Meade Instruments20218 NG-70SM 70mm Altazimuth Refractor Telescope

What a great scope for only $60. I don't know how long this price will last, but if you are in the market for an excellent starter scope, I highly recommend the NG-70SM. The build quality is higher than expected. With a metal optical tube, a heavier than expected mount, and a decent metal tripod. Overall weight of this scope is light enough to easily be your go-to stargazing device. The eyepieces aren't something to sing about, but they are decent for a scope at this price point. I suspect I will be ordering some plossl ep's in the near future, and a 2x barlow lens. The focus and slow motion knobs are plastic. On the Focus, it feels great actually. But the slow motion knobs leave something to be desired. They are somewhat twitchy, and I think the plastic has something to do with that. Pros: Metal optical tube Nice optical lens Sturdy mount and Tripod Crisp views out of the box Neutral: Semi decent eye pieces. Not bad, but not great. Cons: Plastic tray does not fold well with tripod. slow motion controls can be a little twitchy, but there is a way to adjust the tension. slow motion controls can be hard to reach, but a little muscle memory and practice makes them easier to grab while looking through the EP.

The Meade 20218 NG-70SM 70MM Altazimuth Refractor Telescope is a telescope for beginners and this is why I bought it. First for me to learn how to use a telescope and then how to apply it for sky watching, that would be learning the basic in astromony, reading basic star charts, learning the basic vocabulary of star gazing etc.. Second it is for my grand son who is five years old. The Scope was very easy to assemble (there was a delay explained below). For the money it is a very good looking telescope. The stand or tri-pod is sturdy. Controlling the motion of up and down and side to side is easy, but does take some practice. Using the view finder is straight forward. Once assembled it was easy to point it at the moon and view it, first time for me, up close. I have only used the least powerful lens and it was amazing. My grand son took a look and he said it was a planet. I am sure he is still digesting the information gotten from using the telescope. The telescope came with an instructional dvd, and other basic software on it, a Autostar Suite, and a Moon chart. I found it very useful, for instance it showed me how to install the view finder and calibrate it. The one item that delayed me in using the scope was the view finder that came with the on and off switch broken, I called the Meade service number and it was replaced within the week, really about three days. The Meade serive desk was Very professional and helpful.

First off you have to understand that that for the price you will not Stiener or Swarovski quality optics. This is a low cost unit but having said that the optics are really pretty good and on par with Bushnell and Nikon optics. A 70 mm optic is also going to limit your stargazing This not withstanding this telescope is an exceptional value and is a very good beginner telescope. The only real criticism I have is that it is difficult to stop the scope from jiggling if you touch it in any way. The tripod is quite sturdy and not the cause of the issue.the problem lies in the pan and tilt mechanism which cannot be tightened down adequately. It is nevertheless usable. The image is inverted and IMO not really suitable for earthbound viewing couple this with the narrow field of view and there are better instruments for distance viewing.

I usually whip out this bad-boy when the moon is bright over the ocean, leaving beautiful, meandering, luminous water in it's trail. Or when I sit on my roof as the rest of the world seems to sleep or read books in their rooms and watch the stars and moon shine above the pine trees and the creek. I love that it folds easily and is relatively easy to figure out once you get the hang of it. Also great for watching wildlife during the day. Not to mention pretty cheap for a lifetime of beauty and wonder.

I must say this is a big improvement over my last telescope. I was eager to put it together. After I got the box open and the stand together, I mounted the scope. the azimuth mount feels more like an equatorial mount with out the weights and cables. The dials are easy to use and they provide slow precise movement for tracking objects. I noticed the lenses (they are not cheep) inside nice protective cases along with a nice lens accessory tray between the legs of the stand. I can't wait until the weather clears so I can take this outside. 70 MM aperture, steel leg tripod with accessory tray, azimuth mount for ease of control, and a great pair of lenses plus software for finding those stars. what else could you ask for besides a starry night. please remember lenses make the telescope, better lenses make the telescope better.

I purchased this telescope for my husband. Its sturdy, easy to use and easy to put together. However the Red Dot Viewfinder that it advertises came broken. The only way to have this issue fixed is to return the entire telescope for a refund, reorder and hope the new piece is not broken. I decided its not worth it, the telescope itself is good enough. But if the viewfinder is important to you, I wouldn't purchase this telescope. If it doesnt matter, its a great buy!

This Meade NG-70SM telescope is weak - buy it for your kid maybe, and if you live in a dark area then maybe you can get some simple views of Jupiter, Saturn, and the moon, and maybe the Orion nebula, but that's about it. The two lenses that come with the scope are a joke - plastic rims with almost uniform dispersions around the perimeters of the views. It's not even very good for terrestrial viewing. This is the kind of toy that you buy for your grandson and then it gets tossed in the garage with the rest of the space-hogging toys within a few weeks. Spend another $100 and get a decent beginner scope.