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Orion StarMax 90mm TableTop Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope

Current Price: $179.99 User level:

Our Verdict on the Orion StarMax 90mm

If you are still not sure whether or not you think you are going to enjoy this hobby then we would say try the Funscope, it’s less expensive so you won’t lose much money, but you will still see a lot of space. However, if you are pretty sure astronomy is for you (or you already have a large telescope and you are looking for a tabletop telescope) then we would highly recommend the Orion StarMax 90mm TableTop Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope.

In our humble opinion this is the best grab-and-go telescope on the market right now. It provides you with amazing viewing power for its modest size, is very high quality and comes with a good bundle of accessories.

The Orion StarMax 90mm give you Surprisingly Big Views for such a low price – an absolute bargain.

Description

This small telescope has some serious magnifying power due to its long 1250mm (f/13.8) – it actually collects up to 225% more light than a 60mm refractor telescope! With the Orion StarMax 90mm you will be able to see detailed views of the planets, craters on the moon, Saturn’s rings, and Jupiter’s moons. Thanks to the additional aperture you will also be able to observe star clusters and bright nebulae in deeper space.

At just 6.5lbs (including diagonal, eyepiece and reflex sight) this compact tabletop telescope provides ultra portability, all you need is a sturdy top and you are good to go. The optical tube assembly of the Orion StarMax 90mm TableTop Refractor Telescope is attached to a stable table-top swivel base which has a quick-release dovetail mount with adjustable altitude tension. Even if you don’t have a sturdy surface the tube can easily be removed from the base and mounted on an optional photo tripod or the small swivel base can be mounted on a camera tripod with a 3/8″ screw (see video at bottom of page).

Orion StarMax 90mm Accessories List

Along with the big impressive views provided with the Orion StarMax 90mm you also get a big and impressive accessories list:

• Two 1.25″ eyepieces of 25mm and 10mm focal lengths yielding powers of 50x and 125x magnification
• Orion EZ Finder II red-dot reflex sight to make it easy to locate objects in the night sky
• 90° star diagonal yields for bright images and a comfortable viewing orientation for looking at the night sky
• Starry Night^TM Special Edition astronomy software to help you plan your observations and understand what you see
• SkyTheater DVD to turn your TV into a spaceship in a 104-minute voyage through our solar system

Favourite Review

The StarMax 90mm Table Top Mak-Cass
5 out of 5 stars.

“It sets up so easy. You just get a few friends and in my case my six year old daughter. Within in few minutes her eyes are open to Jupiter and its four moons. And the moon itself has been unbelievable this October despite the cloud cover. Mr. New Moon don’t scare us, Boo! So many screts up there, so little time. We travel with ours in a duffle bag and a small case of accessories. We can put it on any sturdy picinic table or any surface at all for beautiful looks at just about anything when you’re in dark skies. This little scope will hold your attention for hours if ya know what you’re looking at. My six year old daughter gets excited with it and that makes me a happy stargazer. Thank you Orion for the bonds that have formed between my daughter and I. I’m hoping she will continue to carry the fire so others can see too.”

More reviews for the Orion StarMax 90mm can be found at the product page on Telescope.com.

Featured Video

Orion StarMax 90mm Review by Geoff Highcliffe

Orion AstroView 120ST Equatorial Refractor Telescope

Current Price: $499.99 User level:

Our Verdict of the Orion AstroView 120ST

With its shortened focal length the Orion AstroView 120ST is a great tool for the deep space enthusiasts. It does give you very pleasing views of the moon and the planets but thanks to its shortened focal length and generous aperture it is deep space where this telescope excels. With the included 25mm Plossl eyepiece you get a wide enough view of sky to display the entire Double Cluster of Perseus.

The accessories with the Orion AstroView 120ST are also generous making this a fabulous package for the intermediate astronomer.

Over 20 reviewers at Telescope.com have also delivered their verdict and it has an overall of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Description

The Orion AstroView 120ST is a wonderful wide-field compact refractor for viewing deep-sky objects like nebular clouds, star clusters and galaxies with sharp views and crisp resolution. It has a multi-coated achromatic objective lens with 120mm (4.7″) clear aperture with a focal length of just 600mm (f/5). Compared to a standard 120mm AstroView (f/8.3) this gives it a 66% wider field of view for any given eyepiece. The Orion AstroView 120ST telescope provides pleasing views of bright planets and the moon but it is the shortened focal length and generous aperture that make this telescope excel at deep space observation. The fast f/5 optical system also makes the Orion AstroView 120ST an excellent refractor telescope for wide-field astrophotography.

