I've owned a 2000 lx200 8 inch f-10 for over a year now. purshased for a song on astromart.
Standard coatings etc etc.
Finally got the chance to use it is superb seeing on Jupiter and compare it to a host of other scopes including a parks optics 8 inch f-6 newt plus an ap6 inch f-9 from the early 90's.
This was at the South island (NZ) stardate on Friday night. 100 astronomers and superb conditions.
Also a 6 inch f-12 D&G.
The D&G was the best planetary scope there a whisker sharper in than the AP which surprised me. Colour correction better in the AP but on Jupiter the D&G was showing slightly more. The AP isn't the current model.
The SCT was behind the other 3 less contrast but a respectable performance. On Jupiter virtually everything was visible in the sct but slightly lower in contrast as expected.
I finally got to startest at 300 times in perfect seeing condition on a bright star overhead and the Meade showed a very fine optical figure. Slight undercorrection only just apparent close to 1/8th wave I suspect.
For the price they pack a punch. On DSO's the meade was also doing very well. A 10 inch meade sct from about 1990 with mediocre optics was also present and the 8 was clearly better on jupiter and Saturn.
Looks like meade are getting it right with the optics.
Standard coatings etc etc.
Finally got the chance to use it is superb seeing on Jupiter and compare it to a host of other scopes including a parks optics 8 inch f-6 newt plus an ap6 inch f-9 from the early 90's.
This was at the South island (NZ) stardate on Friday night. 100 astronomers and superb conditions.
Also a 6 inch f-12 D&G.
The D&G was the best planetary scope there a whisker sharper in than the AP which surprised me. Colour correction better in the AP but on Jupiter the D&G was showing slightly more. The AP isn't the current model.
The SCT was behind the other 3 less contrast but a respectable performance. On Jupiter virtually everything was visible in the sct but slightly lower in contrast as expected.
I finally got to startest at 300 times in perfect seeing condition on a bright star overhead and the Meade showed a very fine optical figure. Slight undercorrection only just apparent close to 1/8th wave I suspect.
For the price they pack a punch. On DSO's the meade was also doing very well. A 10 inch meade sct from about 1990 with mediocre optics was also present and the 8 was clearly better on jupiter and Saturn.
Looks like meade are getting it right with the optics.
