405 replies to this topic

[preprius]

I actually feel sad.  I thought about the workers and especially Ken.  He set me up with CPC1100 when they were a distributer of Celestron. He was at the Cuppertino store.  yea that was a long time ago. 

 

I was at a silicon valley startup that went under. So I feel for the loss.

  I was also in a company that had a Wallstreet takeover.  They just wanted the land and buildings. 300 people got laid off every 90 days. Orange County southern CA.

 

Since Orion is close to my area I went to Watsonville a few times during covid. One trip I bought my first decent refractor EON80mm.  

 

I have just deleted my bookmark for the orion website. Since it says no response.  They took it down.

 

I read the responses here and I understand the rebranding.  But the in person is what I miss the most.

 

Since it has been a couple of weeks I thought I would have gotten over the bit of sadness. I guess it will take longer. 

 

I wish all the workers the best of luck at finding a new job, and clearer skies in their future. 

[CHASLX200]

oh well, that must have been the reason for Zeiss getting out of the business also and Pentax and a few others.  Darn the SCT.   At least with the refractors you knew you were getting decent optics not so with the SCT.  

They never offered up the scale and the amount of cheaper scopes that U did or Celestron or Meade  How many can afford a Zeiss or a Pentax?  Way over priced stuff.  Ever walk into a Sears or K mart and see them for sale?  

[CHASLX200]

I bought 2 Meade OTAs in the late 90s.  Both were junk.  The LXD-55 6inch achromat took 3 OTAs to get one that was diffraction limited.  The first one was optically horrible, the second had one of the spacers in the clear aperture, with the 3rd finally being okay.  The LX-50 10inch I bought had pinched optics and still does.  It just sits in my bedroom like a statue.

 

I got a pretty good ETX-125 in the mid-90s, but that was it.  When they moved their manufacturing to Mexico it all fell apart.

 

I don't think they'll be back.  I don't understand why or how they took Orion with them.  Oh well.  The world keeps turning.

 

I switched to Celestron after the Meade fiasco and now own every OTA they make except the Edge HDs and their new Origin smart scope.  All are great and test better than 1/6 wave.  So I'm a happy camper.

Most all them cheap made mounts from China for the first few years were all pretty bad. LX55 was even worse than my 1997 CG5.

Edited by CHASLX200, 02 August 2024 - 05:51 AM.

[starman876]

the bottom line is that with these vendors gone our selection of scopes will be limited.  Prices will go up because there will be less competition.   I really enjoyed the new catalogs announcing new scopes and new features.  Competition always brings innovation and innovation always brings better products.  I hope these companies restructure and come back better and stronger.   If they do not their products will surely be missed.   They may have had their issues with their products, but when everything worked right we sure enjoyed them. 

[MarkMittlesteadt]

The very first scope I ever bought was from an Orion paper catalog that was (snail)mailed to me from an ad I saw in S&T about 40 years ago. I've purchased many things from Orion since then (never knowing they didn't make anything themselves, nor did I care). This was pre-internet.

 

Along those lines, I purchased my first serious scope from Astronomics by placing a phone order (again from those great two-page, full color ads Meade put out in S&T) and Astronomics was an authorized Meade dealer. This was before Astronomics even thought about their AT refractors. It was a Meade LX50 8" SCT. One of my all time favorites (as was my ETX105).

 

To me, this is more nostalgic and sad than anything else. I've enjoyed dealing with Orion and Meade from the very beginning of my astronomy journey, so all the griping and complaining I read online now from all of you who take issue with either company saddens me even more. 

 

My Meade 8" LX50 SCT...

 

 

My ETX105

 

[starman876]

The very first scope I ever bought was from an Orion paper catalog that was (snail)mailed to me from an ad I saw in S&T about 40 years ago. I've purchased many things from Orion since then (never knowing they didn't make anything themselves, nor did I care). This was pre-internet.

 

Along those lines, I purchased my first serious scope from Astronomics by placing a phone order (again from those great two-page, full color ads Meade put out in S&T) and Astronomics was an authorized Meade dealer. This was before Astronomics even thought about their AT refractors. It was a Meade LX50 8" SCT. One of my all time favorites (as was my ETX105).

 

To me, this is more nostalgic and sad than anything else. I've enjoyed dealing with Orion and Meade from the very beginning of my astronomy journey, so all the griping and complaining I read online now from all of you who take issue with either company saddens me even more. 

