Review on Celestron 22103 114AZ Reflector Telescope ExploraScope by Amy Johnson

This is my first telescope. But I spent a lot of time learning about telescopes before deciding on an entry-level telescope. I had my doubts about this scope when I first used it. The scope came with a secondary mirror cap (which had glue to hold it in place) glued to the primary mirror. When I took it off, there was a glue stain on the mirror. I also bought a laser collimator with a scope and found that it was a Bird Jones style scope that required some disassembly to use the laser collimator. In addition, the primary mirror has no center. It all seemed like more potential work to me that I was keen to take on as a beginner. I called Celestron to ask if a smudge on the primary mirror was the problem, they said it wasn't. I also asked why the primary mirror doesn't have a center point for collimation and they said the scope is factory collimated and the user doesn't need collimation. The Celestron representative was accommodating and patient with my questions, so no problem. The first two visits didn't impress me. The only easy target back then was Jupiter. It was pretty vague and vague. So I decided to disassemble the sight to center the primary mirror and point the laser at it. It definitely needed collimation. The secondary mirror was far away. And of course the main mirror was off too, as expected after I took it apart. To my relief, it was all quite easy. I made the whole project in about 30 minutes. And it helped. Jupiter resolved nice and sharp. I could see bands of clouds and four moons glittering with gems. In addition, Saturn was already at the top. What a sight! Above my expectations. I could see the rings clearly enough to see how they lined up around the plant (using a 12.5mm eyepiece and 2x Barlow magnification). I couldn't see the Cassini graduation, but I was very impressed with the detail and clarity of this entry-level scope. So for the money I am very happy with this scope. But those considering a purchase should be aware that this is a Bird Jones-style scope and may require collimation to get the most out of it. One final note: the included eyepieces aren't very impressive, but they're serviceable. I bought a set of Plössl eyepieces (20mm, 12.5mm, 6mm) and 2x Barlow, thinking they'll still be useful if I upgrade to a better telescope in the future. I think it was a good accessory purchase.