Meade Instruments 1210-60-03 12-Inch LX200-ACF (f/10) Advanced Coma-Free Telescope

This is my second Meade LX200 scope it is a massive upgrade from the 8 inch I had . Far too much to say about theis scope with out sounding like I'm salesman for them

Arrived the long trip from New Jersey. I guess I should have bought it from Meade. You don't ship these types of instruments unless it's in a better cushioned container. My goodness, the manufacturer is just down the road in Costa Mesa, CA. I don't get it ... time will tell if something is loose .

This is an excellent instrument for amateur astronomers. The price is not unreasonable for an instrument of this caliber. It includes: a very sturdy field tripod, GPS and Meade's AutoStarII, the optical tube assembly and fork mount, a finder scope and a 25mm plössl eye piece. The combined weight of the tripod/GPS/fork and optical tube assembly is about 125 lbs., so it can be moved by just one person, but it is heavy. Setup took less than a hour, and I was able to complete it by myself.Once powered on with either 8 C cell batteries or one of the optional power supplies, the telescope will go through the alignment process in just a few minutes. Because GPS is accurate within a certain measure of distance and you may need to rely on coordinates of the city closest to you, you will want to spend the time setting up and aligning the finderscope for any fine adjustments. Aligning the finderscope is really not a tough job, especially if you know what you are doing. The resolution through the finderscope is very nice as well.Navigating through the AutoStarII's menus will take some getting used to if you are not familiar with them, but overall it is pretty intuitive. The GOTO option is excellent, and the included database of objects is large enough to keep you viewing for decades. The tracking on the scope is very good, and with the hand controls on the AutoStarII hand unit, the overall control of this large aperture telescope really fits in your hand.The images seen through the scope are well defined and sharp, and because of the large aperture, they are nice and bright. Planetary viewing is good. At this time of year (June) I have been able to see Mars, including faint hints of contrast of the planet's surface. Saturn's Cassini division is easily seen with the included eyepiece. Although this telescope does a great job of planetary viewing, it is really intended for deep sky objects as it is a (f/10). The Messier objects stand out and are satisfyingly bright. I am looking forward to the Fall with much excitement, so I can point the scope at Andromeda.Because of the large aperture this telescope has the ability to to capture incredible images for astrophotography, but you will need to get a wedge, as it is not included.This telescope is not a toy, it is a scientific instrument, but you will feel like a kid when you get such a grand view of our local Universe!