You will find that the average LX200 owner becomes very vocal when he has a
problem with his toy. I've had a few problems with mine, but most of them
were very simple and easy to correct. I use my LX200 more frequently than
my wife uses the kitchen oven...and I've owned it for 4 years. Most of us
will tell you that the LX200 is relatively problem free...relax and have fun
with it.

Al
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, August 24, 2000 2:37 PM
Subject: [M]: The Fragile LX-200 - A Fearful Rant


> I gotta tell ya, after reading the MAPUG posts for the last several
months,
> I'm starting to feel like everytime I power on my LX-200 something's
likely
> to blow! Runaway motors, blown COM ports, toasted mother boards - boy,
I'm
> glad my Sony laptop isn't this delicate, 'cause I use it for my work! Is
my
> scope a timebomb waiting to happen?
>
> So, is it reasonable to assume that these experiences, although very real
> and irritating for these owners, are not the norm? Mine's OK so far.
But,
> I'm getting ready to plug my laptop into my LX-200 to run TheSky, and now
> I'm worried that I'm gonna short or blow something just by plugging them
> together. I've got what I think is a nice, normal-looking serial cable
that
> Meade sells as the PC-to-ETX interface - at least it looks nice. Should I
> be worried?
>
> Why can't Meade just make their electronics and drive mechanisms more
> reliable and robust? I mean, this isn't rocket science anymore. My
Windows
> CE PDA is probably more sophisticated than my LX-200's electronics! My
> laptop certainly is, and the laptop gets used not only as a full-time PC,
> but occasionally as a frisbee. ;-) Seriously, I sometimes wonder when
we
> can expect to see someone enter the market with GOTO scopes with excellent
> optics (which Meade seems to have), along with really solid and reliable
> electronics and drives. Heck, I'd gladly pay for the peace of mind, based
> on the postings I see on MAPUG. Will this likely be the successor product
> line to the LX-200s?
>
> I guess I'll go out tonite and plug my PC into my scope - the glow on the
> horizon is probably my LX-200 melting down. I'll wear goggles.
>
> (Feel free to respond to me directly via email so that we don't clog the
> message board with replies to my rant.)
>
>
> Doug Walton
> Longmont, CO
>
>
>

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