Meade 3/21/3514

Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/ UHTC, Autostar Controller (497) and Tripod (884)

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Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/ UHTC, Autostar Controller (497) and Tripod (884) Overview

- Electronic Level Sensor -- - High Precision Clock -- - Red Dot Viewfinder -- - Electronic Magnetic North Sensor -- A stunningly beautiful, ultraportable, and highly versatile telescope system of unprecidented optical resolution and performance. The ETX-90 PE model is built on the original ETX concept to create the most advanced electronically-contolled telescopes-including automatic GOTO object-location with the Autostar Computer Controller. And yet without sacrificing any of the user-friendly features that started the ETX revolution. -- Meade's new ETX 90 PE automatically levels your telescope, determines North and sets the time. You just enter your location or zip code. After your ETX completes its patented Level North automatic alignment procedure, it will point to the first alignment star. Use the new wide-field SmartFinder to center the red dot over the alignment stars for the ultra-precise pointing accuracy. -- ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes produce superlative, diffraction-limited optical performance and resolution. Optics so high in contrast, image brightness, and resolution that ETX-90 PE models often outperform many telescopes of larger apertures. -- The AutoStar computer controller helps you quickly find and GoTo over 30,000 objects in the night sky. View plants, stars, galaxies, nebulae, comets and more-all at the push of a button. Go to the Tonight's Best tour in your AutoStar and it automatically selects the best objects in the sky for that particular time and location! The AutoStar controller can be updated -FREE- over the internet. Keep your AutoStar up-to-date and your ETX telescope will grow with you for years to come. -- Optical Systems: ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes produce superlative, diffraction-limited optical performance and resolution. Optics so high in contrast, image brightness, and resolution that ETX-90 PE models often outperform many telescopes of larger apertures.

Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/ UHTC, Autostar Controller (497) and Tripod (884) Feature

• Includes AutoStar controller and deluxe field tripod
• UHTC coatings are on all optical surfaces for enhanced detail
• Cordless motor drive for fully automatic tracking
• Maksutov meniscus corrector lens of Grade-A BK7 optical glass
• Includes a Meade Series 4000 Super Plvssl 26 millimeter eyepiece for 48 times magnification

Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/ UHTC, Autostar Controller (497) and Tripod (884) Specifications

The little Meade ETX90EC, one of the most popular telescopes ever made, is a 3.5-inch f/13.8 Maksutov-Cassegrain designed for maximum portability while also delivering outstanding images. It certainly succeeds on both counts, and at a terrific price. The telescope comes with a 26mm Meade Super Plössl eyepiece, an 8x21 finderscope, a very nice screw-on dust cap, a fork mount, an adjustable tripod, and a built-in computer for finding and tracking sky objects.

Images through the ETX90EC are absolutely textbook perfect. The excellent optical quality produces some wonderful views of brighter sky objects, such as the Moon and naked-eye planets. Meade's recently introduced UHTC optical coatings further strengthen optical performance by enhancing image contrast. Given the amazing low price for what you get, the ETX90EC is a great triumph in low-cost, mass-production optical fabrication techniques.

The computer-driven hand controller makes it easy to find 14,000 celestial objects.

Once properly set up and initialized, the onboard Autostar computer control can guide users to more than 14,000 sky objects. I have always found the Autostar navigation system to be extremely accurate, even if it does include many more targets than a 3.5-inch telescope could possibly see under the best conditions.

As good as the optical assembly is, the finderscope leaves something to be desired. I find it difficult, if not impossible to look through because of how closely it is mounted to the tube of the telescope. The problem only gets worse as the telescope raises in altitude, causing my nose to scrunch up against the eyepiece. I would recommend augmenting the finder with a small one-power aiming device, such Orion Telescope's EZ Finder II Reflex Sight. Another drawback is the focusing. Although the focuser's movement is smooth, the small, aluminum knob is very difficult to grasp when looking through the eyepiece.

The tube assembly comes mounted on a miniaturized, clock-driven, fork equatorial mount made mostly from molded plastic. The DC-powered clock drive runs for more than 20 hours on eight common AA-size batteries. The clock drive tracks the sky quite accurately after it has been properly initialized.

Consumers should note, however, that since the tube is longer than the fork arms, the telescope cannot swing all the way through the mount. This could limit the telescope's ability to look low in the sky, depending on how and where you have it set up. What that point is exactly will depend on the angle at which the ETX is tilted for polar alignment, but it worsens as you head south. I also feel that the plastic fork mounting is just barely solid enough to support the weight of the telescope. It is certainly not strong enough to hold both it and a camera.

Overall, despite the weaknesses mentioned above, the ETX90EC is a well-made instrument and has an amazingly low price. Computer tracking and slewing coupled with outstanding optics in such a compact package would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Yet, here it is. --Phil Harrington, author of Star Ware

Pros:

• Outstanding optics
• Compact size
• Amazing value for the money
• Accurate computer control and tracking

Cons:

• Poor finderscope
• Weak plastic mounting
• Focusing knob very close to eyepiece
• Small aperture only suitable for the brightest sky targets