Meade or Celestron - Help needed

[ballaratdragons]

One of our SVAA members wants to buy an 8" SCT, but I know nothing about them to give advice to him.

Can someone recommend which is the easier and better for him. He is an elderly Gent, owns NO computer to upgrade anything, and he insists on a fork mount.

So that leaves him with a choice between the Meade LX90GPS SCT and the Celestron CPC 800 GPS XLT. Which one is the better scope? (that'll cause arguments)

There is only $300 difference between the two, so price doesn't come into the equation (unless one or the other has EP's included).

Any UNBIASED opinions would be appreciated, coz I can't help him. I know diddly squat about SCT's.

Thank You

P.S. I hope he doesn't need a computer to use one of these scopes coz he doesn't want one.

[Merlin66]

I'd go for the Meade. There's no real difference now adays between the OTA and I think the Meade is better supported, and has higher re-sale value. The "look" of the Celestron doesn't always appeal to the baby boomers, it targets x - y gen guys.

[h0ughy]

in the meade's arguement in the positive it does have a mirror lock - the celestron doesn't, both can have GPS, both have an accurate tracking and pointing system. So i think the mirror lock just gives it the advantage to the Meade. JMO

[Robert_T]

Hi Ken, I can't claim to be unbiased exactly, but I do have an eclectic mix of celestron and meade gear, with celestron OTA coupled with Meade electric focusser and often as not mounted on a mead LXD75 mount.

My humble experience is that is someone wants something that reasonably intuitive to use then Meade will have the advantage over celestron - their software to me is excellent. On OTA's all I've read suggests that Celstron still has an edge, though some of the images produced by 1ponders and by Lester show meade can mix it up.

reckon Meade is probably the way to go for the gentlemen in question.

cheers,

[acropolite]

The Meade LX90 doesn't have mirror lock, you have to get the more expensive LX200 model for mirror lock. The LX90 comes with a useful, if a bit fragile, red dot finder in addition to the standard (8x50 I think) viewfinder and a 26mm EP and 1.25 inch star diagonal. I have an LX90 and am very happy with it but , for the same money you can get a C9.25 on CG5 mount from Andrews, that would be my choice.

[Miaplacidus]

I dunno, Ken, if someone is allergic to computers maybe they'd be better off forgoing the GOTO option altogether. Let's face it, an Autostar IS a computer.

Anyway, as they say, the best telescope is always going to be the next telescope.

[netwolf]

Hi Ken,

I dont own one but based on reviews of the CPC i would say its a darn good telescope. Suggest you check out the reviews at Cloudynights and the one done by OPTCorp, also check out the images taken with CPC. I cant find it but i know there was an excellent pic of Saturn done with one.
http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=6950

Also I would have though based on what i have read that the CPC was better compared with the LXD than the LX90.

[g__day]

Hmmm, consider choices

8" Meade LX90 LNT $2,999 (Astro Optical Supplies)
8" Meade LX90 GPS $3,599
8" Celestron CPC $3,900

or

8" Celestron SGT $2,699 (GE not fork mount) (Andrews)
9.25" Celestron SGT $3,699 (GE mount).

I know which one I go for (the last). I'd drop the fork mount and GPS and go for a 9.25" GE scope in a heartbeat. Whilst agreeing with all that is said above, I'd really ask does your friend travel alot? Cause if this scope is not moving far, or if it's only moving to places with known lattitudes and longitudes or if his car has GPS - then I'd easily sacrifice GPS as a gimmick for aperature as an essential.

Fork mounts somehow look lovely to an amateur, far more stable and sexy! When I first started planning my third and fourth scopes I was really set on a fork mount - mainly cause of the advertising budget they get. But alot of reading and discussions here and over the web absolutely changed that point of view. Consider, what is Meade's top mount - a GE. What do serious astro-photographers mostly use - GE mounts. What are Celestrons lower and upper range of mounts - GE mounts. GE mounts just have alot of advantages over Forks.

If your mate is viewing mostly from his backyard - strongly suggest a pier and a GE mount.

That "must be a fork" assertion should be challenged as a bit of flexibility there might generate a whole lot of more satisfactory outcome for him! He should really question why a fork is better and do a basic amount of research into that condition, it's costing him value.

[[1ponders]]

Either way I don't think you would go wrong Ken. The Celestron "may" be better in the optics department, though I could show you a C11 I wouldn't use for an anchor, it is optically so poor.

I will admit bias though when it comes to the LX200GPS. I still miss mine after this long and if I had the money I would buy another one tomorrow simply for it's ease of use and portability.

[anthony2302749]

While the discussion has be about the virtues of a GOTO SCT you may also want to look a standard dob with digital setting circles such as the Argo. If the person is not intrested in astrophotography it would be a neat and easy to use package for visual observing and should cost about $1600+.

[casstony]

Ken, I'm assuming your friend wants a fork mount for its ease of use in alt/az mode and I'm assuming he wants to stay with an 8" to keep weight down. The CPC weighs about 42 pounds and the LX90 weighs about 31 pounds. If he's particularly interested in alt/az but not necessarily the fork mount, Celestron is introducing a new one armed scope with detachable ota which would be super portable, the Nexstar 8SE http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1-600-602-891-8380

Tony

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks all for your replies.

He is an old man who is worried about weight of the OTA. And he is stubbonly adamant about it being a fork mount!!!! Even though he is German, he doesn't want a German Equatorial Mount "I don't vont to vurry about countervates and zuch"

He will need portability to bring it on Friday nights and he says he has no viewing area at home due to trees, so it will be carted around a lot.

I would go the C9.25 on GEM for the same amount too, but I'm not buying it, he is.

Tony, that's an interesting alternative for him. I will look for Australian Prices for him.

Thanks all.

[[1ponders]]

If he is an old man Ken then maybe he sould be looking at the ETX range. the 8" range of meades are not the lightest scopes in the world by a long shot. I don't know the weight of the LX 90 but the 8" lx200 wias heavy enough for me.

[ballaratdragons]

Paul, He INSISTS on an 8" SCT. :rolleyes:

All I can do is get him the prices. Ho-Hummm. :shrug:

[acropolite]

Weight wise the LX90 is a fairly easy lift. I can comfortably lift and carry mine attached to the tripod. It's not difficult to lift the OTA on to the tripod althogh it's a but of a chore getting the bolt done up without damaging the thread.

[ballaratdragons]

Ahhhh, thanks Phil

[acropolite]

Another thing worth noting is that there have been a couple of LX90's sold for bargain prices lately, if he's not in a hurry it may be worth waiting to see if a second hand one turns up.