I'm selling a 2005 Meade 16" LX200GPS OTA with UHTC. It has spent its entire life in my observatory, first on its own fork mount, then on an AP1200 with a Losmandy dovetail, and then on the 1200 with Parallax rings. Any of the mounting solutions (the dovetails or rings) are also available, as is a Van Slyke M1 Crayford focuser and various other 16"-SCT-specific bits.

Everything is in perfect working order, and was in use until last week when my 16" APM Mak-Cass arrived. There are some light signs of use: the paint is a bit scuffed around where the trunions of the original fork mount attached, there's a bit of dust on the corrector, the Van Slyke shows very minor surface corrosion on some of the steel bits, etc. I don't have the 4" backplate to 2" SCT thread adapter, but it vignettes anyway. I do have a Van Slyke adapter that takes the 4" down to the 3.25" used on the 10, 12 and 14" OTAs (which is far more standard than the 4" thread, and doesn't vignette like the 2" one does). This is a fine-tuned and very well-equipped instrument.

OTA with fan and mirror lock: €3900
Losmandy DM16 dovetail plate & radius blocks: €165
Second set of radius blocks: €30
Parallax rings for OTA: €290
Cut-down DM16 dovetail plate for top of rings: €50
Losmandy VR125 guidescope rings: €65
DewNot heater strip for corrector: €35
ABS felt-lined flexible dew shield: €75
Van Slyke M1: €340

Pictures of all the various kit can be seen at www.rokeby.ie/observatory/pages/equipment.html (click on the thumbnails for larger images). The dew heater controller, fan speed controler, Van Slyke rotator, Tak FC-100, AP1200GTO, MaxBright diagonal, etc., etc. are not for sale.

All the bits and pieces which don't sell with the OTA will be available after the OTA sells.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.

That's a very competitive price Jeff!

Out of curiosity, any idea what the weight of the OTA is Jeff?

Michael --

It's about 85 lbs with 2 Losmandy dovetails (and I think I had the focuser on it when I weighed it). I never weighed it with the Parallax rings, but they're a bit heavier (so perhaps 90 lbs all in).

Those are from memory but I can get an accurate measurement if you need it.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.

Michael,

Those are my sentiments precisely surrounding the 16" OTA ... it is very nicely priced!

Let's see who the lucky new owner is going to be.

I reckon my mount might *just* about be able for it.
However, I doubt very much that I could piggyback my TEC140 on it.

Geeze, guys, I hope I didn't price it too far under market.

But Michael, there's only one solution to your problem: bigger mount.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.

Geeze, guys, I hope I didn't price it too far under market.

Let's have this discussion after it is sold ... I do not want the (lucky) buyer to be upset with me.

But Michael, there's only one solution to your problem: bigger mount.

Michael, no offence but how about a serious mount such as an AP1200GTO? I would also recommend the AP3600GTO ("El Capitan") but you would need a few 16" Meade SCT's to reach its limit ... unless you piggy-back Seanie and use him as a finderscope. :mrgreen:

PS. Jeff, how much would it cost to ship this scope overseas? :wink:

My AP1200GTO arrived in five smaller parcels weighing a total of 125 pounds and the shipping alone was $980 ... which was added to the declared value prior to taxation and duties.

Anthony --

I'd say you're in the ballpark for shipping costs. I shipped the fork mount to Canada last year for around 750 euro -- I think it was a bit heavier than the OTA but it packed in several smaller boxes rather than one big one. (I do have the original Meade shipping box.)

I don't think you'd have any taxes or duty on it though as Irish VAT and duty have already been paid and I think that means it's VAT-free and duty-free within the EU. Do you want me to get a shipping quote?

Cheers,
-- Jeff.

Michael, no offence but how about a serious mount such as an AP1200GTO? I would also recommend the AP3600GTO ("El Capitan") but you would need a few 16" Meade SCT's to reach its limit.

Naaah. TO be honest, I'm happy with the mount I have. Besides, for the extra cost involved, I'd prefer to spend the money on others things.

I don't think you'd have any taxes or duty on it though as Irish VAT and duty have already been paid and I think that means it's VAT-free and duty-free within the EU.

I agree on this issue but my argument was slightly different ... if one takes into consideration only the shipping costs from the US into Europe and then adds the 25% or so for taxes/duties, they will see that one easily has a cost which reaches approximately 1000 euro. You are selling the OTA effectively for 2900 euro ... since the OTA plus 25% duties/taxes sells for considerably more than that, this offer is a steal.

Do you want me to get a shipping quote?

I have a KILLER large-aperture Mak-Cass coming with premium optics and carbon fiber. :wink:

If it wasn't for the MC, I am certain I would have jumped at your offer.

