Weasner's Meade DS Models User Feedback

DS MODELS USER FEEDBACK

Last updated: 31 March 2005

This page is for user comments and information specific to the Meade DS telescope models. Accessories and Feedback items appropriate to the ETX models are posted on other pages as appropriate. If you have any comments, suggestions, questions or answers to questions posed here, e-mail them to me and I'll post them. Please use an appropriate Subject Line on your message. Thanks.

Subject:	DS 2114 ATA question compared to ETX 70 AT
Sent:	Thursday, March 31, 2005 18:05:06
From:	Mike Ashton (ashtonm1@yahoo.com)
Love the site as always. 

I was looking though archives and couldn't quite find a good answer to
my question.

I have owned a ETX 70 AT for the past 2 years. It is a great
telescope...but I want to get bigger views of Jupiter and Saturn.

So today I bought a DS 2114 ATA from Walmart. The reason I thought it
would be better is because it has a 114mm and 1000 focal length compared
to my 70mm and 350 focal length. By the way, I have no clue about
telescopes for the most part.

One obvious difference is it is a reflector.

Anyhoo...I took it out tonight to look at Jupiter, and it was blurry
with every eyepiece. When I focused on trees it was ok...though more
powerful eyepieces were not that great still.

Is the telescope that bad compared to my 70AT? I'm considering returning
it...since I was going to sell my smaller one on Ebay. But now I'm
thinking the 70AT might be 10 times better than this reflector?

Do you think I have it setup wrong? or do you think the optics are that
much better in the 70AT?

Thanks for your help!

Mike Ashton

Mike here: What were the seeing conditions? As you increase magnification (which you did by using the new telescope) seeing conditions before very important. Also, did you let the telescope reach thermal equilibrium? That is important for best results. That can take up to 30 minutes per inch of aperture.

Subject:	meade ds-70 telescope
Sent:	Monday, March 21, 2005 16:08:53
From:	Mon Vonkchalee (monvonkchalee2@yahoo.com)
Help, I'm at my grandparents and they have this awesome telescope, but
there is no owner's manual, so we don't know how to use it... any
suggestions? It's a "Meade Multicoated electronic digital series" My
aunt bought it at the discovery channel store for them and, well, here
it sits on a balcony with a beautiful view, collecting dust. We've
already emailed the "info center" requesting an owner's manual.

Mike here: Info on manuals is available on the FAQ page on my ETX Site.

Subject:	motors ds meade malfunction
Sent:	Tuesday, March 15, 2005 17:20:02
From:	JOSE MANUEL SANCHEZ BOSCH (u1050035@correu.udg.es)
hello,sorry for my poor English.I  have a eq5 mount with ds motors and
autostar.It run ok,but something happened,the motors both and the same
time go run fast,and the  arrows of the autostar do`nt do anything.I
change  the version of software,recalibrate de motors,reset.....but each
time i power on the autostar it likes well but the motors only go fast
during 5 seconds each time,stopped 0.5 seconds and go again.its possible
that the autostar is ko??,or  a shortcircuit?  thanks

And:

From:	Richard Seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
The run/stop/run/stop is a symptom of no connection between
the Autostar and the motor cards.  

You may see the same behaviour if you unplug the Autostar and
turn on the telescope (run/stop/run/stop).

How to locate the problem?

Inspect the cable to the Autostar, perhaps reversing it end-for-end.
If you can see it, look at the circuit board at the power switch.
Look for burned or disappeared "traces" (the copper on the board).

If all of that looks good, open the Autostar and look for damaged
traces or components near the cable socket.

good luck
--dick

Subject:	DS motors
Sent:	Tuesday, March 15, 2005 10:01:52
From:	PetrieOpel@aol.com (PetrieOpel@aol.com)
Do you know if an AC adapter is available to power my  2 Meade DS motors
and a 497 Autostar?
Thanks, Trent

Mike here: I don't have a DS model to check but you should be able to set up an AC Adapter (like from Radio Shack) to be used in place of the batteries.

Subject:	re: newbies
Sent:	Friday, March 4, 2005 22:38:30
From:	Richard Seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
An excellent resource for the 114EQ-DH4 is the 4504 telescope Yahoo group.
The 114EQ-DH4 and 4504 are exact duplicates, except for the color.

Visit/join/enjoy:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Meade4504Telescopes/

and the companion "fan" website:
http://meade4504telescopes.org/

have fun
--dick

Subject:	newbies
Sent:	Tuesday, March 1, 2005 15:55:52
From:	Sharon Haron (sharontaylor@q1.net)
I just purchased a Meade digital telescope model number 114EQ-DH4 with
Starfinder Go To Control System from a neighbor who has never used this
telescope.  This purchase was a spur of the moment thing.  Your
opinion...... how difficult is this scope to use for an individual
without any experience??  I would love to see planets.  Do you know of
any good websites for beginners wanting to learn the basics?
Thank you,
 Sharon L. Harman

Mike here: For starters, read the manual, three times. Then play with the telescope indoors until you learn how to control it. Then you can go outside at night without the frustrations of trying to learn in the dark. There are many excellent websites with TONS of info. You can start with my ETX Site.

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