Telescope Reviews: Re: Another question for Meade LXD650/750 owners

Well, I would investigate the reason for it not being correctly oriented..

I would take it to a welding shop and have them weld a piece of aluminum on to the leg. I think this is the only way you are going to get it to hold. I am sure you will find someone in your area that can tack on a little lug. A few minutes with a metal file to dress it up, a drill with the same size bit as the hole, and you are in business.

This to me is indeed a bit of an issue with these mounts though. The Celestron mounts use a much better spreader design. The Meade I have is rather crude in this area.

But it is what it is...

As I mentioned, mine flexes sideways when I fold the tripod, and the spreaders tend to flop so that when you fold the legs, they want to go off center. The Celestron hub is MUCH better in that it is a very well machined peice.

I also think that again, some shims at the top of the mount between the leg mounting lugs and the tripod head mounting lugs could be shimmed to remove some of the side-play.. But this would only affect things when you were folding the tripod... If the tabs on one of your legs is not in alighment, the only way I know of to make it rigtht will be to somehow rotate the leg or the assembly to get it back in line.

Someone told me that these were glued and that be heating them and using a block of wood, you could hammer off the ends. One day, I will do this because I want to work some dents out of my legs, or maybe even replace them with Aluminim tubes. But for now, I am content to leave it alone.

YOu on the other hand, may not have much choice. I mean at this point, your options are to try to fix it and take the chance of breaking it, or buying another leg (which might not be all THAT expensive, IF you can get one from Meade, who doesn't seem to want to deal in replacement parts very much).

Will watch to see what you do...

--------------------
Celestron C14, CGE (Big Al)
Astro-Physics 6" f/8 (Buffy)
Televue 101 (No name, but I call it my Widescreen HD Space TV)

The night sky is my mistress. She seduces me away from all other lovers.

Edited by Eddgie (07/09/08 01:28 PM)

Post Extras