HOT!! Buy a Meade Telescope and Recieve $650 worth of eyepieces for only $99!!

[LotusNotesGuy]

I am comparing the LXD55 and the LX90 , both w UHTC now and a meade dobsonian, though they say its not good for terrestrial.

Anyone have thoughts on any of these 2 models or the dobsonian starfinders? They look big. BUT everyone says they are a better value and you get more resolution and a chance to see some real color.

I love the deals for the goodies for the 2 LX55 and LX90 but I am wondering if its going to get the color and detail. I realize its not like the hubble. A few reviews suggest a dobsonian gets you alot more detail and color and power.

Also this home made deal if it gets you more with power and you can add the autofind feature sounds interesting, where do you get the stuff to build one?

I just came back from the Discovery Store.

Looks like berger bro's has the best deal.

Thanks for the tip on paying for quick delivery to make it in time for the eyepiece deals. I did notice long delivery times for all scopes, thats a problem for these deals I bet.

 

[AlanS]

If you want more opinions, suggestions, ideas maybe you should make a few posts in the sci.astro.amateur
newsgroup. You'll get alot more opinions than just a couple here. Looks like you want to make a big investment. Think it over and get more opinions.

The scopes you're considering are probably along the lines of what the typical "serious"amateur has. You'll see more for the money with the dob though. Alot of serious amateurs probably have both. The others you mention are more portable and have better potential for taking astrophotos if you're interested.

The dobs are going to be big. The 12.5" dob might weigh 50 pounds. It'll have a 14" tube about 5 feet long. You have to store this somewhere and take it out to the yard everytime you want to use it. If you live in the city it will be somewhat disappointing. You should use it under skies where the milky way looks like bright star clouds in the sky. You still won't see alot of colors though.

 

[msn]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0
the high transmission coatings are definately worth the money.. i'd pay the extra $100 to get them.. hell you are getting eyepieces that are worth $100 a piece that has ultra high transmission coatings...

i think without the light transmission is like 85%, and with it's like 98%... around there...
amazon's deal is better

So, for a novice, the "Meade ETX90EC w/ UHTC, Autostar Controller (497) and Tripod (884)" one is the way to go?

 

[vtqanh]

Originally posted by: AlanS
If you want more opinions, suggestions, ideas maybe you should make a few posts in the sci.astro.amateur
newsgroup. You'll get alot more opinions than just a couple here. Looks like you want to make a big investment. Think it over and get more opinions.

The scopes you're considering are probably along the lines of what the typical "serious"amateur has. You'll see more for the money with the dob though. Alot of serious amateurs probably have both. The others you mention are more portable and have better potential for taking astrophotos if you're interested.

The dobs are going to be big. The 12.5" dob might weigh 50 pounds. It'll have a 14" tube about 5 feet long. You have to store this somewhere and take it out to the yard everytime you want to use it. If you live in the city it will be somewhat disappointing. You should use it under skies where the milky way looks like bright star clouds in the sky. You still won't see alot of colors though.

OK, if I want to see COLORS, which one should i get? (i know sb is gonna tell me to get an astronomy magazine, those images are the most colorful ones )

 

[ragazzo]

m'mm...one of these babies and my coolpix 4500 = awesome

 

[wsmith5]

my humble opinion the etx scopes are way over priced for what you can see with them, I have the smaller etx 70 which is junk. I also have a c-11 and a 10" meade dob scope which is the scope I use ALL the time, I have looked through etx90 and 125 and they dont have the light gathering power for really bringing out detail in deepsky objects 8" scts just start to do the job , look for a astronomy club in your area and ask for some local advice , attend a star party and look through as many scopes as you can at the same favorite object then you have a much better chance of picking the right scope, dont do what many of us do and buy on the ad copy...........

 

[LotusNotesGuy]

I hate to agree with the above post but most reviews have listed alot of dissatisfaction with the ETC scope, gears, etc. though the 125 has gotten some good views at least for some people in what I have read. I read where several people sent their new scope back to meade repeated when it came with a bad colluminat. and meade never got it right and they paid a 3rd party to fix it.

On the other hand they are steps up from where alot of people were before.

I did just read Meade supposedly redid the gears and took some plastic out of many of their scopes this last year and reworked them.

I am kind of deciding the current deal on a LX90 from Berger Brothers with the free tripod, autostar w the UTC is my choice.

Then spend the 99$ for the 600$ in eyepieces for the current Meade special and it would seem like u get alot for the money.

I really want a LX 200 gps w UTC or the power of a dobsonian but I dont want to deal with a big scope like a dob.

 

[rockyct]

Originally posted by: vtqanh

Originally posted by: AlanS
If you want more opinions, suggestions, ideas maybe you should make a few posts in the sci.astro.amateur
newsgroup. You'll get alot more opinions than just a couple here. Looks like you want to make a big investment. Think it over and get more opinions.

