I've got an even earlier Meade LX10 8", bought used a few months ago. While the mount is cosmetically challenged with some flaking paint from a lifetime in a homemade observatory, and the mechanics had to be nursed back into service, once cleaned and well collimated the optics are excellent.
I have Meade ETX90 ('classic' version from the late '90, excellent optics) that I recently deforked and mounted on SkyWatcher AZ GTi mount, this is great lightweight travel combo
I have this OTA. It's razor sharp on Moon and Gas Giants but that's about it for this aperture. I tried F/6.3 reducer on it for DSOs but it vignettes terribly in this configuration due to small size of baffle. Another dreadful thing are grub screws on focuser and mirror flip which became loose over time - they're all imperial sizes which is a bit if an issue here to replace. All in all great little Grab'n'Go and AZ GTi loves it's low weight :-) Oh and LX90 8" ACF I got used few months ago.... what a scope. After careful collimation it's very sharp too :-) Unfortunately the mount starts to show it's age as it's bit outdated compared to i.e. SW with their USB ports, direct access to controllers from ASCOM, stepper motors etc. But for visual use it is a breeze to setup thanks to built in GPS and functionality of Audiostar. I just wish Meade were still around and innovating.
I’m new to the hobby. I am happy to see my Meade 4500 is on the good side of your list! Found it for $60. I have been using the equatorial mount all wrong. Can’t wait to use it the correct way.
Hmm, I have a Meade Adventure Scope 80 at f/5 that I use with a photo tripod, and I am satisfied with it. That is after chucking all the accessories that it came with (Diagonal, EPs, Tripod, Dovetail, but kept the backpack and red dot finder ). I would say it's about two steps up from a spotting scope, but as long as I don't push it too hard it gives some decent views in light polluted LA county, and is great for quick peeks at the moon, and some other brighter objects. Would I recommend it, maybe for the OTA only, and as something to travel with and not worry too much about it getting beat up. It really is only for beginner casual observing. My two cents.
Hi Ed, I own a10 Inch Meade Starfinder with the Sonotube, I changed the focuser to a Parks one, added a Telrad and a 9X50 finderscope to it, This telescope has given me all kinds of pleasure over the past 20 plus years, it has great optics and I have seen over 1,500 objects with it. Yes, i agree, the mounting straps suck. but other than that issue, I have no complaints about it. Bob, A very happy Starfinder Owner.
Hi Ed! I've enjoyed your reviews for many years and now am so happy to see your YT videos. On the topic of Meade telescopes, I can add that years ago I bought a new 10" LX5 SCT, and for years it was my favourite for planetary views. Mars showed wonderful details especially, which I drew in my log book. Unfortunately the fork mount gave out and I sent it in to Meade for replacement. Then around 2003 I noticed that the corrector plate coatings were starting to form something like tiny bubbles in places. I ended up giving the telescope to a friend to use, as the views were still usable at that point, and I moved on to a C-11 after my observatory was built. :) I also have older SP C-8, new orange SE C-8 and C-6, plus a white C5+ and single fork mt.
I've had a 12.5 inch Meade Starfinder Dob for about 20 years now. I have made into a very enjoyable telescope by basically rebuilding it from the ground up. I still am using the sonotube and it has the same optics but nearly everything else has either been rebuilt or replaced. If you don't mind a project, you CAN make one of these scopes enjoyable to use with some upgrades. And I get lots of oohs and aaahs from the public when I am deep sky viewing with this thing.
I bought my Meade 8” model 2080 back in 1981 shortly after its release and the telescope is in perfect shape after 40 years. The mirrors and corrector lens never have needed anything but cleaning from time to time. The drive works perfectly. It is very well designed and has robust construction. It’s just a matter of treat it as the delicate, precise instrument it is.
Still have my 10in. Meade LXD55 Schmidt/Newt from 20 years ago. Other than a runaway motor, which Meade fixed, it's still working great.. as of a few years ago when I set it up last. Although I probably need a Autostar update. Love the optical tube and UHTC lens coating.
I recently bought a Meade Polaris 130EQ 5" reflector. Unsure if it has a spherical mirror but based on the star tests I've done it looks like I got lucky with a parabolic mirror. This is my reentry into amateur astronomy after 15 years away. My last scope was a Meade ETX-90 which I kind of regret selling. While I've only had the scope a few weeks, I've upgraded the weak EQ2 mount to a Celestron CG4, added a complete set of Plossl eyepieces and had my first accidental collimation experience by finding the factory collimation was way off and spent 3 hours getting it into collimation. The following evening I found 4 Messier objects and split Polaris. I don't know if this was a good choice but it is simple, portable and I always wanted a classic equatorial reflector. I'm old school and would love to own one of the older Meade reflectors. I remember those ads in the magazines and catalogs and thought it would be awesome to own one. So my entire Meade experience is two scopes out of the three I ever owned. While I saw Andromeda for the first time with the ETX-90, I am liking the simple reflector so far. So as a sample of two, the Polaris is my favorite Meade scope because it is the only one I own and the ETX-90 I didn't have long enough to develop a proper opinion.
The first reflector I built has a Meade Research grade 10" f6 mirror with an Antares diagonal and a JMI reverse crayford focuser. I still have it and drag it out of the garage when I'm not using one of my others (Meade LX200 emc 10, Celestron 130, Skywatcher 80mm x 500mm semi apo, or others). That homebuilt 10" Dob, as ugly as it is, gives fantastic, simple viewing and is still a favorite of mine! Keep up the good work, Ed! Clear skies! /Dave
My ETX-125 mount gave trouble from day 1, 20 years ago. Finally binned the mount a couple of years back and the great OTA is now on a big manfrotto photo tripod/geared head while I save for an EQ6-R (or equivalent) mount.
Another great video. I have enjoyed your postings even long before your videos! I will add a small caveat to your Starfinder review. I agree 100% that pretty much every add on is junk: focuser, finder, and those awful straps for the GEM mount.. which is pretty poor itself. That said, my SF 8" is optically my benchmark. Maybe I just got lucky, but if I had to choose I'd keep the SF over my Edge 8". Granted most people aren't going to buy a scope only to gut it, but for those DIYers who find one cheap it could make a very worthwhile project. I paid less than $150 for mine 15 years ago. It now rides on my Losmandy mount, has a new focuser, finder, and added coma corrector (same tube, although it has been "finished" both inside and out) and it consistently produces outstanding AP images (the scope part, not my processing!) Also, and maybe this does not matter, but I have handwritten test results of the focal length (in inches) on the back of the primary. I don't know many optics that get attention by hand before heading out the door these days. The only other I have is a Star Instruments 6" rich field made in the late 70s, also a superb scope. BTW, the coatings on both these scope are still excellent.
I rediscovered my love for astronomy with my Infinity 102 alt-az mounted achromatic refractor. Now using an ETX125 and suffering from aperture fever. Saving up for a 16" Lightbridge...
My favorite meade telescope is the ETX 125 observer. None of the issues i always hear people complaining about are present here. No wandering secondary baffle, no suspect goto accuracy, no crappy tracking... all is good here. Is there a lot of plastic? Well, there is less than there used to be and the scopes are so well made that the plastic that is there is fine and helps keep the weight down. I love the Audiostar and quality of the razer sharp high contrast images and that metal flaked lazer blue paint job is stunning. Also, the accesories that came with the scope are excellent, including two super plossl eyepieces and a handy compass/ bubble level.. It's a showpiece telescope undeserving of the ETX's notoriously bad reputation...
I have a Meade 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegraine LX-200 Classic. I'm happy with it except for 2 issues: 1) no upgrade is available for the electronics. The hand controllers frequently malfunction and it's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find a replacement, 2) The motors are very noisy, especially at faster slew rates. My neighbor's houses are very close to mine, and there's nothing like a loud telescope to wake up the light sleepers.
My first telescope was a Meade. It was the Meade Polaris 90 achromat refractor. I actually still have it 5 years later. Not a fancy scope and both my 5 inch mak and C9 go further, but it's light and very easy to use compared to even the mak. It's because of how great and super easy that scope has been that I am interested in owning a 4 inch Skywatcher doublet apo some day.
Thanks for the info ED. I have an old 10" LX200 made in 1993 that I got in 98. Came with the very limited 750 object data base but I did order the new ROMs to bring it up to the better specs. Then I managed to acquire the 3.34 version board and hand controller for 150 bucks. This is the 18 volt versions which I always use 12 volts so no cap burns outs. I still use this scope to this day and has worked pretty darn good for something 28 years old. Shows no signs of oxidation so a bonus there. I do take it apart an re-grease the gears/bearings every few years.
I had the Meade 8inch SCT and they have been a good scope giving good images which a sharp and clear. 30 years later I have Meade's 8 inch ACF SCT in white and it is a great scope and not to heavy. Loved your video.
Purchased (closer to stole) a Meade ETX125-AT brand new for $350 delivered about ten years ago. You may remember that these went for around $1000 back then. I have since modified the scope to have a "permanent equatorial wedge" that I designed, a remote focuser and wireless goto capability. The funny thing was that I wasn't looking to buy a telescope at the time, but there were only two left in stock and the price was irresistible. Everything still works fine on it, but the tracking mechanism isn't the most rugged, so someday I may need to attach a dovetail and mount it on a GEM. But the optics are quite good and it is very portable, so I will not be getting rid of it any time soon.
