Meade ETX-90EC

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Meade ETX-90EC
Ease of use and set up time are terrific points for this scope. Terrestrial and astronomy use is unsurpassed in this small scope. Optics are diffraction limited by my experience with its star test.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37302

Meade ETX-90EC
Great Optics, little built in table top tripod lets you set it on the ground and lie down beside it for very comfortable viewing. Comes with an RA motor for auto tracking, works good for visual observations. Poor finder scope is worst feature.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37304

Meade ETX-90EC
My first scope. It does everything I expected. Plus, very portable. I can look at the moon at a moments notice, or anything else for that matter.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37305

Meade ETX-90EC
Okay, so the finder scope has to be replaced (about 50 bucks) and the bolt on the RA drive has to be replaced (about 50 cents). The scope isn't perfect right out of the box, but it gets a lot more use than a big, heavy, maybe expensive SCT/Dobsonian would. It takes about 5 minutes to set up, and I use it most every clear night, even if only for 15 minutes or so. There is definitely room for improvement, but it gets a "10" for value.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37306

Meade ETX-90EC
I had a great "out of the box" experience with this, my first telescope. The more I used it, though, the more Meade's design compromises began to bother me. The finder is truly garbage (1/2 of a cheap, daytime only binocular). After taking the OTA out of the forks to use as a spotting scope (yes I followed the directions) I discovered that the mount was broken. Meade would not fix the problem saying it didn't effect performance even though there were now only three instead of 4 bolts fastening the telescope to the mount. I believe at least part of the pleasure of using a fine optical instrument is the feel and ease of use the instrument delivers. The ETX falls short.

Overall Rating: 6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37309

Meade ETX-90EC
Folks, lets get real, YOU can't touch another telescope of this optical quality, with this portability, with a motor drive that will track this well for less than $600.00! I defy you to find another that will do all of this so well for so little.
This is an excellent COMPROMISE instrument -- no telescope can be all things to
all people. Does it have weaknesses? Yes, but none that are insurmountable. You can modify the finder and the drive and you can obtain a better case. But Bang for buck, pound for viewing pleasure, show me better! This is not Mt.Palomar --
It's more like a bit of Mt. Palomar in your pack!
W. Schwegel

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37314

Meade ETX-90EC
I've had the telescope for about seven months now and because of the portability I use it much
more often then my 8" S.C. The optics are pretty good, with a bit of field curvature. Even with a S.C.
focal reducer/corrector the image quality is good at about f8.8. The eyepiece rates up there with the
best. On the down side, the finder is absolutely useless! I replaced it with a 6-30 R.A. finder and
things work. The drive is sloppy and so error ridden that I'm reluctant to attempt any piggyback
photography at more than about 100mm and about 5 min. duration. Mounting on a heavy duty photo
tripod allows for polar alignment and plenty of usage with a great reduction in lower back and neck pain.
Getting back to the useless finder again, even with a right angle conversion kit the pupil size is so small
(about a 3!), it's still useless. Best bet is to buy an adequate finder that you can mount on the scope and
use that other thing for the opera or something. 7/29/98

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37318

Meade ETX-90EC
Purchased to see planets and more easily visible deep sky objects. Disappointed from day 1 with mount, drive, and limited ability to focus viewpiece. Drive jitters frequently, and mount is unstable for long viewing. Ad for scope was extremely misleading. Hoping that next scope I purchase will be better. Scope good for limited viewing of more visible celetial objects, clear on stars, and great for terrestrial viewing.

Overall Rating: 6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37321

Meade ETX-90EC
For under $600, excellent scope. Optics are great and easily obtained accesories make the scope even more useful (polar finder, JMI wedgepod, etc.). Sure, the finder is difficult to use, but I can live with that due to the excellent images seen. My 8" starhopper is now a giant paperweight. What other scope gives me the ability to setup in 5 min. and impress "lay people" with the rings of Saturn from downtown Chicago? Questar? I think I'll save that $2000+ and buy more toys for the ETX.

