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Last updated: 30 November 2003
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Last updated: 30 November 2003 |
Subject: etx 90ra Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2003 19:49:28 From: zen35693@zen.co.uk (Michael Kelly) Hi there i am fairly new to astronomy and have purchased an etx90ra....i have used a few other scopes celestron11" gps, and an etx 125ec. on my 90 ra when viewing anything i find that there is a bright circle/disc of light about 1/2 the viewing field no matter what i look at...i can find no information as to what this could be, even when i have a bright planet i.e saturn or jupiter this disc of light is very evident....have you got any idea what i can do about this.......and it is evident no matter what eyepiece i use. i thought this was just a characteristic of the etx but it is not evident in any other meade i have seen. and i can also see stars in the much darker region outside the disc towards the edge of view. any help would be gratefully recieved.....hope to hear soon .......Mik Kelly.Mike here: There is a "light leak" on the bottom side of the OTA where the photographic tripod mounting hole is. This is a typical source of stray illumination; many people cover this.
Subject: Suggestion for new section. Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2003 09:02:57 From: 4jacksons@sbcglobal.net (Andy Jackson) I have been a fan of your sight since I decided to get a 90 back in July. I got the 90 RA model at a GREAT discount and I simply love it. It meets my needs perfectly. So far, I have not missed autostar/goto but I am just getting into more involved sky navigation and would like to see more info from non-goto users. I have used a 90 with autostar and did not feel that the gear warranted the extra dollars. No quarrel with those that do, my point is that there are two very different ETX 90 experiences out there. What do you think is the ratio of goto vs non-goto ETX users? I'm sure we are the minority. Andy Jackson San Antonio, Tx.Mike here: There are many ETX-90RA users out there, including myself. This includes those of us who purchased the original ETX (1996 to 1998) and those who purchased new ones since the EC model came out in January 1999. While Meade sold a TON of original model ETX telescopes I would suspect they have now sold even more Autostar capable models.
Subject: ETX 90 RA and Bogan Tripod Sent: Friday, November 28, 2003 18:43:07 From: mfridkin@clccrul.org (Barbara Fridkin) I've been using the ETX 90 RA for about 6 years. I enjoy finding deep sky objects with setting circles, but have mixed success in doing so. I am in the process of rethinking how I am supposed to use my Bogan tripod with the ETX scope to improve my success. The tripod has three knobs that together can move the scope along three axes. The first knob moves the scope along the azimuth access, and I don't use this for polar alignment or really for any purpose at all. The second knob moves the scope along the vertical axis, and I set this to my latitude using the calibration that came with the tripod head. The third knob moves the scope along some other axis, mysterious to me, and I don't think I'm supposed to use this at all. The trouble is, I'm not sure what position it should be in, and remain in. My first thought was that it should be "level." By this I mean that if I put the vertical axis at 90 degrees (as though I were at the North Pole), this third axis should be tilted so that the head (the part that connects to the base of the scope) should be a plane parallel to and level with the ground. Once the scope is attached, the tube points straight overhead when Declination is at 90 degrees and RA is rotated appropriately. The problem is, lately when I've tried using the setting circles, the familiar bright objects don't come into the field of view as they should. I know that setting circles don't work perfectly anyway, but the degree of error seems unusually large. The scope points to the generally correct region of the sky, but not with anything resembling precision. Do you have any advice specific to my problem or generally about the orientation of the scope when used with a bogan tripod. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Please send your response to: mfridkin@clccrul.orgMike here: Well, lets see. First off you need to put the telescope in an equatorial or polar mounted position. In this position the ETX fork arms will point approximately at the star Polaris. If you don't have a "wedge" for your Bogen tripod then you probably can't get into a polar mounted mode. Second, the Right Ascension setting circle is only valid once you have set it based on the position of a known and visible object. For more on setting circle use see the article "Using Setting Circles" on the Observational Guides/References page.