@@edting Yes, I was sort of surprised that you didn't mention them in your video. I also have a mint condition Celestron C8+ with the Byers worm drive and an Orion ED80T-CF mounted on a ES EXOS2-GT w/PMC8. I am looking to make the C8+ into a goto using an OnStep unit I assembled, but the Dec axis is a pain on these fork mounts. Any Ideas?
I picked up a Meade 127ED made in 1992 with the LXD 600 mount on March 13 of this year, I couldn’t be happier with the optics and the 1697 goto EQ mount.The original owner bought it new and took very good care of it. It has been a nice complement to my 8 inch LX 90 Schmidt Cassegrain.
I remember going in to Meades little shop in Costa Mesa with my Mom in the mid 70’s and getting their 8x50 finder for my Criterion RV-6 Newtonian. They didn’t have much back then but boy that 8x50 finder was a dream come true in those days lol.
I bought a 4500 OTA from the outlet store for $50 about 15 years ago. I didn't expect much, but thought it would be a fun banger project - and it was. The image was astigmatic, but in an intriguing way - it was exactly the same in and out of focus, just 90 degrees rotated. This told me it had a good primary but a warped secondary. I replaced the secondary with an Antares. The transformation was mind-boggling. It made absolutely perfect images. That may be the most perfect mirror I've ever seen, and that includes my 10" Royce. I had a view of the Moon one night that was like being in orbit. I'm sure that scope could give a $4000 4" Tak a run for its money. I gave it away to a friend - something I often regret :) I sure got my $50 out of it!
There's a full electronics upgrade you can buy from a private source. You have to take the motors out and send them in and he calibrates them. Simple internal upgrade took me about an hour to modify. Works with an Autostar II once upgraded and is 12 v. I did miss the higher speed of the 18 v. On Yahoo groups.
I love the ETX 125 after a Wegat modification. The Lightbridge was my first table top Dobsonian so it’s sentimental. It was practical during the earliest years of raising my daughter when on the rare occasions I could escape... it was fast. I passed up a Unitron years ago in a flea market lol. I had no idea they were tied to Meade. The last Meade purchase I made was an LX-85 mount. Big mistake. There were no working ASCOM drivers and the aux port is wired backwards. It’s really sub par. That was the nail in the coffin. Thanks for all your time and knowledge. I really value your opinions. Clear skies.
I just picked one up on EBay for $340. the autostar is said to have a connection issue but I’m guessing it’s an issue with the cable itself. Was that a good buy? Planning on selling the ETX 90EC I got for the same price.
Im new to the star gazer's community and have 4500 bought it still brand new in the box for $80! However trying to find a support group in the my area (Detroit)! Hopefully be able to do so soon. Super glad to know it's on thelist.
I have an LX200 10" SCT. The electronics were 18v. It was very noisy. I got an all new iOptron CEM 60 mount so I de-forked my 10" OTA and put a dovetail bar on it. It fits nicely on my CEM 60 now. I will probably use it just for visual purposes.
I don't think they are made now, but in the absolutely "Buy!" category is the HD60 series of eyepieces. I have a whole slew of $300 ultrawides from 40mm down to 4.7mm and they never get used any more. The comfort and sharpness of the HD60s is absolutely outstanding. They are light weight and nearly parfocal. They remind me of orthoscopics but with a 60 degree field of view. Most comfortable eyepieces ever! I've heard they are similar to the Televue Radians. OK enough Meade praise! Like you, I lusted over that 10" on the GEM and that is still my ideal!
The ETX125 had a big problem with slipping clutches. I took mine apart and found gear grease on the clutch plate. After cleaning and only adding a minimal amount of grease to the gears, it worked fine for a few months and then I had to repeat the cleaning again. When I was researching this problem, I found out it was a common issue with these Meade ETX scopes. Unfortunately, it turned me off to Meade products.
Just thought to mention the the current Meade top of the line ACF telescope OTAs are available in two versions f/8 and f/10. There is far more than just a focal length change between these two versions. f/8 versions are the way to go. They've eliminated mirror flop by changing the primary mirror to ride on 3.5" bearings instead of floating it on grease. It more has an internal 10:1 crayford with a 7:1 two speed control. Most important is that they are RC hybrid with a hyperbolic secondary, a spherical primary and a Schott Glass corrector c that is not a Schmidt corrector but a special design that converts the primary to function more like a hyperbolic. Amazing difference in flat field and focusing For those looking for me automation you should mention LX600 (fork) and Lx850 (EQ) systems. Lx600 the OTA comes off the forks making it much easier to transport and set up. Builtin autoguiding and plate solving make these ideal for those looking to get into astrophotography. Especially the fork mount which is nice for visual in Alt-az mode. I was very impressed by the F/8 being so much better than the F/10 which has none of these changes, just an oversized primary. Need an update!
Fortunately, I bought an ETX 120 that was made with quality and not the ones that was made after they tried to cut cost. When I first went to look at it, it was very well taken care of over the years and the owner had upgraded to a $10K Obsession telescope. So he decided to sell this one to me for a price I could not refuse. Everything about is like new and the quality reminds me of an high end camera equipment from the 80's and 90's. Even came with a dual controller and the RAM mount for cellphone that came off of a sold motorcycle attaches perfectly onto the tripod leg and I don't have to hold it in my hands. So far, have not taken it out on a tour but will see how it fares.
G'day Ed, thanks for the videos. I've just purchased my first Meade, a 127mm series 5000 Apo triplet refractor. I haven't had a good chance to use it yet but it looks a beauty. Keep up the good work!
The only Meade scopes I've had are a DS-114 (don't buy; ok to take if free and plan on buying decent eyepieces) and a 10" LX200 Schmidt Cassegrain. I love the LX200 but an 8" would be far easier to move around. The 8" OTA weighs about half of the 10". Thanks for the lesson on Meade reflectors. I have a 6" Cave Astrola that looks very much like the Meade reflectors and assumeg that you had some very nice Caves.
Thanks Ed for this roundup. I don't intend to buy any more Meade telescopes (have a Bresser branded 150mm achro) other than maaaybe an LX200, but this video brings back memories of when I used to pore over the Meade ads in Sky and Telescope and Astronomy, a couple decades ago.
Hi. Do you own the 150/1200 achro? I'm really interested in that scope for planetary and double stars. Is it worth the money? Is the performance good? Thank You
I've written about that scope in scopereviews. The most important part of that scope is the mount. This is a heavy OTA at nearly 20 lbs. Usually they sell them on mid-sized mounts mounts like the AVX, which are getting a little unsteady with this amount of weight on them.
My first 'real scope' (had a Tasco as a kid) a Meade LT6 ACF bought used a year ago - AZ mount died a few days later - tried to fix it but lack of spares curtailed that - Now happily sitting on a Vixen SXD2 Equatorial Mount - The scope has great optics and solid construction. This one is not made in China but Mexico not sure thats better ? So must have some age to it.
I have several Meade scopes. The one's I would buy again are: the ETX90RA, Meade 10"SN, and Meade 10"SCT. My friend had the 10" Research Series Newtonian and it was excellent. I also had the DS16 which as you mentioned, removed the optics and downsized the secondary to 3.1". The primary was good but not great. The Meade SN came undermounted but my sample has very good optics. I have a Meade 6' f5 Newtonian, 6600 series I think. Meade also made the worst optics I have looked through in a mid 90's 16' SCT. It would not achieve focus no matter what. If I could only have one it would be the 10" SCT as it has the best SCT optics I have used similar to what you also state.
The Cline Observatory where I volunteer for weekly public viewing sessions has had three telescopes in the dome since 1997. The first was a 16" Meade SCT. Being essentially a bigger version of the smaller SCTs, it had mirror-based focus, a lot of image shift, and it was unreliable and Meade's customer service didn't support it. So it was replaced with a 16" RCT which worked fine for a while, and now it has a 24" Planewave CDK. We had also used 8" SCTs on piers at some point, we have one of those 8" SCTs which we use for solar viewing, and we got rid of the piers and use skywatcher 8" dobs and a CPC800 now. I've only been volunteering since 2017 of course so i wasn't there for all those changes.
I have the following Meade scopes, etx90 goto, great optics but like plenty of other etx90’s, the mount was junk after a couple of years. I put the OTA onto a non goto etx mount-now a nice little scope. ETX125, same as the 90, great optics let down by poor quality electronics. I will get around to de-forking It, one day! Two de-forked 7” Maks, both with the dinner gongs removed! Lovely scopes! Both have been fitted with aftermarket focusers to eliminate mirror image shift. My favourite lunar/planetary and double star scopes. Last, and by no means least, an 8” LX10 that runs off a 9V battery. I got this back in the spring of 2019. It was sitting on the “for sale” section of an online used Astro website for ages. It came with all of the original packaging/owners manual etc..it’s hard to believe that this scope is over 25 years old, the previous owner kept it immaculate. Only tried it under the stars a couple of times. Optics seem to be very promising. A lot of scope for less than half the price of some eyepieces. Anyway, thanks for the tips and advice-keep up the good work.
Excellent video, thanks. I bought a de-forked Meade 2080 last year. Judging by its serial number, it was manufactured in 1995. I have it mounted on a Vixen GP mount with simple Dec and RA motors. It's been a very good performer so far. One upgrade it needed was a GSO Crayford focuser which negated the previous noticeable image shift when focusing.
