Latest update--Meade want me to return the 14 inch for repairs. Given the high cost of shipping, I bought Sky Assurance, which will give me 3 years of coverage for just a little more than the shipping cost. As Meade pays shipping under the insurance program, it's not a bad deal. The bad news--it takes 15 days to generate the paperwork for a return. Not sure how long they will have the scope, but it looks as if the Fall observing season with the new scope is completely shot.
One contact on an LX200 list suggested I remove the baseplate and take a look to see if a cable is wrapped around the gears. Apparently, it can happen. I'll take a look when I take it off the mount.
The backup 10 inch scope needs work. The cheapie plastic cowl on the Chinese GEM cracked in the cold last winter and fell off, damaging an encoder wheel. I've straightened it out, but the mount is still a mess. I rebuilt it completely and refinished the gears, but there is still an unacceptable amount of slop in the bearings. I'll see if I can get it working tonight, weather permitting, or I'll have to revert to the ETX 125.
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