The. Are there any other lenses that you would recommend for this that really stand out? when you have the target in site, just lightly tighten the altitude clutch (right side) enough to hold the tube up. M45 is one of over 100 wonderful targets that were cataloged by the French astronomer Charles Messier. That will not require many refocusing turns. It is unfortunate that the seller did not do his homework. Stretching your dollar to gain the most perceived value is a rush. They have a Meade LX200 16 inch. That big Meade scope costs well over $15,000 but it works almost exactly like my ETX 80 Observer. This offers a chance for the database to be opened up by new dark sky locations. You can then track the target. Brand. But my kit came with a device with a red laser for helping to align the scope. Curious which video kit you got and how it works. Right now the company that sold it to me doesn’t seem to really care! This will make them look like you are viewing them through a pot of boiling water because you are viewing them through the air currents and turbulence of the atmosphere. Appreciate your time. It was great fun and I received a lot of inquiries about the ETX 80 from those who were interested in getting their first scope. I am also wondering what focal length is best for balancing deep sky and planetary viewing? The odd optical specifications will only confuse and frustrate a brand new astronomer even if it’s one of the Best Refractor Telescopes. Two questions: why the ETX 80 over the 125 that you also own? Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. This is my grab and go scope. A lot of people reported having issues with their software when the telescope showed up. However, I find that the AA lithium batteries work better and last a lot longer. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. For EAA to work well you need a scope that tracks. I use this eyepiece more than any other. Well after two years I have seen a lot. I work with the scope with the Barlow out when I want lower power widest views. You may have to release the clutch to adjust the vertical position. Should we change the eyepiece on the barlow switch mode to yield good detail of Jupiter ? I’m coming from (terrestrial) landscape photography. Preference would be to have it at least 20 degrees above the horizon. Still it did not yield good detail on Jupiter. The Meade Instruments ETX80 Observer Telescope is able to align itself, find objects you select with the controller, and zero in on them for viewing without any human input. I’m having difficulty operating it and wonder if you could help me. Meade ETX 80 Observer Telescope with Backpack & AudioStar Controller. You can display the image on a screen so a group can see it. I bought the ETX 80 this year the problem I am having is the equatorial mode function does not work. Starting your astronomy journey with an ETX-80 is the perfect choice. If it is low on the horizon you are looking through a LOT of atmosphere and the image will be poor. This was a surprise and changes the kind of experience I was expecting to have with this telescope. Am I correct ? Meade has sold zillions of the ETX scopes so there are parts and used systems available on ebay, Craigslist, and other places. I set them to track the Sun which they did for hours. Registered as business seller . The system is nifty if it works properly. The first and most important feature is a very comprehensive easy to follow manual. Is the scope completely useless without them or is there a way to buy the additional items second hand to complete the set up? Boosting the magnification of any eyepiece is super easy with this feature. Over time, we telescope owners like to add eyepieces. I look forward to hearing from you. The scope has an integrated 90-degree star diagonal which gives you the best position for viewing the sky. So who is going to be the best fit for this telescope? You can use the scope manually, though it is not a great manual scope. My favorite eyepiece in my ETX 80 is an 8-24 mm zoom eyepiece that works like the zoom lens on a camera. These unique design decisions is why the highest useful magnification of this telescope is only 80x. Have you tried out the EAA kit yet? Type. I can see the 4 moons too. I have not explored this much yet but plan to in the future. For stargazing that would be removed. However, you would normally plan to use your high power eyepiece and probably with the Barlow in. I added solar filters to my Meade ETX 80 Observer, on the right in the photo, and my Meade ETX 125 EC, on the left. Welcome to KW Telescope!We have many products, product lines and features to add. It is hard to say. In fact, I brought this to a meeting of my astronomy club recently to demonstrate the computerized GoTo features and people were quite impressed as to how easy it was to use. Thank you for your time! Light Pollution – If you are observing from a very light polluted area, as I do, focus your observing time on bright targets such as the Moon, planets, open star clusters, and double stars as well as some bright nebula and globular clusters. Telescopes. I have also purchased a video imaging kit that I will add to the ETX 80 Observer for what is called EAA, electronically assisted astronomy. This works well for scanning the sky and for viewing many deep-sky objects. Another great advantage of this design is that you can use the Meade ETX 80 Observer on the included tripod or as a tabletop scope. Let me share some of it with you. In the Portable Telescope product guide review for the ETX 80, for example, it says “ being an f/5 refractor it will show a lot of chromatic aberration – limiting lunar and planetary views, and preventing one from going much above 85x.”