Favorite: 14" LX200 GPS/SMT. Permanently installed, this one is my work horse. Least favorite: 8" LX5 - SN8. Mechanically it was sound but optically ... it was so so bad.
Hi Ed, I'm so happy about what you said in regards to Meade's 8inch Schmitt Casagrains. I guess I just got lucky when I brought my LX90 2 years ago. It had only been used a couple of times and the owner gave up. After he died his wife finally sold it. It came with a wedge and loads of extras. I've been so happy with it.
I have the 127ED and I apparently got one of the good ones. I had read your articles so I knew what to look for. Mine is extremely sharp and I even saw a smudge of a detail on Ganymede (confirmed later). My copy of the mount works flawlessly, in fact I bought the scope mostly for the incredibly robust mount, sufficient for my 10" Newtonian. That the scope was so excellent was a bonus. I paid only $1600 for both. I would not even consider selling either one.
I have a 4500 I bought back in the late 90's. I'd hate to say how much I paid for it back then, especially considering what they go for now. The biggest problem I had was with the tripod leg bracing/accessory tray support. They used these cheap plastic screw-on mounts that would break every time it moved. I finally figured out how to replace them with metal hinges from Home Depot that worked a treat. I'd really like to upgrade to a larger OTA but use the same GEM mount and tripod.
I own a Meade 7" Maksutov on a Lx200... It's a beautiful instrument. It's old school but it still holds up. I compared it to the latest model of Skywatcher. Can't say I saw a real difference. If there is something to say about it it's indeed the weight. Mine still has it in. Cool down time increases but if you take account for that it's not a really big issue. Overall a lovely instrument.
The Tasco 4.5” “Space Station” reflector scope (received as a gift) actually has okay optics and 1.25” focuser. The mount is junk though. Upgraded to an 8” SCT now.
I have a Meade ETX 125 that I bought a few years ago and it has great optics. I also have an old Meade 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain that I think is the 2080 model. I have de-forked that OTA and I'm getting ready to put it on a modern goto equatorial mount.
Great video. Worth mentioning is portability factor. If the buyer expects to set up/ break down or transport the telescope for viewing sessions, the Meade 10" fork mount SCTs really push the limits. For one person, safely mounting the 10" LX200 on a wedge is daunting and a mounting plate with guide pins is highly recommended for alt-az orientation. Also, for decent tracking you should get a counterweight system to balance them and reduce the load on the drive train. The 8" scopes are much easier to handle and consequently tend to see much more use. Many 10" Meade SCTs spend most of their lives in a box for this singular reason. Fantastic optics in any of the UHTC or newer versions, but keep weight in mind. The 8" might be a better choice.
@@David-hm9ic have you used a wedge for astrophotography? I also find the standard field tripod is ok for visual use but with the wedge you're better off with the "giant" field tripod. The old version of the giant was too tall. Thr later short version sold with larger scopes is better.
lololol. For some reason I never seriously considered Meade. I wanted a Celestron for a long time, checked out Meade, but the Nexstar line was the way for me.
I recently got a Meade Series 6000 70mm Quadruplet astrograph and I am loving it! The stock tube rings and dovetail aren't the best (especially the tube rings). I picked up some tube rings meant for the stellarvue sv70t and they provide much more stability than the stock tube rings. The optics are great for the price and outclass my Skywatcher evostar 80 for sure. I was a bit nervous going with Meade for my astrophotography needs but I'm glad that I stumbled across a good scope for the price. Thanks for making this video! Meade definitely isn't the best choice in 2021 even with my experience.
Excellent informative video. The commentary and opinions are great, as always. You should be a consultant for the new Meade/Tasco as you would be an excellent fit. And n asset to the company's direction. Not only for product engineering and development, but your marketing savvy as well. With your many years of experience, you'd be the face of the next generation Meade. Keep-up the great work Ed.
My first telescope was a rare Meade bird, 4" SCT on a small German equatorial (model 1037). It was pre-fork mount, and the optics are pretty good, so maybe those early ones were better? I think it was the smallest 'scope at Texas Star Party three years running. Thanks for the great reviews, Ed.
I have recently (since Christmas) started in astronomy. I was wondering if you would review a telescope. It's the Galileo G80095 with the cell phone adaptor. I got it as a present. And, of course now I want a better scope. Was really wondering what your thoughts would be.
Had a Meade US made 10 inch sct it was fantastic 85mm obstruction or 33% total from memory. I recently sold my 130TS triplet(better optically than the TS 115 for sure mine was) also fantastic as looking for something else now.. The 10" Meade was easily as sharp as my 7 inch skywatcher Mak and that was fabulous as well but totally smashed in light gathering by the 10", though globs looked great at a dark sky site with only 7". The one I wished I hadnt sold the most is the 10" Meade, it did everything . A C925 I have now seems as good allround hard to remember to compare though..Have to stop this selling buying caper ..full of sellers remorse...the newer etx125 was just OK optically looked just 1/4 wave the older US ones were great..my most recommended cheaper scope is a C6 for the budget minded its very good
What aperture does one need to really start to make serious gains in advanced astronomy? Ive only had a Dob 12 inch years ago and im looking to get serious again. Do you recommend a 10, 20,30 inch or more? and a reflector, refractor, or other?
I have a Meade 6000 series 115mm apo and it is fantastic, and a great size at only 12 pounds. My only complaint is that Meade advertised a 3' field flattener for the series (now discontinued) but it does not fit on the newest 6000 series, which I learned the hard way. That said, the 3rd party Hotech field flattener, Astrotech .8 reducer/flattener, and Starizona Apex .65 reducer/flattener all work great on it, making it an extremely versatile astrophotography telescope for even a lighter mount like the LX85.
Hi Ed, thanks for sharing. I'm new to the hobby and want to delve deeper into astrophotography. I recently found a Meade 115 EDT, almost new, listed for about $700. The price is very good, but is this telescope suitable for deep-sky photography, how does it perform as a visual telescope?
I had a 10" LX200 back in the 90's, well it was my fathers... Unfortunately the electronics all went to crap on them and the mirrors were slightly out of alignment or something over time, it just could never get good focus. Ended up selling it for like 600 bucks and regret that I ever did that. I should have joined a club and figured out how to fix it.
Hi. Great advice. Interested in learning about the 2022 version of the Orion Skyline XT8 but not finding anything via Google. Can you perhaps point me to where I might find relevant information/description/etc Thanks
What do you think of the new Meade "ACF" reflectors? Thinking about getting a 14-inch tube to replace an old 12-inch LX200. Are the optics actually better? At the very start of the pandemic lockdown, I got a Meade 90mm f/6.7 Infinity doublet to use at home. I was really impressed at what you get for only $200 (solid tripod, OK eyepieces, inverting diagonal, red dot finder).
The ACF is a modest improvement over the old optics and may be most noticeable during imaging. It's a similar situation with Celestron's Edge series. If you do decide to go for it, make sure you have a mount big enough to hold the OTA.
Happen to have a Like-new Meade 16in Starfinder EQ. It's complete, looks great, mirror is flawless, etc. It's huge, but it's a cool thing to have! I also have the older version 12.5 newt, but its not the research grade :(
Just got lucky in picking up a vixen gpdx with an old lx200 that was purchased in the states. Has the old skysensor 2000, currently waiting for an eq5 goto kit for the mount. All in all I paid £550 for the scope, mount and goto kit which will be brand new. Hoping to do some astrophotography with it but expecting to only use it for planetary.
Thanks for this video! I have a late 90's Meade ETX-90 which is excellent. I've deforked it very quickly and I've been using it for 20 years on an equatorial mount. It's one of my first instruments and I'll keep it for the rest of my life, although I've switched to several Takahashi telescopes since then. I was also given a 10-inch LX200, but I'm having a hard time adjusting it. It has an enormous shifting which complicates the collimation. Do you have any links to recommend me for disassembly and maintenance of the Meade LX200, for example a tutorial on TH-cam or an article with photos?
The Starfinder straps won't spring back at you. They are not elastic straps. I've owned many meade sct's and the optics were never as good as celestron. The reflectors though were pretty good.
I just found an AS ( Adventure Scope) 80 refractor locally for $75.00 . its going to be a guide scope mostly on my Celestron 150 Omni XLT newt. on an AVX . :)
Hi Ed, I just discovered you're on TH-cam. John H here. I've moved from MA to NH, not as far as Todd moving MA to UT, I guess. I miss the days of buying/selling/trading Travelers with Todd, transacting a deal with you in a parking lot in NH, and seeing you swing by to ogle the ARIES 254mm triplet to show at my first NEAF, and I ended up outside in the tent, with the upside to that being that the NEAF blems were out there also. Ahhh, the good old days. A guy flew up from Houston to take the 254mm triplet home, and I'm down from 3 Travelers at the peak (for 2001 eclipse) to just the very best/last one from Todd when he moved on to bigger things. Actually, it's the second time I've owned that one, the first time he wouldn't sell it to me without an option to buy it back 1-2 years later. Which he did. Regarding Meade, my first LX200 was the 7" Mak, which I regret selling around 1996. A year or two later, I bought a 10" f/6.3 LX200, which is now stored at my business, 20+ years after I heard a popping noise, probably the usual capacitor problem. An LX200 makes a nice manual alt-az mount if you don't bother fixing the electronics!
