Meade Recall's ALL LX800 Mounts

In a move that is rather unprecedented for the astronomical equipment world, Meade Instruments has decided enough is enough, and has formally RECALLED all the LX800 mounts it has shipped out. Here is the full text from the CloudyNights post below.

Meade Telescope Recall Notification - LX800        #5266930 - 06/11/12 07:00 PM  Edit    Reply    Quote  Quick Reply

Affected Models – All LX800 with StarLock Dear Valued LX800 Customers, As a result of initial customer feedback of the LX800, which prompted further, extensive, testing, we have identified a number of areas that should be changed in order to achieve the specified performance criteria we have set for the product. Although initially we believed this could be accomplished with only firmware updates to the LX800 mount and StarLock, we now believe mechanical changes should also be implemented in addition to the firmware updates. If you own a Meade LX800, please contact customer service at 800-626-3233 to set-up a return authorization. Meade will issue call tags to collect your product, we will implement all of the prescribed changes and return the product to you at no charge. These changes are deemed critical to the performance of the product and rather than have customers struggle through this with less than optimal results, we believe a proactive approach is the best course of action. The rework itself is expected to take only a few weeks. The changes will include several mechanical adjustments, new StarLock and LX800 firmware, a new one piece saddle plate, and for customers of ACF optical tubes, a piggy-back bracket to allow for an additional mounting location for StarLock on top of the optical tube. We humbly apologize for the difficulty these issues have caused, but feel that this course of action is the right thing to do. The LX800 is a fantastic system and we believe our customers will agree once they get a chance to use the system. Sincerely, Meade Instruments

Many are heralding this as a fantastic move on Meade's point, and one that is showing a positive change happening at Meade, emphasizing customer satisfaction and highlighting a level of commitment to this product line. Posts such as the one by drwho; "Good for them for stepping up! Makes me more comfortable with the thought of going with the LX80". Others however, are pointing out the obvious, such as this point made by blueman; "While I agree that Meade appears to be stepping up to the plate on this, it still does not explain why they did not check the mounts out well before shipping them. It is obvious that there are a lot of things wrong with this mount, from firmware to hardware. So, though it may be a good step in the right direction, it still is not a good thing."

What really catches many off guard is the acknowledgement of both software and hardware to be the issue with the LX800's. We all suspected something off with the firmware of StarLock, but to have "mechanical adjustments" is something many I think were surprised at, including myself. It begs the question; Who is testing this product line? Now I'm not putting blame on this individual or group, but I certainly am saying that there is a problem with their process for sure. Someone needs to ask the upfront question to their testing team - How could the tracking and errors with StarLock and this mount go unnoticed during the testing phases? Certainly Meade has access to tools that amateurs use all the time to qualify a mounts tracking performance, PEMPro and PHD are the first that come to mind. But somehow, as unimaginable to me as this seems, the LX800's were released to the public not being able to live up to the advertised performance, and when those things cost $5999 bare mount, you better have it working as advertised.

Look, I'm not at ALL bashing Meade here, I'm  in a bit of shock, that's all. I have said it before live on the show, "Meade needs a home run with their LX800's". The LX80's are fairing a bit better, but folks, including yours truly, are disappointed in the new price point of $999 vs. $799 at the time of release. Lets hope that this "rain delay" for the LX800's are worth the wait, and that LX800v2 lives up to the hype, the second time around. Meade - Batter Up!

Telescope Reviews: Meade Telescope Recall Notification - LX800:

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Venus Transit Outreach Event - Great Success!

Time lapse of our outreach event at the Discovery Center in Murfreesboro TN. I would estimate 300-400 people, but no official count since I was too busy sharing the views for the whole 2.5 hours of the event.Great FUN! There were plenty of families, so young ones were plentiful. I also want to thank George Erdel for bringing out his 10" Meade LX200, Doug Landphair for helping with the scopes, and Charles Sands for the live views with his 70mm Refractor and Orion StarShoot camera.

The most memorable moment for me is when a frail looking, older man, which seemed to be in his 80s, slowly made his way up to the telescope. I offered my hands to steady him as he cautiously leaned forward to gaze through the eyepiece. "Oh My" sprang up from his weak voice as he took in the wonder before his eye. He turned to me after a moment, and the deep lines in his face disappeared into a smile. "Thank you" he said, shaking my hands that still steadied him, and slowly he was helped back to the car. I knew then that the beauty of the universe touches both young and old alike, and sharing that view with others is going to be one of the most worthwhile things we can do for ourselves, our family, our community, our world.

Special thanks to The Charlie Bates Solar Astronomy Project Outreach Club, which I'm proud to be a member of. They supplied us with about 200 solar viewing glasses for this event. For more information, please visit www.charliebates.org