Meade LS 8" ACF
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LightSwitch Technology - Advanced Coma Free (ACF) Optics - UHTC Coatings
To order this item outside mainland Britain or Highlands & Islands, please contact us.
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Advanced features include LightSwitch technology, ACF, ECLIPS CCD and Autostar III.
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- Optical Design: Advanced Coma Free (ACF)
- Aperture:8" (203mm)
- Focal ratio: f/10
- Focal Length: 2000mm
- Optical Coatings: U.H.T.C.
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- LightSwitch technology
- Integrated CCD identifies position
- GPS global positioning system
- GoTo Hand controller: AutoStar III
- Primary Mirror: Pyrex glass
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Outline
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This Telescope is the most technologically advanced model available and
is the easiest to use. With new LightSwitch technology and Advanced Coma Free
optics "this changes everything". All models include the latest 1.2g
software revision.
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Meade’s revolutionary LS™ LightSwitch™ telescope uses advanced technologies
like GPS, LNT™ and ECLIPS™ CCD imaging to do what no other consumer telescope
has done before: take all the hassle out of using a telescope. Simply flip the
switch and the LS automatically aligns itself. Astronomer Inside™ then takes
you on a guided multimedia tour of the best objects in your sky. The new aluminum
mount is lightweight and portable, yet has a rigid structure with precision
worm-gear drives for the ultimate in tracking and pointing accuracy. All this
combined with Meade’s Advanced Coma-Free optical system provides the stargazer
with the most sophisticated, yet easiest to use telescope ever.
Meade takes out all the hassles and puts in all the fun with the all-new LS
featuring LightSwitch technology. Now it’s fast and easy to perform all start-up
functions with just a flip of the switch. The revolutionary LightSwitch technology
automatically delivers telescope location, time, date, orientation and alignment
with the sky — all with a single touch. And thanks to Meade’s exclusive
Advanced Coma-Free™ optics, you see it all in stunning Ritchey-Chrétien-like clarity.
And with the Astronomer Inside™ comprehensive multi-media content, you experience the
universe in a way you never have before. In short, the LS incorporates
everything you’ve come to expect from Meade, the undisputed leader in innovation
and quality.
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Meade LS 6" shown.
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Radically new, cutting–edge features:
Light Switch Technology
EASY, Automatic Self -Alignment
Meade’s patented automatic self-alignment system — just one touch and it does all of the work for you. No stars to center.
No bearings to take. No time or location to enter. Just flip the switch, and the Integrated Sensor Module in combination with the ECLIPS™(Electronically Controlled Locate Identify Position System) CCD imager delivers all the information necessary to automatically align your LS for fast, accurate, hassle-free viewing. All at the flip of a switch.
MEADE’S ASTRONOMER INSIDE
Take a multi-media guided tour of the universe,
or select your favorite object and the LS’
Astronomer Inside gives you fun and informative audio descriptions of over 500 objects while you view them in the eyepiece or experience the whole dazzling multi-media presentation on an attached video monitor complete with audio, video, still images and text.
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ACF (Advanced Coma -Free) Optics SHARP, CLEAR, BRLLIANT
Meade’s proprietary, Advanced Coma-Free optics will
wow you at first sight. Distortion-free clarity. Sharpas-
a-tack resolution. ACF’s state-of-the-art optics are so good, you’ll see more objects than you’ve ever thought possible. Just compare ACF to Ritchey-Chrétien systems selling for $10,000 or more, and ACF’s quality will absolutely astound you.
BUILT-IN IMAGING Excitement
The built-in ECLIPS CCD lets you capture widefield images
of your favorite celestial wonders and display them
in real-time* or save them to an SD card, with no
external computer needed. You can even connect and control another advanced DSI CCD camera and view images on an external monitor or save the images to the SD card or an external computer. Either way, you can start astro-imaging on your first night out!
AutoStar III® TOTAL CONTROL
The easy-to-use hand-held controller lets you select
from a huge object database, with over 100,000
celestial objects. Just select an object and push
the “GoTo” button and the telescope will automatically put your object in the eyepiece. The AutoStar III also gives you complete control of the Astronomer Inside multimedia features only available from Meade.