Subject: ETX90 - capability - any lists? Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 05:51:45 From: halee@aprilc.freeserve.co.uk (Deborah Hambly) Fantastic site. I own an old 8" Meade Schmidt Cassegraine. However, I have just traded it for a ETX90 for a couple of weeks. The Autostar function is great. However, how does a new user to such a small telescope know what can and can't be seen with the scope? I appreciate that it is neat to be able to punch in the co-ordinates, or to select any of 8000 objects, but from ones relatively dark driveway in rural England, surely only a fraction of these objects are visible in a 3" telescope. Does someone provide a list that would be suitable so that a beginner or a new user of the ETX could work through it? I am particularly fond of deep sky objects, but again, probably only the brightest are visible in an ETX90. As an amateur astronomer I'm aware that visibility is affected by surrounding light pollution, so an ETX 90 will be capable of much more in the countryside than in a city. However, surely there must be a guide or list of objects that a telescope of this size should be able to locate? For example, I have an idea with the solar system. Planets are obvious - it should be able to handle mars, venus, saturn and jupiter, whereas it probably can't make out Neptune or Uranus, and possibly not Mercury. Surely there must be other ETX users who have had to discover what can and can't be seen with their scopes other than through trial and error? I hope you don't think that I'm being lazy, having done all my astronomy to date with a manual telescope, but I only have the small telescope for a week, so I'd like to make the best of it. Thanks for your help! DeborahMike here: See the User Observations page; lots of reports there. And yes, you can see all the Messier objects and many other DSOs. You can see Mercury, Uranus, and Neptune with the ETX-90. But as you note, light pollution can affect what you can or can not see.
Subject: ext-90
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2003 01:39:05
From: sfeickert@earthlink.net (shirley m feickert)
My good friend has ETX-90, having a lot of problem with the clock drive
he said he went on your site looking for: clock drives and fixes. Is
there some where he can go beside meade?
me again
Jim Feickert
at
sfeickert@earthlink.net
Mike here: Need more info. 90RA or EC? But there are lots of tips on the Telescope Tech Tips page.
Subject: Meade ETX 90 EC&UHTC Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 13:09:36 From: Deckertfloors@aol.com Do you think this would be a good scope to view saturn with? If so what eyepiece should I use? You help would be greatly appreciated on this.. Thank You, Brian DeckertMike here: You can read User Observations reports on the page by the same name. And depending upon the details you expect to see, yes, the ETX-90 can provide nice views of Saturn and the Ring System. If you have a new telescope I recommend going for the Meade $99 Eyepiece Deal. Details at: http://www.meade.com/promo.d/plosslpromo.html.
And:
Thank You for your help I am very new to the scope market and dont want to send hundreds of dollars on a bad scope. Thanks Again, Brian DeckertAnd:
Could you send me a picture of what saturn may look like with this scope and what eyepieces barlow etc. that would be with. Thank You, Brian DeckertMike here: See My Astrophotography - The Planets for some comparison photos.
Subject: Loose "fine Tune" RA knob on ETX-90RA Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 06:33:57 From: brian.treadwell@jqh.com (Brian T. Treadwell) I just received a new ETX-90RA and set it up. When I unlock the RA lock and try to use the RA fine tune knob, the knob itself is very loose. The RA itself is stiff, but I found fixes for that on your site. Is there a way to tighten the RA knob so it is more secure like all the others, or is this just a characteristic of that knob and I should just not worry about it? Thanks for any help you may be able to provide. By the way, thanks for providing such a great site so beginners like myself can learn about this great hobby. BrianMike here: Is the knob loose on the shaft or does the shaft itself seem to wiggle around?
And:
It seems as though the shaft itself is wiggling around.Mike here: If the axis is locking and tracking is OK I wouldn't worry about it; you could put a small O-ring on the shaft. But if the axis is not locking properly then I would request an exchange at the dealer.
