GENERAL FEEDBACK Last updated: 30 March 2006

This page is for user comments and information of a general nature or items applicable to all ETX and DS models. Comments on accessories and feedback items appropriate to other ETX and DS models are posted on other pages. 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:	ETX-90 EC Over tightened DEC Lock
Sent:	Thursday, March 30, 2006 16:54:35
From:	D.R. Huard (d-huard@cox.net)
This is a follow up to the over tightened Dec Lock issued posted by Jeff
Pedicini back in 2000.

I just purchased a used ETX 90 and it arrived with the same issue. Your
solution to get the knob off worked quite well. I had the OTA out of the
fork and while tightly holding the DEC knob and setting circle, (holding
the circle is important as that bares against the lock internally), with
the fork arm at telescope level position, I pushed sharply down on the
fork arm and the knob came loose. Close inspection of the knob reveals
that the plastic section of the knob where the threaded brass insert is
was cracked in several placed. I wiped the area of the insert clean of
grease with a cloth soaked in lighter fluid as well. (Lighter fluid
works as good as Goo-Off as won't hurt plastic, at least none I have
found in 40 years of using it this way. Great for taking of the ugly
inspection tag LOL) I then weeped a little super glue into each of the
cracks and around the insert. This has, at least temporarily eliminated
the problem, but I certainly intend to replace the knob.
 
Thanks for all the great information on this site. What a treasure.
 
Sincerely
Doc Huard
San Clemente, CA  

Subject:	etx-90ec
Sent:	Wednesday, March 29, 2006 21:09:21
From:	JOSEPH BERRY (j_berry@verizon.net)
i have a question im not sure of. can the etx-90ec take the 494
controller? it is mainly due to budget reasons on getting the 494 for
now til i can afford the better ones as 497.  thank you so much         
             joe

Subject:	Cheaper!
Sent:	Wednesday, March 29, 2006 14:27:51
From:	tawa malik (monchouse@hotmail.com)
I just wanted to say, your website helped me choose a telescope for
myself, and the equipment, and since I have found a great place to shop,
I thought I would share it with you and your readers.

www.telescope-warehouse.com

They are selling the Meade electronic Eyepiece with 5 inch portable
monitor for only 59.95 dollars.

Again thanks to all of you posting on mr. Weasners website.

And:

Sorry bout that! It totally slipped my mind. hehe, and thank you for
double checking.

Subject:	EXT 125 PE and accesories for first time user
Sent:	Tuesday, March 28, 2006 08:22:14
From:	Pieter Naude (pieter.n@mweb.co.za)
I just happen to come across this site just a few hours after I was
recommended to buy a Meade EXT 125 PE as an alternative to the scopes on
my shortlist.

       Meade LX90 8" w/UHTC 
       Celestron Nexstar 8i SE SA 
       Celestron Advanced or CPC 9.25 XTL 
       Orion Skyview PRO EQ
       
I was however asked to consider the EXT 125PE which I have not heard of
as an alternative. I live on the coast (50 meters from sea) and don't
have that many good viewing days and some serious dew. I need a
potable/luggable scope to take to the mountains and on the plane.  If I
can use the scope to view whales and far-off objects, it will be a
bonus. My question to you is very simple. I need a first scope and want
to know - what should I include as accessories with the initial order? I
live in South Africa and I can't just contact Meade and ask them to ship
this and that. It takes time and costs a lot of money. I would rather
buy some recommended extras with the scope to compliment the basic scope
and mount.

Thanks
Pieter Naude

And:

Thanks, your input is appreciated
Pieter

Subject:	Dec gear removal for cleaning
Sent:	Monday, March 27, 2006 19:40:08
From:	Bruce Brooker (zbrook1@madbbs.com)
I have a question about my 125.I removed the OAT and gained access to
the drive gear/clutch(Dec Drive) assembly to clean and remove any grease
that bled through to the gear/clutch assembly but I was unable to remove
the gear.I was able to remove the "lock washer" and the washer with the
stop tab attached, but unable to remove the gear.The bearing on the
inside of the fork is glued/epoxyed in and Im unable to remove it
also.Any suggestions?  Thank Bruce    zbrook1@madbbs.com

Subject:	Reviving My ETX, & Software
Sent:	Monday, March 27, 2006 14:05:08
From:	john & andrea beaderstadt (beady@pivot.net)
For health and job reasons, my ETX-125 (with Sherrod Super-charge)has
been sitting for the last 18 months or so on its side in its hard case
(in the dining room, under a sideboard, so no temp or humidity
considerations).  Do you have any tips for bringing it back out and
exercising it before use?

Also, because of my job, I now have a spiffy laptop (Toshiba M40) that I
can hook up to the 'scope.  Any opinions on the available software? 
I've used Redshift 4 as my planetarium until now and I'm emotionally
attached to it, but can't tell which version to look at (their ads are a
little confusing).

Subject:	eyepieces
Sent:	Sunday, March 26, 2006 23:05:29
From:	JOSEPH BERRY (j_berry@verizon.net)
i have yet another question for you if you dont mind. eyepieces- how do
you figure out what a eyepiece is in magnafication terms. example a
sp4mm is what(?) in mag terms etc... i know there is a formula for it
but of coarse when i what to know it i cant find it anywhere.

thanks again for your time and trouble
           joe

Subject:	ETX question
Sent:	Sunday, March 26, 2006 00:15:24
From:	Julien CAILLOU (anton3@free.fr)
I'm a French user of ETX 125 EC. I have decided to build a carry case
for it but, first time, I must to choice Polyether foam.

I have found a firm which sell this foam. firm here

I would know which density have I to choose for a maximum of safety ??
17 kg/m3, 24 Kg/m3, 28 Kg/m3, 35 Kg/m3 ? (37lbs/m3, 53lbs/m3, 62lbs/m3,
77lbs/m3)

Thanx for your help

Julien.

Subject:	collimation
Sent:	Saturday, March 25, 2006 21:08:55
From:	JOSEPH BERRY (j_berry@verizon.net)
i have yet another question. is colliamting a telescope hard to do? i
was wondering if you can do it without purchasing any special tools? if
so then i may look toward a 114mm or so telescope. thanks a million  joe

Subject:	ETX 90EC Motor Drive
Sent:	Saturday, March 25, 2006 19:25:05
From:	Carl Filus (filus@sbcglobal.net)
i have an etx 90 ec and have been using it for about 5 years.  The last
time i used it the vertical drive stopped working and the horizontal
drive seemed slow.  i figured the batteries were goin dead becasue it
had been several months since i put new ones in.  Well i put the new
batteries in, and i have the same problem but getting worse.  Now, not
only does the vertical drive no longer work, but the horizontal drive is
working very intermittently, sometimes only going in the right direction
for 3 seconds at a time. When i say vertical drive stopped working, i
mean it does not move and the motor does not make any noise.  Also,
every so often the vertical drive motor makes this wierd spool up noise
then quits. But never any movement,  noise will start up by itself

I love my scope and hope i can work somethin out with meade if i have
to. Anyone ever hear of this. Any suggestions?

