Meade LXD75 Telescopes

[jet486]

Got the oppurtunity to purchase either the Meade LXD75 "8" Schmidt - Cassegrain or the LXD75 "10" Schmidt - Newtonian. I'm interested in deep space photography so with that in mind can anyone point me to which scope would best suit my needs?

Cheers.

[Alchemy]

if you are going down the path of digital camera then the lower f ratio will be the go , also with a shorter focal length its easier.

it might be old but american sky and telescope did a detailed review of the lxd 55 in december 2002 ( you could probably dig it out of their archives), this is almost the same but the legs have been upgraded and a few enhancements on the mount drive, as far as i know the tube is the same.

A brief synopsis is this... pros , quality metal construction and finish,multipurpose optical system for photo and visual work,autostar goto.
Cons finder bracket difficult to secure, 10 inch scope at limit of mounts capacity for photo work.

i personally have never looked through one so i cant comment specifically hopefully an owner of one can comment.

Cheers al

[jet486]

Thanks Alchemy. Just wondering what you mean by what you mention about the 10" scope "limit of mounts capacity for photowork"?

Cheers

[Alchemy]

the stability of the mount is the question, as you have to track and guide very accurately you cant have any movement.

once you have a heavy scope on a mount its more prone to wind, vibration etc. some do a rap test , where you tap the tube and see how long it vibrates/ shakes for ... the heavier the tube in relation to the mounts capacity the less stable it is. there is a limit where the mount can work effectively and well ..... usually less than the manufacturer claims

[Mark]

The 8" SCT is better suited to the LXD75 mount as Alchemy mentioned. You should look on the SCT as dual purpose scope. The 8" is pretty good for DSO's and excellent for planetary work. If you plan to image DSO's then a focal reducer/corrector is a must.

The SN10 is designed as a rich-field scope that delivers gob-smacking views on DSO's. It would make a better DSO imaging scope than the SCT, maybe not so good for planets. You would need a 4x barlow or similar to get decent image scale methinks. I have an SN10 but have not done any planetary observing with it (and don't plan to).

IMO Meade's SCT's are better made than the SN's. The optics are on par but the mechanical assemblies are superior in the SCT, as is the fit & finish.

If your goal is DSO work, go the SN. If you have the opportunity, have a good look at (and through) both scopes before you decide.

Mark

[SMR]

Hi.

I own an Meade 8" Schmidt-Newt, and it's a great scope. But I bought the OTA only, and the stock rack-and-pinion focuser has been replaced by a Crayford with motor focus, etc.

I agree with the other comments -- the LXD75 mount is being pushed to its limits with ah 8" or 10" SNT. I'm using the scope on a HEQ5 mount, rather than the Meade mount. Even so, it's a bit heavy for the mount. If I were doing it again, I'd pay the extra for a heftier mount.

If you're planning on getting into DSO imaging, I'd vote for the faster scope. But by the OTA and a better mount. You won't regret the latter purchase in the long run.

Hope this helps.

[jet486]

Thanks everyone. Your comments suggest that maybe I should look for something else at this price range ($2600AUD)> Any suggestions?

[Mark]

You can get a Skywatcher 10" Newtonian on an EQ6 for $2600. That's the non-goto version. If the EQ6 is the SynTrek version you can use EQMOD to turn it into a goto scope via pc/laptop. Or even update it later with the SynScan controller.

I think the scope with the EQ6 Pro (goto) is only about $300 more if you can swing it.

Mark

[Omaroo]

I had the pleasure of imaging through Zane Hammonds' 10" SN a couple of weeks ago at his Magellan Observatory. His was a little modified to get great performance out of it. His is mounted on a hefty Losmandy GM200. Here's a quote from him on an earlier thread of mine:



Food for thought? I personally would like to have one for imaging - modified or not.

Cheers
Chris

[Alchemy]

my thoughts on the matter for buying individual components.....more towards astrophotography

the mount is the most important peice of your kit, and you should buy a good one first up IMHO the eq6 is the minimum choice, going up from there gm8, g11, then on to expensive stuff.

you can take a good image with a good mount and an lower budget scope.

putting a great scope on a poor mount is like putting lipstick on a pig.

..... a moment to compose oneself....... dont buy a cheap mount if you want to do astrophotography... visual is not such an issue.

[jet486]

Alchemy, sorry for the delay but I've just check both GM8 and G11 (Losmandy) but these mounts are well above my $2600Aud. I'm still interested in either the Meade LXD75 8 or 10 inch models. Is there any other scope that you could suggest at this price range for the primary use in Astrophotography. Your help will be much appreciated. Cheers

[dugnsuz]

The white LXD mount is basically a Meade badged EQ5 mount with the Autostar GoTo setup.
I own the Skywatcher equivalent...

https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Images/Stock/7529X.jpg

...it can be picked up for approx $1149 around the traps leaving around $1450 of your budget for scope etc.

I have an ED80 and guidescope + camera etc on this mount which I feel is close to the limit that the mount can cope with for astrophotography. Here's a pic without guidescope...
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=31477&d=1188695226
A 10" scope on an EQ5 type mount will not serve you well for a developing interest in astrophotography in my opinion, just too heavy even before you start adding equipment necessary for guiding etc, which believe me will be wanted/needed as you grow into the hobby.
An 8" reflector is probably the best trade off in terms of visual v's photography on an EQ5.
But, in my experience the ED80 refractor + accessories is as heavy as I would put on the mount for astrophotography.

Goes without saying (but I'll say it!!) that if you want to use an 8 or 10" scope for serious imaging work down the line, you'll need a heavy duty mount like an EQ6 to handle the load.

All the best
Doug

ps...I used to own a Celestron 8" SCT on an EQ5 mount - great scope, loved it for visual stuff. Never used it for imaging, at f10 you would need a focal reducer to bring the focal ratio down to f6.3 for photography - this will shorten your exposure times, necessary for minimising the effects of tracking errors until you get into autoguiding! But that's another story!!!

[davewaldo]

Hi Jet486,

If I had $2600 to spend on an imaging setup the mount decision would be easy. EQ6 PRO. If the physical size doesn't bother you then this is by far the best mount for your money at the moment ($1900).

As others have said, its the mount which matters most. A 10"SN would be nice to put on this mount but will be over budget. So I would recomend any good 8" reflector, like a skywatcher/celestron/GSO. One of these scopes could be purchased within budget and still have cash left for accessories like a coma corrector.

Otherwise, as Doug has said, an ED80 would also be a great choice for similar money. However an ED80 wont give you nice views visualy as it lacks aperature.

A meade schmit-newt would be nice (VERY nice :) ), but if it means buying a poor quality mount (like the LXD) then its not a good idea.

Hope this helps,

Dave.

[Aster]

How about a EQ6 Pro mount $1900 and a GSO 8" or 10" Dobsonian $500 -$600. Both are F5 instruments. Good for DSO.

Make a cradle for the tube and put it on the EQ6 Pro Mount

Alexander

[Mark]

If you don't mind second-hand there's an 8" SN/LXD75 in the Ice classifieds for a a pretty good price. Pick it up and on sell the mount. Use the leftover funds plus cash from the LXD sale to pick up a EQ6 Pro. You then have an 8" that'll be good for astrophotography with a mount that can handle it easily. Alternatively there's an 8" SCT LXD on another Aussie astro classifieds that well within your budget. Same scenario applies.

[jet486]

Thanks everyone for your comments. What a great site. Cheers.