Meade Lightbridge 10-Inch
April 14, 2008
Meade Lightbridge 10-Inch Telescope Review
General Info
Class: Dobsonian Reflector
Best Uses: Planets, the moon, galaxies & nebulae
Recommended Experience: Beginner - Advanced
Overall Rating: 8.38/10
Official Review: This dob reflector is perfect for anyone with a big backyard that plans to use their scope “every once in a while”, and doesn’t want to mess with the bells and whistles. The 10-Inch Meade Lightbridge will allow you to see 5-10x what you could see with a “standard” scope for the same price, and you’ll never have to deal with extra gizmos and computer features.
On the flip side, it’s large (though made of lightweight aluminum and easy to assemble) and you’ll have to do things manually. For most people this is much easier due to its magnification power and aperture size. Overall, I’d recommend this telescope.
Pros: Amazing viewing capabilities, strong construction, great price, stable, very easy to use
Cons: Large, difficult to store, not computerized, no Astrophotography
Click here to check out the Meade Lightbridge 10-Inch on Telescopes.com!
Important Details
Usability: 8.8/10 - As easy to use as they come, but it doesn’t have a computer to help align or track
Comfortability: 7.8/10 - Some stargazers with back problems love the Lightbridges for their size
Durability: 8.1/10 - Strong construction, lightweight aluminum truss beams
Battery Life: 9.9/10 - This thing lasts forever…literally! (Cooling fan takes batteries, though)
Backlash: 9.9/10 - No troubles here…Ahhh, one advantage of not having computerized scopes
Warranty: 9.4/10 - Standard Meade warranty & return/exchange policy
Storage: 5.9/10 - It’s pretty big…But, it’s easy & quick to assemble/re-assemble
Accuracy: 7.8/10 - Advanced 4-reticle Red-dot viewfinder makes it easier to be accurate manually
Setup: 7.4/10 - Easy to assemble, and easy to get working quickly, but it’s bulky
Click here to read more reviews on the 10 in. Meade Lightbridge!
Tech Specs
Aperture: 254mm! (10in)
Magnification (Highest Useful): 500x
Focal Length: 1,270mm
Focal Ratio: f/5
Resolution: 0.46 Arc seconds
Limiting Magnitude: 14.5
Tracking: Manual (AutoStar software & Red-Dot viewfinder)
Click here to learn more about the Meade Lightbridge 10-Inch telescope!
Telescope Construction
Optical Design: Reflector
Viewfinder: 4-Reticle Red-Dot
Eyepiece: 26mm wide-angle
Tube: Deluxe Truss-Tube (Metal open truss design)
Mount Design: Altazimuth
Weight: 65lbs total
Tripod: n/a - Solid laminated base
Power Supply: n/a (Cooling fan takes batteries)
Lens Coating: Multi-Coated (Not as nice as UHTC, but still high-quality)
Other Equipment: Battery-powered cooling fan
Recommended Accessories: None
Extra Features
GoTo: No
GPS: No
Computerized: No
Alignment: Manual
Remote: No
Object Database: No
Programming Options: None
Summary: If you don’t mind (or like) the size of the Meade Lightbridge Truss-Tube series, and you don’t want to mess with complex computerized tracking and programmable object databases, this scope will be a good fit for you. If you want to see a lot without spending a lot, save yourself the money & headaches: get the Meade 10-Inch Lightbridge.
Click here to order the Meade Lightbridge 10-Inch from Telescopes.com!
