The Meade SC telescope:
This telescope is a classic Schmidt-Cassegrain in proven Meade quality. Despite the long focal length, the OTA design is very short, making the system a very compact telescope which is extremely easy to transport. The light initially falls onto an aspheric Schmidt corrector plate, which refracts it onto the spherical main mirror. This reflects the light back up to a secondary mirror which then reflects it back down towards the main mirror again. The light bundle finally passes through a central hole in the main mirror and into the focuser at the bottom of the OTA. This means that it is a closed system and does not suffer from air turbulence, which could degrade the image. Of course, it also means that it is optimally protected from dust entering the OTA. The Schmidt corrector plate is multi-coated, ensuring bright images that are not reflection-degraded. These optics provide a very good, sharp, high-contrast image, guaranteeing a lot of fun when planetary observing. The Schmidt-Cassegrain design is a good all-round system for observing and photography, with a huge range of optional accessories. The viewing angle into the lower end of the OTA allows straightforward orientation. The telescope can also be optimally used for occasional terrestrial observing (e.g., at close range for bird watching). The Meade SC optics are designed with an aperture ratio of about 1:10, so astrophotography also becomes very possible. Focusing by moving the main mirror ensures a very large focusing range, enabling virtually any accessory to be employed.
Telescope features:
- long focal length with short design
- lightweight aluminium OTA
- high quality UHTC multi-coating
- Pyrex primary and secondary mirrors
- closed system
The LX90 mount:
Observing the starry heavens is now even easier, with this mount requiring no previous knowledge of the night sky. Simple set it up and go: all you have to do is to confirm a pre-positioned reference star suggested by the mount. The mount works on the same principle as large professional observatories and already contains the positioning data for over 30,000 celestial objects in the AutoStar hand box supplied: 13,235 DSOs, the complete Messier, Caldwell, IC, and NGC catalogues, 16,888 stars sorted by name and SAO number, 8 planets, the Moon, 26 asteroids, 15 comets and 50 artificial satellites. 200 targets can also be specially programmed by the user. All of these objects are slewed to quickly, precisely, quietly, and reliably: the GoTo function works at 9 different, freely selectable positioning speeds: 6.5°/S, 3°/S, 1.5°/S or 128x, 64x, 16x, 8x, 2x and 1x sidereal speed. The AutoStar hand box can be updated with the latest software via the Internet at any time. There are also databases for comets, asteroids, artificial satellites, etc. available for downloading on the Meade website. This means that the accuracy of the coordinates is ensured at all times and the LX90 is always up to date.
The motorized, 125mm diameter, worm-drive on each axis ensures precise tracking of all objects, even for long exposure astrophotography. The computer-optimized double fork mount features very high stability whatever the orientation of the OTA and is also extremely light weight. The proven, vertically adjustable Meade tripod ensures an almost vibration-free setup: an important aspect which contributes significantly to the overall performance of the system. The setup can be selected between altazimuth or equatorial. The AutoStar software suite supplied allows you to control the mount from an external computer; an autoguider port is available as an option. Operation can be via 12V batteries, car battery or plug-in power supply.
Included in delivery:
- AutoStar hand box with software
- GoTo function with 30,223 objects
- built-in battery compartment
It not only matters which telescope you buy but also where you buy it. Our additional services:
- We are a leading telescope dealer and know the devices we sell. Our customer service team will gladly help you after your purchase if you have problems with assembly or operation.
- We provide a copy of the 80-page Telescope ABC beginners handbook with every telescope.
