by George Royal

When aspiring astronomers look for quality optics that will let them peer into the unknown reaches of void, Meade telescopes are an excellent choice. With a wide variety of telescopes, mounts, and filters available, Meade provides options for the backyard stargazer and the serious student alike. Which is why Meade telescopes are trusted the world over.Meade grew from very humble beginnings, with nothing but one man, a kitchen table and a 2″x4″ ad in Sky & Telescope magazine in 1972. At first offering nothing but a small refracting telescope, Meade discovered that the demand for quality optics and accessories was not being met by the companies who made telescopes. So, with a new ad in the fledgling Astronomy magazine, Meade expanded their offerings and improved their designs, allowing them to stand out from the other telescopes on offer. In fact, by paying attention to details such as spring-loaded gearboxes on the focusers and including eyepieces with wide fields of view, Meade turned itself into a name to be reckoned with.

Meade telescopes continued to become more and more popular every year, thanks to their expanding offerings and commitment to quality. In fact, by 1977, they had become so popular that they had a 6-month backlog of orders for their new line of reflecting telescopes. But, after first offering each of their customers a refund if they desired one, they grew the business to meet the demand and delivered the orders in only three months.

Finally, as Meade continued to gather more and more market share, they opened the 1980’s with their line of Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. Because Meade saw that the Schmidt-Cassgrain design could do more than other telescope designs, the engineers and designers stood up to the challenge and delivered a top-notch telescope that took this telescope design to new levels of quality.

Today, there are Meade telescopes for every interest and every budget. Whether it is an inexpensive starter telescope for someone who is just starting their nighttime explorations, a large scope for a dedicated, backyard researcher, a scope for the person who wants to travel light, or even a specialist who wants a telescope to examine sunspots, Meade has the gear that will open up a window to the stars and planets.

Through the years, Meade has expanded its business and extended their product line into new areas. In addition to Meade telescopes, there are Meade mounts, eyepieces, imagers, photographic lenses, and even binoculars and microscopes. And, as their business moves into fresh areas, Meade puts the same stamp of quality on their new products as they have put on their stargazing equipment.

From a small operation run from one man’s kitchen table, Meade telescopes have set new standards of quality by paying attention to details that matter. And by taking care of the details and taking care of their customers, Meade is the name people look for when they are looking for when they look for a telescope. Which means that Meade telescopes are what people look through when they look toward the heavens.

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