Meade LX 90 ACF + GPS

About the Meade LX90-ACF
The LX90-ACF can locate over 30,000 objects, including itself. Turn it on and the built-in GPS receiver provides immediate date, time and location. Within minutes, your telescope is ready to give you a tour of the most spectacular places in the universe, with GPS precision. The Meade LX90-ACF telescope comes with all the features of a legendary LX90 Schmidt-Cassegrain plus it has the ability to track satellites. Meade's new LX90 ACF has just about everything.

Meade AutoAlign: Automatical aligning
When comparing different methods of alignment (synchronizing your telescope's computer with the night sky), nothing is easier than Meade's AutoAlign. Not even the three objects alignment method. This is because LX90ACF telescopes are smart scopes that know the night sky out of the box. When it comes to leading optics, oversized primary mirrors, depth of features and value for money, the LX90-ACF is simply the best Schmidt-Cassegrains on the market.

Choosing the LX90-ACF, an easy decision.
If you are considering purchasing a telescope in this price class, you probably know that there are other Schmidt-Cassegrains available. Feel free to shop around, but make no mistake, the Meade LX90ACF is the best Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on the market today. The accurate drive system and world-class optics beats competing scopes. If you do not feel like looking around forever before you purchase, just decide today in favor of the LX90ACF. Choose an aperture that fits your goals, get a DSI Imager for astrophotography, and you're ready to start. If you want to see what else is out there, consider a few things:

Deflection-reducing Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain optics
Stars lovers around the world swear by Meade optics. Dr. P. Clay Sherrod of the Arkansas Sky Observatory says: "I must say that Meade optics have achieved an incredibly sophisticated and consistent level of quality in recent years. I'm testing optics, so I should know. Unfortunately, there are companies failing to provide service when it comes to optics." Sky & Telescope called the LX90-ACF optics, "deflection-reducing" putting Meade "high in the optical bench set-up" calling it "smooth and well corrected." You'll buy a real instrument here. Purchase the Meade LX90ACF and you will not regret it.

Accurate targeting and searching: with GPS system
AutoStar is the standard when it comes to sky navigation systems. Sky & Telescope magazine called the search ability of the LX90 "awesome" and gave it the designation "100% accurate". Astrophotographer Steve Hamilton says his LX90 performed "flawlessly out-of-the-box" and added, "the well-built mount also supports added accessories like guide scopes and counterweights without making a compromise at the expense of the rock-solid stability needed for astrophotography."

Larger mirrors, faster motors, easier alignment
Only Meade Schmidt-Cassegrains have primary mirrors larger than the (reported) aperture of the scope, which allows all the light to be absorbed. Furthermore, this Meade has faster rotation speeds so you can spend more time observing and less time waiting for your telescope (not unpleasant in cold weather). Finally, whatever you may hear about alignment, nothing is easier than operating automatic telescopes. The LX90ACF is so smart that it knows the night sky, straight out of the box. You do not have to teach it about the night sky by manually turning to three bright objects. It automatically finds two alignment stars for you!

Advanced Coma Free optics: for amateur astronomers who want nothing but the best
The new Meade LX90 is ACF (Advanced Coma Free) and is intended for amateur astronomers who want nothing but the best. In America the LX90 is also available without ACF (designated LX-90 SC). The LX-90 with ACF provides a flatter, coma-free image.A traditional Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) is a type of reflector that delivers a coma-free, flat field of view via hyperbolic primary and secondary mirrors. RC telescopes (from different manufacturers) are found in most of the world's top observatories, and also in NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Because the mirrors in these telescopes have always been very expensive to make, few amateur astronomers could enjoy them. Fortunately, Meade engineers developed a radical new Advanced Coma Free design which is a combination of a hyperbolic secondary mirror with a corrector lens and a spherical-primary-mirror combination that performs as one hyperbolic element. This ACF design produces a coma-free, flat field of view that works like rival traditional RC telescopes but at a fraction of the price. The design even eliminates diffraction spikes and improves astigmatism. Both are inherent in traditional ACF design.

The UHTC advantage
Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) are a great scientific breakthrough increasing brightness, similar to the equivalent of nearly an inch of aperture (depending on scope size). These coatings are a Meade exclusive and make a big difference compared to competing telescopes. Image brightness, compared to standard coatings, has increased by no less than 15%.

Different models of the LX90

• 8 inches = 203 mm
• 10 inch = 254 mm
• 12 inches = 305 mm

Difference between the LX 90 & LX 200
Telescope expert often receives questions about the differences between the LX 90 and the LX 200. Here we briefly explain the differences (besides the various diameters of lenses that are available). Historically, the big difference has always been the tripod. The LX90 tripod had a lighter tripod (so more vibration), the LX 200 a heavier tripod. Today, however, the LX90 comes with the same tripod as the LX200. So what's the big difference then?

• Transmission (gearing) of the motor :The LX200 is much more accurate than the LX90. While the LX200 can reach up to one arc second from the object, the LX90 can manage up to 3 arc seconds.
• Pre-programmed objects: The LX90 is equipped with the Autostar # 497 which has a database featuring 30,223 objects. The LX200 has a database featuring 147,541 objects
• Primary Mirror Lock: With the LX200, the primary mirror can be locked; this is very useful when using long shutter speeds for photography. The LX90 doesn't offer this possibility.

What do we recommend?
Both the LX-90 and the LX-200 are phenomenal telescopes. The LX-90 is wonderful to observe with, really a joy to behold. But when it comes down to astrophotography, the LX 200 is better than the LX 90. If you want to watch a lot we recommend the LX-90, in case you want to do much shooting, we recommend the LX200.

Some pictures taken with the LX 90


The moon



The Holmes Comet