Exploring the Expansive Views with Meade Series 5000 Superior Wide Eyepieces
Upgrading your telescope game? Look no further than the Meade Series 5000 Ultra Wide Angle (UWA) family of eyepieces. These bad boys are all about delivering a bang for your buck!
I've found that these eyepieces truly shine when you compare their cost and performance. Take the Meade UWA 20 mm and the 5.5 mm, for instance - use 'em in scopes from f/5 to f/15, and their optical performance is often better than more expensive options by up to 100%! I've even got Explore Scientific 82 degree eyepieces, and while they're well-regarded, they cost a pretty penny. Yet, the optical performance of the two is pretty much neck and neck.
With Meade UWA eyepieces, I recommend 'em for low-power, wide-angle viewing – and I use 'em that way often. Let me tell you why!
What I Love About the Meade UWA Family
The Meade UWA series consists of only four eyepieces:
- 2" barrel diameter: 20 mm
- 1.25" barrel diameter: 14 mm, 8.8 mm, and 5.5 mm
Too bad the 30mm, 24mm, 18mm, and 6.7mm models have been discontinued – they're a bit hard to find these days.
Now, what’s great about the UWA series is that it incorporates a 7-lens element design, much like the Tele-Vue Nagler design it seems to have emulated. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing magical about 7 lens elements, but it does show an attempt to better manage light, especially from lower focal ratio telescopes. The design seeks to correct or avoid edge distortion – a common issue in lower-focal ratio scopes.
Another fabulous feature is that all lens elements in the Meade UWA are fully multicoated. This helps reduce internal reflections and improves light transmission, which is pretty damn good compared to lesser designs that may only be multicoated, coated, or not coated at all!
All lens edges are blackened too, which helps control stray light inside the eyepiece and boosts contrast – something I've rarely seen in cheaper eyepieces. The eye guard or cup is adjustable for perfect positioning of your eye. Most eyepieces include a simple, vinyl or rubber cup, but not these bad boys. And, good news for parfocal loyalists: these puppies are parfocal, meaning you don't have to refocus as you switch from one to the next. That's a huge advantage for those using manual scopes.
Lastly, Meade states that the eyepieces have "exotic" optical glasses. It isn't specified, but we often see special glass types in higher-end eyepieces that help enhance the view. The UWAs are also waterproof and purged with an unknown gas, making dirt and dew a thing of the past (easier cleanup, too).
Grappling with Specifications: Focal Length & 82° AFOV
Eyepieces are all about focal length and apparent field of view (AFOV). Here's the lowdown on what you need to know:
- Focal length telescope / Focal length eyepiece = magnification
- Apparent field of view / Magnification = approximate true field of view
The Meade Ultra Wide Angle eyepieces have an apparent field of view of 82 degrees, which is a-freakin'-mazing! That's super wide, and mastering edge distortion in such a wide AFOV is no easy feat. Inexpensive eyepieces often have AFOV of over 50 degrees, but it comes with a hefty dose of edge distortion. The Meade UWA televies an outstanding job controlling that distortion, delivering high-quality images.
Let's look at an example:
- With a 1200 mm focal length scope, the Meade UWA 20 mm eyepiece delivers 60X magnification and an approximate 1.3-degree true field of view.
- The Meade UWA 8.8 mm offers 136X and a 0.6 degree FOV.
These lower fields of view are more tube-like, while the Meade UWA offers a more immersive, window-like experience. The greater FOV also reduces drift time, making it easier to keep targets in view – even when using manual scopes. This means you can apply more magnification with a nicer image frame – another advantage in amateur astronomy.
Not-So-Positive Points
While the Meade UWA delivers fantastic value, the series is limited to only four eyepieces. It would be fantastic to have more options in the 2" and 1.25" barrel diameters. The series is also a bit hefty due to the adjustable eyecup. Take that into account when planning your eyepiece collection.
Putting Together the Perfect Eyepiece Set
If you've got a 2" focuser in your scope, the 2" 20 mm is an awesome low-power, wide-view eyepiece. If your scope rocks a 1.25" focuser, the 1.25" UWAs make a darn good set – and they work splendidly with a 2X Barlow lens. Boost their power, and you get the equivalent of 7mm, 4.4mm, and 2.75mm eyepieces, giving you a wide range of options.
The Meade UWA eyepieces, with their 7-lens element design and full multicoating, are excellent choices for those using manual refractor telescopes, offering superior optical performance at an affordable price. In fact, the Manual Wide Angle (UWA) series, which includes 20 mm, 14 mm, 8.8 mm, and 5.5 mm eyepieces, delivers an impressive 82-degree field of view, outperforming many more expensive options in terms of edge distortion control and light management. More importantly, these eyepieces are parfocal, making them ideal for use in manual scopes where refocusing can be a hassle. Additionally, they are waterproof and come with exotic optical glasses, making them a versatile addition to any gadget-loving technology enthusiast's telescope arsenal.
