very odd that the ES 114 was so dim even when compared with the Celestron 114 reflector, this was even noticeable on the Moon too. But I guess that maybe this could be better mirror coatings in the Celestron and less central obstruction in the secondary too? Too bad the Celestron is a Bird-Jones design (coma aberration) or they would really have something there. Oh and the bad mount too, oh well.

@lornaz1975 Год назад

Jupiter is looking rather awesome right now!! All sorts of bands!

@amarbirk8987 2 месяца назад

Does anyone know whether the 114/500 uses a parabolic mirror please?

@hooch1111 13 дней назад

Actually newtonians like ES Firstlight are just fine for astrophotography, they have fast f-ratio and short focus distance, which is what matters, put it on a decent tracking mount and bingo.

@LearnToStargaze 13 дней назад

I tried that once in another video. Not a great result. One of the week links is the focuser, which does not provide a flat imaging plane. Barlows are also required to reach focus.

@kynanhaggan3366 Год назад

does anyone have a video on how to mount it i’m having trouble doing so

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

It should just slide in. If there is any confusion, you’re probably missing a part. I have an assembly and unboxing video of this telescope on my old channel, which can be found via the search function.

@artyombeilis9075 Год назад

Also can you please compare 114 SSE with other scope with AstroHopper? I mean SSE is very popular but too few are even aware of existence of AstroHopper (because it open-srouce software that does not enjoy the publicity of Celestron)

@Will-tm5bj Год назад

The omni 102 I took out for the first time last night. The stripes on Jupiter looked so nice with the 10mm lense. Orion nebula looked cool too. For 160 bucks I'm super happy

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Great to hear!

@hakman239 Год назад

Test the omni 102 against a 6 inch dobsonian

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

That kind of like comparing a Honda civic to an F-150.

@Astroturf100 Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze Yes you are right. But the 5 inch dobsonian would be a much more fair comparison for planetary, it would have an edge for deep sky objects.

@BurningFlame1999 9 месяцев назад

I would really like to see a comparison between a 102 achromatic reflector and a 130 or 150 mm reflector:)

@3dfxvoodoocards6 6 месяцев назад

That would be very interesting

@and3583 Год назад

I have the 127mm version of that Celestron, same problem as you described. The telescope is very good especially at the price point but the mounting really lets it down, so floppy! I can't think how to fix it to a better mount. I guess that's why it's cheap, but I really wouldn't have minded paying a bit more to get it with a good mount.

@amarbirk8987 12 дней назад

I have celesteon 102az astromaster,660fl. Good scope but the mount also flops as the telescope can not be balanced properly

@and3583 12 дней назад

@@amarbirk8987 actually I have a similar scope, celestron omni 102 az fl660. I got it second hand with no tripod. I put it on my skywatcher alt/az mount and it balances great on there!

@carstenaltena 3 месяца назад

I have exactly the same one, but with the Bresser brand. It's a small but nice! I had a 300 gram zoom on it once and the tripod's head kept slowly tipping over though, even after tightening the tripod head. Do you have this issue too? It works fine with eye pieces weighing up to 150g or so.

@LearnToStargaze 3 месяца назад

Yeah, this is a bit of an issue, but it can slide fairly far forward on the mount or rings to compensate.

@carstenaltena 3 месяца назад

@@LearnToStargaze That's how I've did that myself too. Bit of a hassle, but for the money I can't complain.

@cjcalhoun85 Год назад

Have you thought about doing a video that shows your top pick for a telescope at a price point. Something like best $100, $200,$300 $500 ect. I am currently looking for a first telescope for my 12 year old daughter and want to get the best I can for general star and planet gazing for around $200-$250.

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Hi! I made a grid that answers this question on the homepage of www.LearnToStargaze.com . Hope this helps!

@cjcalhoun85 Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze thank you very much

@supermario8416 9 месяцев назад

Very interesting comparison. I expected the 102 mm achromat to be better than the 114 mm newtonian. If possible please make a similar video with the Celestron or/and Explore Scientific 102 mm achromats against a FPL-51 ED 70 or 80 mm :), which are in a similar price range. I always had this dilemma, a 102 mm achromat vs 70-80 mm FPL-51 ED.

@LearnToStargaze 9 месяцев назад

I’m not sure there’s enough content there for a video. I also wouldn’t typically use such a small aperture telescope, such as a 70-80mm ED for visual observation, (I did this as an experiment with the EvoLux 82, but after the test, I set it back up for astrophotography where it belongs.)

@supermario8416 9 месяцев назад

@@LearnToStargaze Well, I guess that's why I don't understand which one is better, which one to buy, because nobody compared them even though they are in the same price range. So for visual observations the Celestron Omni is better than the Evolux 82 ? And for astrophotogtaphy the Evolux 82 is better ?

