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This is a great little telescope for the money. Two previous reviewers (who gave it a low rating) had quality control problems with it. I've had none with mine but I have had 3 of them with my Meade 4" refractor. The Meade customer service people were wonderful in correcting these problems, but it seems their quality control could be better.Optically, this is an achromatic refractor with a very fast focal ratio. That means it's good for viewing extended objects like star clusters, Milky Way star clouds, large nebulae, pretty conjunctions, etc. Dark skies help alot -the darker the better of course -but good clear rural skies in Ohio are plenty wonderful. It doesn't have the aperture for dimmer objects but the brighter Messier objects, for example (and there's plenty of them!) are great. It isn't at its best on planets and the Moon but you can definitely see Saturn's rings, the phases of Mercury and Venus, Jupiter's moons and belts (the red spot is difficult at best) and the Moon simply can't help but look wonderful in any telescope!
The Autostar is really good. It's best when you align it carefully: use the north star to point it to north and use a bubble level to level the tripod and tube. You can find brighter Messier objects, comets, asteroids, the planet Neptune, etc, so easily! (But of course not Pluto, quasars, black holes and some other ridiculous objects in the Autostar database.) And you get better at aligning it as you practice. Be sure to check out the "synchronize" feature (in the owner's manual under the "enter key").
As others have pointed out, the focus mechanism is bad, and the tripod is not terribly sturdy. Together they make higher magnifications (which are not optically optimum either) just about impossible. But 50X is still reasonable with a good 7mm orthoscopic eyepiece. Also a good 32mm eyepiece will eliminate the need to buy a finder and give you wonderful wide views. A dew shield is a must in Ohio (reduces glare too).
It ain't a Televue, it's true, but for the price, this scope is hard to beat.
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The ETX70 is billed as a beginner's telescope, but those entering the hobby of amateur astronomy are typically motivated by interest in planets, and for such interest this scope is, in a word, unsuitable. Planetary observation requires high power, and this is a low power scope. Although it is possible to see the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter through it, the images are tiny. (On my own specimen, planetary discs are marred by unacceptable flares. Other owners tell me their scopes do not have that problem.) Thus, inexperienced purchasers are likely to be disappointed, and more's the pity because amateur astronomy is about much more than planets. The ETX70 is more suited to the deep sky. It is not so much a beginner's scope as it is a scope conscientiously intended for beginners, designed by experienced astronomers. Think of it as a powerful monocular with a computerized GoTo.Despite what you might think, the ETX70 is not a poor man's ETX90. Jupiter looks much better through the '90, but the Orion Nebula, the Dumbbell Nebula, and the Lagoon Nebula look much better through the 70. The '70 presents very nice low power, wide field views. The '90 presents dim, narrow, higher power views. Of the two scopes, the ETX70 is arguably nicer, because it excels at more objects. Also, the broad field of the ETX70's makes the GoTo mechanism function reliably. Some ETX90 GoTo's are less reliable because that instrument's tunnel vision can challenge the accuracy of its positioning system. (Accuracy varies among individual scopes.)
Computerized scopes are, to say the least, controversial in the amateur astronomical community. I have seen amateurs who know very little of the sky, and spend nights punching buttons. That's a hazard. On the other hand, unconnected beginners face the hazard of never finding things in the sky and losing interest. If a beginner can get past the challenge of the GoTo mechanism, the computerized sky tours of the ETX70 can connect him/her with the sky.
Before the GoTo will work properly, the scope must be aligned. For this purpose, it will help if the user can find at least the North Star. Three alignment systems are supplied: Easy Align, One Star Align, and Two Star Align. If you have 360 degrees of sky visibility, Easy Align is easy indeed. It is no more than the two star alignment method with the scope picking the stars. The user is called upon to center the stars, but the computer picks bright ones. In principle, you find the brightest star anywhere near where the scope is pointing, and center it. If that star is behind a tree, though, you're in trouble. You can have the scope choose another, but if you have a lot of trees, the Easy method can be quite difficult. Better to learn the identities of two bright stars far away from each other and from Polaris, that are visible from your backyard at the time of night you do your observing. (Of course you will need different stars at different times of the year and night.) Once you've done that, you can use the two star method. The increased accuracy of this method over the one-star method is worth the small extra effort.
