Mike Loffland
Web Guru (Astronomics)
Reged: 09/03/04
Posts: 2445
Loc: Norman, Oklahoma
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Meade LightBridge 16"
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star drop
Guilty as Charged
Reged: 02/02/08
Posts: 18501
Loc: Snow Plop, WNY
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Nice review, Fred. The telescope sounds like a keeper.
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Ted
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matthew2000tx
sage
Reged: 12/14/06
Posts: 339
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Nice review. I too think the scope is a winner. The only down fall is the base but I've got a solution to that!
Re-build it and it will fit in a truck in the the back door! This is my friend's lightbridge, he rebuilt the base a week after owning it because it would fit though any doors in his home.
The half circle bearings are removable and when I re-do mine I'm going to make them smaller (30" vs 36" diameter) and the rocker box slightly taller, but it will still weigh less.
My original Meade base is starting to become less ridged after a year of heavy use, It is starting to sway like a tree in a hurricane when I move my scope horizontally. So this re-build will be a welcome solution for many of the issues I'm having with the base.
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<>< Matthew R.
My Astronomy Blog
*16" Meade Lightbridge
*10.1" f/4.5 Coulter Odyessy Dobsonian
*4.5" F/8 Dob. Built by Yours Truly
*3" Celestron First Scope Dob. IYA2009 edition.
*90mm Meade DSX Mak-Cass Go-To
*60mm Meade Refractor on Sears Discoverer EQ Mount
*60mm Tasco Refractor on Tasco EQ Mount
*12x50 Bushnell Binos
*10x50 Celestron Close-Up Binos x2
*20x80 Celestron Binos
*Canon 20D/40d/50d and bunch of L lenses
Edited by matthew2000tx (11/12/09 09:31 PM)
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RonBurgundy
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 422
Loc: Philadelphia
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I've viewed through these before on 2 occasions; what a beautiful engineering marvel! And the views....... 
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Kipp Ginsburg
8" LX200-ACF
Orion 120mm F/5.0 Piggybacked Refractor
Meade UWA Set [4.7mm-30mm]
DSI-II
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calibos
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/18/07
Posts: 1093
Loc: Ireland
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Fred, in terms of focuser and finder position. You've got the UTA mounted wrong. You need to rotate it. The focuser should point straight out the side if you get me. Makes it more convenient at high altitudes but a little less at low altitude. Maybe neither position is perfect for you but you are limited by the 120 degree spacing of the truss connecters on the endring. There is a solution however. The endring is held on the uta by 6 screws. You can take the end ring off and rotate it in 60 degree increments because of the 6 screws. This might enable you to get the perfect focuser position. To recap. The 3 truss connectors on the uta limit you to rotating the uta and thus focuser in large 120 degree increments. Ie only 3 focusser positions one of which is usless because it's straight down. Rotating the endring however means 60 degree I crements so there are 4 or 5 usable focuser positions, on of which might be perfect for you.
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Keith D.
16" Meade Lightbridge - See Here
Moonlite CR Focusser with Rigel motofocus and Filterslide (2" Orion Variable Polorizer,UHC & H-Beta, Lumicon OIII)
Stellarvue F80M2 80mm Finder
Dewbuster and DewNot Dew Control
Servocat & SkyCommander & SkyVoyager/SkyFi/iPhone Goto
Howie Glatter Holograhic Collimator and Blug
Baader Hyperion 21/32mm,17mm,13mm,8mm,5mm,3.5mm EP
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 8786
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Nice review, but I might take a little issue with the statement about the Paracorr potentially dimming things. The unit has good enough coatings that any light loss would be basically undetectable visually. Indeed, the Paracorr improves the outer image quality to the point where you may be able to see more faint stars in the field instead of having them blurred, potentially blending them into the sky background. Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
Prairie Astronomy Club
http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
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matthew2000tx
sage
Reged: 12/14/06
Posts: 339
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Quote:
Nice review, but I might take a little issue with the statement about the Paracorr potentially dimming things. The unit has good enough coatings that any light loss would be basically undetectable visually.
I noticed some dimming with a paracorr I've borrowed at star party. I wasn't impressed with it in my 16" LB
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<>< Matthew R.
My Astronomy Blog
*16" Meade Lightbridge
*10.1" f/4.5 Coulter Odyessy Dobsonian
*4.5" F/8 Dob. Built by Yours Truly
*3" Celestron First Scope Dob. IYA2009 edition.
*90mm Meade DSX Mak-Cass Go-To
*60mm Meade Refractor on Sears Discoverer EQ Mount
*60mm Tasco Refractor on Tasco EQ Mount
*12x50 Bushnell Binos
*10x50 Celestron Close-Up Binos x2
*20x80 Celestron Binos
*Canon 20D/40d/50d and bunch of L lenses
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RogerRZ
Whatta you lookin' at?
Reged: 01/09/06
Posts: 2709
Loc: West Collette, NB, Canada
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The only reason I could see for a Paracorr dimming the view is because it bumps up the magnification a little bit.
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-Roger Pitre-
1 X 7 binocular
Genesis SDF Starblast guidescope
EQ6 Pro, HEQ5, Canon 50D, 70-200 f/4L
"He's got shoulders on him like a smelt..."--Anonymous
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=10723&id=509325956&l=79d06a1d10
http://ajpobservatory.isgreat.org/
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JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy
Reged: 09/19/08
Posts: 1289
Loc: Utah
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Fred,
Nice review. I'm currently trying to decide between the Meade Lightbridge 16', the Zhumell 16' (thanks to Erix's post on that) or wait and see the XXi14. I really don't need the intelliscope feature on the XXi14. I guess the feature could boosts one's productivity but star hopping for me is part of the enjoyment. So for the cost I'm not sure on the XXi14 when I could go up to the 16 for the roughly a similar cost and gather more light. Nice to hear on the back since I have a bad low back and that was a concern (one reason I was considering the XX114 is the base and weight).
