Old Meade 2120 scopes - any still around?

mental4astro (Alexander) · #1 12-02-2013, 10:36 AM

Hi all,

Despite the end of the world falling upon us AGAIN, I'm wondering if anyone knows if any of these older Meade 2120 scopes are around? They came first with just a simple clock drive, and later developed into the LX line of mounts, LX, LX3, LX4, etc.

Anyone still have one of these beasties?

I'm curious to see how these 10" stack up to other SCTs of their generation and the current ones. Even take it off someone's hands???

Even their smaller brother, the 2080.

Mental.

Barrykgerdes · #2 12-02-2013, 03:52 PM

I have what's left of a set of forks.

Barry

Larryp (Laurie) · #3 12-02-2013, 03:58 PM

Hi Alex-my first serious scope was a 2120LX3. I did a lot of astro-photography with it after adding a dec. motor and hand controller. It was a decent scope and gave good images if properly collimated, and the drive tracked pretty well. The LX3 was the last of the synchronous drives if I remember rightly. They went to a stepper motor with the LX4, I believe.
I sold it to Roger North, who had it installed on a Losmandy mount in his observatory in the Blue Mountains.

mental4astro (Alexander) · #4 12-02-2013, 05:40 PM

Barry, the fork & drive still work?

Laurie, I'll send you a PM.

telemarker (Keith) · #5 12-02-2013, 10:17 PM

I've a 2080 OTA, its from the GEM version. No original mount though.

Regards
Keith

mental4astro (Alexander) · #6 12-02-2013, 10:45 PM

Hi Keith,

Do you still use the 2080 much these days? How did you find its performance? Have you been able to compare it to other SCT's?

Mental.

telemarker (Keith) · #7 12-02-2013, 11:35 PM

No, I haven't used it much since I bought an RC8. I can't compare to other SCTs as I haven't owned any others. Imaging was fine with a 6.3 reducer but native FL gave seagulls in the corners.

Regards
Keith

Barrykgerdes · #8 13-02-2013, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

Barry, the fork & drive still work?

Laurie, I'll send you a PM.

I don't think so. The Dec drive is OK but the RA motor does not work and the controller is damaged. When you get a chance to come round you can have a look at it (and it will then be yours)

Barry

mental4astro (Alexander) · #9 13-02-2013, 01:24 PM

Thanks Barry.

Any other 2120 & 2080 scopes out there?

How about their old fork mounts too?

Nico13 (Ken) · #10 14-02-2013, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

Thanks Barry.

Any other 2120 & 2080 scopes out there?

How about their old fork mounts too?

How old are these scopes because I have an 8" OTA only that's about thirty years old now that I'm still using on my side by side rig.

I bought it about five years back when first setting up and it's very clean and in great nick but I was never able to really identify it.
I'll add a picture of it later.

mental4astro (Alexander) · #11 14-02-2013, 09:20 PM

Ken, if your Meade is around 30 years old then it would be a 2080. Looks in good nick for its age too,

Nico13 (Ken) · #12 14-02-2013, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mental4astro

Ken, if your Meade is around 30 years old then it would be a 2080. Looks in good nick for its age too,

Yes it was like new and the mirror looks pristine. When I bought it only about four to five years back I think it had been in a box under someones bed for most of that time as the owner told me when I picked it up how old it was.

mental4astro (Alexander) · #13 15-02-2013, 04:14 AM

I got a bit if sad news on Laurie's old LX3 that he had sold to the late Roger North. The LX3 along with a 60mm Takahashi refractor were stolen from his Roger's dome many years ago while Roger was still alive. If THAT isn't a targeted heist I don't know what is,