 

My Meade 8" LX50 SCT...

 

 

My ETX105

 

a lot of people like to complain and the only problem is the lack of understanding of the manual.  These new computerized scopes when they first came out had manuals over a 1/2" thick. I doubt many had the patience or the reading comprehension to understand of  how they were being instructed to operate this fancy new mount.  So instead of learning how to use it they complained.  

[rjacks]

I've never owned a Meade, but I'm sad. They are an iconic brand. This leaves no competition for Celestron in the SCT market.

[NinePlanets]

Yay for Celestron!

 

I felt much more sad about University Optics shutting down - and others. I hated to see what has become of Surplus Shed and JerryCo. Losing Radio Shack was WAY bigger than losing Meade. I would rather have one Edmund's Surplus or a Jaegers than ten Meades. But alas, they all go the way of all the world.

 

Time goes on. We all end up returning to the dust. So do our creations.

[CHASLX200]

the bottom line is that with these vendors gone our selection of scopes will be limited.  Prices will go up because there will be less competition.   I really enjoyed the new catalogs announcing new scopes and new features.  Competition always brings innovation and innovation always brings better products.  I hope these companies restructure and come back better and stronger.   If they do not their products will surely be missed.   They may have had their issues with their products, but when everything worked right we sure enjoyed them. 

Don't matter to me at all as i am used buyer 99% gents and very rare to ever buy new. Most any of the nicer stuff is so high priced i am forced out. Meade started going downhill in the late 90's and kept on going down.  It was not the same Meade that was on the ball in 1977 when i first found out about them.

[Jon Isaacs]

I think Meade will be back and maybe Orion as well. 

 

As I've said, there must be manufacturing facilities and intellectual properties associated with Meade.

 

Orion was involved in the design and marketing of the XT series Dob's as well as the ED-80 and ED-100. Orion had the beginner in mind and unlike Meade and Celestron, did not market entry level scopes with 2 element eyepieces, Kellners and Plossls were standard even on their 60 mm refractors.

 

I'm sad to see them go though I wasn't necessarily happy in the direction they were taking. I had a number of Meade scopes, mostly purchased used. My two favorites were the Mizar-Meade 80 mm F/11.3 and the 12.5 inch F/6 Research Grade.

 

 

 

My 16 inch Dob began as a 16 inch Starfinder Dob but has been extensively modified, a Dobstuff kit, the mirror was refigured by Mike Spooner, a Feathertouch focuser.. 

 

 

Jon

Edited by Jon Isaacs, 03 August 2024 - 05:16 AM.

[CHASLX200]

 

I think Meade will be back and maybe Orion as well. 

 

As I've said, there must manufacturing facilities and intellectual properties associated with Meade.

 

Orion was involved in the design and marketing of the XT series Dob's as well as the ED-80 and ED-100. Orion had the beginner in mind and unlike Meade and Celestron, did not market entry level scopes with 2 element eyepieces, Kellners and Plossls were standard even on their 60 mm refractors.

 

I'm sad to see them go though I wasn't necessarily happy in the direction they were taking. I had a number of Meade scopes, mostly purchased used. My two favorites were the Mizar-Meade 80 mm F/11.3 and the 12.5 inch F/6 Research Grade.

 

 

 

 

 

My 16 inch Dob began as a 16 inch Starfinder Dob but has been extensively modified, a Dobstuff kit, the mirror was refigured by Mike Spooner, a Feathertouch focuser.. 

 

 

 

Jon

 

Back when Meade was Meade and made real scopes.

[oldmanastro]

My first "big" scope was a Meade 826 8" equatorial Newtonian. I got it back in 1980. It was a great scope at the wrong time. My work and raising a family took most of my time. Eventually I ended up selling the telescope in 1986. It had seen little use. Six years later I was regretting the sale when I bought a Criterion BL8000, an optical disaster. My memories of the 826 are of clear crisp high power views and excellent mount and tracking. The new owner of the telescope still has it and will not part from it until, as he said, "death do us part". My second experience with Meade was the ETX-90EC, a telescope that my wife gave me as a gift on my 50th birthday. I still have it. The optical performance is excellent and the collimation has never faltered. The only problem was the Autostar hand controller. I went through two of them but the third one seems to be holding up ok. It's an old system but, as long as instructions are followed by the book, it works very well. The telescope itself looks as good as new plastic mount and all the rest. In addition I own a Meade model 2090 refractor. Is an OTA that I picked up for a song years ago. It has always surprised me with the nice performance of the 90mm cemented doublet. About Orion, well... most of my mounts are from them and after more than 20 years they are still working great. Yes, I will miss both companies. They provided us with decent telescopes and accessories at reasonable prices for many years.

