![[Home!]](../../images/mighty_etx.jpg){kind=small}
Last updated: 28 February 2002
|
Last updated: 28 February 2002 |
Subject: Using StarNavigator to control a DS-114 Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 10:19:39 From: REGGAESUN@aol.com I wanted to first thank you for your site. I was wondering if it is possible to control the DS-114 via a 505 cable using the star navigator software that came with my telecope. I have a laptop and would much rather use this means than spend the money for a Autostar system. Have you had any experience with Starnavigator, is the software any good?Thanks again,Mark Weirreggaesun@aol.comMike here: I have no experience with that software. But the software send the commands to the Autostar so an Autostar is needed.
Subject: Barlow Lens Question Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2002 11:24:31 From: dh36@juno.com (daniel @ hendrickson.tc) I'd first off like to say what a great telescope site you have and how helpful I find it, being an amateur. I was wondering then, if you perhaps knew a solution to a problem I'm having or at least know of a site that may be able to help. I have a Meade DS-114, and recently purchased a Meade 2x Telenegative Barlow Lens. I put the barlow lens in, but the image blurred completely. I cleaned the lens with a special lens cleaner but it didnt seem to help. I adjusted the focuser several times, slowly, to see if the image would finally become sharp, but the craters on the moon stayed unfocused, and the shape of jupiter never became distinct. Thanks a lot for listening, DanMike here: What focal length eyepiece were you trying in combination with the Barlow Lens?
And:
The two lens I have and used it on was the MH 9MM and MH 25MMMike here: I suspect you could have been expecting too much. Keep in mind that there is a max theoretical magnification for any telescope (twice the aperture in millimeters). Also, there will be some deterioration of the view by adding a Barlow Lens into the optical path. Alternatively, the Barlow Lens unit purchased may not work with that model telescope; if it won't focus at all you may need to purchase one that the manufacturer says will work.
Subject: DS114 Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 14:03:39 From: buraget@vulcangroup.com (Tim Burage) I GOT A DS114 FROM SAM'S FOR A VERY SMALL PRICE BECAUSE IT WAS MISSING THE FINDER SITE. WHERE MIGHT I GET A FINDER FOR THIS TELESCOPE. MEAD IS REAL HIGH FOR THIS PART. ALL I HAVE IS THE TWO HOLES WHERE IT GOES CBURAGE@AOL.COM THANKS TIMMike here: You can probably attach any finderscope (using those holes or other means). See the Accessory Reviews - Finderscopes for some ideas. You might also want to check the Orion Binoculars and Telescopes site for some options.
Subject: Advice Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 21:55:15 From: the_magills@hotmail.com (Corey Magill) Great web site, I stumbled across it looking for some info and hope you can help. I purchased a Meade DS-60 from Wal Mart for my 7 year old daughter and I to use. I am very new to this and am looking for help with books that we can read together, and is the DS-60 good? I saw on EBAY a ETX 60 for sale for $220, Would that be a better but than the DS-60? Any help and all help welcomed. Thank-You, Corey corey@cfweb.netMike here: The DS-60 focal length is twice that of the ETX-60, meaning you'll get better magnification from it, but only up to the same max as the ETX-60AT (which is twice the aperture in millimeters, or 120X). Other than the, they are similar. I don't have the DS telescopes and have no direct experience with them however. As to books, take a look at the Accessory Reviews - Books for some ideas.
Subject: Question about Autostar compatibility... Sent: Saturday, February 9, 2002 20:21:59 From: Scott9482@aol.com I currently own an ETX-125 (with dozens of accessories). I am planning on buying a DS-90. I was just wondering if my 497 Autostar controller (That I use for my ETX-125) would be compatible with the DS-90, or do I need to buy the 494 autstar? Thanks.Mike here: As discussed in more detail in the article "Autostar Models" on the Autostar Information, the answer is yes.
Subject: DS 114 AT, Power Connect failure and Elect. Interference Problem Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2002 21:54:30 From: Jolooote@cs.com Hi. I've had two problems with my new DS 114 AT. One I've figured out, the other I'm looking for help. 1st the fixed problem; When using my 110V AC adapter for power, plugged into the same outlet as my backyard hottub, My scope would lose alignment or show 'Motor Failure' msg or any number of strange things. Drove me crazy until I noticed it happened when the hot tub automatic heater kicked in. Removed all from the circuit except the scope. All's fine. I read somewhere that these scopes are very susceptible to electrical interference's including nearby power lines. Problem # 2. I need help. Sometimes when I am slewing the scope I suddenly lose power. This happens with both the battery pack and the AC adapter. I than have to unplug from the control panel on the side of the scope and rotate the connector 'JUSST RIIIIIGHT' to make connection again. I've cleaned all connector surfaces time and again. Any clues? ThanksMike here: The circuitry in the telescopes (DS and ETX) do appear to be affected by electrical noise or dropouts. So any disturbance on the power line to the telescope can affect the scope. As to the loosing power when slewing, is the power connector the part that is loose or the handcontroller? Anyway, check both and be certain they don't vibration loose while the motors are running. You can secure the connectors in various ways: "fatten up" the connector plug with tape or toothpicks, for example, or use a rubberband. You might try the rubberband first to see if that removes the problem. If the connectors are tight, then the problem may be more internal than external.
