Which Meade to pick!

[HarryD]

Hi All from a new member

My 8" home made Dob is getting too heavy to lug about and set up. Therefore it doesn't get used. I have decided to buy a Meade 8" SC, but which one. It's a choice between the LX90 or the LXD75 ACF. I would be intending to take photos with it so I was leaning toward the LXD75 ACF with the GEM. (I am assuming the LX90 would require a wedge to take photos.) Any ideas or comments which may make my task easier?

Thanks in advance

HarryD

[bmitchell82]

unless your keeping the meade in a dome permanately mounted do not buy a meade!!!! they mount isn't the best and is a wobbletron. from all of my experiences.!

[xelasnave]

Welcome to iceinspace Harry,
I would be interested in what other say here to see if they share my view but I think you could do better mount wise the a lxd 75... I think they are a revamp of the lxd 55 (my first eq mount) and it was not really adequate for photos.. It worked but an eq6 is simply miles ahead.. It seems to me that a fork mount is not as good either...even with a wedge..hopeless without I imagine.
I dont like to say Meade dont know what they are doing or bag them but one can be swayed by their marketing with respect.
I would consider a celestron ota on a eq6 may be a better set up simply to avoid a fork mount... dont get me wrong many folk have them and they are happy but over the years it seems to me many folk change from fork to gem when they get into photos.

And unless your home made dob weighs a ton I doubt if your new aquisition will be less weight and will be a pain to set up in comparrision to a dob.

The longer you are at it the longer to set up because one just ends up with more and more stuff...
I can drag 12 inch in and out in seconds. Before my permanent set up every gem took time and a couple of trips in and out.

I suspect this wont help if you are set on a Meade

alex

[Kal]

If it is a choice between those two:

* The LXD75 will break down into lighter pieces to set up
* The LXD75 will track without field rotation (for photography)

What camera will you be using to take images with? At 2 metres focal length it will be a difficult setup to learn astrophotography on. You are probably better off with a short focal length refractor.

[mozzie]

hi harry i have a lx90 12" yes a little heavy know in a dome i only do visuable observing it is perfect for me buying one and putting it on a wedge is rather awkward and a bit time comsuming the lx75 would be more practical had no prob's with my meade dont forget bintel for a price there service is second to none:thumbsup:

mozz

[Lester]

The ACF type ota would be a great investment. As many have learnt, get a very sturdy mount and then you will not be dissapointed. There is nothing worse than a wobbley mount.

I would suggest something like a EQ6.

[HarryD]

Thank you all for your thoughts.
I will now think seriously about the EQ6 and an LX200 OTA.
Cheers and clear skys.

[Octane]

Eta Carinae Nebula (http://members.optusnet.com.au/mrozycka/Magellan_Observatory/Magellan_Observatory_20061119_Eta_C arinae_Nebula.html)
Large Magellanic Cloud (http://members.optusnet.com.au/mrozycka/Magellan_Observatory/Magellan_Observatory_20061119_Large _Magellanic_Cloud.html)
Christmas Tree Cluster (http://members.optusnet.com.au/mrozycka/Magellan_Observatory/Magellan_Observatory_20061126_Chris tmas_Tree_Cluster.html)
Southern Pleiades (http://members.optusnet.com.au/mrozycka/Magellan_Observatory/Magellan_Observatory_20070121_South ern_Pleiades.html)

All taken with Zane Hammond's LXD55. Unguided, to boot.

Granted, they're not taken at great focal lengths, though, for someone starting out, I think results like that would be acceptable.

However, if you're wanting to do some serious deep sky stuff, then, clearly, the LXD55 will not be suitable.

Regards,
Humayun

[xelasnave]

Dont get me wrong I got some decent stuff also but heck did I have to work hard at it and learnt heaps trying to make both the lxd 55 work and the older eq5 mounts work... great experience.. all my captures with these mounts were unguided because if you used the hand control to keep the guide star in place it would jigger your photo.. I just let them run figured what time they would give unguided and worked with that.

alex

[Zuts]

Hi,

IMHO the EQ6 is fine. As for the rest why go for a long focal length SCT when you are just starting out. If there is one thing I have learnt it is that whatever you start out with as a newbie will be but a distant memory of what you end up with.

Also, as a newbie long focal length astrophotography is very very difficult.

Also, as a newbie paying over 4 grand for a LX200 OTA is way over the top.

