Arthur Dent
Galactic Hitch-Hiker
Reged: 10/23/08
Posts: 1475
Loc: A damp South Yorkshire, UK
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Hi Guys
I PRESUME that you have seen this?
http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/catadioptric-telescopes/meade6inchetxlstelescopewithlightswitchtechnology.cfm
Price for pre-orders is $1,299.00
No info yet as to pricing/availability for us here in the UK
Art
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If I like it, the wife says that we can't afford it!
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Meade ETX105 & Celestron NexStar 6SE with Bob's Knobs
6-26mm EPs + Hyperion 8-24mm
MRF and Antares 8x50 RACI finder scope
Canon EOS 400D DSLR (un-modded) and SPC900 webcam. Finally climbing the AP Learning Curve!
<img width="600" height="300" src="http://7timer.y234.cn/exe/apanel.php?country=UK&adm=UKL9&site=0&en">
Edited by Arthur Dent (12/21/08 07:27 PM)
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StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 14761
Loc: mNuSa
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Apparently the ETX 150LS $1299 will compete with the Nexstar 6 SE $999 
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2976
Loc: Due south of the North Pole (A...
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ACF > SCT
new Autostar 3 controller? (First I have heard of this!)
integrated CCD, while not a huge chip, the video out jack sounds like a neat idea!
Sounds quite competitively priced vs. the 6SE
It is supposed to use the CCD to center the alignment stars (now THAT's really cheating!!!  )
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rob288
member
Reged: 05/13/08
Posts: 62
Loc: New Zealand
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Came across a Meade brochure on the ETX-LS, download from here Meade ETX-LS brochure
Kiwi dollar not very healty at present, but i think $3100 NZD is not to bad, the ETX125Pe has been selling for $2000 NZD
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Meade LX90 8 Inch SCT UHTC LNT, Meade 884 field tripod,
Super Plossl 9mm, Super Plossl 15mm Ultra wide, Super Plossl 26mm, 2x Barlow,
Bak4 Binoviewer, 6.3 Focal Reducer, Nikon D200 astro camera,
20x80 Astro Binos, Starry Night Pro Plus 6.23
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Arthur Dent
Galactic Hitch-Hiker
Reged: 10/23/08
Posts: 1475
Loc: A damp South Yorkshire, UK
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Quote:
Came across a Meade brochure on the ETX-LS, download from here Meade ETX-LS brochure
Kiwi dollar not very healty at present, but i think $3100 NZD is not to bad, the ETX125Pe has been selling for $2000 NZD
What's that in real money  ?
I make it about £770 for the ETX-125PE and £1194 for the ETX-LS.
In the UK, the ETX-125PE is about £615 (or NZ$1600) but we haven't got prices yet for the ETX-LS.
Thanks for the brochure link BTW. Interesting reading!
Art
Merry Christmas!
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If I like it, the wife says that we can't afford it!
=======================================================
Meade ETX105 & Celestron NexStar 6SE with Bob's Knobs
6-26mm EPs + Hyperion 8-24mm
MRF and Antares 8x50 RACI finder scope
Canon EOS 400D DSLR (un-modded) and SPC900 webcam. Finally climbing the AP Learning Curve!
<img width="600" height="300" src="http://7timer.y234.cn/exe/apanel.php?country=UK&adm=UKL9&site=0&en">
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rob288
member
Reged: 05/13/08
Posts: 62
Loc: New Zealand
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Actually the NZD is surviving not too badly, dropped a bit lately though against the USD, its time the pound was modernised isn't it!!!
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Meade LX90 8 Inch SCT UHTC LNT, Meade 884 field tripod,
Super Plossl 9mm, Super Plossl 15mm Ultra wide, Super Plossl 26mm, 2x Barlow,
Bak4 Binoviewer, 6.3 Focal Reducer, Nikon D200 astro camera,
20x80 Astro Binos, Starry Night Pro Plus 6.23
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Arthur Dent
Galactic Hitch-Hiker
Reged: 10/23/08
Posts: 1475
Loc: A damp South Yorkshire, UK
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Hi Rob
I reckon that we'll go with the Euro when the pound reaches parity (and it's very nearly there!) 
