Meade ETX125EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller


Product Feature
- 500x maximum magnification
- Fork mounts with standard-equipment dual-axis drive system and electronic controller
- Altazimuth or equatorial operation
- Cordless field operation
- Flip-mirror system
Product Description
When the original ETX telescope, the ETX-90RA, was introduced in 1996, it quickly created a revolution in amateur astronomy. Here for the first time was an ultraportable and highly versatile telescope system of unprecedented optical resolution and performance. Within a year of its introduction the ETX became the top-selling modern telescope in the world. Manufactured entirely at Meade's Irvine, California, facility, ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes produce optical performance and resolution that equal or exceed any Maksutov optics of similar apertures ever manufactured at any price, past or present. Their optics are so high in contrast, image brightness, and resolution that the ETX-90EC and ETX-125EC often outperform many telescopes of larger apertures. These models build on the original ETX concept to create the most advanced electronically controlled telescopes--including optional automatic go-to-object location with the Autostar computer controller--ever produced in their price range. And yet they don't sacrifice any of the user-friendly features that started the ETX revolution. With twice the light-collecting area of the Meade ETX-90EC, the Meade ETX-125EC permits a much broader range of astronomical study. Jupiter's cloud belts, for example, are observable at a significantly heightened level of detail, with whirls and festoons and the Great Red Spot readily visible as they transit the planet's disc. The Cassini division in Saturn's rings is routinely seen, as are additional features of the planet's surface, even under less than perfect seeing conditions. Looking to deep space, the ETX-125EC's larger aperture enables the observation of galaxies and nebulae in much wider extension. The entire Messier listing of 110 objects is now not only visible, but every object additionally takes on a readily discernible structure.Meade ETX125EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller Review
Before you spend the money on this scope I must warn you that you are NOT going to get close up views of the planets and celestial objects. Even though I spent over a year researching this scope and planning this purchase, and knew full well what I was getting into, it still came as a surprise when I realized that most of the things I would be viewing would be fuzzy clusters and blurry dots. If you are okay with that fact, you will adore this telescope.The first night we used it, we found Jupiter without much trouble. We pointed the scope at a bright dot in the sky that wasn�t twinkling, and when we looked in the eyepiece, there was Jupiter. It was the size of an aspirin, its bands clearly visible and several of its moons brightly illuminated. Our own moon was amazing- the craters were just breathtaking. Beyond those objects, we needed to plug in the optional Autostar. The problem for us was that the telescope worked so well we had a hard time figuring out if what we were looking at in the lens was what we wanted to find- hundreds of stars shine and twinkle in the scope when only a few may be visible to the eye. We lost our way several times trying to find objects using marker stars in the sky. With the assistance of the Autostar, we viewed brilliant Saturn, its rings clearly defined. Saturn was the size of a tic-tac, but very crisp and bright. We found the Orion nebula, and Venus at half full state. Then we viewed several bright star clusters. The Messier and deep space objects, which make up a huge part of what you will be viewing, were dim and hard to make out. If you are an astronomy buff, you will be able to identify these guys, and probably enjoy hours of use with this telescope every night. However, for amateurs like us, you will need a really good map of the sky and information on the objects you will be seeing. There are some great software titles out there- we use Starry Night and do not leave the house without a detailed star map when we are going to use the telescope. Without either of these things, you will be lost, or bored, or both. The lens that comes with the telescope will not be adequate for most objects beyond the moon. We purchased a higher power lens and use it about 99% of the time. I highly recommend the Autostar for novices in order to get the most out of this telescope. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time trying to find things that may or may not be there. Finally, splurge on the Meade Field Tripod. Any little touch to the telescope makes the image completely blurry from the vibrations. The tripod really helped with this problem. The telescope comes with a plate which can be screwed into the bottom of the mount to further stabilize the set-up. We spent a few days puzzling over it before we tried attaching it, and it made all the difference. This was a great purchase. However, I thought I might write about all the extras that we found necessary to make this telescope worth the money we spent on it. It is an investment, but trust me, the first time you see Saturn in this telescope you will know that every cent will have been well spent. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews� Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse | PermalinkComment�CommentMost of the consumer Reviews tell that the "Meade ETX125EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from Meade ETX125EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller ...

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