Telescope Reviews: LX-800 Update

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MikeBOKC
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/10/10

Loc: Oklahoma City, OK

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: dawziecat]
#5528362 - 11/19/12 04:40 PM

There is a new post up in the SCT forum noting that Meade is now taking orders for the bare LX-800 OTAs from 10-16 inches. Not sure what that means, but in reviewing some of these threads it appears that there are no issues with the LX-800 optics, just the mounts and Starlock system. So they have have hit on a strategy to push OTAs and let people mount them themselves.

As one who has worked in private sector and political communications, I am reminded of the old axiom that when you have bad news to deal with, get it out there first and frankly. I think Meade would be well served by devoting their contracted full page ad space in Sky and Telescope and Astonomy to a simple "here's how we screwed up and here is what we are doing to fix it and when it will be done" message. But then some people tried to tell Richard Nixon to do that too . . .

Post Extras:

Alph
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/23/06

Loc: Melmac

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5528424 - 11/19/12 05:19 PM

Quote:

So they have have hit on a strategy to push OTAs

Strategery as G. Bush would have said.

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Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Alph]
#5528909 - 11/19/12 09:55 PM

They've got to get some cash in the door, somehow. It would be easy to guess the LX800 effort has collapsed, but I think this is really all about some positive cash flow. If the OTAs are a go, then this is a good idea.

-Rich

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blueman
Vendor Blue Sky Accessories

Reged: 07/20/07

Loc: California

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Starhawk]
#5529000 - 11/19/12 10:35 PM

If the focuser is OK on the scopes! I understand that in another thread, it was stated they were working on it.
Blueman

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neilson
sage

Reged: 08/22/10

Loc: outside Pleasanton, Texas

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Starhawk]
#5529137 - 11/19/12 11:43 PM

The time to worry is when they start giving themselves big bonuses.

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Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: neilson]
#5529295 - 11/20/12 01:50 AM

I was wondering about that focuser report as well. I have no idea what to make of it since I thought the design should be pretty mature.

Then again, I thought autoguiding was pretty mature, too.

-Rich

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Starhawk]
#5529517 - 11/20/12 07:34 AM

Quote:

I was wondering about that focuser report as well. I have no idea what to make of it since I thought the design should be pretty mature.

Then again, I thought autoguiding was pretty mature, too.

-Rich

An internal crayford focuser in an SCT is something Meade has not tried before, so I'd hardly call it "mature."

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ur7x
super member

Reged: 01/08/12

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: rmollise]
#5529682 - 11/20/12 09:43 AM

Quote:

An internal crayford focuser in an SCT is something Meade has not tried before, so I'd hardly call it "mature."

That would at least explain why the OTAs are being held back too...

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Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: ur7x]
#5529720 - 11/20/12 10:03 AM

I didn't realize they had tried that. OK, so it seems they threw out 40 years of experience on every major product they had, claimed the results would surpass everything else made by industry, and announced it all well before any of it could be delivered, and then shipped before they saw it work.

It's frankly extraordinary. This is much more like the behavior of a startup staffed by inexperienced newbies.

I can only guess there was a meeting where they reviewed where things were and what came out of it was, "We've got to do something new. We're going to a bold new lineup unlike anything from our competitors. We're swinging for the bleachers!"

I keep thinking about Quantum.

I strongly recommend anyone with an LX800 to get either your mount or your money back, soon.

-Rich

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Starhawk]
#5529767 - 11/20/12 10:28 AM

It's like Deja Vu all over again...

Meade had some real winners over the years. The 1" shaft Newtonians, the RG Newtonians. The LX200 (except for those tupperware gears and coffee grinder drives) the DSI cameras.

And then there's now.

At least the winners of yore were Diebel creations. He retired a long time ago, though. Current ownership may have inherited his ability to innovate, but they also inherited his tendency to market his products before they were thoroughly tested.

-Tim.

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Alph
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/23/06

Loc: Melmac

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: ur7x]
#5530118 - 11/20/12 01:07 PM

Quote:

Quote:

An internal crayford focuser in an SCT is something Meade has not tried before, so I'd hardly call it "mature."

That would at least explain why the OTAs are being held back too...

No it does not. The OTAs were held back for other reason and I will keep it to myself. You guys are speculating again.

