Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software

by Meade

Product Details

Product Manual [1.42mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 8.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 24 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005ATSR
• Item model number: 0705-04-06
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 15, 2006

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The ETX70AT is my favorite of all the low-cost computerized telescopes, because of its compact body and also because it is so easy to use. The ETX70AT package includes everything a beginner needs to get started (except batteries). So what can you see, exactly, with this little telescope? It will show you craters on the Moon, the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter. Take it with you to dark country skies and the little ETX70AT will even show you galaxies and reveal the Milky Way as a brilliant river of stars.

I found the low power views with the included MA25mm eyepiece, about 14X magnification, to be sharper from edge to edge than my 15X70 binoculars. Wide-field, low-power views allow you to take in the full picture of bright star clusters like the Pleiades. The Pleiades are known as the Seven Sisters because sharp eyed people can often see seven or eight stars with the naked eye, and though I've only ever been able to make out six, with the ETX70 on a good clear night, I counted 77 stars! The low power view of a rising moon, one day past full, was simply beautiful--the lunar rays splashed out of the major impact crater Tycho sharply etched against the Maria (the lunar seas).

Higher magnification with the MA9mm eyepiece did begin to reveal the optical defects that short focus achromatic refractors always show. The moon was rimmed by a bright green glow, and the craters were no longer quite as sharp. When I turned my gaze to Saturn, I could plainly see the rings and Saturn's moon Titan, using either the MA9mm (39X) or my own SP6.4mm eyepiece (55X), but the image was not as sharp as it would have been in a classic style long focus refractor.

The Autostar controller makes it easy to find more than 1400 celestial objects.

The Autostar computer included with the ETX70AT is simply amazing. Plug in the Autostar and the batteries, point the tube North and level, and the Autostar's easy alignment routine will pick two alignment stars and help you find them. You will still need a guide book, like Nightwatch by Terrence Dickinson, to introduce you to the bright stars by name, but this is about the only detail Meade left out of the ETX70AT package. Take Autostar's guided tour of "tonight's best," and you'll soon be looking at galaxies and star clusters. Yes, you really can see galaxies with a little telescope like this. All you need are dark skies and knowing where to look. And Autostar takes care of the "knowing where to look" part. Once the telescope is aligned, bring up M31 on the menu and press "GO TO." You'll find yourself looking at the Andromeda Galaxy, two million light years away. Even from a dark location in the country you'll see why amateur astronomers refer to galaxies as "faint fuzzies." This view of faint and fuzzy galaxies is very much the way they looked to comet hunter Charles Messier who first discovered these so called "M" objects.

A surprising number of people with bigger telescopes also own one of these little ETX refractors. There's no doubt about it, a compact, computerized telescope that actually finds things for you is just plain cool. --Jeff Phillips

Pros:

• It's easy to find objects with the Autostar computer
• Wide field views

Cons:

• Planet views could be better

Product Description

The Meade ETX-70AT brings home technology that would seem far-fetched even in speculative future-fiction. Experience push-button astronomy as high-resolution Meade optics, combined with the incredible Autostar controller take you on an automated guided tour of the Solar System, the Galaxy, and beyond. Even novice stargazers can locate and explore planets, asteroids, comets, nebulae, galaxies, and other deep space objects, all with astonishing clarity and resolution RS-232 serial interface for software Tripod Included

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

132 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good instrument, a bit oversold, May 21, 2001

By 

Robert P Bullock (Hamilton, Bermuda) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software (Electronics)

I researched my telescope purchase extensively and am very happy with my choice. However, emerging astronomers should be aware that a telescope of this size will only be able to see all the items they say it can see if you are in the middle of the desert (dry air) on a clear night with no moon. If your viewing conditions fall short of this, the visibility of the planets and the level of detail observable on them is severely limited. I'm probably incompetent but so far I've found viewing deep space objects frustratingly difficult. I would also suggest that the Barlow lens option is VERY worthwhile to get maximum enjoyment. I can happily report, however, that the autostar tracking system works perfectly once the system is aligned. You really, really can just bring up an object, hit GOTO, and it goes there....pretty cool.....

