Dear David,

Thank you for your response. I am curious-- was it obvious that your
optics were bad when you got the scope or did you only find problems when
you put the scope through some sort of testing procedure? I am not even
exactly sure on how to test my optics. Why did it take 3 months??
This problem scares me somewhat. I have had my own headaches with poor
quality control at Meade and do not want anymore. Have other people had
optical problems with the 12 in. ? Also, what is Dr G's site address?
Finally, I always put my scope on grass and not concrete to avoid
vibration problems. Do you still recommend shock absorbers, like the ones
you have? Thanks for your help.

Dan Howard

On Tue, 31 Mar 1998, David Gardner wrote:

>
>
> Dan Howard wrote:
>
> > I am considering buying a 12 in LX200. I will use it for astrophotography
> > primarily.
>
> I have had my 12" for 6 months including 3 months at Meade to fix the optics.
> The High Precision Pointing feature is astonishingly accurate. Tracking has been
> pretty good after some diligent PEC training. It's difficult to determine
> exactly when the mount is level due to the unfinished nature of the casting type
> of wedge which gives you some rough spots. I have ordered a Millburn wedge to
> get around that problem and to make polar alignment easier. Make sure you know
> where the celestial equator is when you do your PEC training and synch.
> functions since it really seems to make a difference in finding accuracy later
> on.
>
> I now have a good optics set. Balance is tricky even with a 2D Losmandy
> counter-weight set if you're going to track across the zenith. I have no
> experience yet of gear problems even though the scope is pretty loaded up with
> counter-weights, an ST7, AO, NGFS focuser etc. Only time will tell. Several
> people have noted on the group that you should NOT use the balance function in
> the menu because it puts a big strain on the motors which most say are just
> barely adequate for this size OTA. I believe the tripod wedge arrangement is
> fairly stable but I use Celestron shock absorbers on the feet anyway.
>
> Best of luck with your new scope. Wear it out! You'll have fun even though there
> will undoubtedly be aggravation in the years to come.
>
> Don't forget to bookmark Doc G.'s web site. It is a cornucopia of information on
> just about anything you want to know about an LX 200.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dave
>
>
>
>

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