This Equatorial Refractor comes with a sturdy adjustable-height aluminium tripod and the popular Orion AstroView equatorial (EQ) mount for stability and smoothness of motion. Also included with the Orion AstroView 120ST are two Sirius Plossl 1.25″ eyepieces (10mm and 25mm), 6×30 finder scope, smooth cast-metal 2″ rack & pinion focuser, 90-degree mirror star diagonal, accessory tray and Starry Night astronomy software. An included polar-axis scope will allow you to achieve polar-alignment of the equatorial mount quickly and accurately, and manual slow-motion controls let you center objects and track them with minimal effort. The Orion AstroView 120ST telescope also scores highly on the portability front as the optical tube measures just 26″ long including the dew shield.

Features of the Orion AstroView 120ST

• 
• 120mm (4.7″) aperture and 600mm (f/5) focal length refractor
• Multi-coated achromatic objective lens
• Sturdy adjustable-height aluminium tripod
• Orion AstroView equatorial (EQ) mount
• Two Sirius Plossl 1.25″ eyepieces (10mm and 25mm)
• 6×30 finder scope
• Rack & pinion focuser
• 90-degree mirror star diagonal
• Starry Night astronomy software
• Accessory tray

Favorite Review

Orion AstroView 120 ST EQ Refractor Telescope
5 out of 5 stars.

“This telescope has to be the “Paragon of Values” in astronomical equipment! It has been a pleasure from the time we removed it from it’s well packaged box, to first light. Well done Orion. The first night, we went for the Moon, and the view was as sharp as my Maksutov- Cassegrain, and actually had more contrast. We next went to Mars, and were just able to make out the polar cap, on the now receding planet. But, the main feature of this scope is it’s performance on deep sky objects. Double stars split easily, and M44 was a fabulous sight. The mount is very well made, and the tripod, if kept at lower heights, is more than capable of handling this beefy instrument. I would advise anyone getting this telescope to also order the 6X30 right angle finder scope. This upgrade is not particular to this scope, but right angle finder scopes should be standard on all scopes! Much easier to use! I recommend also, that after you have enjoyed using this telescope for awhile, that you purchase the 2″ dielectric diagonal. Now you can use both 1.25″ and 2.0″ eyepieces! TIP: With the Orion Q70 38mm lens, you will have a very bright 4.4 degree TFOV. Very few other telescopes can offer this to you. Again, well done Orion!”

More reviews for the Orion AstroView 120ST are available at Telescope.com.

Orion AstroView 120ST Review by Geoff Highcliffe

Catadioptric Telescope Recommendations

If you have asked yourself the right questions and done some research and have come to the conclusion that you want to engage in both planetary and deep space observation then you will probably want a Catadioptric Telescope (also known as a Cassegrain telescope). The trade off for the versatility is price as you will need to pay more for equivalent light gathering power, but a Catadioptric Telescope is a fantastic bit of kit with so many advantages that it is worth paying that little bit extra so as to not limit yourself.

To help you with your buying research we have compiled what we believe to be some of the best catadioptric telescopes on the market in terms of power and value for money.

Orion StarMax 90mm TableTop Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope Current Price: $179.99 User Level: Our Verdict:

Meade ETX-125AT (f/15) Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope List Price: $699.00 Current Price: $699.00 Our Verdict:

Celestron CPC 1100 StarBright XLT GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain 2800mm Telescope List Price: $5,589.95 Current Price: $2,999.00 Our Verdict:

Recommended Reflector Telescopes

If you have answered the main questions and come to the decision that a reflecting telescope is the one for you (your main interest is going to be deep space viewing) your next question is most likely to be which one should I get?. To help you out we have pulled together what we believe to be the best Reflector Telescopes for beginners to intermediate users on the market today.

FunScope 76mm Tabletop Reflector Telescope Current Price: $49.99 User level: Our Verdict:

Orion SpaceProbe 3 Altazimuth Reflector Telescope Current Price: $99.99 User level: Our Verdict:

Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Current Price: $349.99 User level: Our Verdict:

Recommended Refractor Telescopes

Once people have been through ‘the questions’ and decided upon the type of telescope that they want their next question is always which one should I buy?. If you decided that a Refracting telescope was for you (your main interest is planetary viewing) then we have pulled together what we believe to be the best Refractor Telescopes for beginners to intermediate astronomers on the market today.

