Can I use a Meade Ultra Wedge on an 8" LX90 GPS?

[lineout]

I ask because in my searches I can't find a definitive answer.

Also how does the Autostar work with the telescope mounted on a wedge?

Cheers

[Kal]

According to optcorp (http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=6549), you can use it for the 10" and 12" LX90:

The new Ultrawedge for the RCX400 (10"-14"), LX90 (10" & 12") & LX200 (7" - 14") series is more rigid than ever

With autostar you go into the setup menu's and set the scope to 'polar' mode instead of 'alt-az' mode and it will work properly.

[lineout]

Sorry I should have clarified that I have an 8" scope. I seem to remember someone saying I can use it as long as I have an adaptor plate.

[Kal]

It appears as though you will need an adapter plate. A quick google search showed up a couple of people that make it - scopetronix (I don't think they are in business anymore) and Astro-Engineering (product link (http://www.astro-engineering.com/Meade%20LX90/accessoriesforme.html)). telescopes-astronomy (http://www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au/astro-engineering-pricelist.htm) are an Australian reseller of AE equipment.

[[1ponders]]

You should be able to. The ultra wedge has two center baseplate holes, one above the other. The top one is for the 8" LX200R, I don't imagine it is too different to th LX90.



All true, BUT, I've just mounted a 10" LX200R on an ultrawedge and meade have made a slight change to the baseplate of the telescope, which hasn't been widely publicized. The base plate used to have the center bolt hole (large) and three holes (small) around the edges to mount to the wedge and hold it stable. Well it still has the same number and placement of holes except the "Top" hole is no longer a small bolt hole. They have made it the same size as the middle one. (Sorry for all the "small and "large" as I don't know the actual sizes).

This would no be a problem IF THEY HAD CHANGED THE TOP HOLE IN THE WEDGE TO TAKE THE SAME SIZE BOLT!!!!!! Yep that's right. You can't get the larger size bolt into the top slot of the wedge because the slot it too narrow!! BUT here is the kicker. They still send the wedge out with the three small bolts! Not two small ones for the sides and one large one for the top. As a consequence the scope will only be held on by the large center bolt and the two lower side ones. This hasn't seemed to make much of a difference yet, but it is annoying to say the least.

There...rant over :P :lol:

[AndrewJ]

Gday Paul

I am not absolutely sure here, but this problem came up on the LX200GPS site a few months ago
Meade redesigned the top hole in the scope base so that a steel insert could be fitted. This insert has a threaded hole to take the std size bolt.
This reduced the wear on the thread in the alloy casting when fitting in polar.

Soooo, IIRC, there should have been a steel insert screwed into the base of the scope, not a larger sized hole.
Will see if i can find the reference posts on this

Andrew

[[1ponders]]

Thanks Andrew. I've been onto Michael C about it but he hasn't gotten back to me yet. There was no insert in the wedge box, just the "T" handle, three baseplate bolts to go into the tripod and the three smaller bolt to go through the wedge into the scope base, and assorted washers. However I'm not surprised, the wedge turned up without the adjustment bracket that screws to the top of the mount as well (came from the states without it or got lost during a customs search :shrug: ). That situation was fixed with lightening speed and all was well.

[lineout]

So it looks like there could be an issue with the base plate?

Am I better off going with the cheaper eq wedge that seems to be built for the 8" LX 90? Is there much of a difference?

[[1ponders]]

Mucho mucho difference in stability and ease of adjustment. I had the old standard 8" wedge for my 8" lx200 a couple of years ago and the new ultra wedge leaves it for dead as far as ease of adjustment goes. You can do a few simple mods to the 8" and standard super wedge to make it easier though.

Just check the base of your telescope base plate and see if the three holes around the outside are all the same size. If they are then you will have np

[AndrewJ]

Gday Paul

Found it

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/LX200GPS/message/93456

excerpt



Another unhappy camper

Andrew

[[1ponders]]

I know exactly how he felt. :mad2:

However the the larger bolt still goes through the center of the wedge and holds the scope tight. A top bolt would be nice though.

I'll email these details to Michael and see what he comes up with.

Thanks Andrew.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Paul

I would be uneasy without the top bolt, esp at yr latitude.
( and if you have added loads like ED80s etc )

The thread is apparently a 1/2" UNC-13 in the base
The std screws are 3/8" UNC-16
You may be able to get a helicoil locally ( motor shops ?? )
or get a machine shop to drill and tap a std 1/2" bolt
to make an insert.
I know it shld have come with the scope,
but if it is going to take too long to get sorted, i would just
do it myself.

Andrew

[lineout]

Will putting the scope on a wedge solve the issue I have with lack of clearance when a dslr is attached and the scope is near zenith?

[lineout]

So I had a look at the base of my LX90 this morning and guess what. There aren't any holes at all except for the main central hole for the tripod. Does this mean I can't use the Ultra Wedge? I was hoping I could. Are there any other wegdes of comparable quality around?

Cheers

[[1ponders]]

I'm sure there is lineout. Maybe contact Bintel and see what they have to say.

Thanks for the info Andrew. I have the 1/2 bolt through the middle as well as the two lower bolts. If it pulls that big one out then I am really in trouble with my weight limits. :)

[merlin8r]

No, it means you need the adaptor plate. This comes standard with the 8" LX90 wedge, and is also available seperately. It bolts on to the bottom of your scope with one large bolt.
I haven't had any of these bolt size issues with my Ultrawedge, and I only picked it up a couple of months ago. There is one bolt that is longer, that goes into the top hole and drops into the wedge slot easily.
In terms of stability, the Ultra is light years ahead of the standard.

Clear skies,
Shane

[Kal]

If you look at the AE product it looks like it accounts fort this. Can you see how this (http://www.astro-engineering.com/Meade%20LX90/Resources/aa.jpeg) product will adapt your scope to the wedge?

[lineout]

That could work. Thanks very much. Has anyone else used this to attach an LX90 to an Ultrawedge?

[merlin8r]

The wedge adaptor plates faithfully reproduce the bolt hole pattern of the 8" LX200, so it will drop straight onto an Ultrawedge.

Clear skies,
Shane

[lineout]

Did you mean the LX90 or the LX200?

[merlin8r]

I meant the LX200. You need that bolt pattern to mount the LX90 onto the Ultrawedge. Out of the box, the LX90 only has the central bolt hole. With the plate, it will have three around the edge.

Clear skies,
Shane

[lineout]

Ok makes sense now.