Meade DS line

I'm buying my first scope, I know you folks get these questions all the time and I appreciate the help. My question is: Just how bad are the Meade entry level DS scopes? I'm looking at a 4" (102mm) refractor, which comes with two Meade Plossl eyepieces (1.25") and an electronic 'GoTo' type system. I can't tell how sturdy the mount is, but i've got a decent tripod that I could use if it's no good. My concern is the cheap price ($250). Will the optics on this scope be terrible, or is this a decent first scope? I acknowledge that I'll probably outgrow this scope as my interest grows.

Thanks so much for any advice.

Andrew, it is not so much the optics, but everything else that goes with it that will make it a disappointment...

I would steer away from such package and look into the Orion line of scopes, which I'm sure will give you a much better result for your money.

And please forget about GOTO for that little money... concentrate in a good overall package without the bells & whistles, you'll be happier in the end.


Check this one out, I would recommend it... (ATWB - NEW)

http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=6107&m=


And also, you can find it here... (USED, in good condition)

http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=463048



Clear skies! 8)

I put some comments in the Meade forum.

I agree whole-heartedly with Ivan's comment. Orion is
a good place for beginners to start. Good product,
fair price, good customer service.

The Orion 4.5" dob is $229 while the 6" is $259. Given the significant aperature increase, I would recommend the 6 over the 4.5 every time. It will take you a much longer time to outgrow a 6" scope. Plus Orion offers the 6" with Inteliscope which is a Push-To computer system. It is a joy to use, very easy and works great!

Andrew,

I'm a bit sorry you changed your mind so fast. It really depends on your commitment to stay with astronomy. It might be better to try a 'cheaper' scope first, then move up later if you want.

I have happily used my Meade DS-90AT (90mm refractor) for 2 1/2 years. Cheap price wasn't a problem. I used the goto at first, but now I don't anymore. Goto works fine, just eats up batteries, and I now enjoy finding the objects I want by star hopping.

I think the optics are very good and the altaz mount is solid enough for visual observing. I have found 109 of the 110 Messier objects (I still need M106) . I like the portablility and just move it out of my garage to the back yard and I am on my way. I haven't gone to a bigger scope yet, can't afford one.

Also, see my email from the other day in Chinese telescopes - maybe we all need to own a crummy scope at first in order to appreciate our upgardes.

Regards,
Rick

We all have to crawl before we walk and while we may try to help, learning comes from experience.
Of interest to me from the responders to this thread, what was your first scope? Mine was a 4.5" Bushnell reflector on an equatorial mount completely manual, cost was under $200.

Regards,
Greg

I just received this scope last week as a gift. It was easy to assemble in about 15 minutes. But, you can tell they cut corners and used plastic when possible to meet the low price point. The focuser crackles with Chinese grease and goo. However, the basic optics and eyepieces seemed pretty sharp to me when looking at the moon and Plieades.

Since I didn't have any star charts with me, I couldn't get the GOTO mount aligned properly in my available amount of observing time (which was pretty constrained at a family holiday). I ended up using the controller to aim manually.

One thing I noticed is that the GOTO mount is pretty loud and that might pose a problem in a quiet neighborhood during the spring and summer when people open their windows. This telescope also scared our young puppy and caused him to bark. I can see myself putting this on a manual mount at some later date.

I was disappointed that setup is such a pain in the arse. Ideally, I should be able to turn this scope on and it should take care of itself. This is supposed to be simple and easy so that I can setup and watch a puppy at the same time. However, once I spend a little time with it, I think this scope could turn out alright. 8)