LX10 - Any comments? Can it be made a Goto?

"Jornada" wrote in message
...

1. Is this scope an obsolete model?

I think it's still in production. It is a good, reliable telescope.

2. Does it come with OR can it be used with the Autostar?

No, but from companies such as JMI, you can buy digital setting circles.
That's a system where the computer finds the objects, but you move the
telescope. That is, it tells you which way to move and tells you when you
get there.

The motors in the LX10 track the stars -- that is, on an equatorial wedge,
they hold an object in view as the earth rotates. They do not (as far as I
know) move the telescope from one object to another.

3. How is this scope compared to the LX90 and Nexstar 8 for visual use?

Identical. Same optics as the Meade 8-inch f/10 LX90 and LX200.
Practically identical to the Celestron 8-inch f/10 in its various
incarnations.

I think you're getting a bargain.


--
Clear skies,

Michael Covington -- www.covingtoninnovations.com
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
and (new) How to Use a Computerized Telescope

"Mike Simmons" wrote in message
...

Meade sold a dec motor unit as an option for the LX10 as part of the
Deluxe option kit. It was sold separately and user-installed so it may
not be available from Apogee now. It was just meant for manual
pointing, though, not goto.

For guiding corrections in photography, actually. It only covers a range of
a couple of degrees.

3. How is this scope compared to the LX90 and Nexstar 8 for visual
use?

For visual use the LX10 is fine. I find the fork, however, to be not
too
stiff and the tripod is not nearly as stiff as that of an LX200.

I checked out a couple of them and agree they're fine for visual but not
great for imaging.

Good point; that's what you get for the lighter weight. For perspective,
this is an appreciably better telescope than the original (1970s) Celestron
8. I suggest making a wooden tripod to damp out vibration.

"Mike Simmons" wrote in message
...

Meade sold a dec motor unit as an option for the LX10 as part of the
Deluxe option kit. It was sold separately and user-installed so it may
not be available from Apogee now. It was just meant for manual
pointing, though, not goto.

For guiding corrections in photography, actually. It only covers a range of
a couple of degrees.

3. How is this scope compared to the LX90 and Nexstar 8 for visual
use?

For visual use the LX10 is fine. I find the fork, however, to be not
too
stiff and the tripod is not nearly as stiff as that of an LX200.

I checked out a couple of them and agree they're fine for visual but not
great for imaging.

Good point; that's what you get for the lighter weight. For perspective,
this is an appreciably better telescope than the original (1970s) Celestron
8. I suggest making a wooden tripod to damp out vibration.

"Michael A. Covington" wrote:

"Mike Simmons" wrote in message
...

Meade sold a dec motor unit as an option for the LX10 as part of the
Deluxe option kit. It was sold separately and user-installed so it may
not be available from Apogee now. It was just meant for manual
pointing, though, not goto.

For guiding corrections in photography, actually. It only covers a range of
a couple of degrees.

Yes, small motions such as guiding but I was also thinking of centering
(which I probably shouldn't have called "pointing").

Mike Simmons

"Michael A. Covington" wrote:

"Mike Simmons" wrote in message
...

Meade sold a dec motor unit as an option for the LX10 as part of the
Deluxe option kit. It was sold separately and user-installed so it may
not be available from Apogee now. It was just meant for manual
pointing, though, not goto.

For guiding corrections in photography, actually. It only covers a range of
a couple of degrees.

Yes, small motions such as guiding but I was also thinking of centering
(which I probably shouldn't have called "pointing").

Mike Simmons

Al wrote:

"Mike Simmons" wrote in message
...
Al wrote:

2. Does it come with OR can it be used with the Autostar?

No. Well, anything can be modified. When I was much younger, we
thought
nothing of putting a Chrysler engine in a Ford. You could also put
autostar
in an LX10, but it would cost too much. There does not seem to be any
space
in the LX10 fork to install a dec motor and drive unit. If you modified
the
fork to accept a dec unit, the fork would still be much too weak.

Meade sold a dec motor unit as an option for the LX10 as part of the
Deluxe option kit. It was sold separately and user-installed so it may
not be available from Apogee now. It was just meant for manual
pointing, though, not goto.

