Meade 12" LX90 - Focuser Options - Forums

Topic starter

Feb 9, 2026

Hi all,

I have a big 12” LX90 that I’m planning on de-forking and setting up for astrophotography on an equatorial mount.
The OTA only has the one manual focus knob and so I’m searching for a rack & pinion focuser that I can fit to the back so I can largely eliminate the use of the manual focus knob and therefore the mirror-shift problem. The back of the OTA has a 3.25” opening, which also has a removable adaptor that reduces this down to 2”.

Can anyone recommend a focuser for this situation?

I’ve been reading up on the Moonlite focusers however I’m based in the UK and delivery from the US can take an age, which I’m happy to wait for but obviously shipping overseas comes with a bit more risk than simply ordering from a UK retailer.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Well Written

SonnyE

Frequent contributor

Feb 9, 2026

This is not going to be an answer you’ll like….

But, when I was disgusted with my Orion ED80T CF’s focuser, I decided to get a Rack & Pinion focuser. It came built into my new telescope.

So sometimes it is just better to upgrade and get solutions to more than a single thing.

Told you you wouldn’t like my answer…. 🙃

Maybe this Pick-A-Part can help?

Engaging

andrea tasselli

Frequent contributor

Feb 9, 2026

Dan R:
Hi all,

I have a big 12” LX90 that I’m planning on de-forking and setting up for astrophotography on an equatorial mount.
The OTA only has the one manual focus knob and so I’m searching for a rack & pinion focuser that I can fit to the back so I can largely eliminate the use of the manual focus knob and therefore the mirror-shift problem. The back of the OTA has a 3.25” opening, which also has a removable adaptor that reduces this down to 2”.

Can anyone recommend a focuser for this situation?

I’ve been reading up on the Moonlite focusers however I’m based in the UK and delivery from the US can take an age, which I’m happy to wait for but obviously shipping overseas comes with a bit more risk than simply ordering from a UK retailer.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

*I had this and it's pretty good:

2" BDS-SC Baader Diamond Steeltrack® Focuser - English

Dan R

Topic starter

Feb 11, 2026

andrea tasselli · Feb 9, 2026, 06:58 PM
Dan R:
Hi all,

I have a big 12” LX90 that I’m planning on de-forking and setting up for astrophotography on an equatorial mount.
The OTA only has the one manual focus knob and so I’m searching for a rack & pinion focuser that I can fit to the back so I can largely eliminate the use of the manual focus knob and therefore the mirror-shift problem. The back of the OTA has a 3.25” opening, which also has a removable adaptor that reduces this down to 2”.

Can anyone recommend a focuser for this situation?

I’ve been reading up on the Moonlite focusers however I’m based in the UK and delivery from the US can take an age, which I’m happy to wait for but obviously shipping overseas comes with a bit more risk than simply ordering from a UK retailer.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

*I had this and it's pretty good:

2" BDS-SC Baader Diamond Steeltrack® Focuser - English

Cheers Andrea, I’ve had my eye on one of those for this project and by amazing coincidence, this morning I had a back-in-stock email for it from First Light Optics - ordered and should be arriving in the next few days.

Well Written Respectful Engaging Supportive

Stellar Nomads

Feb 11, 2026

OPTEC has a dedicated one I think, worth a look on their site

Richard Seely

Feb 23, 2026

I purchased a “JMI Event Horizon Robotic ZWO EAF Telescope Focuser - Cassegrain Base” for my LX850 - and it works well for me. The only issue I’ve had is that the “Lumicon 2 Inch Male - SCT Male Adapter” that Farpoint recommends isn’t a great fit - even when the retaining screw is really tight, the adapter appears to slip slightly, leaving the camera tilted. I tried buying a similar adapter from Blue Fireball - and it had the same issue. The solution that worked for me was to get a custom adapter made by PreciseParts - with an extra long nose-piece.

Well Written Helpful Respectful Concise

Related discussions

Celestron Edge 8 HD focuser upgrade options?

Hey folks, Hope you’re all well and (if you live here) have been enjoying some of the recent clear spells over the UK! I’ve recently taken delivery of an Edge 8 and looking for options/advice on upgrading the focuser…would greatly appreciate any help...

Discusses focuser upgrade options for telescope models similar to Edge 8.

Apr 9, 2025

Possible RASA 8 Mirror Shift Issues on Long Exposures

Hello all RASA users! I recently bought a RASA 8 that had been in use for several years. After the first tests I didn’t notice any problems, but when I moved to 15-minute exposures, the stars turned into streaks. It feels like the guide scope is not ...

Mirror shift problem directly relevant to author's stated concern about eliminating it.

Aug 23, 2025

EdgeHD 8 Focus Point Moving

Hello! Curious if anyone can assist here. I have an EdgeHD 8 using a ZWO EAF. Been using it fine for well over 2 years now and everything has been fine until recently. It can’t seem to find focus anymore using Nina/Hocus Focus. What happens is the fo...

Focus point moving issue may relate to focuser problems author is trying to solve.

22 days ago