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Meade LS-6 First Light

Fija

By Fija
in Member Equipment Reviews

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Fija

Fija

Posted
Posted

Finaly got to take this baby out today after staring at it since it arrived 3 days ago.

I flashed the firmware to v1.6 before using the scope and had a few dry runs of setting up the scope in the house to both check the scope out and to familiarize myself with it.

I used 2 batteries in the battery compartment as it keeps the memory (GPS Settings, etc).

Ok I turned it on and within 15 seconds it informed me that it had acquired it GPS settings, it then went on to do the other auto align stuff. I had to force it to pick different stars as I was only 3 or 4 foot from the house and am in a confined space with semi limited view (ok enough of that) the scope took 5 -8 mins to sucessfully align.

My first target was M81 & M82 both appeared pretty much center in my 26mm EP so I decided to try M31 which was again in the eyepiece but not quite center this time so I sync'd it and headed back to M82 while I waited for M42 to clear the rooftop.

Optics were great and M42 blew me away, Just stunning though not sure how much of my new 20 - 20 vision was due to a lower F Stop than I am used to and how much is down to the bigger OTA.

The Astronomer inside is a bit naff but hey I didn't buy it for that. The Videos look ok on my netbook (via easycap) and the audio can get anoying if you leave it on by default. I'll be turning it off next time out.

The scope is a winner as far as I am concerned and it does what it says on the tin. :)

Glad I went for the 6" though as carrying it up and down 3 flights of stairs nearly rips my arm off (I'm such a wimp). I dont think I would have managed the 8" and tbh I'm well happy with the views I get from the 6".

I also connected the scope up to Stellarium which was fun and sometimes confusing as Stellarium slews the scope but the handbox doesn't update. So I found myself with the scope pointing at M82 but the handbox displaying M31.

This was a bit annoying when I wanted to Syncronize as I would have to use the handbox to slew to M82 (even though it already was) just to sync it. But appart from that it worked really well.

Well thats about it for my moon polluted First Light with the scope.

Fija

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KE400

KE400

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I've also just bought this scope, I've never had a GPS confirmed signal on it yet mind from my back garden although setting it up manually was easy and it still finds everything once set up. I've only used the supplied EP so far but have a selection of others en-route. As a newbie to all this, I'm not sure of its viewing capabilities? With the right EP should I be able to see any colouring in the Orion Nebula? I could just about make out the gas bands around Jupiter the other night which was great.

Kev

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Nexus 6

Nexus 6

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I've also just bought this scope, I've never had a GPS confirmed signal on it yet mind from my back garden although setting it up manually was easy and it still finds everything once set up. I've only used the supplied EP so far but have a selection of others en-route. As a newbie to all this, I'm not sure of its viewing capabilities? With the right EP should I be able to see any colouring in the Orion Nebula? I could just about make out the gas bands around Jupiter the other night which was great.

Kev

Hi Kev, M42 will shown faint greenish hues under the right skies if you have some decent ep's ie Televue for one. Have observed it myself and do see such colour tones :)

Regarding picking up the gps on your scope, with my Celestron 925 it states in the manual you need to have a clear horizon for it to lock on to the sat data.

Hope that may help :o

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KE400

KE400

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Alan,

Thanks for the info, I've just ordered an assortment of some Televue EP's and awaiting delivery including the x3 Barlow. What sort of EP should I be looking to use for great viewing of M42? Just need some clear skies to test them out......

Kev

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Nexus 6

Nexus 6

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Alan,

Thanks for the info, I've just ordered an assortment of some Televue EP's and awaiting delivery including the x3 Barlow. What sort of EP should I be looking to use for great viewing of M42? Just need some clear skies to test them out......

Kev

Hi Kev,

it would help if you let us know what ep's you bought? :) I would have considered a 3x barlow a bit much, perhaps 2 or 2.5 would have been better although I have no experience of using a 3x, in fact I may be missing out as I have only used a 2x and found it poor although it was not TV one. I am trying to leave out the barlow option and just fill the ep range, albeit slowly , bit by bit.

