meade lx200 vs. celestron cge

I would like to take the big step up from the Orion Sky pro 8 I currently have and have been collecting information about the Celestron CGE-11 and the Meade LX200 that sit on either side, the 10 and the 12. I would like to hear from the group what should be considered as the +/- before I spend this kind of money. I definitely am headed in the direction of astro photography and I want to take the scope on the road with me as my wife and I RV about the western states. Should I be considering a DOB instead??

It seem curious to me that there are a lot of second hand Meade LX200 10 on the market but you hardly ever see a Celestron CGE 11 for sale used.

Ed

First off, let me say I have a Meade 8" lx200, and am quite happy with it. As a 'take with me scope' I take it camping, and it works great, but it is heavy. I have heard the 10 and 12 are much heavier and bulkier. I am not familiar with the Celestron scopes, so I am no help there. I am also venturing into the world of astrophotography, and for a low cost setup, the Meade's work fine for me.

Wayne

"It seem curious to me that there are a lot of second hand Meade LX200 10 on the market but you hardly ever see a Celestron CGE 11 for sale used."

That's probably because (A) the 10" LX200 has been available for 14 years and the CGE1100 for only one year, and (2) the CGE1100 sells for about twice as much for similar aperture. The CGE is for people who KNOW they want a German EQ mount and are willing to pay extra to get it.

The Celestron isn't selling the CGE like Meade sells it's LX200. I'll bet many More Nexstar 11GPS' are sold than the CGE. If you are considering astrophotography a dob won't do. People seem to prefer the fork mount over the German Equatorial. If you've never tried astrophotography before and are considering long exposures you would be better off with a faster 4" refractor on a sturdy mount. (less need for guiding and more room for error with a shorter focal length scope). But, to get back to the original question you really can't go wrong with either (although others will tell you that you can), just be sure you can set them up easily - they are all fairly heavy scopes. (I own a 10" LX200). Hope this helps.

You need to do plenty of research, especially on the CGE option. Join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CGE-TelescopesUNCENSORED/ to find out more. The Celestron offering looks great on the surface, but has plenty of problems that could lead to fustration. If photography is your aim, then a Dob isn't a great option.

Rich

I also owned a 10" lx200. It was a great scope, altho the focuser was not real precise. the goto and tracking worked perfectly.