Meade ETX 70 Review

The Meade ETX 70 is a portable, high-powered telescope that comes with the AutoStar software that takes newbie astronomers on an educational ride through the night skies. It is lightweight and easy to carry around which makes it a perfect "grab and go" scope. Those who like to travel, go hiking, camping, or just enjoy spur of the moment stargazing will get a lot of use out of it.

The instructions for setting up the telescope on initial use are streamlined and easy to follow. There is a quick-start guide for those who don't want a lot of fuss and would like to get straight to alignment and celestial viewing. The telescope is motorized and requires six AA batteries. The motor controlled mounts allow the viewer to make precise and steady movements which cut out on blurriness. This telescope also tracks well and is sturdy enough to not bobble around and distorting the images.

This refractor scope has a focal length of 350mm and provides some quality views of the moon and its craters, Saturn and its rings, and Jupiter. Stars appear bright and focused and don't have the blurriness that some other scopes have. Focusing in on stars, nebulae, and other space matter is also easy for beginners thanks to the AutoStar program that comes with the ETX 70.

This remote control allows the user to input some information and be led on a tour of some of the best space matter available at that particular location. It also provides interesting tidbits about each object which is good for newbies looking to pursue a more active interest in astronomy. The speed in which this small yet powerful scope focuses is great. The motor clicks and whirs right away and tracks objects across the sky in mere minutes. It also can hold an object in clear focus for a long time making astrophotography easy with this telescope.

There is a mount on the back end of the Meade ETX 70 where a camera can be attached. Prime focus photos can be taken, but this telescope is more equipped for capturing afocal pictures. Either way, this is a good telescope for those with a photography hobby. It also comes with a map to the stars which is an interesting point of reference for budding astronomers who are just starting out and learning the ropes of stargazing.

Used Telescopes on Ebay

New Telescopes on Ebay