The Arsenal to Conquer the Heavens

Meade 12" LX200 with 4-position 2" ocular turret.
Orion 120mm f/5 refractor with 2" focuser.
Celestron 7x50 polar finder with illuminated reticle.
Maglight 85mW green YAG laser pointer with security key lock.
Meade Super Wedge with extensive modifications for additional stiffness and ease of adjustment.
Meade Giant Field Tripod with shortened legs for additional stiffness and ease of viewing.
Celestron anti-vibration pads for stable operation.
Custom made high efficiency 12V to 18V regulated power supply for battery operation.
Custom made visual back with full 2" aperture for wide field viewing and imaging.
Meade aluminum dew shield and tube extender also serves to counterbalance quad set of eyepieces.
Custom made dew heater permanently installed around inside of periphery of corrector plate.
Re-designed and re-built focus mechanism for precise focus with minimal mirror shift.

Business end of the scope showing Celestron 7x50 illuminated polar finder, Maglight 85mW green YAG laser pointer with security key lock, Orion 120ST refractor with Teleview Everbright star diagonal and 31mm Nagler eyepiece, custom made "eye opener" visual back with Intes 2" quad ocular turret (not populated with eyepieces), 18 pounds of fixed lead counterweights and 6 pounds of adjustable iron counterweights.

This picture was taken by Michael Gruber in May 2002 at Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in central South Florida.

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Objective end of the scope showing Meade dew shield, Celestron 7x50 illuminated polar finder (with lens cover), Maglight 85mW green YAG laser pointer, Orion 120ST refractor with Teleview 31mm Nagler eyepiece. Note the freshly cleaned corrector plate.

This picture was taken by Michael Gruber in May 2002 at Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in central South Florida.

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Main scope fitted with Thousand Oaks solar filter for daytime viewing. Secondary refractor fitted with Badder film filter. At the time of this picture, the piggyback refractor was a mere 102mm Celestron short tube, and the laser pointer was a puny 5mW unit. Both have since been upgraded.

This picture was taken by Jim Mayes in March 2001 at ASPB's Second Annual Spring Equinox Star Party at Nine Mile Grade Campground in Highlands County, Florida.

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Scope fully outfitted for astro-photography. Primary scope fitted with Starlight Xpress MX7C color CCD camera, Secondary refractor fitted with SBIG STV autoguider. Note the "plumbers nightmare" under the tripod of batteries, power supplies, wires, cables, and coily cords.

This picture was taken by Richard Lehman in March 2003 at Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in central South Florida.

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