The scopes you're considering are probably along the lines of what the typical "serious"amateur has. You'll see more for the money with the dob though. Alot of serious amateurs probably have both. The others you mention are more portable and have better potential for taking astrophotos if you're interested.

The dobs are going to be big. The 12.5" dob might weigh 50 pounds. It'll have a 14" tube about 5 feet long. You have to store this somewhere and take it out to the yard everytime you want to use it. If you live in the city it will be somewhat disappointing. You should use it under skies where the milky way looks like bright star clouds in the sky. You still won't see alot of colors though.

OK, if I want to see COLORS, which one should i get? (i know sb is gonna tell me to get an astronomy magazine, those images are the most colorful ones )

Well, get an astronomy magazine. I recommend Sky and Telescope. Actually, your color receptors in your eyes aren't very sensitive to low light. So, you will be able to see some color in Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the brighter objects. Deep sky objects like Andromeda (M31) and the Orion Nebula (M42) look amazing in pictures but just look like a greyish ball through a telescope. Sorry, that's just how it is.

 

[Dowfen]

Yes, unfortunately you're not going to see a whole lot of colors. I bought a ETX-90 a year and half ago, wanted more aperature got the 125 and finally settled for the LX-90. Needless to say it is an expensive scope, and I get very good views that are spectacular but not in color. Even with the biggest telescopes, you are not going to see any color. Maybe a little greenish tint in the Orion Nebula and some different colors on the planets, but nothing like the magazines. Long exposure photography either with CCD or film is necessary.

Unforunately, this eyepiece deal wasn't available when I bought my scope.

Eric

 

[Cybordolphin]

I will try to put together some links on building your own Dob.

You can actually build one using inexpensive materials, it just depends on what you want. You can buy piling casings (big tubes made out of cardboard that you pour concrete into, to make pillars), at home depot, and use that as your scope tube, and build from that. They have it in varying diameters. Or you can purchase stronger plastic tubes to build from. Be sure to purchase your primary mirror FIRST, BEFORE you cut a tube length, as each mirrors focal point/length will vary even from its rated specs. This focal point/length of your primary mirror will dictate the length of your tube.

You can also polish/make your own primary mirror. This ends in varying results. Sometimes excellent, sometimes not so excellent. It is easier than one might think. There are kits you can purchase to create your own primary mirror. You may want to purchase a mirror kit that includes the primary and secondary mirrors ready to use, for your first build.

Its kind of like building a computer..... it is usually much more rewarding when you finish, and can use it.

There are some safety precautions involved, as a large primary can start a fire very easily if not handled properly. When you are dealing with a large diameter mirror, that gathers a great deal of light, it is a very real problem, and you need to handle these large mirrors with caution. That and blind you I spose.

As for transportability, again, it depends on what you want. A dob is not that difficult to put together, and you can actually save time compared to some of the more complicated computerized Equitorial mount scopes. It is not uncommon to find an ametuer stargazer, getting frustrated because he has no idea how to use a star chart, and he spends his entire evening just trying to get his Equitorial mounted scope set up. You will need to consider your type of vehicle. If you get into a REALLY big Dob, you may not be able to fit it in your car. If you plan on stargazing from your home most of the time, then just place your dob on wheels and wheel it in and out of the garage, whenever you want to use it.

If you can... look for a stargazing group in your area. There are lots of little clubs/groups. Go out with them one evening and check out the different scopes that they use. This is an excellent idea. You can "try before you buy". Believe it or not..... you may not really enjoy stargazing (can't imagine that), and should actually consider using a good pair of binoculars to start with. You can see lots with a good pair. You can also find out if you like stargazing, before you spend a lot of $$ on a scope that you will only use a few times, and then seldom ever get use after that.

For deep space, a large aperture is the way to go. Even ametuer's have been known to find new, never before seen comets using large aperture Dob's. And yes, they actually let you name it It is kinda cool having a comet named after you.

Petriew bagged his comet using his 20" dob

Where he located his comet

 

[AlanS]

Yes the ideas about trying some others before you buy is a good idea. Dobs give more bang for the buck but if photography is in your future plans, it's not the best choice. Visually it will show more because it's bigger for the price.

Here's a couple books for Dob building. Mainly on Large Dobs

This one concentrates on smaller scopes and not so much on just dobs.

Google searchs for Dobsonian may yield some results. I don't recommend making your own mirror though. You really need to try and make some smaller ones first before attempting making one of these large mirrors. Just buy the optics. You'll also buy the mirror holders and focuser. The rest of the stuff can be got at the hardware store. You just need a book or something for plans on how to do it.