Subject: re: 114EQ-DH at Amazon Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2002 7:57:04 From: ericc@sdscomputers.com (Eric Capponi) WARNING! The 144EQ-DH pictured on Amazon's web site is NOT the scope they are selling! The scope you will get from them is motorized on one axis only. It comes with an EC controller. I spoke to Meade about this and they told me this scope would not accept any other controller. According to them, Amazon was showing the wrong picture. Amazon has now cropped the picture so you can not see the controller, but it still shows a scope with both axis's motorized, again, this is not the scope you will get if you order it from them. I did order one, received it and promptly returned it to them.
Subject: Telescope's erratic movement! Sent: Sunday, February 3, 2002 4:26:45 From: r.rondjeff@verizon.net (Ron) I got a Meade Telestar DS 2130 ATE for Christmas, one built for Walmart. I have not been very happy with the telescope for various reasons, mainly, very cheaply made. One of the main problems while trying to center a star in the eyepiece is the erratic movement of the telescope. When I push the button to move the scope, the scope doesn't respond for several seconds then all of a sudden it jumps and the star moves completely out of the eyepiece. Then a problem started with not wanting to track very well, the star would slowly drift out of the eyepiece. If and when you could finally get the telescope to track it would start to pulsate, giving the star in the eyepiece a jerking motion. I called Meade about the problem and they sent me a new computer but this one has the same problem with the erratic behavior. I have gone through training the drives and other steps numerous times with this new part, as I did with the old one, to no avail. Also the new part has allot of sloppiness in the dec adjustment knob. I can not level this telescopes tube with the 0 degree mark as it is off by about 5 degrees, My work around for this problem is to put a level on the tube. I guess my main question is; do I have two malfunctioning parts or is there something I don't understand. Even though the Telescope is still in warranty it is getting costly sending parts back to the company for replacement. Any help you or anyone else could give me would be greatly appreciated. I am through trying to get the problems solved through Meade. Thanks very much for your wonderful Web Site and help, RonMike here: I can't speak directly to the DS models from Walmart but a couple of thoughts. Re: the DEC scale; it should be adjustable. You should be able to loosen something that secures the scale and rotate it until it reads correctly. This can be done with the ETX telescopes. However, the scale position has nothing to do with the Autostar computer; the only important part is the leveling of the telescope tube when starting an Alt/Az alignment. You indicated you TRAINed the drives and all the rest but just to confirm: the proper telescope model is selected in the Autostar, you have RESET, reCALIBRATEd, and then reTRAINed. Do in that order. You can adjust the "percentages" (see the article "Setting Percentages For Better Tracking" on the Autostar Information page) but you shouldn't have to do that.
And:
I will try all of the suggestions you have mentioned. It appears that the Dec scale is only adjustable through the up and down movement of the tube arm. I will continue to level the tube in the home position when starting to align the telescope. Thanks for your reply, Ron
Subject: RE: DS-127 drifting off objects and causing vibration Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2002 22:16:13 From: lori@mtelegence.com (Lori Barbour) To: alan@johnson.za.net Mike is right about the training, read the letter I sent in Autostar Feedback section 31 January. As for the vibration, first check that the mirror is not too tightly held in it's mirror cell. To do this, when looking at an object that looks blurred by vibration from the motors press and hold the enter button then release. This resyncs the telescope but it first turns off the motors. If the blur disappears then it is caused by vibration (if this is the case slacken the drive axis and retrain). If the blur is still there as I found on my DS127 then the problem is with the mirror. I took the scope to the local astro club's telescope making class and they tested the mirror and it looked bad in one part. When the mirror was taken out of the cell it was fine. We put it back in to the cell but did not tighten down the clips and now it is fine. Hope this helps! Raymond Barbour Johannesburg South Africa raymond.barbour@za.didata.com
Check the Feedback Archives for previous editions of the DS Models Feedback pages.
Return to the top of this page.
Go to the ETX Home Page.