The large light-collecting apertures of Meade LX200GPS 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes (SCT) enable levels of resolution and image brightness that satisfy the advanced requirements of the serious amateur, as well as those of many school or college research programs.

Meade 12 " LX200 GPS SMT Schmidt-Cassegrain includes all of the features of the 8" and 10" models:

accurate GPS alignment; onboard 145,000-object database accessible in seconds through the Autostar II hand controller; Autostar Suite Software with remote telescope control via internet, the Lunar Planetary Imager (LPI), the creation of custom tours and much more; 4-speed Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser; High-Precision Pointing to within one arc-minute; and much more. And yet, notwithstanding all of their high-performance features, Meade 12" LX200GPS-SMT telescopes are readily transportable for use in the field.

The telescopes' progressive-tension primary mirror lock, in conjunction with the Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser, cancels any residual image-shift during focusing. In addition the mirror lock results in even more precise long-distance GO TO slews of the telescope, since the large mass of the telescope's primary mirror is locked in position. In Addition to that, the Smart Mount improves the pointing accuracy of Meade LX 200 GPS SMT 12" Telescope 's "Go To" system. Smart Mount allows your 12" Meade Telescope to learn about, and then correct for any systematic pointing errors, regardless of the cause. Observing with Meade 12 inch LX200-GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope:

The advantage of large aperture immediately becomes apparent when observing with Meade 12" LX-200GPS-SMT. Objects merely visible in smaller telescopes now take on new dimensions, with fainter, more tenuous nebular detail observable; the Orion Nebula grows to more than twice the area visible in an 8" telescope and with subtle color variations. Jupiter's surface is a web of interlocking structural detail, even under moderate seeing conditions; shadowy detail on the surface of Jupiter's largest satellite, Ganymede, is often observable. With a limiting photographic magnitude of 17.5 (or over 18.0 if the telescope is equipped with the optional Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope is a valuable tool in supernova patrols, in the plotting of faint asteroids, and in many other areas of significant astronomical research.

You can choose:

Meade 12" LX200 GPS-SMT Telescope with Standard Coatings (Model #1210-50-30)

or

Meade 12" LX-200GP SMT Telescope with Meade UHTC group (Model #1210-50-31):

UHTC Ultra High Transmission Coatings are an important feature to optimize the performance of your Meade telescope. Technologies developed at the Meade Irvine coatings facility have optimized the visual and photographic performance of Meade telescopes. The UHTC coatings , upon all 4 optical surfaces, result in a 20% decrease in light loss and a dramatic enhancement in detail, particularly of tiny facets and deep space objects.

Specifications for Meade LX200GPS 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes (SCT):

Optical Design:		Schmidt-Cassegrain
Clear Aperture:		305mm (12")
Primary Mirror Diameter:		314mm (12.375")
Focal Length, Focal Ratio:		3048mm f/10 (12")
Near Focus (approx.):		75 ft. (12")
Resolving Power (arc secs.):		0.38  (12")
Optical Coatings:		MgF2 on correcting plate (2-sides); standard aluminum on primary & secondary mirrors
Ultra-High Transmission Coatings:		For model 1410-50-31
Limiting Visual Magnitude (approx.):		15
Limiting Photographic Magnitude (approx.):		17.5
Image Scale (degs./inch):		0.48 (12" f/10)
Maximum Practical Visual Power:		750X (12")
35mm Angular Film Coverage:		0.45° x 0.65°
Optical Tube Dimensions (dia. x length):		13.6" x 25"
Secondary Mirror Obstruction (dia.; %):		4.0"-11.1%
Telescope Mounting:		heavy-duty fork type; double tine
Setting Circle Diameters:		Dec: 5"; RA: 8.75"
RA and Dec. Control Systems:		both axes: 185-speed, microprocessor-controlled, 14v. DC servo motor; 5.75" LX worm gear with Smart Drive Software.
Primary Mirror Lock:		included (progressive tension)
Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser:		included (4-speed)
GPS Alignment:		included (16-channel GPS receiver, electronic sensors for true-level and North, with magnetic declination compensation)
GO TO Pointing Precision (approx.):		2-arc mins. (1-arc min. in HP-mode)
Slew Speeds RA and Dec.:		0.01x to 1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 148x sidereal; 1°/sec. to 8°/sec., variable in 0.1° increments
Tracking Rates:		sidereal, lunar, or custom-selected from 2000 incremental rates
Hemispheres of Operation:		North and South, automatically selected by GPS or user.
Slow-Motion Controls:		manual and electric, RA and Dec.
Bearings:		Dec: 3 x 1.83" dia. ball bearings; RA: 1 x 4" dia. and 1 x 2.25" dia. ball bearings
Autostar Hand Controller:		Atmel 89C451 & PIC16C57 microcontrollers; 2 line x 16 alphanumeric character display; 20-button keypad, red LED backlit
Main Telescope Controller:		distributed intelligence architecture using 8 networked microcontrollers (Motorola 68HC11, Atmel 89C451, 3 x PIC16C62, 2 x PIC16C54, Sony digital signal processor); 3.5-Megabyte flash memory (field reprogrammable), 32K RAM
Batteries (approx.):		8 x C-cells (user-supplied); 20 hrs.
Onboard Celestial Object Database:		147,541 objects
Materials:		Tube Body; Mount Castings: aluminum; aluminum Primary, Secondary Mirror [Note 2]:Pyrex® glass, grade-A, fine-annealed
Correcting Plate:		clear float glass
Giant Field Tripod, height:		4." - 50" variable
Superwedge Latitude Range:		24°-65°
Telescope Dimensions, swung up:		15" x 20" x 37"

Features of Meade LX200 GPS 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT):

• GPS alignment
• onboard 145,000-object database
• Autostar II hand controller
• Autostar Suite Software
• remote telescope control
• Lunar Planetary Imager (LPI)
• 4-speed Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser
• High-Precision Pointing
• Fork mount/drive system
• Finderscope
• Smart Drive
• Mirror lock
• 1 year warranty

Package Contents:

• Meade LX200GPS 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT):
• Meade 12 Inch LX200 GPS-SMT Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube with Smart Mount
• Meade Series 4000 Super Plossl 26mm Eyepiece
• AutoStar II Hand Controller
• Giant Field Tripod
• 8x50 Viewfinder
• Eyepiece Holder
• Diagonal Mirror - 2 Inch w/ 1-1/4 Inch Adapter
• AutoStar Suite Software w/ LPI Imager
• Zero Image-Shift Microfocuser