MEADE LX200 203mm/2000 ACF 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo Telescope
- 8” Advanced Coma-Free (ACF™)
- 2000mm (f/10) Focal Length
- Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™)
- Features AutoStar® II: 145,000 Object-Database
- Built-In GPS
- Standard Field Tripod with Dual-Fork Mount
- Series 4000 26mm Super Plössl Eyepiece INCLUDED
- 8X50 Optical Viewfinder with Crosshair INCLUDED
Description
Engineered for peak performance, Meade Instruments' LX200-ACF 203mm f/10 Catadioptric GoTo Telescope combines multiple technologies to produce distortion-free high-contrast images with true color rendition across the entire flat field of view. The scope's performance begins with the aplanatic Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optical system, which produces a flat field of view with reduced astigmatism and zero diffraction. A low-expansion borosilicate primary mirror further reduces distortion due to temperature fluctuation, and the SCHOTT BOROFLOAT glass corrector plate aligns the light waves to correct spherical and chromatic aberrations. Meade then fully multi-coats all optical surfaces with their proprietary Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UTHC), which increase light transmission, further improve color fidelity, and boost contrast. For long-exposure astrophotography or long-duration observation sessions, the LX200 boasts a primary mirror lock to completely cancel any residual image shift due to mirror movement.
The advanced optical properties are just the start of the technologies that this GoTo telescope boasts. The optical tube assembly (OTA) is attached to the dual-fork alt-az mount, which has dual-axis micro motors to find and track objects with virtually zero vibrations. Meade outfitted it with a built-in 16-channel GPS receiver and a time chip, so the mount can automatically determine the current date and time and its location within minutes of being turned on. The information is sent to the AutoStar II controller, which uses an electromagnetic sensor to determine True North and can automatically align the scope with minimal user interface. During long observation or exposure imaging sessions, the controller continuously checks its orientation and tracking and adjusts it as needed, sending the data to the Smart Mount and Smart Drive systems, which learn the tracking errors and adjust for the future.
The brain of the mount is Meade's iconic AutoStar II computer controller. This handheld unit has an internal database of over 145,000 objects from the Moon and planets, to galaxies, nebulae, and constellations. It can calculate future events like sunrises and meteor showers and predict solar and lunar eclipses for the next 100 years. Once set up and running, the AutoStar II can take you on guided tours of the best objects visible above, including audio tours that can be heard from the internal speaker.
The mount and OTA are supported by a sturdy adjustable-height stainless steel tripod that is designed to absorb vibrations for even clearer views. To get you started, Meade includes a 1.25" visual back for the OTA and a 26mm eyepiece that yields 77x magnification. For alignment and manual star-hopping navigation, an 8x50 finderscope and mounting bracket are also included. This finderscope has an illuminated aiming reticle with variable intensity to protect night-adjusted vision.
Optical Tube
- Large 203mm (8") aperture
- f/8 focal ratio
- 2000mm focal length
- Schmidt-Cassegrain optical path
- Resolution: 0.57 arcsec, Dawes' Limit
- Internal single-speed focusing system
- 1.25" visual back for popular-sized eyepieces and accessories
Optical Technology
- Advanced Coma-Free system:
- Reduces off-axis comas and astigmatism for sharper images
- Eliminates diffraction spikes for better resolution
- Aplanatic design produces flat, distortion-free images across the field of view, especially at the edges
- Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC):
- All corrector plate and mirror surfaces are fully multi-coated
- Engineered to optimize visual, photographic, and CCD imaging
- Improve light transmission across the entire visible spectrum through the optical path
- Corrector plate coatings made up of multiple layers of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), and magnesium fluoride (MgF2)
- Mirror coatings consist of aluminum with multi-layer coatings of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicon dioxide (SiO2)
Mount
- Motorized Alt-Az
- Heavy-duty double-tine fork configuration
