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The mount’s drive base is made of die-cast aluminum. The light-weight, but rigid, die-cast aluminum dual fork arms are shaped to damp vibrations quickly. There is a carrying handle on each fork arm. Both manual and electric slow motion controls are provided for both right ascension and declination. In addition to the digital readout of the scope’s aiming point in right ascension and declination on the AutoStar computer hand control, there are analog setting circles on the mount (5” in declination and 8.75” in right ascension). The drive base has a 4-port control panel, including two RS-232 serial interface ports for communication with an external computer and other ancillary equipment, such as the #909 Accessory Port Module.

The mount includes servo-controlled 12VDC slewing and tracking motors with 4.9” worm gear drives in both altitude and azimuth. The drive system has individually selectable drive speeds in both right ascension and declination – 6.5°/sec, 3°/sec, and 1.5°/sec for slewing and centering; as well as 128x, 64x, 16x, 8x, and 2x the sidereal rate for centering and astrophotographic guiding. In addition, there are standard lunar and sidereal tracking rates, plus a user-defined drive rate for precision tracking of the Sun and planets.

The scope is powered by eight user-supplied C-cell batteries that store in the drive base so you can use the LX90 in the field or your backyard without the need for a separate battery pack or AC power supply. The usable life of the batteries is up to 60 hours, depending on the ambient temperature (colder temperatures reduce usable battery life). An optional #541 adapter (with 25' cords) is available to allow you to power the scope from 110-120volt 60Hz AC household current in your backyard to conserve battery life, or to power the scope from your car's cigarette lighter plug or a rechargeable battery for extended use in the field.

The tripod (the same as the one used on Meade’s premium 8” and 10” LX200GPS telescopes) adjusts in height from 30” to 44”. It has 2” diameter steel legs that damp vibrations quickly, with a center leg brace that locks the legs firmly in place for added rigidity. Three 1.25” diameter holes in the leg brace can hold eyepieces while observing. A single threaded rod with a large hand-tighten knob simultaneously holds the scope firmly on the tripod and locks the legs rigidly in the most stable position.

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