Meade LX80 3"/80mm ED APO Refractor Telescope Kit

The LX80 3"/80mm ED APO Refractor Telescope Kit from Meade is a reasonably priced opportunity for the discerning astrophotographer or visual observer. This f/6 ED Triplet APO bundles Meade's optically exceptional Optical Tube Assembly with an incredibly versatile LX80 multi-mount and a rock-solid tripod. Frosting on the cake includes planetarium-like computer software control and AudioStar GoTo capacity with educational audio mini-lectures to be shared with friends, neighbors and even relatives.

Fully multi-coated with FPL53 extra-low dispersion (ED) glass combine with an aperture of 3"/80mm and a focal length of 480mm to offer the maximum in transmission, brightness and contrast. The included AudioStar computer-control handbox system accesses a database of over 30,000 celestial GoTo pieces of eye-candy. The Astronomer Inside digital audio technology presents an audio description of 500 of those sky objects. Meade's AutoStar Suite Planetarium Software for PCs is part of the package offering computer controlled night sky seeing.

The LX80 Multi-Mount offers the user the choice of leveraging the multi-mount as a German Equatorial Mount (GEM) or as an alt-azimuth mount and quickly change between them. The Multi-Mount has been constructed of die cast aluminum with ABS panels. The precision craftsmanship of the LX80 Multi-Mount creates exceptionally fine, smooth and precise manual, hand-held control and computer adjustment controls for both declination and right ascension. The mount interfaces with the AudioStar GoTo system. It requires 8 AA batteries or can be powered with a 12v DC 5amp power supply. The power sources are user-supplied. The mount can be configured for dual OTA mounting or with the included counterweight. The ideal shaft length for counterbalancing or a dual-tube configuration is easily adjusted with the sectional counterweight shaft.

The large adjustable height tripod offers a stable platform for the OTA and mount. The legs are a robust 2 inches in diameter and collapse to 30.5 inches. Fully extended, the tripod height reaches 47 inches and weighs 31.5 pounds. Each leg has its own fine adjustment leg leveler for increased pointing accuracy.

The LX80 3"/80mm ED APO Refractor Telescope Kit comes with a Meade Series 4000 26mm Super Plössl Eyepiece, and a 2" diagonal prism with 99% reflectivity and a smooth and exactly calibrated crayford-style 10:1 dual-speed focuser.