Meade ETX90EC Telescope w/ UHTC, Autostar Controller (497) and Tripod (884)

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Product Details

Product Manual [858kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 32.1 x 18 x 13.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 32 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008IOVV
• Item model number: 3/21/3514
• Batteries: 8 AA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,929 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)

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• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 5, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The little Meade ETX90EC, one of the most popular telescopes ever made, is a 3.5-inch f/13.8 Maksutov-Cassegrain designed for maximum portability while also delivering outstanding images. It certainly succeeds on both counts, and at a terrific price. The telescope comes with a 26mm Meade Super Plössl eyepiece, an 8x21 finderscope, a very nice screw-on dust cap, a fork mount, an adjustable tripod, and a built-in computer for finding and tracking sky objects.

Images through the ETX90EC are absolutely textbook perfect. The excellent optical quality produces some wonderful views of brighter sky objects, such as the Moon and naked-eye planets. Meade's recently introduced UHTC optical coatings further strengthen optical performance by enhancing image contrast. Given the amazing low price for what you get, the ETX90EC is a great triumph in low-cost, mass-production optical fabrication techniques.

The computer-driven hand controller makes it easy to find 14,000 celestial objects.

Once properly set up and initialized, the onboard Autostar computer control can guide users to more than 14,000 sky objects. I have always found the Autostar navigation system to be extremely accurate, even if it does include many more targets than a 3.5-inch telescope could possibly see under the best conditions.

As good as the optical assembly is, the finderscope leaves something to be desired. I find it difficult, if not impossible to look through because of how closely it is mounted to the tube of the telescope. The problem only gets worse as the telescope raises in altitude, causing my nose to scrunch up against the eyepiece. I would recommend augmenting the finder with a small one-power aiming device, such Orion Telescope's EZ Finder II Reflex Sight. Another drawback is the focusing. Although the focuser's movement is smooth, the small, aluminum knob is very difficult to grasp when looking through the eyepiece.

The tube assembly comes mounted on a miniaturized, clock-driven, fork equatorial mount made mostly from molded plastic. The DC-powered clock drive runs for more than 20 hours on eight common AA-size batteries. The clock drive tracks the sky quite accurately after it has been properly initialized.

Consumers should note, however, that since the tube is longer than the fork arms, the telescope cannot swing all the way through the mount. This could limit the telescope's ability to look low in the sky, depending on how and where you have it set up. What that point is exactly will depend on the angle at which the ETX is tilted for polar alignment, but it worsens as you head south. I also feel that the plastic fork mounting is just barely solid enough to support the weight of the telescope. It is certainly not strong enough to hold both it and a camera.

Overall, despite the weaknesses mentioned above, the ETX90EC is a well-made instrument and has an amazingly low price. Computer tracking and slewing coupled with outstanding optics in such a compact package would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Yet, here it is. --Phil Harrington, author of Star Ware

Pros:

• Outstanding optics
• Compact size
• Amazing value for the money
• Accurate computer control and tracking

Cons:

• Poor finderscope
• Weak plastic mounting
• Focusing knob very close to eyepiece
• Small aperture only suitable for the brightest sky targets

Product Description

Meade ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT, and ETX-125AT models build on the original ETX concept to create the most advanced electronically-controlled telescopes including automatic GO TO object-location with the Autostar Computer Controller ever produced in their price range. And yet without sacrificing any of the user-friendly features that started the ETX revolution. Optical Systems: Manufactured at the Meade Irvine, California, facility, ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes produce superlative, diffraction-limited optical performance and resolution. Optics so high in contrast, image brightness, and resolution that ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT, and ETX-125AT models often outperform many telescopes of larger apertures. Fork Mounts with Standard-Equipment Dual-Axis Drive System and #497 Autostar Controller: The rigid fork mountings of ETX Maksutov-Cassegrain models include high-torque DC motors on both telescope axes, permitting electronic operation from the standard-equipment Autostar controller. With the telescope placed in the altazimuth mode on a table, astronomical object-tracking may be accomplished automatically, after a quick and easy 2-minute alignment of Autostar to the sky. Alternately, the telescope may be mounted in either the altazimuth or equatorial modes on the standard-equipment #884 Deluxe Field Tripod. Cordless Field Operation: The drive base of each telescope accepts eight (user-supplied) AA-batteries that power the telescope for about 20 hou