PS. We all know very well that aperture is king ... this is especially true for projects involving dim objects and also for photometry. Such a scope would be ideal for exoplanet light curves as well as dim variables .... hint, hint, hint.

...unless you piggy-back Seanie and use him as a finderscope. :mrgreen:

that alone would be worth the upgrade!
He'd be tied...nay, NAILED onto the mount! :twisted:

Everything is in perfect working order,

Sheer curiosity ... how are the optics?

and was in use until last week when my 16" APM Mak-Cass arrived.

I saw your thread on CN ... many congrats! I am sure I speak for all us about being interested and eager to learn of your first light results.

Jeff - out of curiosity, for the moment...

Can the dewshield and the heater strip be made fit a C14? Also, is the heater strip connector kendrick compatible?

The OTA is VERY tempting - I don't think I'm in the market for it but you never know... So here's a few questions specific to the OTA:

1. How well does the mirror lock stop mirro flop?
2. How well does the OTA perform WRT its age/condition?
3. How good are the tube rings/radius blocks/dovetail WRT flexure? (i'd imagione the Parallax rings are top drawer)
4. Is the DM16 AP1200 compatible?

I'm just off to buy a Lotto ticket :wink:

Cheers
Dave

He'd be tied...nay, NAILED onto the mount! :twisted:

Ah, c'mon Michael, you wouldn't want to damage the anodised finish... I'd use adjustable steel straps. That way you could tighten them up - necessary because Seanie would be losing weight daily...

Anthony --

I'd say the optics are about average for this size SCT. The dominant defect is spherical abberation (I'd say on the order of 1/4-wave, although I'm no star testing expert). The mirror isn't as smooth as something you'd expect from Zambuto or Takahashi, but then it's no where's near the price either.

On the plus side, the optics/aperture were sufficient to reveal Abell PN 79 to me from NELM 5.5 Irish skies, which I'd say is no mean feat.



Cheers,
-- Jeff.

... the optics/aperture were sufficient to reveal Abell PN 79 to me from NELM 5.5 Irish skies, which I'd say is no mean feat.

As someone with a VERY big interested in planetaries and especially those within the Abell catalog, I know how difficult these objects are to observe and/or image.

One of the initial projects I will be revisiting is the Abell catalog once the new scope arrives.

I know full well what you mean above ... aperture is KING and it does not matter if you are observing or imaging. It is applicable to both camps and makes a world of difference.

Anyway, such a scope and even without lambda/10 optics can easily be put to very effective and productive use!!!

Dave --

The heater strip would certainly fit the C14 (it's got a velcro closure which grabs anywhere on the back of it). The ABS shield also have a velcro closure, but one side of it would probably need to be moved to fit the C14 (or a second strip added if you wanted it to fit either OTA). I had it shortened here in Ireland at an Irish dancing shoe manufacturer (it needs a hefty sewing machine to punch through the ABS). The heater strip is compatible with Kendrick, Thousand Oaks, DewBuster, etc.

The mirror lock is very effective at stopping the large flop -- I don't notice any pointing errors when crossing the meridian (and I do without the mirror lock on). However, I don't image, so I don't know if it controls flop 100% or not.

I'd say the OTA performs within 99% of a brand new one. There's a bit of dust on the corrector, but it's only 3 years old and has been observatory-housed since the beginning.

The Losmandy dovetails/radius blocks do allow flexure. I'd say they're adequate for visual but probably less so for photography. The Parallax rings control things much better -- they're well worth the cost differential.

The Losmandy dovetails clamp into AP's 16" dovetail saddle, while the rings attach to AP's 15" ribbed plate. I'd just as soon keep them (you never know what may come up), but I'm not actually using either one with the new Mak-Cass and so could probably be talked in to selling one of them.

Good luck with the lotto!

-- Jeff.

now thats interesting, I could strap it onto the obsessionator and use it as a finder scope :wink:

seriously though, thats a fine OTA and had the luck to see it in the flesh, its one big scope!!

my 16" APM Mak-Cass arrived

Hey Jeff congratulations i'm glad to hear it arrived all
safe and sound i bet your all smiles,and good luck with
the sale ,great deal.Oh and sorry for no getting back to
you on meeting up i'm just to busy at the moment but
you can expect to see me soon

Sure, Declan, you were just waiting for the new scope to arrive weren't you?

-- Jeff.

Jeff, how could you even suggest such a thing

I have to agree with all the guys here, that is an amazing offer. If I had the money, I'd bite yer hand off. Good luck with the sale, and congrats to the lucky recipient.

I have a gentleman who wants to see if his mount can successfully carry it, so I'm going to consider it "pending". I'll repost the ad in a couple of weeks if it doesn't work out.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.