Is there an easy way to upgrade an early (1992) Meade 8" SCT to exploit modern "GOTO" technologies?

[djl...@gmail.com]

Hello,

I've just inherited a Meade LX200 8", originally purchased in 1993,
with wedge and fork mount motorised in the RA axis. I am very lucky!
It is beautiful,

I'm a lapsed viewer, but recieving this gorgeous instrument has re-
awakened my interest. I'd like to make viewing more accessible
(hahemm age is creeping up) so I'd like to mount it on a "go to" fork
to speed up the process of getting started, etc. Once I'm going
again, I'm guessing I'll soon start polar aligning and CCD-ing the sky
again...

Is there an easy way to upgrade an early Meade 8" SCT to exploit
modern "GOTO" technologies?

Thanks,

//Derek

[Roger Hamlett]

Er. Double check the model number....
If it is an 'LX200', then it already supports GoTo!.
Get the history of models at:
<http://skywatch.brainiac.com/used/index.htm>
It is a big file...
It sounds as if this is probably an LX50, or an LX100, rather than an
LX200. People have added GoTo to these in various ways in the past,
but nothing 'easy'.
Most though had Dec drives, as well as RA drives (trying to think of a
model that didn't...). If it is the LX50, you might be able to add a
'push to' controller (a-la Magellan-II, which was Meade's own
version).
I think in general, any 'upgrade', will cost _more_ than selling the
current scope, and getting a new model.

Best Wishes

[Bob Brannon]

The LX 5 did not have a dec drive, but I do not think they were made after
about 1987-88......

bob

"Roger Hamlett" <rogerspa...@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:p255u3pk6v1cu9ffk...@4ax.com...

[djl...@gmail.com]

On Mar 20, 5:58 pm, Roger Hamlett
<rogerspamigno...@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote:

Roger!

Thanks for your quick response! You were right to question the model
number - after reviewing the file you pointed me to I've arrived at
the conclusion that I'm the proud owner of a 2080, even though the
dealer's invoice clearly states LX200!

I'm guessing the likelihood of a "GOTO" upgrade just got less :-(

I'll consider your replacement suggestion - has the 2080 retained it's
value well?

Thanks for your help, and best regards,

//Derek

[djl...@gmail.com]

On Mar 21, 9:04 am, Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfr...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:49:35 -0700 (PDT), djla...@gmail.com declaimed
> the following in alt.telescopes.meade:

>
>
>
> > Thanks for your quick response! You were right to question the model
> > number - after reviewing the file you pointed me to I've arrived at
> > the conclusion that I'm the proud owner of a 2080, even though the
> > dealer's invoice clearly states LX200!
>

> Likely it is an LX-2 (back in the 80s, LX was "Long exposure" --
> meaning a higher quality worm gear/RA gear, and probably [check the tube
> for labels] HTC [high transmission coating - on the correction plate]
> and EMCG [enhanced mirror coatings group -- silver rather than aluminum
> secondary]). LX (along with EMCG/HTC) was an extra cost option... With
> the 200 series, LX became a noise term (since there was no version
> without LX designation... original LX were still analog drives, driven
> by AC line frequency; LX200 were DC with computer controlled stepper
> motors).
>
> Oh, and yes... 2080 was the "size" -- 80-> 8" primary. 2100 -> 10"
> primary.
>
> I had one in time for Halley... Sold it on eBay after buying an
> LX200GPS 8" (I don't think Meade did silvered secondaries at that point
> in time -- bad enough my old 2080 had to be shipped back for mirror
> refinish; I'd had some sort of mildew/bloom take over the primary <G>)
> --
> Wulfraed Dennis Lee Bieber KD6MOG
> wlfr...@ix.netcom.com wulfr...@bestiaria.com
> HTTP://wlfraed.home.netcom.com/
> (Bestiaria Support Staff: web-a...@bestiaria.com)
> HTTP://www.bestiaria.com/

Dennis,

Thanks for your reply.

The only labels on the scope are "Multi Coated Optics Group" (on the
OTA) and a serial number plate (on the drive base). Does this tell
you (or anyone else) anything? Though the dealer's invoice states
"LX200", the manual is for a 2080, with a reference to "additional LX/
3 instructions appended where appropriate". There is no LX/3
appendix.

I'll continue to research.

I'm a bit surprised there isn't a straight forward fork mount swap
available.

I've seen adverts and a review of iOptron's "Cube" mount (claimed to
be suitable for "up to 8" SCT) but am sceptical that the eccentric
single-point mount offered by that is sufficiently stable, and would
be concerned that it may overload the mounting point on the scope.

Nice Vespa! My son rides a GTS125, I ride a BMW K1200S :-)

Best regards,

//Derek

[Roger Hamlett]

The problem is that forks, really need quite a bit of custom fitting
for different size tubes, hence third party mounts, tend to be EQ
based (GEM), rather than fork designs.
Forget the Cube. It could (possibly) carry a _very light_ 8" SCT, but
would be appalling. The simplest upgrade, would be an EQ mount.
Something like the HEQ5, would handle this quite well.
Most of the 'third party' mounts, tend to be trying to aim a little up
market of the standard forks, and as such tend to be relatively
expensive. One possibility, would be to check Astromart or similar
sites, where just occassionally, people with scopes like the LX90,
upgrade to a GEM, and offer the mount for sale. With some care, it is
pretty certain that your tube could be made to fit.
The standard mounts and scopes are sold so cheaply, and a modern OTA,
will almost certainly be better than your example, that upgrading the
mount is likely to cost nearly as much as getting a new scope...

Best Wishes

[djl...@gmail.com]

On Mar 23, 10:59 pm, Roger Hamlett
<rogerspamigno...@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote:

Thanks again for your good advice Roger.

I've done some research / Googling / eBaying and listening to others
and see that your words make perfect sense. I'll go the way you
suggest, and maybe get hold of a SkyScout or MySky as an interim
solution to help in locating objects. What do you think?

//Derek

[M]

> //Derek- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I hope that you paid the price for the 2080 then, instead of and
LX200. Big difference.

Look here:
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/used/index.htm

This is Rod Molise's Used SCT user Guide. It has information on all
known SCT models that have been manufactured since the original
Celestron 8 way back in the 1970s

You could take the OTA off of the forks amnd mount them to a second
party German Equitorial Mount, like a Losmandy GM-8
That would give you a modern GOT mount with Losmandy's Gemini system.

Matthew Ota
Orange County Astronomers