Hello:
Was into astronomy just a little bit about 3-4 years ago
and had a close friend who assisted me with getting up to
speed, etc.. He assisted me with the purchase of a used
Meade LX50 10" unit. My friend moved away and I eventually
sold my scope. I loved to observe but never spent the time
to learn how to do the setup, etc.. (i.e. I have no idea how to collimate, etc.. )
Have felt the urge again and wish to re-enter and learn a lot more and get serious about star gazing, etc.. Would like to invest in a new serious unit that will most likely be my last purchase (I'm 46).
After doing a bit of research I'm pretty sure I'd like to purchase a Meade 10 or 12" LX200GPS. With the current Meade 'special' pricing on the telescope, lenses, and even the UTC coatings, I'm almost ready to bite.
Now the question is: Where to go for a new one? I've checked the Meade pages and also Anacortes but everyone seems to have the same price for both the telescope and the shipping. Thus, is there a difference? Can I buy direct from Meade or must I use a dealer? Is there a difference in the level of support I would get from one dealer over another? I'm guessing whomever I buy from will simply have Meade dropship the telescope directly to me after I wait for one to be available.
Any recommendations on which dealer is the best in terms of price and after-sales support would be great.
Thanks,
Tom
Was into astronomy just a little bit about 3-4 years ago
and had a close friend who assisted me with getting up to
speed, etc.. He assisted me with the purchase of a used
Meade LX50 10" unit. My friend moved away and I eventually
sold my scope. I loved to observe but never spent the time
to learn how to do the setup, etc.. (i.e. I have no idea how to collimate, etc.. )
Have felt the urge again and wish to re-enter and learn a lot more and get serious about star gazing, etc.. Would like to invest in a new serious unit that will most likely be my last purchase (I'm 46).
After doing a bit of research I'm pretty sure I'd like to purchase a Meade 10 or 12" LX200GPS. With the current Meade 'special' pricing on the telescope, lenses, and even the UTC coatings, I'm almost ready to bite.
Now the question is: Where to go for a new one? I've checked the Meade pages and also Anacortes but everyone seems to have the same price for both the telescope and the shipping. Thus, is there a difference? Can I buy direct from Meade or must I use a dealer? Is there a difference in the level of support I would get from one dealer over another? I'm guessing whomever I buy from will simply have Meade dropship the telescope directly to me after I wait for one to be available.
Any recommendations on which dealer is the best in terms of price and after-sales support would be great.
Thanks,
Tom
