Meade ETX-125AT 138mm Catadioptric Telescope

I have been using the ETX-125AT for about a year with no problems. The optics of the scope are solid...it's amazing what you can see with the scope. Once the tripod and scope are properly set-up, the autostar system will point to any object in the sky you can think of.

For those of us living in the city, having a scope like this that you can throw in the car to travel to a dark sky site is a big plus. It only takes a few minutes to set-up--after that you will be hard pressed to take your eyes away from the eyepiece as the guided tour takes you automatically from object to object.

This is not a department store cheapy. This is the real deal.

I really love the Etx scopes. the 125mm certainly seems better than the lower models as it is better construction, slightly. Optics seem fantastic, I can say the better coatings seem amazing. looking at saturn is certainly more rewarding than the 70 or 105, which I also own. Might have to sell to 105 as this is far better overall. I like the focus, but wish it had finer control but the add-on focus cable helps a bunch. I think the 884 tripod is very good. Only real negative with buying used, is the scopes can get screws and other parts that are not in pictures but are rusty and the battery compartment can have corrosion that is not disclosed prior to sale. Ask the hard questions now that I have learned my lessons buying used on ebay.

If you want the best bang for the buck in a portable GOTO scope the ETX125 sure does deliver. The computer controller takes a bit getting used too but once you use it a couple of times you can really zero in on most any Messier Object and many Caldwell Objects. The Optics are sharp and the features great. I would knock it for the focus, which is a bit mushy and the alt/azimuth mount is a bit shaky and takes a sec to settle down. However, for the money it's a great scope.