Meade LX800 Series Telescopes

The LX800 from Meade Instruments with built-in StarLock™ autoguider is the most complete astro-imaging solution available today. Using revolutionary new technology, every aspect of this system has been designed to deliver the new standard in astrophotographic and visual performance. The LX800 is offered as a stand-alone mount, or as a complete system featuring your choice of four optical tubes. Choices include three new iteration of Meade's exclusive Advanced Coma Free optical system featuring a faster f/8 focal ratio.

Introducing the Meade LX800 German Equatorial Mount

Constructed of machined stainless steel and aircraft grade 6061-T6 aluminum, the LX800 mount presents a rock-solid platform with precision roller bearings on both axes and a 1.75 inch stainless steel R.A. shaft. Its 0.68 inch diameter brass worms and 5.8 inch diameter, 225-tooth aluminum gears deliver smooth, precise movement with up to a 90 pound instrument load. Add to this internal cabling and the AutoStar II fully-computerized GoTo system with GPS, with a database of over 144,000 objects. All this sets atop a new ultra-stable tripod.

StarLock Full Time Automatic Autoguiding

StarLock — the heart of the LX800 — is the revolutionary new technology that makes target acquisition on your imaging sensor and accurate guiding during exposures completely automatic. With Meade’s exclusive LightSwitch technology at its core, StarLock uses a 80mm f/5 optic and a super wideangle lens in a two camera system that automatically finds your target in high-precision, immediately captures a field star as dim as 11th magnitude and then guides to an incredible accuracy of one arcsecond. StarLock achieves this amazing accuracy because, unlike add-on guiders, StarLock is integrated into the telescope control system and communicates directly with the motor controllers in real time with a maximum precision of 0.01 arcseconds. There’s no need for a separate guider or computer and the StarLock requires no calibration, no user focusing or guide star selection. StarLock even automatically programs periodic error correction and then corrects for any other errors down to virtually zero. StarLock also provides computer-assisted polar alignment using the drift method for extreme precision. No expensive shaft encoders or add-on guiding systems can provide this level of performance.

LX800 Series Features

Meade Instruments all new LX800 Series of imaging/visual telescopes uses exciting advanced technologies in optics, electronics and mechanics to bring you a superior system for imaging and visual observations. Here are some of the exciting features of the LX800 line:

New Fast f/8 Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optical systems on the 10", 12" and 14" OTAs. These optics produce wider, flatter fields with no coma for pinpoint stars out to the edge of larger imaging sensors or extreme wide angle eyepieces. Optional custom-designed LX800 f/5 large-format focal reducer/field flattener also available.
New 130mm 3-element, air-spaced apochromatic f/7 refractor with 3" Crayford-style 10:1 focuser. Beautifully machined and finished with case. Optional 3" field flattener available.
New StarLock full-time automatic integrated guider assists with ultra precise drift polar alignment, finds and centers targets and then automatically locks onto a field star as faint as 11th magnitude for one arcsecond guiding. No separate computer, no guide star selection, no user focus. Just setup your camera and image.
New Internal Crayford-style primary mirror focusing system with a dual speed 7:1 focus control, that eliminates image shift and mirror flop. Precise focus is a snap.
German Equatorial Mount made from machined aluminum and stainless steel with large bearing surfaces and roller bearings in both axes for an extremely solid and stable platform.
New Precision machined 5.8" main gears with 225 teeth in both R.A. and DEC. with .68" worms for very accurate movements and tracking.
1.75" diameter threaded stainless steel counterweight shaft with 18 lb. threaded stainless steel counterweights for easy and safe adjustments to telescope balance.
New Sophisticated built-in computer for the most accurate control of the StarLock and other telescope systems.
AutoStar II hand control with over 144,000 object database to take you to almost any object imaginable at the push of the GoTo button. AutoStar II allows the user to setup and operate the LX800 in just the way you want.
Precise altitude and azimuth controls for mount polar alignment.
New Ultra-stable adjustable height tripod. Three inch diameter legs fold up for easy transport.
Internal cabling to prevent snags and tangles
Accessories include 8x50 viewfinder, Series 5000 2" enhanced 99% reflective diagonal and a 25mm HD-60 premium eyepiece.