MEADE TELESCOPES

Optical Specifications:
--Type - Newtonian Reflector
--Diameter (Mirror or Lens) - 406mm (16")Grade-A Pyrex glass, fine annealed [Parabolic]
--Optical Coatings - Standard Aluminum
--Focal Length - 1830mm
--F Ratio - f/4.5
--Resolving Power - 0.28 arc seconds
--Limiting Visual Magnitude - 15.6
--Magnification (w/ included eyepieces) - 70x
--Highest theoretical magnification - 700x

Accessories:
--Eyepiece (included) - Super Plössl 26.0mm (1.25")
--Finder Scope - 8 x 50 achromatic
--Focuser - 2" Plastic Rack-and-pinion

Other Features
--Secondary Mirror - 4" Grade-A Pyrex glass, fine annealed [Parabolic]
--Secondary Mirror Support - 4-vane Steel
--Bearings: Altitude = Nylon / Azimuth = Teflon

Physical Parameters: --Optical Tube - SonoTube (spiral-wound) 19" diameter x 66" long (end ring included)
--Optical Tube Weight - 100 lbs.
--Base - Thermally-fused Melamine, 31" x 30"
--Base Weight - 70 lbs.
--Shipping Weight - (approx.) 185 lbs.

I paid about $1400 with Tax & S&H included for this 'scope in 2003.

I consider this a small, large telescope. It is quite a piece of equipment. If you are considering this 'scope you would do yourself a favor to allot some serious research time to the thought.

I ordered the 'scope from a dealership. I was lucky, it arrived a week after I ordered it. Most times I believe it would take at least a month if not 90 days. From what I understand, Meade likes to ship directly to your address. I didn't want to take a chance with UPS delivering it to the wrong address or leaving at my door when I was not at home so the dealer convinced the shipping company to deliver it to the store. (Actually, I don't think they use UPS. They use a private contractor for shipments) Anyway...it came in four boxes total, with nothing missing or damaged.

It took about 3 hours to put it together. The instructions are horrible. It even skipped over the part about attaching the secondary mirror; not one word! (Hmm...what's this extra mirror thingy and why can't I see anything!) Normal household tools are required to put it together.

Once assembled, the mirror takes a good hour to cool down. If you order this 'scope, there are some upgrades that are a must. Here is the first.

1.) DO NOT PUT THE TEFLON PADS AT THE LOCATION SPECIFIED....!!!!!!!!!!!
(You will ruin your 'scope) The location Meade gives are too high and will cause the bearings to get pinched. The tube will not "rock" in the "box" and the center bolt will eat out the SonoTube rendering your 'scope useless.

Other modifications can be made as time goes on but that first one is a must even before you take it out for first light.

The 'scope comes ready to go despite what others may say. Yes, upgrades are certainly nice but not immediately necessary. Here's what I've done:

- Gotten a GOOD laser collimator. The kind where the return beam can be viewed while your standing at the end of the tube by the mirror.

- Replaced the plastic piece-of-garbage, so-called 2" upgraded focuser they send along. (Some cutting and filling may be required depending on what focuser you get)

- Ordered virgin Teflon pads for the Alt and Az along with better placement. Here's a useful link: AstroSystems. With the new pads and better placement, the 'scope can be moved very easy even when pointed at zenith.

- Added a Telrad finderscope

- You'll need to add some kind of "counter-weight" system. For now, I'm just using a couple of plastic bags with rocks in them and clamp them to the mirror handle.

- Make an aperture mask. The planets are far too bright.

- You'll need at least a 3 step, step ladder.

- You may also find the placement of the 8 x 50 finderscope in a difficult position to view through. I solved the problem by getting a correct-image, right-angle finderscope.

- ALWAYS have tarps on hand in case of sudden inclement weather! The SonoTube is made of very, very thick and sturdy cardboard. Yes, it is cardboard but it is the kind used in construction to make pillars for bridges! Still, you don't want it to get wet.

- Have a truck and friend ready to transport it in. ( I can do it by myself but it's not easy. I'm used to lifting large, bulky things alone) A dolly makes it easier to move the OTA while it's still in the box.

- And be prepared to do some other minor tweaking as things progress. The cost after upgrades was about $1650

You may think I'm making this out to be a bad review. Quite the contrary. This 'scope is one awesome honkin' piece of equipment! I love it. True, it's basically a tube, a mirror and an 8 x 50 finderscope. But from what I've found, the next best thing is Discovery's 17.5" Dob that costs over twice as much and (which I've heard) may take a year for delivery!

I'm not going to go into detail as to what I can and cannot see. (I've seen Saturn very clean at 962x) In a 'scope this size, your eye-sight is nearly the limit. However, I've been able to see, faintly, 11th magnitude galaxies in Virgo from my backyard in Las Vegas, Nevada. The faintest Planetary Nebulae I've seen from my backyard is NGC 2022 @ magnitude 12.4 in Orion. The faintest galaxy I've seen from dark skies is NGC 1232 in Eridanus with an apparent magnitude of 15.3. (It was at a very low angle at the time.)

True, it's not a 20" 'scope but after this 'scope or maybe the Discovery, I think your going beyond the practical for most people. Even this 'scope is in the realm of insane.

It's Pro's are it's views and ease of use. It's Con's are it's size and upgrades needed. I guess some people would consider its lack of tracking objects a con.

Some other useful Starfinder links:
Starfinder Tweaks