Weasner's Meade DS Models User Feedback

DS MODELS USER FEEDBACK

Last updated: 30 June 2003

This page is for user comments and information specific to the Meade DS telescope models. Accessories and Feedback items appropriate to the ETX models are posted on other pages as appropriate. If you have any comments, suggestions, questions or answers to questions posed here, e-mail them to me and I'll post them. Please use an appropriate Subject Line on your message. Thanks.

Subject:	re:   Telescope choice / DS-2130 or ETX-90
Sent:	Saturday, June 28, 2003 19:33:33
From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com (Richard Seymour)
To:	mike@flocean.com
I have an ETX90, and i've used a Meade 114mm  reflector next to it.
And... they're both better for some objects.
The 114mm larger light graps let it squeak a bit more magnification
for moon use, but i thought the ETX90's gave better star images.
The 114mm delivered a better M31 image. (it mioght be that it would
run at lower magnification than the ETX90, given the same eyepieces)

This was at an in-city, moderately light-polluted site.

I think it's rattling down to: Aperture wins.

The ETX90 is certainly much more portable (fits airplane hand-carry)
than the 114mm, and i suspect your 2130 is similarly bulky.

have fun
--dick

Subject:	Telescope choice / DS-2130 or ETX-90
Sent:	Wednesday, June 25, 2003 09:51:05
From:	mike@flocean.com (Mike PearlmanMike)
You have a great web site.....I though maybe you would have an opinion
on something.   I recently got a Meade DS-2130 (5" relector, similar to
DS-2114) and am barely getting to use it in Florida because of bad
weather. My question is, how do you think this scope would compare, view
for view with the ETX-90?   If it is worth the extra $150 or so, I can
return it and get the ETX-90.   The 2 times I have been able to get
outside, I was able to see Jupiter at about the level of detail in the
attached image.   And that's at high magnification.   Would the ETX
images be any sharper, larger?   How do the optics of the ETX balance
out against the smaller aperture (90mm vs 130mm)?   Does it focus easier
or anything?   I'm basically having to decide based on little info,
having not much to look at and not being able to test an ETX without
buying.   I guess I am trying to find out if the difference with the
ETX-90 would be small, or "Wow!"?   If it is comparable, I would be ok
keeping this one.

Thanks for any help....you web site is great.....

Mike Pearlman
Largo, FL

Mike here: I don't know how the image quality compares but larger aperture means higher resolution and a greater maximum usable magnification. But shorter focal lengths can limit the magnification. So there can be tradeoffs you will have to consider. The ETX-90 Cassegrain-Makutov yields nice planetary images.

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