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Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Alph]
#5530296 - 11/20/12 02:23 PM

Alph,

The Meade people are the source of the focuser story, so that's not speculation. It caught everyone by surprise.

So, what's the other reason?

Holding back data doesn't serve any purpose in this situation.

-Rich

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Alph]
#5530430 - 11/20/12 03:34 PM

Quote:

No it does not. The OTAs were held back for other reason and I will keep it to myself. You guys are speculating again.

I'm not speculating pea-turkey. The 800 has an internal crayford, which they have not done before.

If you think you have special knowledge, that's cool, but don't expect anybody to take much notice if you keep your secret special knowledge secret.

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OzAndrewJ
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/30/10

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: rmollise]
#5530523 - 11/20/12 04:03 PM

Gday Rod

Quote:

I'm not speculating pea-turkey. The 800 has an internal crayford,

It may be semantics, but does the unit have a "crayford" style focusser,
( ie a spring loaded drive shaft using friction to grip the baffle tube )
or is the advance just that the sled itself is now on preloaded ball bearings.
Ie all piccies i have seen still show the focus knob "appears" to push the mirror sled via a tangent bar as per current mechanisms. The ball bearings mean a tight fit with no friction for the sled, hence no mirror slop, but it still seems to be just a bog std offset dual speed focusser mechanism driving it all???.
Why i ask is i always wondered if it would be possible to mod an std SCT to directly load the sled at the centre of the mirror, not via an offset pin as per now, thus removing the twisting force that gives mirror shift. I was thinking of using a pivoting lever behind the sled, but a motorised crayford gripping onto the baffle tube would also work.
Just wondering whats really in there???

Andrew

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rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: OzAndrewJ]
#5530540 - 11/20/12 04:14 PM

I am describing it as _Meade_ describes it. Until somebody gets one and has a good look...who knows?

Edited by rmollise (11/20/12 04:17 PM)

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Alph
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/23/06

Loc: Melmac

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: OzAndrewJ]
#5530626 - 11/20/12 04:59 PM

Quote:

or is the advance just that the sled itself is now on preloaded ball bearings.
Ie all piccies i have seen still show the focus knob "appears" to push the mirror sled via a tangent bar as per current mechanisms. The ball bearings mean a tight fit with no friction for the sled, hence no mirror slop, but it still seems to be just a bog std offset dual speed focusser mechanism driving it all???.

That would be a correct assessment to the best of my knowledge.

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Starhawk
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/16/08

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Alph]
#5530669 - 11/20/12 05:29 PM

Ok, so did you just notice a hair to split, or do you have something new?

-Rich

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ur7x
super member

Reged: 01/08/12

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Starhawk]
#5530709 - 11/20/12 05:50 PM

Quote:

Alph,

The Meade people are the source of the focuser story, so that's not speculation. It caught everyone by surprise.

So, what's the other reason?

Holding back data doesn't serve any purpose in this situation.

-Rich

There are only four reasons would support why Meade is not selling the new OTA's separate from the mounts:
1) The focusing system is being reviewed/reworked (something that Meade has actually openly stated, on this very forum)
2) There is some other undisclosed problem with the OTA's (Meade has not stated this, this would be really bad news, and is speculation)
3) Meade doesn't like the thought of people mounting their OTA's on competitors mounts (which is also speculation and makes no sense) or
4) Something even more crazy than #3 (which makes even less sense than no sense)

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Alph
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/23/06

Loc: Melmac

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: ur7x]
#5530728 - 11/20/12 06:06 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Alph,

The Meade people are the source of the focuser story, so that's not speculation. It caught everyone by surprise.

So, what's the other reason?

Holding back data doesn't serve any purpose in this situation.

-Rich

There are only four reasons would support why Meade is not selling the new OTA's separate from the mounts:
1) The focusing system is being reviewed/reworked (something that Meade has actually openly stated, on this very forum)
2) There is some other undisclosed problem with the OTA's (Meade has not stated this, this would be really bad news, and is speculation)
3) Meade doesn't like the thought of people mounting their OTA's on competitors mounts (which is also speculation and makes no sense) or
4) Something even more crazy than #3 (which makes even less sense than no sense)

None of the above. Think harder.

Post Extras:

Griffin!
super member

Reged: 09/12/10

Re: LX-800 Update new

[Re: Alph]
#5530740 - 11/20/12 06:10 PM

And it begins again.

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