Celestron 21061 AstroMaster 70 AZ Refractor Telescope List Price: $191.95 Current Price: $114.75 Our Verdict:

Orion AstroView 120ST Equatorial Refractor Telescope Current Price: $499.99 User level: Our Verdict:

FunScope 76mm Tabletop Reflector Telescope

Current Price: $49.99 User level: (This Amazon UK link is for the Celestron 76mm Firstscope – it does cost more at about £67 but it is still a really good low cost Tabletop Reflector)

Our FunScope Verdict

Despite its name the FunScope is a real reflecting telescope and a seriously good introduction to the joys of the night sky. It has excellent light gathering capability so plenty of objects are within your grasp beyond the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter.

But let’s not forget the fun side – this wonderful telescope weighs only 4lb so you can take the FunScope with you almost anywhere meaning that nights never need to be boring again. It comes with everything you need to get stargazing right away and if desired it can also easily be mounted on a tripod.

This telescope is exceptional value for money, perfect for the beginner astronomer and seriously good fun.

Although it is aimed at the beginner we know many a hardened astronomer that has a FunScope in their arsenal.

FunScope Description

Although designed specifically for the first time telescope buyer this pint sized telescope packs a mighty punch. With its 76mm (3”) diameter polished spherical mirror you can capture 60% more light than a typical 60mm beginners telescope. The Funscope can pretty much be used straight out of the box (mount comes pre-assembled) so be prepared to be wowed by the mountains and craters of the moon. Thanks to its light gathering power even under light polluted skies you will also be able to see the rings of Saturn and the 4 brightest moons of Jupiter. Under dark skies you will be able to see some of the brighter galaxies, sparkling star clusters and emission nebulae.

As the Funscope weighs only 4lbs it is highly portable and so transporting it to the best locations is a breeze – perfect for those camping trips. The pre-assembled mount is sturdy and compact and provides you with a nice smooth motion. If you cannot find a suitable surface to place your Funscope on when you are about and about then it can be mounted easily onto a tripod with a 3/8″ or 1/4″-20 screw.

To help you easily locate objects the Funscope comes equipped with a red dot finder, smooth adjusting rack-and-pinion focuser and two quality 1.25″ telescope eyepieces. The 10mm eyepiece will provide you with higher power views with 30x power magnification and the 20mm eyepiece will give you 15x power magnification. You have everything you need to begin stargazing right out of the box.

With the Funscope Telescope you also get a one year limited warranty.

FunScope Features

• Tabletop mount arrives pre-assembled in the box
• 76mm (3”) diameter polished spherical mirror
• “Red dot” reflex sight
• Smooth adjusting rack-and-pinion focuser
• Two quality 1.25″ telecope eyepieces: 20mm
• Ultra-portable as the FunScope weighs in at just 4 lbs
• Mount with a quick-release dovetail mechanism

Favourite Review

FunScope 76mm Reflector Telescope
5 out of 5 stars.

“I became interested in astronomy back in the mid 60′s at the age of twelve. I have owned over ten telescopes during this period, and have observed well over 1,000 deep-sky objects. I have detailed notes on all, and hundreds of pencil sketches. Zoe, my granddaughter, turned ten years old this week. I wanted to get her a telescope for this very special birthday. Zoe lives with her parents in Nevada, and I live in North Carolina. I decided that the telescope had to be easy to use, durable, and of very high quality. I found all of the above and more with the FunScope 76mm Reflector Telescope. This is not just a scope for the beginner, but would make a great portable scope for the most advanced amateur. On those nights that are questionable, when time is limited, or when you just don’t want to haul out a large scope, this is the scope to use. I was amazed with the view of the Crab nebula, the elongated shape was very clear and it was surprisingly bright for a scope of this aperture. My favourite galaxies M81 and M82 were framed nicely toward the middle of the field. Wow! One beautiful view, and I was very surprised with the resolve of globular cluster M41. The Orion Nebula was great, and I could see all four of the trapezium stars using one of my higher power eyepieces. I was amazed! It is my opinion, this scope offers the best value for the money than any other scope on the market. Zoe and her parents were able to observe the moon last night. I am confident that the family will have many more happy observing sessions in the future. During my next visit, we will move on to the deep-sky.”

More reviews for the FunScope are available at Telescope.com. Scroll down the page a bit and you will see a row of tabs, reviews are sandwiched between ‘FAQ’ and ‘Video Gallery’.

