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Anonymous
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Has Meade announced what "it" is yet?
      #298396 - 01/03/05 10:55 AM

I've been losing sleep in anticipation...

Seriously, did they announce anything yet today?


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jrcrillyAdministrator
Refractor wienie again
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Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: ]
      #298402 - 01/03/05 10:59 AM

Quote:

I've been losing sleep in anticipation...

Seriously, did they announce anything yet today?




Nuthin' yet - it's just now 8:00AM there, though.

--------------------
John C
Urban Observatory
Tele Vue Pronto
A&M/Astreya 76mm F/6 APO
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/7.5 APO
Tak FSQ-106N F/5 APO
Meade 152ED F/9 "APO"
152mm F/10 achromat
Tak CN-212 8" F/12 classical Cass/ F/4 Newt
Teeter 20" F/3.8 truss Newt w/ServoCat
LXD750, EM-200, CI-700
ST-10XME


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jrcrillyAdministrator
Refractor wienie again
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Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: jrcrilly]
      #298405 - 01/03/05 11:00 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I've been losing sleep in anticipation...

Seriously, did they announce anything yet today?




Nuthin' yet - it's just now 8:00AM there, though.




...and , of course, I'll be leaving in a few minutes and will be out of the office for a few hours. I'll probably miss it!

--------------------
John C
Urban Observatory
Tele Vue Pronto
A&M/Astreya 76mm F/6 APO
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/7.5 APO
Tak FSQ-106N F/5 APO
Meade 152ED F/9 "APO"
152mm F/10 achromat
Tak CN-212 8" F/12 classical Cass/ F/4 Newt
Teeter 20" F/3.8 truss Newt w/ServoCat
LXD750, EM-200, CI-700
ST-10XME


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Anonymous
Unregistered




Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: jrcrilly]
      #298414 - 01/03/05 11:11 AM

I can just see Robert probably had his alarm set to 12:01"Ok its jan.3 what is it?".........lol
It better actually be something that will change the face of astronomy,theres a lot of people waiting for the announcement.
Bill


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jrcrillyAdministrator
Refractor wienie again
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Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: ]
      #298418 - 01/03/05 11:16 AM

Quote:

It better actually be something that will change the face of astronomy,theres a lot of people waiting for the announcement.
Bill




Yes, there'll probably be a lot of complaints about that issue when the news does come out. Whatever it is, there will be some who aren't impressed. Meanwhile I'm eager to hear also.

--------------------
John C
Urban Observatory
Tele Vue Pronto
A&M/Astreya 76mm F/6 APO
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/7.5 APO
Tak FSQ-106N F/5 APO
Meade 152ED F/9 "APO"
152mm F/10 achromat
Tak CN-212 8" F/12 classical Cass/ F/4 Newt
Teeter 20" F/3.8 truss Newt w/ServoCat
LXD750, EM-200, CI-700
ST-10XME


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AuroraSeeker
Pooh-Bah


Reged: 11/16/04
Posts: 1377
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: jrcrilly]
      #298426 - 01/03/05 11:20 AM

Yeah, right.
I bet they won't even say anything today.
The announcement will be back ordered like their 5000 eyepieces.

--------------------
http://www.danielmccauley.com/
Daniel McCauley, Astrophotographer
Southern New Jersey


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Anonymous
Unregistered




Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: jrcrilly]
      #298427 - 01/03/05 11:21 AM

Not quite alarm clock set, but it's already Tuesday (a.m.) here so was just wondering.
I forgot that Meade was located on the west coast as well.

By the time I wake up tomorrow I'll have already mised all the "excitement"....
I assume they're going to announce it on their hp (?)


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celestial_search
Carpal Tunnel
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Reged: 11/18/04
Posts: 2285
Loc: Iowa, USA
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: ]
      #298450 - 01/03/05 12:02 PM

I just checked their Web Site at 11:00 CST (9:00 a.m. Pacific) and there was nothing up or announced. The significance of the announcement is probably directly proportional to the sooner they announce it (i.e. if the announcement comes at 2:30 p.m. it will be of magnitude 6, same scale as stellar magnitude, by then).

