405 replies to this topic

[Bomber Bob]

...   Meade 6600 ...   He used it for a few years, but now it’s just a dusty doorstop.

 

If your Brother ever tires of his doorstop, please shoot me a PM.  I'd take that OTA off his hands (or, feet) -- got several Mizar EQs already.

[Bomber Bob]

As I've posted before, my first Meade purchase was in 1979 -- a Meade-branded TANI 1.25" prism diagonal - that I still have & use.  Then, several Series 2 MAs & Orthos.  Then, a set of RG Orthos, which I also held on to for going on 45 years.

 

Yeah, I really miss that Meade version!!

[CHASLX200]

And the RG eyepieces are quite good as well!

Had a few but the nose bleed ER and narrow FOV sent me to Radians and Delites. Got a 2.5mm LV that i use a lot but the straw like FOV is a killer when Jupiter is as big as the FOV with a 2k barlow.  Never should have sold my 2.5mm Nag tag back in 2007.

[CHASLX200]

As I've posted before, my first Meade purchase was in 1979 -- a Meade-branded TANI 1.25" prism diagonal - that I still have & use.  Then, several Series 2 MAs & Orthos.  Then, a set of RG Orthos, which I also held on to for going on 45 years.

 

Yeah, I really miss that Meade version!!

First thing i ever got from them was a 8x50 RA finder in 1977.  Just a month before i never knew there were telescope stores or SKY&TELE or anyone that liked scopes until my first club meeting.  Once i took my first look in a SKY&TELE i was in love with them ads and said to myself i gonna buy it all one day.

[CHASLX200]

Meade's demise began when they turned out F6 SCT's, followed soon after by terrible simple Newtonian mirrors. They turned a corner and never came back. Then there was their laughable apos.

 

Glad, 

 

Pete

Huge fail on the 7" ED. But they started to cheap out to save money by the late 90's and the 4000 line of Plossl's got dumbed down and cheaper over the years. The smooth sides were great then came the rubber grip Japan made 4000's around 1990 and the much cheaper versions in the late 90's.  But they did offer us the world changing LX200.  I dreamed of GO-TO back in the 70's.  I sure loved 8 of my LX200's when GO-TO was a fad to me back then. But after go 2ing to a million objects and only seeing specs or nothing it got kinda old.

[Mike Q]

It does sadden me a bit that Orion folded, how many of us started with with and still use their stuff.  I am new to Meade scopes having only recently fallen into possession of a 10 inch LX200 EMC.   I was more stunned that Meade went shut down, but since they were owned by the same company that owned Orion it only made sense

[deSitter]

Meade's demise began when they turned out F6 SCT's, followed soon after by terrible simple Newtonian mirrors. They turned a corner and never came back. Then there was their laughable apos.

 

Glad, 

 

Pete

My "laughable" 127ED showed albedo features on Ganymede. The optics were designed by Robert Buchroeder, who does adaptive optics or major observatories now.

 

APO? As much as any 2-element ED scope can be said to be an APO. There is no color to speak of, even on Venus. None at all on Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon.

 

edit: Richard not Robert

 

-drl

Edited by deSitter, 04 September 2024 - 08:58 AM.

[bjkaras]

...   Meade 6600 ...   He used it for a few years, but now it’s just a dusty doorstop.

 

If your Brother ever tires of his doorstop, please shoot me a PM.  I'd take that OTA off his hands (or, feet) -- got several Mizar EQs already.

I’ll bring that up the next time I see him. He also has a nice set of Ultrascopic eyepieces which I wouldn’t mind having. 

[CHASLX200]

My "laughable" 127ED showed albedo features on Ganymede. The optics were designed by Robert Buchroeder, who does adaptive optics or major observatories now.

 

APO? As much as any 2-element ED scope can be said to be an APO. There is no color to speak of, even on Venus. None at all on Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon.

 

-drl

My 5" ED was good. Not FS128 good but it was good. But as you know my LXD600 mount did odd things and had a much smaller object data base vs the LXD650..  But to send a scope back 5 times and never get it right was pretty sad as even Meade had no clue in 1999 what was going on with the cell mel.

Edited by CHASLX200, 04 September 2024 - 05:56 AM.

[Brent Campbell]

I’ll answer the original question.  I could care less. It’s not like Mead was making anything unique or special lately.  As for the scopes of their glory years, plenty of them around in the used market.

[Terra Nova]

My "laughable" 127ED showed albedo features on Ganymede. The optics were designed by Robert Buchroeder, who does adaptive optics or major observatories now.

 

APO? As much as any 2-element ED scope can be said to be an APO. There is no color to speak of, even on Venus. None at all on Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon.

 

-drl

It’s Dick (Richard) Buchroeder. He designed some superb optics, and he’s still with us. I had a conversation with him two months ago; great guy!

Edited by Terra Nova, 04 September 2024 - 08:39 AM.

[Michael Covington]

Getting back to the Chinese makers selling directly to the American market, the question is how well they do marketing and user support.  Certainly, ZWO and iOptron are two excellent examples of Chinese companies that sell directly to us (or through dealers, not American brands) and are successful and well respected.  What Orion and Meade did, though, was promote amateur astronomy on a grand scale to the American public.  We may be moving into a world where knowledgeable amateurs can still get plenty of good equipment economically, but much less of the public even knows there is such a thing as amateur astronomy.