If you are in the UK where the FunScope is not easily available then we recommend the Celestron Firstscope. For this product here are Customer Reviews at Amazon.co.uk.

Featured FunScope Videos

FunScope Review by Geoff Highcliffe

Orion SpaceProbe 3 Altazimuth Reflector Telescope

Current Price: $99.99 User level:

Our Verdict on the Orion SpaceProbe 3

A superb entry level telescope that is a fantastic size for kids and presents excellent value for money – a telescope that is perfect for your backyard. Complete with a mount, tripod, additional eyepieces and starry night software the Orion SpaceProbe 3 comes with everything you need to begin your astronomical exploring. Light gathering power is good meaning that you will have an abundance of things to see. Orion make great scopes and they also provide a one year warranty – at the risk of repeating myself I will say it once more, the telescope package that you get with the Orion SpaceProbe 3 really is excellent value for money.

Note
Like all Reflector telescopes the Orion Spaceprobe 3 is not suitable for terrestrial viewing as the images will not be right-side up.

Description of the Orion SpaceProbe 3

Excellent entry level telescope that is ideal for all-round stargazing. The Orion Spaceprobe 3 is an easy to use, highly portable and high quality telescope. It comes complete with a lightweight altazimuth mount, adjustable aluminium tripod, accessory tray and free Starry Night Software with SkyTheater DVD. It has a 3″ (76mm) glass primary mirror and comes with 2 Explorer II eyepieces and a wide field EZ finder II finder scope to help you find objects in the night sky. The 25mm eyepiece provides 28x power magnification and the 10mm eyepiece will boost power magnification to 70x.

With a focal length of 700mm you will get sharp views of cosmic curiosities that are sure to thrill and intrigue. The Orion Spaceprobe 3 will provide you with fascinating views of the Moon and reveal to you the rings of Saturn, Jupitors Moons and will gather enough light to allow you to see the glow of exotic nebulae and star clusters. With the interactive SkyGuide tours you will be able to explore the solar system and access 1,000,000 celestial objects and stars – you can even view and print detailed maps of your local section of space.

With the Orion Spaceprobe 3 Altazimuth Reflector Telescope you also get a one year limited warranty.

Orion SpaceProbe 3 Features

• 3″ (76mm) diameter primary mirror
• Sturdy Neptune Blue Metallic aluminum tube
• Lightweight altazimuth mount
• Adjustable aluminium tripod
• Two Explorer II eyepieces
• EZ finder II finder scope
• Accessory tray
• Smooth 25” rack and pinion focuser
• Reflector collimation cap
• Starry Night astronomy software

Favourite Review

Wow, just WOW!
5 out of 5 stars.

“This telescope is absolutely fantastic for a $100 telescope or any beginner’s telescope for that matter! We got our first views of the Supermoon tonight. We were also able to see the rings of Saturn and the Spica star of Virgo, which is unbelievable fora telescope under $100. This telescope has turned us into eager, novice astronomers and we will be back for an ungraded model when we outgrow this scope!”

You can read more customer reviews for the Orion SpaceProbe 3 at Telescope.com.

Featured Videos

Orion SpaceProbe 3 Review by Geoff Highcliffe

About Us

Telescopebuying.co.uk is the lovechild of two enthusiastic amateur astronomers – Geoff and Martin. We both had difficult experiences choosing out 1st telescopes all those years ago and the situation for beginners doesn’t seem to have improved much. Gathering by the continual stream of confused people who ask us to help them buy their 1st scope information overload and analysis paralysis are still quite common, even worse in our opinion are the people who get so frustrated by the whole process that they end up buying a telescope that is not suitable for them.

Buying a telescope is a big decision, get it right and you will be hooked for the rest of your life, get it wrong and you will probably have a frustrating and disappointing experience.

We therefore created this little website in the hope that it would act as a Telescope Buying Guide for Beginners. The buying process does require some thought and so we have presented the information in a way that gets you to ask the important questions. Once you have answered those questions you should be in the position of knowing the type of telescope you need/want, the accessories you are going to require and the budget that you have to play with.

Once we have helped people to focus on the type of telescope they should get the next big question we always get asked is – Which one should I buy?

We therefore decided to add a recommended products section to our site. Based upon our own experience, the experiences of those that we know and trust and the many reviews that are available on the web we have compiled a list of our top 3 recommended telescopes for each of the main telescope types – Reflectors, Refractor and Catadioptric. We will keep this section updated as new stars in the telescope universe come along but please bear in mind that some of the prices may change on a website before we get the chance to update our own site.