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Fija

Fija

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I see M42 well with both Meade 4000 & GSO EP's the 26mm 4000 or my 32mm GSO both cover a good amount of M42 as the have around 52 degrees FOV. I guess EP quality isn't essential as it's an f/10 scope I understand the better ones are more cirtical for faster scopes. As for colours I see green and as far I know blue is the only other that is regularly seen, I believe this is because some people are more sensative to blue.

I could be wrong on the colour thing but that is what I remember being said on the Sky at Night.

As for the GPS I can't see the horizon and I always use the scope in the back garden so I guess I must be lucky.

As for dew controll I have got an Astrozap dewshield that I modified (FLO only stock the Nextstar 6" one) Took 5 mins with a pair of scissors. I also have a dew strip as I have had loads of probs with my ETX 90 and ICE which always signaled an end to a nights viewing as early as 10PM :) I may not need the dew strip but I wasn't taking any chances with this scope.

As for Barlow I got a GSO 2x which has the unscrewable 1.5x bit. I find the 1.5x bit the best as I dont loose any contrast I find the 2x tends to darken what I can see slightly.

Only managed to get out twice so far but loving the scope auto setup working well the 3 times I have used it the last time I used it I just flipped the switch and went to make a brew, Came back out and it was ready and waiting to go.

I tried some imaging last time out but I had bad results although I don't think it was down the scope just too much vibration on my deck as I was walking about while my DSLR was doin it's thing as I'm really impatient. Will try again when I can get out next.

Clear Skies,

Fija

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KE400

KE400

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Hi Kev,

it would help if you let us know what ep's you bought? :) I would have considered a 3x barlow a bit much, perhaps 2 or 2.5 would have been better although I have no experience of using a 3x, in fact I may be missing out as I have only used a 2x and found it poor although it was not TV one. I am trying to leave out the barlow option and just fill the ep range, albeit slowly , bit by bit.

Alan

The EP's ordered are TV Plossl's 11, 15 & 32mm & x3 Barlow. Also waiting on a 7mm Nagler with a bit more FOV.

Thanks

Kev

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sooren

sooren

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Just got my 8' meade lightswitch today from Norwich.

As it is my 1st scope I was anxious if it would align its self and live up to the hype bearing in mind I am an absolute beginner and have no clue what so ever.

It took 10 minutes to set up and then outside to flick the switch.

About 10 minutes later it told me it was aligned and ready to go,

pressed the tonight best tour key and..............................

BINGO..... It works. No big planets to see but plenty of galaxies and nebulas and stars - 0rion neb was great and I see lots of M galaxies.

Im a bit heady with it all - heard so many bad things about this scope so maybe Meade have sorted out all the early problems.

I will do a full review of the scope when i have had more time to play - early days but amazing

Regards

Paul

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Fija

Fija

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Hi Paul,

Happy to hear you had as much sucess as I did. They really are nice little scopes. A bit pricey for some I know. how do you find the 8" ? Not too heavy ?.

Glad you had great views with it.

Fija

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sooren

sooren

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Hi Fija,

The 8" LS is manageable and I had no trouble taking it into the yard but I would not want to walk to far with it.

Any beginners who have the budget would really get on with this scope - Flick the switch, have a fag and its ready.

Today I ordered 2 new eye pieces, 18mm & 6.7mm ultra wide angles.

I have heard good reports so fingers crossed.

Now, just need a few more cloudless skies.

Enjoy that scope.

Regards

Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...
mikepacitti

mikepacitti

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Sounds like my kind if stargazing for sure, switch on leave it 5 mins then look at whatever you want!!!

I got my son a Meade Starnavigator 102 for Xmas, its ok for looking at the moon and jupiter when its shining brightly, but i just can't seem to get it aligned properly, i have tried a few times but it never seems to go in the right direction.

Where we live is out in the country but we have a large hedge all around the house and we are in a bit of a dip also as we don't get great mobile phone coverage, would that have anything to do with poor alignment??

