Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller

by Meade

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 13 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000K3RI
• Item model number: ETX 90EC
• Batteries: 8 AA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,284 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
  • #12 in Camera & Photo > Binoculars, Telescopes & Optics > Telescopes > Catadioptric
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Meade finally brings a serious telescope into thecasual-consumer price range. The ETX-90EC Astro offers extraordinaryoptics at an affordable price. It combines a high-resolution opticaldesign and diffraction-limited imaging with microprocessor-controlled,precise celestial-object tracking, all in a nicely styled, highlyportable package.

Improvements to this model include a new forkmount with dual-axis drive system. The ETX-90EC also includes hightorque DC motors on both telescope axes, permitting electronicoperation from the hand-held controller. This push-button electroniccontroller has four dual-axis drive speeds: slow, 8x for imagecentering at high power; medium, 32x for image centering at lowerpower or for pushbutton tracking in altazimuth mode; moderate, 0.75degrees per second for image centering in the viewfinder or forterrestrial tracking; and fast, 5 degrees per second for fast scanningacross the sky.

The Meade ETX-90EC is specially designed to beportable and used in the field. It offers cordless operation, allowingyou to use the telescope's dual-axis drive system for more than 40hours on eight AA batteries. At approximately 8 pounds and 15 inchesin length, it packs a lot of power into a compact unit.

TheETX-90EC uses a 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design, and Meadeactually warranties the optics of the ETX-90EC "to equal or exceed theoptical performance and resolution of any Maksutov optics of similaraperture ever manufactured at any price." The ETX-Series optics offersuperb contrast, image brightness, and resolution; Meade claims thetelescope consistently outperforms many instruments of largerapertures. Meade also uses EMC super multicoatings on all opticalsurfaces to maximize light transmission through the corrector lens andreflectance from the primary and secondary mirrors. The flip-mirrorsystem allows for 90-degree observation of land and sky objects,straight-through observation using the optional #932 45-degreeErecting Prism, or photo-ready imaging using the optional #64T-Adapter and your own 35mm camera.

Overall, the Meade ETX-90EC isa fine piece of craftsmanship at a surprisingly affordable price. Forthose of us who spent our childhood peering through old-style consumertelescopes, using the ETX-90EC is like getting time in the PalomarObservatory. From shifting cloud belts on Saturn to the glowingfilaments of the Orion Nebula, this instrument lets you observe theheavens in extraordinary detail.

Product Description

Dual axis motor drive system; Pushbutton electronic hand controller; Cordless operation; Maksutov-Cassegrain optical system; Flip mirror system (straight or 90 degree observing position); Optional autostar compatible (uses #497 Autostar); Super multi-coated optical lens, 26MM lens; 1250MM focal length; Setting circles and locks on both axes; electronic control panel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

195 of 198 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond my wildest expectations!, November 27, 1999

By 

Daniel W. Schuffert (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller (Electronics)

I am truly an amateur astronomer. My childhood was peppered with dime-store telescopes that showed me a new blurry world. When I got the EXT-90EC I expected little more than a brighter blur. To my surprise and delight I was wrong. Out of the box, in bad lighting conditions, surrounded by trees, I saw some of the most breath-taking images of the moon. In fact, I spent the next six hours observing the moon. I saw craters in detail. I even saw some craters within craters. I did venture to a bright star I saw in the sky. It turned out to be Jupiter. It was a highly recognizable Jupiter. Not another dot in the sky. I could see three of Jupiter's moons in orbit. I couldn't even make out Jupiter's moons with the naked eye.

I tried the telescope during the day for terrestrial viewing. Once again I was pleasantly surprised! The local river area came alive with wildlife. The photographic possibilities are endless!

I purchased the #883 Deluxe field tripod, #932 45 Degree Erecting Prism, #497 Autostar controller, and the #774 hard case with the telescope. I highly recommend you do the same. They all add to the total experience. The tripod is a must for both astrological and terrestrial viewing. The 45 Degree Erecting Prism is needed for terrestrial viewing. If you don't use it, your images will be inverted. The autostar, once aligned, will position the telescope to any viewable object, and then continue to track it. The case is a convenience and insurance policy.

95 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars easy to use and expandable, June 14, 2000

By 

"kuniklo" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller (Electronics)

The ETX-90EC was a breeze to set up. Within 20 minutes I was viewing the moon in my backyard. The optics are fantastic for the price and the standard eyepiece is great for terrestrial peeking as well as stargazing.

