Meade 6" f/4.1 LX85 Reflector Optical Tube Assembly

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Meade 6" f/4.1 LX85 Reflector Optical Tube Assembly

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6" Newtonian reflector optical tube with extremely fast f/4.1 optics, perfect for visual and astrophotography pursuits
2" linear bearing Crayford focuser features a 10:1 fine focus reduction for precise and repeatable focus
Long 77mm back focus designed for attaching a variety of camera gear including a DSLR and coma corrector
Compact optical tube only weighs 12.7 lbs and is 22.5" long
Includes 26mm Super Pl�ssl eyepiece, 8x50 finder scope, hinged tube rings, 2" eyepiece extension tube, and Vixen-style dovetail rail

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Item # 56194

Mfg Model # 217027

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The Meade 6" f/4 LX85 Astrograph Reflector optical tube assembly is a compact wide field telescope, with enough aperture to view a plethora of deep-sky objects, and features a fast f/4.1 optical system which is perfect for taking high resolution images of the night sky with very short exposures. Weighing in at only 12.7 lbs, it fits on most any Vixen compatible Alt-Az or EQ mounts.

With a 610mm focal length, pairing this telescope optical tube with a DSLR or other astro camera will yield a spectacularly wide field of view, perfect for framing some of those "showpiece" deep-sky objects such as the Andromeda Galaxy or the Orion Nebula. And with the 2" linear bearing Crayford focuser, trying pairing a low power 2" eyepiece to this telescope ? the views will knock your socks off! The focuser features a 10:1 reduction fine focus knob, brass compression rings (so you don't mar the barrel of your eyepieces or camera adapters) and a 2" to 1.25" step down adapter (also with a brass compression ring).

The telescope is designed to reach focus with any DSLR camera, along with a host of other imaging accessories, and the long 77mm back-focus helps ensure compatibility with various equipment. In order to allow visual use as well, a 35mm long 2" diameter eyepiece extension tube is also provided, allowing most all 2" and 1.25" eyepieces to work with the telescope.

Includes a number of accessories such as hinged tube rings and a Vixen-style dovetail rail, 26mm Super Pl�ssl eyepiece, and an 8x50 finder scope.

Depending on the size of your camera sensor, an optional coma corrector is recommended to eliminate the inherent coma in a reflector design. This would prove beneficial when using low power 2" eyepieces, or camera sensors above ~4:3 format.

Warranty

Limited Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship for two years from date of purchase. This warranty is provided by Meade for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. For complete warranty details contact Meade at 800-626-3233.

Product Support

Visit our product support section for instruction manuals and more

Specs

Best for viewing

Brighter deep sky
Best for imaging

Deep sky
User level

User level

Beginner Level - Suited for a wide range of uses, these products are simple to operate and set up. Some initial assembly may be required depending on the type of product. Optical instruments with this rating will have very good optical and mechanical quality. Great for families, young people, and folks who don't want to mess with equipment and complexity. Beginning level telescopes will show you countless lunar craters, Saturn's rings and a myriad of star clusters and nebulae! Referring to the manual is recommended.

Intermediate Level - These products offer higher performance and more advanced features than Level 1: Beginner models. They typically take a bit longer to learn and need some set-up or adjustments. But anyone with the slightest technical bent will have no problem getting familiar with these models. Referring to the manual is recommended.

Advanced Level - These products provide the best performance but may require more skill to master and appreciate. Optical instruments with this rating have exceptionally fine optics and mechanics. Some are easy to use but might be on the large or heavy side. Some are intended for specialized uses. These products will appeal to the more technically inclined. Referring to the manual is highly recommended.

Intermediate
Optical design

Optical design

Reflector telescopes use a pair of large and small mirrors to direct incoming light to the eyepiece. Refractor telescopes refract, or "bend" incoming light to a focus by means of an objective lens. Cassegrain telescopes, such as Maksutov-Cassegrains, "fold" incoming light using two mirrors and a front "corrector" lens.

Reflector
Front-end outside tube diameter

Front-end outside tube diameter

The maximum outside diameter (OD) of the front end of your telescope will be used to select a solar filter than will fit securely to the telescope for safe solar viewing.

7.10 in.
Optical diameter

Optical diameter

For telescopes, the optical diameter (also known as aperture) is the size of a telescope's main light-collecting lens or primary mirror, measured in millimeters or inches. Telescopes with larger optical diameters collect more light, which leads to an increase in brightness and image resolution compared to smaller instruments.

For binoculars, the optical diameter (also known as objective lens diameter) is the size of each of the front-facing objective lenses of a binocular measured in millimeters. Binoculars with larger objective lenses collect more light, which increases image resolution and brightness. Binoculars with larger objective lenses are recommended for low light situations, and binoculars with at least 50mm or larger objective lenses are recommended for pleasing astronomical observations at night.

150mm
Focal length

Focal length

The distance from the center of a curved mirror or lens at which parallel light rays converge to a single point. The focal length is an inherent specification of a mirror or lens and is one of the factors in determining resultant magnification for a telescope (along with the focal length of the eyepiece being used).

610mm
Focal ratio

Focal ratio

The focal ratio of an optical system is the ratio of a telescope's focal length to its aperture. Short focal ratios (f/5, f/4.5) produce wide fields of view and small image scales, while long focal lengths produce narrower fields of views and larger image scales.

f/4.1
Optics type

Optics type

Newtonian reflectors will have either a spherical shaped mirror, which is less expensive to produce, or a higher quality parabola, which does not result in spherical aberration. Cassegrain telescopes routinely use spheres in addition to other lenses in the optical path to correct for residual spherical aberration. Refractors use a series of lenses to provide a clear image. Designs range from a standard air-spaced doublet (two lenses in a row) to exotic designs such as oil-spaced triplets and 4-element multi group lenses.

