Why single out Meade? What you say is true of all "cheapo" scopes (or worse*). Consumer scopes are built to price points. It's a fact of capitalist life.

*I tried to help some poor guy once. His scope had a finder that had a single ring mount. Yeah the ring had three scews, but without a frame of reference, it was useless. Loosen one screw and the finder fell out of the mount.

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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson