Meade LX200 10"


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Brand and Model:Meade LX200 10"
Price ($USD):3150
Type:Schmidt-Cassegrain
Attributes: checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:254mm (10")
f Ratio:f/10
Focal Length:2500mm
Finder:8X50
Electric Power:18 volt
Mount:Fork
Tripod:Meade Field Tripod
Weight (lbs):
Dimensions (w/h/d):11.75x22"
Description:Secondary Obstruction: 3.7" (37%)

Computer "GOTO" Capability with RS-232 and CCD Guiding Ports

Todd Gross's Review

Vote Highlights Vote
Meade LX200 10"
WOW! I've used quite a few GOTO scopes in my day, but by far and away, the LX200 mount is the most accurate and reliable! After a quick 2 star alignment, this thing went from object to object, from zenith to horizon and back, all without a hitch. Every time, the desired object was DEAD CENTER. The model I tested had no image shift during focusing (although another example did show quite bad image shift). Images through the 26mm Plossl were excellent, stars were tack sharp. Planetary detail was excellent, and overall these are some of the best SCT optics I've seen. Perhaps I got a hold of a good example, but this scope really knocked my socks off (for the GOTO part anyway). VERDICT: Highly recommended (if you can afford it).

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:8 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:7
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=142084


Meade LX200 10"
Star test is excellent, 1/8+ p.t.v.
Confirmed by several double stars in the 0.4"-0.6" range. Clean split, with
almost textbook diffraction pattern. With superb seeing, it can go over 600x
in planetary obs. with no image breakdown. Very impressive.
Image brightness is also excellent. Under rare nights of 7 visual magnitude
limit, can see galaxies at 16.2-16.5 range, and stars just over 17.
Tracking is good, but with some tweaks can go to excellent also. With PEC,
just about 4" of periodic error.
Stability is superb in alt-az, good to fair in equatorial. But with some
SuperWedge mods., can be very good.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 4 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37681

>Star test is excellent, 1/8+ p.t.v.
>Confirmed by several double stars in the 0.4"-0.6" range. Clean split, with
>almost textbook diffraction pattern. With superb seeing, it can go over 600x
>in planetary obs. with no image breakdown. Very impressive.
>Image brightness is also excellent. Under rare nights of 7 visual magnitude
>limit, can see galaxies at 16.2-16.5 range, and stars just over 17.
>Tracking is good, but with some tweaks can go to excellent also. With PEC, 
>just about 4" of periodic error.
>Stability is superb in alt-az, good to fair in equatorial. But with some 
>SuperWedge mods., can be very good.

A ten inch telescope cannot see stars of magnitude 17. Period. 

This simple fact, should, for reasonable people, invalidate your claims.

Meade LX200 10"
The cost is now down another $500 making it a great buy. My optics give perfect star tests and great views. The features are numerous, but the necessary ones are easy to learn. The GOTO accuracy once you learn to level your scope can be improved as you sight each object. That is you do basic setup and the scope will very nearly sight the first alignment star with little help. The second is even easier. Now site another object and sync it. The only downside is the mirror shift, but this is problem with all SCT's.

The scope is as large as most people can handle. Changing the tripod to spring load the attachment rod, the scope is easy to put together. 55 pounds for the 10" aperture is great.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 2 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37704


Meade LX200 10"
I've owned a Meade ETX 90, an 8" LX200 and now the 10" f/10 LX200. At a recent star party, this scope was the equal of a 12" LX200, a Televue 4" refractor (not difficult), a 13" Dobsonian and a 16" Dobsonian. The motor is whisper quiet, the optics are razor sharp, the "go to" function is extremely accurate. The addition of a Kendrick dew shield does make the scope susceptible to vibration in wind, because of the center of gravity shift...not a scope defect, though. If I had to decide which scope - the 12" or 10" - created better images, I would be hard-pressed to say the 12" was superior.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 2 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37700


Meade LX200 10"
Meade will not support their customers. The scopes are good,but its high risk if something breaks. This is very unfortunate...but for that reason, I will not buy another Meade telescope.

Overall Rating: 5
Optics:7 Mount:8 Ease of Use:8 Value:8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=575250


Meade LX200 10"
About the 10" f/10 classic LX200 that I owned for 4 years.

Optics: many reflections of bright objects, some coma at edge of field.
Mechanical: cheap focuser, no bearings for DEC, a lot of random error in pointing, cheap motors, cheap plastic reduction gear, very, VERY noisy motors, problematic super wedge with much flexure.
Electronics: one sided PCB with cheap IC bases designed on 1992, cheap connectors, problematic connections of the motor wires, resulting in very low reliability.
It requires a lot of personal time and a lot of modifications to turn it to good astronomical instrument.
Also Meade is "sell and forget the customer".
**It does not worth its price.**

Overall Rating: 3
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=340456


Meade LX200 10"
I bought a 10" LX-200 and returned it to Meade because it had mechanical problems right out of the box. At Meade, I doubt they have much quality control; I'm pretty sure they get a lot of telescopes returned under warranty for servicing, and they take up to 8 months to give your scope back.

By the way, Meade's "you have to pay for the shipping to return for warranty work" is total crap. If your state still has the provisions of Britain's Sale of Goods Act in it - or similar legislation - tell them the scope isn't fit for purpose and that they have to send you a UPS prepaid sticker for shipment.

I thought the Meade customer service was absolutely terrible and I would not recommend anyone buy a Meade telescope. I bought a Celestron Nexstar 11" GPS and it's great - and Celestron's customer service is stellar, too!

- MJ Spicer
Hamilton Centre
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

Overall Rating: 4
Optics:9 Mount:5 Ease of Use:7 Value:2
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=185879


Meade LX200 10"
Good optics, mount is ok, but i still prefer a good GEM

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:8 Mount:7 Ease of Use:7 Value:7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=112399


Meade LX200 10"
Very good Schmidt Cassegrain optics on a fun to use mount.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:10 Mount:10 Ease of Use:8 Value:9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=112173


Meade LX200 10"
Well built, and very functional - it was quite apparently designed by people that observe. The dec. cable is my only complaint.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37706

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