| 8" AND 10"
LX50 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope |
Meade 8" and 10"
Schmidt - Cassegrain Telescopes, with standard equatorial wedge and optional
variable-height standard field tripod. |
Advanced optical and electronic
technology at the most affordable prices ever.
Designed for advanced visual
and astrophotographic applications, Meade 8" and 10" LX50's include important
standard-equipment
features
for the serious observer:
Battery-Powered, Completely
Cordless Operation: Meade LX50 models operate for more than 50 hours
from six AA-size batteries inserted through the telescope's control panel.
Or use the standard-equipment 25 ft. cord to power the telescope directly
from any automobile cigarette lighter plug.
The LX50 electronic
hand controller
|
Declination Motor and Hand
Controller: Plug the hand controller into the LX50 control panel and
you're ready for full dual-axis drive capability at any of four photo-guide
or microslew speeds: 2x, 8x, 16x, or 32x, plus quartz-controlled sidereal-rate
tracking in R.A. Use the 2x rate for photo-guiding; 8x for image centering
at higher powers; 16x for image centering at moderate powers; and 32x for
microslewing of the telescope–roving over the surface of the Moon, for
example. Switch speeds instantly using the speed-control button on the
hand controller.
Super Multi-Coated Optics:
The
exact same EMC Super Multi-Coated optical tube assemblies included with
the Meade LX200 models.
"I
spent over a year reading telescope specifications before I bought my first
telescope, a Meade 8" LX50. I want to say how happy I am with this product.
My prime concern was portability, and the LX50 is perfect, as it has DC
power, and the 8" aperture is light enough for me to carry and set up.
The optics offer superb views of star clusters, nebulae, and planets. Would
I recommend this telescope? I already have, not only to people in my local
astronomy section but also on the Internet." –Patricia Kocinski,
Rochester, New York.
Control Panel: Includes
connectors for CCD autoguiders; for the standard-equipment Declination
motor; and for the optional Magellan II Computer-Corrector. A North-South
switch permits telescope operation anywhere in the world.
Massive LX200-type Fork
Mounts: Meade LX50 mounts are manufactured of the same aluminum castings
as LX200 models. Massive, rigid mountings that include the Meade LX worm-gear
drive system with low periodic error for advanced photographic or CCD imaging
applications.
| Magellan
II Computer-Corrector for LX50 Telescopes |
Magellan II hand
controller.
|
Available optionally for any
Meade LX50 model (including the 7" LX50), the Magellan II hand controller
plugs into the LX50 control panel and puts a dazzling array of important
features at the observer's fingertips:
Manually slew to the
R.A. and Dec of any object you wish to observe, or call up an object
from Magellan's massive 12,218-object database. Magellan's two powerful
microprocessors calculate the telescope's position in milliseconds and
direct your manual movements of the telescope for fast, accurate object
location.
Use Magellan II's hand
controller for 4-speed, dual-axis drive corrector functions, combined
in the same hand controller as the computerized object-location capabilities
described above.
Use the 32x microslew
speed and the FIND button to move to an object automatically:
after manually slewing the LX50 "close" (e.g., within one or two
degrees) to a desired object, direct the telescope at the push of the FIND
button to move automatically the remaining distance to the object.
Magellan II is easy to
use! The high-resolution, 4096-pulse Hewlett-Packard encoders enable
location of even the faintest, most obscure objects every time. Encoder
precision is 5.3 arc minutes. Magellan's standard-equipment database includes
a wide range of important celestial objects:
| 7,840 |
NGC objects;
the complete NGC catalog |
| 4,093 |
IC objects from
the Index Catalog |
| 125 |
user-defined
objects |
| 110 |
Messier objects;
the complete catalog |
| 42 |
alignment stars
for the Magellan system |
| 8 |
major planets,
from Mercury to Pluto |
| ______ |
| 12,218 |
objects, total |
|
The Meade Magellan II
System does not "convert an LX50 into an LX200;" only the LX200 has
the extremely high precision encoders and electronic control systems required
for automatic GO TO positioning to an accuracy of one arc minute, among
many other advanced features. Magellan II is, however, the finest computer
system available, short of an LX200. Telescope alignment by the 2-star
method is accomplished in seconds. And Magellan II's optical encoders
tuck neatly into compartments designed into the LX50 fork mounting. The
unit is powered by connection of the hand controller to the LX50 control
panel; no external power source is required.
Specifications for #2024
Magellan II Computer-Corrector for Meade 7", 8", and 10" LX50 Telescopes:
Includes Magellan II hand controller with red-backlighted LCD display,
19 pushbuttons, and four dual-axis speed rates (2x, 8x, 16x, 32x). High-resolution,
4096-pulse encoders for both telescope axes; 12,218-object computer database;
2-star alignment; RS-232 serial interface; attachment hardware; instructions.
