 A 16" (406.4 mm) aperture Meade LX200 in the York University Observatory | |
| Diameter | 16 in (0.41 m) |
|---|---|
| Website | www |
 Related media on Commons | |
The Meade LX200 is a family of commercial telescopes produced by Meade Instruments launched in 1992 with 8" (20.32 cm) and a 10" (25.4 cm) Schmidt–Cassegrain models on computerized altazimuth mounts.[1][2] Two larger models, a 12" (30.48 cm) and a 16" (40.64 cm), quickly followed. The original version was later informally named the "classic" LX200 as newer upgraded versions replaced it.[3] The first of these was the LX200GPS, which featured global positioning system electronics.[3] A 360 mm (14 in) LX200GPS was later added to the line.
The advantage of the LX200 was price for its performance, which was accomplished by using electronics and software to equal the pointing performance of more expensive systems.[2] Software and optical encoders corrected for errors, and the telescope also came with auto-guiding CCD and planetarium software.[2]
A related series introduced in 2005 was the even higher end RCX400 (later renamed LX400-ACF), with new optics and a motorized focus/collimation system, and with upgraded fork mount electronics.[4] These were available in the same 8" (20.32 cm) to 16" (40.64) size range on the new fork mount, and the 16" (40.64 cm) optical tube assembly (OTA), along with a new 20" (50.8 cm) OTA, were available on a new German equatorial mount. These were all f/8 optical systems, costing up to $50,000 for the 20" on the German equatorial mount.[5]
An f/10 version of the new optics later replaced the optics of the existing LX200GPS fork mount models, with the new product line now called the LX200R (later renamed LX200-ACF).[3] The revised optics are called advanced coma free (ACF) after a lawsuit by Star Instruments and RC Optical Systems disallowed implying that they were based on Ritchey–Chrétien optics.[6]
In September 2012, an amateur astronomer used an LX200GPS to record an impact on the planet Jupiter.[7]
- ^ Rod Mollise – "The Past, Present and Future of the Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope" (ALCON 2003/Nashville), Power Point (.ppt)
- ^ a b c Martin Mobberley (2004). The New Amateur Astronomer. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-85233-663-9.
- ^ a b c Lawrence Harris (2010). So You Want a Meade LX Telescope!: How to Select and Use the LX200 and Other High-End Models. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4419-1775-1.
- ^ "Meade's RCX400: Raising the Bar". 6 March 2006.
- ^ Durango Skies – LX400-ACF 20" (f/8) w/UHTC on MAX Mount w/Tripod Archived 2011-04-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ RC vs Meade
- ^ A Fresh Impact on Jupiter