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Meade 12 Inch LX200-ACF f/10 Advanced Coma Free Telescope - 1210-60-03

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Item #MEAD-1210-60-03

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  • ACF Advanced Coma Free Optics
  • GPS equipped mount with GoTo
  • AutoStar II Controller with 145,000 object database
  • An astrophotographers dream telescope 
  • Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings UHTC
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  • Description

    Meade 12 Inch LX200-ACF Advanced Coma-Free Telescope with UHTC

    The most widely used research telescope on earth now comes with the most advanced optical system. Meade's LX200-ACF brings Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optics within reach of aspiring astronomers everywhere. Nearly every observatory reflector in the world uses an aplanatic (coma-free) optical system like the Ritchey-Chrétien (RC), including NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Now you can own optics similar to what the professionals use. The LX200-ACF includes all the field-proven features of the LX200, including GPS, Primary Mirror Lock, Oversized Primary Mirror, SmartDrive™, Smart Mount™, AutoStar® II, and more. Plus, the LX200-ACF comes with observatory-class optics and a Series 4000 26mm Super Plössl eyepiece. The new LX200-ACF:  It's the biggest news in astronomy since, well, the LX200.

    The "Advanced" in Advanced Coma-Free.
    A traditional Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) is a type of reflector that delivers a coma-free, flat field of view via hyperbolic primary and secondary mirrors. RC telescopes (from a variety of manufacturers) are found in most of the world's top observatories and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Because the mirrors in these telescopes have always been very expensive to make, few amateur astronomers could enjoy them. Fortunately, Meade engineers developed a radical new Advanced Coma Free design by combining a hyperbolic secondary mirror with a corrector-lens-and-spherical-primary-mirror combination that performs as one hyperbolic element. This ACF design produces a coma-free, flat field of view that rivals traditional RC telescopes at a fraction of the cost. The design even eliminates diffraction spikes and improves astigmatism, both of which are inherent in the traditional ACF design. When reviewing Meade's LX200-ACF Advanced Coma Free, Sky and Telescope magazine said, " It does indeed perform like a Ritchey-Chrétien. The difference between the off-axis images (compared to a Schmidt-Cassegrain) was dramatic to say the least."

    f/10 Advanced Coma-Free Optics
    Building from a classic RC design, Meade has created a new design with the same coma-free pinpoint star images and flatter field that discerning astrophotographers and most professional observatories have come to expect from classic Ritchey-Chrétien optics. Meade's Advanced Coma-Free system also reduces the astigmatism and eliminates diffractions spikes found in classical RCs. The LX200-ACF is the perfect platform for the demanding researcher and imaging enthusiast with telescopes available in apertures of 8 inches, 10 inches, 12 inches, 14 inches and 16 inches.

    The UHTC Advantage

    Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) are an amazing scientific breakthrough that increases brightness by the equivalent of nearly an inch of aperture (depending on scope size).  These coatings are exclusive to Meade and make a real difference over competing scopes.  Image brightness is increased by 15% over standard coatings.

    Meade High Precision Pointing HP Feature

    This feature is most helpful to astrophotographers interested in imaging objects too faint to be confirmed with the naked eye.  Or those who want to place an item dead center on a very small CCD chip.  When you turn this feature on and ask the scope to slew to an object, the scope will first slew to a star right next to the object and ask you to center that star perfectly.  The star is likely to be perfectly centered already (that's how accurate Meade telescopes are).  But once you have confirmed the star's precise location, the scope will slew to the nearby deep sky object and place it exactly in the center of your field of view.  For normal observing, this level of precision isn't necessary.  But HPP gives you the confidence to kick off a two-hour long imaging sequence without even visually confirming a faint object's existence! 

    More Advanced Features from Meade

    • Primary Mirror Lock - Locks the mirror in place preventing movement during long-exposure astrophotography.
    • Smart Drive - Provides permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) on both axes by learning and averaging error over the course of one or more training periods, thereby minimizing guiding corrections during long-exposure photographs.   PPEC is available on both axes and functions in both polar and altazimuth modes.
    • Sony GPS Receiver Sensor - automatically inputs precise time, date, and geographical location to help quickly and precisely align the telescope.
    • AutoStar II Controller - features "Hot Keys" for quick access to a 145,000 celestial object database.  AutoStar II can be updated with the latest software upgrades, guided tours and timely objects like comets free at meade.com

    Supplier SKU

    1210-60-03

  • Dimensions & Specifications

    Product Number

    1210-60-03

    Clear Aperture

    12" (305mm)

    Optical Design

    Advanced Coma Free (ACF)

    Focal Length

    3,048mm

    Focal Ratio

    f/10

    Telescope Mounting

    Heavy-duty fork type; double-tine

    Optical Coatings

    Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC)

    Resolving Power (Dawes Limit)

    0.380 arcseconds

    AutoStar Controller

    Autostar II

    Object Database

    145,000 objects

    Viewfinder

    8x50mm with cross-hair reticle

    Eyepiece

    26mm Series 4000 Super Plossl

    Diagonal

    1.25" diagonal prism

    Pointing Precision (High-Precision Mode)

    1-arc min.

    Periodic Error Correction

    Both Axes

    Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PPEC)

    Yes

    Slow Motion Controls

    Mechanical & electronic

    Slew Speeds

    RA and Dec: 0.01x to1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x sidereal; 1°/sec. to 2°/sec., variable in 0.1° increments.

    Tracking Rates

    Sidereal, lunar, or custom-selected from 2000 incremental rates

    Tripod

    Giant field

    Batteries (User-Supplied)

    8 x C cells

    Battery Life (Typical)

    20 hrs.

    Power

    12V DC, 5 amp power supply (optional)

    GPS Receiver

    Included

    True Level & North Sensors (LNT)

    Included

    Time Chip

    Included

    Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser

    Optional

    Smart Mount

    Yes

    Smart Drive

    Yes

    Mirror Lock

    Yes

    Oversized Primary Mirror

    Yes

    AutoStar Suite Planetarium Software

    Included

    Primary Mirror & Secondary Mirrors

    Low expansion borrosilicate glass

    Correcting Plate/Lens

    Schott Water-white Glass

    Optical Tube

    Aluminum

    OTA Weight

    34.66 lb

    OTA Dimensions

    14 in x 14 in x 26 in

    Tripod Shipping Weight (approx.)

    50 lb

    Tripod Dimensions

    40" to 50" variable

    Total Net Telescope Weight

    125 lb

    Telescope Shipping Weight (approx.)

    165 lb

  • Product Guarantee

    We stand behind all the products we sell, and your satisfaction is our top priority. If you're not satisfied with the quality of your purchase, simply send the item back to us in its original packaging within 30 days of its delivery.

    Manufacturer Warranty

    1-year limited manufacturer's warranty

    Return & Exchange Policy

    At our site, returns are easy! You may return new, unused, and resalable items for a refund or exchange. Simply ensure that the item is returned in its original product packaging within 30 days of delivery.

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