John, I have used the Meade LX200 series scopes on various occasions. The GOTO feature does indeed function while the scope is mounted on a wedge, as does the Nextar's as long as you don't try to use GPS. This is because the GPS computer thinks that the scope is level while in fact it is tilted at 40*. I would start with the scope mounted without the wedge. You will lose nothing in terms of image quality, but it will be easier to use the scope. Then as you progress toward your ultimate goal of astrophotography, you can mount it with the wedge. You may want to get involved in one of the local astronomy clubs. The members of these clubs will be more than happy to help you decide on a scope as well as help you learn the night sky. You may find that you don't want to have the scope find everything for you, once you learn how to navigate the night sky. The quality of star atlases that are out there means that you will only need a rudimentary knowledge of the positions of constellations, the atlas shows you the specifics. Greg --- John Renstrom <JohnRenstrom@hotmail.com> wrote:
I have been doing a bit of research on the web and noticed that there are some Meade scopes that have what appears to be a wedge mount...I would like to get a scope that could allow for equatorial rotation but still maintain it's auto find features? I am heavily leaning towards a Nexstar 8 or Nexstar 11 for the ease of use and quality...However, I loose the auto find feature as soon as I put it on a wedge.
From all my research over the past few years, I have nailed down my buying decision based on the following priorities: #1 Ease of use (Auto Find Features)...This is absolutely the most important thing because this is my first scope. #2 Quality of image...I want to make sure I don't under buy...I am afraid I might get bored if the image quality isn't very good. #3 Photography...Long term goal.
I would appreciate any opinions of other scopes that might meet my needs.
Thanks, JohnRen
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