What's the weather like in NZ? Here in the UK we've had weeks and weeks of grey skies (I think there have been 2 clear nights in the last month) and no sign of the skies clearing yet!
Ho hum,
Merry Xmas
Art
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If I like it, the wife says that we can't afford it!
=======================================================
Meade ETX105 & Celestron NexStar 6SE with Bob's Knobs
6-26mm EPs + Hyperion 8-24mm
MRF and Antares 8x50 RACI finder scope
Canon EOS 400D DSLR (un-modded) and SPC900 webcam. Finally climbing the AP Learning Curve!
<img width="600" height="300" src="http://7timer.y234.cn/exe/apanel.php?country=UK&adm=UKL9&site=0&en">
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rob288
member
Reged: 05/13/08
Posts: 62
Loc: New Zealand
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Art,
Been a bit cloudy lately, but not too bad , several good viewing nights, nice and warm though, 22 degrees c today, parts of NZ are looking down the barrell of a drought soon if its does not rain in the next few weeks.
On the whole we are very lucky with alot of good nights for the scope.
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Meade LX90 8 Inch SCT UHTC LNT, Meade 884 field tripod,
Super Plossl 9mm, Super Plossl 15mm Ultra wide, Super Plossl 26mm, 2x Barlow,
Bak4 Binoviewer, 6.3 Focal Reducer, Nikon D200 astro camera,
20x80 Astro Binos, Starry Night Pro Plus 6.23
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Arthur Dent
Galactic Hitch-Hiker
Reged: 10/23/08
Posts: 1475
Loc: A damp South Yorkshire, UK
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Hi Rob
As luck would have it the skies were clear just before midnight (when I went outside to the garage). Sadly though, I was tired and ready for bed - but I was tempted for a moment or two.
Tonight? You guessed it 9/10th cloud cover!!
Merry Christmas
Art
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If I like it, the wife says that we can't afford it!
=======================================================
Meade ETX105 & Celestron NexStar 6SE with Bob's Knobs
6-26mm EPs + Hyperion 8-24mm
MRF and Antares 8x50 RACI finder scope
Canon EOS 400D DSLR (un-modded) and SPC900 webcam. Finally climbing the AP Learning Curve!
<img width="600" height="300" src="http://7timer.y234.cn/exe/apanel.php?country=UK&adm=UKL9&site=0&en">
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JAT Observatory
Got Cookies?
Reged: 02/20/05
Posts: 7153
Loc: Eastern PA
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Very interesting scope with some interesting features. Meade sure makes it tempting.
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-Marcus
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe!
http://www.jatobservatory.org
Domed, 12" LX200R on a Paramount ME - currently mothballed.
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violini
member
Reged: 10/03/08
Posts: 61
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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Turn the scope around; let's see if the OTA is made in USA or China. The manufacturer should think hard when they out-sourc the work. Flipping burgers would not enable one to afford such hobby craft.
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Own a poor man's Questar:ETX90 RA
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 5323
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Quote:
Turn the scope around; let's see if the OTA is made in USA or China. The manufacturer should think hard when they out-sourc the work. Flipping burgers would not enable one to afford such hobby craft.
NO Meade scopes are made in the USA. They are made in Mexico or China. Most of Celestron's telescopes are now made in China as well. Why? Amateurs were not willing to pay the price it would take to make continuing U.S. production of SCTs and MCTs practical.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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violini
member
Reged: 10/03/08
Posts: 61
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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So Meade and its competitors are merely "Brand Name" company selling only foreign products.
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Own a poor man's Questar:ETX90 RA
Edited by violini (12/25/08 07:20 PM)
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ColoHank
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/07/07
Posts: 670
Loc: western Colorado
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I should think you guys would be less concerned about the LS's bells and whistles, exterior appearance and country of origin, and more curious about what kind of heart is beating inside. Does the LS have the same old plastic cogs, noisy motors and problematic wiring and electronics as its predecessors, or has Meade decided to build in a little more drive quality this time around? If the LS were a 6" Mak, and it isn't, it would no doubt meet the needs of most amateurs shopping in that price range. If the new ACF optics are as good as or better than the Mak optics in older ETX models, and if the mechanical and electrical innards are much improved, it should prove to be a decent 'scope. Time, more than marketing hype, will tell.