And:
The axis works fine, so I guess I won't worry about it. If it gets to where it bugs me, I will take your idea about the o-ring. Thanks for the tip and for such a great site. Take care. Brian Treadwell
Subject: New ETX-90EC. Sent: Monday, November 17, 2003 15:46:49 From: cvhcox@charter.net (cvhcox) On 10 Oct 03 I purchased an ETX90 from B&H Photo and was wondering if it's any different mechanically and electrically from the 90's that are being "supercharged" or "mechanically improved" with all the tips from Dr. Sherrod, yourself, and email contributors? I was particularly horrified to find out about the "two dimple" drag clutch used on the 125 per a year 2000 email. Two should cause this plate/washer to tip. A third placed directly across from the first two would have given tripod stability and slightly more friction. But the horror comes from the fact of the dimples themselves. What WERE they thinking??? So, my question is quite simple: What, if any, differences exist between earlier models of the 90 and the one I recently purchased and does the 90 use "dimples" for clutch friction too? And yes, the workmanship in this 90 is horrid. I've already repositioned the RA clutch lever to the middle of it's cutout. There's a piece of tissue wipe sticking out from the end of the baffle tube. The flip up mirror is full of dust and debris particles which will have to be sucked out since trying to blow them out will scatter them into the OTA. I'm almost afraid to give it first light and fire up the Autostar for fear of what I'll find. Thanks for the great site. It was a real education AND eye opener... Chris CoxMike here: I haven't had the opportunity to look inside a new ETX-90 so can't comment. As to the other problems you reported, I suggest contacting the dealer; the tissue paper bothers me. It sounds like someone (Meade, the dealer, OR perhaps a previous owner?) tried to clean it.
And:
In my last email a few seconds ago I forgot to mention that the focus knob seemed to "catch and release" when I first tried it out of the box. After removing it I found I had scratched the shaft all around as it was slipping. I took my Dremel tool with the sanding/cutoff disk and milled a flat on the shaft. Actually it's a slightly concave "flat" that "traps" the set screw even better. First, I covered the entire scope with an old clean towel and pushed the shaft straight through the towel fabric to make a dust tight fit. A small jewelers file will do nicely, but I was in a hurry and the Dremel took just two gentle swipes, CAREFULLY, with very light pressure, to make the cut. I was also horrified to learn about the focus threads coming free if you run the shaft all the way in passed some magical point, thus freeing the mirror completely to bounce around inside the tube!!!! Once again, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? Using the word "thinking" is being kind to these engineers. It implies they have brains. This is clearly engineering by Bean Counters, something Scott Adams has illuminated so aptly in his comic strip "Dilbert". Chris Cox
Subject: etx 90ec Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2003 15:04:14 From: MMINDALA@peoplepc.com (M MINDALA SR) You wouldn't happen to have an assembly drawing for this monster? I've gotten a broken drive coupling on the vertical axis. I'd like to disassemble it, manufacture a new piece out of nylon and be able to put it all back together. Regards, MikeMike here: Sorry, no assembly drawing but there is a lot of info on the Telescope Tech Tips page.
Subject: Re: ETX-90 Right Tube Adapter failure Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2003 15:02:46 From: drclay@arksky.org (P. Clay Sherrod) To: mikestroup@techsapien.com First of all the Right Tube Adapter is the rotating arm that holds the ETX tube assembly onto the right fork arm....I think you are confusing a couple of items here. The hard stop located in the fork arm assembly cannot be glued....even with Superglue, etc; however a quick fix is a self-threading small screw or bolt that will stick out far enough into the fork arm that it will engage the rotating clutch block peg at just the right point to stop the rotation. Now, the clutch block (worm cog that you are referring to...) is supposed to be free to rotate...you are absolutely correct on this. This is one of the major problems with many Meade scopes. The best thing to do is to remove the assembly and then put the clutch block back onto the spindle of the right tube adapter by itself (no gear nor metal clutch plate disk) and take it outdoors; get some medium grit STEEL WOOL, (not sandpaper....) and very firmly but carefully work the out perimeter of that clutch block to literally file down the diameter slowly until it rotates freely but is still NOT loose and wobbly. It will take some doing on this, but you will be able to get it to where it rotates freely. Best of luck....what