The LX800 5.1"/130mm ED APO Telescope Kit with StarLock from Meade represents a commitment to observing and photographing the night sky and its denizens. Besides the enticing 130mm, f/7 OTA refractor itself, this comprehensive kit includes the awesome StarLock guiding system, the imposing LX800 GEM (German Equatorial Mount), the impressive AutoStar II GoTo system and a rock-solid, formidable tripod with wide 3 inch diameter legs to keep it all steady.
The OTA is a triplet, 3-element, air-spaced, APO- apochromatic refractor with fully multi-coated, ED (extra-low dispersion) glass. Does it get any better than this? This superior optic delivers outstanding contrast and sharpness and no detectable chromatic aberration. The 3 inch Crayford-style, 10:1, gear reduction focuser is an exceptionally precise, dual-speed, ultra-fine focus control with zero image-shift focusing. The OTA has been beautifully machined and finished. An aperture of 5.1"/130mm and a focal length of 910mm offer the maximum refractor light transmission.
The included AutoStar II GoTo system accesses a database of over 145,000 celestial pieces of eye-candy. It will take you where you want to be. Saturn's rings or the Mice Galaxies, NGC 4676 are just a push button away. Light years dissolve into seconds.
The StarLock, flagship feature of all the LX800s, automatically centers alignment stars, automates and accelerates the drift alignment process, refines pointing to an accuracy of one arc minute and as if that were not enough, it automatically, all-by-itself, identifies a suitable guide star as faint as 11th magnitude, locks onto it and implements continuous corrections based on the guide star, directly to the motor controllers. Utilizing Meade's LightSwitch technology, the StarLock system steers the telescope through the sky with the use of its internal 80mm, f/5, wide angle lens, two-camera, sensor array. Once locked on to the alignment star, StarLock guides the mount in real time with periodic error correction. No more lost-in-space, dark-sky, star viewing sessions to be hassled by.
The LX800 Heavy-Duty German Equatorial Mount (GEM) has been constructed of machined stainless steel and aircraft grade 6061-T6 aluminum. It has an anodized aluminum and stainless steel finish. The precision craftsmanship of the GEM creates exceptionally fine, smooth and precise manual adjustment controls for both declination and right ascension. Internal cabling prevents snags and tangles as the scope slews. The mount interfaces with the AutoStar II GoTo system with GPS and a database of over 145,000 objects. It includes both mechanical locks and slow motion manual controls for both axes so that the viewing can continue without power.
The included Meade Universal Power Supply of 12V provides all the power. An external DC battery or power pack may also be used. A Losmandy-style dovetail mounting plate interfaces between the mount and the telescope.
The large adjustable height tripod offers an incredibly stable platform for astrophotography. The legs are a robust 3 inches in diameter and fold up to a petite 29 inch height. Fully extended, the tripod height reaches 45 inches. The tripod weighs 36 pounds.
The LX800 5.1"/130mm ED APO Telescope Kit with StarLock comes with a 1.25" diagonal prism, a Series 5000 HD-60 25mm eyepiece, and a 8x50 viewfinder with a cross-hair reticle.