And:

i am using the standard ec.  i just noticed that the wire coming out of
my handbox was shoing about and 1/8 inch of wires between the cable
sheath and the box.  i took the back cover off the handbox and there are
7 wires that solder onto the chip in there.  all had nice aqua green
colored corrosion, and three were broken off their solder joints. the
wires are soo tiny that with the little corrosion they just broke right
off.  im pretty sure this is the probem and not something i did takin it
apart.  im searchin now for a new controller but havnt found one.  i
think ill call meade on monday.

And:

i tried to solder the wires back on.  it looked pretty good, i tried it,
and it didnt work.  then the gray wire broke off also.  i think im
definately gonna go with the new controller.

And an update:

hey i was just about to call meade this morning when they opened, and i
was looking at my controller at the clear phone jack style plug on the
end.  i noticed the order of the colored wires on the plug was pretty
close to the order of the wires i soldered back onto the board.  so i
changed the positions of three wires that were in each others spots and
bingo.. scope works like brand new.  anyways thanks alot and i think you
have a great site.  ive been comin to it for almost 2 years now as it is
simply the finest.

Subject:	Electric focus with etx 125
Sent:	Saturday, March 25, 2006 15:04:06
From:	GENE SHERER (hiqulty@verizon.net)
I am using the DSI on my ETX 125 and use a desktop computer.  Is there
an electric focuser that can be controled with autostar from the
decktop?  I have been told that the focus control in autostar is for a
different scope.  Great site a wealth of info.  Thanks,  Gene

Subject:	Broken RA Lock Lever ETX125PE
Sent:	Friday, March 24, 2006 10:08:59
From:	MNStillH2o@aol.com
I broke the lever on a cool night, here in Minnesota. I had gloves on,
and the lever snapped off.

So, is there a replacement, another type of lock lever I can use to
replace a broken one?

The scope is only 2 month old.
 
Thanks.

Subject:	$59 Deluxe field tripods for ETX at Meade factory outlet
Sent:	Thursday, March 23, 2006 21:59:37
From:	MRANDMRSPEPI@bellsouth.net
Sorry if this is something you already know.  It is such a great deal, I
think this is the fastest transaction I have EVER made (I own an ETX 70
with 3 broken tripod legs, and no, I am not handy).
 
Thanks,
Michelle

Subject:	Your site
Sent:	Thursday, March 23, 2006 18:44:21
From:	Bob T (1rthum1@zianet.com)
What a great site!  Your buddy... John M. another Mac'r sent me the link
to your site as I have just gotten back from the Titan site in AZ....

Thanks for great WORK...  Now to get to Kitt Peak

Robert Thum

Subject:	etx ra lock
Sent:	Tuesday, March 21, 2006 11:54:20
From:	john mclaughlin (jmclaugh25@wideopenwest.com)
I have an ETX 125 that having problems with the RA lock. The lever is
very loose and when I try to tighten it, it doesn't seem to catch on the
bolt head. The RA drive sometimes catches when slewing and sometimes it
doesn't. Is there an aftermarket lever that when installed,  is easy to
get to?? Any fixes for the other problems mention before??

Thanks,

John

Subject:	Telescope selection
Sent:	Tuesday, March 21, 2006 04:07:36
From:	Chris Colwill (ccolwill@internode.on.net)
I know you are a huge fan on the ETX's (I own a 125EC), but what would
your recommendation be for a observation Meade telescope going a notch
or two up, preferably in the Cassegrain type.

Astronomy shop here in Australia said the LX200 is probably over-kill
for a beginner like me, but I would appreciate your thoughts.

Regards,
Chris

NB They also indicated their thoughts that the GPS ones aren't really
necessary given this is data you can input saving some money.

Subject:	Re: Jerking motion while ETX 125 is tracking
Sent:	Monday, March 20, 2006 18:37:53
From:	John DuBois (jdubois1@adelphia.net)
Thank you for your advice. Well I tried all of your suggestions and none
of them worked. The scope still makes the little jerking motion to the
right about every 15 seconds while tracking. So I guess photos will have
to be done with under 15 second exposures! It doesn't bother me while
viewing though. I'm still having a a great time seeing new things! When
I have the scope well set-up, lined up with north and level, the goto
feature has been quite good. I had it go to the orion nebula... and boom
dead center. Then M-41. Dead center again. Time after time going to
object after object, the scope landed dead center on it. Despite the
jerking motion, it tracks really well. I set it on Saturn and went
inside to warm up and have a cup of coffee. Came out 30 min later and
there was Saturn still dead center. So I guess I can deal with the
jerking motion for the time being.

For Photos, I'll have to snag the school telescope from where I teach
and try it for astro- photography. (I teach school in Encinitas
California.) It's and older Celestron 8inch that had been locked away in
a cupboard. (The last school I was at in Del Mar, the parents bought the
science dept. a new 10 inch LX 200! Nice gift huh.) The old tripod on
the 8 inch broke after I left the school some ten years ago,and nobody
has used the scope since. Now I'm back in Encinitas after ten years of
teaching elsewhere. I got some money from the parents and used some
science dept. money and bought a new CG5 equatorial mount for it. I'll
give it a go.  Again, thank you for your advice

Take care and good viewing,
Jack DuBois

And:

Decided to open her up again to check the gears. While turning them
slowly by hand I checked to see if anything would wiggle. seemed snug.
Decided to check the gear teeth on the larger gears. Using a toothpick I
checked each gear tooth, what I found down in one of the teeth,under the
grease, was what appeared to be a paper wad or little clump of cotton. I
would think that any debris in the gears would prevent smooth operation,
so hopefully that was the problem. see attached photo
Jack DuBois

And an update:

Good news. Set up the scope early with hopes of a clear evening. Got the
scope tracking Saturn... smooth as can be so far! I'll try some other
objects when it gets darker.

Subject:	Re: ETX-125PE problem
Sent:	Monday, March 20, 2006 17:16:43
From:	ACPIUSA@aol.com
I did an autoalighn, worked fine for a 1/2 hour. Then I was trying to
align my red dot with the scope and using the keypad arrow keys ... up /
down works fine, latitude movement made a sound like a small tool
knocked on the base... went the other direction.. knocked again.

