A guide to the Meade ETX 80 Backpack Observatory

A guide to the Meade ETX 80 Backpack Observatory.
Available at: www.scopesnskies.com/
Presented by Robert J Dalby
Produced by DB Video Services for Astronomy and Nature TV

[@bazz0308]

I really love my ETX-80!! Saw Jupiter today with the four big moons on one side of the planet! Awesome! Even without the build in barlow a crystal clear little ball with two dark stripes and four little dots on one side!! And that in one of the most light polluted areas in the world(the western part of the Netherlands, close to the sea.)

[@jfvhunter6533]

bazz0308 Hi what lens did You use to do be able to see that? I just got an Etx 80 and just learning how to use it. Thanks

[@LemonLime42]

I got this for my birthday a long time ago. Found it in my attic, and bam, found this review

[@SheltonDCruz]

still using it?

[@MrOggzor]

Same

[@RocketPlanet]

@ikspeelgh See our earlier reply above. In fairness to the ETX 80, the volume of sound is largely our fault, it does sound a lot quieter when used outside and don't forget, most of the time, the scope is virtually silent when it's just tracking - the only sound it makes is a very faint, and rather friendly, 'meowing' as the dual motor system does its work. If your neighbours are cat lovers they may put a saucer of milk and a kipper out for it! Kind regards A&NC

[@jimphelps3083]

Thanks for the explanation .I sure couldn't judge you if I had seen what you saw. I can appreciate your explanation. Keep up the good work. Jim Phelps

[@GreetingsFromFlorida]

Thank you for this video. I found it really helpful!

[@MrCMCF]

Nice. Thanks for the review.

[@RocketPlanet]

@MrJordanflys Whilst the ETX-80 is far from being the quietest GOTO telescope, our tabletop demo did make the motors sound much louder than normal and this was largely caused by the type of microphone we were using. Outside the ETX sounds much quieter, and even on a still night - when the slightest sound seems to carry - a single pane of glass is all it takes to stop you hearing the motors if the listener is indoors just 50 feet away. So no real cause for concern in our opinion. KR A&NC

[@donbaxley5530]

Glad you mentioned that after the auto finds each star for alignment alignment you STILL NEED to find it in the view piece! If not there then as you say use the arrow keys and get the star centered. So many instructions leave that out. The scope does not automatically find anything unless the alignment is exact! It helps to have a good finder also and a star map. When the scope tells you where it is slewing to you will have a good idea where to be looking instead of thinking is that really the star it says?

[@ANDREWFITZGERALD100]

Great review thanks

[@Alex0Best0]

Looks good!

[@richqualls5157]

Great video!!

[@Its_YourImagination]

Man your videos are so informative to us newbies...thank you so much for taking the time. Quick question...I really wanted to get a Star Navigator 102 but I am having trouble finding it in stock for a decent price here in the USA. I am considering this scope as a second choice. Would you consider this a better choice anyway or what would I be better off with...I am just starting out in the hobby. Thanks in advance Jim

[@NatarajanGanesan]

Neat little introduction there. Bookmarking this for sure. Do you have any sample pictures that have taken with this scope

[@ANDREWFITZGERALD100]

Very good indeed

[@AlexSanchez-ke5ve]

A&N you never did a review for the Etx90. It would have been helpful for owners. Excelent reviews!

[@markriley7472]

Looks a very tempting proposition. I was thinking of getting a ccd camera to try some photography and was wondering if such a camera can be attached to this particular scope?

[@Haweraboy]

Cool telescope do you have the meade lightswicth. i would like a review on that to see its features

[@shaughnnlee-capua8035]

Any recommendations for spare battery packs and alternative charging systems for extended camping excursions? I haven't yet seen a mention of it's battery power duration.

[@ANDREWFITZGERALD100]

Nice Review

[@rene9900]

i'd like some info on the powersupply. is it possible to put a charger in it? or does it run on battery only? what type and how easy are they to replace?

[@ROYBOY322]

im thinking of getting one of these. How far can it go with a nice picture.

[@michaelfrazier9537]

Which button are you hitting at the bottom of the keypad?

[@faceoff150]

mine goes to the general area but not directly on the star itself. i watched this video hoping to learn how to calibrate it, any suggestions also im cunfused with the barlow. woud you mind if i message you with my questions?

[@kalimistuk]

Can this track the stars for long exposure photography ?

[@donsilva4441]

According to the manual, the Barlow is 2x, not 3x like the review said.

[@dirtylogs]

Uranus and Neptune as far as the inner solar system. Most stars will be able to be seen and possibly even Andromeda. However, Pluto "may" be a hard find. Regardless, for an ameature not spending thousands on one, its a great deal. Got mine for $199

[@RocketPlanet]

Hi The ETX 60, 70 and 80 are not really suitable for use with SLRs generally. The optical configuration of these telescopes makes it difficult if not impossible to achieve focus with the approx. 45mm body thickness of these cameras. They are also very heavy and can easily cause the user to over tighten the axis locks - not a happy idea. We recommend the 'afocal' method - were a digital camera with a small fixed lens is attached directly to the eyepiece. See our other videos for more info. A&NC

[@wiggarigga]

@ikspeelgh I have this telescope and there is really no way ur neighbors are gonna be complaining unless they are outside standing 5-10 feet from you, i do notice the motor is louder when power is low running off batteries., and being a owner i can assure you the mic and way they filmed is the cause for the sound on vid. i love hearing the sound of my telescope its really not loud or anything

[@JejetRC]

Does it stay locked on to a target, or do you have to manually follow it?

