ETX CLASSIC FEEDBACK Last updated: 12 March 2010

Subject:	re: ETX70 Objective Lens Arrangement???
Sent:	Wednesday, March 10, 2010 21:42:17
From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
The typical arrangement for a doublet like the ETX-70 is for the flatter
surfaces to be facing each other in the middle, touching the spacer
ring.
So the greater curved surfaces are -both- facing outward ... one forward
and one towards the eyepiece.

good luck
--dick

Subject:	re: reviving a dead Orion Dynamo Pro 12 Rechargeable Power Station
Sent:	Wednesday, March 10, 2010 21:36:48
From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
You wrote:
> I made an error in not discharging it fully before recharging or
>  something like that.

You do NOT want to fully discharge a lead-acid cell such as these power
tanks and JumpStarts use.
Doing so -will- damage the battery (possibly including internally
short-circuiting the cells).

The only commonly available battery technology that "fully discharging"
(and even then under carefully controlled conditions) helps are some
NiCad (nickel cadmium) cells.
Discharging can remove the "phantom plateau" effect (which limits
current output as the battery discharges beyond a certain level).

I might suggest calling/writing Orion and asking their suggestions.

I see that the Orion unit is only a 12 Amp hour battery... a typical
automotive JumpStart unit (see Mike's chart at
http://www.weasner.com/etx/buyer-newuser-tips/powersupplytable.html )
has 17 AmpHour capacity, nearly 50% more life. (but usually lacks the
AM/FM radio)

good luck
--dick

And:

From:	dan.kahraman@sympatico.ca (dan.kahraman@sympatico.ca)
it is now Thursday am and there are no lights on the recharger. By
lights I mean no charging or charged lights yet the charger is still
plugged in and working.
 
What is the next step?
 
Dan

And:

If the charge lights are not coming on, you indeed could have a dead
charger, as Mike suggested.
"Dead" might have been caused by a fuse popping.
But the charge lights not coming on could -also- be caused by an
internally short-circuited battery.
I'd recommend buying a cheap voltmeter and -measuring- the Orion's
output. (both with charger off and charger on).

Is the Orion still under warranty?

good luck
--dick

And:

Subject:	Fixing a Power Tank
From:	Travis (travisedwin@comcast.net)
I just read the question concerning "fixing" a Celestron Power Tank.  I
have the 7 ah version of this power supply (which is almost exactly like
the 12ah version except for how long the battery lasts) that suffered
from a dead (wouldn't take a charge) battery.

I opened up the unit, removed the battery (which simply plugs in the
unit with two connectors) and went online. It turns out this is a
generic battery and there are dozens of companies out there
manufacturing replacements. I bought mine from Radio Shack for about
$30, which is less than half the price of a whole new Power Tank. With
Radio Shack, you order the battery online and they deliver it to the
closest store to you.

I just took the battery, reconnected it and put the case back together.
While doing this, I also removed that million lumen beamer light they
come equipped with (I could never figure out why they included this on a
piece of astronomy equipment), which makes it a little smaller and
easier to carry. The power supply now works just like new.

So if the owner of the dead Power Tank removes the battery, gets the
number off it and goes online, I'm sure he'll be able to find a direct
replacement.
 
Travis

And:

However, $30 is about the "Sale" price of 17ah JumpStart units.

I have usually found that it's cheaper to buy a JumpStart than to buy
replacement batteries.

(i've shopped batteries for industrial UPS (uninterruptible power
supplies), and they use the same cells)

have fun
--dick

And:

I found these at prices that ranged from below $10 to well into the
hundreds, almost all from sellers I never heard of. Buying from Radio
Shack just gave me someone I could holler at if anything went funky.

My 7ah sits in a corner on my Orion 10" Intelliscope. It's small enough
so that it moves along with the base, so all my dew heaters, my
controller (I've rigged the controller to run off 12V), and even my
pocket pc get all the power they need without wires getting tangled or
otherwise causing problems.

So I guess I've just gotten spoiled.

Travis

Subject:	Meade ETX Help Needed Please
Sent:	Wednesday, March 10, 2010 15:22:58
From:	Arno Moolman (arnomoolman@msn.com)
I bought my first telescope the Meade ETX 60 the backpack edition.

I have a slight problem with it.

I bought the camera adapter ring and the t-mount ring for my canon
camera.

All worked 100% until I wanted to remove it.

The problem is both ring screw on clock wise.

The problem that I have is I was able to unscrew the t-mount for the
cannon camera but the camera adapter ring that you screw on first seems
to be stuck.

Due to the threading on the outside and the small size of the adapter
there is no place to grip it to unscrew it.

I do not want to use a tool as I do not want to damage the thread on the
outside of the ring.

I noticed there is two square notches on the ring I think one can use
some kind of tool to fit in there to unscrew it.

Do you perhaps know what this tool is called or where I could get it, or
perhaps anything I could try to unscrew the camera adapter at the back
of the telescope photo port.

Your help will be much appreciated.

Lastly will it be a problem if I can not get it off and leave it on
there and leave the photo port open, does it have to be closed for the
telescope to work correctly?

Many Thanks
 
Best Wishes

Arno
 
Cape Town South Africa

And:

Thank you for the speedy reply, I tried the jar lid remover and rubber
gloves no luck I feel like crying.
 
I will try and find a spanner wrench here in Cape Town.
 
Wish me luck.
 
Have a great day.
 
Best Wishes.