156 of 159 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a Televue but . . ., November 30, 2001

By 

Dr. Beer (Steubenville, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software (Electronics)

This is a great little telescope for the money. Two previous reviewers (who gave it a low rating) had quality control problems with it. I've had none with mine but I have had 3 of them with my Meade 4" refractor. The Meade customer service people were wonderful in correcting these problems, but it seems their quality control could be better.

Optically, this is an achromatic refractor with a very fast focal ratio. That means it's good for viewing extended objects like star clusters, Milky Way star clouds, large nebulae, pretty conjunctions, etc. Dark skies help alot -- the darker the better of course -- but good clear rural skies in Ohio are plenty wonderful. It doesn't have the aperture for dimmer objects but the brighter Messier objects, for example (and there's plenty of them!) are great. It isn't at its best on planets and the Moon but you can definitely see Saturn's rings, the phases of Mercury and Venus, Jupiter's moons and belts (the red spot is difficult at best) and the Moon simply can't help but look wonderful in any telescope!

The Autostar is really good. It's best when you align it carefully: use the north star to point it to north and use a bubble level to level the tripod and tube. You can find brighter Messier objects, comets, asteroids, the planet Neptune, etc, so easily! (But of course not Pluto, quasars, black holes and some other ridiculous objects in the Autostar database.) And you get better at aligning it as you practice. Be sure to check out the "synchronize" feature (in the owner's manual under the "enter key").

As others have pointed out, the focus mechanism is bad, and the tripod is not terribly sturdy. Together they make higher magnifications (which are not optically optimum either) just about impossible. But 50X is still reasonable with a good 7mm orthoscopic eyepiece. Also a good 32mm eyepiece will eliminate the need to buy a finder and give you wonderful wide views. A dew shield is a must in Ohio (reduces glare too).

It ain't a Televue, it's true, but for the price, this scope is hard to beat.

94 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth it for the Autostar, August 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software (Electronics)

I've owned this telescope for a few months now. In all that time I've taken to a dark sky site (my dad's house)at least twice a week, so I've had quite a bit of experience using it. First off, if you're looking for impressive views of the planets or deep sky objects, you'll be disappointed. For the same amount of money you could buy a Dobsonian reflector (6") which gathers *much* more light. But you don't buy a telescope like this for its optics. The real reason to own the ETX-70AT is for the Autostar computer! That was the whole reason I purchased this scope, and it was worth it. The Autostar is a great learning tool. I've learned many constellations thanks to it, as well as the location of several deep sky objects (my favorite is the Andromeda Galaxy). Aligning the telescope for use with the Autostar is easy as long as you buy a circular bubble level and possibly a compass if you don't know the location of Polaris. After levelling the scope and tube, and pointing it north, setup is a breeze; you simply align it with two bright stars--Arcturus and Vega for example. If you choose "easy" mode, the Autostar automatically selects two of the brightest stars in the sky, ones that really stand out from neighboring stars. So even if you don't recognize Arcturus when you see it, you'll know it when you're looking at it through the finder because it's by far the brightest star in that part of the sky. Once the simple alignment procedure is completed, the fun begins. You can choose from several different categories of objects, but my favorite thing to choose is the guided tour called "Tonight's Best". Since the Autostar knows your date and time, it automatically picks out the best objects in the sky for that particular time. Last night, it chose such things as the Andromeda Galaxy, Neptune, and several star clusters. If the Moon is out, you can be sure that it'll be on its list as well.

If you're new to astronomy--like I am--I think you'd enjoy this telescope simply for the Autostar, but if you're looking for detailed, bright views, you'd probably be better served with a larger reflecting telescope. I just bought an 8" Dobsonian, which wasn't much more expensive than the Meade, and it's really no comparison. The Dob looks better for everything. But, I'm still glad I own the Meade. It's a great learning tool, and it's far more portable than a larger scope. I've taken it on several long hikes this summer when I've gone camping and it easily fits (minus the tripod, of course) in my backpack. So I see no reason to get rid of it. Even when I use my bigger scope I like to set the 70AT up alongside it to help me find deep sky objects. So if you're new to astronomy, and just kind of testing the waters and want something portable, I give this a high recommendation.