Ed. Surely over the years you have sern some innovative and good amateur made scopes. I have built many Newtonians and taught mirror making in college. Would love a review from you on my current project.
I bought 2 Newtonian hand made scopes from a rummage sale. They are both 6 or 6.5 inch mirrors with 7" tubes that are 5 feet long. They seem really nice. I cannot believe how bright and pinpoint sharp everything is through them. I've always wanted to grind a mirror and build a huge Dobsonian.... I build precision CNC equipment and I have a pretty good idea how to grind my mirror using a computer to get it any shape I want. Maybe you could give me some pointers about what to watch for as I start in on a fairly expensive piece of unreplacable glass?
I can't find any sct parts at all, I was thinking of building another refractor or a sct but finding any optics for them seems to be impossible, I haven't found a single primary for sale used or otherwise.
I'm thinking of buying a meade lx-200 with a film back camera and 3 hard cases of various eye pieces, filters, etc. It appears to be a classic and so says everything works. When I go look at it, other than looking for corrosion on the mirror, what should I be looking for?
It is impossible to tell without seeing the scope in person. The issue is the mount. Buying older LX200s is a gamble. They can (and do) fail without warning. I always tell people, what will you do if/when the mount fails? For this reason, to me a used LX200 is worth what the optical tube and accessories are worth; the rest is just a bonus.
I have a Meade LXD75 SN-6AT (6" f/5) Schmidt-Newtonian that I use for astrophotography. I did replace the craplastic 2" focuser with a GSO Crayford which I even modified for remote electronic focus, and it works well for my skill level. I believe you reviewed one perhaps a year or two ago? I also installed Bob's Knobs on the secondary, so collimation is now pretty straightforward--the original screws were literally a disaster. Too bad this is not a more common product because, in terms of the optical design, I believe they may be superior to a straight Newtonian.
@@petermetcher Yes, I did have to file out a larger hole to accept the draw tube, and I had to drill new bolt holes. This did involve removal of the Schmidt corrector plate to access the bolts,. At the same time, I removed the primary mirror to clean it and added a standard Synta-style finder mount. All-in-all, not really difficult to do, and the GSO focuser a significant improvement over the stock plastic one.
@@richardshagam8608 Thank you 😊 I appreciate the info. I have in mind to change the finder as well. But the first job is the focuser. The standard focuser seems to have a mind of its own!
Great info as usual. I have been looking to buy an ETX 80 (the kind that comes a backpack) because I would benefit from an auto tracking scope to share views with my family, but the reviews are scary mixed. Any advise on a reasonably priced telescope that would track a planet for me while my family takes turns to take a peek? Thanks for all you do for astronomy and those who aim to learn and enjoy this amazing hobby!
Hi Ed,I really like your overall review, my experience with 8 " sct same fusy corrector plate and 16" sct ,f 10. Specifically not to buy 16" lx200. A so called flagship with plastic gears in DEC , noisy RA gear and worst focouser image shift , mirror flip on lower altitude. Even at the time of box opening found secondary mirror lose enough if you turn OTA to 90° should fell off on the primary. I kept it for 4 years spends hundreds of nights mostly fixing, handling and maintenance of the equipment not its fruit.
The problem with those are the cheap alt-az mounts. As a general rule, if you see that slo-mo "bar" across the side of the tube, that is not a good sign.
Can I add where I'm coming from... well, the dreaded department store telescope (Space Navigator). Good thing that wasn't bought by me, was passed on from my brother in the UK. I saw the moon, and got the Skyview app, it got me interested enough to research more about telescopes, but it certainly isn't good for anything else. So aside from the Meade thing, options I looked at are this cheap F70076 or 76700 generic reflector, the SvBony brand, and a local distributor of Celestron telescopes (I saw your Firstscope review).So I guess the question is, is anything I said a good step up from a dept store scope? lol
I wonder what will be a good second telescope? I’m looking for a motorized model that can follow objects for long exposure photography. I have a full frame canon digital camera for this purpose already. My budget is around $1000. I’ll be looking forward your advice.
Hi. I was wondering if you could in the future do a video on diagonals. I am considering getting a 2 inch one for my 8 HD edge. I have seen various arguments for and against it and I am now unsure. There seems to be more opinions out there on scopes and eyepieces rather than diagonals. Thanks for the great videos.
hey Ed where can I find instructions for setting up and aligning the scope and computer? does the scope need to face a specific direction before you start or does it matter?
I'm sorry you feel so strongly about the 4400 not being a good scope. I got one at a good price and I'm having a great time with it. Even after all this time, the mirror is in great shape and those little eyepieces aren't so horrible. I did get an adapter that makes it possible to use the 1.25s. I had got this one as something to get me by as I waited for my Orion Starblast, (That never came) and for the Zhumel (That showed up with the worst focuser I have ever seen) I have to say, I think I could do worse for a first telescope, just saying. :P
Happy to hear the Meade 395 is 'To Buy' as I just acquired one. Although.. this refractor has a spider problem. Yep. A spider problem. As a spider managed to get past and in between the lenzes and has made a nice web there. Poor thing never got visitors, I'm afraid... 😢 But so it's there, dead, in the middle of it's web.
Not a fan of the Schmidt-Newtonians that Meade made. Our club had one and the front mirror assembly had come loose. Trying to get that back together and collimated was a study in extreme frustration.
I have ETX-60mm, ETX-90mm and ETX-125mm. The 60 was my first scope. My wife found it for 10 or 20 dollars at a garbage sale. It was untouched never been used. I was fortunate to read about the issues people had with them and have managed to keep it working and use it all the time without damaging the forks. The 125 was next. It was a basket case when I got it but the optics where VERY nice. It was hardly ever used but used hardly when it was...... Fixed all its maladies and it is a wonderful scope. The 90 I got from craigslist and paid too much for it but it was nearly new with no issues and it's a harder to find but sought after uhmc (?) coated scope.... All three have goto mounts and use the exact same accessories. I can mount my Canon T3i or any one of my SVBONY cameras to any one of them in a moments notice because the back cam port is the same thread on all of them. Was surprised you didn't even mention them. Or did I miss it?
Your ETX experiences are about normal. I have a well-documented troubled relationship with these scopes going back decades. Too much cheap plastic, inaccurate pointing systems, and long term reliability issues are prevalent. I use mine with planetary imagers on the moon. Deep sky, forget about it...
@@edting I'm not into deep sky anyway.... With that said, I have only been into astronomy and astrophotography for about a year. My experience talking to other ETX owners has been interesting in that some figured these scopes out right from the beginning and didn't break anything and were very happy with them. They all bought the scopes new and read the entire manual, eventually. The accuracy problem is one of two things. Either misuse and abuse and lack of maintenance have physically damaged the scope causing inaccuracy OR not using the scopes in what I like to call "the right way".... There are several configuration and fine tuning steps that need to be taken on a semi regular basis. And the sync function along with polar alignment with the wedge are crucial to get these scopes to accurately FIND objects and land them in the center of the eyepiece. But the tracking on all three of mine have been flawless. ONCE dialed in. So I will agree they can be a pain if you don't take the set up seriously. But if I spend about 30 minutes ahead of time getting ready, it's a great way to go. And while I'm no expert I think the optics are pretty good. An ETX-125EC can be found in great shape with all the extras for 500 bucks. Ita not great for nebulas. But its GREAT for Jupiter and its moons and Saturn and its moons and rings. Anyway I just found you not too long ago. I really value your advice. I can't say how the ETX scopes match up to others, I just like them a lot. Thank you for replying.
I've got an even earlier Meade LX10 8", bought used a few months ago. While the mount is cosmetically challenged with some flaking paint from a lifetime in a homemade observatory, and the mechanics had to be nursed back into service, once cleaned and well collimated the optics are excellent.
I bought a Meade 8" LX10 in the late 90's and still use it. It's heavy but the optics are good.
I have Meade ETX90 ('classic' version from the late '90, excellent optics) that I recently deforked and mounted on SkyWatcher AZ GTi mount, this is great lightweight travel combo
I have this OTA. It's razor sharp on Moon and Gas Giants but that's about it for this aperture. I tried F/6.3 reducer on it for DSOs but it vignettes terribly in this configuration due to small size of baffle. Another dreadful thing are grub screws on focuser and mirror flip which became loose over time - they're all imperial sizes which is a bit if an issue here to replace. All in all great little Grab'n'Go and AZ GTi loves it's low weight :-)
Oh and LX90 8" ACF I got used few months ago.... what a scope. After careful collimation it's very sharp too :-) Unfortunately the mount starts to show it's age as it's bit outdated compared to i.e. SW with their USB ports, direct access to controllers from ASCOM, stepper motors etc. But for visual use it is a breeze to setup thanks to built in GPS and functionality of Audiostar. I just wish Meade were still around and innovating.
I’m new to the hobby. I am happy to see my Meade 4500 is on the good side of your list! Found it for $60. I have been using the equatorial mount all wrong. Can’t wait to use it the correct way.
I like to listen to Ed at bedtime. These are my bedtime stories
I love the buy this not that series! Please keep them coming!
