Meade LightBridge 12 in. Deluxe (600 x 304.8mm) Telescope

The Meade 12 LightBridge Deluxe telescope is in a class all of its own. This is an amazing piece of technology that has surpassed the expectations of most star-gazers and has one of the highest user-friendly ratings and approval ratings of people who take sky-watching seriously. Is it a perfect telescope? No, but neither is the Hubble Space telescope. Will it do the job and impress you? It will exceed your wildest expectation and literally BLOW YOU AWAY!

Meade hit a home-run with this telescope. Although it isn't a computer driven, punch in some numbers and let the telescope take you there toy, this is a serious telescope that will give you maximum bang for your buck! The Light bridge is a Dobsonian Style telescope which uses a mirror for light gathering power and reflects it back to an eyepiece in concentrated form, and like all Dobsonian telescopes is large sized. Despite its monster appearance assembled, it is actually quite portable, as it easily and quickly breaks down into three manageable parts that will fit into the back seat of a small car. You can take it anywhere, assemble it within 5 minutes, and be using it in less than a half hour. The greatest time spent will be in making sure your mirror hasn't moved and make a few minor adjustments if it has to gain maximum focus and waiting for the battery operated fans to bring the telescope mirror to the same temperature as the surrounding air so it doesn't fog up on you. Once done you will find the universe waiting for your eyes.

The heaviest piece is the base, but it comes with handles. If you can carry a 4 year old child, you can carry this with ease. If not put it on a dolly. Unlike most Dobsonian telescopes which use a massive hollow tube, Meade uses lightweight metal ribs which really reduced the weight load and made this telescope truly portable. It is a clever design that does the trick. The only drawback I have seen in this is for those living in city conditions where a lot of unwanted light pollution is around it can sometimes cause glare. This can be fixed with the purchase of a 40 dollar shroud which wraps around the tube via velcro fasteners and does a great job of shielding the telescope from unwanted light and as a bonus will keep the dew from fogging your mirror as well.

Meade has replaced the screw in eyepiece holder with a gasket system which allows them to slide in and out scratching or eventually destroyed by over-tight screws, and it has replaced the nylon bearings commonly found in Dobsonians with steel bearings in the Deluxe model which makes moving the telescope in any direction you wish with a light push. The ease of push makes it ideal for tracking celestial objects as they cross the sky. Not only will the LightBridge accept the 2 inch eyepieces it is designed for, it will also accept the smaller 1.25 inch eyepieces which can save the watcher a lot of up-front cost and still enjoy the universe with eyepieces and filters he may currently own.

The LightBridge comes two sizes smaller than the 12 inch and in one lager 16 inch size. I've used all four, and they all do a terrific job. For a good all around, see everything scope, the 10 and 12 inch provided excellent views of distant galaxies, but the 12 inch was PERFECT for my use as it allows for greater light gathering than the two smaller ones, which means you see more things clearer. I couldn't afford the 16 inch scope. One look and you know you have seen the creation of God!