ACF-SC 356/2848 UHTC Starlock LX850 GoTo Telescope

The telescopes of the LX850 series Meade's represent the culmination of decades of development. Are the gold standard in performance and ease of use for astronomical photography and visual observation!

Meade ACF-SC Telescope:

Most large telescopes are Ritchey-Chrétien, including NASA's Hubble Telescope. Now you can get the equipment from the professionals. Meade's new coma-free system - precise and powerful - is now within the reach of the most ambitious astronomers, astrophotographers and CCD photographers. You will get sharp images of the stars throughout the field of view, worthy of professional observatories. The secret of the "Coma Free" system is - as its name suggests - the absence of a coma, a color aberration that makes some stars look like an orthographic comma if the light source does not come from the center of the field. So much to do observations as photographs : Meade's ACF-Cassegrain optical system is far ahead of conventional series telescopes. Offers a fantastic image quality which until now could only be obtained with Ritchey-Chrétien telescopes and other exotic systems with exorbitant prices compared to the Meade model.

ACF ( Advanced Coma-free ) coma-free optical tubes: Meade's ACF optical design reduces the image errors typical of all mirror tubes, so stars look sharp right down to their outline, without trail-like distortions more reminiscent of a comet. The image looks flatter than with classic Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes. ACF optics are spatially useful for astrophotography.

Ultra high transmission coating ( Ultra-High Transmission Coatings ): This special multi-layer treatment of the front corrective plate guarantees up to 15% more light transmittance. The result is clearer star clusters, finer details on nebulous objects, and better-defined surfaces on planets.

Crayford and microfocuser : as usual in SC optics, it is focused by moving the main mirror. With simple telescopes, this can result in a tilt of the mirror, which is perceived as a shift in the image. With the LX850 you not only eliminate this problem, but even with a reduction ratio of 1:7 it is very sensitive! The exact focus for photography can be adjusted using the motorized microfocus, which is controlled with the remote control.

Meade LX850 mount with Starlock: The new MEADE LX850 equatorial, made of high-quality aluminum and stainless steel, is a great tracking platform even with larger optics. Precision is achieved through 147mm worm gears and 17mm sprockets. The AutoStar II's computer control system works with GPS and is capable of locating approximately 144,000 astronomical objects registered in its database.

starlock It is a camera and control system that performs 3 important functions:

• Periodic error correction or PEC
• Exact approach for GoTo
• Autoguidance for astrophotography with an accuracy of less than one arc second

The 2 Starlock cameras, with their variety of functionalities, combine perfectly together. The far-field camera helps with approximate positioning. And the near-field camera allows you to center objects with an accuracy of up to 1 arc minute.

The alignment involves both cameras, which place the given reference star right in the center to achieve optimal GoTo.

And, to ensure high tracking precision, the StarLock system is equipped with a Permanent and automatic self-guiding . As soon as the telescope returns to tracking mode after performing a movement (for example, positioning a celestial object), the near-field camera automatically searches for a suitable guide star with a maximum brightness of 11 mag. This star is followed until the telescope moves again.

Drift Alignment Assist Ensures correct polar alignment when the Starlock system is operated from an equatorial mount. To do this, the telescope approaches an appropriate star and the exact deviation of the tube with respect to the real north celestial pole is calculated based on a capture taken by the far-field camera with an exposure of 30 seconds. The mount then assumes the correct position that has been calculated and, with the help of the fine adjustment of the equatorial wedge, the telescope moves just to that point, thus achieving a perfect orientation with respect to the Earth's axis.

Starlock Cameras Specifications:

• Far-field camera: 25 mm lens diameter, 26 mm f/1.04 focal length, 1/2 CMOS sensor, 14.72° x 11.78° field
• Near-field camera: 80mm lens diameter, 400mm f/5 focal length, 1/2 CMOS sensor, 57.2' x 45.8' field
• Weight 2.7kg

Warning: These cameras are only used to align and control the telescope. The images they capture cannot be read. For astrophotography you need another camera.

Where you buy your telescope is almost as important as the telescope itself.

Our extra benefits:

• We are a leading distributor of telescopes and are well versed in the products we sell.
• For this reason, our technical service is at your entire disposal after making the purchase in case any problems arise with assembly or handling.
• We always accompany all our telescopes with the 80-page beginner's manual entitled “Telescope Basics” (available in English).

Specifications