LXD55 AR5 and 6 questions

Hi,
I have been involved with astronomy for a number of years and I am looking for a nice mid-sized scope, something in 5" range for occasional visual observations. From my somewhat light polluted skies I like to look at the moon, planets, double stars, clusters and what deep space objects I can muster. I have owned and enjoyed several Maksutovs up to 7" inches and a Takahashi FS102. I will not be able to afford another good 4" APO for a while, I am looking for something to hold me over for a while. In another post I outline that I am also considering a small TV refractor or a Meade ETX 125 with the improved mount. The new Meade LXD55 refractors are also an interesting option.

The questions:
I have owned and loved an FS102. The sharpness and contrast were stunning. I have not used an achromat such as the new Meade 5 and 6 inch LXD55s. Will there be a large difference in color correction? Will I hate it? Would I be better off with the 5" Maksutov or a small TV scope for what I like to look at?

Can the LXD55 mount deal well effectively with the 6" OTA or am I better off with the 5"?

I am interested in first hand observations and experiences. I have read the reviews on Cloudy Nights and Scope Reviews. Thanks much in advance. Paul G.

Offhand I'd venture a guess that you'd be ultimately unhappy with the chromatic aberration of the Meade achromats.

Dave Mitsky

Hi Paul -

The LXD-55 AR's are sharp for achromats. They are slow enough that false color is minimal, especially on the 5". They certainly won't best your FS102, but they should be sharper than the ETX-125 on planetary details.

The mount works much better on the 5" than on the 6". You WILL need to replace the legs with wooden ones.

Another option if you don't need the goto is the Stellarvue. They are very nicely made, and are well priced.

-Jake

Jake many of the more "image aesthetic" aspects of scopes you seeem to be considering (given a price range) I would suggest are secondary considerations. Meaning, for example, that the issues of aperture and resolving power should be considered first, again in such a price range. In all cases of my experience the larger aperture scopes I've viewed through showed the greatest detail, just like the Physics says they do. To compare a 5" to a 6" in these terms is somewhat more valid than 3", or 4" to 6". Three inchers resolve to about 1.5 arc second, 4" to 1.1, a 6" jumps to 0.75 or 0.8 approx. A 5" at about 1.0 or 0.9 roughly. So you would expect a big difference visually and you'd be right-there is. I purchased an AR-6 and held my breath until I got a look through it. At a very cloudy star party I compared it to a flourite (APO) TV Genesis. Real sharp images for a $1300 (OTA and case only) 4", but again noticeably more deatail in my 6" Meade. I was using a 2" William diagonal and VR-1 violet reduction filter. It wasn't a subjective take I realized on my part; viewers passing by looked through my AR-6, last in line of scopes set-up that night. I heard several times, "That's the best view of em all." We could only view moon, saturn, double cluster and pliades that night. To summarize, false color of the AR-6 at f\8 is not what you'll see at f\5 or f\6, it's very tolerable, you have enough light grasp over smaller apertures to filter a smidgen away, and detail is possible that physically is not in smaller aperatures, nice contrast is also there. And the corker(!!) a sweet little go-to computer mount, albeit with insufficient tripod leg stability. But all for less than $1000-----WOW. I love mine. Good luck and have fun deciding. That's what it's about.

I have a Meade 127ED mounted on a LXD-55 mount. The ota and finder weigh 20 LBs. At high powers there is a lot of vibrations. You will have to change the legs if you get the AR6. If you look you can find a 127ed for around $1250 on astromart. it is a good Ed scope with little color.

Paul, I too am vacillating between these two scopes. My final decision will be based on which one is easier to transport. The best scope is the one that is used, so ease of use and portability are crucial. If the scope is not convienent to use it will just gather dust. I have not found reliable information on the weight of these scopes. Does any one out there know the weight of the LXD55 mount/tripod and each OTA. One web site listed the net weight of the AR5 at 49# and the AR6 at 73#, but I would like to know the weight of each part. Any dealers out there wish to provide info??

Mike B.