A User's Guide to the Meade LXD55 and LXD75 Telescopes / Edition 1

by Martin Peston

Overview

I have owned telescopes for over 25 years since I was a young lad. I purchased an LXD55 AR-6 Refractor in 2002, and was one of the first to own one in the UK. I am also a proud owner of an LXD75 SC-8. Armed with these two very different telescopes, I have spent many hours searching the skies for interesting objects using Meade's Autostar Goto facility. My motivation to write a book about the LXD Goto telescope series, first came from comments about an LXD55 AR-6 Refractor review, that was published on the LXD55 .com website. From then on, I have had regular emails from people asking technical questions about the telescope, and which model is best suited for them. Whilst attending Star parties in the UK, I found that many LXD owners would struggle to use them even at a basic level, especially if they have never owned or used an equatorially mounted Goto telescope before. Since the first LXD55 models came out in early 2002, owners have struggled to find useful information to help them use the telescopes to the best advantage. There have been mixed reactions about its quality and performance . Hence, this book is directed towards those who are new to Goto and the LXD telescope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780387364896
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	06/06/2007
Series:	The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series
Edition description:	2007
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Martin Peston obtained a first-class degree in Astrophysics at QM & Westfield, University of London. He currently works as a Systems Analyst and has been involved in various UK space and defence projects.

Table of Contents

Astronomy as a Hobby.- Choosing an LXD Telescope.- Setting up the Telescope.- Polar Alignment and Goto Setup.- First Night’s Observing.- Telescope Operations, Abilities and Observing Techniques.- The Universe at a Touch of a Button.- Connecting to a Personal Computer.- Taking Images.- Keeping Your Telescope in Peak Condition.- Gadgets and Gizmos.- Where Did It All Go Wrong?.

Editorial Reviews

"Good news for all those who have found their Meade telescope just a tiny bit unfriendly. Tame the beast with this excellent book by our friend Martin Peston." (Brian May, banguniverse.com)

"Many readers of my book Using the Meade ETX have told me that they keep the book handy when using their ETX telescope. I suspect that many LXD telescope users will keep A User's Guide to the Meade LXD55 and LXD75 Telescopes on hand as well. While no book will cover every topic or detail that the author wants to or should include, this book, in its 250 pages, has many techniques and tips that any level of LXD user will find valuable. I can heartily recommend this book to all LXD telescope users." (Mike Weasner, author of Using the Meade ETX, weasner.com)

From the Publisher