Exactly What Mount Is This?

[Alan64]

Ah, here's your mount, theirs actually, and with the correct, original motor-drive attached...

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/180176-inherited-a-meade/?do=findComment&comment=1863297

Here's another view of the drive attached...

https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images2/360/0615/22/meade-telescope-model-114-900-eq1_360_1d33cab08c6d4a36b80e4e236ffe22ee.jpg

...but I can't fathom even the vaguest guess as to its model number, unless it's merrily mentioned within your hard copy of the manual.

<interim>

I just got back from sailing the seven seas, online, and this is the closest match I can find...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/all-mounts-motors/skywatcher-ra-motor-drive-for-eq2.html

...if you want to make use of the small wheel and clutch.  It bears a very close resemblance to that original Meade drive.  Here's the manual for the motor-drive.  It's branded "Orion" but it's the exact, same one as the Sky-Watcher.  Skip to the third section...

Orion-Sky Watcher EQ-1 EQ-2 motor drive.pdf

Now, the original drive attached to the stud located on the side of the RA-axis' body of the EQ-1B, shown here arrowed in yellow...

...but the modern placement, on today's EQ-2 mounts with the small wheel and clutch, is shown there arrowed in red.  It might make a difference in so far as to the success in fitting it to your mount; or, not at all.  That would be for you to decide, of course.  It would be a gamble, and to the tune of £64.  Incidentally, here is Teleskop Services' listing of the drive, yet it states it's for an EQ-1...

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p397_Skywatcher-Quartz-controlled-single-axis-tracking-motor-for-EQ-1.html

...in other words, either/or.

[Guest]

Thanks for all the tip, Alan. I'll be exploring the possibilities.😀

Edited January 4, 2020 by Guest

[Guest]

I see that FLO has a good returns policy, so I may buy that EQ2 version to see if it fits.  If it doesn't, then I'll contact them to arrange a return and I'll pay the postage back. 😉

[Alan64]

23 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

I see that FLO has a good returns policy, so I may buy that EQ2 version to see if it fits.  If it doesn't, then I'll contact them to arrange a return and I'll pay the postage back. 😉

The only real difference I see between the old motor-drive and the new one is that the casing of the old one is round, and that of the new one squarish.  But there is the question of the timing in relation to the diameter, and the number of teeth, of the RA-gear of your mount, compared to the gear of a current Sky-Watcher EQ-1.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Alan64 said:

The only real difference I see between the old motor-drive and the new one is that the casing of the old one is round, and that of the new one squarish.  But there is the question of the timing in relation to the diameter, and the number of teeth, of the RA-gear of your mount, compared to the gear of a current Sky-Watcher EQ-1.

That's what's put me off ordering one in the past, to be honest. It'll be a labour of love, trying to count all those teeth!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

My hardwood tripod rebuild can be found here:

Really improved matters

[Guest]

I'm just wondering if it's worth cutting our losses and perhaps going for a similar, but newer model of telescope? 🤔 

[Alan64]

7 hours ago, merlin100 said:

I'm just wondering if it's worth cutting our losses and perhaps going for a similar, but newer model of telescope? 🤔 

The one you have now, its modern equivalent, is this Celestron...

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/celestron-powerseeker-114.html#SID=41

Truth be told, given the telescope's length, it would perform best upon an EQ3-class mount.  Indeed, it's a bit too large even for this EQ-2...

The tube of this 130mm f/5 is shorter -- easier to manage, store, and with which to travel -- yet it would require 2x and 3x barlows to enable the higher and highest powers of which the aperture is capable...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130p.html

With its 650mm focal-length, it's ideal for low-to-medium powers, rather.  Still, with barlows, it would make for an ideal all-rounder, and in observing practically everything in the sky; large and small objects, low and high powers.

In that you have posited the question, brace yourself for a cacophany of suggestions, for a 6" f/8 Newtonian-Dobson, or even a 200mm f/6. 

You also have the option for a mount only, and for the OTA that you have now.  But I cannot ignore that one of the best solutions for a 114mm f/8 Newtonian is a Dobson alt-azimuth...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SAnFX8IKPY

Indeed, you then have yet another option, and in making a Dobson mount for your OTA.

Edited January 4, 2020 by Alan64

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Alan64 said:

Indeed, you then have yet another option, and in making a Dobson mount for your OTA.

I had thought about a Dobson in passing. 😉

Edited January 5, 2020 by Guest

[Alan64]

1 hour ago, merlin100 said:

I had thought about a Dobson in passing. 😉

Which one?

[Guest]

56 minutes ago, Alan64 said:

Which one?

I meant making a Dobsonian Mount for the existing OTA, if that makes sense?🤔

[Alan64]

8 hours ago, merlin100 said:

I meant making a Dobsonian Mount for the existing OTA, if that makes sense?🤔

There are a few tutorials online on how to make one.  Here's one I came across some time ago, and when I was toying with the idea...

https://stellafane.org/tm/dob/mount/index.html

Back in the early 2000s, I had purchased this OTA, without a mount...

It's a 200mm f/5 Newtonian.  To this day, I've yet to observe with it.

The two items that require some effort to procure: textured laminate, like that used for kitchen countertops; and PTFE(Teflon) pads.  In addition, to make the mount as light as possible, aircraft-type plywood is preferred.  The mounts of the commercial, mass-produced kits from China are made from laminated particle-board; much like that of assemble-it-yourself furniture...

...and quite heavy.

You want to try to get away from that sort of material; run from it even.

It's quite possible at that to study images of the commercial mounts, and go from there, but using said plywood instead.

Edited January 5, 2020 by Alan64

[Guest]

On 03/01/2020 at 22:01, Alan64 said:

This is the type of grease that is applied to these mounts, at the factories there in China...

That's from my EQ-3 mount.  I call it "glue-grease", as it's rather thick, and may become even thicker as it ages; clumpy and all.  This is Super Lube applied onto a part from my EQ-2...

Note how it glistens.  It's applied sparingly, not ladled on like that within the first image.  I use a small hog's-hair brush to apply it.  A small, inexpensive tube of Super Lube would last, I dare say, forever and a day.

I've just stripped part of the head down and it's got that awful glue grease in it, right enough! 🙄

I'll be sorting that out in due course. 😉