EQ6 or CGEM or LX80

traveller (Bo) · #1 16-11-2011, 04:44 PM

Hi all, my limited understanding is that CGEM is roughly equivalent of EQ6 in terms of payload, accuracy etc. I am yet to see a full write up of how the LX80 mount performs against those two.
Am I comparing apples and oranges?

Can anyone give me some insight into the LX80 and how it performs against EQ6 and CGEM?

Reason for asking is looking at a new mount later on. The cost of a new LX80 is the same as a used EQ6 and a CGEM is another 30% price jump over the EQ6 without much performance gain.
Thanks,
Bo

5ash (Philip) · #2 16-11-2011, 04:55 PM

Haven't seen a price for the lx80 , I'd imagine it would be substantially more than the eq6 looking at the specs. Where did you get a price for it in Australia?
Philip

traveller (Bo) · #3 16-11-2011, 05:02 PM

LX80 retails for $1100 at Bintel http://www.bintel.com.au/Mounts---Tr...1/catmenu.aspx
You might be thinking of LX800, which is more aimed at the G11 buyers

????

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #4 16-11-2011, 10:08 PM

The LX80 isn't due for release until January at the earliest. When I spoke to someone at Bintel they were anticipating January for their first delivery.
I haven't seen any definite reviews apart from a video from NEAF which had a pre production model.

traveller (Bo) · #5 17-11-2011, 09:17 PM

Thanks Malcolm,
I just assumed it's available now being on the Bintel website. Looking forward to someone doing a detailed review on the lx80.
Bo

Quote:

Originally Posted by barx1963

The LX80 isn't due for release until January at the earliest. When I spoke to someone at Bintel they were anticipating January for their first delivery.
I haven't seen any definite reviews apart from a video from NEAF which had a pre production model.

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #6 18-11-2011, 07:50 AM

Bintel are taking pre orders as they anticipating plenty of demand for the LX80 and LX800

bmitchell82 (Brendan) · #7 18-11-2011, 03:24 PM

Im very skeptical about the new LX800 for me its based at the you put it on the ground and then it does everything kind of mount. With meades less than sterling rep for electronics and no way to see if your actually guiding and what your guiding on the room for errors are huge.

For instance if the cmos sensor drops a pixel ? will you start guiding on the dead pixel?

Im also weary of them not posting what the PE of the system is. sure they have special things that adjust but ide like to know about these little things when spending close to 7K

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #8 18-11-2011, 03:36 PM

I must admit that the system if it works as advertised is a great idea BUT the devil is in the details and I wouldn't be forking out on either of the new Meade systems until I have seen reviews and results from use in the field.

Malcolm

Damian Couzoff (Damian) · #9 18-11-2011, 11:19 PM

The meade LX 80 mount uses x8 AA batteries,and has 18kg instument capacity.There is no description whether you can use a 12 volt DC battery or AC power.The Celestron CGem and EQ6 dont have GPS either,but can be added as ADDITIONAL cost.

John0z (John) · #10 09-01-2012, 07:54 PM

The LX80 control panel does have a power connector for 12V - which means that there will be external power options available for this. 18kg is for single-OTA but multi-OTA capacity is 31kg.

I certainly have this on my short list - just waiting for it to be available. One issue might be polar alignment - I don't see a polar scope in this, but maybe someone will come up with an off-board polar scope. I especially like the way the tripod leg length is adjustable - I guess by turning that big adjuster at the top of each leg will either length or shorten the leg.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damian Couzoff

The meade LX 80 mount uses x8 AA batteries,and has 18kg instument capacity.There is no description whether you can use a 12 volt DC battery or AC power.The Celestron CGem and EQ6 dont have GPS either,but can be added as ADDITIONAL cost.

http://www.bintel.com.au/ckfinder/us..._SellSheet.pdf

renormalised (Carl) · #11 10-01-2012, 09:58 AM

What annoys me with Meade is that all their mounts, like the LX80, can't be polar aligned if your further north or south of 20-25 degrees. It's like they have this mentality that no one lives outside these lines of latitude, or that we aren't worthy of using their gear. Means if I want to use their mount in eq mode, I have to travel all the way down to Ayr or Bowen just to set the damn thing up!!!!!. 25 degrees south puts me nearly in Bundaberg!!!!!. How easy would it be for them just to make their mount 0-90 degrees and be done with it!!!.

A little bit more machining....sheesh.

Or maybe, according to them, no one lives outside of the US.....

John0z (John) · #12 10-01-2012, 12:25 PM

I think you might be pleased that this LX80 mount appears to be unlike the others for latitude adjustment. From the photographs the latitude indicator appears to go all the way from 0 to 90 degrees. Of course, we would have to move the legs out of the way so that the counterweight shaft will not get stuck, but this mount also allows you to shorten the counterweight shaft, i.e. it must have screw-in sections - nice.

[Correction: The documentation says from 25 to 90, so you are correct. However the indicator goes all the way, so maybe there is a way, not that it will affect me in Sydney]

traveller (Bo) · #13 10-01-2012, 01:10 PM

So has anyone ordered a LX80?

allan gould · #14 11-01-2012, 03:47 PM

Meade, in my opinion, can make well engineered products and that includes the optics. Where they have continually fallen down is the reliability of their electronics as well as their software. They just suck at both having dealt with the chap who programmed the Magellan system back in the bad old days of the lx50, he couldn't get around the fact that there were people in the southern hemisphere that had bought the system.
Autostar was a success but needed others to patch it continually.
The eqmod/eq6 system is a real winner IMO.

brian nordstrom (As avatar) · #15 11-01-2012, 08:24 PM

I know one IIS'r who has one on order , February is the latest delivery date , from late november 2011 . He is resigned to the fact , that he will see it when he sees it .
Nice looking mount , great innovation and only time will tell .

Brian.

Quote:

Originally Posted by traveller

So has anyone ordered a LX80?

brian nordstrom (As avatar) · #16 11-01-2012, 08:26 PM

yea Carl thats why I brought the Ioptron IEQ45 mount it goes to 5 degrees ( nice mount with awsome software ). It easily works here in Darwin at 12 degrees south.
Brian.

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

What annoys me with Meade is that all their mounts, like the LX80, can't be polar aligned if your further north or south of 20-25 degrees. It's like they have this mentality that no one lives outside these lines of latitude, or that we aren't worthy of using their gear. Means if I want to use their mount in eq mode, I have to travel all the way down to Ayr or Bowen just to set the damn thing up!!!!!. 25 degrees south puts me nearly in Bundaberg!!!!!. How easy would it be for them just to make their mount 0-90 degrees and be done with it!!!.

A little bit more machining....sheesh.

Or maybe, according to them, no one lives outside of the US.....