Meade LX850 German Equatorial Mount with StarLock - 37-0850-00

Description

Meade Instruments proudly introduces the new standard in astrophotograhic performance, the LX850 mount with StarLock dual imager full time autoguider. Includes AutoStar II GOTO system with over 144,000 object library and all the features an advanced visual observer or astrophotographer would ever want. Take your imaging to the next level.

The LX850 mount, constructed of machined stainless steel and aircraft grade aluminum is a rock solid platform for the most demanding applications, with a 90 pound payload capacity and pointing accuracy as good as one arcminute. Features include precision roller bearings on each axis, a 1.75 stainless steel RA shaft, 5.8" main gears, fine manual adjustment controls on both axis, illuminated reticle output port, telescope to computer USB cable and AutoStar Suite software. Mount main body weight is 55 pounds. The fully height adjustable (29 to 45") tripod features massive 3" diameter stainless steel legs for rock steady performance and weighs 36 pounds.

Includes StarLock- 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 an 80mm f/5 optic and two camera sensor system to provide computer assisted polar alignment using the drift method. Once aligned the StarLock is guiding the mount in real time, and even automatically programs periodic error correction, achieving a guiding accuracy of up to 1 arcsecond in good seeing and with the capability of guiding on stars as faint as 11th magnitude.

The LX850 features DC-servo motors on each axis with a maximum slew speed of 3 degrees per second, allowing slewing 180 degrees to the opposite side of the sky in one minute flat. Fine slewing and photographic guiding speeds can be adjusted from .01x to 1x sidereal, with faster slewing at 2x, 8x, 16x, or 1/4, 1/2, 1 or 3 degrees per second. The mount and all electronics are externally powered by the included Meade Universal Power Supply (12V). An external DC battery or power pack may also be used; Meade 607 Power Cord sold separately. The mount includes both mechanical locks and slow motion manual controls in both axis if for some reason you found yourself without power. Includes single 26 pound stainless steel counterweight, additional weights sold separately. LX800 mount shown in photo, LX850 mount similar.

Product Number 37-0850-00
Mount Body Machined from solid 6061-T6 Aircraft grade Aluminium and stainless
steel
Finish Anodized Aluminium and stainless steel
Main gear - R.A. & Dec. 5.8 inch under cut 225 tooth aluminum
Worm gear - R.A. & Dec. .68 inch diameter precision machined polished bronze
Bearing size 3.15 inch (outer diameter)
Counterweight shaft 1.75 inch diameter, 12 inch long threaded stainless steel
Counterweights 26 lbs. and optional 10 lbs. threaded stainless steel.
Quantity: Mount only - 1 x 26 lbs., 10 inch - 1 x 26 lbs., 12 inch - 2 x 26 lbs., 14 inch -3 x 22 lbs., 130mm APO - 1 x 26 lbs.
Drive Motors DC Servo motors with encoders, both axes
Mechanical allignment Fine adjustment altitude controls
Tracking distance past meridian 20 degrees
OTA mounting system Losmandy®-style dovetail
Instrument Payload Capacity 90.0 lbs (40.80 kg)
Latitude range 10° - 70°
Tripod Giant folding adjustable height tripod with 3 inch diameter aluminum legs. Height from 29 inches to 45 inches.
Mount body weight 60 lbs.
Counterweight shaft and cap weight 17.8 lbs.
Counterweights 26 lbs. and optional 10 lbs.
Tripod weight 36 lbs.
Control Panel 12v DC in, 12v DC out, Power, Focuser, Reticle, Handbox port, 1 computer connection port (RS232), 1 StarLock port, 1 Aux guide port
Computer Control AutoStar II GoTo system
Database Over 144,000 Objects, Catalogs included: Index catalog (5,386); NGC catalog (7,840); Partial Caldwell catalog (109); Messier catalog (110); Earth orbiting satellites (26); Planets (9); Uppsala galaxy catalog (12,940); Morphological catalog of galaxies (12,939); General catalog of variable stars (29,364); SAO and Hipparcos star catalogs (42,277); Draper star catalog (21,160); Yale bright star catalog (8,977); Large Bright Quasars Survey (1,055); Namd objects (4,313); Herschel catalog (400); Abell catalog of galaxy clusters (2,712); Arp catalog of irregular galaxies (635); Lunar features (1,754); Asteroids and comets (120); Constellations (88); Solar/Lunar eclipses, meteor showers (492).
Computer Hand Control Double line, 16 character Liquid Crystal Display; 20 backlit LED buttons
GPS Yes
Home Sensors Both RA and Dec axes
Internal Clock Yes
Internal Cabling Yes
Slew Speeds 3 degrees/second
Tracking Rates .01x to 1x, 2x, 8x, 16x, 1/4°, 1/2°, 1°, 3°
Tracking Modes EQ North and EQ South
Alignment Procedures 2-Star Align, 1 Star Polar Align, Starlock assited drift align
Power 12v DC 5 amp, using supplied Meade Universal Power Supply
StarLock 
Wide Field Camera 25mm x 26mm f/1.04 optic with 1/2 inch format CMOS sensor gives field of 14.72 x 11.78 degrees.
Narrow Field Camera 80mm x 400mm f/5 optic with 1/2 inch format Cmos sensor gives field
of 57.2 x 45.8 arcminutes (2.68 arcseconds/pixel)
High Precision Pointing +/- 1 arcminute
High Precision Guiding +/- 1 arcsecond (with good seeing. 1-4 second correction update rate depending on star magnitude. Faintest guide star 11th mag.
High Precision Alignment Semi-automatic drift align procedure for ulta-precise polar alignment
StarLock Weight 2.9 lbs. (1.3 kg)

Supplier SKU

37-0850-00

Shipping Restrictions

Only ships in contiguous USA.