Weasner's Meade ETX-105 User Feedback

ETX-105 FEEDBACK

Last updated: 30 November 2003

This page is for user comments and information specific to the new Meade ETX-105EC and ETX-105AT. Comments on accessories and feedback items appropriate to other ETX 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 105 novice user blog
Sent:	Sunday, November 30, 2003 16:33:18
From:	klaus@silberbauer.dk (Klaus Silberbauer Andersen)
I got my ETX105 three days ago, and I'm now experimenting with the
drives and the Autostar to make the thing perform like it should. Not an
easy undertaking.

I have no questions for you at the moment (I like to try finding the
answers myself before bothering anyone else), but I've decided to write
a weblog about my ETX-experience from day one. It might be of some use
to other novice ETX105 owners.

Maybe you would like to link to it from your site.

The blog is at www.silberbauer.dk/etx

Best regards,
Klaus Silberbauer Andersen, Copenhagen.

Subject:	Waiting for my 105...
Sent:	Thursday, November 20, 2003 15:41:18
From:	klaussilberbauer@hotmail.com (Klaus Silberbauer Andersen)
Nothing important, don't read, if you're busy. Just to... well, talk to
someone about my obsession who might understand it.

Thank you for a wonderful site. I'm quite new to astronomy. I've been in
love with everything space since I was a kid, but for some reason I
never got around to buying a telescope. Until now, that is, because my
christmas present for myself is going to be an ETX. Yeees.

I've decided for an ETX 105 w/UHTC as my first scope, and your site made
the choice easy. Rugged, stable, featuring the AutoStar-system (to help
this poor amateur find his way around up there), the good optics (even
though the aperture is not impressive, it seems that it compensate in
quality). The looks. Yummy. My wife thinks I've finally gone very mad
indeed, wanting to spend that kind of money on a scope (it's quite a tad
more expensive over here than in the US). But anyway.

The local store even has one in stock, but of course the owner is on
holiday. So, waiting for him to get home I'm studying your site
(thouroughly!), learning about the ETX and telescope use in general.

Reading the "User Observations" pages, I found a terrific way of
spending the wait: Using StarryNight Pro, I've configured several FOV
markers. One for each available Meade SP combined with the 1470mm focal
length of the 105. Entering the exact location, time and date for the
given user observation, and choosing the right FOV marker I can
experience a simulation of what the particular ETX user saw that night,
minute for minute.

A good example is the double moon shadow experience of Martyn
(http://www.weasner.com/etx/observations/etx90_obs10.html) (yes,
StarryNight renders the moon shadows - even showing the difference in
the shadows' opacities and sizes - great software). Cool seeing the one
shadow overtake the other.

Now - this is, admittedly, an extremely geeky way of compensating for
the 'scope that I haven't got yet, and of course the CG simulation can't
be compared with the real thing. But it's fun :-) Forgive me.

Having found your splendid site, I'll come back again and again. It will
by my guide as I start to explore the heavens and the ETX 105. I'm
thinking about writing a "first novice user impression" when I get my
105.

Keep up the amazing work!

Best regards,
Klaus, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Subject:	RE: Removing the ETX 105 from the fork
Sent:	Thursday, November 13, 2003 11:34:50
From:	ejdeltoro@email.uophx.edu (EMILIO DELTORO)
To:	bdickson@telkomsa.net ('Bruce Dickson ')
Thanks Bruce,

I'm not sure if my 105EC comes with a different setup to yours (I bought
it on 4/03), but I only had to remove the two screws on each fork to
remove the OTA. I read your tips but I was scared to death to remove the
three 3 screws on the EHA, so I contacted the Meade guys and they told
me about the 2 screws on each fork.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it.

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Dickson
I have done this, but the design of the '105 is different to the '90 and
'125. This gives you better rigidity, but at the expense of it being a
real fiddle to get the scope out.

It's very easy to break the mounting lugs, so you will probably need to
dismantle the entire fork assembly before you can separate the tube from
the fork. My instructions are on Mike's site -

http://www.weasner.com/etx/techtips/inside105-2.html

clear skies to you both

Bruce D.

Midrand
ZA

Subject:	Using the ETX-105EC as a spotting scope
Sent:	Monday, November 10, 2003 12:10:41
From:	ejdeltoro@email.uophx.edu (EMILIO DELTORO)
Do you (or anybody out there) know if there is anything special that
needs to be done - other than removing the OTA from the fork mount - to
utilize the ETX telescope as a spotting scope? Is the ETX spotting scope
anything more than the OTA without the mount or does it have some extra
protection for daytime use?

I'm planning on buying a Nikon spotting scope, but if I know for sure
that I won't screw my 105, then I'll save some bucks and use the ETX for
day and night.

Thanks for your help. Thanks to your mighty ETX website I am having a
blast with my ETX105 (The king of the ETXs by the way!).

Mike here: There is nothing "special" about the spotting scope models other than they typically include an "erecting prism". I don't have an ETX-105 to look at but as long as there is a photographic tripod mounting hole on the bottom of the tube you should be OK.

And:

Thanks Mike,

One more question, do you know if there's any adapter to attach a tripod
head to the #883 field tripod? I have seen stuff to attach an ETX to a
tripod, but not the other way around.

Thanks again.

Mike here: See the "Camera Adapter for ETX Field Tripod" on the Accessory Reviews - Tripods page.

Subject:	etx105 manual controls
Sent:	Sunday, November 9, 2003 07:36:07
From:	jay@jayware.com (Jay Moynihan)
Does the ETX 105 AT have the manual slow-motion controls/knobs  in RA
and Dec, yet
thanks

Jay Moynihan
Ashland, WI  U.S.A.

Mike here: No.

Subject:	ETX 105 ota
Sent:	Monday, November 3, 2003 14:08:20
From:	jay@jayware.com (Jay Moynihan)
Does meade sell the 105mm etx ota without mounti? Anyone carrt this?
thanks

Jay Moynihan

P. O. Box 253
Ashland, WI

Mike here: I haven't seen any spotting scope model of the ETX-105. There are spotting scope models (tube, no mount) of the ETX-90 and -125.

Subject:	Dew shield 675 and etx105ec uhtc
Sent:	Saturday, November 1, 2003 18:33:50
From:	johnells@optonline.net (John C. Ellsworth)
I just got a Meade 675 dew shield for my new etx105ec with uhtc glass.
Supposedly, it is supposed to fit snuggly in the inverted position for
storage. When inverting it, it goes about half way, leaving about 2
inches. Have you heard of this happening? Are there better dew shields
for this telescope. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Regards,
John Ellsworth

Mike here: I don't have one but as to other dew shields, see the Accessory Reviews - Miscellaneous page.

And:

Thanks, Mike.
John

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