I think we need a little bit of perspective. Just look at what it would cost to get a decent scope just 20 years ago. We are really living in the golden age of telescope buying. Those "cheap $400" scopes are every bit as good optically as some pretty pricey scopes in the past. Grant it the tripods could be more stable and some of the pieces are pretty cheaply made plastic. But overall you can get a lot of scope for the money, especially considering that a lot of these scopes are computerized and can introduce people to a larger number of objects than what they might be able to find initially on their own. This is a feature that could not be had at ANY price point even 15 years ago.

That said, my next scope will be a med/large Dob (12.5"-16") of good quality ie starmaster or obsession. When I got started I thought I absolutely had to have a clock drive and figured I would get into astro-photography. Like 99.9% of observers, I have found that I am perfectly happy observing without a drive. I leave my extension cord and adapter at home and don't even bother to plug it in. As far as astro-photo goes the tech has improved to the point with stacking software and digital eyepieces don't even require accurate tracking. The images possible with todays equiptment can better photos taken 20 years ago on equiptment costing 10x as much.

I applaud mead for continuing to provide equiptment and making it affordable to "the masses". Honestly, all of this equiptment can be made to work well with a little tinkering by someone who has BTDT. That is where amatuer astronomy forums and clubs are priceless. So, instead of just venting, ask some specific questions and maybe some of your problems can be fixed.

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