Meade 6" Maksutov-Cassegrain on LX85 GoTo Equatorial Mount - 217002

Meade 6" f/12 Maksutov on LX85 Computerized Equatorial Mount

Meade's LX85 telescope package features a 6" Maksutov-Cassegrain OTA with the Meade GoTo Equatorial Mount and tripod.  With a long focal length of 1800 mm, this Maksutov LX85 package produces crisp, sharp images against a dark background sky.  However, the OTA, with a folded optical design, is just 18" long and weighs only 12.7 pounds...much more portable than a 6" classic refractor.

Please Note: This mount requires a user-provided 12V DC power source and supply. We recommend the Meade Universal AC Power Adapter (07584) or the #607 DC Power Cord (07043) and a 12V Power Supply. 

About the Meade LX85 German Equatorial Mount

The Meade LX85 is a lightweight yet sturdy, classic German equatorial mount that has been upgraded with an AudioStar hand controller for state-of-the-art GoTo electronics. The LX85 GEM is fitted with 12v DC low-cog servo motors on both axes (right ascension and declination). Meade's Smart Drive offers PPEC training so that you can easily track through long exposures or just keep objects in your eyepiece for a good, long time without the need to adjust for drift. Also, there is no need to perform a meridian flip with the LX85 and an integrated guide port is ready and waiting to accept your favorite autoguider.

The LX85 mount is made of metal and is anodized with a white finish, while a few components, like the setting circles, are finished in “Meade Blue”. The LX85 mount breaks down into three lightweight pieces. The mount head weighs just 19.9 pounds, the tripod weighs 12.4 pounds, and the counterweight weighs 9 pounds. With weights as low as these, even older children and teens can set it up!

Use the AudioStar controller to find objects, do an easy alignment, move the mount electronically, or take a tour of the night's best objects.

With a database of over 30,000 objects and a built-in speaker, the Meade AudioStar will not only help you find objects with its easy, user-friendly interface, it can talk to you about a wide range of objects for a truly interactive experience.

If you don’t know what’s up in the sky on a particular evening, or don’t have a particular observing schedule in mind, let the Meade AudioStar show you “Tonight’s Best”. Choose the Tonight’s Best tour on the controller and you will be shown, you guessed it, the best objects in the sky for that particular date and time. The AudioStar controller has a multitude of functions for you to explore, such as digital positional readouts, a database of up to 200 user-defined objects, 9-Speed dual-axis movement, and much more.

The Meade LX85 has a weight capacity of approximately thirty-three (33) pounds, which allows you to ride a wide variety of telescopes on the mount and still have capacity left for accessories. Just attach an OTA with a Vixen-style dovetail to the saddle and add extra counterweights, if necessary, to balance the load. One 9-lb. counterweight is included with the LX85 mount package.

The adjustable aluminum and steel tripod included with the LX85 weighs just 12.4 pounds. The height of the steel legs can be adjusted so that the tripod will stand anywhere from 31.5” to 43.5” tall. A metal tripod leg spreader bar, which helps immensely with tripod stability, doubles as an accessory tray.

About the Meade 6" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope

The Meade 6" f/12 Maksutov-Cassegrain OTA features a folded optical design for pinpoint star images and extraordinary contrast, making it a great deep sky performer and ideal for detailed lunar and planetary observation as it easily soars to high magnifications. This Maksutov, aka "Mak" telescope has an aperture of 6" and a focal length of 1800 mm, making it a great portable instrument for either visual observing or astrophotography.

This portable, lightweight telescope (12 pounds) comes with accessories that will allow you to start observing right out of the box. You'll receive a 2" diagonal and two 1.25" eyepieces; a 26 mm Super Plossl that will yield 70X, and a 9 mm that will produce higher power 200X magnification. The 8x50 optical finder scope with crosshair reticle makes locating faint objects quick and easy.

The M6 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope is easily mounted to the Meade LX85 equatorial mount via a Vixen-style dovetail. This telescope system is modular, and even though the total weight for the assembled telescope is about 47 pounds, no one piece weighs more than 12.7 pounds (this OTA), making it easy on the back and allowing for easy and fast set up in your backyard or at a dark-sky site.