Customer Reviews

Meade Standard Field Tripod #882

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I purchased an ATX-60At telescope for my wife about 1 year ago. I purchased a tripod 3 months later.The tabs securing the height of the legs broke that evening. I took it back to the Meade dealer for a replacement.Before taking this second tripod home I asked the dealer to try the securing tabs to make sure they are O.K. All 3 tabs broke as the dealer tested it in the store in front of me and other customers.
My wife's telescope has had little use since. What a sad story. Meade should be ashamed of how they foist a telescope ( Albeit a good one) on people and then it becomes a dust gatherer because the tripods are useless!Hopefully Meade is working on a replacement solution so buyers can feel good about the telescope they purchase.

Ted Pokorski,
Kalamazoo, MI

My Meade telescope came with the 882 standard tripod. The telescope is great, but the tripod is a piece of junk. The plastic locking mechanisms on each of the legs has broken off and I have had to tape the legs to a fully extended position. The unit is less than one year old.

I have had this tripod for three years, bought it as a present for my husband. We have never had any of the troubles noted in other reviews. Nothing breaks and it is easy to adjust the legs and move it around. It is a good tripod for beginners and adults to use with a Polaris telescope.

I picked one of these up off eBay. It was new, but could have been very old stock. My first impressions were good, but my previous experience was with camera tripods. Compared to camera tripods it seems quite robust. The legs are thick aluminum and the head is heavy cast steel.

Since I've seen more telescope tripods, I realize this is pretty lightweight by comparison. More experienced people say steel legs are much better in reducing vibration than aluminum (and wood best of all).

And sadly, like everyone else, one of the leg catches broke on my second outing... fortunately I picked up a few spare legs on eBay!

This tripod is a must have addition for the Meade EXT-60/70 telescopes. It is sturdy, adjustable and has a tray for eyepieces, etc.

My ETX-70 came with this tripod and I couldn't do with out for star gazing.

I understand the frustration that other reviewers have experienced with this tripod. It feels cheap and rickety. After six months of moderate use, I can report that mine still works and I have had no catastrophic failures or even a tipped over scope. Of course, I have been extra gentle with the tripod because of its lousy reputation. The legs still fully extend and none of the cheap plastic locks have come off. One of the rubber end points came off during my last excursion, but some super glue and duct tape saw the tripod back to full form.

The bottom line is that it works for my Meade ETX-60 and with some extra care it may actually last a while, so long as I do not mind a few band-aid fixes.

It worked out very well for me to have this in order to mount my telescope on something on which I could rely. I will be using this for many years to come.

I have had this tripod for a year and have been very pleased with it. I have used it in my back yard, in a field, and at the beach, and I have found it to be sturdy enough for my AT60 telescope. I thought at first it felt too light to be sturdy, but that has not been a problem. The snap-on shelf for eyepieces and such made me nervous, too, that it would break in the process, but again, after a year's use it is just fine. The holes for the bolts to attach the scope are a little hard to get to at first, but once found the bolts go in without difficulty. More advanced observers may have reason to complain that I don't know yet, but this tripod meets my needs just fine.

I have had the #882 little more than a year and 1 leg adjusting tab has broken off and 1 of the other 2 is cracked.

I have to agree with other users of the Meade standard field tripod #882 I didn't have mine two weeks before it went in the closet because of broken adjusters. I have looked/called for nearly a year for replacements/repairs. NADA. Meade won't touch it because of " misuse". The AT70 I purchased with the tripod is a great beginners scope and nice features, but the tripod was a total disappointment. I think I'll try another brand when I get apetrure fever, or at least find a decent tripod before I purchase the telescope.