About the scope:
The 10" LX200GPS is a fork mounted Schmidt- Cassegrain it has a focal length of 2500mm and a focal ratio of F/10. It comes standard with a GPS (global positioning system) an AutoStar II controller for GOTO operations, Zero Image Shift Microfocuser, SMT (Smart mount technology) The LPI (Lunar Planetary imager) with AutoStar Suite and a Primary mirror lock. More on these later. It also comes with a 26mm super Plossl eyepiece and a 1.25" diagonal and the standard field tripod. The LX200GPS can be used in either an ALT/AZ configuration or Polar (with an optional wedge). You can get the optional UHTC coatings or the standard MgF2 coatings on the correcting lens and standard aluminum coatings on the primary and secondary mirrors. It can be computer controlled using all the standard.
Why the 10" LX200GPS?:
Well size matters right? Not all the time. For me the 10" was a compromise...big enough to satisfy my need for a bigger scope and small enough for me to still be able to haul it around. The GOTO was a nice feature for me. I don’t have a lot of time so the time I do get to go out I like to use for actually seeing the faint fuzzies and not searching for them. GOTO is not for everyone but for me it is essential. I also wanted to dabble in Astrophotography and the LX200GPS affords me that option with its PEC (periodic error correction) and ability to track accurately at an affordable price. Computer control was also high on the list of must haves.
Unpacking and Setup:
I was lucky enough to purchase my scope locally. I picked it up from Science and Hobby in New York state (they have since moved). I really did not expect the boxes this scope comes in to be so huge! It comes in three boxes one contains the tripod, one the OTA and a smaller box with the accessories. It was quite the Houdini act cramming these into a small Toyota Celica but I managed to stuff them in and drive home.
When I arrived home and lugged everything in the house it was time to open up the boxes and see my new Telescope. Everything was packed with care and the OTA/Fork assembly was really packed well in giant foam cutouts that protected it very well. I saved the boxes and foam. The foam can be reused if and when I make a box to haul it around with. Everything was accounted for and in good shape.
Time to set this puppy up! In the ALT/AZ setup mode lifting the scope onto the tripod is easy . . . but getting the center tripod bolt lined up with the mounting hole in the base of the scope is to say the least tricky! The OTA/Fork assembly weighs about 62lbs, now trying to hold this beast with one hand while moving it slightly back and forth on the tripod head while trying to get the bolt to screw in with the other hand is quite difficult the first few times you try. The scope wants to fall to the floor if you shift it too far in one direction and only having one hand to grab it is scary. But with some practice it gets easier. There are also some mods you can to the tripod that will aid you in mounting the scope. See Springy Thingy here. http://www.meadelx200gps.com/images/other/springy_bolt02_thumb.jpg
Once attached to the tripod you have to attach the finder scope, Microfocuser, diagonal, connect the AutoStar controller and insert the batteries. The scope uses 8 C cell batteries four mounted in each fork arm battery compartment. It also has an input on the control panel for 12v DC. I highly recommend using an external 12v power source for supplying the scope with juice. The batteries drain quickly and can cause erratic behavior in the scope if the proper voltage is not available. Random slews, motor fault interruption to name a few.
So after attaching all the do dads and supplying power it was time to power up! ( My first setup was during the day). First you need to orient the scope correctly. That would be with the OTA pointing north and the control panel facing south. You also need to center the scope between its hard stops by disengaging the RA lock and spinning the OTA around slowly till you meet a hard stop then rotate it back the other way approx. 1.5 turns till the OTA is pointing North. This will put the scope midway between the hard stops and you’re ready to go. When power is applied, the AutoStar goes through its initializing routine it checks for a firmware version (up datable via computer and Meade’s website) and configuration settings. First times users have to do some customizing for their particular situation. You have to set your site info. It comes from the factory defaulted to Irvine Ca. You need to change that to your local viewing area. It’s as easy as scrolling through the AutoStar menus and selecting your country, state and a nearby city. This allows the GPS unit to know where to look in the sky for the satellites and acquire them faster. You also have to select your mounting preference, ALT/AZ or Polar You also need to Train the drives. This will let the scope know how much slop in the gears there is and how to compensate for it. It is essential to train the drives for good tracking. After Training the drives and customizing your setting’s you power up again it will go to the ALIGN options. You have a few to choose from, AUTO, One star, Two Star and Easy. If you choose the Auto Align option it will level the scope, It does this by first finding north (it has an electronic compass) then it will do a tip tilt dance by slewing up and down a few times. Then it will slew approx. to the east and repeat the tip tilt, finally slewing approx. south and repeating the tip tilt dance. After it has figured level out it will try and take a GPS fix. This GPS fix will give the scope Lat and Lon info time and date. The first time you do. This may take awhile. But after that I can get a GPS fix in about 10-15 seconds. After it gets its GPS fix it will select two stars for you to center in the eyepiece, pressing ENTER after you center each one. The closer you get the stars to the center the better your GOTOs will be. I use a 9mm illuminated reticle eyepiece and my goto’s are spot on.
