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Meade 178ED for sale!

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#76 starman876

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 06:25 PM

I am the potential buyer. I have an old Celestron CGE on standby for just such an opportunity.

 

Having had spinal fusion surgery a week and a half ago, I can't drive, but he has business in my neck of the woods, so will meet me at my house. For what he's asking, if it's decent to look through, it's good enough for me. Seeing rarely permits much over 200x here and I have the 25" dob to go after the really faint fuzzies. It will be a good public outreach tool, I've got liability insurance but would rather have them on the ground than four steps up a ladder.

 

It will likely draw crowds much like the 25"...

 

I'll post an update when (if) I buy it.

you will enjoy the scope.  I know I did.  Awesome images which are had to beat for the money you are spending.  The scope is large and a bit on the heavy side, but is manageable.  


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#77 ccwemyss

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 06:29 PM

you will enjoy the scope.  I know I did.  Awesome images which are had to beat for the money you are spending.  The scope is large and a bit on the heavy side, but is manageable.  

Adding a handle between the rings helps a lot. I made one for the 152ED with some bent sheet metal and a wood dowel. The wood was easier on the hands after a cold night out. 

 

Chip W. 



#78 CHASLX200

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 06:56 PM

I am the potential buyer. I have an old Celestron CGE on standby for just such an opportunity.

 

Having had spinal fusion surgery a week and a half ago, I can't drive, but he has business in my neck of the woods, so will meet me at my house. For what he's asking, if it's decent to look through, it's good enough for me. Seeing rarely permits much over 200x here and I have the 25" dob to go after the really faint fuzzies. It will be a good public outreach tool, I've got liability insurance but would rather have them on the ground than four steps up a ladder.

 

It will likely draw crowds much like the 25"...

 

I'll post an update when (if) I buy it.

Gonna need a bigger boat to hold it.  Tall tripod. I know my AP800 could do it with it's 7ft pier.

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#79 CHASLX200

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 06:57 PM

How good was the mount? The lower cost of a similar scope today would give you enough money left over to get a pretty substantial mount.

Mount was fine.  Nice big tripod as well. Only bummer on the mounts were the fixed cradles like the Unitrons so no way to use other OTA's. It was no big hairy deal lifting the 7" ED up on the mount. I can do it in my sleep now.


Edited by CHASLX200, 04 February 2025 - 06:59 PM.

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#80 starman876

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Posted 04 February 2025 - 09:29 PM

It was not that hard lifting the 178ed. The lxd 750 mount was the beast with the giant tripod I had to carry up the stairs and outside along with the counterweights. I used the scope on a g11 and that was a bit easier. The scope put up some awesome views. I am sure you are going to like it.
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#81 RogerRZ

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 05:34 AM

I am not worried at all about the Classic CGE's performance. I've loaded on a 10" F;5 Newtonian on it, and it didn't even break a sweat. The owner has it on an EQ6R, and having had one of those, it's not even close to the beefiness of the old Celestron. I will likely never exceed 250x with this, due to bad seeing, and tbh, if the seeing gets much better than this, I will deploy the heavy artillery in the form of a 25" dob. I also have the choice between the he stock tripod, and a permanent pier. I suspect the pier might be a little short for this, but luckily, I have all the tools to make it as tall as I want (Mig or stick welders, plasma cutters, oxy/acetylene torches, 100 ton press, 14/40 engine lathe, etc.)...

 

Stay tuned...


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#82 CHASLX200

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 06:54 AM

I am not worried at all about the Classic CGE's performance. I've loaded on a 10" F;5 Newtonian on it, and it didn't even break a sweat. The owner has it on an EQ6R, and having had one of those, it's not even close to the beefiness of the old Celestron. I will likely never exceed 250x with this, due to bad seeing, and tbh, if the seeing gets much better than this, I will deploy the heavy artillery in the form of a 25" dob. I also have the choice between the he stock tripod, and a permanent pier. I suspect the pier might be a little short for this, but luckily, I have all the tools to make it as tall as I want (Mig or stick welders, plasma cutters, oxy/acetylene torches, 100 ton press, 14/40 engine lathe, etc.)...

 

Stay tuned...

