25 replies to this topic

[AlienRatDog]

Anyone see the newly updated Meade Lightbride?

https://www.meade.co...opes.html?cat=5

[kfiscus]

Thanks for sharing that.  The biggest change, to me, is the collapsible base.

[North of Sixty]

I like it. Thanks. 

[Aperturefever]

Wow.The cutouts will make it lighter ... right?!

[Slartibartfast]

 

Is going from a Crayford focuser to a rack 'n pinion an improvement?

[Old Rookie]

 

Is going from a Crayford focuser to a rack 'n pinion an improvement?

That's odd????

[Astrojensen]

 

Is going from a Crayford focuser to a rack 'n pinion an improvement?

That depends on the quality of either focuser. The original Lightbrigde crayford was okay, but nothing more. I replaced it with a Baader Steeltrack crayford. 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

[Astrojensen]

Anyone see the newly updated Meade Lightbride?

https://www.meade.co...opes.html?cat=5

As I see it, they haven't updated anything important at all. The base is still much larger than it needs to be; the altitude bearings are still much too small; the rocker box is still too tall and too flexible; there is still no balancing system for heavy eyepieces and a real finderscope; it still uses three pairs of truss poles so that the shroud sags into the light path; there is still no optional wheelbarrow handles; it (presumably) still uses the small azimuth roller bearing, instead of teflon on formica...

 

If I was in charge of redesigning the Lightbridge series, I would change them completely. Just skipping the round base and going for a square one is making the scope RADICALLY smaller and lighter, greatly improving portability. Wheelbarrow handles on the 12" and 16" scopes would be an extremely nice option. And I would use real teflon on ebony star (or something equivalent) for smoother motions without sticktion and balance the scope for heavy eyepieces or add a virtual counterweight system (a simple spring would do). Going to four truss pairs to eliminate the sagging shroud problem is a must. 

 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

[*skyguy*]

Whether or not there have been "improvements" made on the new Meade LightBridge Plus Dobs ... the price of $999 for the 16" model on the Focus Camera's website would be the best improvement of all time!

 

https://www.focuscam...-telescope.html

 

I'm thinking someone forget to to put a "1" in front of the 999.

[Starman1]

Yes, a redesign might look a bit like an Explore Scientific dob.

No free lunch at these prices--there are always compromises.

[junomike]

Whether or not there have been "improvements" made on the new Meade LightBridge Plus Dobs ... the price of $999 for the 16" model on the Focus Camera's website would be the best improvement of all time!

 

https://www.focuscam...-telescope.html

 

I'm thinking someone forget to to put a "1" in front of the 999.

Looks like $999 is the same price so I'm sure there's a "1" missing.

Also, on the Meade website It has two listed at $0 - $999 and one at $999 and above.

Typo for sure..

[Miranda2525]

Nothing new here. Glad I got rid of mine and went back to a solid tube 10".

[scopeboy42]

I wonder if the plus is still made by GSO (Taiwan) or if now made by Sunny Optics in mainland China. Probably no way to tell for sure until they start shipping.

[scopeboy42]

I just asked a well known dealer if the Meade Lightbridge Plus was still made in Taiwan or if production had moved to mainland China.

 

The dealer told me they are being manufactured in Mexico.   

 

I would be greatly surprised if this was true. 

 

If anyone has taken delivery of one of these yet I would be interested in knowing what it actually says on the scope.

Edited by scopeboy42, 30 October 2018 - 08:26 AM.

[RobertMaples]

I just asked a well known dealer if the Meade Lightbridge Plus was still made in Taiwan or if production had moved to mainland China.

 

The dealer told me they are being manufactured in Mexico.   

 

I would be greatly surprised if this was true. 

 

If anyone has taken delivery of one of these yet I would be interested in knowing what it actually says on the scope.

It may be that the telescope structure is made in Mexico and/or the final assembly is done in Mexico with the mirrors still made elsewhere.

[sn1987a]

Anyone seriously thinking of buying a 16 LB - don't. Take your $1999 and add more by beg, borrow, steal, sell your grandmother, max out your credit card and go buy a used premium dob. Afterwards pay off the credit card with the money you don't spend modding and upgrading the useless LB16. Meade are just being cheap and lazy. Surely with CNC and plywood instead of chipboard they can do better than this rubbish. POS!

[Starman1]

 How do you really feel?   

[RobertMaples]

Anyone seriously thinking of buying a 16 LB - don't. Take your $1999 and add more by beg, borrow, steal, sell your grandmother, max out your credit card and go buy a used premium dob. Afterwards pay off the credit card with the money you don't spend modding and upgrading the useless LB16. Meade are just being cheap and lazy. Surely with CNC and plywood instead of chipboard they can do better than this rubbish. POS!

I've got a 10" Lightbridge and I'm perfectly happy with it.

[SteveG]

There are a lot of very happy Lightbridge owners, me included. And yes I've modded mine - because it's fun!

[DavidC]

I too am a happy LB owner, my optics are decent for a GSO mirror. I have also done mods on mine too, like making the rocker box square instead of round, putting in stiffer primary springs, and using Teflon pads / old LP record for azmuth motion. Don't laugh, it works real good.

David

[sn1987a]

For small scopes sub 16 in size you can probably live with the LB design compromises with some minimal modding and be happy esp as the outlay is small (relatively).

 

However once you splash out 2k on a big heavy LB16 and get started on the "sunk cost" mod death spiral you quickly end up with an overpriced, suboptimal, not really worth it dob. You may as well have bought a secondhand premium.

 

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

 

Like Thomas in Denmark above said Meade should do a complete redesign of the LB. The LB 16 is far too heavy, unbalanced, too wide and awkward. I think something inspired along the lines of product like The Dobson factory, Waite Renegade, Dobstuff or Obsession ect, would be better.

 

Been there done that, my 2cents, save yourselves it's too late for me

[graffias79]

I'm guessing they're probably not GSO based on two things.  If specs on the website can be believed, the 10" mirror shows the specs as 254mm with a focal length of 1270mm.  GSO's 10" f/5 class mirror is 250mm and 1250mm focal.  Also the focuser does not look like GSO's either.

[Starman1]

Meade has said the LightBridges have been made by GSO for years.

Is it possible they changed suppliers?

[RobertMaples]

Meade advertised the original 10" Lightbridge as being 254/1270 as well.

[stargazer193857]

The non collapsible one has a light weight base that does not need collapsing. The collapsible one is heavy, though can be taken apart. The selling point is it can take up less space in your trunk.