Re: [APML] 12" & 14" LX200

[Radu Corlan <rcorlan@pcnet.ro>]

On Tue, 17 Dec 2002, Jim Ives wrote:

> Alan I question the authenticity of the UHTC on the new Meade scopes. Only
> for the fact that they show the "standard coatings" as having a transmission
> of 80%. I don't remember off hand the days before the UHTC came out, but I
> doubt if before those days they would have advertised their transmission
> percentages as only 80%. Everyone would have went with the Celestron right
> off.

It's simple: 'standard coatings' are the new non-UHTC, which are MgF, not 
the 'classic' multi-coatings. So, what they actually did, was making the 
coatings an option, and maybe changing the formula a little bit. I would 
expect the UHTC to be in the same league as the 'classic' coatings (and 
Celestron's). The advertised gain is over the new 'standard' coatings.

Radu

>     In other words how can there (looking at graph in current Meade ad)
> standard coatings suddenly be only 80% transmission when before I'm sure
> they were advertised as being somewhere in the 90% range?  Should dig up an
> older S&T and look at their advertisement.
> Jim Ives
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alan Voetsch" <critter12952@yahoo.com>
> To: <astro-photo@seds.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 2:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [APML] 12" & 14" LX200
> 
> 
> > Hi Eddie,
> >
> > --- Eddie Guscott <eddie.guscott@blueyonder.co.uk>
> > wrote:
> > > I understand that the 14" Meade SC is priced to
> > > "persuade" people not to buy
> > > the Celestron C14.
> > > If you look at the pricing structure of the full
> > > range of Meades, the 14"
> > > would "appear" to have an artificially low/good
> > > price.
> >
> > I don't necessarily think so. They go from (I'm
> > rounding) $2000 for the 8", $2500-10", $3000-12",
> > $4300 for the 14". That last is a pretty good jump.
> > The tripod is the same, the drive gears and the forks
> > are supposed (?) to be a little beefier. That makes
> > the extra glass pretty pricey.
> >
> > Having a 12" (that cost me $4000 plus S&H), naturally
> > I yearn for the next step up. We all know this as
> > "Aperture Fever'. :-)
> >
> >  What I really want are the GPS goodies (mirror lock
> > and the microfocuser). It occurs to me that for a few
> > hundred more dollars than I paid for my 12"LX 200, I
> > could have the improved 14" GPS, a complete EP set,
> > and UHTC, which most likely equals out as 15". I'd go
> > for it. A note here; I bought my first LX200 (a 10")
> > in 1993 for about $3100 including S&H.
> >
> > I have to believe that anything that gets some of our
> > very expensive equipment priced a little more
> > reasonably is a good thing. Competition helps that. If
> > Celestron goes out of business, no, that won't help as
> > they are Meade's only real competition. Personally, I
> > believe there has been price inflation, and price
> > fixing, involved here for a long time. With lower
> > sales, higher prices will be gotten. With mass sales,
> > prices can be brought down. Meade is bringing these
> > scopes into everyones price range, I suspect that will
> > do more good than harm.
> >
> > Sorry, I've been rambling.
> >
> > Alan
> >
> >
> >
> >
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-- 

The future isn't what it used to be. 

-------------
Radu Corlan           Snail Mail: Bucuresti sect. 1, 
rcorlan@pcnet.ro             str. Argentina nr. 28, 71206 Romania

   You can still escape the "Gates" of Hell!   
                 Use Linux!                       



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