One thing we have learned in this hobby is that the mount is a setup’s most critical component. Even the finest telescope can produce poor results if it rides atop an inferior mount. Unfortunately, big, beefy mounts that offer precise guiding and carry large optical tube assemblies (OTAs) can get quite expensive. If you are looking for these features in an integrated package at an affordable price, the Meade LX850 may be for you.
We were excited to test the LX850 package, which contains the Meade 10-inch Advanced Coma Free Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope OTA, the LX850 mount, an adjustable height tripod, the StarLock integrated guider, and the company’s Zero Image Shift Micro-focuser. Upon its arrival by truck on a pallet, we were in awe of the box’s size and could only imagine the beast that lay within.