USING WEASNER'S MIGHTY ETX SITE Last updated: 4 March 2010

The Site Home Page is organized into several areas. I'll touch on each of these in this Site Guide.

The large image at the top of the page shows the title of the Site and tries to convey that our little ETX telescopes are actually very Mighty telescopes, given their size. The Site Title also has another meaning: this Site is also a Mighty Site, with TONS of valuable information for visitors.

Below the Title image there are some important links:
Mobile Version. Click (or tap) to view the Site in a layout more appropriate for mobile devices like the iPhone and some other cell phones. The layout is done on the fly by Google.
This Site Guide.
The Email Etiquette page, which describes some things to remember before sending your email to me, such as reply-to addresses, subjects, image file attachments, and message text, and site announcements that all site visitors should read. The Email Etiquette page also includes a "Terms and Conditions of Use".
The ETX FAQ page has questions and answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you check the ETX FAQ before emailing your question, you may find the answer there and save yourself some time.
For those visitors who want to see Site updates via a RSS newsfeed, click on the "RSS Newsfeed" link. You do not supply an email address when using a RSS feed, so your use of the RSS feed is completely private.

Below these links is some introductory text, describing why I created this Site. Occasionally you may also see some important notes here.

To the right of the text is a Google Translate button. Select a language and Google will display a translated version of the web page.

You can search the site using Google. If you don't find your answer in the ETX FAQ, try the Search page. Enter one of more keywords or phrase (i.e., Autostar longitude) and then click 'Google Search' button to start the search. A new window will open with the search results. If your entry is found you will see a list of pages; click the page link and then use your browser's Find command to search for the same word(s). If no pages were found try different or fewer words. Sometimes, partial words may work best, depending upon what information you are searching for (i.e., use photograph instead of astrophotography).

Next are my recent updates on Twitter (mweasner). If you see "RT" on an entry, I have "Retweeted" someone else's update for further dissemination. If you want to see all my updates or follow me on Twitter, click the "Join the conversation" text. Note that you do NOT need to join Twitter to see all my updates via the web page link. Please note that I do not use Twitter for "tech support". Please email "etx@me.com" if you have questions.

To the left of the search area is the "Site Updated" date. This shows the date (Arizona time) that the Site was last updated. Use this information along with the or flags and dates by the topical links in the middle of the page.

The middle portion of the ETX Site Home Page is currently divided up into ten major topics:

I'll discuss each of these in turn.

Feedback
The Feedback topic includes several pages of general and specific items. This is where you will find a lot of Q&A, simple tips, and items of general importance. Long time visitors to the Site will notice a slight revision of the Feedback pages as of the 3 January 2009 Site update. The General, ETX-PE, ETX-105, ETX-125, and ETX-60/70/80 feedback pages have been combined into a single ETX Classic feedback page. The DSX and DS, Older Models feedback page have been combined into the DS, DSX, Older Models page. And the AutoStar Suite and Astronomy Software feedback pages have been merged into the Astronomy Software feedback page. I did this as a result of the ETX-LS model that came out in 2009. Adding the ETX-LS feedback page increased the length of the feedback section and added one more page that you, the Site visitor, had to check and read. Since there are now three distinct models, the ETX-90RA, the ETX-EC/AT/PE, and the new ETX-LS, it seemed to make sense to combine all the EC/AT/PE models into a "Classic" designation. The ETX-90RA (the original ETX) is unique (no standard declination drive) and the ETX-LS comes with many new features. I debated whether the ETX Premier Edition should be "Classic" or its own category, and opted for including it in the Classic category since it is still the same ETX-AT with only one add-on (the LNT). The change in the finderscope to a red-dot didn't change the classic ETX design. Of course, the ETX-LS is a new design in the mount and capabilities and so deserved its own feedback page. However, in late 2009, Meade decided to remove the "ETX" designation from the LS model since it was really not in the ETX product line. Consequently, I have decided to drop the (ETX-)LS feedback from the ETX Site effective 1 March 2010. Similarly, the AutoStar III coverage will also end 1 March 2010. I hope this change meets with everyone's approval. I urge all site visitors to at least glance through each page as they are updated (noted by the updated flag and date of the update). Many times you will see a question which you can answer (and please do send in your answer) or you will discover a tip that gets you past something that has been bothering you. And don't forget the "Feedback Archives"; every Feedback page going back to October 1996 is there! (I have been asked many times why I don't switch the Feedback pages to a "Forum-style" automated system. I have considered this but since I would have to moderate the content anyway and since I have many Applescripts that I use on my Macintosh to automate many of the steps for posting content, I have stuck with what works.)

