If I may add a comment or two:

It would not make sense to buy a new SW and have it 'fixed' by me,
unless you dropped across one S/H at a reasonable price the total cost
would likely be more than a Ken Milburn wedge. I've only seen pictures
of Ken's wedges but I guess he's fixed the short-commings with his own
design - the mechanical problems in the stock Meade SW are fairly
obvious.

For those who already have an investment in owning the SW, getting it to
work as it should is a reasonable option. OK., you're paying out yet
more money, but at least what you end up with is a fine, stable wedge
with nice adjustments.

To convert one in the 'shop is easy enough, to design a kit of parts
that can be fitted with simple tools was very difficult. I'm still not
sure it's a workable proposition, I'm waiting for feedback from a couple
of people who offered to try fitting a kit to see if it works (and
thanks to those - they waited quite some time!).

Chris

>----------
>Sent: 27 October 1998 00:25
>Subject: Re: [M]: Stability of 8" LX200 on SW+field tripod
>
>I have heard many comparisons of the superwedge to the Milburn, but none of
>the SW with C. Heapy's modification to the MW. After this post, now I am
>wondering. I have the MW, and being that its price is near the SW, I
>wonder what the total of the latter is after modification and how they
>compare? Also, I have noticed a third offering for a custom made aluminum
>LX200 wedge, but I can't seem to find the URL (sorry, any help here?).
>Regardless, with all the strong endorsements I have heard here on the MW
>(my own added), is there an advantage at all to modifying the Meade design?
>
>Chris Margaritis
>
>>I recently received my Superwedge, beautifully modified by Chris Heapy.
>>It is both rigid and smooth in operation
>
>>The whole assembly is much
>>more solid than with the standard wedge, with good damping.
>>
>>However, the Superwedge is cantilevered out over the two "southerly" legs of
>>the (standard) field tripod, and the 8" LX200 doesn't extend very far back
>>over the "north" leg: this makes it prone to tipping.
>>
>>An unexpected problem was that the extra height made it difficult to use my
>>RA finder on objects at low elevations! Oh, well.
>>
>>Dr Nigel Puttick
>>Great Broughton, North Yorkshire, UK
>>054.45N 001.15W
>
>

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