Meade 2045 4" SCT

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Brand and Model:Meade 2045 4" SCT
Price ($USD):discontinued
Type:Schmidt-Cassegrain
Attributes: un-checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:102mm (4")
f Ratio:f/10
Focal Length:1000mm
Finder:6x30
Electric Power:12v Stepper Type
Mount:Metal Forks
Tripod:Yes
Weight (lbs):10 lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):Portable
Description:All metal and built solidly. Can use any of the accessories the bigger cats use - and was available in an LX3 version in 1988. Excellent optically.



Highly Recommended

Vote Highlights Vote
Meade 2045 4" SCT
Great little scopes. Wish I could find one for sale.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:9 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=598171

Meade 2045 4" SCT
I purchased that little gem second hand on a business trip to Washington D.C. in 2000.
Here in Austria, I have enjoyed that telescope for many years now.
Being the top of the crop in portability, it is also absolutely convincing by means of optical quality and materials. No plastic will mar your enjoyment, sturdiness is the motto.
The "9" for the optics is for the quite tricky alignment of the secondary mirror. To achive the utmost performance, try to get a fitting wood or plexiglass disk with an absolutely centric hole, to be able to center the secondary mirror.
The "8" for the Ease of use is mostly for the finder scope. I can hardly manage to get a glimpse through that thing, which comes without a rectangle eyepiece.
Resumee: I have had 5 telescopes, 3 of them are history, the Meade 2045 always will remain at my side.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:9 Mount:10 Ease of Use:8 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=590120

Meade 2045 4" SCT
Great quality scope in a compact size!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Mount:10 Ease of Use:8 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=580673

Meade 2045 4" SCT
I am not what one would call an astronomer but do like looking at the stars at night from time to time. I've enjoyed my Meade 2045 with quartz LX drive for over 20 years. Back in my working days, I traveled a lot. I put my 2045 in a leather briefcase and it easily fit underneath the seat in front of me as I traveled around the USA and Europe. I must say that I have not treated my scope with the most gentle of care and it has withstood its tenure with me remarkably well.

I find that my eyes are not as good as they once were but I can still enjoy Jupiter and its bands and once in a while the red spot. Mars is but a blur with some indistinct darker areas. I still can see the four stars of the Orion Trapezium. I have not done any photography lately but in the past have taken excellent photos of the moon, Saturn, and Jupiter using only the LX drive and a careful polar alignment.

I am awaiting delivery of a Meade DS 2090AT-TC with autostar at the moment; not because I am unhappy with my 2045 but I just wanted a go to scope. Whether or not the 90 mm refractor stays on its mount or is replaced by my 2045 SC remains to be seen.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:8 Mount:10 Ease of Use:8 Value:9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=580396

Meade 2045 4" SCT
2045D
All metal construction - no plastic junk.
Mount is a bit wiggly.
Drive uses a stepper motor, but no speed control.
Mount & drive work in very cold weather.
Mirror focuser freezes in very cold weather.
Takes a long time to cool down.
Collimation is a pain (may be similar for any SCT?).

Overall Rating: 5
Optics:4 Mount:6 Ease of Use:7 Value:4
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=197026

Meade 2045 4" SCT
I have a Meade ETX 90 that I am selling after having bought a Meade 2045. The ETX is nice optically, but I don't like the idea that its tube cannot swing through the fork, which means you can't observe low on the horizon when the scope is set up equatorially. The ETX also has a lot of plastic in its construction, while the 2045 is virtually entirely metal. It's just like a half-size 8" Meade SCT. Optical performance is great; portability is great. It's just a nicely built small telescope that I plan to keep for a long time to come. I bought it on eBay in Oct. 2001 for $300 and was thrilled (then I sold the 45 deg erect-image diagonal that came with it for $40--I'm not interested in terrestrial observation). Another vendor on eBay is currently (Nov. 2001) selling new Meade carrying cases for the 2045 with a starting bid of $34.95--a really nice case for a really nice telescope.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41383

Meade 2045 4" SCT
This is a wonderful little scope: optically, mechanically, appearance and portability. My ony reason for a 9 rating instead of a 10 is a problem I had with some "slop" the RA shaft (which was repaired with some shims and a tighter - larger retainer washer). With the quick fix and an "oil change" with some white lithium grease, the RA and Dec are now tight and without backlash.

How would I campare this scope to the ETX? To quote a fellow 2045 owner: "I would call the 2045 a 'poor man's Questar'". In my opinion, the ETX is a "poor man's Tasco". I am the previous owner of an ETX and believe that it can't hold a candle to the older Meade. To be fair though, the ETX does have really good optics for a 90mm, and I did enjoy the portability - but the rest of the scope?

The star test was excellent both inside and outside of focus with sharp views of moon and planets. I might ad that I noticed no difference in optical performance from the ETX. The brightness of DSOs was good considering the secondary obstruction and 102mm aperture. The "stepper type" motor tracks well, with the object remaining in the center of the field of view for and hour (or longer).

It came with a LX10 type trypod with the same wedge the larger cats use. Also included was a battery pack and a nice carry case.

If your looking for a classy, solid and well built alternative to the ETX, the 2045 may be for you.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=41382

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