DS MODELS USER FEEDBACK Last updated: 30 June 2002

Subject:	The DS 2130 ATS scope - any good?
Sent:	Saturday, June 29, 2002 10:47:11
From:	Vonkarak@aol.com
I am just beginning to look for a quality first telescope and I want to
spend around £400 (around $600) and I saw the DS 2130 ATS for this
price. I was wondering if this telescope is any good because I was
looking at the 6 inch LXD 55 until I found out it was £849 ($1300). Any
help?

Subject:	re: Meade DS-127 primary mirror repair
Sent:	Friday, June 28, 2002 8:36:53
From:	d.mazierski@utoronto.ca (Dave Mazierski)
I am fortunate in that many participants in Mike Weasner's on-line
discussion group have sent me words of encouragement and technical
advice as to the best methods for making my telescope work better...
just the kind of help I needed!

Baie dankie!

D.

-- 

Dave Mazierski Illustration
Canada

Subject:	Meade 4504
Sent:	Friday, June 28, 2002 4:10:24
From:	robleishman@yahoo.com (rob leishman)
firstly, thanks for the info on the site.
I havhe a Meade 4504, the same as a DS114EQ (I assume). I got a new 494
computer for it and have seen it only lists the DS alt/az scopes. Can
the 494 be reprogrammed? What hardware is used to transfer the flash
programme?

Cheers,

Rob.

Subject:	re: Meade DS-127 primary miror repair
Sent:	Friday, June 21, 2002 23:17:17
From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com (Richard Seymour)
To:	d.mazierski@utoronto.ca
A lot of DS- information (and other users) hides out at the 
various Yahoo discussion groups, too...

Try
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meade-ds/
and
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/meade-uncensored/

The scope -can- be accurately collimated.

(and never clean mirrors..... put shower caps on the ends
of the barrel so they never get dusty)

good luck
--dick

From:	d.mazierski@utoronto.ca (Dave Mazierski)
Many thanks for these links and info... I will study up, roll up my
sleeves and give it my best.

(it was not dust, but dew residue that prompted me to attempt a mirror
cleaning... what was I thinking!!?!)

D.

From:	Raymond.Barbour@za.didata.com
Dave,
It is usually not a good idea to clean mirrors. The resultant damage to
the mirror is usually worse than the degradation caused by the dirt. It
is best to leave it and get the mirror realuminized when it gets really
bad.

But back to your problem. I had an almost double image when looking at
bright planets. I took the scope to the telescope making class of the
local astronomical society to get someone there with the right mirror
testing tools and experience to take a look at my mirror. It turned out
that the mirror was pinched, i.e. the clips holding the mirror in place
where too tight. This was warping the shape of the mirror which is what
I suspect is the problem you are having. The solution was to attach the
clips so that the mirror could move slightly is pushed. The mirror tends
to settle to the bottom of the mirror cell as the ds works only in
alt-az mode. You can then collimate the scope. I did find that secondary
mirror could not be move close enough to the primary so I put a spacer
between the mirror and the adjustment screws. I could have lengthened
the screw groves down the side of the scope. Collimating the scope works
fine, there are no problems with plastic parts.

I have found the members at my astronomical society have a wealth of
knowledge, particularly the sub-group that make their own telescopes.
Regards,
Raymond Barbour
Joburg
South Africa

Subject:	Meade DS-127 primary miror repair
Sent:	Wednesday, June 19, 2002 21:44:57
From:	d.mazierski@utoronto.ca (Dave Mazierski)
I discovered your site last night, and I am happy to see such a great
resource online! I'm hoping that you or your vast readership might be
able to help me with this problem:

I've had my Meade DS-127 for nearly two years, and I've been quite happy
with it. I have only been using it from my downtown Toronto rooftop to
view the Moon and planets. My problems started last fall when I took the
primary mirror off to clean it. In my naivete, I figured that it
wouldn't be too difficult to put back together. Needless to say, I was
not able to get its optics to perform anywhere near the quality it did
before I made the mistake of disassembling it.

I have taken it to two telescope stores to have it collimated. One store
returned it to me in a state that was about the same as the state it was
in when I dropped it off. Another store improved the telescope's
performance, but it is still far short of what it once was. The
technician at the second store claimed that much of the mirror assembly
is composed of plastic, and that it is almost impossible for these
telescopes to be collimated properly, if at all. The plastic parts slip
and do not hold their adjustment, and he also claimed that this is a
seriously flawed design, which I had not read about anywhere when I
researched this telescope prior to purchase.

I wondered if other readers of this forum have had similar experiences,
or have any advice. The technician suggested that other DS-127 users may
have found a solution, or have had better parts fabricated to replace
the plastic components that he claims make collimating the scope nearly
impossible. Any recommendations or suggestions would be welcome!!

Many thanks in advance...

Dave

Subject:	re: AutoStar on DS114EC
Sent:	Tuesday, June 18, 2002 0:31:34
From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com (Richard Seymour)
To:	bcarter2@qwest.net
> I purchased a Meade DS-114EC telescope for Christmas last year.
> It comes with the old #492 hand controller.

