The cataclysmic variable CW 1045+525: a secondary-dominated dwarf nova?

We present spectroscopic and photometric observations of the cataclysmic variable CW 1045+525. Both the optical spectrum and the photometric lightcurve show a strong contribution of a K5V - M0V secondary. We derive an orbital period P_orb = 0.271278(1) d by measuring the radial velocities of the absorption lines of the secondary. The period and spectral type of the secondary suggest a distance of 350 - 700 pc. There is evidence for additional sources of line- and continuum emission, but no direct evidence of an accretion disc. We discuss several scenarios for the nature of CW 1045+525 on the basis of our results, finding a dwarf nova classification the most probable, although not completely satisfying, explanation for the observed characteristics.