Meade NG60-SM Altazimuth Refractor

by Meade

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 8.5 x 30 inches ; 11.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 21 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0028QUGEY
• Item model number: 20221
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,940 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #53 in Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Refractors
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 9, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Meade NG60-SM Altazimuth Refractor Telescope Meade's value priced NG60-SM Altazimuth Refractor is an affordable entry level telescope that features an easy to use Altazimuth mount with slow motion controls for precise tracking. The complete package includes a sturdy metal tripod, a red dot viewfinder, two 1.25 inch eyepieces and a star diagonal, and a software DVD with instructional video.

The NG60-SM Refractor Telescope comes disassembled in a compact box, but the instructional DVD video guides you through all the steps required for assembly. Go ahead and try it out in the daytime, that's the best time to align the red-dot finder scope while looking at a distant tree or telephone pole.

The optics of Meade's NG60-SM produce an image that is right side up but the diagonal mirror reverses the image left-to-right. That's no problem most of the time, but an optional correct image diagonal is available. The low power 25mm eyepiece produces a magnification 28X which is just right for spotting the Moon or the planets, while the 9mm eyepiece (78X magnification) can be used to zoom in for more detail. The MH25 eyepiece at 28X shows a lovely view of the Lunar disk in a dark sky, while the MH9 eyepiece at 78X shows literally hundreds of craters on the Moon and begins to show the rings of Saturn and the cloud bands of Jupiter. For even better views it's easy to add better eyepieces. My best view of Saturn, for example, came with an optional 6.4mm Super Plossl eyepiece, about 110X magnification.

The Altazimuth mount included with Meade's NG60-SM is lighter and easier to use than an Equatorial mount, yet the slow motion knobs make it easy to keep objects in view. The rotation of the Earth causes the Moon or planets to appear to drift out of the eyepiece, but the slow motion knobs make it easy to keep the telescope on target, even with a high power eyepiece. The telescope is sensitive to vibration, however, so a high power eyepiece can be difficult to focus.

Meade's NG60-SM is a good entry level telescope at a very good price. The optics are good, the Altazimuth mount is easy to assemble and easy to use, the instructional DVD includes a nice Lunar Atlas as well as planetarium software, and it's easy to add better eyepieces to improve your view of the planets. –Jeff Phillips

Pros:

Light and easy to use

Altazimuth mount includes slow motion knobs

Easy to add better eyepieces

Instructional DVD included

Cons:

MH eyepieces have narrow field of view

Vibrates while focusing at high power

Product Description

Aperture: 60mm(2.4-Inch). Focal Length: 700mm. Focal Ratio: f/11.7. Aperture: 70mm(2.8-Inch). Focal Length: 700mm. Focal Ratio: f/10. The world’s top astronomers got started with a telescope just like this one — and so will you. A quality refracting telescope for land or sky viewing. Perfect for observing Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon and land objects. A first look at the rings of Saturn or the craters of the Moon can inspire a lifetime of exploration. Go to any star party anywhere in the world and you’ll see more Meade telescopes than any other. Altazimuth Mount w/Slow Motion Controls, Steel Tripod w/ Accy Tray, Red Dot Viewfinder, Diagonal Mirror, Two Eyepieces (MH9mm, MH25mm), Astronomical Software & Instructional DVD.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good starting Telescope, January 2, 2011

By 

J. Lorio - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meade NG60-SM Altazimuth Refractor (Electronics)

This is a good starting telescope, I got it as a gift for Christmas. Its easy to assemble and easy to use once you align the laser guide. Its ok for Saturn, good for Jupiter and excellent for the Moon (be sure to use a moon filter or a CPL filter otherwise your eyes will hurt a bit). I haven't checked Venus since it comes out at 4am on my latitude. It comes with a 25mm and 9mm eyepiece but I recently ordered an Omni 2x Barlow lens (~$37) and will update the review to see if I get an image improvement or I exceed the telescopes recommendation.

Don't expect to see Nebula or deep space objects with a starting telescope. Starts will just look like stars but slightly bigger and brighter. I have only used on the outside of the city but as soon as I hit the beach or better conditions I will come back and update the review.

I rated the construction quality with 3 stars because 2 plastic pieces broke when I accidentally dropped them onto the grass! The metal pieces seem fine. The tripod is kind of wobbly but once you set it up it does not move that much.

Read the manual and play the dvd, they contain a lot of useful tips for beginners, too many to list in here.