Superwedge; Mounting The Telescope On The Wedge - Meade LX200 Instruction Manual

the tilt-plate. If the main crossbar of the DLA is already
tightened into place this will inhibit your installation of the tilt-
plate. You will therefore see that by releasing the screws on the
ends of the DLA crossbar your installation of the wedge tilt-
plate will be facilitated.
2. SUPERWEDGE (For 10" and 12"LX200)
The Superwedge permits use of the 10" and 12" LX200
telescope in an astronomical, or "equatorial," mode. The wedge
fits onto the field tripod, described below, and accepts the base
of the 10" and 12" LX200 fork mount (Fig. 10).
NOTE: The Meade Superwedge is designed solely for use in
conjunction with the Meade field tripod. The Superwedge
should never be used without the field tripod (e.g., by placing
the Superwedge alone on a table top and then mounting the
telescope on the wedge). The 10" and 12" LX200, placed onto
the Superwedge alone without the field tripod attached to the
wedge may become seriously imbalanced, to the point where
the telescope may actually tip over.
1
5
4
7
Fig. 10: Superwedge for 10" LX200 Telescope. (1) Tilt Plate;
(2) Attachment Screw; (3) Latitude Scale; (4) Wedge Body;
(5) Tilt Angle Adjustment Screw; (6) Vernier Pointer;
(7) Bubble Level; (8) Fine Latitude Control Knob; (9) Azimuth
Control Knob.
The Superwedge for the 10" and 12" LX200 telescope is of
modern design, with several important features incorporated to
simplify and facilitate telescope operation. After using the
Superwedge for your telescope, you will find that the functional
design features included are of very significant value in routine
telescope operations. Some of these features include:
• Attachment of the Superwedge to the field tripod by
means of only one manual knob. (For photographic
applications with the telescope where extreme steadiness
is required, 3 additional hex-head screws are provided).
• Quick azimuth adjustment by loosening the manual knob
as described above.
• Bubble level for rapid tripod/wedge leveling.
• Etched latitude scale for fast adjustment of the latitude
angle.
• Built-in latitude adjustment control.
To assemble the Superwedge, follow this procedure (note that
all required wedge hardware and manual knobs are shipped
within the wedge carton):
a. Locate the two 8-32 nylon set screws on the rim of the
tripod head and remove them. Attach the tangent arm to
the tripod using the supplied 8-32 X 1/2" socket cap
screws. (See Fig. 11a., below.)
b. Push the field tripod threaded rod up so that the threaded
rod extends above the top of the tripod head.
- 26 -
c. Holding the threaded rod in position, place the
Superwedge on top of the tripod head so that the threaded
stud extending from the tripod head passes through the
center hole on the wedge floor. Make sure the pin
extending from the bottom of the azimuth thrust bar is
positioned in the slot on the tangent arm (see Fig. 11a.,
above).
d. Install the large hand knob/compass onto the threaded
stud. Pass the three 5\16-18 X 1-1/4" button head screws
through the clearance slots on the wedge floor and thread
them into the tripod head.
e. The lower tilt plate locking screws (3, Fig. 11) are installed
in the factory to allow the tilt plate to be adjusted for any
latitude greater than 25 degrees and less than 55
degrees. If viewing in a region with a latitude greater than
55 degrees, move the locking bolts to the lower mounting
holes (4, Fig. 11).
2
Meade
8
1
6
3
2
9
Fig. 11: Mounting Superwedge. (1) Azimuth Thrust Bar Pin;
(2) Tangent Arm; (3) Lower Tilt Plate Locking Screws;
(4) Lower Mounting Holes.

3. Mounting the Telescope On the Wedge

With 7" or 8" LX200 telescopes, three knobs are supplied for
mounting the telescope's drive base to the tilt-plate of the
equatorial wedge. With the 10" and 12" LX200, three socket
screws are provided for this purpose.
1
3
Fig. 12: Mounting to the Equatorial Wedge. (1) Drive Base
Attachment Knob; (2) Telescope Drive Base; (3) Slot for
Attachment Knob; (4) Additional Attachment Knob Holes;
(5) Attachment Knob/Compass.
4
3
2
4
5