Optics:
I have not looked through a lot of telescopes so comparison is difficult. All I will say is that the optics on my LX200 are superb. The coatings are applied well and star tests are fantastic (when seeing allows) It came from Meade well collimated and with the addition of Bob’s knobs to the secondary it’s easy to keep that collimation right on.
SMT:
Smart Mount Technology. SMT improves pointing accuracy of LX200GPS scopes. It is more or less a 40 star alignment routine for highly accurate GOTOs used mostly for astrophotography. Because of the 40 or so star alignment and the time that it takes its recommended for permanently mounted telescopes in an observatory. If you move the mount then SMT will need to be redone.
LPI:
The LPI and AutoStar Suite software package is a nice introduction to imaging bright objects in our night skies. The LPI itself is a very small and lightweight CMOS imager. Combined with the Imaging software contained with the AutoStar Suite you can be up and imaging in no time. It’s not a CCD astro camera by any means but it will give you a good introduction to imaging to see if that’s for you. The rest of the AutoStar Suite package includes a planetarium program for computer control of your scope. It’s as simple as point and click and slew. Another benefit is you can use the LPI as an autoguider. I’ve heard mixed reports. Some say it works fine and others have had problems. I have not tried it yet but plan to and will give my opinion when I do. All in all it’s a nice package for Meade to throw in.
Other Things:
There are a few minor issues with this scope that needs to be mentioned. First issue is mirror shift when focusing. This can be quite annoying while trying to focus. The mirror on a Schmidt-Cassegrain scope moves back and forth on a sled for focus. Any motion of the mirror back and forth or up and down will cause the object you are looking at to shift in the FOV This is inherent in all Schmidt-Cassegrain designs not just Meade. But its annoying! The good news is that it can be dealt with to some degree. You need to distribute the grease that is applied to the sled the mirror rides on. This involves turning the focus knob all the way through its travel back and forth 10-15 times. This will spread the grease more evenly on the sled, allowing smother movement and less image shift. Another potential problem is the focuser mechanism itself. It can cause backlash which will cause the object to shift in the FOV also. Meade uses flat plastic bushings on its focuser mechanism. I replaced mine with roller bearings and I found it to decrease the amount of shift and also gives the focuser a nice smooth feel. The LX200 has an electronic microfocuser that if used in conjunction with the Primary mirror lock will eliminate all mirror shift/flop and is essential for any astrophotography and nice for high magnification visual work.
When these scopes were released initially, Meade had some quality control issues. Gears not meshing properly, connectors not connected or not tight enough, ribbon cables routed improperly and failing. These issues have been addressed and corrected for the most part. Not to say there are no problems ever reported but it seems that Meade has and continues to monitor these scopes with the intention of fixing known problems.
The 1.25" diagonal is junk! Period. Get a nice 2" diagonal. The AutoStar buttons could be better, they seem to get worn or dirty over time and seem sluggish. They can be cleaned by the user and there is a repair kit that addresses this problem. Also, the AutoStar does not like the cold. The display gets dim and sluggish. I use chemical hand warms to keep it toasty and it works well.
Final Thoughts:
Overall I’m very happy with my 10" LX200GPS. The AutoStar is a pleasure to use. You just have to play with it awhile and once you learn the menu structure and become comfortable, it becomes second nature. The scope is 2 years old and I have had no major issues with its performance. So if your looking for GOTO, computer control and great optics with a throw in imager. I think for the price and for what you get its well worth it. The question is...would I do it again? NOPE...I’d get the 14" LX200GPS! :)
All opinions are based on my experiences Your mileage may vary. :)