Wedge or New EQ Mount for LX90 12"?

[ionflux]

Hi All,

I'm considering purchasing an equatorial mount for my Meade LX90 12". The obvious solution is a wedge, so I've considered the Meade Ultrawedge, the Mitty Evolution and Milburn Deluxe wedges. From a number of reviews, I've now discounted the Ultrawedge due to its flex and the others being easier to adjust (as the scope is not permanantly located).

However, OPT have quoted me ~£ 607 (i.e. $ 699 + $ 283 shipping) for the Mitty EURO Evolution, which made me wonder whether I should just shell out an extra £ 400+ for a new equatorial mount, rather than buying a wedge for the existing (LX90) mount?

Any thoughts on this plan would be gratefully received.

Thanks!

[Merlin66]

I had the Lx200 12" and wanted to remount it (for spectroscopy) on a GEM.

The real problem is the weight of the OTA. The 12" OTA bare weighs in at 17.1Kg, by the time you add the usual accessories you're well over the limit for an NEQ6pro mount.

That means looking at the $$$$$$ Losmandy etc type mounts.

Just didn't work for me.

I used the Meade HD wedge in an observatory and I've got to say, it worked very well. If you're moving stuff around then the 12" is not the best of scopes to be using.......

[r3i]

Welcome to the forum.

It might be worth you indicating if you want to use the scope for imaging or visual. The Meade 12" tube will be very heavy and an EQ mount at around your budget of £1,000 (such as the NEQ6) could be a challenge even for visual use. For imaging, you'll need a much more beefier and expensive mount.

[ionflux]

Thanks Merlin66, good point! The weight of the 12" OTA is a definite factor re. the extra budget for a GEM that can take the weight.

I don't have to move the scope very far each night, but it is on the very edge of portability!

[ionflux]

Thanks r3i, good to be here!

Yes, it is for imaging, as the scope's Alt/Az is fine for visual.

Any idea which of the quality/best-value GEMs could take the weight of a 12" OTA (not sure what that is, but the LX200 12" is 34 lbs)? I suppose I could consider paying a little more for a good GEM that can take the weight, but if we're talking £2500+, then a wedge would probably be my best-value option! ;-)

[Peter Drew]

I would stick with the 12" in alt azimuth mode for visual and solar system imaging and get either a HEQ5 or 6 and a more appropriate lighter scope for DSO imaging.

[ionflux]

Thanks Peter, that option had also crossed my mind! ;-)

[eye in the sky]

hi ionflux

i got myself a megawedge by ae for my lx90 12". Brand new they cost nearly £400 but i got mine second hand off ebay for just over £200 . This is a solid wedge but heavy. I use focal reducers with my lx90 that way it brings the f ratio down making longer exposures possible. I also have a meade 5000 80mm apo attached to the scope via guide rings so i can auto guide with one scope and image with the other and vice versa so u get the best of 2 scopes. One other piece of advise would be to counter balance your scope on both axis to reduce tracking errors. Hope this helps

regards

dave w

[ionflux]

Hi Dave W,

Yes, thanks, this is very helpfull. I'll take a look at the megawedge...I can live with heavy, as long as it's rigid.

Actually, I sometimes wonder whether I should have bought the 10" rather than the 12", as the f ratio is better for photography, so the reducer is a good idea. In fact, at the time, I dithered over the 10" vs. 12" f ratio, but decided that I'd be mostly visual, so opted for the 12"...but it's funny how imaging can get a hold of you and drain your finances!!

Even now, I worry about my home-made dew shield/dslr/ccd weighing on the tracking motor, so yes, I will definitely counter balance when I go to EQ.

Cheers!

[ionflux]

Hi again DaveW...just checked out the AC400 MegaWedge Pro, selling for around £480...hadn't seen/considered that wedge before, but looks nice. Is it easy to adjust?

(BTW...also like the AC421 Pro Pier to go with it...but then I'd need an observatory too.........)

[Davey-T]

Have you thought of making your own wedge ? If your observing from the same location it can be more or less fixed for you location.

May be some examples on the forum somewhere .

Dave

[ionflux]

Hi Dave,

Does making your own wedge require access to welding/brazing equipment? I would be observeing from the same location each time.

(BTW, your dog looks identical to mine) :-)

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have a Celestron 8SE. Its a fork mounted scope and i was thinking (not too seriously i must admit) about buying a wedge for it. I was advised by an astro imager (someone i trust very much) not to bother buying a wedge for it. So for you i would imagine the same thing and a new EQ mount is in order.

Just my 2 cents.

[ionflux]

Hmmm...interesting....thanks Paul, did he say why a mount would be better than a wedge?

[E621Keith]

However, OPT have quoted me ~£ 607 (i.e. $ 699 + $ 283 shipping) for the Mitty EURO Evolution, which made me wonder whether I should just shell out an extra £ 400+ for a new equatorial mount, rather than buying a wedge for the existing (LX90) mount?

I have no comment on the wedges, but I want to point out you forgot to add VAT, import duty and handling fee to your cost. It will cost an additional 25% on top of price+shipping, so it will be about £760 when the wedge gets to you.

[ionflux]

Oh :-(

Yes, i did forget that..thanks for pointing that out Keith...cerainly helps with my decision not to get a Mitty or Milburn!

[eye in the sky]

hi again ionflux

Theres a meade wedge on ebay at the moment with a tripod which is the same as yours and its only going for about £30 at the mo. you would need an adaptor plate for it though which a&e sell to make it fit your lx90. It would still be a saving of hundreds though on the price of new gear.

regards

dave w

[ionflux]

Thanks DaveW, looking now...

[MartinB]

I used to use an APT wedge (I don't think they are manufactured any more but excellent if you see one second hand) it an 8" Nexstar. I had the scope set up so that I could piggy back a small refractor. The big advantage of a wedge over a GEM is not needing to do a meridian flip. The Celestron and Meade offerings are pretty poor. Flex may be an issue but a bigger problem is the very poor alt az adjustments for polar aligning.

The Nexstar had pretty good gears and tracked well with a very low PE however I doubt that will be the case with your LX90. The periodic error may not be up to deep sky imaging at a long focal length even with guiding.

[ionflux]

Hi DaveW, any idea which wedge that is? I know I can always ask the seller, but just wondered if you knew, off-hand? Thanks.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hmmm...interesting....thanks Paul, did he say why a mount would be better than a wedge?

From what he said, and what i know............i dont think there is any fork mounted scope (Alt-Az) that is truely designed/able to track celestial objects on a wedge as well as it could on an EQ mount because the scope is naturally fighting the wedge all the time.

He said he tried a wedge with his fork mounted 8se and wished he never did.

Trust me when i say this guy knows what he is talking about. He runs a B&B/hotel in France specifically aimed at his clients being imagers (for the most part).

I dont think he would mind me naming him.

It Ollypenrice.

[Merlin66]

I used the 12" Lx for spectroscopy. Guided using PHD and Al's reticle. I had no difficulty holding the target star on a 25 micron slit indefinately. The usual subs would be 10 minutes.

Needs to be well balanced.

[ionflux]

Now that's a spanner in the decision works!!! Thanks Paul.

[ionflux]

Thanks Martin. Just had to look up the definition of 'Meridian Flip'...didn't realise that was an issue :-/

[ionflux]

Whoa! Ollypenrice has nice images!!