Turned off, turned on and no lateral movement. Up/down still fine.

Next day, plugged it into a/c thinking the batts maybe low... still no
latitude movement and no knocking... up/down file.

Then did a calibrate motors and got the dreaded "encounted a problem
with motors" message. Then I emailed you.

Thanks,
 
Bob Collins
Ormond Beach, Fl

Subject:	ETX-125PE problem
Sent:	Monday, March 20, 2006 15:38:01
From:	ACPIUSA@aol.com
Great site. Loads of good info.
 
I think I know the answer to this, but I want to run it by you.

My ETX-125PE was purchased on 4/27/05... still in warranty.

Last nite it started to knock while turning clockwise. I stopped and
started turning counterclockwise and it started a knock again. I
immediately shut it off, then turned it back on... it knocked again and
then refused to move at all. The vertical motor still works fine.

Should I open it up and see if is something simple or would that void
the warranty?

I read the horror tales of send scopes back to Meade.
 
Thanks,
 
Bob Collins
Ormond Beach, FL

Subject:	ETX power supply.
Sent:	Monday, March 20, 2006 09:06:03
From:	r-leaning (r-leaning@supanet.com)
Having looked back in my log of usage it seems I went through the
traumers others have had regarding power supply probs. I tried
rechargebles but the highest voltage from these is only able to just
hold things together, and then for not long, Regarding the supplied
mains, it is becoming more and more erratic, drops in voltage are
common. In the end i bought a 12 volt accumulator, from Sherwoods (UK),
(although there are many others around), now no probs, although you do
have to watch the angles at which the plugs and sockets vary with
movement. So I can set up within about 5 mins, having kept it up to date
inside. I now leave the whole thing on its Delux tripod and the plugs
left permanently in, I made a plastic holder for the Autostar and with a
rubber band this stays with the scope. I admit it is probably risky
staggering around, through doors, with it, but its paid off in
stability.

Sorry this the second Email  today. Yours, Dick Leaning, Wimbledon UK.

Subject:	Question about the Meade ETX-125
Sent:	Sunday, March 19, 2006 16:23:51
From:	PG (Galati@mindspring.com)
I am on the brink of purchasing a Meade ETX-125, but I am interested in
using it primarily for viewing the planets in our Solar system and then
for other things such as stars and nebula. I see on Meade's website that
they have some pretty cool pictures of Jupiter and Saturn, and I am
really excited about that but I would like to know from real users how
well you can see other planets such as Neptune and Uranus and if its
possible to see Pluto to any extent using the Meade ETX-125? also how
well does the point and click software work?

Thanks,
  Pete 

Subject:	Polar Alignment and Home position in the southern hemisphere - EXT 125EC
Sent:	Sunday, March 19, 2006 13:09:26
From:	Minos Minos (minosc@gmail.com)
I live in South Africa to the south of the Tropic of Capricorn and has
recently purchased a second hand ETX125 EC. I am having problems polar
aligning my telescope and determining the home position.The reason being
that all manuals and web pages only refer to alignment in the northern
hemisphere.

Can you please help by indicating the procees to align the telescope and
how to determine the home position in the southern hemisphere.
 
Thanks
 
Minos Cromhout

Subject:	Astro,Terrestrial ETX-90/UHTC 884. 3514-03-21
Sent:	Sunday, March 19, 2006 10:06:19
From:	r-leaning (r-leaning@supanet.com)
A very annoying problem and one that causes apparently randonm slewing
from start is the fact that my instrument seems to assume I want always
to start from terrestrial base, hence it appears quite random in its
start up alignment. Once this is corrected were ok. Hope this helps some
of your viewers. Otherwise a very usefull series of items, even though
mine seems ok in every other respect, no other difficulties.

All the best Dick Leaning, Wimbledon, UK.

And:

It is,as you suggest, a default condition. it just puzzled me that such
a complex scope electronically would only be used on terrstrial targets,
where no tracking of a stellar or lunar type would be used. you've
answered my question. Incidentally it came with a rattle, this was due
to one of the three support screws behind the main mirror having come
out, it had red laquer on it, I'm loath to undo the tube retaining
screws to progress further, especially as its all working well And if I
did and reinserted same it might upset the collimation? So I may leave
well alone. Thanks for the lively debates you have, I'm one of the
luckier owners it seems.

Yours, Dick Leaning Wimbledon UK.

Subject:	etx 125ec 
Sent:	Sunday, March 19, 2006 09:42:46
From:	Colin Batson (colin49@batsonc.freeserve.co.uk)
i have purchased a secondhand etx125ec but when i set it to its home
position in polar mode the telescope aligns with stars that are
apparently through my floor  the stars it uses are vega and capella and
according to the starry night software are not below the horizon when
the alignment is carried out please could you tell me what might be
wrong thaks colin

And:

the alignment was carried out at approximately 15.30 gmt

Subject:	ETX 105 Declination "Clunk"
Sent:	Saturday, March 18, 2006 15:25:50
From:	thebostons (thebostons@cox.net)
When my ETX 105EC is moving from high to low declination, at 33 degrees
I hear and can feel in the right side a loud "clunk". It doesn't happen
when going from low to high. My scope works so perfectly in "goto" that
I hate to mess with it. Am I risking further damage? Does it need to go
back to Meade for repair? I WILL NOT open it myself, (unless you
convince me I should and can repair the cause).

And:

Your timely response is valued and appreciated! Compelled to try to
pinpoint the origin of the "clunk" I'd say from my best guess that it is
inside the area of the declination measurement circle, more particularly
the upper, front portion,or the upper, right quadrant as I look at the
dec circle. Please forgive my lack of terminology ability. Does this
help? And, if a wire, why is it not sounding when going in both
directions?

Subject:	ETX 125 jumping
Sent:	Friday, March 17, 2006 06:27:09
From:	Jan H Kolst (jan.kolsto@online.no)
When I turned the base I could feel some faint noise, and at some time I
noticed faint resistance. I moved passed it and I found some small black
plastic bits. See below. I found these bits in the base of the scope.

My opinion is that these bits are leftovers by the production and have
fallen into the turning path. What do you think?

I have a feeling that there are a few more bits in this turning path,
but the scope works fine now.

Subject:	etx pinched optics
Sent:	Thursday, March 16, 2006 21:00:54
From:	CYSMARCUS@aol.com
I have an etx 105 it was supercharged in November.