One note about concern I've heard about "misleading advertising" from Meade: There is NO scope for the amature that produces those colorful pictures in every scope ad right through the eyepiece.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37324

Meade ETX-90EC
For the price, portability, and optical quality, good luck finding
a better scope. nough said

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37325

Meade ETX-90EC
Come on folks. If you wanted to complain about something, spend $1500 - $2500 more on a scope that can do it all. Then complain about the price you spent. Dollar for dollar, this is the best scope around. Spending $600 for this beauty does not give you the Taj Mahal, but it is an EXCELLENT first scope (my first) for anyone or a good backup for anyone else. Once you grow in competence, the money you saved can be spent to upgrade the slight miscomings. Great (big) bang for the buck. That is why this is such a hot item.

Dave Hakamaki
Ironwood, MI

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37326

Meade ETX-90EC
Optics about equal to my Unitron 3", which is good. RA knob hass too much play and could be in better locaiton. Finder good for terrestrial use, poor for astro use. Fousing knob a little rough. Setting circles hard to read. Good observing convenience. Drive switch locaiton inconvenient and needs pilot light. Nice scope for casual observing, not a precison instrument.

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37327

Meade ETX-90EC
Clock drive works very poorly. Finder scope is a joke. Workmanship below par. Should have bought the TeleVue.

Overall Rating: 5
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37329

Meade ETX-90EC
My first scope. Dead easy to use but I cant really see anything but Saturn,Jupiter,Moon and
Sun in London skys , so unless you go to dark sky area , dont get your hopes up.
Finder is garbage, Orion EZ finder is a bit dodgy if you have poor eyesight ( you have to keep putting your glasses back on to see clearly ), can anybody on this planet tell me how to polar align using the existing finder????

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37331

Meade ETX-90EC
The portability of this scope can't be stressed enough,makes me want to use it almost daily,unlike my Meade 8" reflector which is bulky and heavy.i'm impressed with the optics but the finderscope is bad for astronomy purposes.It is fine for land views tho.No other problems with it so far.The factory supplied 26mm Plossl eyepiece seems to be of good quality,i also use celestron Ultima 7.5&12.5 with good results.Overall am very happy with my ETX.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37333

Meade ETX-90EC
Not perfect....but close....great little scope

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37335

Meade ETX-90EC
Not overly impressed. Actually a little disappointed based on all the "god" things I had heard. Too much vibration at high mag. either with the leg mounts or the field tripod. When locking R/A, scope moves from original position. Focuser is not very smooth. DC drive works poorly

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37340

Meade ETX-90EC
This is my first real portable telescope. What can I say? It travels easily with me anywhere around the world. Try that with other telescope!

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37343

Meade ETX-90EC
Ultra portable and very good optics for the price. I own the old ETX as well as the new ETX/EC. The mount of the old version is not great but the new one is even worse. With the cordless controller, the ETX better especially the new fork arms are not well constructed. However, the optics still impresses me.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37344

Meade ETX-90EC
The new ETX 90/EC has the same optics as the classic ETX which is superb. It is a really well built telescope at $600. However, the fork mount is not as sturdy as the classic ETX. There are some slack in the DEC and RA, yet the slack varies from each ETX 90/EC. I tested several before picking the one I like. The tracking is not bad considering it is not a $3000 LX200. The motor is very loud when slewing in high speed but it eliminates the problem of vibration from touching the scope. I am happy with the ETX (great portability with good optics) but am not too happy with the optional AutoStar computer. The computer is only $150 and it is fairly accurate with more than 10000 objects in the database but Meade hasn't fixed all the bugs at this moment (ie. polar alignment has huge error). I would suggest this scope as your first scope if budget and portability are big issues. The AutoStar is not necessary plus the ETX could not see all 10000+ objects in the database anyway. Nonetheless, it is a good scope at a low price.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38952

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