Re: Pining for the LX10
- From: Chris L Peterson <clp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:06:28 -0600
On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:04:33 -0700, Quadibloc <jsavard@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
What could well be happening, though, is that advances in computer
technology are allowing the GO TO feature to be added at a lower and
lower cost... while inflation is driving up the cost of motors and
optics. So Meade would have had to raise the price on the LX10 while
being able to keep the prices on the GO TO models the same... and that
was felt to be untenable.
Yes, that was my point. A driven, non-goto scope still uses pretty much
the same motors, gears, and electronics as a goto scope. The only
difference is software, which in production is essentially free, and the
hand controller. From a cost standpoint, that hand controller is about
the only place where Meade could save a little bit of money in
attempting to offer a non-goto SCT- and it really would be just a little
bit.
What actually irritates me, more than one manufacturer choosing to
discontinue one model - that happens all the time - is that there
*are* plenty of non-GO TO scopes out there. But they're *all* German
Equatorials.
Well, these are mainly aftermarket mounts, sold without telescopes. They
are inherently more modular in design, and intended to accommodate many
different telescopes. Their modularity allows them to be sold with and
without goto controllers. They are made in much smaller volume than
commercial SCT/mount combos, so the cost of the controllers is quite a
bit higher to the manufacturers.
1) I prefer a fork mount to a German Equatorial...
So do I. But from a practical standpoint, it is difficult to provide a
generic fork mount. They really only work with a short OTA, which is why
you find them supplied with SCTs. There isn't much of an aftermarket
source for forks, except for very high end units.
2) My 4-inch SCT sits very nicely on a wedge and tripod intended for
an 8-inch SCT. An 8-inch SCT on a wedge, however, seems like it is
always in imminent danger of tipping over. Perhaps it is.
It might look that way, but in fact an SCT on a wedge is completely
stable unless you live at very low latitudes. You can normally take out
the bolts holding the wedge to the tripod and everything will stay in
place. The COG of the scope is actually over the tripod.
3) Given the increasing popularity of GO TO scopes for the entry-level
market, although GPS recievers still do cost an absolute minimum of
$150 even these days, non-GO TO scopes are stuck in an *intensely*
price-competitive section of the market.
Even the distinction between GPS and non-GPS scopes is getting hard to
justify based on cost. A decent GPS chipset and patch antenna combo
suitable for a telescope controller cost about $10 these days. It might
be cheaper to put GPS hardware on all controllers and disable it for the
low end models than to provide two different controllers.
_________________________________________________
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
.
- References:
- Pining for the LX10
- From: Quadibloc
- Re: Pining for the LX10
- From: Chris L Peterson
- Re: Pining for the LX10
- From: Quadibloc
- Pining for the LX10
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