Snaproll
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/20/04
Posts: 3557
Loc: Wisconsin
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This has probably been asked before, but the new search engine is so slow I finally gave up...
I'm thinking about an upgrade from my 10" LX200GPS. I need to be portable so a 10" SCT is about the biggest I can handle myself.
From what I gather in the literature... both scopes have the Ritchey-Chretien optics an I would think would perform similarly, although one is an f8 the other an f10. One has the carbon fiber tube, the other looks like a stock OTA. The RCX has the nifty fan, built in dew heater and collimation deal.
I've also heard both scopes have had their share of teething troubles. Is one "worse" than the other?
I primarily do imaging at f6.3 and visual at f10. Any recommondations between the two or an alternate selection to think about?
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-Jim-
Happiness is a clear sky and a Denk II
old AP images and some new C14 Hyperstar images
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2515
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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Aside from the RC optics point (which neither have - see the thread RCOS versus Meade) and if money isn't an issue then the RCX is the way to go from what I have read. I'm not sure exactly how much better visually it will be but I have seen tremendous imaging work from it.
Jerry has experience of both I beleive so he is the man to ask.
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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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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 7008
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Thanks Morris and Jim, that's a very good question.
I have to think my RCX was nearly perfect for whatever the optics are. (Advanced RC, RC, SCT, kaliedescope, etc.)
If you are going to image you will need a lot more luck than I had with the RCX on a form mount. I never could get two consistent images with it. This is on the Ultra Wedge, a Custom Wedge, and with a De-Rotator. Others have much better luck. In Alt-Az visually I just haven't seen anything better. Saturn always was picture perfect. Jupiter was in motion and clear. But the main testing point was Orion. In the Trapezium the E and F stars were always clear. I alternated having a C-9.25 and C-11 setup nearby and they always showed less. But bear in mind, others have better luck. But these were side by side at the same time and well collimated by my standards. If you are looking, the RCX tops the heap.
Mine had one problem. Put batteries in the arm and it ran a few minutes and blew a board. The gentleman that bought it just had a problem with it and it is on the way back to Meade. One of the focus/collimation motors is dragging. This is a common problem with some of the early ones and mine was one of the first.
With the LX200Rs I see great potential. QC has been very spotty but seems to be improving. I'm running a comparison on two right now and should have some more work done by Monday. Views can be as good as the RCX but the RCX can fine collimate to a tee with that moving corrector.
Both do tend to be heavy. The Peterson Handles make them very manageable. Both work fine. I'll try and post some more later.
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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Snaproll
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/20/04
Posts: 3557
Loc: Wisconsin
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Thanks Jerry.
I've been kicking the idea around of getting a 'new' scope, but my 10" LX is hard to beat. I can't really go much heavier or larger than that, so that lets out 12+ inch scopes. I did piddle around with a 102ED for a while to see what the APO craze was all about but I wasn't too impressed. I've been kicking around the idea of a Meade 7" Mak for planetary/lunar, I'd love to play with one of those, but from what I've read, they weigh as much as my 10" and take forever to cool down.
So that's why I'm kicking around the idea of a 10" upgrade. Boy, but that's a chunk of change to lay out, especially if I have to send it back to Meade every other night in the field. My LX200 has been bulletproof. For all the places that scope has been, all the places it's been dragged to, all the conditions, it really has been battle tested, and I have never had a stitch of problems with it. From the sound of half the posts I've read they're like, "So my RCX came today and all I did was open the box and the drive blew up, off to Meade for the 27th time this year". I couldn't afford that! Just in time alone! Being without a scope for weeks on end?!?!?
One thought I'm kicking around is just buying the "R" OTA and put it in my forks if it would fit (or RCX if it would work). At least I know my electronics are good, maybe I could just upgrade the OTA.
With as cloudy as it's been here (like for ever) I guess it wouldn't matter what scope I have  Maybe I'll take up radio astronomy....
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-Jim-
Happiness is a clear sky and a Denk II
old AP images and some new C14 Hyperstar images
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Joad
Wordsmith
Reged: 03/22/05
Posts: 12028
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If your current 10 inch gives you good images and good visual viewing, Snaproll, I'm not sure that a new 10 inch SCT will make a dramatic difference in your astronomical life, but it might make an astronomical difference in your economic life, and bears the potential of adding hassle as well. Completely up to you, of course. I'm very interested to hear about your experience in the APO world. I too have been both tempted and yet dissuaded by the knowledge that a four inch scope is a four inch scope no matter how exotic the glass.
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2358
Loc: Boothwyn, PA
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a 7" Mak both Classic and GPS, have a cooling fan as standard equipment. Therefore they take a lot LESS time to cool than a 10" un-ventilated SCT!
