Meade 8" LX200-ACF Telescope with Tripod & 8" Wedge - 0810-60-07

About the Meade LX200-ACF 8" f/10 Telescope
with Equatorial Wedge

This 8" LX200-ACF Meade Telescope has 8" diameter f/10 ACF optics (focal length 2000mm) and Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) for maximum image brightness and contrast. Features the advanced LX200 AutoStar II computer system with 145,000 object library, multiple guided tours, High Precision Pointing capability with sub arc-minute pointing accuracy, Meade SmartDrive with Permanent Periodic Error Correction, and an equatorial wedge so that you can use the telescope in both alt-azimuth and equatorial mode.

Precise and quick star alignment is done near effortlessly with Meade LX200 level north technology alignment system incorporating a 16 channel GPS receiver. The Autostar II is flash-updatable via free downloads at Meade.com (optional cable required). The drive base of the Meade LX200-ACF 8" has multiple input and output ports including an RS-232 PC interface and jacks for a (user supplied) CCD Autoguider and illuminated reticle.

Mechanically loaded as well, the Meade LX200-ACF 8" features a primary mirror locking mechanism, which effectively prevents movement of the primary mirror during long exposure astrophotography or observing. Turn the lock knob located just above the main focus knob and the progressive-tension primary lock completely cancels any residual image shift due to mirror movement during visual, photographic, or imaging applications.

The Meade LX200-ACF 8" features the DC-servo driven super heavy duty double fork mount, the strongest and most rigid mount in its class. Fast slew speeds are from 1 to 8 degrees per second, and can be user selected at .1 degree per second increments, while fine slewing and photographic guiding speeds can be adjusted from .01x to 1x sidereal in one one-hundredth increments. The Meade LX200 Alt-Azimuth mount and all electronics are internally powered by 8 (user supplied) C-cell batteries which will typically operate the telescope for around 20 hours (optional Meade Universal AC adapter is also available). The mount additionally has mechanical locks and slow motion manual controls in both axis if for some reason you found yourself without power.

The Meade LX200-ACF 8" comes fully equipped with a heavy duty height adjustable Meade Field Tripod, 1.25" diagonal prism, Series 4000 26mm Plossl eyepiece, 8x50 viewfinder with quick release bracket and Meade AutoStar Suite Astronomer Edition Software for PC. And remember, this version of the 8" LX200-ACF telescope comes with the Meade 8" wedge, allowing you to do long exposure astrophotography.

• f/10 Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) Optics - Building from a classic RC design, Meade has created a new design with the same coma-free pinpoint star images and flatter field also reduces the astigmatism and eliminates diffractions spikes found in classical RCs. The LX200-ACF is the perfect platform for the demanding researcher and imaging enthusiast.

   

• Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) - Increasing total light transmission and image brightness by nearly 20% over Meade''s standard coatings. Objects such as stars, galaxies and nebulae will appear significantly brighter.

   

• Oversized Primary Mirror - Meade primary mirror diameters are greater than their listed aperture (e.g., the diameter of the 8" LX200-ACF is actually 8.25"). This additional 1/4" yields a wide, fully illuminated field-of-view.

   

• Primary Mirror Lock allows you to lock the mirror in place preventing movement during long-exposure astrophotography.

   

• Smart Drive provides permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) on both axes by learning and averaging error over the course of one or more training periods, thereby minimizing guiding corrections during long-exposure photographs. PPEC is available on both axes and functions in both polar and altazimuth modes.

   

• GPS Receiver automatically inputs precise time, date, and geographical location to help quickly and precisely align the telescope.

   

• AutoAlign. Telescopes with Meade''s AutoAlign are smart scopes that know the night sky right out of the box. AutoAlign picks two alignment stars for you and places them right in your view-finder. Just center to fine tune your alignment and the wonders of the universe are at your fingertips.

   

• AutoStar II controller features "Hot Keys" for quick access to a 145,000 celestial object database. AutoStar II can be updated with the latest software upgrades, guided tours and timely objects like comets free at meade.com.

About the Equatorial Wedge...

The Meade 8" Equatorial Wedge allows for polar alignment of the Meade 8" LX200-ACF as required for long exposure astrophotography and imaging. For use with Meade Field Tripods as supplied with compatible models. 

Equatorial alignment is required for astrophotography and imaging exposures longer than about 5 minutes. The Meade 8" Wedge is mounted between a telescope and the standard field tripod to accomplish the tilt of an equatorial type mount that matches the observer's latitude and permits precise polar alignment of your telescope. The wedge allows the astrophotographer to align the telescope's axis of rotation with the Earth's axis of rotation. This alignment eliminates stars in your long exposure photograph from appearing as a long arc, trail or streak due to an effect known as field rotation. For short planetary and lunar photography, a wedge is not necessary and the telescope can be set up in altitude-azimuth configuration as normally used for visual observation.

Features heavy duty cast aluminum construction with latitude and longitude fine adjustments and a compass to use the magnetic pole as a starting reference.

Meade LX200-ACF 8" Specifications...

Clear Aperture: 8" (203mm)

Optical Design: Advanced Coma Free (ACF)

Focal Length: 2,000mm

Focal Ratio: f/10

Telescope Mounting: Heavy-duty fork type; double-tine

Optical Coatings: Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC)

Resolving Power (Dawes Limit): 0.570 arcseconds

AutoStar Controller: Autostar II

Object Database: 145,000 objects

Viewfinder: 8x50mm with cross-hair reticle

Eyepiece: 26mm Series 4000 Super Plossl

Diagonal: 1.25" diagonal prism

Pointing Precision (High-Precision Mode): 1-arc min.

Periodic Error Correction: Both Axes

Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PPEC): Yes

Slow Motion Controls: Mechanical and electronic

Slew Speeds: RA and Dec: 0.01x to1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x sidereal; 1/sec. to 2/sec., variable in 0.1 increments.

Tracking Rates: Sidereal, lunar, or custom-selected from 2000 incremental rates

Tripod: Standard field Tripod

Wedge: Included

Batteries (User-Supplied): 8 x C cells

Battery Life (Typical): 20 hrs.

Power: 12V DC, 5 amp power supply (optional)

GPS Receiver: Included

True Level & North Sensors (LNT): Included

Time Chip: Included

Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser: Optional

Smart Mount: Yes

Smart Drive: Yes

Mirror Lock: Yes

Oversized Primary Mirror: Yes

AutoStar Suite Planetarium Software: Included

Primary Mirror and Secondary Mirrors: Low expansion borrosilicate glass

Correcting Plate/Lens: Borosilicate Glass

Optical Tube: Aluminum

OTA Weight: 14.14 lbs.

OTA Dimensions: 9.5 in x 9.5 in x 17.5 in

Tripod Weight: 19 lbs.

Tripod Dimensions: 30" to 44" variable

Total Net Telescope Weight: 73 lbs.

Telescope Shipping Weight (approx.): 94 lbs..

Meade Product Number: 0810-60-07