For $75.00, this a good "temporary" scope?

[stir-crazy]

Hi, I'm still looking at getting a good scope that I can lug around the mountains with me on hikes. But I've come across this one, used, and thought it might be great to use until I select a preferred one more suitable (and can afford the one I want)

Here's the specs:
Meade 4501 4.5" (114mm) Reflecting Telescope.

911mm focal length, f/8
SR4mm, H12.5mm, and H25mm eyepieces (0.965")

3X Barlow
5X24 viewfinder

Equatorial mount and adjustable aluminum tripod.
Electronic RA motor drive with dual speed hand controller, for automatic tracking of celestial objects.


This seem a fair deal for $75? I'm unsure given the reviews I've found online, and the apparent age of this thing. But it would be nice to have something to start of on the basics with.

[redshifter]

It's not a good deal IMO, simply because based on what you've said above, this scope comes with a .965 focuser. As far as I know, finding quality eyepeices in this size will be iffy at best. The SR and H designs are pretty awful. You'll be lucky if you can see anything with the 4mm and the 12.5mm eyepeices.

Furthermore, that scope isn't going to be very 'luggable' on ahike IMO. The tube will be tough enough, but the tripod and mount are going to be difficult as well. Plus, lugging it on a hike will really screw up the collimation (though collimating a reflector isn't a big deal once you know what you're doing). You'd be better off with binocs or a short tube refractor. So, if all you have to spend is $75, I'd either get a decent pair of 10X50 binocs, or keep saving till you can get something else. The Orion 80mm short tube might be a good scope for your scenario. Something like this: http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=109402&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=4&iSubCat=13&iProductID=109402

Or this: http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=448&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=4&iSubCat=13&iProductID=448

[stir-crazy]

What I was thinking, but hoping otherwise.

I wanted something cheap, but decent enough to at least get started here in the city; not so much a scope for hiking. I think the eyepieces are pretty much an accepted 1.25" standard, nowadays, from what I've read.

And, I'm not so much interested in biking with any scope I get, now or down the road (ha! punny....) But one that I can go hiking with; which likely will put it up to more abuse than biking, I guess.

thanks for the input.

[Dave Mitsky]

Well, assuming that the Meade 4501 is in good condition you could purchase a 0.965 to 1.25 inch adapter and a couple of reasonably good 1.25 inch Ploessl eyepieces, a 2x Barlow lens, and a larger finder scope (a 5x24 has very limited utility) or a Telrad or other 1x LED pointing device for less than $200 and have a reasonably useful telescope. (One possible concern would be the stability of the mount.)

http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=63&pid=9839&m=

http://www.handsonoptics.com/ep_gto.html

Among the telescopes I own is a Celestron C4.5, a 114mm f/7.9 Newtonian with an excellent Polaris equatorial mount made by Vixen. Despite a few minor shortcomings, it's a fine small telescope that I've used countless times over the years to make solar, lunar, and casual DSO observations. It's not the best deep-sky telescope (or planetary telescope for that matter), of course, but from dark sites I've had some pleasing views of the brighter DSOs with my C4.5.

http://www.telescopebluebook.com/reflector/celestron.htm

Dave Mitsky

[Dave Mitsky]

Here are two photos of the Sun that I took with the C4.5 using eyepiece projection, a Mylar solar filter, and an SLR camera.

Dave Mitsky

[aurora]

Could you wait awhile and save up $200? Then you could choose from a number of very usable telescopes.

[stir-crazy]

I'm planning on spending quite a bit more than that on the scope I want in the short term, just thought this may be decent enough for "right now".

Plus, if the mount and tripod were good enough, I though then I could put all of the money into just the scope.

But, what I've found here and elsewhere online doesn't seem particularly promising for this model. The price is about par (I guess), and it's capabilities and quality seem good enough for lunar and maybe planetary observations, but beyond seems less worth the bother.

So, I'll just wait till February, per my original plan. Thanks again!

[stir-crazy]

I was hoping that this might be good enough, right out of the box. Any mod's I make, I'd want to be to a better, more long term scope.

Think I should hold off and get what I really want.

[Dave Mitsky]

I think that's a good decision.

Dave Mitsky