After some research into purchasing my first telescope, I decided on
the Meade ETX-LS 6 ACF. The "user friendliness" and interactivity
won me over, and I was confident that my (very) limited knowledge of
the night sky would not hinder the experience. I also felt the ETX-
LS could actually be a fix to that lack of knowledge, even with the
$1500 price tag (which has now grown to over $2000 with accessories
such as a hard case, AC adapter, dew shield, Meade 4000 eyepiece and
filter set, but I digress).
After much anticipation (because of the two week backorder delay) the
ETX-LS finally arrived. I felt like a kid a Christmas and couldn't
wait to get my hands on it. Upon opening the box, I found the scope
to be much larger than I expected. It's a beast (although this could
be from my lack of experience with telescopes). Now I just hoped the
dreaded Southern California marine layer of fog wouldn't roll in and
spoil my introduction into astronomy.
As I awaited nightfall, I read the ETX-LS manual (located on the CD),
all the while checking the the fog in the distance. I had read many
reviews, and a few of them complained the self set-up didn't work as
advertised. The time finally came, the stars were out and the fog
stayed back (other than a light haze). I never really noticed how
small my backyard was until I set up the scope there and realized the
trees and houses really limit the amount of sky the scope could
actually see. I figured I'd try it anyway.
I just flipped the switch and sat back. The control pad lit up red,
then it started talking to me. It told me what it was doing, and I
wondered if my neighbors were listening. The "Acquiring GPS" portion
lasted a bit longer than I anticipated, but that was probably because
of the thin layer of haze and the limited view of the sky. The
motors to move the scope (or "slew" we astronomers call it) were a
bit loud (think coffee grinder), but I guess thats just the nature of
motorized telescopes. After the GPS's were located, and north /
level were deciphered, the ETX started looking for stars (and it lets
you know). The motor(s) kick in and the scope spins to find its
target. When the scope stopped slewing, it was pointed at the trees
separating my bedroom window from a neighbors backyard. After a few
seconds, the scope realized it was obstructed. It told me the view
was obstructed and that it would look for another star to align
itself. I assume it found the second one because it didn't tell me
it was obstructed (and it was pointing almost straight up). The
third star was directly behind my house, but the fourth was in view.
By the time I finished my first Pacifico, we were in business.
The telescope was aligned properly after about 10 to 15 minutes. I
decided to start with the tour that offers the best of the night
sky. First on the list, Jupiter. After slewing to Jupiter, I looked
through the eyepiece only to find the side of my neighbors house. I
backed up against the wall, and sure enough, right where the scope
was pointing was Jupiter (I've been tracking the planets using
StarMap on my iPhone). The next on the list, (Perseids) Meteor
Shower. I was pleasantly surprised to see this in the database, as
it's limited to just a few days in August. Again, my limited view of
the sky (as well as the below average meteor viewing conditions)
hindered me seeing any meteors - through the scope or not. After the
third "best" thing to see was obstructed as well, I decided to pick
up the scope and move it to a place where I could check out Jupiter
(in so doing, taking the scope out of proper alignment). I manually
found Jupiter and a few other bright targets in the sky and the
optics were very good (again, coming from a novice viewer).
Although most of the targets were obstructed, I'm confident that the
ETX was able to properly align itself with a limited view of the sky
on a slightly hazy night. Improving my experience is now in MY
hands. I will find a location with a much better view of the night
sky (even moving to my front yard would open up the potential viewing
area dramatically). I eagerly look forward to many nights with my
new ETX-LS, and an improved experience as I learn what works best.
Not bad for a first night.
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