I'm almost certain that the dec unit you're talking about is used with the
tangent arm already on the LX10. If this is true, the maximum movement
would be only a few degrees...no good for GOTO.

Yes, that's the one, Al. Good for centering and -- as Michael the
astrophoto expert reminded me -- guiding. But "not goto", as I said in
my message quoted above.

Mike Simmons

Al wrote:

"Mike Simmons" wrote in message
...
Al wrote:

2. Does it come with OR can it be used with the Autostar?

No. Well, anything can be modified. When I was much younger, we
thought
nothing of putting a Chrysler engine in a Ford. You could also put
autostar
in an LX10, but it would cost too much. There does not seem to be any
space
in the LX10 fork to install a dec motor and drive unit. If you modified
the
fork to accept a dec unit, the fork would still be much too weak.

Meade sold a dec motor unit as an option for the LX10 as part of the
Deluxe option kit. It was sold separately and user-installed so it may
not be available from Apogee now. It was just meant for manual
pointing, though, not goto.

I'm almost certain that the dec unit you're talking about is used with the
tangent arm already on the LX10. If this is true, the maximum movement
would be only a few degrees...no good for GOTO.

Yes, that's the one, Al. Good for centering and -- as Michael the
astrophoto expert reminded me -- guiding. But "not goto", as I said in
my message quoted above.

Mike Simmons

HI all,
Thanks for all the replies. I thought I was looking at a low cost, albeit
old, LX-90 clone but as it turns out, only the OTA is similar. I'm quite
useless with manual finding, so a goto is a must for me...
In any case, as I live in the equator, I would have to set it up at a really
pain-in-the-you-know-what angle to use it in polar mode. Looks like I would
have to relook at a Nexstar instead to upgrade in aperture...
Warmest Regards and Clearesr skies to all.
--
If replying directly, please delete "abc" from e-mail address.
Thanks
"Michael A. Covington" wrote
in message ...

"Jornada" wrote in message
...

1. Is this scope an obsolete model?

I think it's still in production. It is a good, reliable telescope.

2. Does it come with OR can it be used with the Autostar?

No, but from companies such as JMI, you can buy digital setting circles.
That's a system where the computer finds the objects, but you move the
telescope. That is, it tells you which way to move and tells you when you
get there.

The motors in the LX10 track the stars -- that is, on an equatorial wedge,
they hold an object in view as the earth rotates. They do not (as far as
I
know) move the telescope from one object to another.

3. How is this scope compared to the LX90 and Nexstar 8 for visual
use?

Identical. Same optics as the Meade 8-inch f/10 LX90 and LX200.
Practically identical to the Celestron 8-inch f/10 in its various
incarnations.

I think you're getting a bargain.


--
Clear skies,

Michael Covington -- www.covingtoninnovations.com
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
and (new) How to Use a Computerized Telescope

HI all,
Thanks for all the replies. I thought I was looking at a low cost, albeit
old, LX-90 clone but as it turns out, only the OTA is similar. I'm quite
useless with manual finding, so a goto is a must for me...
In any case, as I live in the equator, I would have to set it up at a really
pain-in-the-you-know-what angle to use it in polar mode. Looks like I would
have to relook at a Nexstar instead to upgrade in aperture...
Warmest Regards and Clearesr skies to all.
--
If replying directly, please delete "abc" from e-mail address.
Thanks
"Michael A. Covington" wrote
in message ...

"Jornada" wrote in message
...

1. Is this scope an obsolete model?

I think it's still in production. It is a good, reliable telescope.

2. Does it come with OR can it be used with the Autostar?

No, but from companies such as JMI, you can buy digital setting circles.
That's a system where the computer finds the objects, but you move the
telescope. That is, it tells you which way to move and tells you when you
get there.

The motors in the LX10 track the stars -- that is, on an equatorial wedge,
they hold an object in view as the earth rotates. They do not (as far as
I
know) move the telescope from one object to another.

3. How is this scope compared to the LX90 and Nexstar 8 for visual
use?

Identical. Same optics as the Meade 8-inch f/10 LX90 and LX200.
Practically identical to the Celestron 8-inch f/10 in its various
incarnations.

I think you're getting a bargain.


--
Clear skies,

Michael Covington -- www.covingtoninnovations.com
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
and (new) How to Use a Computerized Telescope