Meade LX3 10"


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Brand and Model:Meade LX3 10"
Price ($USD):discontinued
Type:Schmidt-Cassegrain
Attributes: un-checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:254mm (10")
f Ratio:f/10
Focal Length:2500mm
Finder:7 x 50
Electric Power:12 volt
Mount:Fork
Tripod:30' to 44' variable
Weight (lbs):89 lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):12'x19'x31'
Description:$1700 in 1989

Vote Highlights Vote
Meade LX3 10"
Motor tracking great, mount slightly unstable, need low winds for photography. Optics have problems. Meade SCT's of this time are now losing their coatings on their secondary mirrors, significant degradation occurs, it appears as dark spots as if the mirror was hit with a spray of pellets. Meade will not recoat but will replace the optics for $450 to $550. Depending on who answers at Meade when you call. Though these scopes were sold with a lifetime warranty, meade will not honor it unless you have a bill of sale. After 15 years who does? They don't believe its their scope I guess. Generally average optics

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 6 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39832


Meade LX3 10"
Although I tend to agree with others assessments, I must say that the scope has performed reasonably well over the 15+ years I have had it.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:5 Mount:7 Ease of Use:7 Value:5
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=113390


Meade LX3 10"
My 2120 is actualy a LX5, but they are very similar. I have looked through about 3 or 4 of these LX3-LX6 series scopes & ALL have been well above acceptable. I wouldn't trade my 17 year old one for a brand new OTA....because I KNOW that mine works good. I've also heard horror storis from these scopes, but am curious if that has something to do with non-collimation, no temperature equalization time, & sub-standard eyepieces....ALL of which will ruin the view in ANY scope.

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=566997


Meade LX3 10"
I have had this scope since 1988, and in all that time only recently have gotten serious about optimizing optical performance. I had thought this was a typical "Halley's Comet" SCT--it's certainly of the right age. I was ready to get rid of it, but then learned about a) collimation, and b) cool down time. Both are absolutely essential to getting this scope to perform to expectations. I had unfavorably compared its images of Saturn with a 4" refractor--the refractor won easily. Then I tried again after carefully collimating and really letting the 2120 cool down; two full hours (very similar seeing). And it blew the refractor away, just as it should. So it's safely still in my posession for awhile longer. Now--if I can only get the tripod and superwedge to stop shaking! The moral, as always: if you find one of these, star test carefully and under the right conditions.

Overall Rating: 7
Optics:7 Mount:4 Ease of Use:6 Value:7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=131642


Meade LX3 10"
I am very displeased i have a model 2120: 10" schmidt-cassegrain and can not find a schematic if any one knows were please let me know my e-mail address is
jackel@intellex.com

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39837


Meade LX3 10"
I would have to agree with one of the previos posters. I too took out a small loan to purchase this scope. The otpics below 125 to 150 X are good, but anything above this is absolutely deplorable. It has been colminated to the point that I can't remember the number of times myself and others have tried to get this scope to preform as advertised. Flat out, Most decently made 6 inch reflectors costing far less will blow this scope away on image quality. For the most part I find it to be good only for low powered viewing. I was about to call Meade and insist that they honor the lifetime warranty on the optics, but after reading so many postings about how they will not honor it here and on other threads concerning Meade products, I will just save my breath. I will also not ever purchace another Meade product no matter how well it is rated.

Overall Rating: 3
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39836


Meade LX3 10"
I had two of these. The F/10 was acceptable optically, but the F/6.3 was not. Excellent electronics.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39835


Meade LX3 10"
First telescope I bought as a teenager (1987). Parents helped me get a loan to buy it. Never looked through a scope before. When I got it, I loved it, but never saw any detail on planets, moon or could split double stars. Over the next ten years I bought several more scopes and learned what quality optics were like. I realized this scope's optics were horrible (star test showed so many problems you couldn't figure out exactly all the problems) and in 1998 decided to get Meade to fix it under the "lifetime" warranty. (If anyone remembers the Astronomy magazine review in the late 80s of Meade SCTs Meade said it would fix any problems with these scopes for forever, no charge). Well, this is not true. Meade would sell me a new optics set for $600, and would not compromise on at least splitting the cost. I even had the original sales receipt showing I was the original owner. Customer service said that after a certian amount of time (how they figure that I don't know) the scope is considered to be acceptable in optical quality to the customer and they will not replace it. Anyhow, I hear some of these scopes had pretty good optics during this time, but if you are going to buy a used one of this era, you better look through it first. I sold mine and have never regreted it.

Overall Rating: 3
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39833


Meade LX3 10"
I have had this telescope since 1987. 6 months after I first purchased the scope the coatings were coming off the corrector plate. Sent the OTA back to Meade, It took 2 different exchanges from Meade to get a set of optics that were as good as the original scope. The optics in this scope are very good for a SCT. Planetary views are quite good. I have used this scope for astrophotography with excellant results. The mount is fairly stable, the quartz drive is excellant. There is image shift with the focus mechanism, but it is not to objectionable. I have to say that I more then got my money's worth with this scope. I am not sure if Meade's quality today is as good as it was when I purchased this one. I have looked through some LX 200 scopes and the optics in the scopes I have seen are not as good as this 2120lx3.I guess it says something about the quality if after 11 years I still own this baby. Bob Midiri astroramrx@hotmail.com

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=39830

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