Meade LX200 16"

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Brand and Model:Meade LX200 16"
Price ($USD):14,950
Type:Schmidt-Cassegrain
Attributes: checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:406mm (16")
f Ratio:f/10
Focal Length:4064mm
Finder:8x50mm
Electric Power:115vac/12vdc
Mount:altazimuth
Tripod:supergiant field tripod18
Weight (lbs):313 lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):18"x26"x51"
Description:Meade's LX200 16" Mage
Vote Highlights Vote
Meade LX200 16"
Lots of people love to bash this scope, probably because they can't afford one and never will. The fact remains that for $15,000 (or about $8,000 used), it is the best big astrophotography-class GOTO bang for the astro-buck. I have 12 scopes and although I use my 120ED on a GP-DX more because it is portable, there is no way that it can compete with the views through my 16. My mount has less than 5 arcseconds of periodic error (with PPEC turned on). The only mounts that might beat that are the Paramount ME or the AP-1200 and those mounts cost as much as the entire LX200-16 telescope!

I must warn prospective buyers that at almost 400 pounds wet, this scope is NOT portable. Best to have a plan (and budget) for an observatory before considering investing in an LX200-16. And unless you REALLY know what you are doing, make sure that you get the GPS model and not the older classic model. Although the classic OTA can be easily moved onto a Paramount ME or AP-1200 mount, which is an incredibly nice setup!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.121.1)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=593116

Meade LX200 16"
Just shows to go you that no one needs an education to buy this piece of junk,one should have just looked at the name!

Overall Rating: 0
Optics:0 Mount:0 Ease of Use:0 Value:0
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.52.7)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=585063

Meade LX200 16"
This scope is extremely overrated. The mount is adequate however the visual images in the three 16" LX 200's I've used are extremely soft for $14,000.00 The research put into developing this telescope should have concentrated on optics, not Go-To, or maybe gone Dal-Kirkham or something. It would be fair to say this would be a suitable imaging platform for about $8000.00 or $9000.00 not a penny more. Focus slop is easily fixed by installing a JMI-DX 1 Cass upgrade with the motofocus and just permanantly locking the mirror. That's all I can say about this one!!

Overall Rating: 6
Optics:5 Mount:5 Ease of Use:5 Value:1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.158.116)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=368153

Meade LX200 16"
Was lucky enough to use one at University. I liked it for the point and shoot, mirror flop was a pain. Optically I had very high expectations for this, but I always went back to the 40cm cassegrain (excuse spelling!) and 6" refractor guidescope.

To: da Sentinel; You are a prize ****, there is always one person who has to mess it up.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.13.73)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37898

Meade LX200 16"
Its the most astonishing, reliable astromical equipment that I have ever experienced. Its totaly out of this world.

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.27.202)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37896

Meade LX200 16"
Hi, it's me again. daSentinel. I'm pleased to announce that the Meade
LX200 16'' SCT SUUUUUUUUUUCKS. This is one of my last telescopes.
The tracking gets a nice: F-
The optics are also moderate
I've seen poor mounts better than this one.
I selled that piece of expensive junk for $6000 less than i bought it.
With that money I purchased a Takahashi FSQ-106 and a Temma go-to mount.
Along with a pair of Takahashi apochromat binocs.

Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.252.161)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37894

Meade LX200 16"
For a top of the range telescope it provides poor value for money. The pointing works quite well and a large majority of objects fall within a 30' field first go, the tracking in Alt Az mode is acceptable- no better. However the optics are very mediocre. The 'socpe I use at a government observatory has the worst mirror flop I have ever seen in a S/C (sometimes 1/2 the field), along with mild astigmatism & mild to moderate spherical abberation. The contrast is quite poor overall.

Very disappointing for a so called "flagship" type scope. I regularly use 'scopes which cost 1/4th the price and are much better.

Les Dalrymple

Overall Rating: 4
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.17.56)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37893

Meade LX200 16"
Pointing and tracking is unusably poor. Focus backlash is unacceptably large. Image shift while focusing is an outrageous 1/2 field with 26mm Plossl. Doesn't hold collimation from one position in the sky to another (probably due to main mirror shift). Focus changes significantly with change in dec or RA. Overall: a very poor scope for a very high price. Not at all up to the standard of the other LX200s.

Overall Rating: 2
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.127.138)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37891

Meade LX200 16"
Star test was good. Mount would not autoguide well. Too much backlash to compensate with PEC. Very disappointing.

Overall Rating: 6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.250.100)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37890

Meade LX200 16"
daSentinel needs 15K worth of psychiatric treatment :D

Overall Rating: No Vote
Weight: <none>
Date:
By: Anonymous (xxx.xxx.23.68)
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37897

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