--------------------
Frank

C-11 XLT
8" f/6 Newt on GEM
Tak FS-102II
SV 80L Triplet APO
Orion Mak 127mm
EQ-6 Mount on pier in backyard observatory
CG-5 AS (GOTO)
Surveyor's tripod/Hercules single-arm alt-az mount
SBIG ST-5C CCD and Canon Digital Rebel XT
Oberwerk 15X70s and Pentax 10X21s


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Don W
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Reged: 05/19/03
Posts: 13235
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: celestial_search]
      #298497 - 01/03/05 01:08 PM

About noon here in the midwest and the boys at Meade are still asleep.

--------------------
Don Wyman
Obsession 18" f/4.5 #1166
W/Argo Navis DSC and Torus Primary
William Optics Megrez 90
Coronado PST


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Don W
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Reged: 05/19/03
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Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: Don W]
      #298506 - 01/03/05 01:18 PM

Rumor on another service is that Meade will make their announcement between 5-6pm PST.

--------------------
Don Wyman
Obsession 18" f/4.5 #1166
W/Argo Navis DSC and Torus Primary
William Optics Megrez 90
Coronado PST


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tiberio
member


Reged: 12/03/04
Posts: 12
Loc: Brazil, RS
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: Don W]
      #298528 - 01/03/05 02:06 PM

Since they are traded on NASDAQ, it makes sense that the announcement will be made after the market closes.

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AuroraSeeker
Pooh-Bah


Reged: 11/16/04
Posts: 1377
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: tiberio]
      #298531 - 01/03/05 02:10 PM

Quote:

Since they are traded on NASDAQ, it makes sense that the announcement will be made after the market closes.




Yeah, so when their stock plumets, people won't have the chance to sell today!

--------------------
http://www.danielmccauley.com/
Daniel McCauley, Astrophotographer
Southern New Jersey


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matt
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Posts: 10022
Loc: Chaville, France
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: AuroraSeeker]
      #298544 - 01/03/05 02:23 PM

I hope you guys are not setting your expectations too high... Just in case they're just rolling out an LX300 series with color paddles.

--------------------
Matt
CI700 mount with various scopes on top.


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Tom TrusockAdministrator

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Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: matt]
      #298554 - 01/03/05 02:30 PM

Matt, how did you know that's what I was hoping for??



I'll admit I'm curious, but seriously.... That's too huge of a claim...

--------------------
There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.


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Matthew E
scholastic sledgehammer


Reged: 01/24/04
Posts: 925
Loc: Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: Tom Trusock]
      #298586 - 01/03/05 02:52 PM

i hope its a line of DOBs to compete with Orion's Intelliscopes...to help drive the prices down for when i purchase mine

--------------------
NexStar 114GT
NewStar 10” Dob with Moonlite CR-1
Short Tube 80mm

6mm Radian
14mm Radian
Celestron Ultima Barlow

Celestron NexImage - on order.

Durham Region Astronomical Association
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto



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Zamboni
sage


Reged: 01/03/05
Posts: 245
Loc: Arizona
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: Tom Trusock]
      #298595 - 01/03/05 02:59 PM

Well, there are two possibilities here.

1. Meade is exaggerating the impact their product will have on amateur astronomy.

2. This is something totally new that we haven't seen before and will kick booty.

If all we are getting is a new mount, then it would be a case of possibility #1. The market is flooded with mounts. Vixen, orion, skywatcher, losmandy, meade, celestron, software bisque, johnsonian, etc, etc, etc. A buttload of them have amazing innovative features. Vixen has starbook, celestron has nexstar and optional GPS capability, synta mounts have uber-low prices while still being acceptable, bisque has a full observatory automation system (practically) built into one mount. And as for losmandy, they simply rock.

The only way I could count a new mount as truly revolutionary, it would need ALL of the following features.

100 pound load capacity
GOTO
PPEC
GPS
GUI interface (ala starbook/sphinx)
Heavy duty tripod or can also be placed on an optional pier
autoguider port
Interface for astronomy home computer control programs and can also run with Mac, PC or Linux
Electronic internal compass with true north compensation for super-easy polar alignment
Built in equipment routing hub for ccd, autoguider, PC, dew control, autofocuser, and an option for observatory dome control.

