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The Meade ETX-60 AT is a very popular telescope. Even though Meade doesn’t sell it anymore, you can always find it in pawn shops or online marketplaces for used telescopes. This means you can have a top-quality portable observatory that can fit in your backpack for $50.
It’s not like other telescopes with a tripod. It doesn’t come with a tripod, but you can find some aftermarket units that can work with it. The tripod is highly recommended as an optional accessory. These telescopes are made for use on flat surfaces like table tops, which is great because they are small and portable.
It is a huge advantage over the bigger telescopes because you can easily take them camping or hiking under the dark skies, even without a car. So despite the small size, they will show you much more under the dark skies than bigger telescopes near the city.
Another great feature is that the Meade ETX 60 is equipped with a computerized mount and hand controller, so you don’t need to know the position of the objects in the night sky. This makes a great beginner scope.
You won’t find any other computerized telescopes in this price range. That’s why we call them “backpack observatories.”
Specifications of the Meade ETX 60AT Astro telescope
| Specification | ETX-60AT |
| Optical design | Achromatic Refractor |
| Clear aperture | 60mm (2.36”) |
| Focal length | 350mm |
| Focal ratio (photographic speed) | f/5.8 |
| Near focus (approx.) | 15 ft. (4.6m) |
| Resolving power | 1.9 arc secs |
| Multi-coatings on objective lens | Standard |
| Limiting visual stellar magnitude (approx.) | 11.2 |
| Image scale | 4.1°/inch |
| Maximum practical visual power | 200X |
| Optical tube dimensions (dia. x length) | 9.3cm x 30.4-37.1cm |
Magnification of the Meade ETX 60AT telescope
The magnification with the ETX is higher and adjustable with different eyepieces and Barlow lenses. The manual says that the maximum practical magnification for these scopes is 200x for the Meade ETX 60 AT.
It is theoretical, and I suggest not going over 110x magnification with these telescopes. They are small, and another limiting factor is the atmosphere condition. This means you won’t be able to see as clearly with these telescopes if there are clouds or too much glare or light.
With the scope, you will also get two modified achromatic eyepieces, one with a 25mm focal length and one with a 9mm focal length. These eyepieces will give you 14x magnification with a 25mm eyepiece and 38x magnification with a 9mm eyepiece. You can easily calculate it.
The focal length of these telescopes is 350mm. Divide the optical tube’s focal length by the eyepiece’s focal length, and you will get the magnification.
You can double or triple the focal length of the optical tube with the optional Barlow lens that you can buy separately. Using the Barlow lens with eyepieces will give you more magnification if needed.
This type of telescope has a unique focusing mechanism. The standard telescope has focus knobs under the focuser where you put the eyepieces. To achieve focus, you focus the Meade ETX 60 AT by rotating the front of the scope around the optical tube, something like with the camera lens.
Autostar hand controller
The Autostar Hand Controller of the Meade ETX 60 AT is the brain of the telescope. It is like having the astronomer with you guiding your stargazing session. This hand controller provides control over every telescope function. It has an LCD with a red backlight for easy reading in the dark.
The Autostar Hand Controller is used to navigate the telescope across the sky.
It will show you every object with just a button push if properly aligned. You will have to learn how to use it, which is simple.
If you are interested in buying the telescope secondhand and the manual is not provided, you can check and learn it from the online manual for Meade ETX 60 AT here: Instruction Manual.
Easy two-star alignment
To enjoy the full potential of the Autostar for the Meade ETX 60 AT, you need to do the star alignment first. The computer in the handset needs to know a few things to show you any object in the night sky. It is an easy process, and you don’t need to know anything about astronomy or the night sky.
The first thing you need to do is point the telescope to the north. Because of this, it is necessary to have some compass with you. Then you must level the telescope and put it in the home position.
The handset will first ask for details and a few pieces of data, like exact time and date, daylight saving, etc.
When you are ready, you can perform the Easy Two-Star Alignment procedure. The telescope will point itself to the two bright stars, and all you need to do is center the stars in the eyepiece with the hand controller arrow when it asks you to do that.
If everything goes well, the telescope will display “alignment successful” on the LCD, and you can start your stargazing session.
Other features of the Meade ETX 60AT telescope
The Meade ETX 60 AT optical design is an achromat refractor. Refracting telescopes use lenses to produce the image compared to a reflecting telescope, which uses mirrors. The number 60 means that the diameter (aperture) of the lens at the front is 60mm.
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It is small, and you can even compare and find binoculars with a bigger aperture, but you don’t have the stability and computerized mount option with binoculars.
6×8 AA batteries power the mount. The battery holder is conveniently hidden under the optical tube in the computerized mount battery compartment. Remember to bring extra batteries to power the mount if you are going on a long trip with this telescope.
Anyway, the batteries will last longer, and you don’t have to panic if you forget to bring some extra ones because these telescopes can also be used in manual mode. However, using it in manual mode requires some knowledge of the night sky.
What can you see with the Meade ETX 60 AT telescope?
