Jan Harnisch wrote:

Hi Michael,

I am looking to purchase a Meade LDX55 (or very similar equivalent)
mount for a Lurie-Houghton telescope recently purchased for me by my
wife (bless her heart!)

Another question: Where and from which manufacturer did your wife get a
Lurie-Houghton scope? I have been trying for quite some time to get one,
but the only thing I was able to find was a description by somebody who
built one by himself.

My sincere thanks to all (Al, Chuck, Rod, Timothy, Trane, Jon, Rich, Jan)
who wrote regarding my request for a Meade Equatorial mount for my new
scope. One dealer even wrote offering me directly a whole setup for about
$500, but after researching this more and listening to the comments from
you knowledgeable folks, I have opted to purchase an ever-so-slightly used
Vixen GP Standard mount with tripod instead from a fellow who had one for
sale in Washington state. Please know that I appreciate all of your help!

Jan, this scope was made by an amateur astronomer who also happened to be
specialized in precision optics manufacture, and for his own use. As far
as I can tell, there isn't anyone who makes a scope of this design for sale
to the public...though one could probably get one made for a price. During
the crash course I have had this past week in telescope mounts and design,
one of the most impressive things I have run across is the site by Rick
Scott in which he detailed the making of his Lurie-Houghton scope. See it
at http://members.cox.net/rmscott/lh_scope/index.html and look for his
photography pages as well; his is some incredibly impressive work. Thanks
again to all.

--
Michael W. Lurie
mlurie at stny dot rr dot com