Meade #1401 Tube Balance Weight System for all 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes

Comments about Meade #1401 Tube Balance Weight System for all 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes:

Quality construction and very nice looking.
Easy to install and operate. Very satisfied

Comments about Meade #1401 Tube Balance Weight System for all 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes:

Very good accessory that worked perfectly to balance out my Meade LX90 telescope with a heavy
crayford style focuser/prism and eyepiece set-up 0n the back of my scope. Super product !!!

Comments about Meade #1401 Tube Balance Weight System for all 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes:

[...]The item is a must with an LX90 -especially if you are using heavy lenses or other accessories.

Comments about Meade #1401 Tube Balance Weight System for all 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes:

Use this system to counterbalance a guidescope on my LX200. Works very well in alt/az and with an equatorial wedge.

Comments about Meade #1401 Tube Balance Weight System for all 8 inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes:

After purchasing a binoviewer as well has several heavy, wide angle eyepieces it became obvious that my 8" Meade LX90 telescope was out of balance and the motor/gear assembly was being subjected to abnormal torque loading. I looked at various options of weight systems to bring my scope back into balance. Because my scope has an alt-azimuth mounting, it was not necessary to counter balance with weights that screw away or closer to the scope body as would be needed for a wedge or German Equatorial mount. Meade's simple #1401 Tube Balance Weight System worked perfectly for my needs. Since it came with three different weights, I was even able to install it with two weights adjusted so that I could slide the smaller weight back and forth to accommodate the different eyepieces and binoviewer. (The third weight was not needed but is available should I add heavier peices to my setup.) The system attached easily to the bottom of my Meade scope using pre-existing Allen screws, looks good and doesn't interfere with the operation of the scope in any way. Removal of an end of track thumbscrew and loosening the individual weight positioning thumbscrews allows simple removal of the weights without tools. But the weights only add a few pounds so the scope can still be easily relocated without removal. All the hardware is metal so broken plastic screws are not a concern. Parts are either painted, anodized or plated so corrosion would not appear to be a concern under normal use. I am pleased with this purchase and would highly recommend this product to others with similar needs.