This guide was originally created for friends and new club members but if it helps you then we are pleased and wish you all of the best with your astronomical experiences for many years to come.

Geoff and Martin,

Not us – but at least 3 times a day people tell us it could be!

Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

Current Price: $349.99 User level:

Our Verdict on the Orion SkyQuest XT8

Obviously we are going to tell you this is a good telescope, the Orion SkyQuest XT8 has made it onto our select list of recommended products after all, and we have given it a 5 star rating. But you don’t have to take our word for it – 38 Reviews on Amazon.com (March 30th 2012) with an Overall Rating of 4.7 stars and 127 Reviews on Telescope.com with an overall of 4.9 stars – make no mistake, this is a good telescope.

A very popular, rock solid telescope with precision optics for serious amateurs. The Orion XT8 is a large aperture Classic Dobsonian Reflector that represents tremendous value considering the high quality views it provides on such a wide variety of celestial objects.

Description for the Orion XT8

A very capable and powerful telescope and one of the most popular models ever built. The Orion SkyQuest XT8 combines precision optics with mechanical simplicity and rock-solid stability. It has an 8″ (203mm) diameter parabolic primary mirror mounted in a cast-aluminum support cell for maximum ventilation. The mirror collects 73% more light than a 6″ – enough to view the Moon and planets in close up detail, tease out dust lanes in nebulas, resolve the cores of prominent globular clusters, and reveal subtle structure in elusive galaxies. Enhanced-reflectivity mirror coatings boost the Orion XT8 Classic Dobsonian’s mirror to 94% reflectivity so as much light as possible is transmitted to the eyepiece for bright and clear views.

The wonderful Autostar gives you quick and immediate access to over 30,000 celestial objects, view planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae and comets all at the push of a button. It even has a ‘Tonight’s Best Tour’ that will automatically select for you the best objects in the sky for your particular time and location. With the Orion SkyQuest XT8 (and the right conditions) you will be able to view the intricate panorama of craters, rays and rills on the moon, the polar cap on Mars, watch the orbiting of Jupiters 4 moons and even view Saturns famous Titan moon.

The Orion XT8 gives you effortless point and view simplicity thanks to its low-profile altazimuth platform. The 46″ long enamelled steel tube attaches securely to using the CorrecTension Friction Optimization system which applies just the right amount of friction on the altitude bearings to ensure proper tube balance. With a little practise a push or pull of the navigation knob will have you finding objects in the sky like an experienced astronomer. The telescope can also conveniently and simply be separated into two pieces for easy transport and storage.

The Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian also comes with a host of useful accessories including an upgraded Crayford-Style Focuser, a 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece, an EZ Finder II reflex sight, collimation cap, dust caps Starry Night Astronomy software and a SkyTheater DVD.

Features of the Orion SkyQuest XT8

• 8″ diameter reflector optics
• Stable low-profile altazimuth platform
• Orion’s CorrecTension Friction Optimization system
• 2″ Crayford-style focuser that accepts both 1.25″ and 2″ accessories
• 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece that provides a 48-power magnification
• Orion EZ Finder II reflex sight
• Quick collimation cap for easy mirror alignment
• Dust caps for the reflector telescope tube and focuser
• Special edition of Starry Night astronomy software and a SkyTheater DVD

Favourite Review

The most “Bang-for-$” possible from ANY Telescope – bar none!
5 out of 5 stars.

“Every year, around Xmas and birthdays, parents all over try to find a “good quality, but not expensive…” telescope for their kids…, and end up buying a piece of junk some Department Store sales person (who couldn’t tell the difference between a coffee-maker and a telescope) said was great. Those usually aggravate beginners to the point of losing interest in anything astronomical at all.

The Classic Orion XT8 Dob.,or its smaller XT6 cousin, are the greatest gifts any budding young Astronomer could receive!
First, because they are really, serious quality telescopes, with enough aperture to actually gather enough starlight to see something. Many professional and amateur astronomers own Dobsonian telescopes for their own personal enjoyment because they are simple and easy to use, portable, and quick to set-up and take-down, and reward the casual observer with outstanding views.

Secondly, and probable the most important feature they have over any other type of telescope, is the fact that using them makes the observer actually ‘Learn’. The quick and excellent views a beginner sees prompts questions. “What am I seeing?” … “Where is Jupiter?”… , etc. I’ve actually met people who have been using ‘Go-To’ scopes only for years, that couldn’t point out the North Star to me. In short, using a Dob. Scope makes one actually learn about the night sky and where things are and how they move, rather than how to punch buttons and use a computer.

