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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I have purchased a 10" lx200 classic and am very excited but have realized I need to purchase many accessories. The biggest disappointment, so far, is the coarse focus. I need an aftermarket focuser. I guess all the GPS lx200 scopes now come with the Meade 1209 microfocuser. Is that a good focuser or is there a better one for around the same price? Please help me get this astronomy thing off the ground.
Thanks.
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22479
Loc: NE Ohio
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The JMI NGF-S focuser is very similar in performance but seems to be of better construction. One disadvantage I have found is that, while Meade's handbox provides focus motor control which does work with the NGF-S, it fails to provide the dynamic braking the NGF-S expects. The motor will coast a bit rather than stop sharply when using the handbox focus control. The Meade microfocuser doesn't need dynamic braking and it will stop immediately.
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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
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TeamGS
Post Laureate
.gif)
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 3073
Loc: Elk Grove, CA
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John,
I am also in the market for a microfocuser, and after looking at the Meade site, I am confused. The sight states that the Meade microfocuser ships with it's own handpaddle for non-GPS scopes. Does this mean that the unit doesn't conect to the scope base, and, thus, cannot be remotely controlled?
Regards,
Gary
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Celestron 80ED
Losmandy G11
NexStar 80
Starlight Xpress SXV-H9
SXV guidehead, ToUcam 840
http://www.teamgs.org/astrophotography.htm
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22479
Loc: NE Ohio
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I think they are referring to the fact that the LX200GPS is the only "current" model with built-in focuser control. With the LX200 Classic you'd be able to run it with the telescope's built-in controller.
What I'm less sure about is whether the Classic supports remote PC focus control via the RS-232 port but I'd be surprised if it did not.
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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
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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The FOCUSER port in the control base of the Classic supports the retro electric focuser control that attaches to the focus knob mechanism and moves the mirror. This does work with the PC focus control in the software supporting the Classic LX protocol. This is true for all Meade mirror-moving motors on all Meade non-GPS SCTs. The LXD-650/750-CDS equatorial mounts also output to these focusers and operate on Classic LX protocol.
However, I think Meade's specification that their microfocuser WITH handbox is for non-GPS scopes implies that it is NOT intended to be plugged into the focuser port of a classic or LXD. I believe that the microfocuser motor signalling is different from that of a mirror-moving focuser. A call to Meade's customer service line will verify this, but the info in the catalog seems pretty straightforward to me. - Graham
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22479
Loc: NE Ohio
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Hi, Paul.
I can offer only indirect experience. I know I used a JMI NGF-S Crayford-style focuser on my Classic through the Meade handbox controller. Later, I used the same NGF-S focuser for a while on my LX200GPS (microfocuser was defective when the scope was first delivered) through that handbox controller. I don't have a Classic around to try the new focuser with the old controller but both controllers ran the NGF-S so they somewhat compatible.
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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
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Interesting. Since I have an LXD with an 8" on it (with a mirror-motor), I got a JMI for it. Had no intention of even trying to plug the JMI into the LXD focuser port. From what you say, it is easy to infer that the Meade microfocuser may actually work after all. The mirror-motor handbox uses a 9V battery (doesn't the JMI also use a 9V?). I am just curious enough about this now that I think I'll make that call to Meade. Why in the world wouldn't they encourage classic owners to back-fit with their new focuser? I know Meade is sometimes cryptic about stuff, but this is a marketing thing. Regards - Graham
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R1200C
sage
Reged: 09/08/03
Posts: 371
Loc: Eastern Ohio
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I asked the same question on MAPUG and a couple Yahoo Groups, about which focuser to buy, most people who responded said to stay away from the Meade focusers, for various reasons. I bought the Robofocus for my 10" Classic, it works well.
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Frank
Meade 10" LX200
Stellarvue SV105
Losmandy GM8
Canon 12 x 36 IS II
Meade 390
EOS 30D
EF 100 - 400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
EF 16 - 35mm f/2.8L USM
EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
http://discoverthemeadows.com/
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TeamGS
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 3073
Loc: Elk Grove, CA
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Well, being the cheapskate that I am, I ordered the Meade #1206. (Primary mirror motorized focuser) My rational?
1. $$: I can always sell it later if I want to upgrade.
2. On the Robofocus sight, they have an article showing that using their stepping motor with both an NGF-S style and the jmi motofocus, gave almost identical results. They stated that you could save money and weight by just using their Robofocus with a primary mirror focuser. Since I don't really need positional feedback motor at this point, I thought, "Why not just get a standard primary mirror focuser, but leave out the robofocus then?"
3. I was going to get a JMI motofocus, but I think it stated that you had to use the high speed only with the LX handset, and control the final speed with the adjustment on the JMI unit. The Meade can use the multi speeds on the handset.
4. The 1206 is now compatible with the latest edition of focusmax, should I decide to try autofocusing.
5. Did I mention the price? 
BTW, here is a link to the article I was mentioning:
http://www.homedome.com/knobvsJMI2.pdf
Regards,
Gary
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Celestron 80ED
Losmandy G11
NexStar 80
Starlight Xpress SXV-H9
SXV guidehead, ToUcam 840
http://www.teamgs.org/astrophotography.htm
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I retrofitted my LX200 classic with the Meade #1209 focuser and it works great. It also works through the focuser port on the control panel. The only pain is that you have to hold the focus button and one of the arrows at the same time to make it run. I haven't tried the included hand control for it. Even though the #1206 focus motor is cheaper, I really couldn't see the point in using a focuser that still moves the primary and causes some image shift during focusing. I can coarse focus with my fingers the same way the 1206 does its job.
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6884
Loc: Lexington, SC
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I have heard William Optics is coming out with a two speed focuser. Sounds like it could be ideal with the coarse mirror focus then have a medium barrel focus and then a fine micro focus. Don't know any details but that is what I have been waiting for. I'll EMail them and see if there are any details.
In a message dated 2/20/2004 6:42:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, support@william-optics.com writes:
Hello Jerry,
After talking to our technician in Taiwan manufacture, they recommend that you purchase another SCT focuser from us, or wait for our NEW 2 speed SCT micro focuser............."
David
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
Edited by meddyn (04/02/04 07:32 AM)
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