If the hand controller has an alphanumeric display (i.e. can show you
 words and numbers, but does NOT have a numeric keypad), then it will
operate with a 506 plugged into the AUX port.

IF your hand controller does -not- have an alphanumeric display,
then you will need to buy a 494, 495 or 497 Autostar to be able to
talk to it from a PC.  The 494 would require a 506 to connect,
the 495 and 497 use the (far cheaper) 505 (or you can build a 505)
 
have fun
--dick

Subject:	AutoStar on DS114EC
Sent:	Monday, June 17, 2002 19:44:59
From:	bcarter2@qwest.net (Bryan Kay Carter)
I found your website tonight after trying to figure this all out, and I
though I'd drop you a note with some questions.

I purchased a Meade DS-114EC telescope for Christmas last year. It comes
with the old #492 hand controller. It has 4 ports on the mount labeled
HBX, AZ, ALT, and AUX.  The AUX is of course not used currently.

I want to be able to hook up my laptop to the system with the
appropriate software, but am confused on the cabling. I know that if I
have a #495 or #497 controller I can use the #505 cable to connect
directly to the handbox. The #506 cable allows you to hook to the AUX
port on the newer telescopes directly from the computer, but I am unsure
of whether it will work with this one. Any info you can provide would be
greatly appreciated. I don't really need the fancier hand controller
because I will have the laptop.

I also need to find a way to power the system from both 110VAC and 12V
automobile.  Any ideas on the DS-114EC for this?

Thanks for you time and efforts. I am fairly new to this and want to get
deeper into it. Just need a little help from the experts.

Thanks

Bryan Carter
Kaysville, Utah

And:

Thanks!  I'll pursue that option.

Bryan

Subject:	Ver 25Ea
Sent:	Sunday, June 16, 2002 18:19:56
From:	dssmith@ntl.sympatico.ca (David Smith)
I have a DS114-EC scope that is about 2yrs old now. I also have the
Autostar that has been updated at regular intervals, every time new
firmware is available. Currently, it is 25Ea. I have been having
difficulty getting the autostar to align properly. I have followed the
resetting, training, and calibrating, as suggested from this website.
When I finally get the star that is chosen aligned, and press enter,
then the autostar starts to track. It appears that all is fine. If I
select another object and press GOTO,  the scope moves and points, and
when the autostar beeps, it's not close at all. After that, the autostar
starts to drift; it won't keep the object in the field of view. I think
when I had the 22Er version, the autostar worked pretty good, and I
didn't have this much trouble. What might I be doing wrong?

Also, what is the "Maximum Elevation" for? ( mine is set at 74). and
"Min AOS"? (Mine shows "5"). these are features I have never seen
before.

I appreciate your help.

David Smith,
Timmins, ON, Canada
48N, 81W

And from our resident Autostar expert:

From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com (Richard Seymour)
Last (easy) things first:
> Also, what is the "Maximum Elevation" for? ( mine is set at 74).

For telescopes like the LX90, it allows controlling the highest
angle the scope will try to reach without asking permission (the
"Check Mount" message)... on an ETX90/125/LX90 you can hang a 
camera on the back which might get hurt if the scope points up too
far.  That "Max Elevation" (in degrees) provides user control.
> and "Min AOS"? (Mine shows "5").
That one allows control of the lowest altitude the scope will attempt
to acquire satellites (if you're into chasing satellites).

> these are features I have never seen before.
Correct... they're new with v25 (although i provided them as part of
my patch kits)

> If I select another object and press GOTO,  the scope moves and points, 
> and when the autostar beeps, it's not close at all. After that, the
> autostar starts to drift; it won't keep the object in the field of
> view. I think when I had the 22Er version, the autostar worked pretty
> good, and I didn't have this much trouble. What might I be doing wrong?

You have done a RESET (and re-select your telescope model) since 
updating to v25, right?

One thing you can do it reload your last "happy" version. (22Er)
Mike archives them on his site (or yo might still have it).
If the old version works, than that exonerates your scope and your
technique, and points the finger of blame at either the firmware,
or at incomplete resetting to the "new regime" it maintains with
respect to where it stores the numbers.
So you could (your choice) either remain happily observing with 
22Er, or try the update -again- after verifying that 22Er still operates
properly.  
Among the things which can cause really -bad- GoTos are incorrect 
Ratio numbers (fixed by selecting the scope model, don't just verify
that the ">" points at your model, but press [enter] again when you'e
seeing that to cause a parameter reload.)

good luck
--dick

Subject:	Re: Adding an AUX jack to a 4504 or DS114
Sent:	Friday, June 14, 2002 20:53:34
From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com
To:	Timm
try www.ritzcamera.com

Don't search for "495", but under their Meade listings they have a
controller listed (again, i'm not at my usual computer, so i can't
provide the item number) which has the -photo- of  a 495. and it's $50.

--dick

Subject:	Re: Adding an AUX jack to a 4504 or DS114
Sent:	Friday, June 14, 2002 19:44:45
From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com
To:	Timm
> OK, I saw the #506 and was wondering what the difference between it and
> 505 was.  I sounds like the 506 is mearly what you have built being sold
> in a nice little package.

