In about 1991, I began looking for something larger than my 4.5-inch reflector which I was using at that time. The Meade Deep-Space series Newtonian’s consisted of two telescopes: A 10-inch and 16-inch f/4.5 with equatorial mounts.

This was at a time when Meade was building their serious Newtonian’s in their Costa Mesa, facility, which included grinding and polishing mirrors.  All of the hardware, bolts and Allen heads on these telescopes and mounts are SAE, not metric, which goes back to days past.

Astronomy Magazine tested a 10-inch DS-10A (The 10A was an updated version with a 2-inch focuser, setting circles, and RA drive) with the magazine giving the test mirror a rating of a B+.  

So, in February 1992, I purchased the 10-inch from Pauli’s Wholesale Optics, in Danbury Connecticut. It was Fred (the owner of Pauli’s) that recommended this telescope. It was a good decision as I have been successful in making more than 1,500 deep-sky pencil sketches and thousands of observing notes.

The low pedestal mount is ideal for use with an astro-chair, when making observing notes and pencil sketches at the eyepiece. As for me, it’s impossible to observe and sketch while standing.

The new owner of this fabulous telescope which served me well for 34 years. I spent over 2,000 hours under a night sky and thousands of pencil sketches of deep-sky objects, and the scope is still in pristine condition. The telescope was always stored inside and in a padded zip-up bag.

It was a sad day, but a happy day as the “perfect amateur” came to take this scope. I’m sure it will allow him at least 34 years of deep-sky observing also.

The first night out (Friday February 13th 2026) the new owner has already imaged the Orion Nebula and Jupiter. This is actually an imaging telescope, with the mirror moved up for full illumination, and with an RA drive, which I never used. An extender tube is required for visual observing.

The new owner is a professional high-speed video camera expert for industrial applications and also a seasoned astronomy imager.

Yes….the very first images and on the very first night out! I’d say pretty amazing!

Orion Nebula below

Jupiter

M42 (with night vision) I’d like to encourage more people to get into Night Vision Astro.

Galaxy M82

Double Cluster

M1 the Crab Nebula

From “Deep-Sky Wonders” Walter Scott Houston: selections and commentary by Stephen James O’Meara:   

“Many years ago Glen Chaple, Jr., of Townsend, Massachusetts, “discovered” a deep-sky object in Ophiuchus; he found about two dozen stars forming a group which could be glimpsed with the naked eye.  He likened the cluster to the Praesepe in Cancer, but was not plotted on his copy of “Norton’s Star Atlas.” The object does, however, have a name.  It is IC 4665 and is listed in the “Index Catalogue” to the NGC. In those days of stargazing, serious deep-sky observers soon learned that no single atlas can suit all their needs. Today, of course, IC 4665 is plotted on most modern star charts.” WSH

Now from Sue French “Deep-Sky Wonders” A Tour of the Universe With Sky & Telescope’s Sue French as following:

“The splashy open cluster IC 4665 is barely within the boundary of the Milky Way on the atlas. It’s easy to spot 1.3º north-northest of Beta Ophiuchi, which shares the field of view through binoculars or a finderscope. In my 15×45 image-stabilized binoculars, the cluster’s prominent core spans more sky than the full Moon, and loosely scattered outliers to 70′. Half its 40 stars outline a rough circlet with one star at its center and a stem that leads westward to a slightly wavy line tipped north-northwest. To me, it looks like a simplistic drawing of a flower springing up from a gently undulating patch of the ground. Finish amateur Jaakko Saloranta comes away with a different impression. Through his 80mm refractor, he sees the group as the Fish Spear of Poseidon. ” Sue French

Magnitude: 4.2 Size: 70′

Coordinates: RA 17h 46′ Dec. +05º 43′

The following image from wikisky.org