Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe

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Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
Optical quality is only average , long cool down time ( maybe never did in my
telescope), star test show some spherical aberrations and astigmatism, focuser
is really a joke. The placement of primary mirror is not centered making it
not easy to have accurate collimation.
It provide good light gathering power on most deep-sky objects, but not a
planetary scope. Deep-sky view is better than C8 because of the aperture.

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38707

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
AS they say, you get what you pay for. The best part of this scope is the tube. Its the same stuff you would use to pour a concrete pillar for a balcony support. Why buy a Meade? Any company who would sell 60mm 800x refractors in Wal-Mart really does not care about advancing this hobby, or selling quality instruments. I'm glad I found some good books to guide further purchases before spending any more money on Meade junk.

Overall Rating: 3
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38708

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
The optics seem ok but the focuser and finder make this scope a complete joke.
If you buy this scope, plan on budgeting an extra $200 for a good finder and focuser. You'll probably want to replace the mirror mount eventually as well.

Overall Rating: 4
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38709

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
I purchased this telescope about one year ago. First, it would never cool down. Tube currents degrade images to a very high degree and must be accounted for if you wish to achieve sharp images. Second, once the tube was modified ( i.e., spend money to fix) to eliminate tube currents it became apparent that the optic was significantly pinched. Mars looked like an orange that had been stepped on -- no surface detail here. This required me to have a local astronomer remount the mirror ( i.e., spend money to fix) as I did not have the knowledge to do so. Third, the focuser not only had unbelievable amounts of image shift, it also began to develop spurs almost immeadiately. Of course these spurs developed at the focal plane which made it increasing difficult to achieve a crisp focus (i.e., spend money to fix).
Meade has reduced the price of this scope -- obviously to attract those looking for a bargain. Believe me, you will come out ahead by buying an Orion dob or something comparable, which, while costing more initially, will not require after market fixes. Don't forget, while you are spending money to fix the scope you are not only frustrated but you are not observing.
I can not emphasize enough to those who seek a dobsonian telescope -- do not buy a Meade! Allowing scopes like mine, with a pinched optic, to leave the factory clearly shows they most likely do not use quality control at all and will ship anything. It then becomes incumbent upon the purchaser to figure out what is wrong and go through a series of returns with Meade until they get it right. I believe that Meade actually uses this approach as its quality control. This is how they sell them so cheap. Most people don't even know the scope is not working correctly so they just go on using it. Don't roll the dice -- spend a few more dollars and buy something else.

Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38711

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
superb optics with toss away components.Buy for optics and use the rest of scope till you get something better to hold optics in.Focuser u;tra cheap,skip 2" upgrade,1-1/4 is better.Finder stinks-get good 630 at last,or 8x50.Doesn't stay collimated and is difficult to do.OPTICS HOWEVER ARE INCREDIBLE even for price.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38712

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
Don't understand all the Meade bashing. But then maybe my scope is the exception. Easy to collimate and stays that way unless I bump it HARD. The light gathering is very good and the mirror seems to be ground accurately. No flares, no astigmatism. Stars are nice sharp pin points. Planets are less clear unless you use an aperature mask. But that is to be expected with a fast newt. Yes, the focuser is cheasy, but hey, I didn't pay as much as you would for an AP either. Mine cools down in about an hour and a half and if that's not fast enough, you can put a fan in the thing. The lenses that it came with are very good and overall I am very happy that I got this scope.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38713

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
The only "fault" is the focuser. JMI to the rescue. As to the finder scope, why bother: this is a 10" manual scope.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38715

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
Bought for my daughter and I to (re)learn the sky. Optics excellent, no problems with mirrors or eyepieces. Collimates easy enough, but I do it every time I take it out, especially since its a f/4.5. No problem with cooldown since I keep it outside in its own shed. Focuser is adequate at best, mount is fair. Know what your getting into beforehand (i.e. if you expect it to be a 10" LX200, then buy a 10" LX200) and it won't be a problem. Plan on a a focuser upgrade and a telrad. Excellent scope for a tinkerer who wants to build a mount, focuser, ccd camera, etc.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38716

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
The meade 10 inch scope is bested described as a value scope. Good optics--but everyhting else is fair or poor. Even so, I haven't had any problems with my mine. It collimates beautifully, and the optics deliver some bright, impressive images. It could be better with planets, but it's not bad. Orion's nebula is breath-taking! This is where apeture really counts!

The main problem with this telescope is the finderscope. What a joke. It's not even usable. I've had no problems with the focuser, though. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but it does the job.

Oh yeah, one other problem. I've had mine for about a year now, and I noticed that the altitude bearings don't hold still like they used to when it was new. If I set it on an object and hold it there, then there's no problems. But as soon as I let go, it jumps up about an inch. It's not a HUGE problem, but it's a little irritating when you're sitting out in the middle of no where freezing your ****s off.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38717

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
I have had this scope for about a year. After much confusion, I seem to be getting my act together. Basically, I believe this is a great scope (especially for the price and size), if someone has the time and personality for a bit of tinkering. First, I put the scope together as instructed. Not hard, good directions, took a few hours. Next, I added some silicone glue to the joints in the base (after I watched another Meade 10" Dob fall apart at a star party). I then started using the scope. Finder moves all over - more glue. Finder is also pretty sad - plan to upgrade in the next month. Eyepieces are VERY good. Focuser seemed terrible (unusable), with EXTREME backlash, until I realized that the barrel was rubbing against the sono tube. After a bit of surgery with an x-acto knife, and a bit of wax (from a candle) on the outside of the barrel, the focuser works fine. The focuser inside diameter is too large for a 1.25 inch eyepiece (or lazer columator) however, and took a bit of time to learn how to columate. Basically DON'T put the columator into the focuser and just hold it there - put it in and tighten the set screw, just like you would do with an eyepiece. Columated quite well after that. Columation is VERY important on this scope. Optics are fantastic (as per others in the local club who looked at it - including a "ronche test" (sp)). The Orion 10" soft case fits over the scope very well. Very nice scope.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38718

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
First the bad: The focuser is junk. Collimation without a laser is very difficult (unless you are comfortable with doing this at night with an out of focus star). The finder scope doubles as a toy in a McDonald's Happy Meal.

