Meade 97E 1000mm f11 Spotting Scope

xaprb · Joined: 28 Jan 2021 Posts: 171

I found an eBay seller selling the lens with manual, and contacted them and asked them to sell a copy of the manual alone, which they did. I bought that and scanned it. Here are the scans. As far as I know, this is very similar to the model 90B, but differed in which accessories were provided, and possibly other ways such as holes drilled near the rear of the barrel for the purpose of mounting a guide scope.

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55 · Expire: 2022-06-15

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

A few years ago, I bought a Meade 1000mm f/11 scope/lens from an internet auction site. It differs from all models listed in your manual, but because it is a 1000mm f/11, I'm sure that much of what the manual mentions applies to my scope.

I looked through the various model descriptions and mine is not like any of them. For starters, my scope is black. Its focusing collar's rubber-like sleeve is quite a bit wider than what is shown in the drawing. Mine also includes:

0.965 OD erecting prism with 1.25" ID for 1.25" eyepieces.
Meade Camera adapter with T-mount
Meade 20mm wide-angle 1.25" eyepiece
Tele Vue 26mm PlÃ¶ssl 1.25" eyepiece (aftermarket, obviously)
Tripod adapter bolted to the tube assy.
Metal Case with form-fitting compartments for the erecting prism, two eyepieces, and camera adapter.

My scope is obviously intended as a spotting scope and camera lens. No finderscope provision is given. I suspect that, because of a few features, it is a later model than the series shown in the manual.

xaprb · Joined: 28 Jan 2021 Posts: 171

What is your scope/lensâ€™s serial number? It should be on the tripod foot.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

My Meade's S/N is 902487

xaprb · Joined: 28 Jan 2021 Posts: 171

I think yours is model 90B. Many of the â€œmodel numbersâ€ really seemed to be a matter of which accessories were packaged with the lens/scope, but as you said, yours is pretty different physically as well. My theory is the optics are the same and itâ€™s just the mechanics of the barrel, focus grip, and so on. But I canâ€™t really prove that.

Here is a diagram of the optics that I got by finding an eBay listing with a clear photo of the box, then using photo software to rectify the image. Iâ€™m never really confident that these diagrams are all that accurate, either: they could be little more than artistsâ€™ renditions. Who knows.

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