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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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... and i'm kind of sad. Very sad to see the LX200 go today, it really was a great telescope. There's a heartbreaking LX200-shaped indentation in the office carpet where it used to sit. Since I got the G11 it was going to go sooner or later; i'd like an SCT OTA but there was no sense in de-forking the LX200, better to sell it as a complete unit. But it was brilliant, did everything well and taught me a huge amount. I had great times with it ... and i'll miss it. ETX is about to go too, my "first 'scope" and the one that got me hooked. In the last couple of weeks i've sold a DSI, some Meade Plossls, a focal reducer ... in fact, i'm about to sell the rest of the Plossls, so all I own is one Meade T-adapter and an illuminated eyepiece. How things change.
No real point to this post, other than to say goodbye  and, despite the (justified) criticism that Meade get here, in the LX200 they came up with an absolute cracker* of a telescope 
Ben.
* for our American friends; cracker. Noun (Informal). A thing that is wonderful, excellent (British English).
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Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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Toodle pip old chap!
and bye to you too Ben.
See you in the beginners forum sharing your knowledge I expect.
--------------------
Morris
WO Megrez 80 ED F/7
WO 8x42 binoculars
Seymor Rosin F/4.5 Astrograph in the making
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 7017
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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So, are you getting an LX200R OTA? 
--------------------
AP900,LXD75
AP140EDF, TSA102, ZS80EDII
C8-OTA
Canon 20D, 350Hutech
PST
Coming soon:
Lunt LD60T/DS
AP Traveler
AP130EDF (returning home)
CGEM
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 7007
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Ben, I still miss my LX200 10" Classic I sold two years ago.
Luke... Luke .... Luke.... Oh my. What we gonna do with you. I know what, want to buy my 10" LX200R?
To Luke: 
--------------------
Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 7017
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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I'm still waiting for Popeye! 
--------------------
AP900,LXD75
AP140EDF, TSA102, ZS80EDII
C8-OTA
Canon 20D, 350Hutech
PST
Coming soon:
Lunt LD60T/DS
AP Traveler
AP130EDF (returning home)
CGEM
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mikertx
super member
Reged: 09/29/05
Posts: 107
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Now, now. Let's see that stiff upper lip for which you Brits are so famous! 
Actually I still miss my old NexStar11 sometimes and it's been gone for nine months. 
Mike
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www.mikesastro.com
Scopes: C-11, Takahashi FSQ-106N, TEC140, Mini-Borg 50
Mounts: MI-250, AS-GT
Cameras: QHY-8
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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Is it ok to say here that I miss my SV102D?
Hushed voice okay.
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Morris
WO Megrez 80 ED F/7
WO 8x42 binoculars
Seymor Rosin F/4.5 Astrograph in the making
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bluesman
sage
Reged: 01/14/05
Posts: 211
Loc: N Yorkshire. UK
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Keep us all posted on the new kit Ben!
Ed
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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Don't worry, i'll still be around to follow the saga of the an irresistible force vs. the immovable object (a.k.a. Jerry vs. Meade Quality Control).
First purchase will probably be Vixen's 8" f/4 Newt. After that it's going to be a 9-10" SCT. If Meade get things fixed, it might just be an 'R', although a C9.25 looks much more likely right now.
...and I still dream of a 14" LX200 (and somewhere to put it)...
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Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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Phillip Smith
member
Reged: 06/28/06
Posts: 77
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I should sell mine too...but it's very hard to part with...it was my first "serious" scope.
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CGE
9.25 XLT
C6R
10" LX200 Classic
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Neil
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/21/04
Posts: 503
Loc: Nottingham, England
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Hi Ben,
Like you I am in a bit of a pickle, deciding what to do with my LX200, to house in my soon to be bulit observatory.
I have thought of de-forking it, to mount alongside my Tak. One question Ben, why did you decide to not go down this route? Was it cost, or getting a decent price for the unit together?
As mine is the classic, nearly 10 years old, the price I could get for mine would be pretty poor anyway, so I may as well go down this route from my own perspective.
Anyway back to the point of the post, yes I have also 'cut my teeth' on the Meade, and if I did decide to sell it I would also be sad to let it go.
