Hi now that I bought a tv-85 to use as a grab and go scope(still waiting patiently for delivery) I have been thinking of getting a Meade - Starfinder Dobsonian Deluxe 16" f/4.5 to replace my Meade 10" LX-200 for deep sky viewing and for serious planetary work. Question is: is the extra light grasp of the 16" worth the extra size/weight? Also would premium 2" eyepieces cause a balancing problem with the scope(like the 31 & 20 Nags)? The goto on my LX-200 is great and accurate but I find that I miss the hunt for the elusive mag 13 galaxy and such. Or do you guys think that I would be better of with a 14" LX-200. Astrophotography is not an issue; I'm totally a visual observer of primarily DSO. Thanks.
Thinking about getting a Meade Starfinder 16" Dob
Started by power_overwhelming, 05/11/2003 02:11PM
Posted 05/11/2003 02:11PM
Opening Post
Posted 05/14/2003 01:22AM
#2
Vladimir,
As with every thing else, "it depends". Some of the factors are:
1. How comfortable are you with ATM'ing and tweaking/improving on a manufactured scope?
2. How much weight are you comfortable hauling around?
I was in your shoes a couple of years ago -- I had a 10" LX200 and when I saw a two month old Starfinder 16" within driving distance for sale here for under a thousand bucks, decided to get it for the 3-4 times per year I was likely to go to dark mountain skies. It was virtually unusable in its stock configuration (Meade cut more corners than I could count), but when I got done customizing it I had a scope that is so much superior to the LX200 for visual work that the old SCT only gets used once or twice a year when I decide to go imaging! Aperture really matters-- I can see color in M42 and consistently pick out 6 stars in the Trapezium, neither of which I could do with my 10" SCT.
Some say the Meade-- much less any f/4.5 scope-- cannot be a decent planetary performer. I strongly disagree. I've been able to use mine above 700X, and recently saw the Maxwell Division in Saturn's rings, plus did the tough double split of Gamma Virginis/Porrima (nearing 0.5 arc-sec separation). On my last clear night out, my scope was at one of our club sites in the company of an Obssession 18 (Zambuto mirror) and a JMI NGT-18 (Galaxy mirror) and fully kept up with them in terms of optical performance. (I think my collimation was better, which certainly helped.)
The Meade mirrors of late have been pretty consistently "OK". Odds are you'll get one with a turned down edge and a raised center (masked by the oversized secondary), but the surface will be smooth and the Strehl and RMS will be "diffraction limited" even if the Peak-to-Valley rating is mediocre. I found that masking my primary by 1/4" both covered the mirror clips (major diffraction producers) and boosted the Strehl and RMS significantly. You'll also want to either downsize the secondary or at least remount it, since Meade's tape mount generated enough internal pressure to create horrible astigmatism in my secondary.
A Starfinder is a good way to "start modestly" and then customize/upgrade component by component. I've more than doubled my initial investment in the scope... but now its fully customized for my body, observing style, and mode of transportation (everything is "quick release" to fit in my car), has DSC's, Dob-Driver motorization, a JMI DX1 two speed focuser, a Short tube 80 and Telrad finders, and an upgraded secondary and associated hardware. Buying all of that on a ready to use scope would have been considerably pricier.
OTOH, if you're looking for immediate gratification and a good experience out of the box, I'd steer towards a smaller but higher quality scope at a similar or slightly higher price point. Jim
As with every thing else, "it depends". Some of the factors are:
1. How comfortable are you with ATM'ing and tweaking/improving on a manufactured scope?
2. How much weight are you comfortable hauling around?
I was in your shoes a couple of years ago -- I had a 10" LX200 and when I saw a two month old Starfinder 16" within driving distance for sale here for under a thousand bucks, decided to get it for the 3-4 times per year I was likely to go to dark mountain skies. It was virtually unusable in its stock configuration (Meade cut more corners than I could count), but when I got done customizing it I had a scope that is so much superior to the LX200 for visual work that the old SCT only gets used once or twice a year when I decide to go imaging! Aperture really matters-- I can see color in M42 and consistently pick out 6 stars in the Trapezium, neither of which I could do with my 10" SCT.
Some say the Meade-- much less any f/4.5 scope-- cannot be a decent planetary performer. I strongly disagree. I've been able to use mine above 700X, and recently saw the Maxwell Division in Saturn's rings, plus did the tough double split of Gamma Virginis/Porrima (nearing 0.5 arc-sec separation). On my last clear night out, my scope was at one of our club sites in the company of an Obssession 18 (Zambuto mirror) and a JMI NGT-18 (Galaxy mirror) and fully kept up with them in terms of optical performance. (I think my collimation was better, which certainly helped.)
The Meade mirrors of late have been pretty consistently "OK". Odds are you'll get one with a turned down edge and a raised center (masked by the oversized secondary), but the surface will be smooth and the Strehl and RMS will be "diffraction limited" even if the Peak-to-Valley rating is mediocre. I found that masking my primary by 1/4" both covered the mirror clips (major diffraction producers) and boosted the Strehl and RMS significantly. You'll also want to either downsize the secondary or at least remount it, since Meade's tape mount generated enough internal pressure to create horrible astigmatism in my secondary.
A Starfinder is a good way to "start modestly" and then customize/upgrade component by component. I've more than doubled my initial investment in the scope... but now its fully customized for my body, observing style, and mode of transportation (everything is "quick release" to fit in my car), has DSC's, Dob-Driver motorization, a JMI DX1 two speed focuser, a Short tube 80 and Telrad finders, and an upgraded secondary and associated hardware. Buying all of that on a ready to use scope would have been considerably pricier.
OTOH, if you're looking for immediate gratification and a good experience out of the box, I'd steer towards a smaller but higher quality scope at a similar or slightly higher price point. Jim
