Darren Drake
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 10/09/02
Posts: 1043
Loc: Illinois
|
|
I was just talking to a Meade rep who says there will be a 20 inch version. It should cost around 30K. I don't see any mention of one of these on the website. Is this common knowledge in this forum yet?
-------------------- Astronomy educator
Sidewalk astronomer
18 inch f4.42 dob on eq platform w ST120 f/5 finder
8 inch f/6 dob
8 inch f/8 eq planetkiller
William Optics red 10th Anniversary 80mm FD
24lb eyepiece box
Cernan Space Center astronomer
Member of Northwest Suburban Astronomers
|
jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
   
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
|
|
It's been discussed. Here are some details:
http://www.optcorp.com/productList.aspx?uid=&pg=0&kw=MAX%20Robotic&st=2
-------------------- 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
|
LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
   
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15790
Loc: Hoover, AL
|
|
Ok who's going to be first to get one
-------------------- Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
|
starramus
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 1124
|
|
George Soros
|
jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
   
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
|
|
Quote:
Ok who's going to be first to get one
That's the question, isn't it? Folks willing to pay that kind of money for a telescope aren't a part of Meade's traditional market. It'll have to perform awfully well to get folks to switch.
-------------------- 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
|
cosmologist
member
Reged: 10/01/05
Posts: 33
Loc: Perth, Australia
|
|
Hi, I was just wondering, have Meade ever made a scope larger than the 16 inch in the past? Because I recall a Meade catalogue I picked up from a shop years back that for some reason I think show cased a Schmidt Cassegrain as large as 20 or 24 inches, I seem to recall the price being around 30 or 40k. Sorry for my fragmented memory, but I could have sworn they’ve made one much bigger than the 16 inch before.
-------------------- David
Lightbridge 16" f/4.5
|
jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
   
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
|
|
Quote:
Hi, I was just wondering, have Meade ever made a scope larger than the 16 inch in the past? Because I recall a Meade catalogue I picked up from a shop years back that for some reason I think show cased a Schmidt Cassegrain as large as 20 or 24 inches, I seem to recall the price being around 30 or 40k. Sorry for my fragmented memory, but I could have sworn they’ve made one much bigger than the 16 inch before.
You may be thinking of Meade's Schmidt Camera, which was quite large due to the required length. It had a 12" corrector and a 16" mirror. It's the largest Cat from Meade with which I'm familiar.
Celestron made a 20" SCT in bygone days but they are at least as scarce as Meade Schmidt cameras.
-------------------- 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
|
cosmologist
member
Reged: 10/01/05
Posts: 33
Loc: Perth, Australia
|
|
Quote:
You may be thinking of Meade's Schmidt Camera, which was quite large due to the required length. It had a 12" corrector and a 16" mirror. It's the largest Cat from Meade with which I'm familiar.
Celestron made a 20" SCT in bygone days but they are at least as scarce as Meade Schmidt cameras.
I was just doing a search through Meade’s site, but didn’t come up with anything resembling what I saw. The Schmidt Camera wasn’t featured in the catalogue I bought, but if the 16 inch is the largest they’ve ever made up until this new RCX 20, then I must be mistaken, it must have been the 16. Would that have sold for 30k about 8 years ago?
-------------------- David
Lightbridge 16" f/4.5
|
jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
   
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
|
|
Quote:
it must have been the 16. Would that have sold for 30k about 8 years ago?
The 16" LX200 SCT sold for about $15,000 but the 12"/16" LX200 Schmidt camera sold for about $30,000. Of course that included a 7" F/9 APO as a guidescope!
-------------------- 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
|
LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
   
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15790
Loc: Hoover, AL
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Ok who's going to be first to get one
That's the question, isn't it? Folks willing to pay that kind of money for a telescope aren't a part of Meade's traditional market. It'll have to perform awfully well to get folks to switch.
My guess would be University astronomy departments, its not their own money.
-------------------- Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
|
jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
   