250x is loafing around on my best nites. 600X should be easy if the lens is good,. My lens was good as someone did get it on center and then once moved across the sky BOOM it was off again. This was pre cell fix days in 1999 .  A super good 25" Dob would be the killer planet scope of my dreams using 1400x for the planets just not gonna hand track for long at them pow wow's.



#83 Rick-T137

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 07:41 AM

250x is loafing around on my best nites. 600X should be easy if the lens is good,. My lens was good as someone did get it on center and then once moved across the sky BOOM it was off again. This was pre cell fix days in 1999 .  A super good 25" Dob would be the killer planet scope of my dreams using 1400x for the planets just not gonna hand track for long at them pow wow's.

Pfft! 600X is just loafing around on my best nites. My freaky sharp 70mm refractor gives me pin point stars at over 9,000 pow wow! Don't even waste your time at 600X BRA! lol.gif


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#84 photoracer18

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 06:43 PM

After hearing about all the issues with the 178ED/APO I ended up ordering a 152ED/APO OTA from Meade. We or I specifically was going to take it around to star parties locally to let people see thru it. We told Meade to at least make sure its performance was above average. And based on the years I owned it I believe it was. Original non-adjustable lens cell. same KF3/ FK01 lens combo. Now FK01 was actually lower in Abbe than FPL-51, something like 70 something. And Dick Buchroeder's design had to be around F9 and had very steep curves on the lenses which meant it had to be collimated well. So most of the issues were with the cell.  The second best views I ever had of Mars were during the 2003 Opposition with that scope. Those scopes had tested Strehls in the .94-.97 range so they were not bad if the collimation was good. And you know the only scope I ever had that had adjustable centering was my Borg 150ED. That was one reason why I only paid $1800 for it as the previous owner just could not get it right, as it was not the same procedure as a normal collimatible cell with push/pull screws. Took me all of 15 minutes to get it right. Sold it for much more than I paid for it years later without ever collimating it again.


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#85 Weisswurst Josef

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 06:56 PM


It will likely draw crowds much like the 25"...

 

I'll post an update when (if) I buy it.

It definitely will draw crowds ...

Big fracs allways do that.

 

Congratulations when (if) you buy it.

Hope for you, that it`s worth.



#86 deSitter

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 07:43 PM

After hearing about all the issues with the 178ED/APO I ended up ordering a 152ED/APO OTA from Meade. We or I specifically was going to take it around to star parties locally to let people see thru it. We told Meade to at least make sure its performance was above average. And based on the years I owned it I believe it was. Original non-adjustable lens cell. same KF3/ FK01 lens combo. Now FK01 was actually lower in Abbe than FPL-51, something like 70 something. And Dick Buchroeder's design had to be around F9 and had very steep curves on the lenses which meant it had to be collimated well. So most of the issues were with the cell.  The second best views I ever had of Mars were during the 2003 Opposition with that scope. Those scopes had tested Strehls in the .94-.97 range so they were not bad if the collimation was good. And you know the only scope I ever had that had adjustable centering was my Borg 150ED. That was one reason why I only paid $1800 for it as the previous owner just could not get it right, as it was not the same procedure as a normal collimatible cell with push/pull screws. Took me all of 15 minutes to get it right. Sold it for much more than I paid for it years later without ever collimating it again.

Yes that sounds very familiar. My 127ED has not budged in the 8 years I've owned it. It performs magnificently. It shocked me by showing detail on Ganymede at 350x.

 

-drl


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#87 starman876

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Posted 05 February 2025 - 10:01 PM

Yes that sounds very familiar. My 127ED has not budged in the 8 years I've owned it. It performs magnificently. It shocked me by showing detail on Ganymede at 350x.

 

-drl

I love it when you can see detail on  Ganymede


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#88 RogerRZ

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Posted Yesterday, 05:08 AM

I wish I wasn't under the Jet-stream 90% of the time. When I look at my clear sky clock and get seeing forecast as "average" on the scale, I get excited. 


