L X D 55 AR 5

Hello guys and gals,I asked this question on the Meade forum with no answers as yet.The Equipment talk forum is always where I get help anyway,I should have come here first I guess.Today was my 29th anniversary,my wife is a saint to have put up with me this long.But anyway,she asked me what I'd like as a gift.So I got her to agree that I needed a new telescope.It was gonna be replacement eyepieces but that was taken care of by some of my Amart brothers,Thank you so much-again!!!The Meade factory outlet has the lxd 55 ar5 new,not refurbished,for $329.00.I really dont know anything about this scope or even refractors for that matter but I have seen the prices.So when I saw a 5" refractor I felt like it was a pretty good deal.This was the last one's that they made so maybe it will be worth more given enough time,not that I'd ever sell it.Does anyone have any input on this scope?Good or bad,its the tube only but no problem,I have an extra tri-pod with a single arm go-to mount and autostar.So what I'm wondering is if its worth the money that I already spent before I even checked around,but the fact that its a 5" refractor for that price made my hands shake a little .I have a couple 5" reflectors that I really enjoy,the only refractor I have is the ETX 60 which gives great views for its size and I mounted it on my 10" dob.Tell me I did good,if not just tellme me I cold have done a little better with the amount of money for a refractor.To get it I had to agree to work a couple off days to pay for it before it accrued any interest,I can do that standing on my head for a new telescope.Clear skies,Darrell

Darrel, not a bad deal at all...

You must understand the capabilities of an Achromatic Refractor, and their limitations, as very bright objects WILL show false color (mostly on the limb), but DSOs should be fine...

What mount/tripod you have? this scope is NOT SMALL... as it is an f/9, meaning that it has a long tube. (therefore you'll need a nice sturdy mount to hold it)



Clear skies!

8)

Hey Darrell. I picked up an early generation AR5 with the plastic dew shield and no collimation capability. Well I'm just tickled with the performance. Optics are slightly undercorrected but quite sharp visually. Collimation was spot on. Yes there is secondary color at high power, especially the moon and planets, but with good seeing the sharp images will dominate your viewing experience.

It's a steal for the money. A whole scope, of good quality for less than the price of a fancy focuser or eyepiece. Can't ask for more than that!

By the way I picked up something called a Chromacor last month. This corrects the color of the scope and has the capability of also correcting an under or over corrected objective lens (but it has to match the lens...one size does not fit all). The darn thing works! Unfortunately it costs more than the whole scope. If you get seriously bitten by the bug, it may something worth persuing later.

Cheers

Jeff