Revolutionary
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.
Accurate
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.
Power
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.
Carries full one year UK warranty by Opticstar Ltd on behalf of Meade Instruments Corp.
'Sky & Telescope' review
"...the LX850 Astro-Imaging System is a quantum leap forward. It has done for deep-sky astrophotography what Go To telescopes did for observing, turning what many consider a daunting task into something that can be done with push-button ease. It’s quite an accomplishment."
Review by Dennis di Cicco, 'Sky & Telescope' magazine, December 2013.
LX850.
A smarter telescope system - only from Meade
Drawing on over 40 years of experience and innovation, Meade Instruments introduces the latest in a long line of advanced astronomical products: the LX850. Using revolutionary new technology, every aspect of this amazing telescope system has been designed to deliver the new standard in astrophotographic and visual performance.
Precision machined, solid German equatorial mount
Constructed of machined stainless steel and aircraft grade aluminium, the LX850 mount presents a rock-solid platform with precision roller bearings on both axes and a 1.75" (4.45 cm) stainless steel R.A. shaft. Its 0.68" (1.73 cm) diameter brass worms and 5.8" (14.7 cm) diameter, 225-tooth aluminium gears deliver smooth, precise movement with up to a 40 kg (90-pound) instrument load. A fully-computerized GoTo mount with GPS, the LX850 comes with a database of over 145,000 objects. All this set atop a new super-stable tripod.
StarLock - full time automatic guiding
StarLock is the revolutionary new technology that makes target acquisition on your imaging sensor and accurate guiding during exposures completely automatic. StarLock uses an 80mm f/5 optic and a super wide-angle lens in a two-camera system that automatically finds your target in high-precision, immediately captures a field star as dim as 11th magnitude and then guides to an accuracy of one arcsecond. There's no need for a separate guide or computer and the StarLock requires no user focusing or guide star selection. StarLock automatically programs periodic error correction and then corrects for any other errors down to virtually zero.
With the robust German equatorial mount and the revolutionary StarLock system, the LX850 is the smartest and most complete astro-imaging solution available.
