The Meade MAX 20" ACF Telescope is a research-grade telescope that produces a flat, coma-free field of view that rivals traditional Ritchey-Chretien telescopes, at a fraction of the cost. This Observatory Class telescope comes with a MAX Robotic German Equatorial Mount that offers research-grade stability and accuracy. The Meade MAX 20 Telescope uses the Meade Advanced Coma Free (ACF) Optical System that combines a hyperbolic secondary mirror with a corrector-lens-and-spherical-primary-mirror combination that performs as one hyperbolic element, and even eliminates diffraction spikes and improves astigmatism, both of which are inherent in the traditional RC telescope design.

The Meade MAX 20inch ACF Telescope lets you have the Advanced Coma-Free optical system at a full half-meter of aperture, bringing it into the domain of serious research. For years, the smaller version of this telescope has been the go-to choice for serious amateurs, colleges and teaching universities. The Meade Max 20 Observatory Scope fills a vital need - a search of the literature shows that the vast majority of good science is performed with telescopes in the 1/2 meter to 1 meter class (for example, Comet SL9 was discovered on an 18" scope.) The MAX Mount with a 1/2 meter Advanced Coma-Free optical system brings a mass-produced affordable research telescope within the reach of almost any academic institution and many individuals. Well sited, this 1/2 meter scope can reach magnitude 19 with a Deep Sky Imager in under 1 minute. Magnitude 20 is achievable in 4 minutes.

Meade has spared no detail and pulled out all the stops on the Meade Max 20 Telescope to ensure that it is truly a research-grade telescope suitable for observatories and universities. Outstanding features include:

• Mount Capacity - Total Mount Capacity is 250 lbs (excluding counterweights). This type of carrying capacity exceeds anything else on the market. To get this type of capacity in a production mount means you do not have to contract for a one-off design for large aperture instruments. Furthermore, it means that you will be able to add guide scopes, wide field instruments, spectrographs, heavy cameras and coolers to this mount with confidence.
• Interchangeable Quick Release Dovetail Plates - The quick release dovetail plate on the MAX Mount allows you to change optical instruments in about two minutes. Slew the scope down for access, loosen two handles without any tools required and swap on a new instrument ensemble. This is the kind of flexibility that makes German mounts so popular in theory, but only MAX delivers in practice. With the MAX quick release system, swapping scopes takes only minutes. You will not lose alignment. Additionally, the computer assisted balancing and quick release counter weights assure you are tuned up and ready to go back to work quickly. With competing mounts, you are looking at a milled and drilled plate, Allen wrenches and a lot of time and care to swap OTA assemblies. Then you must support the OTA while you release the worm gears to rebalance, losing your alignment in process.
• Internal Cabling - The Meade MAX 20 has all the controls you need for your OTA and modern cameras up on the saddle plate. This makes a cable free installation of most instrument packages. In contrast, competing mounts require that you get out your fish tape and pull the cable you want through the RA and DEC axis yourself. Or you might want to call an electrician!
• UHTC Optical Coatings - Meade's Advanced Coma-Free optical system utilizes Meade's proprietary Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC). UHTC increases total light transmission and image brightness by nearly 20% over Meade's standard coatings. Objects such as stars, galaxies and nebulae will appear significantly brighter.
• Low Periodic Error (PE) - Low periodic error means that you will have to guide the scope less during extended exposures. When you get PE down to about 5 arc seconds you have a PE below the sky scintillation (seeing) on most nights. This means that exposures of a minute or so can be made with no guiding required. For Deep Sky ImagerT users, snap shooters, supernova hunters, asteroid researchers, variable star studies and a variety of research projects, the mount is simply point and shoot. Coupled with the Smart Mount system to insure pointing accuracy below 1 arc minute, it eliminates the need to center and guide short exposures, vastly increasing the productivity of the telescope in these applications.
• Latitude 0-90 Degrees - This mount can be used anywhere on Earth, from Pole to Pole.
• Expanded AutoStar Suite with Network and Web Control - MAX is delivered with Autostar Suite Version 4. It is a complete turnkey observatory control system, not an added cost extra. The package includes extensions that allow the scope to be remotely controlled from any web browser without software installation on the remote PC, MAC, PDA or even a cell phone. This kind of convenience makes the Meade MAX 20 Observatory Telescope ideal for teaching environments where lab workstations can operate the scope from any classroom without extensive software.

Specifications for Meade MAX 20" ACF Telescope with StarLock:

Specifications for Meade MAX Robotic German Equatorial Mount:

Features of Meade MAX 20 Advanced Coma-Free Telescope:

• Advanced Coma Free (ACF) Optical System
• 250 pound mount capacity
• Interchangeable Quick Release Dovetail Plates - change optical instruments in about two minutes
• Expanded AutoStar Suite with Network and Web Control - AutoStar upgrades available free at www.meade.com.
• Latitude 0-90 Degrees - mount can be used anywhere on Earth, from Pole to Pole.
• Internal Cabling
• Low periodic error
• StarLock dual imager integrated fulltime autoguider
• Ultra Precision Pointing and Assisted Drift Alignment,
• Meade's Ultra High Transmission Coatings (UHTC)
• Electronic Front Focusing System
• Laser-Aligned, Fixed Oversized Low-Expansion Borosilicate Primary Mirror
• Schott Borofloat Glass Corrector Plate
• Diffraction Limited Optics
• Electronic Collimation
• Computer-Optimized Baffling
• Cooling Fan
• Multi-port control panels
• Carbon Fiber/Kevlar Optical Tube
• Built-In Anti-Dew Heater
• GPS Receiver
• Patented Level North (LNT) Alignment Technology
• Smart Mount
• Smart Drive with PPEC (Permanent Periodic Error Correction)
• AutoAlign

Package Contents:

• Meade MAX 20" Advanced Coma-Free telescopes
• MAX2 Robotic German Equatorial Mount with RA & DEC drives
• Autostar II handbox with 144,000 object library
• 24mm Series 5000 UWA Eyepiece
• 2" Diagonal Mirror w/ UHTC
• USB Cable
• Autostar Suite Software