LX90 vs LX200

My LX10 has finally been buried and I am looking for a replacement. I have always loved Meade SCT's and have been thinking about getting either a used LX200 or used LX90. At my age (72), an 8" is about as heavy as I can handle. Being on VA disability and a fixed income, new is out of the question. I would also like to use the old LX10 equatorial tripod so save money. This will probably be the last telescope I purchase so I want to make this a satisfactory buy.

Based on all the comments I have read, I think if you are going to buy a used LX200 it should either be a newer model or an older model where the electronics have been upgraded (i.e. a dudash upgrade) including having the motors checked. Is this correct? Does spending more for a GPS (original or add on make sense? Finally, I noticed that there is a difference between ACF and non-ACF models? Again is this worth it.

Some people seem thrilled with their LX90's . What are the advantages or disadvantages vs the LX200? I believe that I will have to buy an adapter plate the mount the LX90 on my old LX10 tripod. Again, is ACF and GPS worth it?

Any advice would be sincerely appreciated.
Thanks
OKLES

Hello Leslie Weston,

I have a working LX-10 that I still use, so I can relate to your experience. As a simple entry level 8 inch SCT scope it was a good choice for me and has served me well for years. I have upgraded the tripod and upgraded the focuser, but the basic simplicity of the LX-10 is something I still appreciate.

I don't have any personal direct experience with either the LX-90 or the LX-200. What I do have is a somewhat parallel thought process of planning for the day when my LX-10 with the simple 9V battery powered RA drive quits running.

What I have done is to buy another used Meade LX-10 Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) here on ASTROMART (Classified #866693). This second OTA already had a Vixen size dovetail mounting bar installed. I also bought an IOPTRON MiniTower mount (also used here on ASTROMART in Classified #881470). Pairing these two gives me the same optics in my LX-10 mated with a new GPS equipped mount. The GPS is a really nice upgrade that allows me to use the older Meade SCT technology with a more modern mount that has a future.

So if you still have your LX-10 OTA, you should give some thought to buying a modern mount and adapting your OTA to a modern GPS mount. If you look at my Rating Given section in my user profile, you can find Classified #881470 and Classified #866693 which have photos to give you an idea of what can be had here on ASTROMART.

Some food for thought,

Ed