When bright stars are slightly defocused they seem to have a triangular
shape when further defocused they assume the circular shape, is that
indicative of pinched optics? If it is what if anything can and should
be done. Is it possible that all the time out in the cold (5-6 hrs at a
time of 30 deg or slightly lower) did this or am I worrying for nothing?

Thanx
clear skies

Subject:	ETX-125PE External Power Supply
Sent:	Thursday, March 16, 2006 11:12:08
From:	MNStillH2o@aol.com
I've been reading reports, from your web site, about the Celestron Power
Tank 12V Power Supply, for ETX-125PE's. It sounds, like they can be
used, but my question, is which cable, do I need to purchase, to connect
the Power Tank to the ETX-125PE?
 
Thanks in advance.
 
Bill

Subject:	Etx 125 jumping again
Sent:	Thursday, March 16, 2006 06:23:08
From:	Jan H Kolst (jan.kolsto@online.no)
Suddenly my scope started jumping again.This has happened 3 times since
I received it in January 06.This time I turned the AZ several times and
the jumping stopped.I've done this before and the jumping has stopped.Is
there a possibility that it needs greasing ,since it stops jumping after
turning the scope and has happened so frequently? If so, where do I
grease?The temperature has always been below zero, varies from -3 to -6
degrees centigrade.On the other hand I'm very satisfied with the ETX
125.My ETX 90 has been used in -22 degrees, but I've ever experienced
such problems.

Regards
Jan Kolstoe
Norway

And:

Yes, last time I tested indoor it jumped,but after turning several times
it stopped.The day before yesterday I was out taking pictures and it was
smooth and nice,but yesterday it started jumping.I stopped calibrated
trained both drives and did several turnings.After that no problems.

I just tested 3 times indoor now and  chose different aligning stars.A
faint ticking could be heard every 10th sec.after finding the alignment
stars.Then I went to Saturn all 3 times.The last time no ticking.

When turning the scope by hand I hear a sound when the scope passes a
certain point.Any suggestions?

Jan

And:

And: This evening the scope acted fairly well, but there were VERY FAINT
MOVEMENTS ,much weaker than earlier.No ticking.Any suggestions?

Subject:	Siebert Optics visit
Sent:	Wednesday, March 15, 2006 07:45:07
From:	ralph21@bellsouth.net
Thought I would pass this on ...I recently moved to Clayton, North
Carolina...the home of "Siebert Optics".  After reading quite a few
reviews of Harry's eyepieces and other optical devices, I took a chance
and looked him up.  I made no announcement...just got his address and
drove out (Siebert is only a mile from my home).  I found Harry to be a
great and giving person.  He made me feel right at home after only a few
minutes and showed me his workshop where he fabricates and assembles his
famous eyepieces.  He also makes a number of devices...including a great
bino-viewer and some neat stuff for the etx scopes .  I mentioned that I
was disappointed about all the light pollution at my apartment in
Clayton...he immediately offered  for me to bring my scope anytime to
his site..which is much darker.I will certainly take him up on that.  I
have no vested interest in Siebert Optics...but was very impressed with
his attitude and respect for the hobby.  You might want to take a look
at this web site...and If Harry allows, I may have some reports on some
of his eyepieces in the near future.  Dan

Subject:	Jerking motion while ETX 125 is tracking
Sent:	Monday, March 13, 2006 23:07:34
From:	John DuBois (jdubois1@adelphia.net)
I have noticed that my ETX125 makes a jerking motion to the right about
every 15 sec while tracking in either alt/az or polar mode.I have tried
training the scope with no change. I would like to do some photography
with the scope. Any ideas on how to correct this so I don't end up with
pictures with streaks?

And:

ok, I will try all of those things and see if any of them work. I'll let
you know how it goes. Thank you for your help. I have enjoyed the web
site too. I'm learning a lot!
Jack Dubois

Subject:	ETX website
Sent:	Sunday, March 12, 2006 02:29:56
From:	Chris Fry (C.Fry@BTinternet.com)
Its really great to see that you are still running the ETX web-site. I
still dip in and out occasionally and its the first place I would look
for reviews of any ETX related accessories.

I havn't anything new to contribute, but I can report that I have
continued to take my ETX105 to the office whenever there has been a
partial eclipse or transit event (with Baader filter attached) for the
benefit of all.

The telescope always attracts interest, and I think most people that see
it are impressed at what a useful compact package it is.

I hope wou will be able to continue your support in years to come
 
Chris (UK)

Subject:	Comm port access with USB-only laptop
Sent:	Saturday, March 11, 2006 20:24:53
From:	Chris Maher (chrisjmaher@comcast.net)
I have an IBM Thinkpad with no serial port. Just two USB ports. I
purchased a serial port to USB adapter from our local Micro Center store
here in Atlanta. It works fine with another unit I use at work so I know
the cable and software are working ok through the USB ports. I purchased
one of the RS 232 to 6 pin modular connector. All the pin connections
are correct according to the LX 200 manual. However, my thinkpad won't
recognize the connection to the scope. I've added several newcomm ports
( 8 & 9) but I read somewhere that it works best on Comm 5  I can't seem
to be able to get there. I'm at wits end. Help ? Please.
 
Chris Maher
LX -200 10" EMC Classic
Software/hardware version, 3.20

And:

Can I reconfigure a USB cable to make it into a USB on one end, and the
5 pin modular connector on the other end.??

Chris

Subject:	ETX and UHTC
Sent:	Saturday, March 11, 2006 10:39:16
From:	Bruce Brooker (zbrook1@madbbs.com)
I purchased a 90 a few years back and was wondering if I sent it to
Meade could they or would they add the UHTC to the lens for a fee
ofcourse and do you think it would be worth it?

By the way,GREAT SITE...keep up the good work!

Subject:	cable lengths
Sent:	Saturday, March 11, 2006 06:06:55
From:	Joe Hopper (h3105_@hotmail.com)
I have question regarding cable length. I have a AR6 meade refractor
with a EQ LXD55 mount with autostar control. What I want to do is
operate it from my home desktop, this would require the cable from PC to
telescope to be about 50 feet.  The cable I have now is only 6 feet.
Does a longer one lose to much signal and does anyone make them.   Also
planning to purchase an Onion starshoot deep-space color imaging camera,
it uses USB cable, can I find a 50 ft USB cable to operate the camera as
well.  Any info would be greatly appreicated.  Thanks  Joe

And:

Thanks Mike, I will try the serial-usb converter and let you know how it
turns out. Joe

Subject:	question about focusing on new ETX-125
Sent:	Friday, March 10, 2006 07:18:21
From:	Tiger Moses (tigermoses@houston.rr.com)
I just got my ETX-125 and was wondering if you could help out with a
question.

