Meade 12" LX600 ACF Telescope with StarLock and Tripod

Product Hilights

• 12” f/8 Advanced Coma-Free catadioptric optics
• UHTC optical multicoatings for high light transmission
• unique StarLock system for full-time automatic arc second guiding accuracy
• internal Crayford-type dual speed focusing to reduce image shift during use
• dual fork arm altazimuth go-to mount with GPS
• AutoStar II computer hand control with 145,000 object go-to library
• Giant Field Tripod with 3” diameter chromed steel legs for maximum stability

The 12" LX600 ACF Telescope with StarLock from Meade is a technologically advanced Cassegrain telescope with a computerized fork mount. This innovative design combined with Meade's Ultra High Transmission Coating ensures that images are bright, with high contrast and faithful color reproduction. The included Giant Field Tripod has 3" diameter steel legs with a cast aluminum adjustable head, providing the LX600 with a professional-grade foundation for celestial observations.

Meade engineers developed a new coma free design by combining a hyperbolic secondary mirror with a primary mirror and corrector lens that perform as a single hyperbolic element. This advanced coma free (ACF) design produces a flatter field of view that rivals traditional Ritchey-Chretien (RC) telescopes at a fraction of the cost. The ACF design even eliminates diffraction spikes and improves astigmatism, both of which are inherent in the traditional RC design.

At the core of the LX600 Series' tracking and alignment system is Meade's StarLock technology. StarLock uses both a wide field and a narrow field digital camera to identify guide stars as faint as 11th magnitude, then communicates information to the right ascension and declination motors to track celestial objects for precise one arcsecond guiding. Unlike standard autoguiders, StarLock directly transmits specific real-time commands to each of the servo motors, resulting in maximum accuracy and faster guide corrections to within one arcsecond.

The LX600 is packaged with a heavy-duty double-tine fork that is engineered to accommodate the optical tube assembly, StarLock assembly, and cameras used for astrophotography. 5.75" worm gears in both RA and DEC axes provide smooth movement with minimal periodic error. This fork enables 180 degree range of motion, allowing the optical tube to slew from horizon to horizon without the meridian flip common with German equatorial mounts.

AutoStar II GoTo software makes setting up and observing celestial bodies with the LX600 both user-friendly and relatively easy. Over 144,000 objects are pre-loaded on the AutoStar handbox, all stargazers need to do is enter the moon, planet, star cluster, nebula or galaxy of their interest on the AutoStar handbox and the mount will automatically move the telescope into alignment.

The LX600 with StarLock combines world-class optics with a robust yet portable mount and tripod. Paired with the AutoStar II GoTo software, this kit includes all the hardware and software that professional astronomers and astrophotographers need for years of superb observation.

Based on Astronomy magazine’s telescope "report cards", scopes of this size and type generally perform as follows . . .