Hmm, I have a Meade Adventure Scope 80 at f/5 that I use with a photo tripod, and I am satisfied with it. That is after chucking all the accessories that it came with (Diagonal, EPs, Tripod, Dovetail, but kept the backpack and red dot finder ). I would say it's about two steps up from a spotting scope, but as long as I don't push it too hard it gives some decent views in light polluted LA county, and is great for quick peeks at the moon, and some other brighter objects. Would I recommend it, maybe for the OTA only, and as something to travel with and not worry too much about it getting beat up. It really is only for beginner casual observing. My two cents.
I have it too, it is a good sleeper telescope
Hi Ed, I own a10 Inch Meade Starfinder with the Sonotube, I changed the focuser to a Parks one, added a Telrad and a 9X50 finderscope to it, This telescope has given me all kinds of pleasure over the past 20 plus years, it has great optics and I have seen over 1,500 objects with it. Yes, i agree, the mounting straps suck. but other than that issue, I have no complaints about it. Bob, A very happy Starfinder Owner.
Hi Ed! I've enjoyed your reviews for many years and now am so happy to see your YT videos. On the topic of Meade telescopes, I can add that years ago I bought a new 10" LX5 SCT, and for years it was my favourite for planetary views. Mars showed wonderful details especially, which I drew in my log book. Unfortunately the fork mount gave out and I sent it in to Meade for replacement. Then around 2003 I noticed that the corrector plate coatings were starting to form something like tiny bubbles in places. I ended up giving the telescope to a friend to use, as the views were still usable at that point, and I moved on to a C-11 after my observatory was built. :) I also have older SP C-8, new orange SE C-8 and C-6, plus a white C5+ and single fork mt.
Nice to hear your telescope journey. We often refer to our lives in terms of our scopes. We talk about "The LX200 years" or the "CG-5 years".
I've had a 12.5 inch Meade Starfinder Dob for about 20 years now. I have made into a very enjoyable telescope by basically rebuilding it from the ground up. I still am using the sonotube and it has the same optics but nearly everything else has either been rebuilt or replaced. If you don't mind a project, you CAN make one of these scopes enjoyable to use with some upgrades. And I get lots of oohs and aaahs from the public when I am deep sky viewing with this thing.
I bought my Meade 8” model 2080 back in 1981 shortly after its release and the telescope is in perfect shape after 40 years. The mirrors and corrector lens never have needed anything but cleaning from time to time. The drive works perfectly. It is very well designed and has robust construction. It’s just a matter of treat it as the delicate, precise instrument it is.
Still have my 10in. Meade LXD55 Schmidt/Newt from 20 years ago. Other than a runaway motor, which Meade fixed, it's still working great.. as of a few years ago when I set it up last. Although I probably need a Autostar update. Love the optical tube and UHTC lens coating.
I recently bought a Meade Polaris 130EQ 5" reflector. Unsure if it has a spherical mirror but based on the star tests I've done it looks like I got lucky with a parabolic mirror. This is my reentry into amateur astronomy after 15 years away. My last scope was a Meade ETX-90 which I kind of regret selling. While I've only had the scope a few weeks, I've upgraded the weak EQ2 mount to a Celestron CG4, added a complete set of Plossl eyepieces and had my first accidental collimation experience by finding the factory collimation was way off and spent 3 hours getting it into collimation. The following evening I found 4 Messier objects and split Polaris.
I don't know if this was a good choice but it is simple, portable and I always wanted a classic equatorial reflector. I'm old school and would love to own one of the older Meade reflectors. I remember those ads in the magazines and catalogs and thought it would be awesome to own one.
So my entire Meade experience is two scopes out of the three I ever owned. While I saw Andromeda for the first time with the ETX-90, I am liking the simple reflector so far. So as a sample of two, the Polaris is my favorite Meade scope because it is the only one I own and the ETX-90 I didn't have long enough to develop a proper opinion.
The first reflector I built has a Meade Research grade 10" f6 mirror with an Antares diagonal and a JMI reverse crayford focuser. I still have it and drag it out of the garage when I'm not using one of my others (Meade LX200 emc 10, Celestron 130, Skywatcher 80mm x 500mm semi apo, or others). That homebuilt 10" Dob, as ugly as it is, gives fantastic, simple viewing and is still a favorite of mine! Keep up the good work, Ed! Clear skies! /Dave
My ETX-125 mount gave trouble from day 1, 20 years ago. Finally binned the mount a couple of years back and the great OTA is now on a big manfrotto photo tripod/geared head while I save for an EQ6-R (or equivalent) mount.
Another great video. I have enjoyed your postings even long before your videos!
I will add a small caveat to your Starfinder review. I agree 100% that pretty much every add on is junk: focuser, finder, and those awful straps for the GEM mount.. which is pretty poor itself. That said, my SF 8" is optically my benchmark. Maybe I just got lucky, but if I had to choose I'd keep the SF over my Edge 8".
Granted most people aren't going to buy a scope only to gut it, but for those DIYers who find one cheap it could make a very worthwhile project. I paid less than $150 for mine 15 years ago. It now rides on my Losmandy mount, has a new focuser, finder, and added coma corrector (same tube, although it has been "finished" both inside and out) and it consistently produces outstanding AP images (the scope part, not my processing!)
Also, and maybe this does not matter, but I have handwritten test results of the focal length (in inches) on the back of the primary. I don't know many optics that get attention by hand before heading out the door these days. The only other I have is a Star Instruments 6" rich field made in the late 70s, also a superb scope.
BTW, the coatings on both these scope are still excellent.
I rediscovered my love for astronomy with my Infinity 102 alt-az mounted achromatic refractor. Now using an ETX125 and suffering from aperture fever. Saving up for a 16" Lightbridge...
My favorite meade telescope is the ETX 125 observer. None of the issues i always hear people complaining about are present here. No wandering secondary baffle, no suspect goto accuracy, no crappy tracking... all is good here. Is there a lot of plastic? Well, there is less than there used to be and the scopes are so well made that the plastic that is there is fine and helps keep the weight down. I love the Audiostar and quality of the razer sharp high contrast images and that metal flaked lazer blue paint job is stunning. Also, the accesories that came with the scope are excellent, including two super plossl eyepieces and a handy compass/ bubble level.. It's a showpiece telescope undeserving of the ETX's notoriously bad reputation...
I have a Meade 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegraine LX-200 Classic. I'm happy with it except for 2 issues: 1) no upgrade is available for the electronics. The hand controllers frequently malfunction and it's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find a replacement, 2) The motors are very noisy, especially at faster slew rates. My neighbor's houses are very close to mine, and there's nothing like a loud telescope to wake up the light sleepers.
Thank you for the informative video!!
I just recently de-forked a 12” classic SCT.
It also has a heavy metal weight behind the mirror that I removed.
My first telescope was a Meade. It was the Meade Polaris 90 achromat refractor. I actually still have it 5 years later. Not a fancy scope and both my 5 inch mak and C9 go further, but it's light and very easy to use compared to even the mak. It's because of how great and super easy that scope has been that I am interested in owning a 4 inch Skywatcher doublet apo some day.
Thanks for the info ED. I have an old 10" LX200 made in 1993 that I got in 98. Came with the very limited 750 object data base but I did order the new ROMs to bring it up to the better specs. Then I managed to acquire the 3.34 version board and hand controller for 150 bucks. This is the 18 volt versions which I always use 12 volts so no cap burns outs. I still use this scope to this day and has worked pretty darn good for something 28 years old. Shows no signs of oxidation so a bonus there. I do take it apart an re-grease the gears/bearings every few years.
I had the Meade 8inch SCT and they have been a good scope giving good images which a sharp and clear. 30 years later I have Meade's 8 inch ACF SCT in white and it is a great scope and not to heavy. Loved your video.
Purchased (closer to stole) a Meade ETX125-AT brand new for $350 delivered about ten years ago. You may remember that these went for around $1000 back then. I have since modified the scope to have a "permanent equatorial wedge" that I designed, a remote focuser and wireless goto capability. The funny thing was that I wasn't looking to buy a telescope at the time, but there were only two left in stock and the price was irresistible. Everything still works fine on it, but the tracking mechanism isn't the most rugged, so someday I may need to attach a dovetail and mount it on a GEM. But the optics are quite good and it is very portable, so I will not be getting rid of it any time soon.
You know, those 125s were/are decent!
@@edting Yes, I was sort of surprised that you didn't mention them in your video. I also have a mint condition Celestron C8+ with the Byers worm drive and an Orion ED80T-CF mounted on a ES EXOS2-GT w/PMC8. I am looking to make the C8+ into a goto using an OnStep unit I assembled, but the Dec axis is a pain on these fork mounts. Any Ideas?
I have a Meade 395 refractor, plus a 4400 and 4501 that I've switched the focuser tops to 1.25".
I picked up a Meade 127ED made in 1992 with the LXD 600 mount on March 13 of this year, I couldn’t be happier with the optics and the 1697 goto EQ mount.The original owner bought it new and took very good care of it. It has been a nice complement to my 8 inch LX 90 Schmidt Cassegrain.
I remember going in to Meades little shop in Costa Mesa with my Mom in the mid 70’s and getting their 8x50 finder for my Criterion RV-6 Newtonian. They didn’t have much back then but boy that 8x50 finder was a dream come true in those days lol.
