As an amateur astronomer, one cannot overlook the attraction presented by the sun. There’s more than just the moon to explore through astronomy and telescopes, and tools such as the Meade Personal Solar Telescope were created just for that: our fascination with observing the sun. In order to take a good look at our star, one needs a special solar filter for telescopes, which is why only a professional solar telescope is suited for this. Many semi-professional telescopes allow people to see planets, clusters, nebulas, even double stars, but in the amateur astronomy, the best solar telescopes are hard to find, very expensive, large, heavy and hard to operate with. However, today we will look in depth at the Meade Personal Solar Telescope, a small piece of equipment considered by many one of the best Meade telescopes out there, a small wonder that lets you see the sun in all its splendor. Is it as good as it is advertised and reviewed? Let’s find out!
What is the Meade Personal Solar Telescope?
Before you buy your own solar telescope and invest a few hundred dollars in such a tool, you should first look into the product’s tech specs. This is what we aim to do in the beginning of this Meade Personal Solar Telescope review. With 40 mm in aperture and 400 mm in focal length (with f/10 focal ratio), this telescope provides completely internal non-removable and safe solar filtering optics. In comparison to other products in the same niche, this one sports a 1.0 angstrom hydrogen-alpha (Ha) bandpass. As many other Meade Personal Solar Telescope reviews already showed, these are hard to find specifications in beginner telescopes, especially in ones that are small and so lightweight.
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The question on everybody’s lips was if this rather tiny light telescope is actually good for something, and especially good enough for people to actually be able to see the sun. The answer is, without a doubt, yes. Once you set the built-in Sol Ranger sun finder into position and adjust the eyepiece, you will get a view you won’t forget too soon. The sun is versatile and features plenty of elements to be observed – from its color (which should be red/orange, textured and spotted in some occasions, not a blurry red spot into the sky), to all the elements that make a professional astronomer praise the Meade personal solar telescope (PST): active regions, filaments, prominences, solar spots and solar plagues. You can even engage in a solar eclipse observance and you will get what you paid for.
The Kellner included eyepiece is a very good addition to the product, but of course, you can choose to use other eyepieces from other telescopes you already own. The personal solar telescope (PST) is versatile enough to allow you to switch from one eyepiece to another, depending on your viewing needs. The hydrogen-alpha light distinct red / orange color should be an etalon for any astronomer looking at the sun disk, sun edges and filaments.
We have to mention that this personal solar telescope (PST) also comes with a 0.005 Å/°C thermal stability and >10-5 from EUV/IR safety blocking, which should convince any amateur and mid – level astronomer that Meade knows what it is doing in terms of building a PST solar scope.
The telescope doesn’t come with a tripod, but can be mounted on almost any tripod model. As a single PST solar telescope, this one is incredibly well built and sturdy, making it easy to carry and transport. Don’t get fooled by the fact that it all looks metal and thus heavy. Despite its building, the product is featherweight and can be carried with ease. If you want to get clear skies and low light polluted environments, grab your Meade Personal Solar Telescope item, the tripod and some eyepieces of your choice and go look at the sun from the best possible location.
Last, but not least, the Meade Personal Solar Telescope price is quite a delight. Clearly it costs more than a beginner refractor telescope, but looking at the other products in the same niche and tech specs, we can clearly admit that this is a very affordable solar scope.
Pros and Cons to Using the Meade Personal Solar Telescope
PROS:
- The 40 mm aperture and the 400 mm focal length allow the viewer to have crystal clear, sharp images of the sun;
- The 0 angstrom hydrogen-alpha (Ha) bandpass allows the viewer to see the sun in a distinctive, red / orange hydrogen-alpha light color;
- The eyepiece honors all other Meade company reviews, as it is a fine piece of equipment allowing the user to see more than a large red dot in the sky, but the sun’s elements and features, such as plaques, filaments, spots, craters, prominent spots and even active regions;
- The eyepiece can be replaced with many other compatible eyepieces, depending on the user’s needs, making the telescope a product so versatile and so useful, it becomes an asset to keep for life;
- It is made of metal, has a very sturdy building and is lightweight, making it easy to carry and transport;
- The scope sports a 005 Å/°C thermal stability and >10-5 from EUV/IR safety blocking, which makes it a reliable scope with good specs and reliable features;
- The Meade Personal Solar Telescope with case package is another option for you to consider;
- The Meade Personal Solar Telescope has plenty of positive professional reviews, which strengthen users’ confidence in the high quality of the product;
- The price is more than affordable for such a good product giving its tech specs.
CONS:
- The telescope doesn’t come together with a tripod, although matching tripods are available;
- There are little to no information related to the Meade Personal Solar Telescope manual or guidelines related to its uses.
Where to Find the Meade Personal Solar Telescope?
You will find the Meade Personal Solar Telescope for sale on Amazon at the price of $699.00. The best price is expressed by the product’s quality and features and the wide array of by-products which are available and compatible with the product.
Extra Info:
Maintenance Advice
The product’s sturdy and stable building makes the telescope a good acquisition which makes it easy to keep safe and maintain. Keep it safe from humidity, rust and mechanical accident. It should be cleaned with microfiber cloths.
Telescope Accessories
The Meade Personal Solar Telescope is compatible with many other accessories, including several eyepieces, many tripods, and filters and cleaning materials.
Warranty and Guarantee Information
Meade offers a 5 – years warranty, including normal wear and tear. This type of warranty is another convincing argument that this product deserves its price.
Our Recommendation
If you take a look at the Meade Personal Solar Telescope images or you watch closely a Meade Personal Solar Telescope YouTube presentation you can easily figure out that this telescope is not only one of the best solar scopes on the market, as quality/price balance goes, but also a very fun item to have as an amateur astronomer. The tech specs are excellent, just as many Meade Personal Solar Telescope reviews mentioned before us and the clarity of the sun’s images you can capture with it are crystal clear and breathtaking.
Don’t forget to put a towel or a blanket over your head while looking at the sun’s filaments, plaques, edges and active areas, to get the best and clearest views. In this price range there are few other products to match this one’s qualities and all amateur and mid – level astronomers will find it a delight to use the scope and observe the sun. Moreover, the telescope is easy to mount even on a photography tripod, let alone a professional astronomy one, as is versatile enough to support different models of eyepieces. We fully recommend this product to all those interested in semi-professional telescopes which are both fun and easy to use and a valuable asset for life.
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