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22464
Loc: NE Ohio
|
|
Quote:
My guess would be University astronomy departments, its not their own money.
Good point - and the 16" RCX at $23,000 is probably a much better value than the 16" LX200's they used to buy for $15,000.
-------------------- 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
|
rdjamieson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/09/04
Posts: 1024
Loc: Wisconsin
|
|
I know it's sick, but I've been thinking about buying the 20". Two things are holding me back. First, I haven't used a GEM before, and they are a little intimidating, so I want to try out a smaller one before I get anywhere near a beast. Second, while I have had nothing but good times with my own RCX, the numerous problems experienced by others tells me to wait until the inevitable kinks are worked out in these latest supersized versions. To make me wait, my wife has extracted a promise from me that I won't buy one until I convert my silo into a dedicated observatory. With as busy as I am of late, that's not going to happen any time soon. Ah well, I can daydream for now.
-------------------- Ray Jamieson
RCX400 14" on Scopebuggy
Burgess 127mm
|
jclark2
sage
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 340
Loc: Michigan, USA
|
|
There is an ad for the Max Mount 20" in the latest Sky & Telescope (April 2006) on page 14. The ad puts the size in perspective. They have markings for length and width and it is 8'8" tall and 6'4" wide. Now if I could just win the lottery.
Jim
-------------------- Jim
WO ZS80FD 10th Anniv
WO ZS110
PST-DS
EQ6
iOptron Mini-Tower
WO EZ-Touch
UA Unistar Light
Celestron SkyScout
|
wrather1
AstroBear
   
Reged: 10/25/05
Posts: 2932
Loc: Dallas, Texas
|
|
Quote:
I know it's sick, but I've been thinking about buying the 20". Two things are holding me back. First, I haven't used a GEM before, and they are a little intimidating, so I want to try out a smaller one before I get anywhere near a beast. Second, while I have had nothing but good times with my own RCX, the numerous problems experienced by others tells me to wait until the inevitable kinks are worked out in these latest supersized versions.
Ray,
Why not let someone else be the guinea pig? Not only is the 20" MaxMount a monster in terms of size and weight, it's sure to cost a pretty penny! I know all about aperture fever, having just upgraded to a 12" from a 10" - but, Jeez, I'd definetely have a dedicated rotating observatory and a concrete pier for that beast... 
And speaking of GEM mounts, an easy way to get the flavor of those thangs is to buy a small cheap version (i.e., Orion Astroview) which has all the characteristics and procedural requirements of the big ones. I use mine for portable applications and love to play with it and the ED80.
Cheers,
DW
-------------------- "Don't worry about what telescope you own, or its quality. Just get out under the night sky, and enjoy God's wondrous universe." - T. M. Back
Meade RCX400-12 on JMI trolley "Ursa Major"
TMB 130SS on EQ6 PRO "Ursus Polaris"
Orion ED80 "Ursa Minor", WO ZS66ED "grab-'n'-go"
Canon EOS 30D (Hutech), Meade DSI, Philips ToUcam Pro
North Texas Clear Sky Chart
|
LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
   
