Merging 2 Telescopes, is it possible?

[DeckerZ]

Hi guys,

I have 2 telescopes, both were given to me. The first one I was given some time ago. It's a Meade 4504, which I really haven't been able to do much with since owning it. The motor housing have cracks on them and I have only a few lenses for it. I did purchase some low quality ones that didn't really give much good viewing. I wanted to connect my camera to it, but as it is an old telescope I was never able to. I kinda lost interest in it then.

Recently a friend gave me a Tasco Starguide 114 Computerised telescope. It takes 1.25" lenses and it has a more up to date computerised mechanism.

I was wondering if it was possible to merge the tube from the Meade with the body of the Tasco and still use the advanced computerised functions of the Tasco? Although they are differing diameters it could always be bound with something.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

[kalasinman]

Considering your cost, why not? If the old one is too heavy or long, the Tasco mount might complain. The GOTO feature will still work the same.

Give it a go.

[glowjet]

Although both are 114m reflectors there is a big difference in the specs. The Tasco Starguide is an f4 with a tube length of just 482mm. The Meade on the other hand is an f8 with a tube  length of 864mm weighing in at 23 lbs. There may be little to choose between the tube diameters, but there is a World of difference in the tube lengths, the inertia to move the larger tube may be just a little too much for the motor system, as already mentioned. In old parlance it may just be a question of suck it and see.

You could always experiment. Decouple the Tasco tube, find a suitable cardboard tube matching the Meade, add some weight to replicate the Meade spec, then give it a go, you will soon know whether the Tasco is going to object. Hope it works out for you  

[damnut]

I tried to make a big pair of binos out of a pair of Bresser ar127l. was fine until tried to combine the optical paths. Lovely dual gimballed bino viewer was £2k. Killed the proj.