Meade ETX90 AT info

[boardy77]

Hello Friends, My partner has just bought me a Meade etx90 telescope and i have just watched the set up dvd! Do you have to set the telescope up every time i use it? How do you rate them as a first goto telescope?

Thanks in anticipation

Andy

[Ender Of Days]

I can use my ETX 125 manually easily enough,but its more enjoyable being plugged in,

Im not too familiar with the 90 but Ive started using the Park option (not too sure if the 90 has it) as long as the scope isn't moved in between sessions then it doesn't need aligning each time,

Have a read at Weasner's Mighty ETX Site

the best ETX site on the web

Keep practicing with setting it up as it won't take too long (a few mins) each time,the more you learn about the scope/mount the more you'll get out of it,

JJ..

[JohnnyD333]

Unless you have an observatory I would recommend setting it up each time for now. It will be more accurate and even though its a goto, you will learn quite a bit about the stars it aligns to.

[ronin]

You set it up every time.

Doesn't take long, and after a while people get the idea you know what you are doing.

Get a long focal length eyepiece to start with, 32mm even 40mm. It makes the alignment easier if the first alignment star is in view.

When it says level the mount and scope and point the tube North and level that as well, that is what it wants/needs. Don't skimp on it. Close is not good enough, very close might be.

Easiest option is to stand the thing outside before it gets dark and cold and do as much as possible then. Get it set up and lavel and aim the tube as close to north as you can. Do not use a compass - they point to magnetic north not true north, and the difference is too much to use.

[altec]

i have one of these you can have for free if its any good to you

for the cost of the p+p

used it a few years back when i had the etx90

Meade Universal Telescope Compass Bubble Level -- NEW! | eBay

[tazzilla]

How do you like the ETX90 so far. i was thinking about getting one myself.

[Capricorn]

Being a Mak the field of view is "narrow". If you use a 32mm eyepiece then you get just over 1 degree.

This makes starting position and alignment important.

The scope software assumes that it is perfectly level and pointing perfectly North. Then it slews to the first star for alignment.

If the initial start is 2 degrees off then the scope will slew to a bit of the sky 2 degrees off of the first alignmnet star. With a 1 degree view this means that the star cannot be seen. So alignment hits it first hurdle. This is why the initial setup is important.

Meade ETX's do have this Level and North start and means you do not need a great knowledge of the sky, useful but not strictly necessary.

In general the Meades are fairly good, used to have reports of failed drive mechanisms but those seem somewhat absent these days, handset and electronics also good. I think that many people used to read the instruction "tighten the clutches" and this meant they over tightemed them and so led to failure. A firm grip so they do not slip is all required.

As you are quoting $'s have you looked at the Cloudy Night's Forum? It is US based and has sections on Meade's and ETX's.