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15790
Loc: Hoover, AL
|
|
Y'all think one of those MAX mounts will fit in the back of my Toyota?
-------------------- Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
|
rdjamieson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/09/04
Posts: 1024
Loc: Wisconsin
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
I know it's sick, but I've been thinking about buying the 20". Two things are holding me back. First, I haven't used a GEM before, and they are a little intimidating, so I want to try out a smaller one before I get anywhere near a beast. Second, while I have had nothing but good times with my own RCX, the numerous problems experienced by others tells me to wait until the inevitable kinks are worked out in these latest supersized versions.
Ray,
Why not let someone else be the guinea pig? Not only is the 20" MaxMount a monster in terms of size and weight, it's sure to cost a pretty penny! I know all about aperture fever, having just upgraded to a 12" from a 10" - but, Jeez, I'd definetely have a dedicated rotating observatory and a concrete pier for that beast... 
And speaking of GEM mounts, an easy way to get the flavor of those thangs is to buy a small cheap version (i.e., Orion Astroview) which has all the characteristics and procedural requirements of the big ones. I use mine for portable applications and love to play with it and the ED80.
Cheers,
DW
D-Dubs, I heartily agree on waiting. As for getting a GEM, I purchased a Burgess 127mm OTA on supersale last year, and still don't have a mount, so I'll probably get a GEM for it and learn the ropes. Just not right now. I surreptitiously dropped 5 large last month liberating some musical equipment from Guitar Center, and my wife just left me a tender voicemail message about the Amex bill! Quick, someone lay down a salvo of covering fire while I beat a retreat to the barn!!
-------------------- Ray Jamieson
RCX400 14" on Scopebuggy
Burgess 127mm
|
Crims
sage
Reged: 04/04/06
Posts: 287
Loc: ijmuiden/holland
|
|
in holland the 20'' will be a small 30.000 euros :@:@:@ a 20'' dob would be much cheaper then lol.. but i think the people that will buy that 20'' are having too much money and will not know much about the hobby by finding object without a goto system
-------------------- Losmandy G-11.
8'' LX90
Stellarvue 102mm ED APO
WO ZS 80 ED II
1D 1+² + 350D 1+² Lenses
LPI
alot of other stuff
www.astro-land.net ( including planetary webcam )
|
rdjamieson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/09/04
Posts: 1024
Loc: Wisconsin
|
|
Quote:
in holland the 20'' will be a small 30.000 euros :@:@:@ a 20'' dob would be much cheaper then lol.. but i think the people that will buy that 20'' are having too much money and will not know much about the hobby by finding object without a goto system
Yeah, for that price, you could get two 30" Obsessions from Dave Kriege. As for who is going to buy it, generally speaking it won't be "people." It will be institutions like universities.
As for having too much money, when it comes to this hobby, I don't think there is such a thing. An 8" TMB on a Paramount ME ( sweeeeeeeeeet! ) would cost the same, and I don't think you'd hear anybody questioning the purchaser's fondness for goto and tracking!
Ray
-------------------- Ray Jamieson
RCX400 14" on Scopebuggy
Burgess 127mm
|
Crims
sage
Reged: 04/04/06
Posts: 287
Loc: ijmuiden/holland
|
|
i wrote ''i think'' so don't be angry
An 8" TMB on a Paramount ME *sweet* but i don't have money for it :P
i hope i can sell my LX90 end of this year so i could buy a LX200R 10'' or LX90 gps 12''
i don't know yet i have so many lights here :@
but a 20'' rcx400 would be nice but not for me ( its a dream for every 17 year old guy isn't it? and ''older'' people lol )
-------------------- Losmandy G-11.
8'' LX90
Stellarvue 102mm ED APO
WO ZS 80 ED II
1D 1+² + 350D 1+² Lenses
LPI
alot of other stuff
www.astro-land.net ( including planetary webcam )
Edited by Crims (04/12/06 03:16 AM)
|
Kiwi Nick
super member
Reged: 09/17/05
Posts: 191
|
|
I'd be more inclined to spend money with RC Optics than Meade if I was going into that price range.
-------------------- LX90
LX200GPS 14"
Denk II's and P+S
Sky Scout
|
rdjamieson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/09/04
Posts: 1024
Loc: Wisconsin
|
|
Quote:
I'd be more inclined to spend money with RC Optics than Meade if I was going into that price range.
RCOS and OGS are great outfits with proven quality instruments, but don't kid yourself. You cannot get anywhere near 20" of aperture in either brand for $30,000. More like $50,000+ and, doh, that only gets you the OTA! For a mount, bear in mind neither the $10,000 A-P 1200GTO nor the $12,000 Paramount ME has the load capacity to hold a 20" OTA, so you are looking at another, say $20,000, for the dedicated equatorial mount from RCOS.
If you were to go with the Meade, there is no question that the QC issues would be a constant concern. However, if the Meade 20" licks the reliability curse (that's a big "if"), the price differential ($30,000 versus ~$75,000) is too large to ignore. With the spare $45,000, you could buy two of every Nagler ever made, an SBIG STL-11000, an A-P 160mm "spotting scope," and a used Mazda Miata to appease your wife.
-------------------- Ray Jamieson
RCX400 14" on Scopebuggy
Burgess 127mm
|
Joad
Wordsmith
   