Parabolic
Glass material

Glass material

Refractors use glass lenses to focus the light, and the glass material plays an important role in the quality of the resulting image. Standard achromatic refractors routinely use Crown and Flint for the two elements, but more expensive apochromatic refractors can use ED (extra low dispersion) glass for one or more of the lenses. Reflector mirrors are made from glass with different levels of thermal expansion. Standard mirrors are made from material such as Soda-Lime Plate glass and BK-7 glass. Glass with Pyrex or other low thermal expansion material will not change shape as dramatically during the cool-down period, resulting in more stable images during this period.

BK-7
Eyepieces

Super Plossl 26.0mm (1.25")
Magnification with included eyepieces

23x
Resolving power

Resolving power

The theoretical resolving power of a telescope can be calculated with the following formula: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 4.56 divided by aperture of telescope (in inches). In metric units, this is: Resolving power (in arc seconds) = 116 divided by aperture of telescope (in millimeters). Note that the formula is independent of the telescope type or model, and is based only upon the aperture of the telescope. So the larger the telescope's aperture, the more it is capable of resolving. This is important to keep in mind when observing astronomical objects which require high resolution for best viewing, such as planets and double stars. However, it is usually atmospheric seeing conditions (not the telescope) which limits the actual resolving power on a given night; rarely is resolution less than one arc-second possible from even the best viewing locations on Earth.

0.77arc*sec
Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification

Lowest useful magnification is the power at which the exit pupil becomes 7mm in diameter. Powers below this can still be reached with the telescope to give wider fields of view, but the image no longer becomes brighter at a lower power. This is due to the fact that the exit pupil of the telescope (the beam of light exiting the eyepiece) is now larger than the average person's dark adapted pupil, and no more light can fit into the eye.

21x
Highest useful magnification

Highest useful magnification

The highest practical limit is different from the often used "highest theoretical magnification" specification. The "theoretical" limit generally is 50x the aperture of the scope in inches (2x the aperture in mm). So for example, an 80mm refractor is capable of 160x, and a 10" telescope is theoretically capable of 500x magnification. But after approximately 300x, theory breaks down and real world problems take over. The atmosphere above us is constantly in motion, and it will distort the image seen through the telescope. This effect may not be noticeable at lower powers, but at higher powers the atmosphere will dramatically blur the object, reducing the quality of the image. On a good night (a night where the air above is steady and the stars aren't twinkling), the practical upper limit of a large telescope is 300x, even thought the theoretical limit may be much higher. This doesn't mean the scope will never be able to reach those higher "theoretical" powers - there will be that rare night where the atmosphere is perfectly still and the scope can be pushed past it's practical limit, but those nights will be few and far between.

177x
Highest theoretical magnification

300x
Limiting stellar magnitude

Limiting stellar magnitude

The limiting stellar magnitude is a measure of the faintest star you can see through the telescope.

13.5
Optical quality

Optical quality

"Diffraction Limited" means that the limits of image detail are determined by the physical properties of light, and not by optical defects in the telescope.

Diffraction limited
Finder scope

8x50
Focuser

2" dual-speed linear bearing Crayford
Secondary mirror obstruction

63mm
Secondary mirror obstruction by diameter

42%
Secondary mirror obstruction by area

18%
Mirror coatings/over-coatings

Aluminum & Silicon Dioxide
Mount type

Optical Tube without Mount
Astro-imaging capability

Astro-imaging capability

The astro-photographic capability of the telescope is based on the style, stability, and accuracy of the mount and tripod. Telescopes on either very lightweight mounts or non tracking mounts (such as Dobsonians) are capable of only very short exposures such as lunar photographs. If a motor drive is attached to an equatorial mount, even a small lightweight mount is capable of capturing some planetary detail. Larger EQ mounts that utilize very precise tracking and excellent stability are capable of longer exposure deep-sky photography.

Lunar, planetary & long exposure
Backfocus distance

77.1mm
Tube material

Steel
Length of optical tube

22.5 in.
Weight, optical tube

12.7 lbs.
Additional included accessories

Two cradle rings with felt lining, 2" eyepiece extension tube, 8x50 finder and bracket
Other features

Robust dual-speed focuser with 10:1 reduction gear, Vixen-style dovetail rail for mounting on tripod, Large backfocus to work with DSLR and other gear
Warranty

Warranty

This warranty gives you specific legal rights. It is not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights under applicable local consumer law; your state or national statutory consumer rights governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.

Two year

In The Box

6" f/4.1 LX85 reflector optical tube assembly
1.25" 26mm Super Plossl eyepiece
8x50 optical finder scope with crosshair and bracket
12v cooling fan
2" eyepiece extension tube
2" to 1.25" eyepiece adapter with brass compression ring

Shipping Info

Orders received by 1pm Eastern Standard Time for in-stock items ship the same business day. Order received after noon will ship the next business day. When an item is not in-stock we will ship it as soon as it becomes available. Typically in-stock items will ship first and backordered items will follow as soon as they are available. You have the option in check out to request that your order ship complete, if you'd prefer.

A per-item shipping charge (in addition to the standard shipping and handling charge) applies to this product due to its size and weight. This charge varies based on the shipping method.

Standard Delivery: $0.00
Standard Delivery to Canada: $75.00
3 Day Delivery: $130.00
2 Day Delivery: $130.00
Next Day Delivery: $160.00

SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS APPLY FOR THIS PRODUCT

This product is available to ship Standard delivery US except for delivery to Alaska and Hawaii. Delivery is available to APO/DPO/FPO addresses. Delivery is not available to US territories/protectorates. Delivery is available to Canada.

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