As long as the computer is doing the work, the ETX70 requires no tripod, but a foam rubber pad will help to hold the instrument steadily on, say, a picnic table. The tripod becomes more important when aiming the scope by hand, but it compromises the scope's portability. If you can get the tripod free, therefore, take it. Otherwise, think about it long and hard or keep looking until you find one for free.
Now for the problem: Most of the objects in the ETX70's database appear as faint smudges, and if you aim a larger scope at some of those smudges, they will become beautiful enough to make you weep. For the same money you can get a respectably large Dobsonian telescope with no GoTo, and you will see a lot more. A *whole* lot more. You will have to find the objects yourself (Check out the book, _Turn Left At Orion_) and nudge the scope as the earth turns. The scope will be less portable, and you will have to align the optics every time. The choice is yours.
If you have money to burn, and never intend to become involved with the hobby, the ETX70 may be for you. If you like gadgets, the ETX70 may be for you. If you want a tour of the sky, and a very portable scope, the ETX70 may be for you. A new amateur probably has better options. An experienced amateur may wonder why someone bothered to put a GoTo on a monocular. I thoroughly love my ETX70 as a toy, but for serious observing, I use a telescope.
Honest reviews on Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software
...I can only offer praise and Kudos to Meade for offering such a wonderful instrument at a value price. For the past 30 years I have used a 60mm refractor from Sears without any problems. I finally decided it was time to get somthing a little more modern but didnt want to spend over a thousand dollars. After researching the market for 3 months, I finally decided on the ETX 70-AT. After adding 2x and 3x Barlow lenses, a 5mm plossl, a basic filter selection, and hard case I have spent less then $700.00. Once you have a realistic idea of what to expect when viewing through a small telescope, you will find that the image quality offered in the ETX 70-AT is outstanding for a 70mm telescope with such a short focal length (f/5). Autostar also makes easy work of finding subjects for the evening. The ETX 70-AT is a highly versatile instrument for both novice and experienced amateur astronomers. The rings of Saturn are clearly visible as is the Cassini Division. Jupiter is outstanding with the Red Spot visible under good conditions, and 5 moons visible. The Orion Nebula is very distinct as are the Plaedes. The only shortcomings I have found are: battery life could be better, focus knob is awkward, and dew shield should have been included as standard. Also, if this is your first telescope, dont expect to see images like those on the box. All in all, a Very Good Telescope for the money, and highly recommended for the astronomer on a budget.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Meade ETX70AT Telescope w/882 Tripod and Software
I don't expect much from a 70mm refractor. I have several scopes, including another 70mm refractor, so I would say that my expectations were pretty well grounded. I purchased this telescope in order to play and experiment with the ETX line: I'm planning to purchase a scope in the $1000 $3000 price line next year, so a couple of hundred dollars sounded like a good investment along with other forms of research. In comparison to other 70mm telescopes, here's my opinion:Advantages:
-small, lightweight, highly portable package
-easy set up and use
-good quality eyepieces (this is problematic in other scopes)
-easy computerized menu that can be upgraded
-easy to attach to a decent tripod
-very good instruction manual (compared to other 70mm scopes)
-can use most standard accessories
Disadvantages:
-focus knob hard to use
-somewhat difficult to lock fork arms so motor drive can work properly
-easy to lose alignment
-will not focus properly at infinity to allow sharp viewing of astronomical objects (a major flaw)
-uses batteries at alarming rate, but no AC adaptor available
-slight amount of noise (doesn't bother me, but may bother very sensitive neighbors at 2am)
-do not recommend for astrophotography
Overall, if it wasn't for the fact that I can't get Saturn in focus (and I have enough experience with 70mm refractors to know that it is the scope, and not me. I currently own two other 70mm scopes), this would probably be my favorite. I love toys, and this is a great one. Sadly, being able to see things is the primary role of a telescope. I understand from several other people that they haven't had the problems that I have, but nonetheless I have this problem. Additionally, while it is not a problem, the short focal ratio of this telescope means that if you were to get something in focus, it will be very small in terms of visual size compared to another telescope with the same eyepiece but longer focal ratio. Not a problem for me, but if you're expecting to see a big view of Saturn with a high power eyepiece, you may be dissappointed.
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