I don't know if this is normal, or if there is something I need to
tighten.

When I turn focus know, either directions, their will be an image shift
to left or right, then a change in focus.

Is this normal?

If there is something I need to tighten, can you refer me to info, as
there is no way I'm send this new puppy anywhere!

Thanks.
Tiger Moses

Subject:	greetings
Sent:	Thursday, March 9, 2006 15:48:41
From:	Stan Drery (johngen_j@yahoo.com)
John from greece.
Hi mike.Have you ever considered that you have one of the most 'active'
personal website.I havent seen anything like it.
Bye.

Subject:	Focal reducer adaptor
Sent:	Thursday, March 9, 2006 06:59:55
From:	Philippos Isaia (philipisaia@gmail.com)
You know the policy of Meade. They do not allow companies to ship
products outside US.

I have a Meade f3.3 focal reducer (which I bought on a trip I went to
England) and I want to attach it to my ETX-125AT.

As I told you in my last to e-mail I found two Meade products that allow
me to connect it.

These are:

1.  Meade ETX Back Cell Adapter to SCT Thread
(http://telescopes.com/products/Meade_ETX_Back_Cell_Adapter_to_SCT_Thread_43547.html)

2.  Meade Eyepiece Holder 1.25 Inch - For attaching 1.25 Imagers to SCT's)
(http://meade.telescopes.com/products/Meade_Eyepiece_Holder_1.25_Inch_-_For_attaching_1.25_Imagers_to_SCTs_18618.html)

But I cannot buy them through the internet. So I have to find other ones
from other companies that can ship them to my country, Cyprus. I have
found the two products below.

1.  ScopeTronix - Large Adapter Ring (LAR) for all ETX 90, 105, 125
(http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=6924&tb=1)

2a.  Eyepiece holder and camera adaptor to fit Meade SCT
(http://www.scopesnskies.com/prod/38.html)

OR

2b.   SCT standard camera T-thread adaptor
(http://www.scopesnskies.com/prod/75.html)

Please tell me if this products can take the please of the two Meade
original ones. I don't know which one fits best, 2a or 2b? Please help
me, I will appreciate it a lot.

Thanks

--
Philippos Isaia

Subject:	re: New to ETX-125
Sent:	Wednesday, March 8, 2006 21:35:28
From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
1) 495 or 497?

Ans: you have a 497.  Although the hardware of the two Autostars is
*exactly* the same, the programming of the 495 would -refuse- to
operate the ETX125.

2) USB to Serial: yes (as long as it's not a Belkin adapter)

3) You will find that the "scope end" of your LX200 cable is
 too wide to fit into the rs232 socket of the 497 (the narrow
 hole beside the HBX cable on the -Autostar- itself).
 Here in the US, the typical telephone handset cord -does-
 fit, and can be used between the DB9-RJ11 adapter in place
 of the wider LX200 cable.  The pinout of the LX200 cable
 is the same as the 497's serial cord (so you can use a 505
 cable with your LX200, it just sits loosely at one end).

4) um... that's tough.. i started 6 years ago, when it was a
lot shorter...

have fun
--dick

From:	Ian Hargraves (ian.hargraves@se-systems.co.uk)
Thanks to both of you.

Regards

Ian  Hargraves

Subject:	Eyepieces and RP
Sent:	Wednesday, March 8, 2006 11:51:05
From:	Randy Potter (Randy@potter.org)
I have a friend with that problem and I use a webcam connected to a
laptop. Meade also has an electronic eyepiece that might work. (Haven't
tried it.)

HTH

Randy

And:

Subject:	Retinitus pigmintous problem
From:	Mike Wootton (m.wootton@aston.ac.uk)
Just a bit of lateral thinking re the lad with the RP difficulty; Maybe
a solution would be a CCD camera in place of the eyepiece connected
directly to an LCD viewing screen. I accept that it hasn't the immediacy
of viewing directly through an eyepiece, but I think it would be much
easier to see an image on a screen.

May I follow the example of the many hundreds, nay, thousands of folk
worldwide who avidly consume every morsel of info available on your site
and offer you a huge "thank you" for all your efforts in maintaining
this astronomical gold mine!

THANK YOU!
Mike Wootton.

Subject:	Answer about LAR
Sent:	Wednesday, March 8, 2006 19:31:48
From:	Steve Emma (Stemma@comcast.net)
Thanks for such a fast response! 

I guess the reason I wanted to be able to use a 2" eyepiece is because
of the wider field of view it seems to offer. Many of the eyepieces I've
seen advertised step up from 1.25" to 2" with wider FOV at lower
magnifications. I did not realize that their is an inherent limitations
by the scope itself to using a 2" eyepiece.

Thanks,
Steve E 

Subject:	Meade ETX
Sent:	Wednesday, March 8, 2006 10:03:02
From:	Joe Daly (jdaly1@onetel.com)
I live in UK; I like meade for portability. my local store advises
against ETX-105PE; they say if you cannot afford the 125 go for the 90;
the 125 is a bit too expensive in UK.  I presume the 105 is more
powerful than the 90; I keep reading that 125 is twice as good as the
90.  Please advise       Joe Daly

Subject:	eypieces
Sent:	Tuesday, March 7, 2006 20:58:59
From:	steve harper (intmid8tr3@yahoo.com)
dont know if you can help me or not. do you know of other scope users
that have RP as in retinitus pigmintous(?). it is an eye problem that my
son has and im trying to find any hints and help in picking eyepieces so
he can see through my etx125.its hard for him. i bought a $200 ultra
wide angle 8.8mm eyepiece(82 degreefov?) but its to hard for him see
through it. thought you might know some people that might be dealing
with this.

thanks for your time as always
steve harper

Subject:	Question about adapter ring. 
Sent:	Tuesday, March 7, 2006 20:56:48
From:	Steve Emma (Stemma@comcast.net)
I've got a question concerning an adapter ring I saw on the Scopetronix
website. (called a LAR or large Accessory ring)

I've got an ETX90EC and this ring is suppose to enable one to use SCT
accessories such as T-adapters, 2" diagonals, and Visual backs etc. to
the rear port of your ETX. When I asked the folks at scopetronix if I
could use this for 2" diagonals ( to enable me to use 2" eyepieces) they
said "The ScopeTronix LAR would allow you to connect anything with an
SCT thread onto the rear port of the ETX-90 EC.  The only problem will
be possible clearance issues if you were to use a 2" diagonal or visual
back on the rear photo port."

I'm wondering if you or anyone out there would know an answer to this
question. Which really is essentially this, 'Can a 2" eyepiece be used
on a ETX90 with this ring and a 2' diagonal ( or any other way for that
matter!)

