Question 1

How is it at looking at the moon?

Accepted Answer

I know this is an older post, but just in case someone else wants to know the answer........This is a VERY LARGE telescope commonly called a "light bucket" because of the large primary mirror size. It truly excels at taking light from very distant and very dim objects and concentrating that light on an eyepiece or camera. For distant galaxies and nebulae (commonly called Deeps Sky Objects, or DSO's), it is hard to beat this piece of equipment.The moon on the other hand is neither distant nor dim. One can make excellent observations and take great pictures using considerably less complicated, heavy, and expensive optics. This scope weighs around 100lbs with the mount (not very portable), takes a good 20 minutes to setup each time you decide to use it (too much trouble just to look at the moon or planets for a few minutes), and will cost around $5k after you put an eyepiece in it (about $4k more than you need for a good lunar/planetary scope). If I were going to look at the moon a lot I would purchase a small 3" refractory type telescope with no electronics on a mount/tripod much heavier than recommended for that telescope with a quality eyepiece or two. Yes, you can use this telescope to view the moon, but unless you have your own permanent observatory, you are unlikely to go through all that effort very often.

Question 2

It's too heavy for me to move as a single unit.  Would it be difficult to move the tripod, then move the mount/tube assembly and attach to the tripod?

Accepted Answer

It definitely takes two people to mount the telescope on the tripod.

Question 3

I'm looking for a case for the LX-200 14" telescope....any suggestions

Accepted Answer

Hi Donald, I used to have JMI rolling case for the LX200 14" telescope. It's pretty expensive.

Question 4

I'm impressed by the Meade. I only want to view clearly but not take photos.  Any suggestions for which one?

Accepted Answer

Budget? Portable or not? Weight? Automated (GPS)? I'd start small in the beginning.

ASIN	B0039ZT9JG
Brand	MEADE
Built-In Media	Heavy duty height adjustable Meade Field Tripod,
Coating	Ultra-High Transmission Coated
Compatible Devices	Mounts, Computers, CCD Autoguiders
Customer Reviews	5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
Exit Pupil Diameter	30.4 millimeters
Eye Piece Lens Description	Super Plossl
Field Of View	1.4 degrees
Finderscope	Reflex
Focal Length Description	3050 millimeters
Focus Type	Manual Focus
Global Trade Identification Number	00709942500462
Item Weight	16 ounces
Manufacturer	Meade
Manufacturer Part Number	1210-60-03
Model Name	LX200-ACF
Model Number	1210-60-03
Mount	Altitude Azimuth mount
Objective Lens Diameter	30.4 centimeters
Optical-Tube Length	26 inches
Power Source	Battery Powered
UPC	709942500462 709942500929
Warranty Description	Limited Lifetime Warranty
Zoom Ratio	7

Meade Instruments 1210-60-03 12-Inch LX200-ACF (f/10) Advanced Coma-Free Telescope

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