Initial installation on any 7", 8", or 10" LX50 model requires less than
15 minutes.
| Specifications of 8"
Model LX50: 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube assembly with EMC super
multi-coatings (D=203mm, F=2000mm, f/10); heavy-duty LX200-type fork mount
with 4"-dia. sealed polar ball bearing; 5.75" LX worm gear and quartz-microprocessor-controlled
DC servo-motor in RA; tangent arm and DC servo motor control system in
Dec; multi-function control panel; manual and electric slow-motion controls
and setting circles in both axes; keypad hand controller; 4-speed drive
controls on both axes; battery compartment accepting six (user-supplied)
AA-size batteries; 25 ft. power cord for telescope operation from 12v.
auto cigarette lighter plug; 6 x 30mm viewfinder; eyepiece-holder and diagonal
prism (1.25"); MA25mm multi-coated eyepiece; standard equatorial wedge
with elevation scale, fine elevation control, bubble level, and azimuth
control; operating instructions. |
Meade 8" LX50 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Telescope, with standard equatorial wedge and optional variable-height
standard field tripod. |
| Specifications of 10"
Model LX50: Includes 10" Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube assembly with
EMC super multi-coatings (D=254mm, F=2500mm, f/10); heavy-duty LX200-type
fork mount with 4"-dia. sealed polar ball bearing; 5.75" LX worm gear and
quartz-microprocessor-controlled DC servo-motor in RA; tangent arm and
DC servo motor control system in Dec; multi-function control panel; manual
and electric slow-motion controls and setting circles in both axes; keypad
hand controller; 4-speed drive controls on both axes; battery compartment
accepting six (user-supplied) AA-size batteries; 25 ft. power cord for
telescope operation from 12v. auto cigarette lighter plug; 8 x 50mm viewfinder;
eyepiece-holder and diagonal prism (1.25"); MA25mm multi-coated eyepiece;
standard equatorial wedge with elevation scale, fine elevation control,
bubble level, and azimuth control; operating instructions.
For added stability in sensitive
applications, the 10" LX50 may also be purchased with the Superwedge in
place of the standard wedge. |
Meade 10" LX50 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Telescope, with standard equatorial wedge and optional variable-height
standard field tripod. |
| Specifications
and Features: Meade 8", and 10" LX50 Telescopes |
| Optical
Design |
Schmidt-Cassegrain |
| Clear
Aperture |
203mm
(8"); 254mm (10") |
| Primary
Mirror Diameter |
209.6mm
(8.25"); 263.5mm (10.38") |
| Focal
Length |
2000mm
(8"); 2500mm (10") |
 |
| Focal
Ratio (Photographic Speed) |
f/10 |
| Near
Focus (approx.) |
25
ft. (8"); 50 ft. (10") |
| Resolving
Power (arc secs.) |
0.56
(8"); 0.45 (10") |
| Super
Multi-Coatings (EMC) |
Standard |
| Limiting
Visual Magnitude (approx.) |
14.0
(8"); 14.5 (10") |
| Limiting
Photographic Magnitude (approx.) |
16.5
(8"); 17.0 (10") |
| Image
Scale (degs./inch) |
0.72
(8"); 0.57 (10") |
|
| Maximum
Practical Visual Power |
500X
(8"); 625X (10") |
| 35mm
Angular Film Coverage |
0.68°
x 0.97° (8") |
| |
0.54°
x 078° (10") |
|
| Optical
Tube Dimensions (dia. x length) |
9.1"
x 16" (8"); 11.75" x 22" (10") |
| Secondary
Mirror Obstruction (dia.; %) |
3.0"-14.1%
(8") |
| |
3.7"-13.7%
(10") |
|
| Telescope
Mounting |
Heavy-duty
fork-type; double tine |
| Setting
Circle Diameters |
Dec:
6"; RA: 8.75" |
| RA
Motor Drive System |
4-speed,
microprocessor - controlled 9v. DC servo motor, 5.75" LX worm gear |
|
| Hemispheres
of Operation |
North
and South, switchable |
| Declination
Control System |
4-speed,
microprocessor - controlled 9v. DC servo motor, tangent arm |
|
| Slow-Motion
Controls |
Manual
and electric, RA and Dec |
| Bearings |
Dec:
Nylon; RA: 1 - 4" dia. and 1 - 2.25" dia. ball bearing |
|
| Hand
Controller |
PIC16C54
microcontroller, 5 - button keypad; red LED speed-rate indicator |
|
| Main
Controller |
PIC16C57
microcontroller |
|
| Onboard
Celestial Object Database |
N/A |
|
| Slew
Speeds |
RA
and Dec: 2x, 8x, 16x, 32x sidereal |
| Materials:
Tube body |
Aluminum |
|
Mount castings |
Aluminum |
|
Primary & Secondary Mirrors [Note 1] |
Pyrex®
glass |
|
Correcting Plate/Lens |
Clear
float glass |
| Telescope
Dimensions, swung down |
9.25"
x 16" x 25" (8") |
| |
12"
x 19" x 31" (10") |
| Shipping
Carton Dimensions |
31"
x 22" x 14" (8") |
| |
38"
x 26" x 18" (10") |
| Total
Net Telescope Weight |
71
lbs. (8"); 89 lbs. (10") |
| Heaviest
Sub-Section for Field Assembly |
38
lbs. (8"); 55 lbs. (10") |
| Total
Shipping Weight (approx.) |
91
lbs. (8"); 122 lbs. (10") |
|
| #1220
Field De-rotater |
N/A |
| Equatorial
Wedge Latitude Range |
23°
to 64° (8") |
| |
15°
to 64° (10") |
| Field
Tripod Height (optional)[Note 2] |
30"
to 44" variable |
[1]
All Pyrex glass used in Meade Schmidt-Cassegrains and Maksutov-Cassegralns
is of Grade-A quality, fine-annealed.
[2]
The standard equatorial wedge adds approx. 9", and the Superwedge approx.
12", to the stated tripod heights.
Related Topics:
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