. These are the best time to observe the moon. The ETX 80 is a computerized scope that will find the targets for you once you align it. Now, look when there is a full Moon. Double stars are stars that appear to be a single star but are actually two stars that are very close together. I took delivery of the ETX 80 observer in October of 2016. And Meade also provides an instructional video to show you how to set-up and align the scope. I would be happy to answer any questions you have. The Meade ETX 80 observer is part of the new, updated ETX Observer series which also includes new versions of the ETX 90 Observer and the reintroduction of the ETX 125 Observer. There is a compass and bubble level that helps with the set-up. Is there something more than the red-dot device I need? I recently had the opportunity to use an observatory telescope at the Vanderbilt Planetarium. *Rankings and ratings are calculated by comparing similar telescopes, in this case, 10 telescopes between $225 and $300. I mention them in the Barlow article. At 120X you should be able to see the two main cloud bands on Jupiter and likely the polar area too. But don’t observe them when they first rise. He is also a member of the Custer Institute and Observatory where he is a featured speaker. I am looking for a portable starter scope that I can take camping and eventually play with astrophotography. I will touch what comes in the package later as that is available on any listing of the scope. What you really want to know is what you can see with this scope. Many of the product reviews you read are based on a scope provided by a manufacturer to a reviewer who has had it less than 60 days when they write the review. I re-read your review of the ETX80 just now, and I think I know the answer. So I never use it that way. Hence, I am doing a review of Meade ETX 90EC telescope. Disclosure – If you buy something via our link, we may earn a commission with no additional expense to you. If you want to use the scope manually, which I do from time to time, you can unlock the clutches and point the scope yourself. The Meade ETX 80 observer is a very complete package with some unique features. Some have a field of view of less than 1 degree. Note that the ETX 80 Observer in the photo is shown as it would be used as a spotting scope with the included 45 degrees diagonal attached at the rear. I have used it to split double stars like Albireo, Mizar and Alcor and others. If there is one weakness in the package it is that the tripod is a bit lightweight. I find it hard to get the scope aligned using stars. found that the attachment screw holes are not perfectly true. Where I am, in New York, Jupiter and Saturn are very low in the sky which means you are looking through a LOT of atmosphere, which will cause distortion in the images. My guess is probably not many. Meade has leaned into the portability aspect by including a backpack that can fit everything in it. Meade ETX90 Observer review The ETX90 Observer telescope is reviewed in the November issue of BBC Sky at Night magazine. Any tips, suggestions, pointers? The ETX 80 Observer is a great wide view computerized GoTo scope at a good price with lots of accessories and options available. Hi, I have recently purchased an ETX 80 from someone who was clearing out their grandfather’s belongings so didn’t have a great deal of information about it to pass on. I have since added Meade and other brand eyepieces that will let me take the ETX 80 to much higher magnifications. And it seems that many of the members of my astronomy club own or have owned a Meade ETX scope. Rating Required. Using the handset, select the Messier objects menu and enter 45. Some people get a thrill out of getting a lot for a little. The Sun and Moon move through the sky at a slightly different rate than the stars. The thing that immediately jumped out at me about this scope’s optical specifications was the extremely low focal ratio. Add to basket. Hello. Many people like to use a Moon filter. When you’re an amateur, trying to find objects in the sky is the challenge, and the AudioStar hand controller makes it ridiculously easy. But haven’t been able to get any colour detail on Jupiter (different bands etc). Well, if your criteria are like mine then yes. … Just release the clutches and point the scope using the low power eyepiece. Once you’ve listened to it once or twice you probably won’t be listening to it