@LearnToStargaze 9 месяцев назад

@@supermario8416 Here in Canada, the Celestron Omni is $200 at Costco. The Evolux is on sale at All-Star for $850 (down from $1200). But it's really like comparing Guitars VS GoCarts. The two hobbies, stargazing and astrophotography are just that different.

@supermario8416 9 месяцев назад

@@LearnToStargaze in Europe the Celestron Omni 102 mm with AZ mount costs 350 euro/$ and a 70-80 mm ED FPL51 is around 400-500 euro/$ without mount. But what is so different between observing and astrophotography ? Isn't a sharp high-contrast high-resolution the goal of both ?

@amarbirk8987 12 дней назад

@@supermario8416i own 102/660 achro and 80/560mm ed apo, i prefer the 80ed,even though smaller aperature, the quality of visual is so much better. The 102 has CA with moon,bright stars, planets.. also, the 80 could always he used in future if you decide to get into astrophotography. Ive only been into hobby for a year so knowledge is limited but the clearer sharper image is with the 80 apo. It will be a scope you keep for a lifetime too as a grab and go,if you decide to upgrade or compliment it with a 127mm maksutov for planets and moon

@anatolykarpov1821 Год назад

I just made a d114f900 newtonian and when i watched this video my heart broke :))

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

You made it? That’s cool. Does it work well for you?

@anatolykarpov1821 Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze Yeah i made it to replace my d60f900 telescope, Last night i had the first test with this Telescope and i see many objects like M27, Ring nebula,M7,Omega Centauri , Saturn, Jupiter and Venus,Mercury.... I am very surprise that i can see the satelite Rhea and Titan of Saturn, i can also see the crescent phase of Mercury ( This planet is so hard to observe but i still can see its phase ), I think it is a so so so good telescope !, Last night is so crazy but i still a little regret that Saturn's rings aren't as big as they used to be in some years ago . I Think in next week i will publish some video about the images from this telescope on my channel :))

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

@@anatolykarpov1821 what time of night were you observing and how dark are your skies?

@anatolykarpov1821 Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze Yesterday's sky was quite clear and dark, i live in a countryside so the sky is not affected by light pollution too much, almost without any clouds, I could see the Milky Way with the naked eye quite clearly . I observed Venus at 19 o'clock, Omega Centauri at 20.00, Saturn, Ring nubula, M27 at 3.00 am, Jupiter and Mercury At about 4.20 before the sun rises

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

@@anatolykarpov1821 Sounds like you have amazing skies, and that you're finding significant success in the hobby. I'm impressed!

@DavidMFChapman Год назад

Great post!

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Thanks Dave!

@ninjaplayzporium9395 Год назад

After watching your review of the Omni 102 AZ, I decided to pick one up! It's amazing! I can see the Pleiades, craters on the moon, Jupiter and the four Galilean moons, and Saturn! However, when I look at Jupiter it seems to only show up as a ball of light and I can't see any surface details like you did in the video. Is there something I'm doing wrong, or do I just have to upgrade my eyepiece?

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

A lot of factors impact the view of planets, primarily their height above your horizon and the stability of the air. Jupiter is also very bright, and your eyes are adapted to the dark, so starring at it can bring out additional details. A blue filter may also help. The best “Jupiter” eyepiece for that telescope is probably the X-Cel 5mm. Hope this helps!

@ninjaplayzporium9395 Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze thank you so much! I'm going to try starring at it and see if I can see anything, if I can't I'll try and save up for the eyepiece. But I do want to ask you, do you reccomend SVBONY barlow lenses?

@JohnReadAuthor Год назад

@@ninjaplayzporium9395 I haven’t used them, but they seem like they would be fine.

@ninjaplayzporium9395 Год назад

@@JohnReadAuthor Thank you so much! Also I tried starring at Jupiter, and it totally worked! I saw the cloud bands and even the Great Red Spot!

@JohnReadAuthor Год назад

@@ninjaplayzporium9395 great job! Now for the Messier list :-) :-) :-)

@Warlord141 21 день назад

Could someone give the names of these telescopes please?

@LearnToStargaze 21 день назад

It’s in the title of the video.

@curtishorn1267 Год назад

Can you do EAA with this scope if it were on a tracking mount?

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Yes, but I wouldn’t, the focusing assembly can’t reliably hold a camera. If I was on a budget, I’d use the refractor. I do this in my Omni 102 video and it works great.

@nixedd Год назад

new to all this some hope this does not come off dumb but I got a Gskyer Telescope 600x90mm and the mount that it came with has a twist handle to keep it still does this telescope come with that same stand?