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Meade RCX400 30cm --
People dont like when I stick up for Meade but they're just jealous of my RCX 
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Snaproll
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/20/04
Posts: 3557
Loc: Wisconsin
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Quote:
I'm very interested to hear about your experience in the APO world. I too have been both tempted and yet dissuaded by the knowledge that a four inch scope is a four inch scope no matter how exotic the glass.
Well.... you hit the nail... as they say.
I read a lot of glowing reports about APOs and wanted to see what it was all about. Yeah, for a 4" the view was great. For a 4" the planets looked like a speck, but a nice contrasty speck. The stars looked great for a 4", nice round dots, rounder than those in my 10", (just a lot fewer of them). So... I sold it. I found out at as a "grab and go", if the night was a good one I was grabbing the 10" and lugging it out, and if it was maginal out, I ended up not getting the 102 because it wasn't worth it. Just MHO only. A lot of people feel their little 3"-4" outperforms the Hubble. Maybe they do, but mine didn't.
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-Jim-
Happiness is a clear sky and a Denk II
old AP images and some new C14 Hyperstar images
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Snaproll
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/20/04
Posts: 3557
Loc: Wisconsin
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Quote:
a 7" Mak both Classic and GPS, have a cooling fan as standard equipment. Therefore they take a lot LESS time to cool than a 10" un-ventilated SCT!
I believe that at least one has two cooling fans? In any event, I've asked opinions on these before and have been assured by those that own them that sometimes they NEVER equalize over an entire night if the temps keep dropping.
I read somewhere that to maintain balance, the Mak has a 15 lb deadweight in it somewhere and that's why the cooling issues are prolonged and why the things weighs as much as a 10".
Never owned one, but that's the info I picked up.
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-Jim-
Happiness is a clear sky and a Denk II
old AP images and some new C14 Hyperstar images
Edited by Snaproll (11/15/06 06:41 PM)
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David Pavlich
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 6729
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA 30.38 X 90....
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I seem to remember a test report in S&T stating that the RCX is heavier than the equivalent LX200. Something to think about.
David
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Meade 12" LX200
TMB 80/480
MI250
WO Megrez 110
Meade LXD75
Proud Member; PAS NOLA,
Life expectancies would go WAY up if green vegetables smelled like bacon...
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Snaproll
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/20/04
Posts: 3557
Loc: Wisconsin
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Hi Dave, yeah, I think it's like 84 lbs and the LX200 is 69 out of the box. Mine is probably heavier because I usually move it with some weight on it.
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-Jim-
Happiness is a clear sky and a Denk II
old AP images and some new C14 Hyperstar images
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2358
Loc: Boothwyn, PA
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Well maybe you are right- I have never used a Mak 7" in Wisconsin.
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WebFoot
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/02/05
Posts: 506
Loc: Redmond, WA, USA
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It's very simple. 
If you want to view only (or almost only), get the LX200R.
If you want to do imaging, the RCX400 has a number of improvements over the LX200 that make it much easier to image with.
But the RCX400 is considerably more expensive, and the same aperture in the RCX400 is much heavier than the LX200.
I love my RCX400, and am very glad I bought it to replace my LX200 for imaging.
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12" RCX400
10" LX200 Classic
Meade 102ED/LXD 650 mount
Sky90
SBIG ST-8XE/AO-7/CFW8
http://www.de-regt.com/Astronomy
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Gama
Vendor (Gama Electronics)
Reged: 08/23/05
Posts: 688
Loc: I come from the land downUnder
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Time to stick my nose in now..
If you can afford the RCX, then by all means go for it.
With the lower f Ratio, and built in James Bond functions, i find it easier to use than the LX200. No wires, no attachments etc.
Maybe get one scond hand to lower your chances of getting a dud. But like jerry said, the poor bugger that bought his scope also inherited the troubles.
I recently had my 14" RCX serviced, as one of the focus motors was a little slow to focus. But after service, no probs.So thats why i say maybe look at a second hand one.. OR get it supercharged by Dr. Clay. Cant get better than that !.
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Snaproll
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/20/04
Posts: 3557
Loc: Wisconsin
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Quote:
Well maybe you are right- I have never used a Mak 7" in Wisconsin.
Well, I've never used one at all that's why I appreciate the input. That's what's great about CN, getting opinions from people that actually have the stuff. If your experiences are that it doesn't seem to have cooling problems, that gives me some hope here. Cooling is a real issue in the winter around here, and then frost when you bring it in. Gotta bundle up when I go outside, and then bundle up the OTA when I come back in.
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-Jim-
Happiness is a clear sky and a Denk II
old AP images and some new C14 Hyperstar images
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