Really appreciate how helpful your site has been,
Thanks!
Steve E.

Subject:	etx diagonal
Sent:	Tuesday, March 7, 2006 14:17:07
From:	Brian Roth (brian.roth@apollogrp.edu)
There is a diagonal that connects to the ETX directly.  I purchased it
from Astronomics.
 
Brian Roth

Subject:	Meade ETX 125AT vs Discovery 8" Donsonian
Sent:	Tuesday, March 7, 2006 04:44:43
From:	Troy Tsounis (greeko@gmail.com)
I currently have a Discovery 8" Dobsonian telescope which has served me
well for my needs. I am looking for something that will be equal to or a
little better than the disovery. The size has limited me to using it and
I like the features and portability of the ETX 125.

Will I get the same quality viewing experience?
 
Thanks in advance
Troy

And:

Can you help clarify Focal ratio

My current ratio with the Discovery is F7 and the ETX-125 is F15 I
thought the higher focal ratio represented the ability to use a higher
magnification meaning a better representation of what i am looking at So
Im also now looking at a Meade LX90-8"SC.
 
Thanks for your quick response.
Troy

Subject:	ETX-125 Premier Ultra wide angle Eyepiece
Sent:	Monday, March 6, 2006 19:02:14
From:	Tony Bahramian (tonybahramian@sbcglobal.net)
I am new to armature astronomy.  I have enjoyed reading your web pages.

I recently purchased a Meade ETX-125Premier (last week).  I also
purchased the series5000 UWA eyepiece set (after calling Meade and being
assured that the UWA would work with ETX-125P).   After receiving the
telescope and the eyepiece set, I found out that the UWA eyepiece does
not fit into the ETX-125P eyepiece.

I'd appreciate if you can recommend a good eyepiece or how to make the
serie5000 UWA set to work with the ETX-125P.

regards,
Tony Bahramian
Torrance, Ca

Subject:	I need information about focal reducer
Sent:	Monday, March 6, 2006 02:31:12
From:	Philippos Isaia (philipisaia@gmail.com)
I want to ask if I can attach a Meade f3.3 Focal reducer on my Meade
ETX-125AT?

Thanks
--
Philippos Isaia

And:

Meade have produced the following accessories which allows the Focal
reducer to be adapted on Meade ETX model.
Meade ETX Back Cell Adapter to SCT Thread
(http://www.telescopes.com/products/Meade_ETX_Back_Cell_Adapter_to_SCT_Thread_43547.html)
on  my telescope.

In order for the above to be attached you need

Meade Eyepiece Holder 1.25 Inch - For attaching 1.25 Imagers to SCT's
and you can find more on
http://meade.telescopes.com/products/Meade_Eyepiece_Holder_1.25_Inch_-_For_attaching_1.25_Imagers_to_SCTs_18618.html

Do both of them needed? Can I attach a Meade f3.3 focal reducer on my
Meade DSI? And a final question. Can I make a custom made adapter for
adapting the focal reducer on my Meade ETX?

Subject:	"Dime" at 500 yds. - Revisited
Sent:	Sunday, March 5, 2006 17:24:01
From:	mhogansr@comcast.net (mhogansr@comcast.net)
As a backyard stargazer and occasional targer shooter, the original
question piqued my curiosity.  My local range is limited to 100 yds., so
I never considered taking the 'scope since I could see bullet strikes
with the riflescope (24x-40mm)

The weather this weekend was pretty nice so I dragged the whole shooting
match (pun?) to the range for some tests.  The attached photo was taken
at 100 yds. using an ETX-125 w/UHTC and Meade LPI.  I think the LPI has
a focal length of about 6mm so magnification is about 316x.

The target squares are 1-inch and the holes are .30 caliber. 
Guestimating from this, I don't think discerning holes at 500 yds. would
be any problem at all, even with a .223 rifle.  Atmospheric disturbance
would probably be the main detractor.  I don't know if this adds
anything to the dicussion, but it was interesting and fun.

Regards,
Mike Hogan

Subject:	ETX 125 Slewing problem
Sent:	Sunday, March 5, 2006 09:01:40
From:	Robin Durant 2 (robindurant@btclick.com)
Before I take my ETX 125 to the UK Meade workshops for repair, perhaps
you can advise me as to whether I can do something myself.

Problem -  I have re trained my motors due to totally inaccurate Gotos.
When testing it after between Saturn & Mars it worked fairly well 3
times and then on the 4th time did not start to slew for a few seconds
and then started with the result that it stopped short of its target. It
is as though the clutch slipped for a few moments as I could hear the
motor running. ( I did e.mail you previously re clutch slip, thinking it
was due to the cold evening I was viewing. You suggested that it may be
due to grease hardening  )  I have noticed also that when slewing on No.
2 speed the up and down control starts within a few seconds but left &
right takes approx. 30 seconds to start moving. Problems eh !  Hope you
can help.

Best regards

Robin

Robin Durant
17 Copse Hill
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 5GA
UK

Subject:	Meade 884 Deluxe Field Tripod
Sent:	Saturday, March 4, 2006 21:13:35
From:	Mike Solloway (msolloway@qwest.net)
I am interested in purchasing a Meade 884 Deluxe Field Tripod for my
Meade ETX-90EC telescope.

I was told that the newer ETX telescopes have a new mounting method on
the tripod, and that I would require the older version of the 884
Tripod.  My telescope is about 4 years old.

Where can I purchase this tripod?

Thanks,
Mike

Subject:	ETX 125 PE resolving power
Sent:	Saturday, March 4, 2006 19:40:06
From:	Ryan --- (tompkird@wowway.com)
Just got my 125PE and love it. However I honed in on sirius from
suburban Columbus, OH and to my suprise I wasn't able to get a good
focus on it!  My question is ... while viewing this star slightly out of
focus I get what seams to be hundreds of shards of light coming straight
at me, is this normal? When I do focus, It doesn;t seam like I can
achieve good focus on it, the shards just get really small and compact.
While using a 10mm Orion plossil and an Orion Shorty 2x barlow the image
is really bad. While using Meade's 26mm it looks fairly good. However I
assumed I would be able to split this star and at least see some form of
its white dwarf companion.

Very informative site ... thanks!

Subject:	New to ETX-125
Sent:	Saturday, March 4, 2006 04:22:01
From:	Ian Hargraves (ian.hargraves@se-systems.co.uk)
I have just purchased an as new ETX-125 UHTC with autostar as a second
scope to take on holidays etc.

I already had an 8" LX200 classic which I found easy to learn even with
the Meade manual.

