Meade 16" LX200GPS UHTC telescope      
 

Professional-grade optical system: Continuing the tradition of Meade 8", 10", and 12" SCT optics, the 16" LX200GPS yields the superlative imaging required in advanced applications, whether in planetary or deep-space visual or CCD imaging in astrophotography, or in photometry. And, with its super clear BK7 optical glass correcting plate, the 16" LX200GPS may be used into the ultraviolet spectral region as well. Adding the Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings group increases the telescope's effective image-brightness and resolution aperture over the visible spectrum to 17.3" Oversize one-piece fork mounting: The massive 16" LX200GPS fork system, cast in one continuous piece from one Declination housing to the other, includes a total of four 80mm roller bearings in Declination (two in each Declination housing) and two roller bearings in Right Ascension (one each 100mm and 150mm bearings in the RA housing). Such liberal usage of precision roller bearings into the telescope's design permits the addition of substantial auxiliary equipment without risk of strain on the mechanism and results in the most rigid tracking platform available on a production telescope. Large DC-servo-motor-driven 11" worm gears on both telescope axes yield the smooth, precision tracking and slewing required of a professional instrument.

Automatic GO TO capability to any of 145,000 objects in the onboard database, or to any RA and Dec. input to the Autostar II keypad, and with a pointing precision of better than 2 arc minutes in either the altazimuth or equatorial mode.

A High-Precision Pointing mode capable of pointing the telescope, automatically, to a precision of better than one arc-minute, if required.

165 drive speeds on both axes, pushbutton-actuated from the Autostar II controller: 0.01x to 1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x sidereal; 1°/sec. to6°/sec., variable in 0.1° increments.

Microprocessor-controlled sidereal-rate tracking (or one of 2000 other incrementally-variable solar, lunar, or planetary-rates) in either the altazimuth or equatorial modes, with tracking periodic error at an observatory-standard 5 arc seconds or less using the factory-programmed Smart Drive in both RA and Dec.

The 16" LX200GPS, shown with optional #1222 Field De-rotater (arrow), #62 T-Adapter, and a 35mm camera body attached to the standard-equipment Zero-Image Shift Microfocuser. The #1222 unit connects to a Field De-rotater port on the telescope's control panel. The optical tube's Thermal Stabilization Fan, provided as standard equipment, is visible at the "12 o'clock" position of the telescope's rear cell, with the primary mirror lock-knob located just below-right of the fan.

Modern control-panel design, with connectors for a wide range of optional accessories and features, including CCD autoguider, illuminated reticle eyepiece, field de-rotater, and optical tube thermal stabilization fan, as well as an RS-232 serial port connector.

Supergiant Field Tripod and Permanent Piers: The 16" LX200GPS is offered with a choice of tripod or piers, each suitable to specific user applications:

Supergiant Field Tripod: Supplied with the Supergiant Field Tripod, the 16" LX200GPS is remarkably field-transportable for an instrument of its aperture and specifications. The telescope is manufactured in four basic modules (optical tube assembly with Declination housings attached; fork arm system; drive base; and field tripod) and, as such, is readily transported and set-up in the field by two adults in about 10 minutes. The extremely strong and rigid tripod assembly, incorporating 4"-diameter steel tripod legs, results in virtually no compromise whatever in telescope stability, as compared to the permanent pier systems described below.

Placed atop the Supergiant Field Tripod, the 16" LX200GPS operates in the altazimuth mode with the tracking and pointing accuracies previously described. For visual observing, or for CCD imaging or astrophotography not exceeding four to five minutes' duration, no additional equipment is required. During longer periods of imaging or photography, however, field rotation, an effect inherent to any altazimuth-mounted telescope, becomes apparent. The result of such field rotation during photography or imaging is to cause stars at the outer edge of the field to appear to rotate relative to the centrally-located star, even if the exposure is perfectly guided. This effect can be cancelled completely and precisely by adding the optional Meade #1222 Field De-rotater (below).

Permanent Altazimuth Pier: For observatory applications the 16" LX200GPS may be ordered with the Permanent Altazimuth Pier, a mounting system that results in comfortable, readily-accessible eyepiece positions at all telescope pointing locations and is ideal in those environments where the instrument must be housed in a minimum of space.