- Dual-axis fine manual adjustment controls when not using motors
- Internal GPS receiver and time chip automatically determine date, time, and location, and require no user input during setup
- Control mount remotely via PC using the RS232 interface
- Runs on eight user-supplied C-cell batteries or optional 12 VDC power supply
Smart Mount
- Improves the pointing accuracy of the computer controller
- Enables the AutoStar II to automatically identify and correct systematic pointing errors
Smart Drive
- Works with Autostar II to improve drive accuracy for better tracking and slewing the more it is used
AutoStar II Computer Controller
- Full GoTo capabilities
- Intuitive menu-driven interface
- 145,000-object database
- Tracking accuracy: ±1 arcsec
- Periodic Error Correction (PEC) and Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PPEC) train out tracking errors for more precision
- Multiple alignment procedures: Auto-Align, Easy, One Star, Two Star, Align on Home
- Multiple slew speeds: Variable in 0.01x increments from 0.1x to 1.0x; 1x, 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x, sidereal, 1°/sec, 2°/sec
- Tracking rates: Sidereal, Lunar, Custom; select from 2000 incremental rates
- Calculate future dates and times for events like sunrises and sunsets; moonrises, moonsets, and Moon phases; solar and lunar eclipses for the next 100 years; meteor showers; and equinoxes and solstices
- Guided tours available based on when and where scope is set up
- Guided audio tours via built-in speaker
Auto-align procedure
- Automatically determines the level point on the scope and determines where True North is based on GPS info
- Scope determines and moves to the "home" position, calculating the limiting positions of the telescope to avoid tangling cables and over-rotating the telescope
- Once complete, mount moves scope to two bright stars calculated by time, date, and location and user simply needs to fine adjust so the star is centered in field of view
Database objects
- Planets
- Stars
- Galaxies
- Nebulae
- Comets
- Satellites
- Common constellations
- Moon features like landing points, mountains, craters, and lakes
- User-defined objects
- New General Catalog (NGC)
- Index Catalog (IC)
- Messier Catalog (M)
- Caldwell Catalog
- Named Objects
- Herschel Catalog
- Abell Catalog of Galaxy Clusters
- Arp Catalog of Irregular Galaxies
- Uppsala Galaxy Catalog
- Morphological Catalog of Galaxies
- General Catalog of Variable Stars
- SAO
- Hipparcos Star Catalog
Physical properties
- Two-line display with red backlight
- Red backlit control buttons
- Built-in speaker
Videos
 Connecting a MEADE LX90 Mount to your PC
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 Setup my 10" MEADE LX90 for astrophotography
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Specifications
| Series |
LX200 Telescopes |
| Warranty |
1 Year |
| Experience Level |
Intermediate, Advanced |
| Activity |
Astroimaging, Observing |
| Type |
Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) |
| Clear Aperture |
8" |
| Optical Design |
Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) |
| Optical Coatings |
UHTC™ |
| Focal Length |
2,000mm |
| Focal Ratio |
f/10 |
| Resolving Power (Dawes' Limit) |
0.570 arc-seconds |
| Oversized Primary Mirror |
Yes |
| Mirror Lock |
Yes |
| Viewfinder |
8x50mm with cross-hair reticle |
| Eyepiece(s) |
26mm Series 4000™ Super Plössl |
| Focuser Mechanism |
Single Speed Focuser |
| Diagonal |
1.25" diagonal mirror |
| Hand Controller |
AutoStar® II |
| Object Database |
145,000 objects |
| Pointing Precision (High-Precision Mode) |
1 arc-minute (+/-) |
| Periodic Error Correction |
Both Axes |
| Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PPEC) |
Yes |
| Typical Guiding Performance with StarLock |
< 1 arc-second |
| Slow Motion Controls |
Mechanical & Electronic |
| Slew Speeds |
RA and Dec: 0.01x to1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x sidereal; 1°/sec. to 2°/sec., variable in 0.1° increments. |
| Tracking Rates |
Sidereal, Lunar, or custom-selected from 2000 incremental rates |
| Control Panel |
12v DC in, 12v DC out, Power, Focuser, Reticle, Handbox port, 2x computer connection ports (RS232), 1 Aux guide port |
| Tripod |
Standard Field Tripod |
| Power Source |
(Optional) 12v DC, 5 amp Meade Universal Power Supply |
| Batteries (User-Supplied) |
8 x C cells |
| GPS Receiver |
Yes |
| True Level & North Sensors (LNT) |
Yes |
| Time Chip |
Yes |
| Electronic Focuser |
Optional |
| Smart Mount™ |
Yes |
| Smart Drive™ |
Yes |
| Anti-vibration Pads |
Optional |
| Wedge |
Optional |