I’ve had mine (XT8) now for several years, and have acquired several other telescopes, but it is still my favourite one to use. The only problem I’ve had with it was when I set it up on some sandy ground (my mistake), some sand got into the plastic bearings the base slides/turns on and had to be cleaned out. I then sealed the base opening against such by glueing a strip of window unit air conditioner installation foam around the base opening.

There’s only two accessories I would recommend for this, or any, beginner telescope. A 2X Barlow and Moon filter. The Barlow doubles the magnification of the supplied eyepieces (which are very good ones, btw.), effectively giving you 4 instead of 2. The Moon filter because at some point, you’re going to look at it, and in a telescope, it can get very bright! I recommend a rotating, polarized one that adjust to the brightness of the moon phases.

Favourite viewing location: 100 miles from the nearest light bulb

Favourite object to observe: Deep Sky Galaxies, Comets, Planets…anything higher than the horizon.

Pros: all around best telescope.

Cons: you’ve got to use your brain.”

More reviews available at Telescope.com.

Featured Video

Orion SkyQuest XT8 Review by Geoff Highcliffe

Meade ETX 125 (f/15) Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope

List Price: $699.00 Current Price: $699.00 Availability: (Not currently available in the UK – March 2012)

Our Verdict on the Meade ETX 125

We have no hesitation recommending the Meade ETX 125, particularly for any budding astrophotographers out there. The Autostar system is a joy to use and we think that this package is one of the best GoTo starter kits available on the market.

In July 2011 BBC Sky at Night Magazine gave the Meade ETX 125 AT a ‘Highly Commended’ rating with an overall score of 92%.

ETX telescopes are also great for terrestrial viewing, although you will need to purchase an Erect Image Prism to re-orient the telescope’s normal mirror image.

Description

For many years the Meade ETX 125 Maksutov Cassegrain has been a favourite amongst serious astronomers. They have a brightness and image resolution that consistently outperform telescopes of larger aperture with wonderful crisp images being produced. Portable and incredibly durable the Meade ETX 125 uses advanced engineering coupled with classic styling to provide you with a telescope that you will want to use for a lifetime.

The wonderful Autostar gives you quick and immediate access to over 30,000 celestial objects. View planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae and comets all at the push of a button. It even has a ‘Tonight’s Best Tour’ that will automatically select for you the best objects in the sky for your particular time and location. With the Meade ETX 125 (and the right conditions) you will be able to view the intricate panorama of craters, rays and rills on the moon, the polar cap on Mars, watch the orbiting of Jupiters 4 moons and even view Saturns famous Titan moon.

Ultra High Transmission Coatings with the Meade ETX 125 increase brightness by nearly 15% over standard coatings meaning that celestial objects will be dramatically brighter. These coatings optimize the visual, photographic and CCD imaging performance of this ETX telescope making it extremely good for Astrophotography. The Meade ETX 125 has a fully computer controlled mounting with two ultra high-precision motors and comes with a full length strong and lightweight deluxe field tripod with stainless steel legs to give the perfect balance of portability and stability. Also included with this package are a 26mm Eyepiece, Hand Controller, Finderscope, CD-ROM telescope control software for advanced control of your telescope via computer.

Features of the Meade ETX 125

• Maksutov-Cassegrain optical system
• Aperture: 127mm(5.0-Inch). Focal Length: 1900mm. Focal Ratio: f/15
• AutoStar controller helps you quickly find and GoTo over 30,000 objects
• Ultra-High Transmission Coatings
• Deluxe Field Tripod complete with its own padded carry bag
• 26mm Eyepiece (high to medium power)
• Hand Controller
• Finderscope
• CD-ROM telescope control software for advanced control of your telescope via computer

Favorite Review

Meade ETX 125 AT
5 out of 5 stars.

“I am a person that is confined to a wheelchair. The weight of the telescope is so light that I have no problem working with them. The optics are just wonderful and I was extremely surprised with the clarity I had with this telescope. The setup of the unit is very simple and the setup of the Autostar computer system was very easy to setup. This telescope will provide me with many years of enjoyment with this system. I am looking to be able to do some astrophotograpy in the future.”

Review by Lowell F. Goodwin.

You can read more reviews for Meade ETX 125 at Amazon.com.

Featured Video

Meade ETX 125 Review by Geoff Highcliffe