[starman876]

Don't matter to me at all as i am used buyer 99% gents and very rare to ever buy new. Most any of the nicer stuff is so high priced i am forced out. Meade started going downhill in the late 90's and kept on going down.  It was not the same Meade that was on the ball in 1977 when i first found out about them.

I really don't  care

[starman876]

My first "big" scope was a Meade 826 8" equatorial Newtonian. I got it back in 1980. It was a great scope at the wrong time. My work and raising a family took most of my time. Eventually I ended up selling the telescope in 1986. It had seen little use. Six years later I was regretting the sale when I bought a Criterion BL8000, an optical disaster. My memories of the 826 are of clear crisp high power views and excellent mount and tracking. The new owner of the telescope still has it and will not part from it until, as he said, "death do us part". My second experience with Meade was the ETX-90EC, a telescope that my wife gave me as a gift on my 50th birthday. I still have it. The optical performance is excellent and the collimation has never faltered. The only problem was the Autostar hand controller. I went through two of them but the third one seems to be holding up ok. It's an old system but, as long as instructions are followed by the book, it works very well. The telescope itself looks as good as new plastic mount and all the rest. In addition I own a Meade model 2090 refractor. Is an OTA that I picked up for a song years ago. It has always surprised me with the nice performance of the 90mm cemented doublet. About Orion, well... most of my mounts are from them and after more than 20 years they are still working great. Yes, I will miss both companies. They provided us with decent telescopes and accessories at reasonable prices for many years.

all the fond memories of such nice gear that they both provided at reasonable prices.    They will be missed.

[orion61]

This is sad.
But it is their own fault. Allowing shoddy optics to go out the door, the RC scopes that were sometimes wonderful and others not so.
I have an F6.3 Classic 8" F6.3 that is AMAZING!
 Also an older 2045 in the Aluminum hard case. (take the finder off if you sale yours), if not, 100% chance of snapping off at the base!
I had a 102 ED that was fantastic!!! 
I had an LX200 Classic 12" that resolved Jupiter's Moon Ganymede into a disk and showed limited surface details that surprised me.
The 7" Macs were fantastic!!
Celestron just listened to what people wanted, and kept the optics above average, EXCEPY during Comet Halley, OOFTA!
I have 4Meade scopes that will be mine as long as I live.
The 8" F6 Meade reflectors were fantastic! so were a lot of the Starfinder Reflectors...
......Elon Musk where are you??
Meade scopes were always cosmetically and mechanically superior.... In MY opinion... Their Tripods were so much better. than Celestrons it was no contest!!
My 125 ETX Mak simply SMOKES my C5 plus on Lunar/Planetary views....
I am sad, very sad..
Time for a 21 gun salute!!!
Duane

[RichA]

Don't matter to me at all as i am used buyer 99% gents and very rare to ever buy new. Most any of the nicer stuff is so high priced i am forced out. Meade started going downhill in the late 90's and kept on going down.  It was not the same Meade that was on the ball in 1977 when i first found out about them.

You mean when they were nothing but an importer and re-seller of Japanese stuff?

[RichA]

This is sad.
But it is their own fault. Allowing shoddy optics to go out the door, the RC scopes that were sometimes wonderful and others not so.
I have an F6.3 Classic 8" F6.3 that is AMAZING!
 Also an older 2045 in the Aluminum hard case. (take the finder off if you sale yours), if not, 100% chance of snapping off at the base!
I had a 102 ED that was fantastic!!! 
I had an LX200 Classic 12" that resolved Jupiter's Moon Ganymede into a disk and showed limited surface details that surprised me.
The 7" Macs were fantastic!!
Celestron just listened to what people wanted, and kept the optics above average, EXCEPY during Comet Halley, OOFTA!
I have 4Meade scopes that will be mine as long as I live.
The 8" F6 Meade reflectors were fantastic! so were a lot of the Starfinder Reflectors...
......Elon Musk where are you??
Meade scopes were always cosmetically and mechanically superior.... In MY opinion... Their Tripods were so much better. than Celestrons it was no contest!!
My 125 ETX Mak simply SMOKES my C5 plus on Lunar/Planetary views....
I am sad, very sad..
Time for a 21 gun salute!!!
Duane

Everything you said...is true.  Pretty much my experience, almost down to the scopes.