However, although I got all the Meade manuals with the ETX, they are
really poor!

I luckily found your site and managed to find a setup tutorial that at
least told me how to initialise the scope. More than I could figure out
from the Meade manuals! The problem with the Meade manuals is that they
are written for two separate pieces of equipment, the ETX-125 without
autostar and the autostar manual for use with all scopes!!!!

Thanks to your site at least I got a look at Saturn last night.

However, I couldn't find an idiots guide to the ETX-125 with Autostar.

Could you help me with the following:

1) How do I know whether I have a 495 or 497 AutoStar handset? There
appears to be nothing to tell me on the handset!

2) I have a USB to RS232 adapter which I use with my LX200 to drive the
scope from StarryNight Pro. Can I use this to control the ETX-125 and if
so how?

3) Can I use this same USB/232 cable to upgrade the Autostar? I have now
downloaded the tutorial on this from your site  thanks, but it does not
tell me whether my LX200 cable will be OK.

4) Could you also explain to me, how best to use and navigate your site

Thanks
 
Ian  Hargraves
 
92 Bush Road
Cuxton
Kent
ME2 1EY
England

Subject:	Shipping of Telescopes
Sent:	Saturday, March 4, 2006 03:13:49
From:	Niall J. Saunders (niall@njs101.com)
I was very interested to read the following on Mike's site, regarding
shipping of scopes for your Supercharge service "SHIPPING of telescopes
- you will be very happy to know that I have finally located a fine
instruments shipper with a better than 98% "ship-safe" record in terms
of packages arriving undamaged throughout their world-wide shipping! I
highly recommend that you use DHL for all of your telescope shipping
needs....safe, economical, insurable and very courteous and prompt
service."

Funnily enough this was exactly the opposite of the service that I
received when I purchased my LX90 a few years ago. The consignment was
shipped in three packages, the OTA, the tripod, and the Meade
Anniversary Eyepiece set.

All three packages went missing within twenty-four hours of dispatch
(from the south coast of England). Eventually, well beyond their
scheduled delivery time, and after dozens of phone calls and hours of
wasted time, I eventually located the three packages in three different
depots around the country. I say 'located' - but it was only a 'belief',
because nobody had actually 'laid hands on' the parcels. Their location
was determined purely by the fact that they had not yet reached their
'next' destination !!

Three days after they should have been delivered, they turned up.
Unfortunately I was not present to sign for them, and one of the young
lads in the front office signed for them, omitting to state 'received
unexamined' on the DHL paperwork. When I did open up the parcels I was
shocked. EVERY single thumb-bolt on the tripod was either bent, broken,
or had had its plastic thumb-cap ripped off. The eyepiece case had a
catch damaged, and all of the bolt-cases were at one end of the slots in
the internal foam. The OTA was the biggest horror story though. The
finderscope body had a huge dent in it - enough to shift the optical
path well off centre in the eyepiece. The original OTA carton had been
'mashed' at one corner, and a huge piece of crud had landed on the
primary.

Someone at DHL had obviously become concerned at the state of the OTA
box (presumably after it had been dropped, perhaps one of their
operatives had learned to read, or at least had had the words 'FRAGILE -
HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE' explained to him). So, they had opened the
carton up and, realising that this was a telescope, had taken off the
objective end-cap 'to make sure everything was OK'. Obviously things
were not OK, they too could see the big fleck of crud on the primary,
and were happy to point it out to all of their colleagues (and friends,
and family, and passers-by). Shame they had to do this with sticky
fingers all over the UHTC coating.

Naturally, I lodged a complaint - eventually taking things as high up
the chain as the CEO of European Operations

They simply couldn't care less. I received NO COMPENSATION WHATSOEVER.

Fortunately, thanks to the power of eBay, both of you, and the
tremendous wealth of information on Jan "Kewtasheck's" wonderful LX90
site, 20 or 30 hours of painstaking labour, and about $100-worth of
second-hand bits from Bill Vorce on eBay, and I was able to get the
system back to 'normal'.

I do still, however, have a big lump of crud on the primary - I haven't
been brave enough to take the corrector off, and don't think a bit of
bent wire through the SCT port and primary baffle is really a suitable
alternative !! My feelings about DHL - I would not trust them to take
out my garbage.

I have told them this, and I GLADLY repeat this tale of woe as often as
I can. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and in the last two companies
I have worked for, where both companies had large contracts with DHL, I
happily persuaded them to cancel all dealings with DHL. (Oh, and by the
way, UPS is even worse - I have TWICE had to initiate 'small claims'
proceedings against them, once for losing a consignment en route to
Moscow, and once for leaving an international delivery on my doorstep,
and signing on my behalf to state that 'I' had received the parcel (!!)
- needless to say, the parcel was NOT on the doorstep when I got home).

So, best of luck with DHL - I hope the USA side of the operation is
better organised than the bandits over here !

Regards, 
Niall Saunders
Clinterty Observatories
Aberdeen
SCOTLAND

From:	P. Clay Sherrod (drclay@tcworks.net)
For the sake of full disclosure, I can tell you with certainty that your
telescope was NOT opened by the carrier:  it was opened (and the delay
and "went missing likely) by Customs.  This is becoming unfortunately a
standard procedure because of all the forced "security issues" upon us
in many cases for no reason.  Customs is becoming reckless and ruthless
when it comes to checking packages....they tear them open, throw the
items on a counter, check every little bit and then stuff them back into
where-ever they will fit.
 
DHL did not open your telescope....customs did.
 
Dr. Clay
--------------------
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Harvard MPC H41 (Petit Jean Mountain)
Harvard MPC H45 (Petit Jean Mountain South)
Harvard MPC H43 (Conway)
Harvard MPC H44 (Cascade Mountain)
http://www.arksky.org/

And:

I hear what you are saying, IF the scope had been shipped in from the
States. But this one was shipped up from the south coast of England
only.

I am reasonably confident that the guy who sold me the telescope was an
enthusiast - certainly enough to have treated the scope with far more
care than the carrier. Had I been able to PROVE that though, then I
would have thrown the book at DHL. Instead, due to the fact that I was
getting nowhere with their complaints procedure I eventually gave up -
though, in my correspondence with the CEO, I emphasised that I would
make a point of slamming DHL at every opportunity.

As I said at the time - companies invest HUGE sums of money in
advertising, trying to engender a positive reputation with current and,
hopefully, future customers. This investment can be trashed, free of
charge, by the word of mouth of one ticked-off customer.

After all, what is worth more - advertising hype or positive
recommendation.