However, one concern on this scope is as Matthew says, getting the base out the door. I'm not a great wood worker, but perhaps I could redo a base, yet I don't have a ton of tools and I don't want to spend money on power tools for a one time project. Your review has me thinking and I am learning towards the Lightbridge. Perhaps once the XXi14 comes out someone will do a review comparing the two 16 inch to the 14. Thanks.
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Jay in Utah
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Historian Donald Osterbrock called him (Edward Barnard) an "observe-aholic," because Barnard, happiest when he could spend all night observing, was moody and difficult when the sky was cloudy.
My Blog
Edited by JayinUT (11/15/09 11:37 AM)
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bherv
sage
Reged: 03/10/06
Posts: 345
Loc: WMass
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The UTA trim rings only fit in one position because of cutouts for tube seam. I actually turned mine 180 degrees by
drilling out lower tube ring so it would fit over tube seam.
Barry
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calibos
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/18/07
Posts: 1093
Loc: Ireland
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Varying manufacturing tolerances may mean the endring can be rotated despite the seam on some scopes but not others, but certainly on mine it was not a problem. However a dremel could easily take of a mm to make room for the seam.
Btw Barry, please tell me your shroud is pulled taut when observing. Talk about 'sagging into the lightpath' on that pic. Surely the scope would be performing like a 14" with that shroud vignetting the lightpath.
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Keith D.
16" Meade Lightbridge - See Here
Moonlite CR Focusser with Rigel motofocus and Filterslide (2" Orion Variable Polorizer,UHC & H-Beta, Lumicon OIII)
Stellarvue F80M2 80mm Finder
Dewbuster and DewNot Dew Control
Servocat & SkyCommander & SkyVoyager/SkyFi/iPhone Goto
Howie Glatter Holograhic Collimator and Blug
Baader Hyperion 21/32mm,17mm,13mm,8mm,5mm,3.5mm EP
Edited by calibos (11/16/09 09:02 AM)
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 8786
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Quote:
Quote:
Nice review, but I might take a little issue with the statement about the Paracorr potentially dimming things. The unit has good enough coatings that any light loss would be basically undetectable visually.
I noticed some dimming with a paracorr I've borrowed at star party. I wasn't impressed with it in my 16" LB
The Paracorr increases the focal length by about 15%, which would cause a drop in light surface intensity, but stars and other point sources should not be significantly dimmed unless the Paracorr had not been taken care of properly. I don't see much of a difference between light intensity in an 8 inch f/5 Newtonian as far as the visibility of the faintest stars is concerned. Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
Prairie Astronomy Club
http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
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bherv
sage
Reged: 03/10/06
Posts: 345
Loc: WMass
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Yes the shroud was not closed up in that pic. I actually have 6 bungees running vertically between upper and lower cages to keep it from sagging into lightpath.
Barry
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calibos
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/18/07
Posts: 1093
Loc: Ireland
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Ah! Nice!
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Keith D.
16" Meade Lightbridge - See Here
Moonlite CR Focusser with Rigel motofocus and Filterslide (2" Orion Variable Polorizer,UHC & H-Beta, Lumicon OIII)
Stellarvue F80M2 80mm Finder
Dewbuster and DewNot Dew Control
Servocat & SkyCommander & SkyVoyager/SkyFi/iPhone Goto
Howie Glatter Holograhic Collimator and Blug
Baader Hyperion 21/32mm,17mm,13mm,8mm,5mm,3.5mm EP
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turtle86
Pooh-Bah Everywhere Else
Reged: 10/09/06
Posts: 1155
Loc: Up
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Thanks for the detailed review. Definitely a lot of scope for the money!
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Rob
18" Starmaster GOTO Zambuto #50
8" LX200 Classic Supercharged by Dr. Clay
Celestron 15x70 Skymaster Binoculars
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Feidb
sage
Reged: 10/09/09
Posts: 221
Loc: Nevada
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Calibos,
Thanks for the comments, but after much use, I am quite happy with the focuser position as I mount it. I know it is not what the book calls for but it works for me. I look at too much low on the horizon and sideways is not the way to go. I really don't see tampering with it for another focuser position as I've quickly adapted to the way it is now and am happy with it. However, you present a good point for others that are not happy with it in either of the two standard positions.
The Paracorr users:
As for the Paracorr, I may not notice much dimming, but three things keep me from ever getting one. #1 Price. #2 Two more air-to glass surfaces that can get dust and dirt on them (or reflected light) and #3. It's another doodad I'd have to insert into or remove from the light path in the dark. However, for those that desire the flattest field, it is the way to go.
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Present gear:
16" Meade LightBridge
Meade 50mm straight through-finder
Lumicon green laser pointer
Orion Q-70 26mm, 32mm, and 38mm
Parks 2X 2" Barlow
Hyperion 17mm, 8mm
1 1/4" 18mm Russell Optics Bertele
1 1/4" 12.5mm and 6mm Coulter Optical Orthoscopics
1 1/4" X 2" 32mm Edmund Scientific war surplus Erfle
Tirion star atlas (white stars, black background) hand-laminated
Megastar
And a partridge in a pear tree
To nudge or not to nudge, that is the question
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