Top scope in its class - Meade 80mm ED APO OTA (f/6) 3.1'' Optical Tube Assembly with Meade Series 5000 Enhanced Diagonal & Aluminum Hard Carry Case 0306-00-02

No other dealer had these except Optics Planet, so I had to pay sales tax since I was in California but no big deal. I don't want to discuss that much because I could write a book, but the fact that nobody has this in stock most of the time must mean something. I would say that couple weekends ago I looked through Astrophysics APO and I swear I couldn't tell the difference with this Meade. You got to spend money on good eyepieces though. This scope fits on my CG5 mount goto. I also got an Orion eq. mount. The wedge mount is a big plus and fits most modern mounts no problem. Even fits on Nexstar 5SE which I just bought, but 5SE got the cheap motor and I think this scope is too heavy for it. Buy this scope with the case and diagonal only. This scope has no competition in its price range. I am taking this scope to the Sierra high country next month above 8000 ft.
Pros: Triplet, APO, construction, fast optics, wedge mount.
Cons: None

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.