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

No, this Newtonian telescope is on the twilight nano mount. As long as the telescope is well positioned on the mount, there is no need to lock it. It needs to remain loose since objects in space move across the sky. The Gskyer is on a panhandle mount. Since the Gskyer is designed for birdwatching, it makes sense to lock it in place.

@nixedd Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze thank you what’s a good telescope for beginners and again thank you for taking time answering my question’s

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

@@nixedd I have a list of beginner telescopes at www.LearnToStargaze.com

@michelleguardo4945 5 месяцев назад

Where can I buy it

@LearnToStargaze 5 месяцев назад

I actually don’t see this in stock at my usual places. A similar scope is found here: which includes Starsense: www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1777758-REG/celestron_22480_starsense_explorer_114mm_f_4.html

@lovepreetsingh-kp1td Год назад

Hi is it worth getting this telescope over celestron StarSense lt 114

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

If you’re under 10 years old, the Explore Scientific one is probably better, it’s definitely easier to use. If you’re an adult, a 102mm refractor is a better option at that price point. If you’re near a Costco, see if they have the Omni 102 AZ.

@lovepreetsingh-kp1td Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze thanks for replying, just one another question what is best option I have under $500 for an adult (beginner)

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

@@lovepreetsingh-kp1td I made a chart to answer your question on the home page of LearnToStargaze.com

@lovepreetsingh-kp1td Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze thank you

@rainmaryann1741 Год назад

Hello I absolutely love your reviews there are super informative however I am super confused with selections that are out there I have a son he is 6 years old very smart passionate about the solar system he loves to learn everything and anything about planets he is unstoppable in that area everyday he watch videos and he reads books and draw planets Long story short his birthday is coming up and I am looking to purchase a telescope for him but I just don't want any cheapos or telescope that you will collect dust because there are useless and not user friendly.... I want a package that would inspire him more and put some mileage on that baby... And I know there are some telescope that you cannot even see clearly Saturn, Jupiter, etc. And those are the planets that my son is more fascinating to see I'm willing to invest around $300-$350 I want telescope that is super easy friendly he had had some features that will help to explore more I don't mind buying additional pieces to enhance the visual I would love to have something that he could have a phone to help him to navigate to see some of the stars until he gets pretty comfortable with.... I would love to buy a telescope that comes with phone attachment and the app I think that will help him a lot to be able to pinpoint them right away and recognize them Thank you so much for your time

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Hi! it sounds like the ideal telescope would be the Starsense 102DX (great for all targets), or the StarSense DX 5” (really good for planets). Both of these scopes use the iPhone to help guide you to targets. (note: don’t be tempted by the cheaper starsense LT series, those telescopes are not recommended). hope this helps!

@Fatal_Inertia Год назад

This video proves to me that I am a true refractor guy lol

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Yeah, I was surprised by just how much better it was. I don’t think many people get the chance to test similar telescopes side by side like this.

@Fatal_Inertia Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze Seriously though, and we see amazing photographs with Newtonian reflectors, but the contrast of a refractor is something else! Great video. I wanted to ask you actually, I got one of those super sale Celestron 70AZ LT telescopes, and I'm debating returning it for an orion 80eq or a celestron 76eq, I can only really afford around $120, what would you recommend?

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

@@Fatal_Inertia do you like manual eq mounts? Personally I can’t stand them for visual observing.

@Fatal_Inertia Год назад

@@LearnToStargaze I've never used one, but I figure anything is better than altaz! At least the one I have now. It really doesn't have to be automatic, I like the feature of the dobsonian mount you were using in this video where it just stays where you put it, but to me the optic is more important than the mount as a beginner because my eyesight is poor and I have decent motorskills lol

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

@@Fatal_Inertia I really like telescope watch for their ratings, though they’re being very generous with these scopes: telescopicwatch.com/celestron-astromaster-76eq-telescope-review/ A small Dobsonian would be much more fun than any sub $500 eq mount.

@SonnySolentLover Год назад

R.I.P my solar filter is is dead :(

@jomon723 Год назад

Give me the refractor 🖖🏽👽

@dutchcountryman1290 10 месяцев назад

Not being ideal for astrophotography is not a downside!

@AstroCyGuy_edits Год назад

I find it ironic that you make books with your last name being read😂

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

I get that a lot. Whoever wrote this universe program certainly has a sense of humor.

@id_Usher Год назад

To be honest, these are weak telescopes. Normal, these are from 130mm newtons.

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

That’s basically what I said.

@sammy080798 Год назад

Was the ES 114 newtonian collimated? A well collimated newtonian should show better views than an achromat because the achromat isn't focusing all the colors to one point. And of course youre gonna see cloud bands with the refractor, it has a native f6.5 ratio compared to the 4.3 of the ES. With the 2x barlow gives it an effective f13 ratio compared to the 8.6 for the ES.

@LearnToStargaze Год назад

Yes.