| The Meade MAX go-to robotic German equatorial mount and tripod is truly the last telescope mount an astronomer will ever need. With a payload capacity of 250 pounds – over 400 if you include the counterweights – the 6’2" tall MAX mount is capable of handling any available commercially-made telescope optics. Not just capable of handling a heavy payload, but handling that payload with superb precision and accuracy for critical astrophotography. Just consider this specification . . . a periodic error trainable to only two arc seconds, less than half that of a star’s Airy disc on nights of sub-par seeing. Or consider this specification . . . sub arc minute pointing accuracy during go-to operation. One of the Meade beta testers commented on his experience with the MAX mount by saying, “it’s built like a tank made by Swiss watchmakers." A few of its mechanical features include 13.625" diameter right ascension and declination drive gears with 652 teeth on each, for twice the drive accuracy of the more common 360 tooth drive systems. Each gear is driven by a high torque Pittman DC servo motor turning a clutchless 1.1667" diameter fully-enclosed and permanently precision-adjusted spring-loaded worm. The right ascension shaft is 3.84" in diameter. It is supported by two high payload ball bearing races – one 5.9055" OD x 3.9370" ID x 0.9449" wide and one 3.9370" OD x 2.5591" ID x 0.7090" wide. The declination shaft is 2.90" in diameter. It is also supported by two high payload ball bearing races – one 4.5276" OD x 2.9528" ID x 0.7874" wide and one 3.9370" OD x 2.5591" ID x 0.7090" wide. The mount can be operated over a 0° to 90° latitude range for use anywhere in the world. There’s internal cabling to eliminate the potential cable tangles that are possible with lesser mounts that use external cabling to the drive motors. The mount does not use the traditional (i.e. Losmandy-style D-plate) dovetail. Instead, there is a custom no-tool quick-release dovetail plate available for custom drilling by the purchaser to fit any optical tube/tube ring hole pattern. Electronic features include local control while standing at the scope through two multi-function/multi-port panels; remote control through a LAN from a nearby location (from inside your warm house, for example, while the mount works flawlessly outside in your observatory building in sub-freezing temperatures); or remote control from any distant location via the internet, even from another continent. The mount’s main control panel is identical to the main control panel on a Meade RCX telescope. The mount’s saddle panel duplicates the connections on an RCX OTA panel. This includes three USB connectors for accessories such as cameras and auto-guiders. A short cable connects an RCX OTA to the panel in the saddle the optical tube is mounted on so the AutoStar controller (handbox) can operate the focuser/collimation motors, fan, and dew heater. This eliminates dangling cables between the optical tube and the mount when using a Meade RCX OTA. The MAX mount has a software-controlled meridian limit of 8 degrees past the zenith to prevent accidental pier damage when the telescope and its equipment are aimed at the zenith. The user can decrease this if a custom set-up limits this further. There are also horizon limits built into the software that are user-definable if you have trees or buildings blocking your view of the horizon. The mount has open loop tracking; 3 USB 2.0 ports; an AutoStar II hand control with a 147,541 star and object library. The hand control has expanded AutoStar II-based software features, such as AutoAlign and an electronic mount balancing program. There’s a built-in 16-channel GPS system using a Sony GPS receiver that can be disabled if the mount is permanently installed in an observatory dome. The GPS system can also be left enabled in an observatory to provide an accurate time/date reference, even if the latitude/longitude function is not used. There’s built-in Smart Mount Technology to constantly train and improve the already high pointing accuracy of the telescope with every object that you center precisely and synchronize on during a night’s observing. There’s Smart Drive with a new advanced PPEC (Permanent Periodic Error Correction) system to reduce the typical five arc second raw tracking accuracy to a superb two arc second accuracy for astrophotography. The mount slews in RA and Dec at the following user-selected speeds: 0.01x to 1.0x sidereal, variable in 0.01x increments; 2x, 8x, 16x, 64x, and 128x sidereal; and 1°/second to 2°/second, variable in 0.1°/second increments. In addition, you can select from pre-set sidereal or lunar tracking rates, or from any of 2000 custom-selected incremental rates (for tracking the Sun for solar observing, for example). The MAX mount uses the same optional 110 volt AC to 12 volt DC power adapter used by the Meade RCX telescopes (#RCXAC). This AC adapter is rated for a 5 amp capacity. This is enough current to run the fan and the dew heater of an RCX optical tube, in addition to operating the mount. The MAX mount is available as shown here with a heavy duty 26.6" tall tripod for use in the field or in an observatory building (with the tripod giving you the option to also take the mount into the field). When aimed 45° above the northern horizon, the mount puts the eyepiece of a typical 20" catadioptric scope at approximately 5’8" above ground level. The mount is transportable, as opposed to being truly portable, since the various components of the mount and tripod weigh in at a 329 pound total – without counterweights or optical tube. The tripod itself weighs 81 pounds. The mount pedestal (wedge) weighs 66 pounds. The right ascension assembly is 75 pounds. The declination assembly is 75 pounds. The counterweight shaft assembly weighs 32 pounds. One very motivated person can set up the mount on his own, but a minimum of two people is strongly recommended. Most optical tubes destined for this mount weigh considerably more than the heaviest mount component, so installing the optical tube on the assembled mount will require two or more individuals working together. The setup time is heavily dependant upon the strength, skill, and experience of the person(s) assembling the components. The mount is also available with an altazimuth pier for permanent mounting in an observatory building (#MAXPIER). The mount comes with no counterweights. There are optional 20 and 35 pound counterweights available to balance the weight of your particular optical tube or tubes. The counterweight shaft is a stainless steel threaded rod with a thread 1.5" in diameter and 6 threads per inch. The counterweights are equipped with a pushbutton for quick release to let you slide the counterweight(s) to the approximate correct location on the shaft. Once positioned in the rough location, the pushbutton is released and the counterweight(s) spin on the threaded shaft for fine balance. Once the MAX mount is turned on, it goes through the normal AutoStar setup routine. AutoStar is expanded for the MAX Mount, however. For example, there are no clutches and no way to disengage the worm screw from the worm gear. This is for safety reasons, to avoid the potential damage that could be caused by an unbalanced 130-190 pound optical tube swinging unexpectedly, along with the potential for stripped teeth on the drive gear when an unbalanced OTA starts jumping over gear teeth. Accordingly, the new software includes an electronic balancing routine that takes literally only seconds to balance the mount. Also, if you are using the mount with an OTA for the first time, you will need to go through another new software routine to align the OTA axis with the RA axis. The Meade MAX mount is manufactured at Meade’s state-of-the art design and manufacturing facility in Irvine, California.
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