Meade 3000 series

[Moon-Monkey]

49 minutes ago, graham56 said:

yes i use mine solely for Bino viewing ,super sharp field stop , moon monkey most people who have them tend to keep hold off them

I’m beginning to learn that the hard way lol I’m seriousness I do totally understand I’ll see what turns up 🙂

[Moon-Monkey]

Ok so I now have a 6.7 a 16mm coming and a 25mm coming which is great can’t wait to try them out still looking for the 9.5 and the 40 though it seems like hens teeth lol 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Moon-Monkey

[F15Rules]

I just sold a pair of mint 25mm 3000s a couple of weeks ago. 

The 3000 series are IMHO little gems..the 25mm and 16mm were for me the pick of the bunch, and one of the few Meade branded ep ranges I ever really liked (the UWA 8.8 and 14mm being another).

I only sold mine as I had too many pairs for binoviewing, and I tend to use higher magnifications for that. But they are lovely, very sharp, good transmission eyepieces. Made in Japan, heavy chromed brass barrels and no undercuts. I had a 32mm TV plossl which I compared to a Meade 3000 25mm some years ago and could see no visible difference other than that from the different focal length. 

I didn't like the 6.7mm so much but then again I don't like any plossl below c 10mm focal length due to the tight eye relief.

Buy with confidence 🙂.

Dave

PS..all the Meade 3000s I've ever owned were Japan made and had the rubber around the body as shown above.

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by F15Rules

[Moon-Monkey]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

I just sold a pair of mint 25mm 3000s a couple of weeks ago. 

The 3000 series are IMHO little gems..the 25mm and 16mm were for me the pick of the bunch, and one of the few Meade branded ep ranges I ever really liked (the UWA 8.8 and 14mm being another).

I only sold mine as I had too many pairs for binoviewing, and I tend to use higher magnifications for that. But they are lovely, very sharp, good transmission eyepieces. Made in Japan, heavy chromed brass barrels and no undercuts. I had a 32mm TV plossl which I compared to a Meade 3000 25mm some years ago and could see no visible difference other than that from the different focal length. 

I didn't like the 6.7mm so much but then again I don't like any plossl below c 10mm focal length due to the tight eye relief.

Buy with confidence 🙂.

Dave

PS..all the Meade 3000s I've ever owned were Japan made and had the rubber around the body as shown above.

 

Hey Dave thanks for that I recieved the 16 yesterday and the 25 should arrive today or tommorow so am super excited to hear another person sing the graces of these two FL in the range I can’t wait to give them first light and do some comparisons between other similar FL ep’s many thanks for chiming in I agree the 6.7 is slightly tighter on the ER side of things but not a contact EP so still happy and the views are sharp 📌 so can’t wait to try out the others just hunting down a 9.7 now for a half set 🙂

[Moon-Monkey]

Ok guys so a little update … I have now acquired in total 4 of these classic EP’s 

the 6.7 the 9.5 smooth side , the 16mm and thr 25mm smooth side 

I have to say I’m blown away with the crisp contrasty views through the hear eyeoieces !!! Still got to find a 40mm and the 5mm although I’m not too bothered about the 5mm tbh it’s a little tight on ER so I’m told not quite a contact eyepiece but getting close 🤣🤣 

[great_bear]

I started collecting these a few years back after noticing that Bill Paulini liked them.

It didn’t take long to build up a full set:

I didn’t get the 40mm as it does not appeal to me.

 

[Moon-Monkey]

5 hours ago, great_bear said:

I started collecting these a few years back after noticing that Bill Paulini liked them.

It didn’t take long to build up a full set:

I didn’t get the 40mm as it does not appeal to me.

 

How do you find the 5mm bud ? It’s just the 5 and the 40 left 🙂🙂

[great_bear]

Just by checking out astrobuysell UK twice a day, and immediately expressing interest the moment something comes up. Sellers might be slow at updating to ‘sold’ or often don’t seem to bother doing so at all, so it’s quite common to think something is available but discover it was already sold the day before - it can be frustrating. I think at least one on the list came from here on Stargazers Lounge.

[great_bear]

The 5mm was well-worth the wait by the way.

[estwing]

Edited November 25, 2022 by estwing

[estwing]

Excellent ep's...but I hardly use them now.

[Louis D]

Not gonna lie, I'm totally digging that green lettering.

[Moon-Monkey]

18 hours ago, estwing said:

Excellent ep's...but I hardly use them now.

Oooh that’s an amazing set buddy I hope one day to have them all !!!!! Why do you not use them now ? Have you moved on to other things bud if or when you ever want to let these go please let me know bud I would love to complete my set 🙂🙂🙂

[Moon-Monkey]

Still looking for the 40 and the 5mm a year later lol 

[Naughty Neal]

I have  the  5mm & 6.7mm, the only green and blacks I own.  My 5mm when acquired showed vey little use/marks on it and the 6.7 was still sealed in it plastic bag.

[Moon-Monkey]

Neal there well worth trying to find just last night I was using this set to observe Jupiter and the lunar craters on the limb and they were tack sharp I was just as impressed with them now as I was when I first got them lol 

[John]

I've had the 40mm, 25mm, 16mm, 6.7mm and 5mm Meade 3000 plossls. Mine were the Japan made versions and I thought them very sharp.

The 40mm is the only 1.25 inch 40mm eyepiece that I enjoyed using. It does not offer any more AFoV than a regular 40mm plossl but the way the image was presented was quite immersive. The 16mm was very nice as well. 

Apparently the Meade 3000 plossls were FC rather than FMC and their lens edges were not blackened like the 4000 series were, but despite that they seem to be regarded with more fondness than the 4000 series.

 

[Naughty Neal]

I think all the 3k's were made in Japan , my two have the barrels inscribed /etched.

[John]

Just now, Naughty Neal said:

I think all the 3k's were made in Japan , my two have the barrels inscribed /etched.

Later production did switch to Taiwan I think but most of the ones that I have seen (both the early "smoothsides" and the later ones with rubber eye cups) had "Japan" stamped on the chrome barrel.  

[Naughty Neal]

I know latterly the 4000's went to Taiwan then China , I assumed the 3000's remained Japan made.   

That said I  have a China  & Japan 26mm 4000 and  to me the seeing is  identical .

I keep my meade lightweight ep's for others to view through and because they still give good views.

 

[Louis D]

Here's evidence at least the 25mm Meade 3000 went to Taiwan:

[Don Pensack]

R$290 = US$15.37

[Naughty Neal]

Shame they can't go so cheaply on UK ebay when they rarely come up.

[Moon-Monkey]

Just wish they came up with a 40 and a 5 lol