again but it is a great teaching tool. Meade Meade ETX80 Observer. The Meade ETX 80 Observer’s compact size and ease of use make it a great first scope for an adult or young teen. This item will be sent through the Global Shipping Programme and includes international tracking. But others are more fussy about CA. I found that I had to constantly adjust the telescope with the arrows on the controller to keep it pointing at the moon. Meade disabled this function in the new ETX 80. (6.4 mm in 3X Barlow) Normally that would be too high for this scope, but it was one of those perfect nights. The earlier models did not come with a finder. I only use lithium batteries in mine. The ETX80 Observer has a Achromatic Refractor optical design to enjoy close-up views of land and celestial objects anytime, anwhere. Using the arrows on the handset you can adjust the position if necessary. Second, for EAA I often travel with a laptop. The ETX80 Observer continues that legacy. I read through the articles. I believe you can change a setting for that but I never do. My worry is that the ETX80 is not powerful enough to fully utilize the features provided. Cheers again and thank you for your time! About this product. AudioStar handbox controller The AudioStar computer controller with speaker helps you quickly find and GoTo over 30,000 objects in the night sky. I have a few questions for you if there is anyway I could get in contact with you for a moment or would be greatly appreciated. Another extra benefit with Meade’s computerized telescopes is that virtually all of them use the same AutoStar or AudioStar system to control the scope. When I consider this package based on price, the included accessories, the backpack, and the beautiful wide views I can achieve, I consider it a very good value. Nor did I expect to find it in the system. and am joing a few stargazing clubs. I do not know if this is a problem with Meade itself or if there is an issue with third party retailers properly shipping everything. I have recently purchased the etx 80, I am a beginner in the art of the telescope. This complaint does not take away from everything this telescope offers but it is definitely something to keep in mind when you are considering a purchase. EAA will allow a small scope like the ETX 80 Observer to present images that have previously required much larger scopes and expensive imaging equipment. With the compass, this really does become a powerful camping telescope. It comes with two out of the box a 9.7mm and a 26mm. This is in keeping with the backpack, lightweight and easily portable concept of the ETX 80 observer. Details about Meade ETX80 Observer Refractor Telescope. You get an 80 mm refractor telescope, two eyepieces, a built-in 2X Barlow lens, dew shield, and lens covers. Just a personal preference. Based on positive ranking from our team of experts and telescope owners, the Meade ETX 80 has earned the following awards in our buyer’s guides. The photo on the right was taken at a solar eclipse event in August 2018. Then you really don’t need it. Some targets look so much better at darker locations regardless of what scope I am using. This revamped version has new features added for the relaunch. Buy Meade ETX80 Observer 80mm f/5 Achromat Refractor GoTo Telescope featuring 80mm Achromatic Refractor Telescope, 400mm Focal Length, f/5 Focal Ratio, Fully Multi-Coated Optics, Dual-Fork Motorized Alt-Az Mount, AudioStar GoTo Hand Controller, Updateable 30,000+ Object Database, Guided Tours, Multiple Alignment Options, Adjustable Aluminum Tripod, Two … Today I have 6 scopes and each is optimized a little differently so the ETX 80 is not the one I pull out for planets, but when it was my only scope I did plenty of planetary observing with it. https://telescopicwatch.com/different-types-of-telescopes/, https://telescopicwatch.com/zwo-asi1600mm-pro-camera-review/, https://telescopicwatch.com/viewing-jupiter-through-a-telescope/, https://telescopicwatch.com/viewing-saturn-with-a-telescope/, https://telescopicwatch.com/best-telescope-eyepieces/. It also comes with a dew shield that you can throw over it at night so that it can stay up in a campsite without having to break it down in the middle of the night. This is what has kept the price down and the portability up which are two things not usually seen on computerized telescopes. Let’s see how you would find the Pleiades, also called Messier 45, using your ETX 80 Observer. Thanks for the great article. If it cannot align itself, the goto mount won’t work and the database becomes close to useless. As a GoTo scope, that is all you need as you really only use it to help you do your Goto alignment. Take your 80mm lens and enjoy close-up views of land and celestial objects anytime, anywhere. I have the ETX 80 and ETX 125. Thanks for a really good in depth review. The included correct image 45 degrees diagonal is optimized for daytime use. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Meade Instruments ETX80 Observer Portable Computerised Telescope with Backpack - Metallic Blue 205002 at Amazon.com.