Zhumell Z114 Reflector Telescope

The Zhumell Z114 has great build quality and optics. It is extremely portable. It is recommended for beginners who are just starting out and intermediate astronomers who would like a telescope to scan the sky for just a few minutes.

The great thing about the Zhumell Z114 is the low price. For just 150$, you get a build quality that is at the level of 10” to 12” telescopes, which is amazing. It is sturdy and stable, the mount is smooth, and the optical tube feels surprisingly solid and well-made. It has a tabletop design that provides even more stability. But be sure you have a stable surface to put your telescope on. There are rubbers on the bottom of the mount, so don’t worry about scratching the table or any other surface you put the telescope on.

It features a 114mm parabolic primary mirror, a high-end feature not usually found in telescopes of this size. The parabolic mirror removes visual defects like spherical aberration, providing noticeably sharper views. 

Zhumell Z114 Portable Reflector Telescope – Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Good specifications for the price
• Very portable
• Great for young kids due to its easy-to-use optics
• The Dobsonian-style wooden base makes pointing to and tracking celestial objects smooth and easy.
• Parabolic mirror eliminates visual defects for brighter, sharper images.

Disadvantages

• The viewfinder is awkwardly positioned on the side
• Will require regular maintenance due to exposed optics
• The collimation process can be a bit finicky

Technical Specifications of the Zhumell Z114 Reflector

Optics

1. The focal length is 465mm, with a focal ratio of f/4 and an aperture of 114mm.
2. Its highest theoretical magnification is 224x.
3. It is a reflector in nature.
4. It has a limiting stellar magnitude of 12.8.
5. Its lowest useful magnification is 16x.
6. Mirrors have aluminium-plated coatings

Mount and Tripod

1. Altazimuth Mount 

Physical appearance

1. It weighs 9.85 Pounds (4.47 kg).
2. Compact and lightweight, thus easily packs into any vehicle.

What comes in the box with the Zhumell Z114 Telescope?

1. Zhumell Z114 Telescope
2. Single Arm Dobsonian Mount
3. Red Dot Finder
4. 17mm 1.25” Eyepiece
5. 10mm 1.25” Eyepiece
6. Screwdriver
7. Lens Cap

What can you see with the Zhumell Z114?

• Sharp images of the moon.
• Sharp images of double stars.
• Sharp images of planets.
• One can spot the Rosette and Veil, two huge nebulae that span across the entire field of view at low magnification.
• You can pick out a greater variety of obscure NGC galaxies with the larger optic
• Globular cluster of stars.

Recommended Accessories for the Zhumell Z114 telescope?

1. Agena 25mm Starguider- A well-corrected, wide-field eyepiece like the Agena 25mm Starguider (18x) is great for starry vistas and easy low-power sweeping with the Z114.
2. SVBONY 6mm Redline- At the higher magnification end, a 6mm redline (75x) allows you to zoom in for smaller targets like planetary nebulae.
3. Astromania 2.5mm Planetary Eyepiece-  Allows you to zoom in for solar system objects, globular star clusters, and double stars.
4. 2x Barlow lens- This 2X Barlow lens doubles the magnification and capacity of any 1.25-inch eyepiece at the cost of a single eyepiece.
5. UHC nebula filter- It blocks all other colours (and thereby nearly all of the artificial light), and only the emission line of the hydrogen and oxygen can pass the filter.

My personal experience with the Zhumell Z114 Reflector Telescope?

I used the Zhumell Z114 reflector, and it is a great scope, and as of the time of this writing, these telescopes haven’t been around for very long, so it’s unlikely you’ll find one with the mirror coatings in poor condition. However, a Z114 with damaged mirrors is not worth buying because recoating them costs more than an entirely new telescope. However, missing eyepieces or a missing finder are less of a problem-though again. Make sure you don’t spend more on replacing those than a new instrument would cost.

Other Reflector Telescopes by Zhumell

1. Zhumell Z12 Dobsonian telescope – It has a laser collimator to keep your optics in perfect alignment. The Zhumell Z12 features a primary mirror cooling fan that quickly establishes thermal equilibrium to allow long viewing sessions without waiting. 

2. Zhumell Z130 Portable Reflector Telescope – Its parabolic mirror removes visual defects like spherical aberration, providing noticeably sharper views. The Zhumell Z130 Portable Reflector Telescope is easy to use out of the box.

3. Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector – This scope is not bulky, heavy, or large. The Zhumell 76mm AZ Reflector is a scope built by people who know how to make some of the best telescopes on the market.

4. Zhumell Z10 Dobsonian telescope – It comes with a 2” 30mm eyepiece for wide field views and a 1.25” 9mm eyepiece for higher magnification. The Zhumell Z10 Dobsonian Telescope has good optics and an easy-to-use mount.

5. Zhumell Z8 – Its mirror cell is collimatable and uses springs. The Zhumell Z8 Dobsonian telescope features an 8” parabolic primary mirror that produces bright images. 

6. Zhumell Z100 Portable Reflector Telescope – Its primary mirror and all other optical surfaces are coated with Zhumell’s high-reflectivity coatings. The Zhumell Z100 Portable Reflector has a simple mechanical design and sturdy construction.