Meade 8" LX200GPS SMT Telescope build on the legendary reputation of their predecessor LX200 telescopes and the result of a two-year design effort at the Meade Irvine facility, Meade 8" LX200 GPS-SMT Telescope take previous telescope technology to a level heretofore unimagined. Announced in September, 2001, few telescopes in the thirty-year history of Meade Instruments have aroused such intense interest, or been so quickly accepted, among both beginning and experienced amateur astronomers, but Meade 8" LX200-GPS SMT Telescope did.

Here you can find out more about Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC)

Specifications for Meade 8" LX200 GPS SMT Telescope:

Optical Design:		Schmidt-Cassegrain
Clear Aperture:		203mm
Primary Mirror Diameter:		209.6mm (8.25")
Focal Length, Focal Ratio:		2000mm f/10
Near Focus (approx.):		25 ft.
Resolving Power (arc secs.):		0.56
Optical Coatings:		MgF2 on correcting plate (2-sides); standard aluminum on primary & secondary mirrors
Ultra-High Transmission Coatings:		optional at time of purchase
Limiting Visual Magnitude (approx.):		14.0
Limiting Photographic Magnitude (approx.):		16.5
Image Scale (degs./inch):		0.72 (8" f/10)
Maximum Practical Visual Power:		600X
35mm Angular Film Coverage:		0.68° x 0.97°
Optical Tube Dimensions (dia. x length):		9.1" x 16.75"
Secondary Mirror Obstruction (dia.; %):		3.0"-14.1%
Telescope Mounting:		heavy-duty fork type; double tine
Setting Circle Diameters:		Dec: 5"; RA: 8.75"
RA Motor Drive Systems:		185-speed, microprocessor-controlled, 12v DC servo motor; 5.75" LX worm gear with Smart Drive software
Hemispheres of Operation:		North and South, automatically selected by GPS input or by user override
Declination Control System:		185-speed, microprocessor-controlled, 12v DC servo motor; 5.75" LX worm gear with Smart Drive software
Primary Mirror Lock:		included (progressive tension)
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.
Pointing Precision, High-Precision Mode:		1-arc min.
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 (user-supplied):		8 x C-cells
Battery Life (approx.):		20 hrs.
Onboard Celestial Object Database:		147,541 objects
Slew Speeds:		RA and Dec: 0.01x to 1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x sidereal; 1°/sec. to 8°/sec., variable in 0.1° increments
Tracking Rates:		sidereal, lunar, or custom-selected from 2000 incremental rates
Tube Body:		aluminum
Mount Casting:		aluminum
Primary, Secondary Mirror:		Pyrex® glass
Correcting Plate/Lens:		clear float glass
Telescope Dimensions, swung down:		9.25" x 17" x 24.75"
Shipping Carton Dimensions:		31" x 22" x 14"
Total Net Telescope Weight:		73 lbs
Heaviest Sub-Section for Field Assembly:		45 lbs.
Total Shipping Weight (approx.):		94 lbs.
#1220 Field De-rotater:		optional
Equatorial Wedge Latitude Range:		23° to 64°
Field Tripod Height:		30" to 44" variable

Features of Meade 8" LX200 GPS SMT Telescope:

• High-Precision Pointing (HP) Capability
• Autostar II Control System: Completely redesigned and updated for the 8" LX200 GPS SMT
• Built-in 145,000-Object Library Included as Standard Equipment
• New Heavy-Duty Fork Mounts

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