Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope is a high-aperture Dobsonian telescope that stands out for its amazing features. First of all, the design of this scope is just amazing. Truss or Serrurier truss is a design used generally for big aperture scope’s assembly.It minimizes the weight and enhances the quality of the images. In the case of truss telescopes, the primary objective mirror, and the secondary mirror are kept into position by one or two sets of trusses. They allow the optics to stay on a straight common optical axis. The two mirrors will be parallel one with another, allowing some outstanding images of the sky and of different celestial bodies. Our extensive Meade 12 LightBridge review will give you an objective opinion on the main features of this scope.
What is the Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope?
Due to the truss tube, this scope is quite versatile and easy-to-carry, not to mention light weighted. The whole scope (the Dobsonian base and the optical tube), weights only 90lbs. This is incredible for such a big aperture scope. Besides that, the Meade 12 inch LightBridge can easily fit the back of any model of car. Thus, you won’t need a van or a big truck to carry it as in the case of other models with similar aperture. Of course, you will have to disassemble it, to make it fit into the back of your car. However, as the assembly takes only a couple of minutes, this is not a huge problem.
Each time you assemble this scope, you will have to back down a bit and take your time to collimate the whole system. For collimation, you will need to purchase a collimation cap or a laser collimator. Unfortunately, these are not among standard features. Having a good quality collimator will save you a lot of exploration time.
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Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian is made out of four main parts: the upper cage (a metal optical tube with a 2-inch focuser), the trusses, the base mirror cell (an optical metal tube with primary mirror cell) and the Dobsonian base.
- The upper cage – this part of the scope contains the diagonal mirror, the focuser, and the finder. It is made out of aluminum to make this part as light-weighted as possible
- The trusses – six aluminum tubes that connect the upper part to the mirror cell. Light, but very resistant, these tubes let the light entering in the scope, as well as a lot of air, that cools down the mirror to a normal temperature.
Sometimes, due to the light, the contrast is not exactly amazing. To adjust this little problem, you should purchase a LightBridge Dobsonian (Amazon price starting from $ 49.95). This black anti-reflection coating increases the image contrast by blocking any straight light that may get to the optics. This really light shroud fits easily over the telescope’s tubes and can easily be attached or removed.
- The base mirror cell – an optical metal tube that holds the primary mirror cell, the base also features the bearings on the azimuth axis, an altitude brake, a 4-reticle red dot viewfinder, and a light battery-operated fan meant to cool the primary mirror.
- The Dobsonian base – the altazimuth base that sustains the full optical system and the tube, is made out of a strong, light weighted wood. You will receive the base fully dissembled and you will have to put it together. Besides the pieces from the box, you will need a screwdriver and a bit of time. The procedure can take up to 30 minutes.
A true light bucket, Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope has a sophisticated design that is remarkable both from a visual and from a technical point of view. A reduced weight, but an extraordinary viewing power, this scope is suitable for a deep observation of the space and of thousands of celestial bodies, so there’s no wonder that this is by far the most popular model of the brand.
Pros and Cons to Using the Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope
PROS:
- Mounting the telescope – it can literally take a couple of minutes. Maybe the first time, it will take a bit more, but after that, you can mount the optical tube and the accessories in a less than 15 min.
- Portability – for the scope’s aperture and weight (80lbs in total), this scope is unbelievably portable. It can fit in the trunk or on the back seat of any car. You won’t need to have a van or a small truck to take it to your favorite observation point, so this is definitely a pro
- Eyepiece – the 26mm 2” QX-Series Wide Angle eyepiece (59x magnification) is just amazing. The only problem is that you will only have one eyepiece as standard equipment, so you will have to purchase the others.
CONS:
- Lack of some important features from the pack – Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian will come without a Light Shroud or a collimation tool, which are key elements for this scope. Also, an additional eyepiece would really help. Not really cons as much as an additional shopping list.
Where to Find the Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope?
Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope’s listing price on Amazon is somewhere around $1000, FREE shipping included. Being given the size of this scope, as well as its weight, having free shipment facilities is quite a blessing and a huge reduction of the final price.
You may be tempted to buy a second-hand telescope, but this is quite a bad idea. You will have to pay for the transport, and you can never know how were the conditions, in which the former owner has kept this very fragile piece. Besides that, the price difference is not huge. Don’t risk the quality of your scope for a few extra dollars. Invest a bit more and try to have a piece that will come with a warranty period and with some great features.
Telescope Performance
Dobsonian reflectors are known for their light-gathering capacity, and the Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope makes no exception. With a 12-inch aperture, this scope can gather up to 225% more than a similar Dobsonian 8-inch. This means that with this scope you can observe the fine details of the space. You can even take your observation outside our solar system.
Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope comes with a 2-inch Crayford focuser, as well as a 26mm eyepiece (59x magnification), which will allow to have some amazing crisp images of the Moon and of other celestial bodies.
Autostar Software Suite Astronomer Edition CD-ROM is also a standard feature of this telescope. You can print sky maps or plan your next holiday, depending on the major astronomical events of the year. This software can really help you.
Extra Info:
Maintenance Advice
Despite the edgy and modern design and the weight of this piece,the Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope’s has no special maintenance required. Always take care of the telescope’s optics and clean them only when necessary. If the dust covers the optics, remove it with a specialized brush (made of camel’s hair) or with pressurized air.
To clean the lens, apply some specialized cleaning solution on a very soft piece of lint-free cloth. Remove all debris left after brushing from center to the outer region.
The telescope will need to be collimated, almost every time you mount it. You will find all the information about collimation in the scope’s manual. To do the collimation, you will have to purchase a collimation tool, as this is not part of the scope’s standard features.
Telescope Accessories
Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope comes with a 26mm eyepiece that provides a 59x magnification, a 2-inch Crayford-Style Focuser, and a Red Dot Viewfinder. The pack will also come with an Autostar Suite Astronomer Edition Software. This is a program with a series of sky maps and celestial events.
Warranty and Guarantee Information
The Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope comes with a limited one-year warranty. The warranty period starts from the date of purchase. You may want to check this detail with your supplier before buying the piece. Also, on certain websites, you can even get an extra warranty period. Before doing it, check the company’s warranty policy.
If or when the telescope has technical problems, the piece must be sent to Meade with the proof of purchase. The warranty is not valid in the case of mishandling or abuse. Also, any unauthorized repairs will imply the warranty’s cancellation.
Our Recommendation
The Meade 1205-05-03 LightBridge 12-Inch Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescope is a big friendly giant in the world of amateur astronomers. It has all the features an intermediate-level astronomer would die for. The price is more than reasonable for all the features. The scope comes with a great quality-price ratio. With this scope, you will see some of the best crisp images of the Moon, planets, nebulas and many other celestial bodies. We hope that our Meade 12 LightBridge review helped you decide whether this scope is for you. What was your experience with Meade 12 inch LightBridge? Leave your comments bellow!
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