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Subject: Re: LX200 misc info
From: Robert Preston
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Sun Nov 20 05:12:12 1994

Based on the level of your questions, I'd predict you would be penny-wise but pound foolish not to go for a new LX200, with the latest firmware version. Reasons: Yes, you can of course do well (poor Galileo, born in a pre-LX century) with earlier versions obtained as "used", but even those are going to be large money. If new, I suspect it would be difficult or impossible to obtain anything BUT the latest version, since these things seem to not sit around in the stockrooms unpurchased. So the version questions might be academic. Even if you could ferret out an old model from some obscure dealer (if such exist) the relative savings over latest version firmware would be small. Parts of your version questions are answered in the FAQ for this list, obtained by FTP from astrorcf@netcom.com, and most of your questions have been addressed previously in the group, the archives for which are at the same FTP site, along with a review of the LX200 by Australian astronomer Steven Williams, who will also be reviewing the Pictors, which, so far, are vapourware.

In my opinion, you would not regret plunking down the full price for the latest version LX200 and a couple of Nagler or Meade Ultrawides to boot. I am by no means wealthy, myself, but do not regret making the payments on my ver 3.2 LX200 8", now four months old. I have no connection with Meade other than being a very satisfied customer.

Rob Preston rapr@med.pitt.edu

PS I have not seen any Voyager II talk anywhere, re LX200 control. If you go that route, please be sure to post your impressions to this newsgroup.