You can see a lot of different objects with the Meade ETX 60. You can see the Ring Nebula, Saturn and its rings, the Moon, and more.
You can view stars, nebulae, and other planets in our solar system. You will be able to get a good view of the Moon and Saturn’s rings. You can also view the Galilean moons and the Orion Nebula.
You can see bright stars, clusters, and even some galaxies. For instance, you can see the very core of the Andromeda galaxy.
However, you can only see these things if it’s dark enough. Because of the small 60mm aperture, the ETX 60 captures less light. Therefore, using this telescope in remote locations without light pollution is best.
Take your tripod with you when you go. It will help you stabilize the ETX 60 as you take a good view of the stars.
However, it depends on what you are trying to see because it’s a small scope. If you want to see distant stars, you might be able to spot the bright ones, but not much more than that.
And any photos or videos you take wouldn’t look very crisp. Therefore, there are some obvious trade-offs. But remember that you are getting a telescope with a motorized mount that doubles as a spotting scope, all under $50.
Is the Meade ETX 60 AT telescope good for beginners?
Although you likely won’t find this as a new telescope, the Meade ETX 60 AT is great for beginners. It has a computerized mount with backup power. It makes viewing planets a breeze for people new to astronomy and on a budget.
You can also use the Meade ETX 60 as a spotting scope during the day to observe nature or for bird watching.
In this case, you don’t need the tracking feature of the mount, and you can use the telescope in manual mode. Just loosen the vertical and horizontal knobs on the mount and point the telescope anywhere you want.
Next, you can use it for stargazing if your battery dies or you know the night sky and want to look around it faster.
However, remember that the object will drift from the eyepiece because of the earth’s rotation. You will always have to adjust the telescope manually or with the arrows on the handset controller.
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How do I align Meade ETX 60?
To align a Meade ETX 60 telescope, follow these steps:
- Set up the telescope on a stable and level surface. Ensure that the tripod is securely locked and the telescope is properly mounted.
- Turn on the telescope and let it complete its initialization process. The telescope should be pointed in the general direction of the north, and the time, date, and location should be set correctly.
- Choose an alignment star. Look for a bright star that is easy to find in the sky. The star should be located relatively high in the sky and should be visible through the telescope’s eyepiece.
- Use the arrow buttons on the telescope’s hand controller to center the alignment star in the eyepiece.
- Press the “Enter” button on the hand controller to confirm that the alignment star is centered.
- The telescope will now ask you to choose a second-alignment star. Choose a star that is at least 90 degrees away from the first alignment star. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the second alignment star.
- Once you have confirmed the second alignment star, the telescope will calculate its position and align itself with the sky.
- Your Meade ETX 60 telescope should now be aligned and ready to use for viewing and tracking celestial objects.
Can you use the Meade ETX 60AT telescope for astrophotography?
You can use it for astrophotography. However, the picture quality of the ETX 60 is understandably not amazing. But you can save your images on a computer after capturing them with a camera.
The neat feature here is a photo port at the end of the telescope. Here you can attach any 35mm camera with the T-adapter. T-adapters are different for each camera manufacturer.
To switch between the visual and photo port, you must use a small knob on the side to rotate the erecting mirror inside the telescope.
With these telescopes, you can even make some videos or images of the planets and the Moon. It is very limited, though, with little scope for what you can do regarding astrophotography, so don’t expect to make some cutting-edge deep-sky images.
But the money you pay to view a planet or the Moon is more than enough.
You can also use a simple webcam with it, as I have described in my article How To Use Webcam With The Telescope.
Pros and cons of the Meade ETX 60AT telescope
| Pros of the Meade ETX 60AT telescope | Cons of the Meade ETX 60AT telescope |
| You can see many different objects | The image quality isn’t great |
| It comes with a computerized mount | You can’t get a new telescope now because Meade has stopped producing them |
| It’s very affordable | The second-hand scopes that you may find could have faults in them |
Is the Meade ETX 60AT telescope worth it?
For the price range, it’s worth it. You are getting a scope with a built-in computer and a motorized mount. You can capture an image with a camera, easily fitting into your backpack.
Remember that when you purchase this scope, you do it for the features, not the image quality.
This telescope doesn’t compare with extremely pricey telescopes for hardcore astronomy. But this should be your go-to scope if you want to view bright objects for a very low price.
Alternatives to the Meade ETX 60AT telescope
If you want a slightly better-performing scope within the same budget, you can get the Meade ETX 70AT. It has a slightly bigger aperture at 70mm, and the magnification is also higher at 240x for 70AT.
You can also get the ETX 80, which is the cheapest and closest model to the ETX 60AT.
Takeaway – A portable observatory that can fit in your backpack for under $50
This is the perfect budget scope for beginners who know little about astronomy. You can find objects using your computerized mount and easily track them.
You can easily see the closeby objects, which makes it perfect for anyone who’s not into hardcore, detailed planetary observations of the planet’s surface.
However, there are better telescopes for images. But you already knew that when you bought a telescope for the price of a single meal at a nice restaurant.
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