8" f/6 Meade Newt on EQ Mount

Warning:

Click on any image for a larger version

This scope is a large, but manageable Newtonian.  The GEM mount allows the scope to track fairly accurately.  While the assembled scope is rather large and heavy it breaks into smaller and lighter parts for transport.

For scale the yellow T square is 24" tall.

The scope tracks fairly well, but is recommended only for visual work.  There is no polar alignment scope.

A collimation cap is supplied.















Optics





The primary is mounted with springs and clips.  This is not an ideal way of supporting the mirror, but is typical of commercial scopes of this size.














The secondary requires a hex wrench of unknown size to adjust.









The focuser is nothing fancy, but it moves smoothly.  Only 1.25" eyepieces are supported.

The club installed a Telrad to replace the extremely poor finder bundled with the scope










It comes with a set of eyepieces that are good, but not outstanding











GEM Mount

Assembled the mount weighs about 40 lbs.  You can remove the legs for transport


















It appears the tension in the Dec direction is controlled by a nylon friction screw.  Unfortunately, the head of the screw is stripped so you can not change the tension.  It moves satisfactory.  There is no fine adjust.

The RA direction is, hopefully, clutched.  Again there is no fine adjust or any way to disengage the motor














This shows the AC powered motor.

The latitude adjustment is made by the two slide clamping the center lug.  A hex bolt is on the other side (see the larger picture of the entire scope above).  There is no fine adjustment of lattitude.


The AC power requirements are small (less than 150W).  You will need an inverter (not supplied) to use this in any site where AC power is not available.






The OTA is attached via tube rings.  Some rubber rings were added so you could remember where the balance point is.

You should not have to rebalence the scope to use it.  If you want to check the balance.

The scope uses counterweights on the RA axis to balance the RA.  To adjust move the tube so the RA axis is parallel to the ground.  Then move the weight until the scope is balanced.

To balance the Dec direction move the tube so the OTA is parallel with the ground.  Slide the tube within the tube rings until the OTA remains where is it turned.  This is a little complicated because of the  rubber rings. 

For transport remove as many of the legs as you need to and then put the entire mount in your car in one piece. I was unable to remove the RA counterweight bar by hand.


rjh 12/16/07