I bought a 4500 OTA from the outlet store for $50 about 15 years ago. I didn't expect much, but thought it would be a fun banger project - and it was. The image was astigmatic, but in an intriguing way - it was exactly the same in and out of focus, just 90 degrees rotated. This told me it had a good primary but a warped secondary. I replaced the secondary with an Antares. The transformation was mind-boggling. It made absolutely perfect images. That may be the most perfect mirror I've ever seen, and that includes my 10" Royce. I had a view of the Moon one night that was like being in orbit. I'm sure that scope could give a $4000 4" Tak a run for its money. I gave it away to a friend - something I often regret :) I sure got my $50 out of it!
There's a full electronics upgrade you can buy from a private source. You have to take the motors out and send them in and he calibrates them. Simple internal upgrade took me about an hour to modify. Works with an Autostar II once upgraded and is 12 v. I did miss the higher speed of the 18 v. On Yahoo groups.
So unbelievably beautiful!
I love the ETX 125 after a Wegat modification. The Lightbridge was my first table top Dobsonian so it’s sentimental. It was practical during the earliest years of raising my daughter when on the rare occasions I could escape... it was fast. I passed up a Unitron years ago in a flea market lol. I had no idea they were tied to Meade. The last Meade purchase I made was an LX-85 mount. Big mistake. There were no working ASCOM drivers and the aux port is wired backwards. It’s really sub par. That was the nail in the coffin. Thanks for all your time and knowledge. I really value your opinions. Clear skies.
I just picked one up on EBay for $340. the autostar is said to have a connection issue but I’m guessing it’s an issue with the cable itself. Was that a good buy? Planning on selling the ETX 90EC I got for the same price.
Im new to the star gazer's community and have 4500 bought it still brand new in the box for $80! However trying to find a support group in the my area (Detroit)! Hopefully be able to do so soon. Super glad to know it's on thelist.
I have an LX200 10" SCT. The electronics were 18v. It was very noisy. I got an all new iOptron CEM 60 mount so I de-forked my 10" OTA and put a dovetail bar on it. It fits nicely on my CEM 60 now. I will probably use it just for visual purposes.
I don't think they are made now, but in the absolutely "Buy!" category is the HD60 series of eyepieces. I have a whole slew of $300 ultrawides from 40mm down to 4.7mm and they never get used any more. The comfort and sharpness of the HD60s is absolutely outstanding. They are light weight and nearly parfocal. They remind me of orthoscopics but with a 60 degree field of view. Most comfortable eyepieces ever! I've heard they are similar to the Televue Radians. OK enough Meade praise! Like you, I lusted over that 10" on the GEM and that is still my ideal!
The ETX125 had a big problem with slipping clutches. I took mine apart and found gear grease on the clutch plate. After cleaning and only adding a minimal amount of grease to the gears, it worked fine for a few months and then I had to repeat the cleaning again. When I was researching this problem, I found out it was a common issue with these Meade ETX scopes. Unfortunately, it turned me off to Meade products.
Just thought to mention the the current Meade top of the line ACF telescope OTAs are available in two versions f/8 and f/10. There is far more than just a focal length change between these two versions. f/8 versions are the way to go. They've eliminated mirror flop by changing the primary mirror to ride on 3.5" bearings instead of floating it on grease. It more has an internal 10:1 crayford with a 7:1 two speed control.
Most important is that they are RC hybrid with a hyperbolic secondary, a spherical primary and a Schott Glass corrector c that is not a Schmidt corrector but a special design that converts the primary to function more like a hyperbolic. Amazing difference in flat field and focusing
For those looking for me automation you should mention LX600 (fork) and Lx850 (EQ) systems. Lx600 the OTA comes off the forks making it much easier to transport and set up. Builtin autoguiding and plate solving make these ideal for those looking to get into astrophotography. Especially the fork mount which is nice for visual in Alt-az mode. I was very impressed by the F/8 being so much better than the F/10 which has none of these changes, just an oversized primary.
Need an update!
My 10" 2120 LX is a very good ota. The old mechanicals died long ago so it now has an EQ6-R.
Fortunately, I bought an ETX 120 that was made with quality and not the ones that was made after they tried to cut cost. When I first went to look at it, it was very well taken care of over the years and the owner had upgraded to a $10K Obsession telescope. So he decided to sell this one to me for a price I could not refuse. Everything about is like new and the quality reminds me of an high end camera equipment from the 80's and 90's. Even came with a dual controller and the RAM mount for cellphone that came off of a sold motorcycle attaches perfectly onto the tripod leg and I don't have to hold it in my hands. So far, have not taken it out on a tour but will see how it fares.
G'day Ed, thanks for the videos. I've just purchased my first Meade, a 127mm series 5000 Apo triplet refractor. I haven't had a good chance to use it yet but it looks a beauty. Keep up the good work!
The only Meade scopes I've had are a DS-114 (don't buy; ok to take if free and plan on buying decent eyepieces) and a 10" LX200 Schmidt Cassegrain. I love the LX200 but an 8" would be far easier to move around. The 8" OTA weighs about half of the 10".
Thanks for the lesson on Meade reflectors. I have a 6" Cave Astrola that looks very much like the Meade reflectors and assumeg that you had some very nice Caves.
Thanks Ed for this roundup. I don't intend to buy any more Meade telescopes (have a Bresser branded 150mm achro) other than maaaybe an LX200, but this video brings back memories of when I used to pore over the Meade ads in Sky and Telescope and Astronomy, a couple decades ago.
Thanks for the comment. It was hard to try to compress almost 50 years worth of Meade history in 15 minutes!
Hi. Do you own the 150/1200 achro? I'm really interested in that scope for planetary and double stars. Is it worth the money? Is the performance good? Thank You
I've written about that scope in scopereviews. The most important part of that scope is the mount. This is a heavy OTA at nearly 20 lbs. Usually they sell them on mid-sized mounts mounts like the AVX, which are getting a little unsteady with this amount of weight on them.
My first 'real scope' (had a Tasco as a kid) a Meade LT6 ACF bought used a year ago - AZ mount died a few days later - tried to fix it but lack of spares curtailed that - Now happily sitting on a Vixen SXD2 Equatorial Mount - The scope has great optics and solid construction. This one is not made in China but Mexico not sure thats better ? So must have some age to it.
I have several Meade scopes. The one's I would buy again are: the ETX90RA, Meade 10"SN, and Meade 10"SCT. My friend had the 10" Research Series Newtonian and it was excellent. I also had the DS16 which as you mentioned, removed the optics and downsized the secondary to 3.1". The primary was good but not great. The Meade SN came undermounted but my sample has very good optics. I have a Meade 6' f5 Newtonian, 6600 series I think. Meade also made the worst optics I have looked through in a mid 90's 16' SCT. It would not achieve focus no matter what. If I could only have one it would be the 10" SCT as it has the best SCT optics I have used similar to what you also state.
The Cline Observatory where I volunteer for weekly public viewing sessions has had three telescopes in the dome since 1997. The first was a 16" Meade SCT. Being essentially a bigger version of the smaller SCTs, it had mirror-based focus, a lot of image shift, and it was unreliable and Meade's customer service didn't support it. So it was replaced with a 16" RCT which worked fine for a while, and now it has a 24" Planewave CDK. We had also used 8" SCTs on piers at some point, we have one of those 8" SCTs which we use for solar viewing, and we got rid of the piers and use skywatcher 8" dobs and a CPC800 now. I've only been volunteering since 2017 of course so i wasn't there for all those changes.
A 24" Plannewave, nice! Philips-Exeter near here has one of those.
I have the following Meade scopes, etx90 goto, great optics but like plenty of other etx90’s, the mount was junk after a couple of years. I put the OTA onto a non goto etx mount-now a nice little scope. ETX125, same as the 90, great optics let down by poor quality electronics. I will get around to de-forking It, one day! Two de-forked 7” Maks, both with the dinner gongs removed! Lovely scopes! Both have been fitted with aftermarket focusers to eliminate mirror image shift. My favourite lunar/planetary and double star scopes. Last, and by no means least, an 8” LX10 that runs off a 9V battery. I got this back in the spring of 2019. It was sitting on the “for sale” section of an online used Astro website for ages. It came with all of the original packaging/owners manual etc..it’s hard to believe that this scope is over 25 years old, the previous owner kept it immaculate. Only tried it under the stars a couple of times. Optics seem to be very promising. A lot of scope for less than half the price of some eyepieces. Anyway, thanks for the tips and advice-keep up the good work.
Excellent video, thanks. I bought a de-forked Meade 2080 last year. Judging by its serial number, it was manufactured in 1995. I have it mounted on a Vixen GP mount with simple Dec and RA motors. It's been a very good performer so far. One upgrade it needed was a GSO Crayford focuser which negated the previous noticeable image shift when focusing.
Nice to hear about your repurposed 2080!
Favorite: 14" LX200 GPS/SMT. Permanently installed, this one is my work horse.
Least favorite: 8" LX5 - SN8. Mechanically it was sound but optically ... it was so so bad.
I just got an old Meade model 4600 on an equatorial mount... I got it for free and it looks to be in good condition 👌 free is always the best price 👌
Hi Ed, I'm so happy about what you said in regards to Meade's 8inch Schmitt Casagrains. I guess I just got lucky when I brought my LX90 2 years ago. It had only been used a couple of times and the owner gave up. After he died his wife finally sold it. It came with a wedge and loads of extras. I've been so happy with it.
