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Thank you. I did post the question to Cloudynights as well; we'll see what people have to say there. I was kind of hoping not to have to modify the original Meade saddle if it's not necessary. One other thing I might be able to do is make a solid aluminum adapter plate and shrink-fit a steel shaft into it that the Meade saddle would attach to. The Meade mount has a short hardened steel shaft that the cast saddle slides over and a set screw to lock it in place. Again, I'd rather spend my time doing something else, so fabricating a mount is not high on my list. I definitely have been having a difficult time finding rings to fit this tube.

Hello, everyone, I mentioned a while back that I had been gifted a Meade 8" Starfinder reflector mount (and thank you to all the people here who helped me identify it!). I recently acquired a used Skywatcher EQ-6-R-Pro mount with the intent of installing the Meade tube on that mount. However, I have been having a lot of difficulty finding a set of tube rings to fit this tube, which measures 9.7" in outside diameter in most locations. I have been advised by some that these fiber tubes are not dimensionally stable and can grow and shrink over time (presumably due to absorption of moisture). I'm wondering if anyone has adapted the saddle (with straps) that is used on the original Starfinder equatorial mount to attach to the EQ-6 or similar dovetail style mount. Any thoughts? I removed the saddle from the Starfinder mount and I could probably fabricate an attachment adapter by machining a short shaft on a lathe, but frankly, I'd really prefer to either find a set of modern rings that will mount directly to a dovetail, or if someone makes an adapter to attach the original Meade saddle to a dovetail. Thanks in advance!

Thanks very much for the quick responses!

I should add that there are no identifying markings on either the mount or the telescope other than what appears in the pictures above.

Hello, everyone! I've been interested in astronomy since I was a little kid, and over the years have wanted to purchase a serious telescope for backyard observation, but never did so for a few reasons, but mainly that where I live (Western Pennsylvania) has far too many cloudy nights to justify buying an expensive telescope. A very good friend recently gifted me his older Meade 8 inch reflector, and I'm hoping to find some information on it. I have reached out to Meade's customer service, but haven't heard anything back yet. Perhaps someone here can help me identify the model, and even find some manuals and/or accessory lists for this unit. I'm attaching a few pictures of the telescope and mount. Any help would be appreciated! I'm excited to start observing just as soon as I get a clear sky.