Q1: What does "MOTOR DRIVE" mean?

A: A motor drive is a motor that will turn the telescope to counter the movement of the earth. While the earth is turning, this model will turn the telescope in the opposite direction. This allows images to stay in the eyepiece without any manual adjustments.

Q2: On the motor drive what power does the motor require?

A: The Motor Drive for this telescope operates from a 9V battery. Its a very simple motor that will turn the telescope to counter the rotation of the Earth. It really makes this telescope easy to use.

Q3: I am considering buying one of the three" Meade SKU # 04056, or the Celestron SKU # 31041, or the Zhumell SKU # EC001. The telescope is for my 17 year old daughter. This will be a first-time telescope for any of us. These three look similar (as well as in price). How important is the motor drive on the Zhumell vs. the others without one? She loves to look at the stars. What is your recommendation?

A: Actually, I would recommend the Zhumell specifically because of the motor drive. When looking at a celestial object, due to the rotation of the earth everything is constantly moving out of your field of view. The tracking will compensate for the rotation of the earth allowing you to track the object and get a prolonged view. Also the motor drive is ideal for astrophotography.

Q4: Maximum useful magnification is listed as 200. Why is this not 270 like all the other 114 telescopes?

A: The reason is that the Maximum useful magnification has to do with the highest magnification able to be reached and still get a clear image. When higher than 200x the light through the telescope becomes very small so it is very hard to line your eye up correctly and get a good image. You could get up to 277x but you would not have an easy time of viewing.

Q5: Which solar filter would be appropriate for this telescope?

A: I am sorry to say that currently there is not one on the market for that scope yet.

Q6: I am a beginner and I am in a wheelchair w/muscular dystrophy. I need a light weight scope that I can handle and easily use while seated. I want to see the planets and nebulae, comets, etc. Maybe use my digital camera for photos? I want one that finds objects for me and has a motor.

A: The Zhumell has the motor but it will not find the objects for you. I have listed some scopes that you will want to check out. These should work very well for you as they are not only are motorized but will find objects at the push of a button. Meade ETX series is an excellent choice in the this series you can get scopes anywhere from 70mm in diameter up to 125mm in diameter. They have fully computerized mounts and there is software available that will actually even let you control the scope directly through your PC or Laptop.

Q7: I would like to know if there is software or accessories for this telescope that will allow me to connect it to a digital camera or maybe my lap top. What are the benefits of having an electronic eyepiece?

A: The Zhumell Eclipse 114 is a nice scope, one that's adaptable to astrophotography with a digital camera. If you have a digital camera with a removable lens, you'll need a device like the Zhumell Universal T-Adapter, plus a T-ring specific to your camera model.  If your digital camera does not have a removable lens, you can still make the connection by using the Zhumell Universal Digital Camera Adapter (Small).  The Zhumell Digital Eyepiece, meanwhile, will allow you to capture live video or still images for display on your laptop and eventual printing to share with friends.  The Meade Electronic Eyepiece, meanwhile, will allow you to display on a TV set whatever your telescope is "seeing."

Q8: I am from India. How can I get it into India safely? I reside in city Haldwani district Nainital, Uttranchal. Please also tell me cost in Indian rupees.

A: The Zhumell Eclipse 114 is a nice little scope, one that should give years of good service. We ship internationally so getting the scope to India in good condition should be no problem. However, because exchange rates fluctuate minute to minute, we must conduct all our transactions in U.S. dollars. A local banker is the best source of information on the current exchange rate.

Q9: What is GoTo? I am hoping to get a telescope for my birthday and I would like to learn more before I make suggestions to family. 

A: A GoTo telescope is one that can take you to a particular star or other astronomical feature at the push of a button. A GoTo scope has a computer database with the celestial coordinates of thousands of objects programmed into it. When the name of the object or the coordinates are entered by the user, the scope automatically slews and elevates to place that object in view. A true GoTo scope then tracks that object automatically as the Earth rotates out from "under" it.

Q10: Simply put, why is this telescope so cheap? Everywhere I look, it seems to get good reviews but what I cannot figure is the price gap!

A: The Zhumell Eclipse 114 is a very good scope for the money, and it has to be because it's in a very competitive segment of the market. It competes head to head with Meade and Celestron scopes of the same aperture, so Zhumell has worked hard to keep its price down. That has made the Zhumell Eclipse 114 a real value.