I noticed that you forwarded my original email to Amanda, and I have
kept her in the loop - just to let her know how strong my feelings are.

Because I was treated like dirt when I felt I had a genuine complaint, I
will NEVER, EVER deal with DHL again - not privately and not through my
business, and will let anybody I come in contact with know just how poor
the DHL Europe customer service is. At the time, I pointed this out to
the CEO, after all, as a customer it is the ONLY leverage I will ever
have. Unfortunately I seemed to be less important to him than dog-doo on
his expensive shoes!

I truly hope that you, and your Supercharge customers, have a better
experience (although, having spent a lot of time in the USA, I really
enjoy the 'customer is king' attitude that everyone seems to adopt over
there).

On a side note though, it made me strip down my new LX90 and
'mini-charge' it myself. Despite the blob on the primary mirror, I have
been very happy with the mechanics. Goto's are excellent (perhaps due to
always using the modified Excel Spreadsheet training routine that I
posted back onto Mike's website), and tracking is well within acceptable
limits for the LX mount.
 
Thanks for listening !!
(rant over !!)
 
Cheers,
Niall

And:

Thanks for the further explanation Niall; I did indeed copy Amanda on
the original response because she is an excellent and caring
representative for DHL;  I think that thing improve if proper
communication is set up; otherwise no one knows that there needs to be
change.

Sorry for your troubles with all of that, and hopefully you can now
begin enjoying the night sky!
 
Clay

And:

Dr Clay,
 
Thanks to you, Mike Weasner, Dick Seymour, Meade and the wonderful
communities on Mike's ETX/LXD55 sites, the Yahoo LX90 user group, and
Steve Hamilton's AutostarSuite group, my biggest single problem is not
being able to find enough time to enjoy the hobby as much as I would
like !!

As I have said to many people now - Astronomy is one hobby where the
invention of the Internet has truly scored - it is so easy to get your
questions answered, or to show off your capabilities. I started with a
small 3" Tasco refractor on an unusable alt-az mount, way back in 1974.
I struggled for years, then shoved the whole sorry contraption in a
cupboard for probably another ten years, then I had an epiphany. My new
next door neighbour had a telescope too - an ancient 100mm aperture,
1500mm focal length brass beast, on a wobbly wooden tripod, with 2-foot
extension legs nailed to the originals to raise it in height (to about 5
feet !!) - but I saw Saturn's Rings clearly, for the first time ever!

I was a born-again astronomer !!

At the end of 2003 I bought a second-hand ETX-105. Plenty of problems
with that due to the first owner only ever having used it on terrestrial
objects - and breaking the RA end-stop and tearing up the Dec-drive
wiring as a result. But your information gave me the confidence to
TOTALLY (and I really mean 'totally) strip the drive mechanisms down. I
got the RA base casting into my machine-shop and remade the end-stop
peg, then 'blue-printed' everything during the rebuild. I still have
that scope.

In between times I bought, and sold, a really nice and tight ETX-125,
keeping all the accessories I got with it (again, an eBay purchase, by
someone who thought they would see Hubble-quality images on a $1000
scope). I didn't feel too sorry for him, as I then bought the 8" LX90
which, despite all of its problems, I really adore.

However, my rekindled interest in astronomy as a hobby ran
co-terminously with meeting the 'true' love of my life. Now, happily
married, I always make sure which mistress I worship most. (Enough said
!!)

A few weeks ago I finally managed to get an image (attached) that
justified all the cash I have now invested in the hobby - and it just
happened to be of the object that rekindled my interest in the first
place.
 


Clear Skies,
 
Niall

And:

And thank you Niall for your kind words.....astronomy continues to be,
and will always be, the science of the people and the earth on which
they live.
 
Dr. Clay
--------------------
Arkansas Sky Observatories
Harvard MPC H41 (Petit Jean Mountain)
Harvard MPC H45 (Petit Jean Mountain South)
Harvard MPC H43 (Conway)
Harvard MPC H44 (Cascade Mountain)
http://www.arksky.org/

Subject:	90 degree diagonal replacement for flip-mirror
Sent:	Thursday, March 2, 2006 08:53:20
From:	Rick Phillips (sunfish0501@charter.net)
About a year ago I noticed something clinking around in my ETX-90 when I
picked it up one day.  Turns out the flip mirror had come unglued and
was rolling around loose in the housing. I got it out and glued it back
on, but it looks like it has some scratches on it and I don't think I
got it perfectly aligned.  Does anyone make a 90 degree diagonal like
the screw-on 45 degree erect image diagonal that I can screw on the back
as a replacement or am I just out of luck?  Thanks for any information.

Rick

Rick Phillips
Kingsport, Tennessee

Subject:	Clutch slip on ETX 125
Sent:	Wednesday, March 1, 2006 16:01:16
From:	Robin Durant 2 (robindurant@btclick.com)
The other night the ETX 125 ceased to turn in the Azimuth. I could hear
the motors running, but no movement. I had the RA clamp lever turned
fully right. I have been told that I should not turn this lever too much
as it is plastic and may damage the mechanism, only 1/2 to 1/3rd. Maybe
the reason was that it was extremely cold outside (zero) because the
next day, in the house the fault rectified itself. Can you spread a
little light on the matter.

Thanks
Robin Durant
Brighton
East Sussex
UK
http://www.robindurant.free-online.co.uk

Subject:	eyepiece with filter stretchs out
Sent:	Wednesday, March 1, 2006 11:44:41
From:	massimi.lorenzo@tiscali.it (massimi.lorenzo@tiscali.it)
Very compliment for your site..it's very interesting 

I hope you can help me to solve a problem...My telescope is an etx90 and
when i use an eyepiece with a filter the eyepiece stretchs out from the
telescope. What influence this have on the observation? Is it normal ???

Thanks for your attention

Subject:	re: Power supply to Meade ETX 125 EC
Sent:	Tuesday, February 28, 2006 22:29:17
From:	richard seymour (rseymour@wolfenet.com)
Since all of Europe is 230 VAC, i would assume a power adapter
bought from any European Meade dealer would have that as
an input voltage.

The South African distributor is Lynx Optics, Bromhof, South Africa
+27(11)792-6644  Fax:  +27(11)792-8923  http://www.lynx.co.za/

(data from MEade's website:
http://www.meade.com/authdlrsintrnl/South%20Africa/6644.html )

For Europe, the central point is Meade Europe: www.meade.de

have fun
--dick
(i use generic adapters, center positive, connector is
outside: 5.5mm, inside 2.5mm)

Feedback Archives

Check the Feedback Archives for previous editions of the Feedback page.

Return to the top of this page.

Go to the ETX Home Page.