Cheers for now,

MikeyP,

Aberdeen.

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KE400

KE400

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Hi again,

Thought I'd post an update from last nights adventures with my new EP's. It was a nice clear night so I was out for a few hours in total between cups of tea. After setting up and getting good allignment (still haven't had a GPS fix yet in my back garden even though I downloaded an ap for my phone which got a good GPS fix of good strength!?!). Anyways, 1st up was Jupiter, looked great through the 26mm and thought I'd try the x3 Barlow, couldn't get any kind of sharpness or detail with the 26mm Barlowed so changed to the 32mm Barlowed which again was just a very fuzzy albeit smaller disk. I know that it's not the best time to view Jupiter due to it being so low in the sky and put it down to possibly conditions. After trying the other EP's including with and without the Barlow, I found the best views where through the 15mm and enjoyed a good 20 mins before it dropped behind a house. Next up was the moon.

I know that there wasn't much of it on view last night but can't help but want to take a peek and could still see some nice detail of it's craters. After another 10/15 mins I decided to take up my scopes offer of the "Best of Tonight" feature. It slewed round to the Orion nebula and I have to say that I was blown away with what awaited. It's the 1st time that I have ever been able to make out any kind of colouring, it looked sort of greeny/blue in colour and the stars seemed nice and bright. I was that impressed that I even had to drag the Mrs out for a look haha! After Orion Neb I viewed Pleides, and various other Messiers that the scope pointed out but none that really looked more than nice clusters of pin point bright stary dots, before I went in for a warm. I left the scope powered up for an hour or so while I watched the end of the match on tv and waited for hopefully my 1st look at Saturn.

I waited till around just after 10pm as I was itching to get back out, after looking at Stellarium on my laptop, I could see that even with the naked eye Saturn was in view over one of my neighbours houses! I chose Saturn on the handheld and the scope slewed round. WOW.............a little Saturn was bang in the middle of the view, I could make out the rings and some colourings, I was blown away by it, it was as if someone was dangling a little picture of it over the end of the scope and very surreal. I followed the same sort of EP pattern I did earlier while viewing Jupiter and had similar results to be honest. I didn't really get anything amazing through the Barlow, not sure if it's right for my scope? Again I found the best viewing through the 15mm EP and also with the 26mm supplied with the scope. I stayed out for about another hour just staring at Saturn before I decided to call it a night!

I have to say that it's the best night of viewing I've had so far and look forward to many more....................I think you call that, hooked!

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Fija

Fija

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Kev I'm jellous now :( Saturn does rise over my house till Midnight-ish and jupiter rises behind a house at the moment so have yet to see either with the LS :)

I have never seen Saturn through a scope and only seen Jupiter through my old ETX-90 although like you I found that it looked best at medium magnification. My 9.7mm Meade 4000 was pants in the ETX-90 but seems semi ok in the LS so guess I'll have to use the 16mm el-cheapo I have or try the 1.5x lens off my barlow on the 26 or 32 mm EP's I have.

Must admit not really had an EP in the scope for a while as I have been playing with my DSLR and am starting to get some ok results. My Avatar is cropped from an image of M51 that I managed to get from stacking 2 hours worth of piccies 180 or so.

I'm waiting for some better views as my viewing area is limited and can leave me with hours of not a great deal to see some nights.

I have struggled to get a GPS signal twice now it has taken around 10 mins both times. When that happens I go make a brew and have a health break (Smoke).

Fija

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Fija

Fija

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Some ok pics taken with my DSLR in Prime Focus on my LS 6".

M51

post-24339-133877545926_thumb.png

180 Pictures of 40s each stacked

M81 & M82

post-24339-133877545956_thumb.png

80 Pictures of 40s each stacked

Need to get more pics of both and restack but M51 is nice :o

Fija

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KE400

KE400

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They look great, how did you set up your DSLR? Forgive my lack of knowledge, did you attach your camera to the EP via an adaptor?

I have to admit to knowing absolutely nothing about imaging but maybe in time would like to be able to attempt what you have done here!

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