Meade 114 EQ-ast question or questions...

Leno · Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 2

Hi, I am new here...
Got me a new telescope for Christmas, alway's kinda wanted one.
It's the Meade 114 EQ-ast.
I've been surfing around the net trying to answer some of my question before actually posting..

My first and foremost question is this...

The front dust cover, do I observe with just the little cap off or by removing the whole thing ?

Or is there diffrent situations for both...
Could someone please explain ?

I am looking forward to using this scope for some fun, I am not concerned as to wether I got a good scope or a bad scope, it is a present, I like it, and just want to use it properly...

Thanks in advance, I am sure I will have more questions in the future...

opticsplanet.com · Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2004 11:15 pm Post subject:

Hi

For general observing, especially deep-sky objects, remove the entire cover to take full advantage of the Meade 114EQ-AST 4 1/2 inch mirror's potential.

For better resolution of planetary detail, remove only the small cover. This will reduce the effective aperture of the telescope, but improve image quality, since the best correction on the mirror is at its center. This is called a "mask" and is an old trick for getting more resolution out of a reflector, whiich has traditionally taken a backseat to the refractor for planetary viewing, due to the refractor's superior resolution. On a small reflector such as the 114EQ-AST, however, the improvement may not be significant.

Try it and see.
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Leno · Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 2

Thanks for the quick reply.
Are there any reasonably priced upgrades that I could do for this telescope... Eyepieces etc. ?