Reviews - Meade 4.5" Telestar Newtonian Reflector Telescope w/ AutoStar GO TO Computer 70121 DS2114AT-TC Reviews - ME-TS-70121

Author: redfernsoljah (verified customer) from ponte vedra beach fl on Jan 4, 2008
Pros:  Accessories, Auto tracking
Cons:  hard to align
Would recommend:  no

redfernsoljah wrote:

Took out of box easy to put together, yet problems where riddled with controller screen and drive motors. It never was able to properly align. Returning for Celestron 5se

Author: shawn archer from prescott, arizona on Dec 6, 2007
Would recommend:  yes

shawn archer wrote:

i used this telescope to learn about the different constellations. Thanks to the computer and the red dot its been very easy to find every constellation i ever wondered about. great product, meade does it again.

Author: Northern Bob , Astronomy fan, brick mason, from Devils Lake, ND on Nov 9, 2007
Pros:  price was great, can do so much more than on manual
Cons:  9 mm was little harder to use, but got the hang of it
Would recommend:  yes

Northern Bob wrote:

I had only worked with manual scopes before, and this telescope purchase was a big step up. I love it! The red dot and focusing were so much more easier and useful. I was a little nervous about being able to work teh technology since I am not very computer savvy, but it was a breeze. Great job!

Author: rjt1 , bought it on Ebay from you guys. Thanks for the great deal. , from McCall, ID on Aug 22, 2007
Pros:  AutoStar, easy to point, good overall quality
Cons:  a little hard to level and point North but not too bad
Would recommend:  yes

rjt1 wrote:

I am so happy to have bought this scope. I'm a beginner and the AutoStar star finder is really great. It takes some practice to use but I'm having great success in only 2 nights using it. Make sure it's very level and pointing to true North or you'll have trouble finding what you want.

Author: Megan from Lincoln, NE on Aug 17, 2007
Would recommend:  yes

Megan wrote:

I can finally name more then one constellation (the infamous Ursa Major). The fact that this was a computerized telescope definetely played a part in the buying process. Overall i'm very glad for the quality and features that this Meade telescope provides for only $155

Author: jlhomme (verified customer) , Beginner star gazer, from Mystic, CT on Aug 11, 2007
Pros:  Nice mount, cool red dot finder, nice looking, GoTo is great
Cons:  Fumbled with the setup and took awhile to get used to the GoTo
Would recommend:  yes

jlhomme wrote:

I got this telescope for my daughter and I promised her we'd be able to see the craters on the moon. Unfortunately for me, I did opposite what the manual suggests and I tried to use it for the first time at night...and I knew not much at all about the stars. Needless to say, the first night was not good. The next day, I aligned the red dot and played with the eyepieces until I figured out how to actually focus the scope. I agree with another reviewer - the 9mm is difficult to use, but the 25mm eyepiece is great. My second night out, we saw the craters on the moon with the 25mm eyepiece. Focusing and red dot were easy to use since we figured it out during the day. On the third night, we found Arcturus and Altira and got the GoTo AutoStar working great. We knew it was working when it centered on the brightly lit Jupiter. By the end of the week, we felt like pros and have found many more stars in the sky. I bought a Zhumel erecting eyepiece ($20) for day use (so things aren't inverted) ...
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Author: Roxy from Chicgao,IL on Aug 1, 2007
Would recommend:  yes

Roxy wrote:

This tellescope is computer controled which made my life so much easier. It's an excellent idea and an excellent tellescope and I would recommend it to baisicly anyone. Kids, maybe not yet, unless they are fully ready for the responsibilty. Otherwise, pretty good product. And the price is really good as well! Very good deal.

Author: mbrecci1 (verified customer) from North Merrick, NY on Jul 27, 2007
Pros:  Could be great
Cons:  not working
Would recommend:  no

mbrecci1 wrote:

The telescope was ordered as a Chistmas gift. Although it arrived on time, the battery pak was defective. After several attempts, by February I received a new one. Unfortunately, it powers up(moves/rotates, etc), but there is still a problem (nothing is visible in the sky). Would it be possible to bring it somewhere to have it looked at? I'm hoping it could easily be rectified. Thanks

Author: ptjackson from Huntsville AL on Jul 26, 2007
Pros:  Good visibility, easy to use. And you can see things that are very hard to see with a conventional telescope
Cons:  Goto system is not perfect, but generally you can find the desired object with a little panning.
Would recommend:  yes

ptjackson wrote:

For the money this telescope is hard to beat. Once you have aligned the telescope "Goto" a star or planet that you are familiar with. Once there hold down the enter key, then press the enter key again to sink up the telescope. This will help the computer know where in the sky it is and will make the Autostar more accurate. As far as I can tell the owners manual did not mention this option but it will help the navigation. Also, like most, the barow eyepiece doesn't work well. The 9mm eyepiece can also be difficult to get into focus. But for $149.00 this is a nice telescope for the backyarder.

Author: drivingcat from Reno, NV on Jul 24, 2007
Cons:  Did not come columnated
Would recommend:  no

drivingcat wrote:

The telescope did not come columnated though the guide said it would. Never could get the mirrors to line up just right. Very cheaply made, but that's what you get for the price.