Reged: 03/22/05
Posts: 11919
|
|
Hey RDJ, you've had that 14 inch monster for some time now, with no problems. What have you been seeing? Do you see spiral structure and the "bridge" in M51? How many stars in the Trapezium? Is your setup a galaxy magnet? What powers do you view at? (I remember your dealer claiming that you wouldn't be able to go past 180X--that had to be very wrong.) What would you hope to see in a 20 inch that 14 inches isn't showing?
These are real questions, not challenges at all. I am quite interested to witness this frequent phenomenon of someone on CN buying a really nice scope and rather quickly starting to think about something else. Since I'm always thinking about something else, but can't make up my mind (so am sticking with a $750 LX10 that does show me some nice views), I just wonder what others are seeing and wanting to see.
|
AstroArlo
sage
Reged: 01/29/06
Posts: 383
Loc: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
|
|
RDJ;
You are incorrect about a Paramount not handling a 20". There are at least a half dozen observatories with a 20" RCOS on a Paramount. It's at the published weight limit of the mount, but there are hundreds of outstanding photos taken with this setup which speak for themselves. Check out all the photos on the RCOS website, which has links to many of the observatories. Kitt Peak uses a 20" RC on a Paramount for their visiting astronomer program.
Joad:
As far as 14" really nice scopes, I purchased mine in 1988. I haven't purchased a larger one until now, so it cured my aperature fever for almost 20 years! I am still very satisfied with the visual images through my C14. The decision to purchase a C14 happened when I was looking at M51 through my C8, and the guy setup next to me had M51 in his C14...the difference was very dramatic...
Actually, I'm a galaxy-aholic and I love to image. So, a 20" telescope optimized for imaging, and also robotic to reduce the "find the faint fuzzy factor" were the requirements. Also, I finally live in a place with dark skies where I am building a permanent observatory. In my opinion, for MY requirements, the best choice is a 20" REAL Ritchey-Chretien on a Paramount - when you are coughing up $60K for a scope/mount you want something with a proven track record. I think most people that could afford a $30K scope like the 20" RCX could afford a 20" RCOS, and would go for the higher quality and proven track record. (although I did consider the C20 before it vanished into telescope oblivion).
But buying a high-end, botique shop instrument also has it's own problems...they are notoriously bad about grossly underestimating the delivery dates. All the agony comes before delivery, getting constant "your delivery is going to take longer than we thought" answers to phone calls and e-mails. The initial delivery date for my 20" RC was somewhere between Nov. 2005 and Jan. 2006. The latest estimate is June 2006....sigh....I have the Paramount installed in my observatory waiting for the scope....I'm just glad it's been a very snowy and cloudy winter...(snowing here today!), because every time it's clear it's real hard to be patient with the slow delivery.
-------------------- Best Regards, Arlo
Grand Cosmic Observatory, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
CATS/CASS - 20" RCOS Ritchey-Chretien, C14, C8
REFRACTORS - 155mm Astro-Physics Starfire EDF w/4" Focuser, 102mm Televue Genesis, 78mm FS Takahashi
ASTROGRAPHS - 8" Lichtenecker Flat Field Camera, 6" JSO Schmidt Camera
MOUNTS - Paramount ME, Losmandy GM200, Takahashi EM-100
CCD/IMAGING - SBIG STS-4, SBIG STL-11000M
|
Jeff Young
Post Laureate
   
Reged: 08/04/05
Posts: 3169
Loc: Ireland
|
|
Quote:
Hey RDJ, you've had that 14 inch monster for some time now, with no problems. What have you been seeing? Do you see spiral structure and the "bridge" in M51? How many stars in the Trapezium? Is your setup a galaxy magnet? What powers do you view at? (I remember your dealer claiming that you wouldn't be able to go past 180X--that had to be very wrong.) What would you hope to see in a 20 inch that 14 inches isn't showing?
These are real questions, not challenges at all. I am quite interested to witness this frequent phenomenon of someone on CN buying a really nice scope and rather quickly starting to think about something else. Since I'm always thinking about something else, but can't make up my mind (so am sticking with a $750 LX10 that does show me some nice views), I just wonder what others are seeing and wanting to see.
Joad --
I'm not Ray, but... I started in astronomy a year and a half ago with an ETX105, which was upgraded fairly quickly to an 8" LX200GPS, but aperture fever continued unabated. So an observatory was built and a 16" LX200GPS was installed. 8 months of equipment failure frustration followed, and then salvation arrived in the form of an AP1200GTO. It now carries the 16 OTA and an FC-100, and I'm finally quite happy with my setup.
I can see the spiral structure in M51. In fact, I can trace each individual arm, including the bridge. This from NELM 6.0 skies, which I only get about 20% of the time. NELM 5.5 is much more common, from which I can still see arms, but the bridge requires averted vision (and perhaps even some imagination).
Last night I even got the arms of M101. For some reason, this has been much harder for me than M51. But when they finally popped out, they really popped. Again, I could trace the arms, see the lopsidedness of it, and even seen clumps of the HII regions along the arms.
6 stars in the Trapezium is easy, even in poor seeing. But G and H are still no-shows. From Ireland, the Trap never rises above 30°, so perhaps G and H would be possible from somewhere further south (and with better seeing), but not from my yard.
I use 250x (17T4) every night. Most nights, many targets will even support 350x (12T4), even though my seeing is rarely better than Pickering 5. My last night of Pickering 8/9 came before the 16 was up and running, so I don't know where I top out yet. (I have gone up to 450x on Saturn with a 9mm ortho, but it was pretty iffy.) I'll probably be waiting for the fall to find out -- winter and spring don't seem to contain still nights here.
Oh, and speaking of Saturn I've seen the Encke minima, Enceladus and Mimas. Several of the Jovian moons are clearly disks.
Judging from what some other folks report, most of these observations should be available in considerably less aperture. I'm hoping that the difference is my experience, but it also might be that the air is simply to wet in Ireland to ever have really good transparency. The things I'd like to see but still haven't include spiral structure in M81, structure in M65/M66, and more apparent texture in the Sunflower (I get hints of texture, but that's about it). But right now I feel a need for more viewing more than I feel a need for more aperture.
-- Jeff.
-------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium Colorado:
Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130
APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO
|
Joad
Wordsmith
   
