The Deluxe Latitude Adjustment Bar

 
Many thanks to Jordan Blessing for bringing this problem to light for us LX50 users. If you bought
a stock Meade equatorial wedge and find you have problems achieving polar alignment,
you'll need to install one of these adjustment bars on the wedge. You WILL NOT
achieve polar alignment unless you do. I discovered this problem after failing to
polar align because the wedge kept twisting every time I tried to adjust the latitude.
The standard wedge has these two "ears" that are suppose to support the weight
of the scope in the latitude adjustment. Lucky for me, I also own a LX3 that has a deluxe
wedge incorporating the latitude adjustment bar. After visiting Jordan Blessing's site,
I removed the bar from the LX3 wedge and installed it on the LX50. I achieved an excellent
polar alignment my first time out! Not wanting to leave the LX3 wedge without a
latitude adjustment bar, I fabricated a new one for the LX50.



 
 
 
 

I machined the new bar for the LX50 from 302 stainless steel bar and center threaded the bar
for stainless thread-all. The handle comes from MacMaster-Carr and has a brass seat for the
thread-all. I increased the length and the handle gives better control for adjustments rather than
the three pronged plastic handles on the Meade adjustment bar. Installation is very simple...
just replace the two adjustable "ears" with the bar. Allow the bar to settle into the lowest part
of the adjustment slot and then tighten it on both ends. One note of caution for those who wish to
make your own... measure the inside spacing for the bar and machine it to within plus or
minus .005 thousandths for the best fit. For those of us not so inclined, you may purchased
a complete unit ready to install from Jordan Blessing's web site.

 
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