This scope MUST be collimated perfectly or aberrations will occur. A laser collimator is essential. Get the laser collimator first. When I got the laser, I saw just how out of collimation I was (and here I thought I was close, NOT!). This error caused endless problems with viewing any planet and I missed a year of detail in the galactic arm. After the laser, detail on planets was a sinch, even when getting close with the 3x Televue Barlow. This scope stays in collimation pretty well. At the beginning of every session, collimation is easy with a laser (Orion makes a nice one).

The focuser is just badÂ…No, its worse than that Jim, it sucks. A JMI RCF or an NGF-DX3 (what I have) are needed.

Any red eye finder (like a Telrad or Orion) should be included with this scope. These things are so easy to use. As for replacing the finder, does anyone know where to get a good one with a 90 degree elbow on it?

Occasionally the drive assembly/mount has to be tightened, but it tracks just fine, even for short CCD work. The optional Meade declination control works very well too.

The optics are wonderful (after collimation). I have got down to 14Mag in my light polluted suburban back yard. Use some filters for the planets because of this scope's speed. A variable polarizer works nice as do the Meade and Celestron color filters. A Lumicon 0-III on the Veil Nebula is just magnificent. It appears that Meade put killer optics with less than quality accouterments. The tube is very sturdy, and no, this is not what you pour cement into. It is about 5 times thicker than a sono tube for cement.

I just wish Meade offered a real deluxe package with a good focuser, a laser collimator, and a better finder. I bet it would sell.

So, with the upgrades, this scope runs $1000 with the above suggestions. Not bad for a 10 inch. ($700 for the scope/mount $200 for the NGF DX3, less for an RCF, and about $100 for and Orion laser collimator and red eye finder).

Any comments/questions: coldwarrior1@yahoo.com

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38719

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
Get those power tools ready--were building us a scope!!!

The example I got back in july98 had the following problems
1. Focuser woould not attach b/c holes were drilled wrong
2. 6X30 Finder would not focus (I got a telrad later to replace it)
3. The feet are to small
4. Magellan 1 is a liabilty to meade. It is CRAP do not buy one. I found one object with it M27.
5. Collomation is damn Hard, and the screws were very tight
6. The base had to be redrilled and put together
7. Bearings were set wrong
PROS:
1. The image of Deep Sky objects wasn't bad, I did have some fun with this cope
2. Decent eyepieces in the delx package

In short I would not buy another one of these, Buy a discovery you get a better product. The scope is tho a fair proformer once problems are fixed and a good MANUAL scope. Juat stay from that magellan

Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38720

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
I had the Meade Starfinder 10" Deluxe Dob delivered to my door for about $600. When I opened the box, I did not expect to find a $3,000 scope equipped accordingly. Instead, I found what I had purchased--a cheap light bucket that enabled me to see those elusive deep sky objects. In about three hours, I corrected all the craftsmanship flaws, collimated the scope, and transferred my Magellan 1 computer from my 6 inch dob. I highly reccommend the Magellan computer for any Meade dobsonian. Spotting the Messier objects is like shooting fish in a barrel. You will see more in a couple of outings than you did in the previous year. The clarity and light gathering capabilities of the optics are tremendous. The views can be compared to much more expensive scopes. It is obvious that Meade devoted all the attention to the optics and I am glad for that.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=38721

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
I wish I had read these reviews before I bought my Meade. Everything bad I have read about the Meade on this webpage is true of mine. The DELUXE viewfinder is less than worthless (is that possible?) The DELUXE focuser...they must have gotten these out of a gumball machine. Can't really tell about the optics because the secondary won't move when I try to collimate. Unfortunately, I will be doing what everyone else seems to be doing. Saving up for new parts to replace the new parts on my new $600 Meade 10 Dob.

Overall Rating: 3
Mount:5 Ease of Use:2 Value:2
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=124768

Meade Starfinder 10" Dobsonian Deluxe
A work in progress - that was my impression of it when I bought it last year. Yes, the focuser is junk - replaced it with a $160 SkyWatcher metal r&p 2 inch unit. The 6x30 finder was tossed for a Telrad. With only an 1140mm focal length, this thing almost qualifies for "wide field", so a finder was never necessary for me. 26mm Series 4000 Plossl is excellent. The optics are quite good. The tube is cheap, the mount is cheap (but it works) and there's lots of "stiction" in the bearings. A little car wax fixes that. For a 10 inch unit, it's quite compact, and evenings observing can be done comfortably on a folding stool. Complaints? Too much light splashing around - inside of tube is quite glossy (needs to be Flocked!), spiders are quite thick, and also glossy. Overall a great and reliable performer. VERDICT: Recommended.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Mount:7 Ease of Use:8 Value:6
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=142067

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