Buy Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and SoftwareMeade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software Product Description:
- Exclusive multicoated, air-spaced achromatic objective lenses
- Razor-sharp images of both astronomical and terrestrial subjects
- Extremely portable at only 6.8 pounds
- Telescope can be used on any flat surface
- Meade 882 tripod included
Product Description
The Meade ETX-70AT brings home technology that would seem far-fetched even in speculative future-fiction. Experience push-button astronomy as high-resolution Meade optics, combined with the incredible Autostar controller take you on an automated guided tour of the Solar System, the Galaxy, and beyond. Even novice stargazers can locate and explore planets, asteroids, comets, nebulae, galaxies, and other deep space objects, all with astonishing clarity and resolution RS-232 serial interface for software Tripod Included
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
136 of 137 people found the following review helpful.
good instrument, a bit oversold
By Robert P Bullock
I researched my telescope purchase extensively and am very happy with my choice. However, emerging astronomers should be aware that a telescope of this size will only be able to see all the items they say it can see if you are in the middle of the desert (dry air) on a clear night with no moon. If your viewing conditions fall short of this, the visibility of the planets and the level of detail observable on them is severely limited. I'm probably incompetent but so far I've found viewing deep space objects frustratingly difficult. I would also suggest that the Barlow lens option is VERY worthwhile to get maximum enjoyment. I can happily report, however, that the autostar tracking system works perfectly once the system is aligned. You really, really can just bring up an object, hit GOTO, and it goes there....pretty cool.....
158 of 161 people found the following review helpful.
Not a Televue but . . .
By Dr. Beer
This is a great little telescope for the money. Two previous reviewers (who gave it a low rating) had quality control problems with it. I've had none with mine but I have had 3 of them with my Meade 4" refractor. The Meade customer service people were wonderful in correcting these problems, but it seems their quality control could be better.
Optically, this is an achromatic refractor with a very fast focal ratio. That means it's good for viewing extended objects like star clusters, Milky Way star clouds, large nebulae, pretty conjunctions, etc. Dark skies help alot -- the darker the better of course -- but good clear rural skies in Ohio are plenty wonderful. It doesn't have the aperture for dimmer objects but the brighter Messier objects, for example (and there's plenty of them!) are great. It isn't at its best on planets and the Moon but you can definitely see Saturn's rings, the phases of Mercury and Venus, Jupiter's moons and belts (the red spot is difficult at best) and the Moon simply can't help but look wonderful in any telescope!
The Autostar is really good. It's best when you align it carefully: use the north star to point it to north and use a bubble level to level the tripod and tube. You can find brighter Messier objects, comets, asteroids, the planet Neptune, etc, so easily! (But of course not Pluto, quasars, black holes and some other ridiculous objects in the Autostar database.) And you get better at aligning it as you practice. Be sure to check out the "synchronize" feature (in the owner's manual under the "enter key").
As others have pointed out, the focus mechanism is bad, and the tripod is not terribly sturdy. Together they make higher magnifications (which are not optically optimum either) just about impossible. But 50X is still reasonable with a good 7mm orthoscopic eyepiece. Also a good 32mm eyepiece will eliminate the need to buy a finder and give you wonderful wide views. A dew shield is a must in Ohio (reduces glare too).
It ain't a Televue, it's true, but for the price, this scope is hard to beat.
98 of 98 people found the following review helpful.Worth it for the Autostar
By A Customer
I've owned this telescope for a few months now. In all that time I've taken to a dark sky site (my dad's house)at least twice a week, so I've had quite a bit of experience using it. First off, if you're looking for impressive views of the planets or deep sky objects, you'll be disappointed. For the same amount of money you could buy a Dobsonian reflector (6") which gathers *much* more light. But you don't buy a telescope like this for its optics. The real reason to own the ETX-70AT is for the Autostar computer! That was the whole reason I purchased this scope, and it was worth it. The Autostar is a great learning tool. I've learned many constellations thanks to it, as well as the location of several deep sky objects (my favorite is the Andromeda Galaxy). Aligning the telescope for use with the Autostar is easy as long as you buy a circular bubble level and possibly a compass if you don't know the location of Polaris. After levelling the scope and tube, and pointing it north, setup is a breeze; you simply align it with two bright stars--Arcturus and Vega for example. If you choose "easy" mode, the Autostar automatically selects two of the brightest stars in the sky, ones that really stand out from neighboring stars. So even if you don't recognize Arcturus when you see it, you'll know it when you're looking at it through the finder because it's by far the brightest star in that part of the sky. Once the simple alignment procedure is completed, the fun begins. You can choose from several different categories of objects, but my favorite thing to choose is the guided tour called "Tonight's Best". Since the Autostar knows your date and time, it automatically picks out the best objects in the sky for that particular time. Last night, it chose such things as the Andromeda Galaxy, Neptune, and several star clusters. If the Moon is out, you can be sure that it'll be on its list as well.
If you're new to astronomy--like I am--I think you'd enjoy this telescope simply for the Autostar, but if you're looking for detailed, bright views, you'd probably be better served with a larger reflecting telescope. I just bought an 8" Dobsonian, which wasn't much more expensive than the Meade, and it's really no comparison. The Dob looks better for everything. But, I'm still glad I own the Meade. It's a great learning tool, and it's far more portable than a larger scope. I've taken it on several long hikes this summer when I've gone camping and it easily fits (minus the tripod, of course) in my backpack. So I see no reason to get rid of it. Even when I use my bigger scope I like to set the 70AT up alongside it to help me find deep sky objects. So if you're new to astronomy, and just kind of testing the waters and want something portable, I give this a high recommendation.
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