NO... the 506 has active, addressable bus-connected electronics.  MY
splice job merely allows you to -attach- a store-bought 506 to the
Starfinder.

So you -still- have to spend $50.  The 506 cannot be homebuilt.

>I cracked the case on the Starfinder Handbox, as it has no markings on the
> outside as to what it actuall is. The PC board confirms that it is indeed
> a #494 Autostar.

photos and parts layout in the as_schematic.html
subpage under Mike's Autostar Info page.
(i'm not on my own PC , so i can't easily supply the full URL at this moment)

>Being currently on a limited budget (dotcommed since October and still
>looking), I will give a hand at building and documenting this little cable
>as I pretty much have almost all the parts I need on hand already to build
>it with the possible exception of the fuse link and diode.

OK... true confessions... i've never actually -put- a fuse or diode in there...

have fun
--dick

From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com
I agree that ascii art leaves a lot out.

Yes, the final product was a female rj45 to male rj45 "extension cord",
with a female 4-pin handset connector (rj11 4x4, in some parlance)
Y-spliced into it.

(it was -built- by using a typical telephone surface-mount wall box to
provide the female rj11, with shims inside it to narrow the slot to
handset-sized. The male/female rj45 cable i created by either chopping a
multi-line phone extension cord into a usable length, and "splicing" in
the block's connector by using the surface-mount's screws.

I've made two of these, and the other was cobbled together with wire,
raw connectors, crunch and punch-down tools.

So i did -not- open the Starfinder to create the socket.  I did not cut
into the Starfinder's cable.   Photos would be wonderful (i should post
some, too... but you're invited to) I hope that's clearer.

However, now-a-days, since i can patch the 497's code to handle the GEM
mount, i recommend buying a 495 (which, at $50, is about the same price
as a 506 cable) and firmware upgrading it to 497-hood. Then build a 505
cable (merely a 9-pin to a rj11 4x4) to connect it to the PC.

But the 506 AUX socket -does- work.

have fun
--dick

Yep saw that page (http://www.weasner.com/etx/autostar/as_schematic.html).
Looks like I am still going to lay out some money here as looks like
building my own 505 isn't enough.

Seems like my best option at this point would be upgrading the
controller to the 495. Does that eliminate the need for the AUX port
cable to be built?  Cannot seem to find the 495 for $50, best so far was
$99, if you know a site, please pass it along. Maybe used on ebay, hmmm.

Thanks

Timm

Subject:	Ds114 Meade telestar Manual needed?
Sent:	Tuesday, June 11, 2002 16:59:51
From:	affirm33@yahoo.com (affirm33)
I have a working Ds114 and do bnot have a manual for it. How and/or
where would I be able to find one??

Thx Affirm33@Yahoo.com

Subject:	Great Site!!!
Sent:	Friday, June 7, 2002 20:06:29
From:	mpatchus@comcast.net (Mike Patchus)
Fantastic site.
I just purchased a Meade DS 2060-ATE TELESTAR TELESCOPE for my daughter.
We set it up following all the cryptic Meade instructions but have
encountered a problem with the Autostar controller. Every time we try to
align it the motors turn and the scope moves for a bit then we get a
motor fault error.  This happens in either "easy align" or "One star"
align mode. I searched your FAQ section for a problem like this but
didn't find any listed.

Have you ever heard of this problem before?
Any suggestion on how to fix it?

I bought this because of the controller, figuring it was easy enough for
my daughter to operate.  Not been the case so far.

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Mike Patchus
Atco NJ
Chrome Riders Inc.
www.chromeriders.org

Subject:	DS-2114ATS with #494 Autostar system
Sent:	Tuesday, June 4, 2002 14:41:46
From:	mattm_ku@hotmail.com (Matt Morrison)
I am planning on buying a DS-2114ATS in the next few days.  This scope
comes with a #494 autostar system.  I looked on the Meade web site and
it said that with this scope I need the #505 connector set and software,
but from your replies to others it sounded like I needed the #506
connectors.  Which one do I actually need.  Thanks for your help.

Matt

Subject:	Autostar #495 & #497
Sent:	Monday, June 3, 2002 8:56:55
From:	skyangel@mail.spbnit.ru (Sergey F. Volokitin)
I have Meade #492 electronic control system for DS series. I want to use
this with my scope (180 tooth gear).
Can i converting #495 in to #497? I have new version 25Ea.
Can i change Alt/Az ratio in #495 model?
  
-- 
Best regards,
 Sergey F. Volokitin                          
St.Petersburg, Russia
skyangel@mail.spbnit.ru
http://www.skyland.narod.ru

Subject:	quick Autostar question
Sent:	Saturday, June 1, 2002 20:44:54
From:	Johnvicini@aol.com
I have a Meade Jupiter DS telescope with the #492 motor, the book said
to get the 495 hand controller box.  I was sent the 494 hand box, will
this work or do I need the 495???

           thank you,
            John Vicini

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