Konus KONUSMOTOR-500 Ø114mm F.500 f/4,3 Newtonian reflector.

Fantastic complete astronomy starter kit - now only 1 995 kr featuring the Konus 500 114 high power Newtonian (114mm diameter mirror x 1000mm focal length) reflecting telescope and a host of accessories to get anyone, young or old, off to a flying start in the fascinating hobby of astronomy!

Generations of amateur astronomers have started and advanced their hobby with a classical Newtonian reflector like the Konusmotor 500 114 - this 114 is a classic scope with a modern makeover - the electric drive motor and electric focuser ensure you get the best possible views with this telescope.

Large aperture primary mirror

The primary mirror is the engine of the Newtonian telescope and the Konus 114 has a superb 114mm large aperture primary mirror.

German equatorial mount

The Konus 114 is equipped with a well-engineered German Equatorial Mounting (or GEM) with fully geared manual slow-motion hand controls and a rigid aluminium full height field tripod (just the tripod and mount is amazing enough and looks like it would cost around 1000 kr on its own!). High magnification observing is virtually impossible without an equatorial mounting because the challenge of counteracting the rotation of the Earth. The GEM supplied with the 114 provides easy manual target tracking allowing the highest magnifications to be used with ease.

The Konusmotor 500 is a model with distinctive optical and mechanical quality for an exciting astronomical experience. This "deluxe" model includes a never-before-seen array of extra features: soft cases for carrying the telescope and mount, electric focuser, R.A. motor drive, Plossl eyepieces and the incomparable "Sky-Explorer" software with its countless functions.

This comprehensive outfit is a great astronomy starter kit - in fact, all you will need to supply is a clear night!

Specification:

. Ø114mm (4.5") F.500 f/4,3 Newton

· Multi-coated mirror.

· Equatorial mount with R.A. motor drive.

· Two section metal tripod from 67 to 107cm (2.3ft to 3.8ft)

· Red dot finderscope "Stardot"

· Moon filter.

· Two Ø31.8mm (1.25") eyepieces Plossl 10mm and Plossl 17mm.

Magnification with supplied eyepieces:

29x,50x,100x

· Moon and Sky Map.

· Cd-Rom with astronomical software "Sky Explorer".

· Two carrying cases

· Instructions in English

· Mounting: German equatorial with dec-axis manual slow motions and RA motor clock drive.

So what's so great about the Konusmotor 500 114 telescope kit?

Well, overlooking the fact that it has much more than you need compared to most other starter scopes (apart from a clear night that is!) - the Konusmotor 114 is essentially a standard "classic" Newtonian telescope (named after Sir Issac Newton its inventor in the 17th century). It has a large-sized aperture, 114mm (four and a half inches in old money!) primary mirror with spherical figure to achieve high quality and bright images, and has a useful 500mm focal length to achieve high power magnifications without making the telescope too difficult to use.

At two or three times the price, the Konusmotor is a well-made scope - at our package price it's extraordinary value for money. The telescope is well equipped with an ultra modern red-dot finder scope (to make pointing and target finding easy) the RA drive motor keeps the target in view and removes the effects of the Earth's rotation and allows detailed observations to be made and the motorised eyepiece focus system is very useful when using high magnification to ensure that the minimum vibration of the telescope is caused while handling the focus knob and is an ideal accessory for photographic applications. And the simple two-screw collimation system shows a nice attention to detail and user convenience.

Over and above the top specification the thing that impresses us most is the nice 'touches' that display the attitude of the manufacturer. Virtually everything is made of metal - plastic has been kept to the absolute minimum - this is a solid instrument built to give years of service. The manufacturer really has spent time and money making sure this serious scope will delight all who use it.

Upgradable performance Too many starter scopes today have eyepiece and mount designs that are built for a price and offer no useful upgrade path. The Knonusmotor 114 uses 1.25" eyepiece fitting (the industry standard for serious telescopes) and there are literally 1000's of accessories to choose from. In fact, our main forte is supplying astronomy telescope accessories and this telescope can be upgraded and added to in many different ways. These accessories include camera adaptors (to try your hand at astro-photography), Barlow and amplification lenses (like the one included, to increase the magnification without using short, difficult to use, eyepieces), as well as wide-angle and higher-powered specialist eyepieces and filters and accessories to make the telescope easier to use on terrestrial targets. Even a safe Solar observation filter is also available for this telescope.

What can you see with the Konusmotor 500 114 telescope?

One of the great advantages of a 114mm mirror is its sheer light-gathering power - it will deliver stunning views of even very remote and dim galaxies and nebulae.

At low to medium power the ancient landscape of the Moon becomes a fabulously intricate panorama of craters, rays and rills. At higher powers individual crater systems can be explored in fantastic detail. The planet Mars will show many details on its surface and the polar cap can be seen during ideal observing conditions. At good observing times, when observed at just 50x or higher magnification, the planet Jupiter will appear as a banded disc, and at just 50x magnification, larger in size than you normally see the full Moon with the unaided eye! The cloud belts of Jupiter will show ever changing detail that will show drift across the planet's face in just a few minutes. The four main moons of Jupiter will be seen orbiting the giant planet, sometimes casting shadows onto Jupiter's dense cloudy atmosphere. The planet Saturn will show its magnificent ring system and its bright famous moon Titan. These are just a few of the things that can be seen in our own solar system with the Konusmotor 114 telescope. Outside of the solar system hundreds of gas nebulae and galaxies come within the reach of this powerful instrument.