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Meade LS 8 ACF |
Optical Design |
Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) |
Clear Aperture |
8" (203.2mm) |
Focal Length, Focal Ratio |
2000mm, f/10 |
Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) |
included |
Optical Tube Dimensions (diameter x length) |
9" x 15.75" |
Viewfinder |
Red Dot |
Telescope Mounting |
Aluminium, single arm alt-azimuth |
GoTo Pointing Precision (approx) |
5-arc mins. |
Pointing Precision, High Precision Mode |
3-arc mins. |
Slow-Motion Controls |
Electric, RA and Dec |
AutoStar III Hand Controller |
Toshiba® microcontroller; 2 line x 16 alphanumeric character display; 20-button keypad, red LED backlit |
Batteries (user supplied) |
8 x C-cells |
Battery Life (approx.) |
3 to 5 hours |
Onboard Celestial Object Database |
Over 100,000 objects |
Slew Speeds |
RA and Dec: 1x, 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, 128x sidereal and 1.5°/sec., 3°/sec., 6.5°/sec. |
Tracking Rates |
Sidereal, lunar, or custom-selected |
Tube Body |
Aluminium |
Mount Castings |
Aluminium |
Primary, Secondary Mirrors |
Pyrex® Glass |
Correcting Plate/Lens |
Schott clear water white glass |
Telescope Weight |
30lbs |
Tripod Weight |
9 lbs |
Field Tripod Weight |
25.5" to 43.5" variable |
Optical Tube Master Carton (Size / Weight) |
21.2" x 16.5" x 31.75" / 48 lbs. |
Tripod Master Carton (Size / Weight) |
29.1" x 10.6" x 10.6" / 12 lbs. |
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Notice
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We are constantly checking the accuracy of the technical data. We are prepared
to provide more detailed information on request. Technical data is subject to
change without notice.
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Promotional Offer
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Cash Back on Opticstar
Imaging Products
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updated: 1st August 2017
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Customers who purchase any Meade telescopes or Meade optical tubes
or Meade mounts
listed on this page qualify for a 10% cash back on any Opticstar astronomy
cameras purchased at the same time or at a later date.
This offer is valid for 1 year commencing on the date that the Meade
product is purchased from the Opticstar website or the Opticstar showroom.
Any additional purchases at a later date of Meade products that qualify for
this offer will renew the cash back period to 1 full year.
Opticstar astronomy cameras that qualify for this offer include the following:
Once an Opticstar CCD or CMOS camera has been purchased within a year of
the qualifying Meade purchase, the cash back can be claimed by contacting
Opticstar by email or over the phone quoting the receipt number(s). Please
allow up to 14 days to process the payment.
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Sample Images
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Opticstar DS-145M ICE
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posted: 13th March 2009
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The M20 nebula shot by John Haunton with the Opticstar DS-145M ICE.
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Feedback
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We want to hear your comments.
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contact |
Sample Images
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Opticstar DS-335C ICE
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updated: 20th August 2010
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The M8 nebula shot by John Haunton with the Opticstar DS-335C ICE.
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Astrophotography
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Opticstar Imaging
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posted: 26th February 2013
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High quality refractor telescopes, bundled with CCD cameras for deepd sky imaging,
planetary video imaging and auto-guiding.
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more |
A&M 80mm f/6 Review
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"Best Of Breed"
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updated: 25th March 2009
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The A&M 80mm f/6 A&M/TMB has been
reviewed in Cloudy Nights
and it has been hailed as the "best of breed". The review concludes by saying "offers
stunning performance while standing out from the crowd, look no further".
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Willmann Bell
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Books for Astronomy
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updated: 20th September 2019
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Acclaimed books from Willmann Bell...
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more |
Opticstar News
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New DS-616C XL+ Model
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posted: 24th August 2017
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Star product, improved.
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The new Opticstar DS-616C XL+ deep-sky CCD is the successor to the
popular DS-616C XL that earned the annual star product award back in 2013. It maintains all the
features of the original model as well as other improvements.
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DS-616C XL is Astronomy Magazine's Star Product
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posted: 12th September 2013
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Star product.
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The Opticstar DS-616C XL deep-sky CCD camera has earned the annual star product award from
Astronomy, the world's best-selling astronomy magazine. Read about it in the September 2013 issue.
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