Does Meade Make Dobs?Posted By Dana Crom |
I have the Meade 12.5" Dob and enjoy it quite a bit, but as several others have already noted it's a heavy, bulky, scope - the OTA is about 60" long and 55-60 lbs, while the base is 45-50 lbs. I can carry it and set it up myself, but maneuvering it in tight quarters can be tricky. That being said, it will - just - fit in the back of my Ford Escort station wagon, and I haul it out to dark skies once or twice a month.
The current model comes standard with their 2" focuser (awful) and their 8x50 straight finder (reasonable). If you buy it, your first upgrade will probably be putting a better focuser in place - I installed a JMI DX-3 almost as soon as I got it. I'd also recommend putting on a reflex finder like a Telrad or Rigel Quickfinder - I only use the 8x50 if I can't get close enough with my Telrad, normally when I'm starhopping for dim DSOs.
IMO, the "real" cost of the Meade is ~$150 higher than the list price, though still a bargain compared to the Discovery. I love the optics on mine, and most of the issues I have with the mechanics I'd have with *any* tube Dob in this size range.
I believe someone (?Paul Smith?) suggested going with the Meade while working on a truss; this has a lot to recommend it - one way of looking at it is that you're getting the optics and a finder for a reasonable price, set up so that you can actually use them while you build a truss structure for the optics to live in. The Meade 12.5" and 16" Dobs have always had a reputation for good optics, and I'm certainly happy with mine - properly collimated, mine gives extremely sharp high power views.
If you don't want to build it yourself, another option is to buy the Meade, use it, then buy either a kit or commission a finished truss structure - you'll still end up spending only about as much as you'd have spent on a truss dob to begin with. All thumbs that I am, I will probably end up either buying an Astrosystems Telekit or commissioning some one like Teeter's or NightSky to build me a truss structure.
To summarize - the Meade 12.5" has good optics and a great price but needs a little work. The Discovery PDHQ 12.5" has good optics and good mechanics, but costs a couple of hundred more than the Meade will even after all the upgrades. If you can handle the bulk, either one should make you happy.
The current model comes standard with their 2" focuser (awful) and their 8x50 straight finder (reasonable). If you buy it, your first upgrade will probably be putting a better focuser in place - I installed a JMI DX-3 almost as soon as I got it. I'd also recommend putting on a reflex finder like a Telrad or Rigel Quickfinder - I only use the 8x50 if I can't get close enough with my Telrad, normally when I'm starhopping for dim DSOs.
IMO, the "real" cost of the Meade is ~$150 higher than the list price, though still a bargain compared to the Discovery. I love the optics on mine, and most of the issues I have with the mechanics I'd have with *any* tube Dob in this size range.
I believe someone (?Paul Smith?) suggested going with the Meade while working on a truss; this has a lot to recommend it - one way of looking at it is that you're getting the optics and a finder for a reasonable price, set up so that you can actually use them while you build a truss structure for the optics to live in. The Meade 12.5" and 16" Dobs have always had a reputation for good optics, and I'm certainly happy with mine - properly collimated, mine gives extremely sharp high power views.
If you don't want to build it yourself, another option is to buy the Meade, use it, then buy either a kit or commission a finished truss structure - you'll still end up spending only about as much as you'd have spent on a truss dob to begin with. All thumbs that I am, I will probably end up either buying an Astrosystems Telekit or commissioning some one like Teeter's or NightSky to build me a truss structure.
To summarize - the Meade 12.5" has good optics and a great price but needs a little work. The Discovery PDHQ 12.5" has good optics and good mechanics, but costs a couple of hundred more than the Meade will even after all the upgrades. If you can handle the bulk, either one should make you happy.
