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Subject: Re: [M]: Off Topic-Request for aid in identifying older Meade telescope
From: JohnLX200
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Mon May 18 00:39:04 1998

In a message dated 98-05-13 11:53:44 EDT, you write:

<< I recently purchased used Meade spotting telescope. As it came with no
documentation and I am a complete and absolute novice at this, I would
appreciate your advise in helping me to determine exact model of scope,
approximate era of manufacture and generic quality in the grander scheme of
things.

If you are so inclined as to help, please visit a web page I have set up
with more information and some photos to aid in identification.

Thanks,

Ladd Morse

http://www.his.com/ladmorse/meade/meade.html >>

Ladd,

I owned one of those myself at one point. It is one of the many variations of
the Meade 97/97A/97B/97C/97D/97E scope. It's a 90mm Maksutov. I've heard
from people, who unlike you or me, knew the letter of their scope that they
bought it new around the time of Halley's Comet or roughly 1986.

Mine had two eyepieces, the 25mm and I think a 12mm. They are 0.965"
diameter, another standard eyepiece size in addition to 1.25 and 2".

I found mine to be inferior to my ETX, but still a respectable beginner scope
compared to "department store beginner scopes" so I sold it to a friend of my
ex-wife who wanted something in that price range.

The opening in the back of the scope is too small to cover a full 35mm frame,
but mine still had some weird camera adapter with threads much smaller than a
T-mount, perhaps a C-mount but I don't know.

John Hopper
JohnLX200@aol.com
MAPUG administrator