So i would say

Get a

EQ6 for a mount
An ED80 for an imaging scope
A SW102 for a guide scope
A QHY quide cam

odds and sods

Rings + side by side vixen dovetails, laptop

a camera, if you dont have one then a canon 350D second hand for around 300 bucks would be sweet.

The above is a minimum and with additions like camera shutter release, batteries, focal reducers etc you are looking at 4 grand. The above stuff has a reasonable resale value so use it and take some widefield stuff for a year and then think again :)

Cheers
Paul

[bmitchell82]

... I agree, Long focal length is a nightmare and normally you get a field reducer so you can get a decent FOV. I have been imaging with a LX200R. OOOH the heartache. and to find a deep fuzzy with a 5x7 second FOV is not easy AT ALL. but i have captured a fair few things now.

If i did it again the list would be like was said by Zuts

also zuts where the hell do you get a cannon 350D for 300 bucks.????? let me know on that one!

[Zuts]

I notice on eBay they are going for around 450 AUD with a lens or two. Maybe 300 AUD was a bit optimistic for body only, but you never know your luck if you keep on looking :)

Also, i would never go a 300D. I had one second hand for about 300 AUD a few years back. At that time it was a bargain given the current model was the 350D. Still, I remember the very bad amp glow on 2 and 3 minute subs, a problem that was solved on the 350D.

Cheers
Paul

[bmitchell82]

ive been also looking at the 400D? is that any chop considering its considerably larger MP.?

[Ian Robinson]

With Meade's share price heading south so fast , they might not be around too much longer , plus there is how they price and their monopolistic anticompedative trading practices outside the USA - any company that does that is one not worth supporting or buying products from.

[Zuts]

Hi,

I have a 400D which I got new. It is a great camera and I took some nice photos and astrophotos with it. I dont use it any more as I have a ST2000 XCM. Remember though it doesnt have live view and people who have this feature in a DSLR swear it makes focusing a snap (i have never tried it).

As far as MP is concerned I dont think 8 (350D), 10 (400D) or 12 (450D) make a great deal of difference, any of these cameras would be suitable.

As far as an astrocamera bargain is concerned though I dont think you could go past a cheap modded 350D.

Cheers
Paul

[bmitchell82]

As for modded, you mean installed with live view? what is ment by this term because i have heard it about quite a fair bit.

[Zuts]

Hi,

A standard DSLR has an inbuilt filter which cuts down on the amount of Ha light that is picked up. Generally 60% to 70% of Ha light will be rejected. This very poor Ha response will turn the Tarantula blue and make it very difficult to get good results for things like the cone, horsehead etc.

Many people have this filter removed to improve the Ha response and this is called modding.

However modding can make it more difficult to take pleasing daytime snaps as a custom white balance needs to be set or the snaps will have a redish pink cast.

Without modding there are still many astro targets available so when starting out many people perservere with an unmodded camera. Canon used to produce an astro version of the 20d the 20da.

Cheers
Paul

[Terry B]

One important difference with these cameras is that from the 40D on, the amp is turned off during exposure resulting in no amp glow to remove with dark frames.

[Zuts]

Interesting. With my 300D i would see amp glow after about two minutes of exposure. With my 400D I have never seen amp glow even with a 10 minute exposure :).

Cheers
Paul

[Kal]

Since modded was described, I won't cover that, but I'll explain what live view is. Live view is a standard feature on the newer lower end canon cameras, the 1000D and the 450D. It is not on the 400D, 350D or 300D. I am not sure about the higher end cameras. It basically shows you a live view on the cameras LCD screen of what you would normally see through the viewfinder in the camera, with a built in 1x 5x or 10x zoom. With astronomy, this is a desired feature as you can focus the telescope more quickly.

[bmitchell82]

okay thas cool, ive used CCDsoft with the meade 402-me and you can easily see on a decent size screen, then change your bin eg 1x1 2x2 ect ect, plus it gives you a nice readout of when the view is getting clearer ( i guess this is where the bhatinof mask would work a treat).

With the live view you can see it on the camera, though can you port it though to the computer for a live view at the laptop? if not how accurate can you get the view before you have to take a photo and have a look how you have gone?

[Zuts]

Hi,

Live View is Live View, it is great for focussing on the brighter stars but since it is giving you sub-second exposures it wont perform like a mallincam or g-star x with an integrating option so it wont give you an accurate view of say the horsehead, you still need to take that 15 minute sub :)

Cheers
Paul

[bmitchell82]

fair enough, i guess thats why you guys are using digital micrometers so that you can get it close on focus :) its all coming together now! :D