I have the 127ED and I apparently got one of the good ones. I had read your articles so I knew what to look for. Mine is extremely sharp and I even saw a smudge of a detail on Ganymede (confirmed later). My copy of the mount works flawlessly, in fact I bought the scope mostly for the incredibly robust mount, sufficient for my 10" Newtonian. That the scope was so excellent was a bonus. I paid only $1600 for both. I would not even consider selling either one.
I have a 4500 I bought back in the late 90's. I'd hate to say how much I paid for it back then, especially considering what they go for now.
The biggest problem I had was with the tripod leg bracing/accessory tray support. They used these cheap plastic screw-on mounts that would break every time it moved. I finally figured out how to replace them with metal hinges from Home Depot that worked a treat. I'd really like to upgrade to a larger OTA but use the same GEM mount and tripod.
I own a Meade 7" Maksutov on a Lx200... It's a beautiful instrument. It's old school but it still holds up. I compared it to the latest model of Skywatcher. Can't say I saw a real difference. If there is something to say about it it's indeed the weight. Mine still has it in. Cool down time increases but if you take account for that it's not a really big issue. Overall a lovely instrument.
The Tasco 4.5” “Space Station” reflector scope (received as a gift) actually has okay optics and 1.25” focuser. The mount is junk though. Upgraded to an 8” SCT now.
I have a Meade ETX 125 that I bought a few years ago and it has great optics. I also have an old Meade 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain that I think is the 2080 model. I have de-forked that OTA and I'm getting ready to put it on a modern goto equatorial mount.
Thanks Ed Ting, I just wanted to double check on this model. 👍
clear skies Ed !
Thanks!
Great video. Worth mentioning is portability factor. If the buyer expects to set up/ break down or transport the telescope for viewing sessions, the Meade 10" fork mount SCTs really push the limits. For one person, safely mounting the 10" LX200 on a wedge is daunting and a mounting plate with guide pins is highly recommended for alt-az orientation.
Also, for decent tracking you should get a counterweight system to balance them and reduce the load on the drive train.
The 8" scopes are much easier to handle and consequently tend to see much more use. Many 10" Meade SCTs spend most of their lives in a box for this singular reason. Fantastic optics in any of the UHTC or newer versions, but keep weight in mind. The 8" might be a better choice.
I have a 10" LX200 and agree 100%. Fortunately I have the mounting plate/eyepiece holder with locating pins and it really helps.
@@David-hm9ic have you used a wedge for astrophotography?
I also find the standard field tripod is ok for visual use but with the wedge you're better off with the "giant" field tripod. The old version of the giant was too tall. Thr later short version sold with larger scopes is better.
I wanted a Meade SCT for years while I was in college, when I was finally able to afford one I bought a Celestron.
🤣🤣🤣
lololol. For some reason I never seriously considered Meade. I wanted a Celestron for a long time, checked out Meade, but the Nexstar line was the way for me.
I recently got a Meade Series 6000 70mm Quadruplet astrograph and I am loving it! The stock tube rings and dovetail aren't the best (especially the tube rings). I picked up some tube rings meant for the stellarvue sv70t and they provide much more stability than the stock tube rings. The optics are great for the price and outclass my Skywatcher evostar 80 for sure. I was a bit nervous going with Meade for my astrophotography needs but I'm glad that I stumbled across a good scope for the price. Thanks for making this video! Meade definitely isn't the best choice in 2021 even with my experience.
Excellent informative video. The commentary and opinions are great, as always. You should be a consultant for the new Meade/Tasco as you would be an excellent fit. And n asset to the company's direction. Not only for product engineering and development, but your marketing savvy as well. With your many years of experience, you'd be the face of the next generation Meade. Keep-up the great work Ed.
My first telescope was a rare Meade bird, 4" SCT on a small German equatorial (model 1037). It was pre-fork mount, and the optics are pretty good, so maybe those early ones were better? I think it was the smallest 'scope at Texas Star Party three years running. Thanks for the great reviews, Ed.
I have recently (since Christmas) started in astronomy. I was wondering if you would review a telescope. It's the Galileo G80095 with the cell phone adaptor. I got it as a present. And, of course now I want a better scope. Was really wondering what your thoughts would be.
Had a Meade US made 10 inch sct it was fantastic 85mm obstruction or 33% total from memory. I recently sold my 130TS triplet(better optically than the TS 115 for sure mine was) also fantastic as looking for something else now..
The 10" Meade was easily as sharp as my 7 inch skywatcher Mak and that was fabulous as well but totally smashed in light gathering by the 10", though globs looked great at a dark sky site with only 7".
The one I wished I hadnt sold the most is the 10" Meade, it did everything . A C925 I have now seems as good allround hard to remember to compare though..Have to stop this selling buying caper ..full of sellers remorse...the newer etx125 was just OK optically looked just 1/4 wave the older US ones were great..my most recommended cheaper scope is a C6 for the budget minded its very good
What aperture does one need to really start to make serious gains in advanced astronomy? Ive only had a Dob 12 inch years ago and im looking to get serious again. Do you recommend a 10, 20,30 inch or more? and a reflector, refractor, or other?
I have a Meade 6000 series 115mm apo and it is fantastic, and a great size at only 12 pounds. My only complaint is that Meade advertised a 3' field flattener for the series (now discontinued) but it does not fit on the newest 6000 series, which I learned the hard way. That said, the 3rd party Hotech field flattener, Astrotech .8 reducer/flattener, and Starizona Apex .65 reducer/flattener all work great on it, making it an extremely versatile astrophotography telescope for even a lighter mount like the LX85.
Thanks for the info on field flatteners. I'm going to check those out.
I noticed that you didn't mention the LX100. I have had one for over 20 years and still love it. Do you have any experience or opinion?
Hi Ed, thanks for sharing. I'm new to the hobby and want to delve deeper into astrophotography. I recently found a Meade 115 EDT, almost new, listed for about $700. The price is very good, but is this telescope suitable for deep-sky photography, how does it perform as a visual telescope?
What’s better, the Schmidt or Mak for planets?
I had a 10" LX200 back in the 90's, well it was my fathers... Unfortunately the electronics all went to crap on them and the mirrors were slightly out of alignment or something over time, it just could never get good focus. Ended up selling it for like 600 bucks and regret that I ever did that. I should have joined a club and figured out how to fix it.
Any advice on a bare body Meade 8" f/6.3 1280mm FL Wide-Field Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope? Buy or pass?
My family bought my Meade 6” LX85 Maksutov for me as a gift. My focuser gives me trouble.
Hi. Great advice. Interested in learning about the 2022 version of the Orion Skyline XT8 but not finding anything via Google. Can you perhaps point me to where I might find relevant information/description/etc Thanks
What do you think of the new Meade "ACF" reflectors? Thinking about getting a 14-inch tube to replace an old 12-inch LX200. Are the optics actually better?
At the very start of the pandemic lockdown, I got a Meade 90mm f/6.7 Infinity doublet to use at home. I was really impressed at what you get for only $200 (solid tripod, OK eyepieces, inverting diagonal, red dot finder).
The ACF is a modest improvement over the old optics and may be most noticeable during imaging. It's a similar situation with Celestron's Edge series. If you do decide to go for it, make sure you have a mount big enough to hold the OTA.
Happen to have a Like-new Meade 16in Starfinder EQ. It's complete, looks great, mirror is flawless, etc. It's huge, but it's a cool thing to have! I also have the older version 12.5 newt, but its not the research grade :(
Just got lucky in picking up a vixen gpdx with an old lx200 that was purchased in the states. Has the old skysensor 2000, currently waiting for an eq5 goto kit for the mount. All in all I paid £550 for the scope, mount and goto kit which will be brand new. Hoping to do some astrophotography with it but expecting to only use it for planetary.
How does my ETX-70 rate? Will it be a good 'first 'scope'? Any good for astrophotography?
Thanks for this video! I have a late 90's Meade ETX-90 which is excellent. I've deforked it very quickly and I've been using it for 20 years on an equatorial mount. It's one of my first instruments and I'll keep it for the rest of my life, although I've switched to several Takahashi telescopes since then. I was also given a 10-inch LX200, but I'm having a hard time adjusting it. It has an enormous shifting which complicates the collimation. Do you have any links to recommend me for disassembly and maintenance of the Meade LX200, for example a tutorial on TH-cam or an article with photos?
The Starfinder straps won't spring back at you. They are not elastic straps. I've owned many meade sct's and the optics were never as good as celestron. The reflectors though were pretty good.
I got to look through a Meade LX200 16" once. Globular clusters take on an amazing character at that FL (4064mm)
I just found an AS ( Adventure Scope) 80 refractor locally for $75.00 . its going to be a guide scope mostly on my Celestron 150 Omni XLT newt. on an AVX . :)
Hi Ed, I just discovered you're on TH-cam. John H here. I've moved from MA to NH, not as far as Todd moving MA to UT, I guess. I miss the days of buying/selling/trading Travelers with Todd, transacting a deal with you in a parking lot in NH, and seeing you swing by to ogle the ARIES 254mm triplet to show at my first NEAF, and I ended up outside in the tent, with the upside to that being that the NEAF blems were out there also. Ahhh, the good old days. A guy flew up from Houston to take the 254mm triplet home, and I'm down from 3 Travelers at the peak (for 2001 eclipse) to just the very best/last one from Todd when he moved on to bigger things. Actually, it's the second time I've owned that one, the first time he wouldn't sell it to me without an option to buy it back 1-2 years later. Which he did.
