Peterson Engineering - Bucks PRECISION Gears For 14 inch LX200-ACF or LX200GPS or any sized LX400

Replace the molded plastic gears in your drive train with precision machined high strength stainless steel gears.  Install a
simple but positive worm engagement system.  This kit not only upgrades and adjusts the scope's gears; it addresses and tunes the
full mechanical drive system for both axes.

Note: The LX400 line and the 14" LX200-acf and LX200GPS share a common drive train.  For the smaller GPS scopes click Standard
GPS gears.  Also note that these gears do not fit the LX200 Classic scopes.  The Classic scopes have a completely different drive
train and there is no plan to develop a gear set for the Classic.

Installation of this kit will:

1) Improve the drive precision in both RA and DEC drives while reducing or eliminating transfer gear backlash.  Our Quality 10
precision cut gears hold dimensional tolerances of ±.0005", while the molded Nylon gears they replace are no better than Quality 8
with a tolerance of ±.002"

2) Reduce wear on and prevent damage to the scope's main worm gears through installation of kit parts that provide a positive
worm to worm gear engagement.  The worm on this drive has a propensity to lift and partially disengage when under load - resulting
in some inaccuracy and abnormal wear on the gears themselves.  As a by-product of this fix the kit will reduce gear drive
"chatter" - a noise that indicates that the worm is pushing away from the worm gear.

3) Eliminate the tendency of the scope's transfer teeth to break or strip off of the plastic gears when slewing the telescope at
high speed, in cold temperatures, or when slewing a scope that is heavily loaded with accessories or is out of balance.

4) Eliminate the tendency of the motor transfer gears to loosen on their axle, due to use of a larger securing bolt capable of
much higher locking torque.  Or the tendency of the plastic worm transfer gear to become loose and slip when drive torque is
applied.

The kit consists of very detailed step-by-step photo illustrated instructions for upgrading the declination and azimuth drives, 2
pairs of precision stainless steel gears, special gear grease, wire wraps, special premium quality adhesive, replacement worm
indexing springs, worm standoff pins and a set of top quality hex wrenches.  To correct those scopes where the gears do not mesh
closely but are only touching tooth tip to tooth tip in a cogging kind of action, the kit also includes a drill bit.

The original Buck's Gears were developed by Buck Harley.  Many LX200GPS users know Buck from Yahoo's LX200GPS group.  Buck did
the development groundwork strictly on his own for the good of the astronomical community.  He offered his gear design to PE Corp.
with no compensation to himself simply because of our distribution ability and our experience with this type of a kit.

Although the instructions provided are crystal clear, the installation of this kit is more complex than that of the EZ Focus kit
or the EZ Clutch kit.  If you had trouble with either of our other kits, or if you consider yourself to be a klutz, please either
do not buy this kit or arrange for someone else to perform the installation for you.  For a sample of the instructions provided
with this kit, click SAMPLE.

NOTE: When you order, be sure to specify "Buck's 14" Gears" or "Buck's LX400 Gears" to avoid confusion with the gear kits for the
smaller LX200GPS scopes.  If your scope was manufactured prior to September 2004 it contains plastic transfer gears.  And if it
was manufactured since then it still probably contains the plastic gears as Meade appears to be using up their old inventory in a
rather random fashion.  Effective May '05, Meade seems to be shipping the LX400 and 14" GPS scopes with mixed gears - a precision
brass gear on the motor output shaft and a molded plastic gear on the worm shaft.  This eliminates a failure mode wherein the
teeth of the transfer gear on the motor shaft are damaged when someone turns the manual dec knob while the scope is running.  But
it does not address the other problems addressed by the Buck's Gears kit.