USER OBSERVATIONS Last updated: 12 January 2007

Subject:	DS-2102 AT-TC Review
Sent:	Wednesday, January 10, 2007 22:33:09
From:	Michael Magras (sargamites@comcast.net)
Perhaps the following will be of some value to those contemplating the
purchase of this model.

I saw this Meade refractor with a 4" diameter objective, motor drive and
computer "go-to" control selling for about $200 at Costco. It has
relatively large aperture (for a department store scope), it's cheap
and, if purchased at Costco, can be returned. I purchased it on a lark
to check it out. Overall, I found it to be a worthwhile, usable starter
scope, though it has many weaknesses.

Assembly and set was relatively quick and easy. The instructions
included a photo for just about every step. Alignment of the finder to
the telescope was complicated by the huge amount of slop in the
adjustment screws of the supplied "red dot" laser finder, but once
aligned it held alignment and was easy to use.

Two "Series 4000 DS Super Plossl China" eyepieces are included, a 26mm
and 9.7mm, which, with the scope's 800mm focal length, yield about 30x
and 82x respectively. The relatively low magnifications are a good
choice since they allow objects to be found more easily, and produce
clearer & brighter images. The eyepieces have good eye relief.

The included diagonal mirror is made entirely of plastic except,
perhaps, for the mirror itself, which is probably plate glass. It is
functional.

The tripod and mount are just adequate for the (light) weight of this
telescope.

The computer control and drive unit work. The "Easy Align" procedure is,
in fact, pretty easy. It's a two-star alignment so, once aligned, the
computer does a pretty good job of pointing the scope to the selected
object, usually within the field of the low-power, 26mm eyepiece.

The 4" diameter objective lens up front makes objects relatively bright
compared to most competing department store scopes, which usually
feature 2-3" diameter objectives. The bright, wide-field images,
combined with the ability to select an object and have the computer
point the scope at it make it easy to view a wide variety of objects.

The computer has a 30,000+ object database and many other capabilities.
These can be used to learn a lot about the planets, moon, comets, star
cluster, and so on. The computer will even point out the constellations.

On the down side, this equipment is all made in China. The focuser is
terrible and will be a source of immediate and probably continuing
frustration. It's entirely made of plastic and tends to stick and jump,
making precise focusing very difficult. Again, thankfully, the supplied
eyepieces keep magnifications low so, with patience, it is possible to
achieve acceptable focus. The objective lens appears to be
anti-reflection coated and seems to be of reasonable performance. The
eyepieces are ok but I doubt the supplied versions are equal in quality
to the Series 4000 eyepieces advertised on the Meade website.

As mentioned before, the mount and drive unit are barely adequate to
carry the weight of the scope as it comes from the factory. Any upgrades
(better eyepiece, diagonal, focuser, etc.) will add weight because
you'll be replacing plastic components with metal ones. The drive will
carry the weight of an upgraded eyepiece and diagonal, but not the
weight of a good focuser. I tried and was rewarded with a slipping
azimuth clutch and bogging motor.

Comparatively, it seems to me that the DS 2102 AT-TC offers a larger
aperture but very low-quality, marginal construction, while the
domestically-produced similarly-sized & priced Meade scopes have smaller
aperture but are better constructed and include higher quality
components.

Mike Magras
Tucson, AZ

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