Telescope Reviews: New Meade LX80 and LX800 scopes coming this year.

THE NEW LX80 MULTI-MOUNT EASILY TRANSITIONS BETWEEN GERMAN EQUATORIAL, ALT-AZ AND DUAL OTA CONFIGURATIONS TO HANDLE ALL YOUR ASTRONOMICAL NEEDS.

Now you no longer have to make the difficult decision between the ease of setup and operation of an altazimuth mount or the versatility and long duration imaging capability of a German Equatorial Mount. Meade's new LX80 is the only mount that gives you both plus one more - three computerized GoTo mounts for the price of one.

The mounts start at $799 with complete scopes starting at $1199.

THE NEW LX800™ WITH STARLOCK™. DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO BE THE IDEAL ASTRO-IMAGING PLATFORM.

Meade Instruments introduces the latest in a long line of advanced astronomical products - the LX800™. Using revolutionary new technology, every aspect of this system has been designed to deliver the new standard in astrophotographic and visual performance.

FASTER, SHARPER OPTICAL SYSTEM
Meade's all NEW optical system completes the LX800 system:

• Fast, f/8 Advance Coma-Free® optical system available in 10", 12" and 14" apertures.

• Unique internal Crayford-style, ZERO image-shift focusing system with a two-speed 7:1 control. This focusing system rigidly holds the primary mirror and eliminates the need for a mirror lock.

• Optional large-format, three-element f/5 focal reducer/field flattener. This delivers even wider fields, faster exposures and a photographically flat field even with larger sensors.

• Also available: Series 6000 3 element air-space apochromatic refractor (Optional field flattener available).

PRECISION MACHINED, SOLID GERMAN EQUATORIAL MOUNT

Constructed of machined stainless steel and aircraft grade 6061-T6 aluminum, the LX800 mount presents a rock-solid platform:

• Supports 90 pounds of instruments. That's not including the counterweights.

• Precision roller bearings are employed on both RA and DEC axis.

• Robust 0.68" diameter brass worm and a 5.8" diameter, 225 tooth aluminum gears.

• Utilizes a 1.75" stainless steel threaded counterweight shaft.

• Fully computerized GoTo German Equatorial Mount with GPS and 144,000-object database.

• All-new super-stable tripod.

STARLOCK - FULL-TIME AUTOMATIC GUIDING

The LX800 is the first FULL-TIME AUTOMATIC GUIDING SYSTEM on the market incorporating Meade's all new StarLock™ technology:

• A 80mm f/5 optic operating in tandem with a super wide-angle lens creates a two camera system that automatically finds your target in high precision.

• Guides to an incredible accuracy of one arc second and can lock on stars as dim as 11th magnitude. Focusing the StarLock optics is not required nor is there a need to select a guide star.

• Eliminates the need for a computer or separate guide scope.

• Automatically programs periodic error correction, corrects for errors down to virtually zero and then guides.

• Provides computer-assisted polar alignment using drift method for extreme precision.

Pricing for the mount is $5999 and complete scopes start at $7999

We will have more info as it becomes available.

Clear Skies,

Mike/astronomics