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Hi All,
Like many of the people here who've been part of the amateur astronomy scene for some time, I am hardly surprised at this "development". If the number of ads and pages of ads in various popular-level astronomical magazines is any guide, the slide began about 22 years ago.
Truth is, they have alternated between serious and diabolical financial trouble for 15-20 years now and a combination of high prices, high labour costs (in the U.S), crap QC, poor customer relations, mediocre products (considering what you pay) along with the rather short periods they support even flagship products with spare parts means the chickens have finally come home to roost.
To be brutally honest none of the Meade telescopes I've looked through over the years have managed to actually thrill me. I spent a lot of time with many of their Schmidt-Cassegrainans at Sydney Observatory and save one (and only one) they were routinely, at best, mildly disappointing. That one exception was the second 40cm LX200 in the north dome that had a very good Schmidt-Cassegrainian optic set, but still way too many electronic and software gremlins and break-downs.
C'est la vie time I think for Meade.
Best,
L.
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