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Questar 3.5 standard - pyrex and BB coatings
Powerguide II
8mm, 12mm, 16mm, 24mm and 32mm Brandons
modified Bogen 3030 w/ homebuilt wedge
Homebuilt Galileo scope and very large and ugly homemade tripod
other odds and ends, including iPod Touch with StarMap Pro (what a marvelous combo)...
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"Nothing exists but atoms and empty space. Everything else is opinion."
Titus Lucretius Carus 99-55 B.C.
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violini
member
Reged: 10/03/08
Posts: 61
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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Perhaps I too should acquire a Questar 3.5. The reason I am still holding on to my "poor man's Questar" is, for my limited use of the scope, I don't see the difference between the genuine and its plastics copy. Money is not an issue for me. In fact, I replaced all the aluminum windows in one of my house with plastic frames. The plastics looks and performs much better than aluminum, particularly in sub-zero winter temperatures, there's no water/ice on the window. When I have the Questar, I will send out the fork mount/base to have it gold plated, because the aluminum looks too cheap. I would suggest to the factory to build the entire base using stronger titanium or the heavier stainless steel. Aluminum is too soft and dirty.
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Own a poor man's Questar:ETX90 RA
Edited by violini (12/26/08 10:46 AM)
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 5323
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Quote:
So Meade and its competitors are merely "Brand Name" company selling only foreign products.
No. Meade owns the plant in Mexico and manufacturers its "above the ETX" scopes there. It's a Meade plant making Meade products, it's just no longer in Southern California. 
Celestron is owned by the Taiwanese optical company Synta.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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violini
member
Reged: 10/03/08
Posts: 61
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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Thanks, Uncle Rod, for clear things up. Now I understand that my old ETX90 OTA was made in Meade plant in California and the mount, in their plant in Mexico. I also heard that Meade bought an optical company in Georgia which briefly made some of the Maksutov tubes for Meade.
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Own a poor man's Questar:ETX90 RA
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 5323
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Quote:
Thanks, Uncle Rod, for clear things up. Now I understand that my old ETX90 OTA was made in Meade plant in California and the mount, in their plant in Mexico. I also heard that Meade bought an optical company in Georgia which briefly made some of the Maksutov tubes for Meade.
AFAIK, the ETX, except for the optics, was made in Mexico for quite a while. Now? China. Differences between Chinese ETXes and U.S./Mexican ones? None that I can tell. The optics are identical. The mechanics? No better nor worse than they ever were. Not much QA, but that is nothing new. 
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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Arthur Dent
Galactic Hitch-Hiker
Reged: 10/23/08
Posts: 1475
Loc: A damp South Yorkshire, UK
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Well, we've got a price now the the LS here in the UK - £1299
(so that makes it about $1917 USD or, for my NZ friend about $3382 NZ).
For any UK readers, see:
http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Meade_ETXLS_Telescopes_Coming_Soon.html
Art
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If I like it, the wife says that we can't afford it!
=======================================================
Meade ETX105 & Celestron NexStar 6SE with Bob's Knobs
6-26mm EPs + Hyperion 8-24mm
MRF and Antares 8x50 RACI finder scope
Canon EOS 400D DSLR (un-modded) and SPC900 webcam. Finally climbing the AP Learning Curve!
<img width="600" height="300" src="http://7timer.y234.cn/exe/apanel.php?country=UK&adm=UKL9&site=0&en">
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rob288
member
Reged: 05/13/08
Posts: 62
Loc: New Zealand
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Arthur,
Well thats interesting, makes it very similar in price all over the place.
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Meade LX90 8 Inch SCT UHTC LNT, Meade 884 field tripod,
Super Plossl 9mm, Super Plossl 15mm Ultra wide, Super Plossl 26mm, 2x Barlow,
Bak4 Binoviewer, 6.3 Focal Reducer, Nikon D200 astro camera,
20x80 Astro Binos, Starry Night Pro Plus 6.23
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