LX200 military shipping cases I have more sizes/types of cases and I'm finally getting around to documenting what they are. I hoped to put up a list by around April Fool's Day. Well, April Fools, it's still not done! But for now, let's concentrate on the three types pictured. They all have seals, mil-spec latches and handles, pressure relief valves, interior foam, etc.  All easily come apart into two pieces, with many secure latches holding them together.  They were used for a variety of military computing and optical equipment.

For more-price-sensitive or less-condition-sensitive customers, I have a variety of different conditions of cases available at prices below what I sell my regular, nice used ones for. Pretty much right down to $0 plus shipping, but I wouldn't recommend the free ones! If you want a $39 case instead of a $139 case, that's fine with me. I have some that are still perfectly usable. Just get out your Rustoleum for whichever latches aren't missing, your rubber gloves and Lysol for the interior, and your scraper and sander for removing tape, stickers, and spray paint from the exterior. Then hide it from your spouse instead of keeping it in the living room!

8" LX200 military case The smallest of the three is the 8" LX200 case.  The interior measurements are approximately 29-7/8"x20-13/16"x16".  This is within a fraction of an inch of perfect length and width, and with about 3-3/4" extra height.  So remove the hard foam and drop your Meade foam right in, or carve out a space in the beautiful military foam, or leave an inch or two of hard foam in each half before putting the Meade foam in. I almost ran out of these in March 2002,  but was lucky enough to get over a dozen more of these cases in April. However, supply is becoming more difficult and more expensive all the time, so don't delay if you want one. Price: the used 8" LX200 military case is $139 plus shipping.

10" LX200 military case The medium sized one in the photos is the 10" LX200 case.  The interior measurements are approximately 33-13/16"x25-1/2"x20-1/4".  This is within a fraction of an inch of perfect length, with about 3-4 inches of extra width (available to use in the form of the built-in hard plastic compartment 4 inches wide if you wish) and with about 6" extra height.  So remove the foam and drop your Meade foam right in next to the plastic compartment.  Find a use for the extra space on top, or leave two or three inches of foam in each half before putting the Meade foam in.  When you see it you will be amazed I don't charge much more for these.  Below is a comparison photo with a Meade case on top of it.  Note the beefier construction of the military case.  Also shown is the Meade foam inside it, showing that the corners of the foam could use a slight trimming to match the larger corner radius of this case compared to the Meade.    

It weighs about 52 lbs in typical interior configuration. Note: there are two slightly different interior versions, one with and one without the hard plastic bin inside. It's not a big deal one way or the other. The one without the bin is slightly lighter, but the shells are identical. I ship based upon condition (e.g., which ones are in the best shape, respectably clean and ready to ship) rather than configuration, unless one or the other is specifically requested. UPS charges it as 70 pounds due to "Oversize 2" size category, and adds an extra handling fee to boot. I have a good supply of these in stock, but an existing customer is "threatening" to take all of them except a handful, for his business if he can convince an employee to fly up here and rent a truck to bring them to him. Price: the used 10" LX200 military case is $139 plus shipping. (An upstart competitor is offering $175 delivered on similar used cases, which I will match upon request for Western US customers. My price delivered in the Eastern US is already lower than that.)

Now for the GOOD NEWS: I have very fortunately found some Brand New ones, identical in every detail to the used one pictured, except that they're new. They all have the interior bin configuration. How do I know they're new? I removed them from the defense contractor's cardboard boxes myself! (Unfortunately if kept in the box, they are too large to ship by UPS, and FedEx will only take the box by air, not ground.) I also opened the sealed plastic bag containing the pressure relief valve, and installed it, to keep anything from getting inside during storage and shipment. I have a good supply of them in storage, but I believe they are the last new ones in the world, so don't wait too long if you want one. The brand new 10" LX200 military case is $249 plus shipping.

MONSTER case In the top photo at left is the MONSTER (some would say mother-in-law) case.  It can easily take the full 10" LX200 foam and scope IN EACH HALF of it!  Unfortunately it's not long enough inside for the 12" LX200 foam.  It is certainly too big for UPS shipping, and an airline would also "have a cow"at the size of it I'm sure.  It is bulky, and designed to be carried by 4 men, although 2 will suffice if it's empty, and 1 can get it onto a hand truck, drag it, or handle the empty halves.  They are US$220 plus actual shipping (118 lbs.) Because this means shipping by truck, maybe the most practical way to get one is to buy a bunch of them to spread the trucking cost over, or pick one up yourself if you drive to MA with a van, pickup, or trailer...or wait until I'm driving through your area myself with spare room.

For info and orders, please email me at sales@astrobuffet.com Please include your zip code, so I can calculate the shipping and get back to you.

Don't forget to vist the Meade Advanced Product Users Group at http://www.mapug.com