Re: Cannot upgrade telescopes

From: RichA (none_at_none.com)
Date: 01/04/05 

Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 08:17:12 -0500

On Tue, 04 Jan 2005 12:13:37 GMT, "Roger Hamlett"
<rogerspamignored@ttelmah.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>
>"RichA" <none@none.com> wrote in message
>news:p1fjt0t79eoglsn843tprlde3v78ptqbqi@4ax.com...
>> On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 04:05:21 GMT, Chris L Peterson
>> <clp@alumni.caltech.edu> wrote:
>>
>> >On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 22:18:35 -0500, RichA <none@none.com> wrote:
>> >
>> >>Remember the Meade apo mounts? They didn't come with Goto, but you
>> >>could add it. It involved installling a few things, a board, add the
>> >>hand control.
>> >
>> >Sure, but the Meade scopes have evolved to the point where there would
>be little
>> >to be gained by upgrading the electronics- the design is highly evolved
>and the
>> >firmware upgradable. A better quality scope would require better
>quality motors
>> >and gears- a much more complex upgrade. In any case, adding options is
>one
>> >thing; upgrading to a different model is something else altogether.
>>
>> If the functionality is all in software, then why can't the older
>> scopes be upgraded to True North Pointing? The physical
>> characteristics of the scopes have not changed.
>You need to add an electronic compass inside the scope, a level detector
>system inside the scope (both major mechanical changes), then have the
>input pins to the processor (it doesn't have them spare), then write
>completely new software (since the processor in the older scope is
>different from the new one). You could design such an upgrade for perhaps
>an initial outlay of $50000, and sell it (including installation), for
>perhaps $2000 (since it would involve a complete mtherboard change). How
>many do you think would sell?...
>
>Best Wishes
>

Why would it sell for that much when complete additions of goto in the
old 600 and 700 mounts cost about $400? Don't forget, they are also
selling new scopes so that $50,000 is going into them too.
As for major mechanical changes, I'll believe they did that when I see
it. The new LX-90 looks identical (save the red dot finder added)
to the old one.
-Rich