Meade 884 Deluxe Field Tripod

by Meade

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 16 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005V5NX
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1973

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Constructed of strong, lightweight steel, the full-length Meade #884 Deluxe Field Tripod provides a rigid mounting platform for virtually any ETX observing application. Tripod height is adjustable for seated or standing observing. Use in either equatorial or altazimuth orientations; a graduated scale permits precise polar alignment. For Autostar applications, or for terrestrial observing, the tripod locks to 90 degrees.

Features include:

• Sturdy field tripod
• Chrome-plated steel legs
• Adjustable height
• Equatorial or Alt-Az position
• Spreader bar

For use with:

• Meade ETX-70AT
• Meade ETX-90, 105, 125 equipped with the optional Autostar hand controller
• Meade ETX-90, 105, 125EC with electronic controller (EC)
• Meade ETX-90RA

What's in the Box:

• Tripod with attached tilt-plate and latitude adjustment control with latch.
• Two attachment knobs for attaching an ETX telescope to the tilt-plate.
• Spreader tray. Separate spring, two washers, and tension knob to attach tray to tripod.
• Three leg-extension lock knobs.
• Custom-fitted carry bag with strap, handles, and pocket for accessories.

Product Description

Full Lenght Adjustable Tripod 34" to 54"; Rigid mounting platform; astrolnomical and terrestrial; suitable foe either standing or seated observation; micrometric controls in both horizontal and polar; elecation angle adjustrable from 20 degrees to 90 degrees; all aluminum construction.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Meade 884 Tripod is the best for any amount of Money, December 30, 2002

By 

James Judson Peebles Jr. (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Meade 884 Deluxe Field Tripod (Electronics)

I bought this tripod when I purchased my Meade EXT 90 EC telescope. I've read that the most important feture of any telescope is the mount. This has an excellent mount that holds the views rock steady. It comes with a nice carring case type bag. It is a polar type mount which means that you can center the view to the attitude you are at. This feature makes the optional Autostar work at its best. This fine tripod is a high end piece of equipment that will last the life of any telescope. I was very happy with the way it performs. If I could spend any amount of money I would pick this one. You need this tripod if you are serious about high quility equipment and for the price it's the best possible choice. Meade products are the best quility equipment used by professionals. This tripod is a must if you want the best.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Alt-Az mounting... Polar mounting less adequate, September 8, 2004

By 

Taras R. Hnatyshyn (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meade 884 Deluxe Field Tripod (Electronics)

The mount is adequate for mounting an ETX scope in altitude-azimith mode, but a beefier mount is needed if one wants to use an ETX125 in polar mode for imaging. An annoyance I have experienced with the tripod is that the clips on the mounting bolts tend to slip off, especially in polar mode. Each of the two mountng bolts has a clip, washer and spring that can be difficult to find in the dark if the clip slipping causes them to shoot in a random direction. This tripod as sold is difficult to polar align. I bought a third party bolt to replace the rod that holds the tilt-plate to make adjusting the angle of the tilt plate easier. There is no easy way to adjust the azimuth of the scope in polar mode; one has to rotate the whole tripod. For most users, this is a great mount, but those planning to take long exposure photographs/images with their scope will be frustrated with this mount.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overkill?, November 14, 2002

By 

askCRM (Huntersville, NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Meade 884 Deluxe Field Tripod (Electronics)

This tripod is a quality piece of equipment. However, given the fact that we're amateur astronomers, I'm not sure that we needed something quite so sophisticated for our Meade 90ETX.

The tripod comes with a device that allows you to tip it at an angle - which seems to serve no purpose when you're finding and tracking night-sky objects (probably something that the more advanced users know how to use).

It is heavy (heavier than the telescope) - which is good because you don't want it to easily move while you're using the scope (or, worse yet, tip over).

You won't be dissatisfied with this, but I think there is a less expensive option which may work just as well for amateurs like us.