Re: [APML] call for suggestion

["Tim Hart" <Tim.Hart@haworth.com>]

I just bought a LXD-55 6 inch refractor.  It's a great scope...it does have some good points....and bad points...

The Mount is not photography stable...it shakes a bit.  Some replace it....change the legs etc.
Set screws on the gears can loosen over time....lock tight seems to be popular...
The OTA is great!  Very nice!!
The goto is pretty good...it has some tweaking to make it more precise.  Out of the box it's "o.k."
Meade is offering 7 eyepieces for 99 bucks!  Limited time offer....they are the 4000 series eps.  Great deal!
The batty pack runs on 8 D batteries....first thing I replaced!
The poplar scope is pretty sad....The switch is a joke....very cheap!

Stay away from the SN design....the fast scope needs constant attention to align the optics.  The AR5 and 6 are much more trouble free.  Sometimes the Secondary will fall off during shipping!  Ouch.  And avoid UPS...they tend to trash more of them then FedEx.  And to get one in stock....B and H photo.....can ship same day!

Good luck and clear skies!
Tim

>>> alen_koebel@yahoo.ca 11/06/02 10:36AM >>>
--- Jerry Lodriguss <jml@astropix.com> wrote: > 

> If you want to get into the hobby inexpensively, it
> looks like this new Meade LXD-55 6 inch f/5 
> Schmidt-Newtonian is a good bargain, and may even
> be usable for long-exposure deep-sky work:

I'll second that suggestion. Optically and 
mechanically, it's likely to be a great beginner's
setup. The OTA can later be attached to a more
substantial mount when finances permit. Optically,
if the LXD-55 is anything like the older MTS-SN6,
it will be a pleasant surprise and far better than
you'd expect for the price. The only downside of the
scope is that, AFAIK, no one has figured out how to
drive the mount with an autoguider.

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