Regarding Meade, my first LX200 was the 7" Mak, which I regret selling around 1996. A year or two later, I bought a 10" f/6.3 LX200, which is now stored at my business, 20+ years after I heard a popping noise, probably the usual capacitor problem. An LX200 makes a nice manual alt-az mount if you don't bother fixing the electronics!
Good to hear from you again, John!
Who else is an SN6 fan?
Remember when Meade had a blowout sale for $200? Most underrated and versatile IF you can keep it collimated.
Charles, i am a SN 10 fan!!!. love it, but the mount is sloppy. Working on it to keep it sharp.
Looking to buy my first telescope, looking to buy either the Meade lx125 or the celestron nexstar 6se, do you have any recommendations or suggestions?
Ed. Surely over the years you have sern some innovative and good amateur made scopes. I have built many Newtonians and taught mirror making in college. Would love a review from you on my current project.
I bought 2 Newtonian hand made scopes from a rummage sale. They are both 6 or 6.5 inch mirrors with 7" tubes that are 5 feet long.
They seem really nice. I cannot believe how bright and pinpoint sharp everything is through them.
I've always wanted to grind a mirror and build a huge Dobsonian....
I build precision CNC equipment and I have a pretty good idea how to grind my mirror using a computer to get it any shape I want.
Maybe you could give me some pointers about what to watch for as I start in on a fairly expensive piece of unreplacable glass?
I bought a Meade ETX 125 to view Comet Hale Bopp. I do not know if these scopes are considered desirable or not? Do you have an opinion?
I can't find any sct parts at all, I was thinking of building another refractor or a sct but finding any optics for them seems to be impossible, I haven't found a single primary for sale used or otherwise.
What do you think about the iOptron 200mm F/8?
I'm thinking of buying a meade lx-200 with a film back camera and 3 hard cases of various eye pieces, filters, etc. It appears to be a classic and so says everything works. When I go look at it, other than looking for corrosion on the mirror, what should I be looking for?
It is impossible to tell without seeing the scope in person. The issue is the mount. Buying older LX200s is a gamble. They can (and do) fail without warning. I always tell people, what will you do if/when the mount fails? For this reason, to me a used LX200 is worth what the optical tube and accessories are worth; the rest is just a bonus.
I have a Meade LXD75 SN-6AT (6" f/5) Schmidt-Newtonian that I use for astrophotography. I did replace the craplastic 2" focuser with a GSO Crayford which I even modified for remote electronic focus, and it works well for my skill level. I believe you reviewed one perhaps a year or two ago? I also installed Bob's Knobs on the secondary, so collimation is now pretty straightforward--the original screws were literally a disaster. Too bad this is not a more common product because, in terms of the optical design, I believe they may be superior to a straight Newtonian.
Hi Richard,
I have an LXD75 SN10, which I want to replace the focuser. Did the tube on your scope need any modification to fit the GSO unit?
@@petermetcher Yes, I did have to file out a larger hole to accept the draw tube, and I had to drill new bolt holes. This did involve removal of the Schmidt corrector plate to access the bolts,. At the same time, I removed the primary mirror to clean it and added a standard Synta-style finder mount. All-in-all, not really difficult to do, and the GSO focuser a significant improvement over the stock plastic one.
@@richardshagam8608 Thank you 😊 I appreciate the info. I have in mind to change the finder as well. But the first job is the focuser. The standard focuser seems to have a mind of its own!
Great info as usual. I have been looking to buy an ETX 80 (the kind that comes a backpack) because I would benefit from an auto tracking scope to share views with my family, but the reviews are scary mixed. Any advise on a reasonably priced telescope that would track a planet for me while my family takes turns to take a peek? Thanks for all you do for astronomy and those who aim to learn and enjoy this amazing hobby!
Do they have a 10" F/6.3 ACF coating meade SCT? That would be a pretty good scope id imagine.
My least favorite meade is the lightswitch.
Hi Ed,I really like your overall review, my experience with 8 " sct same fusy corrector plate and 16" sct ,f 10. Specifically not to buy 16" lx200. A so called flagship with plastic gears in DEC , noisy RA gear and worst focouser image shift , mirror flip on lower altitude. Even at the time of box opening found secondary mirror lose enough if you turn OTA to 90° should fell off on the primary. I kept it for 4 years spends hundreds of nights mostly fixing, handling and maintenance of the equipment not its fruit.
Thanks for the anecdote, sorry about your problems. I saw some similar issues with one of the big RCXs a few years back.
I saw Meade Eclipseview as the most available model of this brand in my local area (Philippines), online. Are those OK as first-time telescopes?
The problem with those are the cheap alt-az mounts. As a general rule, if you see that slo-mo "bar" across the side of the tube, that is not a good sign.
Got that. Thanks
Can I add where I'm coming from... well, the dreaded department store telescope (Space Navigator). Good thing that wasn't bought by me, was passed on from my brother in the UK. I saw the moon, and got the Skyview app, it got me interested enough to research more about telescopes, but it certainly isn't good for anything else. So aside from the Meade thing, options I looked at are this cheap F70076 or 76700 generic reflector, the SvBony brand, and a local distributor of Celestron telescopes (I saw your Firstscope review).So I guess the question is, is anything I said a good step up from a dept store scope? lol
I wonder what will be a good second telescope? I’m looking for a motorized model that can follow objects for long exposure photography. I have a full frame canon digital camera for this purpose already. My budget is around $1000. I’ll be looking forward your advice.
Hi. I was wondering if you could in the future do a video on diagonals. I am considering getting a 2 inch one for my 8 HD edge. I have seen various arguments for and against it and I am now unsure. There seems to be more opinions out there on scopes and eyepieces rather than diagonals. Thanks for the great videos.
hey Ed where can I find instructions for setting up and aligning the scope and computer? does the scope need to face a specific direction before you start or does it matter?
I'm sorry you feel so strongly about the 4400 not being a good scope. I got one at a good price and I'm having a great time with it. Even after all this time, the mirror is in great shape and those little eyepieces aren't so horrible. I did get an adapter that makes it possible to use the 1.25s. I had got this one as something to get me by as I waited for my Orion Starblast, (That never came) and for the Zhumel (That showed up with the worst focuser I have ever seen) I have to say, I think I could do worse for a first telescope, just saying. :P
Happy to hear the Meade 395 is 'To Buy' as I just acquired one. Although.. this refractor has a spider problem. Yep. A spider problem. As a spider managed to get past and in between the lenzes and has made a nice web there. Poor thing never got visitors, I'm afraid... 😢 But so it's there, dead, in the middle of it's web.
That happens all the time…
Not a fan of the Schmidt-Newtonians that Meade made. Our club had one and the front mirror assembly had come loose. Trying to get that back together and collimated was a study in extreme frustration.
George Dudash and Associates will replace your Meade Classic Electronics (LX200 Autostar), but it's not a cheap swapout.
Thanks for that info!
I have ETX-60mm, ETX-90mm and ETX-125mm.
The 60 was my first scope. My wife found it for 10 or 20 dollars at a garbage sale. It was untouched never been used. I was fortunate to read about the issues people had with them and have managed to keep it working and use it all the time without damaging the forks.
The 125 was next. It was a basket case when I got it but the optics where VERY nice. It was hardly ever used but used hardly when it was......
Fixed all its maladies and it is a wonderful scope.
The 90 I got from craigslist and paid too much for it but it was nearly new with no issues and it's a harder to find but sought after uhmc (?) coated scope....
All three have goto mounts and use the exact same accessories.
I can mount my Canon T3i or any one of my SVBONY cameras to any one of them in a moments notice because the back cam port is the same thread on all of them.
Was surprised you didn't even mention them.
Or did I miss it?
Your ETX experiences are about normal. I have a well-documented troubled relationship with these scopes going back decades. Too much cheap plastic, inaccurate pointing systems, and long term reliability issues are prevalent. I use mine with planetary imagers on the moon. Deep sky, forget about it...
@@edting I'm not into deep sky anyway....
With that said, I have only been into astronomy and astrophotography for about a year.
My experience talking to other ETX owners has been interesting in that some figured these scopes out right from the beginning and didn't break anything and were very happy with them. They all bought the scopes new and read the entire manual, eventually.
The accuracy problem is one of two things. Either misuse and abuse and lack of maintenance have physically damaged the scope causing inaccuracy OR not using the scopes in what I like to call "the right way"....
There are several configuration and fine tuning steps that need to be taken on a semi regular basis.
And the sync function along with polar alignment with the wedge are crucial to get these scopes to accurately FIND objects and land them in the center of the eyepiece. But the tracking on all three of mine have been flawless.
ONCE dialed in.
So I will agree they can be a pain if you don't take the set up seriously.
But if I spend about 30 minutes ahead of time getting ready, it's a great way to go.
And while I'm no expert I think the optics are pretty good.
An ETX-125EC can be found in great shape with all the extras for 500 bucks.
Ita not great for nebulas. But its GREAT for Jupiter and its moons and Saturn and its moons and rings.
Anyway I just found you not too long ago. I really value your advice.
I can't say how the ETX scopes match up to others, I just like them a lot.
Thank you for replying.