Reviews - Meade LightBridge Telescopes DELUXE - 8", 10", 12" , 16" Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope w/ AutoStar Suite Reviews - ME-TS-Lightbridge-1005-05-02

Author: jnekos (verified customer) , Scientist, from katonah on Aug 9, 2009
Pros:  image quality! easy viewing angle, 2" eye piece, price
Cons:  It's big..but that's fairly cool too
Would recommend:  yes

jnekos wrote:

My kids have saved up for over a year for a telescope. I picked this 10" model based on a number of Internet reviews, and budget. i bought from OpticsPlanet because they are authorized showroom dealer, helped me when i called in to confirm the order, and shipping was free. It took about 40 min to setup with the kids 'helping'. Slightly cloudy night, and the moon was slightly behind a tree from our patio. Aimed the telescope, got it focused, and let the kids take their first look. My oldest said, "I think i am going to cry....i have never seen such an amazing view." The younger one swears he can see the American flag! Its that good! shopping now for eye pieces at OpticsPlanet and info on spotting Jupiter and the meteor shower that is supposed to be this Tues/Wed. Very exciting, great puchase. Making a dolly to wheel it in/out of garage.

Author: baughmanethan (verified customer) , Graduate Student, from Dallas, TX on Dec 5, 2008
Pros:  Portable, Powerful, Star Software and Value
Cons:  Low end of moderate size telescopes
Would recommend:  yes

baughmanethan wrote:

Great deal, easy to set up and enjoy. I've traveled 1000 miles with mine in my coupe's trunk. It sets up easily and offers top quality optics at a bargain per inches of aperture.

Author: LightBridger (verified customer) , Below a beginner astronomer., from Birmingham AL on Oct 17, 2008
Pros:  Well Built. Looks Great.
Would recommend:  yes

LightBridger wrote:

This is my first telescope, and I must say, I am very impressesed with it. I should have done more research before buying it however. The eyepiece that it comes with does not give you that much range, so plan on spending some more $. Also you will need a collimator.(More $)It was heavier than I expected so either plan on making several trips, or having a buddy handy. I prefer to just carry the whole top part while someone else grabs the base rather than break it down every time. It looks very impressive, cant wait to see the views once I can afford some more eyepieces...

Author: PAUL VAN WAMBEKE (verified customer) , JUST PLAYING, from PACIFICA,CA on May 14, 2008
Pros:  Portability......
Cons:  red dot finder........took a lot longer than expect to dial in...
Would recommend:  yes

PAUL VAN WAMBEKE wrote:

very well finished //very easy to put together//directions as usual not that defining...I have reversed the assemble//to make it easy for one person to assemble//invert seconary and install truss'es//then install to primary in cradle....The cradle needle bearing work perfectly...I'm thinking of sometype of seal to keep out dirt when I'm in the field.!.I have added 3/4" foam weather strips to the front and bottom of the contact points on the cradle....

Author: JCross (verified customer) , Ammature astronomer Custom cabinet and woodwork shop owner, from Hixson, TN on Jan 18, 2008
Pros:  A lot of scope for the money
Cons:  Sloppy base mount hardware
Would recommend:  yes

JCross wrote:

Awesome telescope!! I purchased the 16" lightbridge and am very pleased with what I got. Everything was great out of the box with one exception, the small plastic clip that the latteral resistance knob mounts to was broken. Meade is shipping me a new clip at this time, so problem should be solved. The assembly of the base and scope is very quick and easy. The only other negative issue is the scope bearing mount on the base is sloppy. They now apply felt in the bearing opening rather than teflon. This creates a loose fitting for the scope to set in and creates a rocking effect while using. A couple of small pieces of teflon on each side should fix this problem without much effort. So far I am totally impressed with the lightbridge and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for big apperture without having to spend big bucks. The quality of the scope as well as the awesome views outweighs the small imperfections that are easily fixed. Good job Meade! Thanks Opticsplanet.com for a great ...
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