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#89 RogerRZ

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Posted Today, 06:19 PM

Got it home, one of my buds came and provided the horsepower, and we gave it a shakedown run. I needed to dig out the extra counterweight, but even unbalanced as it was more stable than I expected. Not rock solid, but still not strained. Think C8 on an EQ5 level. A very quick glance at the brightest star that was visible through the high clouds revealed that the optics are in alignment, at 300x. Whew... I'll get it all sorted with the Starsense and a finder. Can't wait to see what it will do on planets. Traded my180 Mak and an eyepiece and a few bills on it. The Lovely Mrs. RogerRZ was appeased when my net scope count didn't increase...IMG_2025-02-07-191912.jpeg


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#90 Refractor6

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Posted Today, 06:26 PM

  Love the photo...a beast indeed!......



#91 scout

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Posted Today, 06:29 PM

Beautiful. It's as big as your Miata.


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#92 CHASLX200

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Posted Today, 06:55 PM

Got it home, one of my buds came and provided the horsepower, and we gave it a shakedown run. I needed to dig out the extra counterweight, but even unbalanced as it was more stable than I expected. Not rock solid, but still not strained. Think C8 on an EQ5 level. A very quick glance at the brightest star that was visible through the high clouds revealed that the optics are in alignment, at 300x. Whew... I'll get it all sorted with the Starsense and a finder. Can't wait to see what it will do on planets. Traded my180 Mak and an eyepiece and a few bills on it. The Lovely Mrs. RogerRZ was appeased when my net scope count didn't increase...attachicon.gif IMG_2025-02-07-191912.jpeg

Poor mount. If it is a super good OTA and the lens don't slop around i will double your money.



#93 RogerRZ

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Posted Today, 07:02 PM

Poor mount. If it is a super good OTA and the lens don't slop around i will double your money.

No thanks, and what exactly is wrong with this mount? I don't do photography, I want goto, and never ever have the seeing to exceed 400x. Never.

Also consider that as pictured, I have less than $2k in this. 



#94 CHASLX200

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Posted Today, 07:17 PM

No thanks, and what exactly is wrong with this mount? I don't do photography, I want goto, and never ever have the seeing to exceed 400x. Never.

Also consider that as pictured, I have less than $2k in this. 

I had two CI700's so kinda the same size and i don't see how they could hold a 7" with the kind of pow wow's i use. I had a G11 and the same for it as a 6" F/9 AP i had some juggles and jiggles at 450 to 600x. You gotta remember i like way over mounted scopes.  Well if you stay at 400 and below you could be fine i guess but seems kinda low. 


Edited by CHASLX200, Today, 07:18 PM.


#95 deSitter

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Posted Today, 07:25 PM

No thanks, and what exactly is wrong with this mount? I don't do photography, I want goto, and never ever have the seeing to exceed 400x. Never.

Also consider that as pictured, I have less than $2k in this. 

I don't understand Chas' world. The max power of a 7" scope is in the 350-400 range, you might get up to 500 on the Moon but it would be getting dim. 50x per inch maxes out the limitations of diffraction. Above that you get dimmer and see nothing new. The Airy disk at 50x per inch is huge.

 

I almost always prefer 40x per inch because it is brighter and less revealing of floaters and lens imperfections (e.g. incipient cataracts). If seeing is perfect I may go up to 60x per inch.

 

You scope is a beauty!! Have a ball!

 

-drl


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#96 CHASLX200

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Posted Today, 07:36 PM

I don't understand Chas' world. The max power of a 7" scope is in the 350-400 range, you might get up to 500 on the Moon but it would be getting dim. 50x per inch maxes out the limitations of diffraction. Above that you get dimmer and see nothing new. The Airy disk at 50x per inch is huge.

 

I almost always prefer 40x per inch because it is brighter and less revealing of floaters and lens imperfections (e.g. incipient cataracts). If seeing is perfect I may go up to 60x per inch.

 

You scope is a beauty!! Have a ball!

 

-drl

Better go the fract section my man as many have used nutty pow wow's on the bigger fracts if they got my my seeing. It was 9 seeing tonite and the 8" was doing 450x easy on Jup and boom here comes the sea fog.   450x should be fine in a good 7" if the seeing is good.  But 300x is more the norm.


Edited by CHASLX200, Today, 07:36 PM.



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