Announcements
In this topic you will find important items regarding the ETX Site. The "Site" link only appears when there is an announcement; typically when updates will be delayed or I request that attachments not be sent due to my traveling. You will also find other announcements as appropriate. There are announcements on ETX Star Parties and events, some public service announcements relating to Meade Instruments, some dealer specials and sales announcements, "For Sale Notices" and "Wanted Notices" from users, "Alerts" (which can cover any astronomical item), and "Warnings" (which cover equipment and other warnings).

Observatories
There is a link to my "Oracle Observatory" web page, where I report on my activities there. The "Road to Oracle Observatory" is a blog where I discuss plans and progress for my observatory. Lastly, is a link to other observatories I have visited.

Helpful Information
Here you will find information useful to potential buyers of ETX and DS scopes, as well as information useful to new owners of these scopes. If you plan to buy a telescope or accessory, or already have, check the "Buyer/New User Tips" page to see what is there. The "Tutorials" page is where tutorials on using the ETX and the Autostar are available. Currently the selection is limited but I hope to add more over time. Next, is an area on "Astrophotography". This is a collection of tips and camera specific items. It has links to some older items (all the way back to 1996) as well as new content. The next item is the "Telescope Tech Tips" page. This contains some more technical information on making or modifying items to enhance your telescope usage. Some items are more technical than others. Don't attempt anything described unless you are comfortable with what the item says and you are willing to invalidate any warranty on your system. At the bottom of the "Miscellaneous" section on the "Telescope Tech Tips" page you will see links to "Guest Contributions" from 1997 and 1998. Be certain to check them out as there is more good information there. Then there is the "Autostar Information" page; a collection of lots of tips, software, patches, and more about all models of the Autostar. The next link is to "User Observations", where you can read user reports of what they have seen with their ETX and DS telescopes. There is the "Observational Guides/References", containing a wealth of information on how and what to observe, and some items to be aware of when observing. The topic "Astronomy and Medical Topics" is where articles on health and astronomy items will be found. The final topic is "Astronomy & Intel Mac Systems" which relates to experiences using Microsoft Windows astronomy applications on Apple Macintosh systems that have an Intel CPU.

Supporting the Mighty ETX Site
There are several ways to voluntarily support your ETX site. If you are planning to purchase an astronomy book, click the "Shop @ Amazon" link. From there you will be able to enter the Mighty ETX Site Amazon Store (in affliation with Amazon.com). Another way to support the ETX Site is by "pledging", similar to what public radio and TV stations do in the United States. Also, if you have your telescope "supercharged" by Clay Sherrod's "Tune-up Service", he contributes a portion of each payment to support this site. Some dealers make contributions to the Site from sales of items if you mention to the supporting dealer that you saw the item reviewed on this Site.

Other
This topic is a catch-all for items for which there is no other appropriate place. That is not meant to diminish their value to Site visitors, so check these links when they are updated. The "Astronomy Links" page is a simple categorized listing of useful web sites including institutions, users, dealers, magazines, and software. "My 8" LX200-ACF Reports" is just that. The "Just for Fun!" page is just that; items that are meant to provide humor, general trivia, and at times useful information. The "Editorial" pages are where you and I can editorialize on various, ETX-related topics. There is a link to a page on the published book "Using the Meade ETX", written by your (still humble) webmaster. There is a link to "Memorial Web Pages"; it is where I honor and remember people who have a special relationship to me. Then there is a link to page showing my 8" telescope and accessories that were stolen in December 2007. Finally, there are links to ETX Site Awards and to some of my other web sites.

Accessory Reviews
This topic has reviews and more reviews. Occasionally a "Coming Soon" page will appear where I mention products being reviewed. The "Showcase Products" page covers accessories which I deem to be worthwhile of indepth discussion. The other categories are pretty much self-explanatory. If you are considering purchasing an accessory, check the appropriate page to see if someone has reviewed it. Be certain to look for similar items to get a good perspective on what is available. Accessory reviews are welcome.

My Astrophotography Gallery
This is where I present photographs I've taken using my telescopes. I present the bad through the good as examples of what you can expect if you are new to astrophotography using the DS or ETX telescopes.

Guest Astrophotography Gallery
This is where photographs submitted by you, the Site visitors, can be shown. They range from not so good (just learning) to really excellent (lucky or lots of experience). You can also use these as examples of what can be accomplished with these telescopes. Sometimes photographs are posted on the Helpful Information - Astrophotography page if the info contained would be useful to explain how to take similar photographs with that equipment.

The next section has some important general notes for visitors to the ETX Site.

The next portion on the ETX Site Home Page contains "badges", linked to useful sites, and awards the ETX Site has earned. Check them out. Finally, there are more links.

At the bottom of the ETX Site Home Page are more badges, linked to their sites, and some legal information. There is also "Terms and Conditions of Use" of Weasner's Mighty ETX Site and all web pages maintained in the weasner.com domain.

I hope this Site Guide has been useful to you in helping you learn what information is available on this Mighty ETX Site and how to navigate it.

Go back to my ETX Home Page.