Meade Instruments MySky Plus Telescope Accessory

Who says you absolutely need a telescope to explore the sky? Meade introduces a revolutionary way to explore our universe. The new Meade mySKY PLUS is an easy-to-use multi-media tool that will guide you through the night sky better than if you had your own private astronomer standing next to you. Meade's patented technology ensures the mySKY PLUS outperforms every other hand held night sky exploration device on the market.

Object Database - Database of over 30,000 celestial objects LCD - 480x234 pixel full color display Audio - Comfortable high-fidelity ear buds for audio Storage - 256 Megabyte SD storage card (included) GPS - 12 channel GPS receiver Orientation - Magnetic north sensors Positioning - Electronic accelerometers to determine pointing Connect to a computerized Meade telescope with the optional Cable Set to view objects up close and in real time Power save features - Advanced power saving features to extend battery life Batteries - 4 AA batteries required (not included) / Battery life - Up to 7 hours (normal use)

Reader Reviews
I bought this as a Christmas gift for my 8 year-old daughter as she's very intrersted in sciencce and astronomy in particular. She wanted a telescope but I felt she was a bit too young and she can still look on when I use mine. The MySky Plus arrived yeasterday and I had read a lot of negative things about it on the internet so I wanted to try it last night to make sure it was working as advertised. The unit is very easy to understand, very intuitive. The directions are clear and concise. It started up without a problem and the screen was full and perfectly centered (a problem I had read about). As the first reviewer mentioned, there is no GPS on this unit. The GPS really only establishes the location of the user so if you are using the MySky within a 50 mile radius of your initial set up location, you really don't need the GPS feature. The first reviewer was right, the pick-list to choose your location is VERY long and tedious to navigate, but once it's done, you shouldn't have to do it again unless you use the unit in another state or very far away from home. The only object visible in the haze last night was the moon. The MySky correctly identified it when I pointed to it and it correctly found it when I searched the sky for it. Both were spot on with no pointing errors.

The only complaint I have is that the overall build quality is mediocre at best. It has a very flimsy feel to it and the buttons are cheaply made. It is very light and seems like it could break easily. At $149 it's a fair buy but at $399, the original price, it isn't worth it. I also own the Celestron SkyScout that I've had for about 2 years. It is made much better, more like a professional piece of equipment, but it doesn't have all the bells and whistles the MySky has. The MySky is a good, fun learning tool for kids and can also be used to point a Meade telescope. The SkyScout is more for adults (my kids don't think it's all that "cool").