[Michael Covington]

Sort of like what happened to hobby electronics when Radio Shack went away.   Those of us "in the know" get great service from Digi-Key, Mouser, Adafruit, etc.  In fact it is a relief not being limited to Radio Shack's selection.  But the number of people being introduced to the hobby now must be far, far smaller than in the 1980s.  Nowadays electronics hobbyists are much closer to professionals (with many of the same software tools, such as KiCad, which makes it easier to go deeper and do more advanced projects) but families strolling around town are never going to see any sign that our hobby exists.

[markgravitygood]

News to me

 

So I guess I'm praying I don't have any problems with my LX90 10" ACF?!?

[deSitter]

Sort of like what happened to hobby electronics when Radio Shack went away.   Those of us "in the know" get great service from Digi-Key, Mouser, Adafruit, etc.  In fact it is a relief not being limited to Radio Shack's selection.  But the number of people being introduced to the hobby now must be far, far smaller than in the 1980s.  Nowadays electronics hobbyists are much closer to professionals (with many of the same software tools, such as KiCad, which makes it easier to go deeper and do more advanced projects) but families strolling around town are never going to see any sign that our hobby exists.

Interesting points. Back to the future.

 

-drl

[ccate]

"All your base are belong to us"

[m0bius]

My prognostication? Like a mushroom, Meade will pop up again. And it will be even less less-better than before. I mean before the second less better. lol.

Edited by m0bius, 04 September 2024 - 10:55 AM.

[jgraham]

It might be clean living, but my ACFs have chugged right along for years without a problem. Like most electronics, they either die right away or they live forever.

It's interesting to read about all of the different experiences. Broadly, my experience has been that designs that push the edge a bit need little attention to detail, but they perform well once zeroed in.

The devil is always in the details. 😀

[deSitter]

My prognostication? Like a mushroom, Meade will pop up again. And it will be even less less-better than before. I mean before the second less better. lol.

I agree - they have something inherently marketable, IP for making an SCT of alternate design to Synta/Celestron. I would expect GSO to attempt to collect the remains, like putting C3PO back together. Maybe the tripods should have golden legs 1 silver leg.

 

-drl

[NinePlanets]

Sort of like what happened to hobby electronics when Radio Shack went away.   Those of us "in the know" get great service from Digi-Key, Mouser, Adafruit, etc.  In fact it is a relief not being limited to Radio Shack's selection.  But the number of people being introduced to the hobby now must be far, far smaller than in the 1980s.  Nowadays electronics hobbyists are much closer to professionals (with many of the same software tools, such as KiCad, which makes it easier to go deeper and do more advanced projects) but families strolling around town are never going to see any sign that our hobby exists.

Don't forget Lafayette!    It was a great mail-order supply house for electronic parts. Quality parts - unlike the overpriced Radio Shack seconds. But yes, Radio shack is greatly missed. It was nice to be able to run to the local store when a part (or decent substitution) was needed in a hurry.

[deSitter]

BTW - in the background to all this - machine creation of aspheres is now reaching an advanced stage. Times are not dark - I see a new era of mass-produced yet still excellent instruments with the most difficult part mastered by automation. Think of what happened with computers. It was not processor speed, rather advances in mass production of chipsets, bus transceivers, memory, etc. and storage which reduced the price to commodity level. Given that telescopes have historically commanded high prices, there will be a window where you can charge a healthy profit margin for an excellent telescope and competition will be fierce - as long as there is more than 1 entrant.

 

-drl

[tim53]

My "laughable" 127ED showed albedo features on Ganymede. The optics were designed by Robert Buchroeder, who does adaptive optics or major observatories now.

 

APO? As much as any 2-element ED scope can be said to be an APO. There is no color to speak of, even on Venus. None at all on Jupiter, Mars, and the Moon.

 

edit: Richard not Robert

 

-drl

I haven't had a chance to test the 127ED I bought from my late friend's daughter last week.  I'm hoping it's a good one, or if it isn't, I can adjust or make a new cell for it so it can be adjusted.  I'll DPAC it if needed.

[Terra Nova]

My prognostication? Like a mushroom, Meade will pop up again. And it will be even less less-better than before. I mean before the second less better. lol.

Hope springs eternal, however, I rather doubt your prognostication. Word on the street from TiaJuana is that the Meade factory there is a defunct, cleaned out shell. I really think it’s over, c'est la vie, c'est la guerre! In other words, et c’est ainsi que ça se termine.

[NinePlanets]

Hope springs eternal, however, I rather doubt your prognostication. Word on the street from TiaJuana is that the Meade factory there is a defunct, cleaned out shell. I really think it’s over, c'est la vie, c'est la guerre! In other words, et c’est ainsi que ça se termine.

Which street? Eyes-On Reliable Street or Via Del Doubt?

[Terra Nova]

Which street? Eyes-On Reliable Street or Via Del Doubt?

Have you seen the latest video on YouTube? Read the posted comments. There are also some by former Orion employees. Also take a look at the latest bankruptcy proceedings from the California courts (April of THIS year). This should not be coming as a shock to anyone. I'm certainly not waiting for any second coming.