Keep us posted Ben on your future purchases and I look forward to watching your new telescope 'family' growing.
Regards,
Neil.
--------------------
TMB 105/650, Meade LX200R 14", Pentax 75 SDHF
Paramount ME with version E power board,
Canon 450D unmodded,
And a patient wife!
Observatory 'Holmfirth' now built.
Clear skies people!
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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Quote:
I have thought of de-forking it, to mount alongside my Tak. One question Ben, why did you decide to not go down this route? Was it cost, or getting a decent price for the unit together?
I thought hard about it - I even got the tools together to do it. As I've said elsewhere, i'm pretty happy with the Meade 8" SCT optics (LX90 and LX200, as I understand it) so the OTA would have done me well. However, it looks really hard to re-fork the OTA, so it just seemed better to sell it as a whole unit and then look around for a new OTA in the future. Cost wasn't that much of an issue. I doubt that i'd have got much for the forks on their own, it really depends if you happen to sync up with someone who wants them, so i'm probably a little better off - but on the other hand if I de-forked then i'd have an OTA that I knew was good and had been looked after, which is worth a fair bit. At the end of the day selling somehow seemed the right way to go.
If I had a Classic then it might well have been different, there's less to be gained from selling it as a whole. Still, I certainly wouldn't rule out a 8" OTA in the future if I found one at the right price.
My 'family' will probably shrink further, if I get the Newt i'll probably sell the 80ED first (that's still undecided though, I may try and persuade the CFO that I 'need' both) so I may have a brief period where I have the silly combo of a G11 and 66mm APO, an overmounted 'scope if ever there was one...
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Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 7017
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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Ben, keep the 80ED. You will regret selling it.
--------------------
AP900,LXD75
AP140EDF, TSA102, ZS80EDII
C8-OTA
Canon 20D, 350Hutech
PST
Coming soon:
Lunt LD60T/DS
AP Traveler
AP130EDF (returning home)
CGEM
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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I think you're right, Luke.
My head says that it won't do much that the Newt doesn't do better (but i'm willing to be educated!), my heart says keep it.
--------------------
Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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Ben,
the only way I would part with my 80ED is if I found some money behind the sofa that was sufficient for it to be swapped for a 105!
Pack the 80ED and take it hiking. I flew mine over when we went to Lundy and used it for spotting Puffins as well as stars. Now we don't go anywhere without it (except the wedding in Indianapolis this weekend but then again.....)
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Morris
WO Megrez 80 ED F/7
WO 8x42 binoculars
Seymor Rosin F/4.5 Astrograph in the making
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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Fingers crossed i've solved my "what next" dilemma. Watch this space...
--------------------
Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 7017
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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2:1 odds its a C9.25. 
--------------------
AP900,LXD75
AP140EDF, TSA102, ZS80EDII
C8-OTA
Canon 20D, 350Hutech
PST
Coming soon:
Lunt LD60T/DS
AP Traveler
AP130EDF (returning home)
CGEM
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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Not even close
--------------------
Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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Neil
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/21/04
Posts: 503
Loc: Nottingham, England
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Quote:
Not even close
OK, howabout a Vixen, Mewlon, Epsilon, Meade???
Reflector or refractor????....come on give us a clue.... 
Regards,
--------------------
TMB 105/650, Meade LX200R 14", Pentax 75 SDHF
Paramount ME with version E power board,
Canon 450D unmodded,
And a patient wife!
Observatory 'Holmfirth' now built.
Clear skies people!
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Ben Ritchie
Lost in Space
Reged: 01/31/05
Posts: 4339
Loc: Bosham, UK
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Hehehe ... it's not mine yet, and i'm not saying in case I jinx it. But I started a "what 'scope" thread on Equipment Discussions, and it's "none of the above"...
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Astro-Physics 130EDT StarFire, 80ED (x2), 305mm f/5 dob, VLT
Astro-Physics 1200GTO, evolved HEQ5/pro
Coronado SM60/BF10, 3-6 Nagler zoom, 8 & 13 Ethos, 28UWAN
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