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product, April 23, 2003

By	"pdageek1" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This is my second telescope and I took the opportunity of the Meade special offers. Shipping arrived on time, I was a little bit worried about shipping such an equipment, but packaging was great.
Strongly recommending buying the hard case.
This is a wonderful telescope, very easy to use, and I recommend this for anyone, even beginners. Calibration is easy, just a few clicks on the Autostar, and then you can start the great show. Planets and objects are bright and offer fantastic contrast (buy the optionnal UHTC it's worth).
Prepare not to sleep at all the first few nights, but you'll be amazed at what you can see.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rating Optics on ETX90EC Very Good Near Excellent !!, April 27, 2004

By	W. Mcmurry (sterling, illinois United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Rate the Optics as exceptional on ETX90EC w/UHTC are near excellent!! Easily see the north star companion (9th magnitude), for the 1st time watched a Jupiter Shadow Eclipse (Jupiter's moon Io is prolific casting its lunar shadow on Jupiters surface) , small in my 97X, but jet black circle, beautiful !! Focusing is abit coarse, but fast ! Watched the Jupiter eclipse between two street lights !! Two Dark Bands on Jupiter stand out well, hint of polar markings, the bands are irregular show hints of detail !! Large Red Spot shows easily when in view. Saturn is low in horizon now, tho division not visible large Jet Black area between Planet and Rings ! Deep Sky Show Objects as M13 (Beautiful Huge Globular), M27 Dumbell Nebula appears elongated, the Goto Autostar Feature makes finding M5 (is located by itself with very few guide stars) a snap ! Very Strongly Suggest using a 40MM wide view eyepiece as makes life easier in the alignment process and Goto feature, note we are using a longer plus F/13 focal length. Also may need a 9MM or shorter eyepiece to reach over 100X for Planetary and the Smaller Deep Sky. Planet Uranus is a nice disc even in the 40MM 30X eyepiece ! Many of the Globular Clusters are easy, as well as some of the brighter Galaxies. Found two fantastic items that I wouldn't do without, a Palm IIIc with the Planetarium Program gives a fantastic visual star map, great visual aid at the scope, can find this on eBay, Planetarium is a Shareware about $24 and can purchase the Palm IIIC around $60 to $70 used. Last as dislike the small finder I purchased a Green Laser for coarse finding, as leaves a nice beam (not just a spot but a trailing beam!!) in night sky greatly makes things easier in lining up the guide stars using Autostar. Simply Strap it on with Large Rubber Bands ! Can find this here on Amazon under $70 (a good buy), as retail for $129 ! This is not a toy as very bright so use w/caution. Not unsual to see over 36 to plus 40 Deep Sky objects in just over an hour !! Star images are nice and compact, have owned a F/10 6 inch reflector, 6 inch Dynamax Schmidtt Cassegrain, but the ETX blows them away, fantastic, Best WARREN ..<>..

Udate: One year later now viewed 107 of the 110 famed Messier Deep Sky, including NGCS, Bubble Nebula, Clown Nebula, Cats-Eye Nebula, and Jupitor's Ghost, Wonderful Portable Telescope and Goto is Fantastic, Has Very Sharp Images ! Last currently observing Mars during AM Hours, Early August could see the Polar Cap, even looked eliptical, plus 200X using 6mm ortho. Warren .<>.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ETX90EC W/UHTC AUTOSAT & TRIPOD PURE FUN !!, April 18, 2004

By	W. Mcmurry (sterling, illinois United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First Rate myself as a casual observor, wanted maximum portability, and the ETX90EC certainly does !! First night aligned the finder and used manual control, only using 47X Jupiter was beautiful and moons snapped into view nicely. Over all image(s) look Good to Very Good, nice and compact stars as they should be ! 2nd night (using Autostar) able to align on the 3rd attempt, viewed more in 1 hour, infact lost count ! Was locating many from horizon to horizon, simply amazing feat ! Noisy in operation and dislike the small finder and needs more info on use, otherwise would give 5 stars !! Was Pure Fun, LOVE IT !! Update, now just over a year viwed nearly all the Messier Deep Sky Objects 107 ! This is in a nice open area but not a true dark sky, infact Little Dipper stars usually not visible, except for the North Star. For a grab and go, this is it ! Great!