Meade 2045 - Latitude Ranges; High Latitudes; Low Latitude Balance Weight; Precise Polar Alignment

LATITUDE RANGES
Note that the adjustable leg may be varied in length to accommodate a wide range-of observing location
latitudes. In addition, this tripod leg may be threaded into any one of three holes on the underside of the
drive base to achieve an even wider range of latitude angles.
If the adjustable tripod leg is threaded into the top mounting hole (on the underside of the drive base),
then the adjustable leg covers a latitude range of from 32’ to 49"; in the middle (central) hole, it covers a
range from 27’ to 42"; and in the bottom hole, it covers a range from 21 ’ to 34".
HIGH LATITUDES
At high latitudes, the standard equipment adjustable tripod leg may not permit a sufficiently high angle for
the polar axis to be in correct alignment. In this case (at latitudes higher than about 49") the optional
"Center Tripod Leg for High Latitudes" (47’ to 69°) should be used. The high latitude adjustable leg can
be used for latitudes from 47' to 69’ as follows: with the leg in the top mounting hole, the latitude range is
60° to 69’; in the middle (central) hole, the range is from 53’ to 64°; and in the bottom hole, the range is
from 47" to 56°.
LOW LATITUDE BALANCE WEIGHT
When the Model 2045 is used at low latitudes, the telescope is tilted to a large angle. At such an angle,
the telescope may become unstable and the adjustable tripod leg may tend to lift off of the tabletop. To
prevent this instability at lower latitudes, the optional Low Latitude Balance Weight is available.
Unthread the adjustable tripod leg from its position in the drive base and slide the Low Latitude Balance
Weight onto the tripod leg. This balance weight should be placed on the adjustable tripod leg as close to
the lower (rubber tip) end of the leg as possible. After positioning the balance weight, fix it in position by a
moderate tightening of its thumb screw.
The Low Latitude Balance Weight is recommended whenever the observing location is at 30’ latitude or
lowertor visual observations or when the telescope is being used with a camera attached, at observing
latitudes of 35 * or lower.
PRECISE POLAR ALIGNMENT
Unless you intend to engage in long exposure astrophotography, it is not necessary to follow the precise
polar alignment procedure described in this section.
Notwithstanding the precision and sophistication of the quartz time base drive system supplied with the
Meade Model 2045, the fewer tracking corrections required during the course of a long-exposure
photograph, the better. (For our purposes, "long-exposure" means any photograph of about 10 minutes
duration or longer). In particular, the number of Declination corrections required is a direct function of the
precision of polar alignment.
The procedure described here should be implemented only after the alignment procedures of the
preceding section have first been carried out.
Precise polar alignment requires the use of a cross hair eyepiece. The Meade MA 12mm Illuminated
Reticle Eyepiece is well-suited in this application, but you will want to increase the effective magnification
through the use of the #126 2X Telenegative Amplifier. Then follow this procedure:
1. Place the illuminated reticle eyepiece (or eyepiece/Telengegative Amplifier combination) into the
diagonal prism of the telescope.
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