Meade 12.5" starfinder price

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king50
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Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#1

Post by king50 »


Hi,

I'm seeing a Meade 12.5" starfinder being sold for $450. Is it a good buy? Thanks!
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Bigzmey United States of America
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#2

Post by Bigzmey »


Welcome to TSS King50! If the scope in a good shape and fully operational, than it is a good price for 12.5" DOB.

To give you a reference point, brand new 12" DOB is ~$1,300.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#3

Post by king50 »


Bigzmey wrote: Wed Sep 28, 2022 1:18 am Welcome to TSS King50! If the scope in a good shape and fully operational, than it is a good price for 12.5" DOB.

To give you a reference point, brand new 12" DOB is ~$1,300.
Thanks! The seller said that it's is still functional. It has been stored away for 8 years. I would have to drive 5 hours each to get it. I think it's worth a trip.
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Bigzmey United States of America
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#4

Post by Bigzmey »


Before committing to drive ask him to send you pics of the mirror, rocker box, focuser, etc.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#5

Post by king50 »


Hi,
Here are a few pics that he posted in his ad. I'll ask him for the images that you suggested.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... ger_banner
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#6

Post by davesellars »


That's a good price (price following the link seems to be $350), but you definitely want to get them to take a good picture of the mirror and also zoomed in to see some detail of the mirror first before driving all that way... If it's just some dust on the mirror it's not a problem but if the coatings have started to deteriorate then it would need recoating which is not particularly cheap. Are you able to transport such a large dob - that's a big tube! :)
SW Flextube 12" Dobsonian.
Starfield ED102 f/7; SW ED80; SW 120ST
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Eyepieces: TV Delos 17.3 & 10; Pentax XW 7 & 5; BCO 32,18,10; Fuyiyama Ortho 12.5; Vixen SLV 25.
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#7

Post by Bigzmey »


king50 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 2:04 am Hi,
Here are a few pics that he posted in his ad. I'll ask him for the images that you suggested.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... ger_banner
It does not look to me like 12.5" DOB, more like 6" or 8". You better double check.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#8

Post by helicon »


Hi and welcome to TSS!
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#9

Post by Lady Fraktor »


Can someone repost the images?
Not everyone uses FB :)
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#10

Post by JayTee »


I think Andrey is correct, here is the picture from the Facebook post next to it is a picture from the internet of the StartFinder 12.5. Notice the tube size compared to The Rocker Box size.
Screenshot_20220929-132650_Chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20220929-132714_Chrome.jpg
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°

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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#11

Post by Lady Fraktor »


I would say that is a 8" starfinder.
These used oversized sonotubes and the 12.5" has a 15" tube.
I suspect someone just measured across the tube and decided it was a 12.5"
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#12

Post by davesellars »


Ah, I didn't check the FB images... Definitely looks like an 8" - in which case that's not a great price... :p
SW Flextube 12" Dobsonian.
Starfield ED102 f/7; SW ED80; SW 120ST
EQ5 and AZ4 mounts
Eyepieces: TV Delos 17.3 & 10; Pentax XW 7 & 5; BCO 32,18,10; Fuyiyama Ortho 12.5; Vixen SLV 25.
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Re: Meade 12.5" starfinder price

#13

Post by king50 »


I did ask the seller for the weight of the scope so that I could pay for it to be FedEx'ed to my house. The seller said that it's weighs about 40lbs total. I became suspicious, as the weight of a 12.5" would double that, and asked the seller to measure the diameter of the tube with a measuring tape. Sure enough, the diameter is 10". So, the mirror is 8". The seller now is asking for $300. I'll pass. Thank you all for your input.
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