Reged: 03/22/05
Posts: 11919
|
|
AstroArlo and Jeff, thank you very much for your very useful replies! Only those who actually own the big/best stuff avaliable to amateurs can really describe what their equipment offers. It is fun to hear that a view is dazzling or exciting; it is even better to hear exactly what hard-to-see details someone actually sees. Thanks!
|
Jeff Young
Post Laureate
   
Reged: 08/04/05
Posts: 3169
Loc: Ireland
|
|
Quote:
AstroArlo and Jeff, thank you very much for your very useful replies!
Joad --
You bet. It was fun writing that one. Sort of had flashbacks to many of those sights....
-- Jeff.
-------------------- Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium Colorado:
Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130
APM MC1610 / Tak FC-100 / AP1200GTO Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO
|
buckaroo
Space Cowboy
   
Reged: 05/26/06
Posts: 1593
Loc: Underwood,Washington
|
|
Well it's july now, any sign of the 20 inch rcx
-------------------- Steve
.742 meter f4.5 starmaster
12" f5.4 Teeter planet killer
10" f6 newt
sv102a f7.9
Atlas-g
Canon 1DmkIIn,40D,AE-1P,AE-1
|
rdjamieson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/09/04
Posts: 1024
Loc: Wisconsin
|
|
Hi Joad! I'm sorry for not responding sooner--you deserve better. I had to take sabbatical from CN for awhile, as work had gotten hectic. Notwithstanding my efforts in the past few months, work is just as crazy busy (a good thing, and I shouldn't complain), so I am going to hop back in and do a better job of budgeting my time.
Trapezium: never a problem breaking out E, but my winter skies give views of F only about one-quarter of the time. Never have gotten beyond six stars.
Spiral structure in M51 and its companion is not a problem, but the "bridge" is so faint that I sometimes wonder if my mind's eye is merely completing the suggestion of a bridge from my memory of astrophotos.
Dealer was wrong--somewhat--on maximum magnification. On really good nights (rare in these parts), I can put in a 9mm, which yields 316x, or even a 2x'ed 16mm, which gives 355x. It's great for planets and globulars, but in my limited experience, galaxies get washed out at the higher magnifications.
As for what I'd hope to see in a 20", I want to see the same objects, only bigger and with greater clarity. That's probably an unrealistic goal in the humid Midwest, and I don't want to be slavishly acquisitive, so it is probably not going to happen.
I am really pleased with my RCX, and not because I think it affords views any better than scopes of similar aperture. I just love the combination of the views it affords and its ease of use. I'd be fine without the electronic focuser, but the built-in dew heater, video game collimation, goto, tracking, automatic set up, etc. are more than gee whiz gadgets. They minimize set up, and maximize the time my eyeball is pressed to the EP. Heck, I doubt that I'd notice much, if any, difference between the RCX and the views from a 14" Meade or Celestron SCT, but I'm ruined on collimation and the dew heater, and would want that stuff integrated.
As always, I am very grateful to have dodged the reliability issues that have grown up around the scope. Here's hoping it stays that way.
Best regards,
Ray
-------------------- Ray Jamieson
RCX400 14" on Scopebuggy
Burgess 127mm
|
Joad
Wordsmith
   
Reged: 03/22/05
Posts: 11919
|
|
Hi Ray. So there you ar |