General Info

Class: LightBridge Truss-Tube Dobsonians
Best Uses: General, except Astrophotography: Planets, Moon, Stars, Galaxies & Nebulae
Recommended Experience: Casual – Enthusiast

Overall Rating: 8.39/10
Official Review: If you want to get a wonderful telescope, for around $500 that doesn’t bother you with all the bells and whistles, the Meade Lightbridge 8-Inch is a fantastic choice!

Be aware that it’s a large scope, so it’s not great for taking the family out to the park, but if you have a spot for it and you’re willing to cover it up in the lawn (or you know you will only use it a couple time per month or so), then this is not an issue.

The Lightbridge series has all the barebones essentials you’ll want like great magnification & clarity, and none of the extra stuff you don’t need like a built-in computer.

Pros: Nice magnification, clear, sturdy, easy to use & great price
Cons: Too bulky for some, no Astrophotography options, not computerized

Click here to check out the Meade Lightbridge 8-Inch on Telescopes.com!

Important Details

Usability: 8.7/10 – Extremely easy to use; bulky setup; no computer
Comfortability: 7.8/10 – Comfortable eyepiece, but large design
Durability: 8.0/10 – Strong aluminum truss beams
Battery Life: 9.9/10 – Only battery is for cooling fan, so keep on stargazing!
Backlash: 10/10 – Not computerized, so nothing to worry about in this department
Warranty: 9.4/10 – Standard 2-year Meade warranty
Storage: 6.0/10 – It’s quite large, but at least it’s to setup & breakdown!
Accuracy: 7.7/10 – Manual, but Advanced Red-dot viewfinder helps a ton!
Setup: 7.6/10 – Easy to assemble & helpful instruction guide

Check out more customer reviews of the 8-Inch Lightbridge!

Tech Specs

Aperture: 203mm (8″)
Magnification (Highest Useful): 500x
Focal Length: 1219mm (8″)
Focal Ratio: f/6
Slew Speed: n/a
Tracking: Manual

Click here to learn more about the Meade 8-in. Lightbridge!

Telescope Construction

Optical Design: Dobsonian
Viewfinder: Advanced Four-Reticle Red Dot
Eyepiece: 26mm QX™ wide angle 2″ eyepiece
Tube: Lightweight Aluminum Truss-Tube (24 lbs.)
Mount Design: n/a – Solid Laminated Base (20 lbs.)
Weight: 44 lbs. (total)
Tripod: n/a
Power Supply: n/a
Lens Coating: Aluminum Coatings with magnesium fluoride (Multi)
Other Equipment: None
Recommended Accessories: None

Extra Features

GoTo: No
GPS: No
Computerized: No
Alignment: Manual (Steel RA roller bearings make alignment much easier)
Remote: No
Object Database: No
Programming Options: No

Summary: I hope that review of the 8-Inch Lightbridge helped you out. To sum it up: check it out if you’re looking for an excellent manual scope without the latest technological features and you don’t mind the size. You’ll be impressed…

Click here to order the Meade Lightbridge 8-Inch from Telescopes.com!