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Old 14-08-2021, 03:53 PM
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Eldest_Sibling (Alan)
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Mid-South, U.S.
Posts: 136
Beginning at one of the lesser of the four axes, the latitude, or altitude, axis came equipped with four 0.020"-thick plastic washers to stabilise the union between the mounting-base and the mount-head itself...

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Before beginning this mount-head's renovation, I first browsed through this article...

http://www.astronomyboy.com/cg5/

It made mention of my own in particular, but it dealt primarily with the Celestron CG5. My own is identical to the second-generation CG5 illustrated within the article, and equipped with ball-bearing assemblies for the RA-axis. Those were added to improve support for Celestron's larger telescopes, the company's Schmidt-Cassegrains specifically. Then, I have read that some, if not many, do not prefer ball-bearings within their mounts.

One thing that I have noticed, among practically all renovations of these mount-heads, is that during a renovation, and at their conclusions, the plastic washers are, invariably, reinstalled, returned to the head.

I knew, before the Meade LX70 even arrived, that the axes, and elsewhere, would be filled with plastic washers, from top to bottom; bad prospect, that, but one that might be corrected, enhanced.

The latitude-axis does not move, hardly at all, for once you set your latitude, that's it. Small adjustments may be made on occasion afterwards, however slight. Therefore, the plastic washers should do just fine, yes?

But not within my own; I ordered aluminum sheets, 0.040" in thickness. The final thickness, however, for each side of the axis, came out at almost 0.060", so in the end I had to use four washers after all, the other two somewhat thinner than the first two...

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The increase in thickness resulted from removing the paint from certain areas...

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...and in the levelling of same where needed, specifically the spokes...

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...much improved.
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