And to make it truly revolutionary, they would need to price such a mount under 2,000 dollars.

Somehow, I don't see this happening. As for the "LX MaxMount" thing, that could be a new product, but I don't really think it will be the "revolutionary" announcment. Remember, in earlier press releases they said they would be updating, expanding and adding new products across all of their product lines. We have already seen this happening with the ETX and LX90, I think the "Maxmount" will probably be just a bigger brother to the LX 75 GEM for holding their big apos, as a way of updating that line. Would this be "revolutionary"? Not at all. It would be a clear cut case of possibility #1.

However, I don't think we should take such a claim lightly. Meade, being a fairly "niche market" high tech company, has to rely fairly heavily on customer loyalty and integrity. (I don't think they neccesarily ALWAYS show integrity, but that is a story for another day) I think that if they make such a bold claim, and then release something humdrum to go with it, it would be seen as a case of "crying wolf". This could hurt them financially.

SO just what is going on?

Well, I guess we'll just have to wait a few more hours....

-Tristan
6 inch orion DSE dob

--------------------
-Tristan Schwartz-
My Equipment:
6 inch Orion DSE dob
4 inch Galileo Newtonian
Schwartz Observatory Homepage


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jrcrillyAdministrator
Refractor wienie again
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Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: Zamboni]
      #298607 - 01/03/05 03:13 PM

Quote:

The only way I could count a new mount as truly revolutionary, it would need ALL of the following features.

100 pound load capacity
GOTO
PPEC
GPS
GUI interface (ala starbook/sphinx)
Heavy duty tripod or can also be placed on an optional pier
autoguider port
Interface for astronomy home computer control programs and can also run with Mac, PC or Linux
Electronic internal compass with true north compensation for super-easy polar alignment
Built in equipment routing hub for ccd, autoguider, PC, dew control, autofocuser, and an option for observatory dome control.

And to make it truly revolutionary, they would need to price such a mount under 2,000 dollars.




The LXD750 they stopped producing last Spring had most of those features (GoTo, PPEC, large tripod with pier compatibility, autoguide port, computer interface, capacity over 50 pounds); an updated version would probably have most of the rest (GPS, hub, perhaps a GUI - but no true North; that's dependent on the mount's mechanical alignment and can't be compensated for electronically). $2000 for a 100 pound mount isn't gonna happen, though - current 100 pound mounts are five times that or more.

--------------------
John C
Urban Observatory
Tele Vue Pronto
A&M/Astreya 76mm F/6 APO
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/7.5 APO
Tak FSQ-106N F/5 APO
Meade 152ED F/9 "APO"
152mm F/10 achromat
Tak CN-212 8" F/12 classical Cass/ F/4 Newt
Teeter 20" F/3.8 truss Newt w/ServoCat
LXD750, EM-200, CI-700
ST-10XME


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Bishamon
sage


Reged: 08/04/04
Posts: 273
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: jrcrilly]
      #298656 - 01/03/05 04:00 PM

I'm hoping for a 'cheap' Ha filter setup... say around $350 or so. Basically a P.S.T. without the T.

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Tom TrusockAdministrator

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Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27405
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: Bishamon]
      #298666 - 01/03/05 04:09 PM

Personally, I'm still betting on the Coronado buy out...
Changing the "Face" of astronomy to daytime.

--------------------
There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.


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Bluemeanie
scholastic sledgehammer
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Posts: 903
Loc: Scranton, PA U.S.A.
Re: Has Meade announced what "it" is yet? [Re: Tom Trusock]
      #298671 - 01/03/05 04:13 PM

Whatever it is, my budget will probably not allow it.

--------------------
Walt
  • Obsession 15" f/4.5 #1282 w/ Argo Navis, Feathertouch Focuser
  • Meade 2080GEM (8" SCT)
  • Vixen ED80SF - Celestron CG5-GT Mount
  • Coulter CT-100 - Meade DS2000 Mount
  • Coronado Halpha PST
  • Denkmeier Binoviewer w/ dual PXS
  • Canon 300D, Celestron Neximage




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