Also when you use a telescope, your best views will be when you use it at least 100 miles from any of those Big blobs of Light. A lesser distance from the tiny blobs will suffice.

 

[LotusNotesGuy]

I see that Celestron is matching the free tripod, computer goto system and some eyepiece deal as well. I am checking out the nextsar 8 gps. What is the equivalent to the LX90? I dont see a UTC for Celestrons?

Thanks for the info on the color, THAT is VERY disappointing.

How do the celestrons compare to the Meades on price? I see this nextar 8 gps is more expensive so I have to figure out if its a step up or down from the Lx90 to see if celestron is more or less expensive for the same power.

I did read where their scopes werent database or firmware updateable but they were going to change that.

Thoughts anyone?
thnx

 

[yhelothar]

well i think astrophotography would be a lot of fun... that's why i wanted to sell my dob.. because you need to have an equatorial mount driven by a motor to follow the stars in order to take long exposures..

and the weight and size of my dob really held me back..

dobs are ok for terrestrial viewing... people generally don't recommend them because you can't get an upright picture.. though my brain automatically flips them upright, so to me they're great..

 

[AlanS]

LotusNotesGuy,

Your question is somewhat difficult to answer. Meade Vs. celestron is like Coke vs. Pepsi. Lots favor one or the other.

As to which are comparable. None are exactly comparable. they do that on purpose. If they were exactly the same, you could just buy the cheaper one. Except for the 8 inch, the sizes are different. Meade makes 8, 10 12 and 16 inch. Celestron makes 8, 11 and 14 inch.

If you're comparing the 8 inch, you need to compare every feature you're getting with each. Comes with a tripod? Comes with computer control? What's the quality of the mount (stability)? etc.

You really need to read reviews or see side by side comparison of some kind.

Here are a few REVIEWS but they are not online. You would to get back issues in your library. These reviews what help you understand the pluses and minuses of each.

Here are some online reviews of Celestron and Meade

 

[yhelothar]

actually celestron has a deal similar to this one, eyepiece set with case for $99, but that ended december 2002.

 

[Remus]

I am thinking about getting the ETX 125 with UHTC. Does anybody here know if the motor base and the autostar tracking system that comes with it allow me to take photos after I buy the additional t-mount ring for my eos rebel?

 

[AlanS]

Yes and no. The required motors are included to do the tracking. The quality of that tracking is something else. Visually if the object moves around slightly in the eyepiece over time it doesn't matter but for film you end up with a mess. You don't see many pictures taken with this scope in magazines because the tracking probably isn't that great (also the focal ratio is a little slow).

Why don't you email someone at this site Meade ETX
and find out if astrophotography can really be done with this. In my opinion you can do "piggyback" astrophotography. That is, mount the camera on top of the scope and take the pictures with your camera lenses. I don't think this is at all the right scope to do through the scope photography of the sky though for various reasons. You could take telephoto shots through the scope of the landscape though since tracking isn't required.

 

[lungster]

Alan S,
Thanks for the above URL to Weasner's site. I bought an ETX90 (the original) some time ago, and like many was dissapointed in what it could and could not do. But over time, I learned how to set it up quickly, built my own heavy duty carrying case and have a greater appreciation for what it does do. Having said that I'll probably go for a large home built Dob in the near future ! Any hints on where to get high quality parts ?

Some thoughts based on previous posts ...

- the ETX90 astro-photography setup isn't all that good. I have the camera adapter and all and with the limited light gathering ability of this scope, it's very diffcicult to see TTL with a 35mm camera. I'm told many ETX users use the piggyback method so I assume the motor drive on the 90 is smooth enough. My only tip is to use a camera with a manual shutter; those long exposures, especially in the clear winter skys, will kill your batteries in no time

- I also bought the electric focus module. It's ok; not great. Battery life sucks, especially in the cold. Most annoying is that when the battery dies (often suddenly), you don't have access to a manual knob (on the 90, don't know about other models).

 

[AlanS]

I'm not sure where to get all the parts for a Dob. Never built one. Doing a google search and looking at Sky and Telescope magazine advertisements (at library if you don't have a copy) will get some sources. You may end up getting different parts from different suppliers. You'll have to add it up and see if you save much money rather than just buying one. The bigger you go the more likely you'll save money making it.

 

[Remus]

Alan S

Thanks for the info. I think you probably just saved me quite a bit of disapointment. I believe I will save my greenbacks and look into some more research before I make an investiment in a a really worthwhile telescope.

 

[yhelothar]

you could prolly go for one of the 8" LXD55 schmidt cassegrains for $895..
excellent mount...

 

[Cybordolphin]

Remus....

Very good idea. Thats the smartest thing to do.... is spend plenty of time before you decide. Do some research.