you are describing is totally fixable! Good luck.... Dr. Clay -------------------- Arkansas Sky Observatory Harvard MPC H41 (Petit Jean Mountain) Harvard MPC H43 (Conway) Harvard MPC H44 (Cascade Mt.) http://www.arksky.org/ ----- Original Message ----- > From: mikestroup@techsapien.com > I wrote a couple weeks ago and you kindly pointed me toward the Right > Tube Adapter failure and Meade's replacement kit. > > In my right tube (after following replacement instructions) I have two > anomalies that depart from the generic failure. > > 1) the lower hard stop (next to the worm gear) is nearly sheared off. > Is this something that can be glued (i.e., is subjected to minimal > pressure)? Or, do I need to order the outside housing of the Right Tube > Adapter? > > 2) it appears that the worm drive cog that fits over the center piece in > the right tube adapter *should* be free on the center spindle, and be > locked when the outside knob is tightened down. In my case, it is a > VERY tight fit - no spinning will ever be possible - in fact, I'm now > afraid of damaging the replacement kit parts just taking it off again. > > Any enlightenment (and I understand this may include "contact Meade") > will be appreciated! > > Mahalo, > Mike Stroup
And:
Thank you very much!! And you too, Mike. I'm sure you both hear this all the time, but the two of you are the best thing Meade has going for it with these little scopes. It is an honor to know you, however tenuously. Mike Stroup
Subject: ETX-90 question Sent: Saturday, November 1, 2003 20:10:27 From: dbrockman2@insightbb.com (David L Brockman) Good day sir. I wanted some input from you if possible. I'm looking at purchasing an ETX-90 but I'm being discouraged from a friend of mine and you seem to have so much info I thought I'd ask you. I had a telescope when I was about seven years old, I'm 26 now, and with all the astronomical stuff going on lately its renewed my desire to look at the stars. The first telescope I started with was an old Bushnell I belive, on a wooden tripod. It was very "rickety" to say the least. I never saw more than the moon and my parent's weren't much help. A few years back this same friend that is trying to discourage me, purchased an ETX-125. I never had the joy of going with him to use it but I recently inquired to him about it and he told me he took it back very quickly as he was not pleased with its deep sky ability. I'm sure as long ago as this was it didn't have the autostar, which is very important to me for locating objects. He is trying to tell me to get a dobsonian instead because even for planetary viewing it will do better than the ETX will. This is where I need your help. What will I see just looking thru the 26mm viewfinder that comes with it when I look at Saturn? Will it be dim, bright, fuzzy, well defined, what can I expect? I see the pictures posted on your sight and most all of them say they are stacked? I assume this means multiple images "stacked" on top of each other. What about other deep sky items such as nebulae? Also what about earth orbiting objects like geostationary satellites, and even other items in low orbit like the ISS and such? One last question, what is the advantage of the UHTC coating on the ETX? Does it really make that big of a difference? Any help you can offer would be GREATLY appreciated. Regards, David L BrockmanMike here: You can get a feeling of what "size" to expect on a planet with various ETX models by looking at My Astrophotography - The Planets page. Saturn will show rings. You can see many deep sky objects, albeit faintly (that's true of all small telescopes). You need to decide HOW you want to use a telescope and your expectations are for the views. As you can see and read (check out the User Observations page), the various ETX models can do a nice job on many objects. And yes, UHTC makes a big difference.
Subject: ETX-90 viewfinders Sent: Saturday, November 1, 2003 14:17:31 From: y2craig@hotmail.com (Craig J. Kopra) Very appreciative for your information packed website. I have an ETX-90EC with the standard, and aggravating, viewfinder that I would like to replace. I tend to be more left eye orientated and this viewfinder does not do much justice. Is the Meade #825 right angle viewfinder worth the trouble and are there any competitors that make a right angle viewfinder? Also, any thoughts on purchasing a laser/LED finderscope and are they worth it? I also must recommend anyone that just recently purchased a Meade telescope to go for the $99 eyepiece deal. It really is a good deal and takes about a month to get after writing a personal check. Thank you for your time and I hope to see your response in the future. -CraigMike here: See the Accessory Reviews - Finderscopes page. Also take a look at the "Shutan RA Finder Conversion" on the the Accessory Reviews - Showcase Products page.
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