Arno

Subject:	Another ETX intelligence test
Sent:	Tuesday, March 9, 2010 17:55:49
From:	George Finlay (george@principiainc.com)
OK. I failed once, by trying to download data to the AutoStar without
powering it up.

Now the puzzle I am facing is discovering the action needed to change
the battery in the Red-Dot finder. I have it off on the dining room
table. On one side it says "battery" and on the other side it says
"push". I am stumped. It is not clear to my little pea brain what needs
to be pushed in order to gain access to the battery.

George Finlay

Subject:	Finder for 125
Sent:	Monday, March 8, 2010 17:59:17
From:	George Reiswig (human.factors@verizon.net)
Got a (hopefully) quick question for you.  I have an opportunity to pick
up a Stellarvue 8x50 right angle illuminated finder cheap.  I started
trying to do some imaging recently, and the stock finder just isn't
cutting it as far as precision goes.  But that Stellarvue is a little
heavy: around 2 pounds with the mount.

I already put a counterweight on the back to help balance it, and might
need to take some of that off (or relocate it) to counter the new
finder.  But is this just too heavy for the scope?  Have other people
put on something like this with success?

Thank you,

George Reiswig

Subject:	reviving a dead Orion Dynamo Pro 12 Rechargeable Power Station
Sent:	Sunday, March 7, 2010 08:16:28
From:	dan.kahraman@sympatico.ca
Do you know of any way to revive a dead Orion Dynamo Pro 12 Rechargeable
Power Station?
 
Thanks,
 
Dan Kahraman

And:

I made an error in not discharging it fully before recharging or
something like that. So now it won't charge. Yes it is sealed and I
believe it is lead acid based.

And:

the charger is working but there is nothing on the battery unit lit
up-none of the lights indicating that charging is going on. I will leave
it this way for several days and then consider other possibilities.

And:

i'll keep charging for the next few days-maybe 'till friday the think of
other options.

i will let you know

Subject:	RE: Meade ETX-90/EC Right Tube Adapter
Sent:	Friday, March 5, 2010 14:08:42
From:	Tim Magrino (tmagrino@earthlink.net)
I did not get a response from Scope Logic.  I saw on their web site that
they are no longer in business as of 12/31/2009, though they still have
an email address.  I got a response from Meade that said they would
repair may telescope for a flat $150 plus $15 shipping and handling. 
That seems a little outrageous considering they were replacing the right
tube adapter for free at one time.  Do you know of any other options to
get my right tube adapter replaced?

Thanks,

Tim

And:

Thanks for your help.  I guess I will try to do the repair myself.

Subject:	ETXpert discontinued
Sent:	Thursday, March 4, 2010 19:31:27
From:	john marion (jmarion1@comcast.net)
I just wanted to let you know that the ETXpert has been discontinued. I
would love to have continued but the cost of manufacturing was so high.
You may post that if anyone wants to take it over or find a cheaper way
to manufacture, I would not mind. I'm not interested in the money.

On another note, have you had anyone review the Android app Google Sky
Map? It is so amazing. It is on the Android Cell phones. You point it
anywhere in the sky and it will show the current constellations, moon,
planets, etc. As you hold the phone at arms length and move around the
sky, the screen moves with you indicating what is currently in any part
of the sky, including below the horizon line. It is a free app for
anyone who has an Android (Google) phone.

John Marion

Subject:	ETX70 Objective Lens Arrangement???
Sent:	Thursday, March 4, 2010 17:43:55
From:	Daniel Matjasz (daniel.matjasz@blueyonder.co.uk)
I've purchased a 2nd hand ETX70AT and I'm unfortunately having trouble
with getting my images large in the eyepiece. I've purchased new
eyepieces just to check them out and still the same. In the meantime i
took apart the objective lens (i think that's what its called) the main
one in the front of the scope. Now I'm concerned they have not been
installed properly. What is the correct order and way round the lenses
should go please??? I'm presuming thick with less raised side forward
then the air gasket followed by thinner lens with flat side forward???

Tonight i looked at Saturn with 9mm and 5mm lens with x2 and x3 barlows
and cannot seem to see it much bigger than 2mm with a thin line for the
rings... its barely visible with good viewing. Mars is literally a pin
dot and no more??? can you suggest anything that may be wrong or is this
all i can expect from a 70??? only i here people mentioning banding on
Jupiter and polar on mars yet i just cant seem to get views of anything
bigger than a few mm so deffo no details like that.
 
Many Thanks for your time and effort.
 
Daniel

Subject:	MySKY, ETX-60 focuser
Sent:	Monday, March 1, 2010 07:30:11
From:	RICHARD BIRCH (richardbirch@bellsouth.net)
I was checking out your site again and saw some things you answered for
people.  I have all the cables for my 494 and 495 and the cables for the
MySky.  What did you think about Meade discontinuing the MySky?  I
waited and got mine last year and have had no problems with it.  I
waited for the price to drop on it before I bought it.  Great idea but
it could be made a little better.  I'm going to make a telescope mount
for it.  Already have external speakers and I wish they had a video out
on it if I use it at a star party. 

One other quick thing......the ETX-60 I have is one of the newer ones
with the focus knob at 90 degrees on the top of the tube.  I saw someone
posted info on an electronic focuser. Do you know of anyone that has put
one on one of the newer ones?

  Rick

And:

Photo of an ETX-70 just like my 60 see the focuser on top?  And the
newer ones have the computer control on the bottom of the fork.  No
problem focusing with the scope pointing up but the turning would be a
lot better if a motor did it.

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