[@jfvhunter6533]

Hi , I just got my Etx 80 and just learning how to use it. The vertical locks are very tight and I am not able to losen them , I am afraid I will break something and I noticed that on the right side were the vertical lock is the number is pointing at 0 and on the other side it's pointing at 50, is that normal? Hope I explained myself and You can give me some tips to solve the issue with the lock that is too tight and my doubt about the number it is pointing at on each side of the fork arms. Thanks

[@AlexSanchez-ke5ve]

The manual mentions that Just one of the fork arms must be put at 0 Mark, this is the left arm.

[@mikeries8549]

My ETX 80 has the setting circles too. The one on the left side I keep tightened and adjusted to where the circle where zero is level. That's something YOU adjust.

[@jacobhn2]

Can you put a smartphone on it, mine is 8Mpixel

[@alicewright8816]

Hello I'm weighing up buying the Celestron 100AZ vs a Meade ETX80 - can anyone advise which is better? I can get for roughly the same price. The Meade is older I know but has the automatic robotic object finder. Is the Meade the better option? Thanks for any help! Alice

[@Luigi90900]

WANT!!!!!

[@nelis555]

Can you attach a sony dslr to this?

[@UndeadPizzaGuy]

You had me at Carl Sagan.

[@knipperolga9281]

My autostar doesn't ask me either time or date so it's impossible to synchronize it. What can I do?

[@tanbrolo]

I bought a cheap telescope with a *very* wobbly tripod...I had to take it back after a couple of days but it was good enough to make me want something better. I was able to see the moons of Jupiter and the gas streaks across the planet with a 4mm (150x) lens. Would this Meade telescope be comparable in zoom capabilities to this? Or possibly better? I know the video states a max zoon of 120x. I don't know if that's enough!

[@ronald235]

Magnification is not, in any way, related to how powerful a telescope is. It is aperture that matters.

[@Taffiter85]

mine doesn't show star names when aligning in easy and also doesn't go to any star event hough it's set up correctly.

[@wjam43]

i'm trying to run my etx80 with stella with skysafari 5 pro having connection problems any ideas?

[@mikeries8549]

If your telescope has AUTOSTAR it will not work with stella. How to correct your issue is to buy an AUDIOSTAR handset. Prepare for sticker shock. I think it's $200 US. It is cool that you can upgrade the older sets. Mine is twenty years old. It's an ETX 60AT. I'm looking at upgrading so the grandkids can use their tablet or phone and get involved.

[@GanjaGoblin-pd7fu]

hi, you mention a magnification of 60x will give good detail of jupiter, is that magnification possible with this scope? Also i have a nikon d3100 dslr, would i be able to sucsefully link to two for detailed moon shots?

[@tykeandjonsieshow3595]

If you actually paid attention to the video you would know the answer to your question already.

[@EROCKINAUSTIN]

How long does the battery last?

[@giorgosarv]

According to the manual about 20 hours

[@maxwellness7693]

Johnny 5 made into a scope.

[@wiggarigga]

@ikspeelgh I have this telescope and there is really no way ur neighbors are gonna be complaining unless they are outside standing 5-10 feet from you

[@niopanificadora]

Cordial saludo, que precio puede tener este telecopio? grácias.

[@AlexSanchez-ke5ve]

Aun lo estas buscando?

[@PoppoFitz]

Hello: Are you still reading comments or responding to questions about this model?

[@RocketPlanet]

Hi Rich. Yes, we read comments, and - within the bounds of sanity - respond to questions, but we haven't been involved in the sale of this model for more than a decade. That said, we'll try to help if we can, so fire when ready. KR RJD A&NTV

[@mansamusa1743]

Meade telescopes are really loud.

[@ronaldoapdorfao8369]

Bom dia todos os instrumentos astronômicos telescópio meade tem tripé até ao mais simples

[@AlexSanchez-ke5ve]

?

[@raedwulf61]

i have tried the easy alignment many times- it has never worked. Yes, it the tube was horizontal and set to north. Disappointing.

[@knipperolga9281]

My autostar doesn't ask me either time or date so it's impossible to synchronize it.

[@intrepid7100]

Barlow is 2x

[@petemcneil4973]

sounds like an old sewing machine

[@usascottwright]

To bad you can't attach your digital canon camera to it

[@freddyacosta2358]

+Scott Wright Sure can. You need the T adapter.

[@jimphelps3083]

Meade says here are 30,000 objects in memory not 1400 approx.

[@RocketPlanet]

Hi Jim, the handset we were talking about here, ten years ago, had 1471 objects - other models had larger target libraries. The 'flip Barlow' is 2x and not 3x as stated. I had earlier seen a prototype in the hands of the UK importer that was 3x and this had stuck in my memory, so sorry about that. Being 100% correct all the time is something to strive for - but it's not always easy to achieve. KR RJD A&NTV

[@jimphelps3083]

See my first comment above. and keep doing what you're doing. Jim Phelps@@RocketPlanet

[@starsnstuff842]

I bought one of the first ETX 90's in 1999 and found it to be expensive rubbish.

[@AlexSanchez-ke5ve]

I did buy one etx90 recently, still learning.