S&T Test Report by Rod Mollise Meade's 115-Millimeter ED Triplet This 4.5-inch apochromat packs a lot of bang for the buck. 115mm Series 6000 ED Triplet APO U.S. Price: $1,899 meade.com What We Like Sharp, well-corrected optics Color-free views Attractive finish What We Don't Like Visual back locking system can be awkward Focuser backlash 36 M AY 2 0 1 8 * S K Y & T E L E S C O P E THIS IS A GREAT TIME to be in the market for a premium refracting telescope. The price for high-quality refractors has fallen dramatically in recent years, and you can now purchase a 4- to-5-inch extra-low dispersion (ED) apochromatic (APO) telescope that's almost entirely free of the false color that plagues achromats for a fraction of the cost commonly seen a decade ago. I've had a ball with my own recently purchased apochromat after using almost nothing but Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes for many years. However, I still consider myself a refractor nov- ice and was eager to see how others performed. So when I was approached about evaluating Meade's 115mm Series 6000 ED Triplet APO, I was certainly up for the task. First impressions are important, and when I unboxed the scope on the day it arrived, I lit up when I saw it. This is q The Meade 115mm Series 6000 ED Triplet APO ready for a night's activity, shown with an optional 2-inch mirror diagonal. The scope also accepts finderscopes that attach using a standardized dovetail system commonly found on small refractors.http://www.meade.com