Hi Steve. If you want to pm someone, left click on their username beside their avatar and select "Send a private message to......"
Re your question about Meade quality. They certainly do produce good quality gear, some of it is exceptionally good, particularly the higher end equipment (starting around $1000) and up. Unfortunately they and a lot of other companys still want to flog off to the unwarey really flimsy tripods. The optics of the scope may be OK but it's the mount that is the real let down and leads to despair and frustration.
I wonder how many budding amateur astronomers have been turned off forever because of discustingly poor quality mounts.
Pardon me but this is a bit of a soap box issue for me. The mounts generally don't do what they are advertised to do yet Consumer Affairs (even tried the ACCC but after Alan Fels
left ) seem quite happy to do nothing about it. And yes I have sent a couple of letters and emails to them. I think there needs to be a concerted effort from the Amateur Astronomy community to get CA off their butts and act.
I'll shut up now
Sorry for hijacking your thread with my soap box Steve. At least you are forwarned now
