Re: Meade 12.5 inch Starfinder is still available
From: Stephen Paul (spaul219_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 11/10/04
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Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2004 14:57:13 -0500
"Jon Isaacs" <jonisaacs@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041110121915.11419.00000418@mb-m29.aol.com...
> Martin:
>
> While your are applauding Meade for keeping their Meade in the product
> line, I
> wish they would move the 12.5 inch DOB scope into the 21th Century.
> Apparently
> the mirrors are good but the rest of the scope has some serious
> limitations.
>
> IMHO, these scope are about what we were getting in the early 90s as
> commercial
> scopes.
>
> Buy an a GSO Dob or a Synta DOB and not only do you get a pretty decent
> mirror
> and a 9 point floatation cell, but you get a good focuser, a good finder
> and a
> reasonable mount that just needs a bit of Ebony Star and Teflon to be a
> pretty
> good mount.
>
> In otherwords, you get a finished product that can be a pleasure to deal
> with.
> With the Meade, I mean give me a break, the model 77 focuser as an
> Upgrade?
>
I agree with your sentiment, but let's not paint too terrible a picture
here. The 12.5" Starfinder isn't _too_ bad a structure. The two sore points
are the (virtually unbreathable) particle board primary mirror cell, and the
focuser (as you suggested). At $849 it is really the best deal going on a
100% _US made_ 12.5" Dobsonian. Especially for those among us who are
protesting the American consumer rush to inexpensive foreign products. I may
be a dope about such issues, but I can't help think that somehow that's
going to bite us in the ass. Not saying we shouldn't allow a change in the
economic structure of the world, just that we should try to at least force
it to go more slowly and methodically to protect our own interests. After
all, it is the American consumer who holds the power cards. One shouldn't be
in too much of a hurry to throw away a good hand for a quick buck.
That said, I think it would be a mere pittance for Meade to charge an extra
$200 to add, and balance out an open aluminum or steel mirror cell, and
provide a decent 2" focuser.
$1050 for a fully functional out of the box 100% US made 12.5" Dobsonian
doesn't seem unreasonable.
Then there's Discovery who is still offering the PDHQ for $1299 and I'm
pretty certain that it's $300 better than either the Meade or the GSO/Synta
scopes. IMO, you would have to sink that much into one of the scopes from
the Orient, to get as good a structure (large adjustable bearings and a
lightweight plywood rocker and base).
So, I'm not saying the GSO/Syntas are bad. Just that on the price scale, it
makes more sense to me that they would go: GSO/Synta for $900, Meade
Starfinder (with suggested changes) for $1000, and then the Discovery PDHQ
for $1300.
If everyone rushes to the bottom, then choice goes bye-bye. Meade should
definitely step up to that plate with the 12.5" Starfinder. I bought one,
and in the end I've spent the difference on after-market upgrades. Are you
listening Meade? Fix the Starfinder and add a few bucks to the price. Your
12.5 F4.8 mirrors are worthy of a better out of the box structure!!
-Stephen
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