The motor works well and the variable speeds are very effective, but mine is a bit noisy. It tends to growl as it idles and I have not been able to determine if this is normal or not. Other downsides are the vertically exposed eyepiece (I ended up using a plastic cylinder as a protective cap) and the six screws on the spotting scope, which make centering very difficult.

You definitely need the tripod because the standard base is unstable unless you are placed on solid rock, so prepare to add another $200 to the price. And the erecting prism is a must for terrestrial viewing.

All in all this is a great scope. The few limitations are far outweighed by the line of eyepieces and accessories available for the ETX-90EC such as Autostar and the 35mm camera attachment. This is a great deal for beginning and amateur use, expandable enough that this could very well be the only scope you will ever need.

135 of 138 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good **portable** scope: Read This, August 27, 2002

By 

Christopher B. Hoehne "Brad Hoehne" (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/Electronic Controller (Electronics)

I am the president of a large (300 members) astronomy club in Columbus, Ohio and have looked through thousands of telescopes in my life- including, perhaps, 20 Meade ETX-90s. I find the views of the planets and the moon through the ETX-90 to be consistently good- though not overwhelming. Due to the limited light grasp of this scope, high power views of deep-sky objects (galaxies, star clusters, nebulae) are relatively anemic and uninspiring. However, the scope gives very nice "rich field" (low power) views of the Milky Way and brighter comets.

To explain: More than any other factor, it is the aperture of a telescope that matters. In general, aperture dictates portability, cost, resolution (sharpness) and, most importantly, light gathering ability. A telescope is like a bucket for gathering light; the larger the bucket, the more light it gathers. With its 3 and a half inches (90 millimeters) of aperture, the ETX-90 is not a very large bucket.

Why is this important? Other than the planets, the moon, and the brightest stars, astronomical objects tend to be very faint. Views through a scope of any size will look nothing like astro-photos. Nebulas, star clusters, and galaxies will, instead, appear to the eye as delicate, cottony, wisps of light.

To make these delicate wisps of light more perceptible, most experienced amateur astronomer use scopes with 8 inches of aperture or more. Such a scope will gather 5 times more light than the Meade-ETX 90. What difference does this make? A view of the spectacular M13 globular cluster through an 8 inch scope will reveal dozens of its brightest stars swarming about its "nebulous" center like a swarm of bees. Through the 90 mm of the ETX, one might, under the darkest skies and with a bit of practice, just barely be able to make out that the object is made has stars in it, and is not, in fact, just a fuzzy "nebula".

For this reason, I generally steer first time scope buyers to an inexpensive, but larger aperture, "Dobsonian". Those looking for something more portable I steer toward a nice pair of binoculars.

On the other hand, this scope is exceptionally portable and convenient to use. It does fit a niche. It is the perfect scope for travel or those quick "gotta' look" moments. It's small size means that it cools off quickly, and can be used almost immediately. With its fixed "Maksutov" design, it never needs collimation (mirror adjustment). I've found the computerized GOTO system relatively easy to use, fairly precise, and programmed with more and fainter objects than one can reasonably expect to see with its small aperture. (Recommendation: learn the names of the brightest 20 or so stars in the sky. You will need them as guide stars to align the scope with.) After a few minutes of setup by an experienced user, sought out objects fall within the low power field of view 90 percent of the time. Finally, some skilled star watchers find delight in "bagging" faint, difficult objects with minimal aperture. It's a source of pride for them to be able to say: "I saw Pluto (as an amost imperceptibly faint dot) in my ETX-90!"

NOTE: I have stood next to many first time users of the Meade-ETX and watched them fumble in the dark for hours with the system of computerized menus in the GOTO system that comes with this scope. Learn to use it in the daylight or during the full moon and not while you're cutting into your observing time. In addition, I have one experienced friend whose Meade-ETX 90 simply refused to function properly, but I believe this to be an exception.

The 24 millimeter finder is useless for finding anything but guide stars and the planets. It is difficult to align, and is so small that very little can be seen through it.

I would recommend getting a dew shield in addition to this scope.

The Bottom Line: If your only experience with a telescope is looking through a rickety "department store" refractor, you're liable to be very impressed with this view through a "real scope". If you like to look at the moon, planets, and to surf the star fields of the Milky-way, you will find this scope convenient and enjoyable. However, if you expect glorious views of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, either buy a larger aperture scope, or join an astronomy club that owns one.