[CHASLX200]

I really don't  care

You left out bear.  I loved the SCT war days with Meade and Celestron doing them ads in SKY& TELE around 1981-83.   

[CHASLX200]

This is sad.
But it is their own fault. Allowing shoddy optics to go out the door, the RC scopes that were sometimes wonderful and others not so.
I have an F6.3 Classic 8" F6.3 that is AMAZING!
 Also an older 2045 in the Aluminum hard case. (take the finder off if you sale yours), if not, 100% chance of snapping off at the base!
I had a 102 ED that was fantastic!!! 
I had an LX200 Classic 12" that resolved Jupiter's Moon Ganymede into a disk and showed limited surface details that surprised me.
The 7" Macs were fantastic!!
Celestron just listened to what people wanted, and kept the optics above average, EXCEPY during Comet Halley, OOFTA!
I have 4Meade scopes that will be mine as long as I live.
The 8" F6 Meade reflectors were fantastic! so were a lot of the Starfinder Reflectors...
......Elon Musk where are you??
Meade scopes were always cosmetically and mechanically superior.... In MY opinion... Their Tripods were so much better. than Celestrons it was no contest!!
My 125 ETX Mak simply SMOKES my C5 plus on Lunar/Planetary views....
I am sad, very sad..
Time for a 21 gun salute!!!
Duane

After around 100 Meade scopes i can't say any had bad optics. Only the 7" ED was the only bad scope from Meade i had and i think the lens was fine but that darn cell mel.  They had them ETX optics down pat. Had two 125's and the first was past drop dead sharp and the one i have now is about just as good.

Edited by CHASLX200, 03 August 2024 - 05:42 AM.

[CHASLX200]

You mean when they were nothing but an importer and re-seller of Japanese stuff?

Yes. But at least back then we could buy REAL telescope tubes dude. Meade did at least make the Fiberlite back then and offer up parts. Back in 1977 whatever i would order i would get in less than a week all the way to FL. I just loved Meade until 1999 with the failed 7" ED.

Edited by CHASLX200, 03 August 2024 - 05:39 AM.

[pairofdocs]

I had two Meade LX-6’s at various times. Both were absolute junk. Neither showed anything more than an amorphous blob when focused and yes they were collimated! If you could focus because the fork mount was a tuning fork and the slightest touch caused the mount to vibrate for 10 to 15 seconds. I’ve had two ETX-90ec’s one had very good optics the other could never be fully collimated because the screws were at the extreme ends.

 

I never had any problems like that with any Celestron I’ve owned

[jgraham]

I have a couple of the f/6.3s, but not from LX6 production. These later examples are very nice. I also have a 10" Premier (late LX6 production) that is also very good. I used to be in the hunt for examples from the early LX6 production, but that ship has saved (no room). Celestron's bump in the road came a bit earlier during the Halley craze. I have purposely avoided scopes from that era other than the Comet Catchers which were actually made by Vixen and are pretty nice.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

😀

[CHASLX200]

I had two Meade LX-6’s at various times. Both were absolute junk. Neither showed anything more than an amorphous blob when focused and yes they were collimated! If you could focus because the fork mount was a tuning fork and the slightest touch caused the mount to vibrate for 10 to 15 seconds. I’ve had two ETX-90ec’s one had very good optics the other could never be fully collimated because the screws were at the extreme ends.

 

I never had any problems like that with any Celestron I’ve owned

I sure have with a gray 2004 made C8.

[Kasmos]

You mean when they were nothing but an importer and re-seller of Japanese stuff?

They (JD), started out that way. I can't say when but they were making their own Newts by at least the late 70s.

Edited by Kasmos, 03 August 2024 - 02:14 PM.

[deSitter]

I had two Meade LX-6’s at various times. Both were absolute junk. Neither showed anything more than an amorphous blob when focused and yes they were collimated! If you could focus because the fork mount was a tuning fork and the slightest touch caused the mount to vibrate for 10 to 15 seconds. I’ve had two ETX-90ec’s one had very good optics the other could never be fully collimated because the screws were at the extreme ends.

 

I never had any problems like that with any Celestron I’ve owned

Did the base on your good ETX crap out? I'm always trying to think of ways to prevent mine from plastic-croaking

 

Mine has GOOD optics.

 

-drl