Is this the Meade ETX?

[MOgazer]

I've recently bought a house and found this dusty telescope in the crawlspace. Best I've been able to tell it could possibly be a Meade ETX, circa 2005ish? No model/ serial tag to be found. Thought I'd tap into expert help here...any info you could provide would be fantastic! I'd love to get it running again.

[johninderby]

Certainly looks like an ETX105.

http://ensoptical.co.uk/meade-etx-105

This is THE resource for all things ETX.

http://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.html

Edited August 24, 2020 by johninderby

[MOgazer]

Yes, I've compared your link to mine and it appears to be exactly the same. Now let's hope it will fire up...I'll need to track down the cables and remote, hopefully somewhere online. Thank you!

[NGC 1502]

Yes that’s a Meade ETX Maksutov Cassegrain.  If you unscrew the front metal lens cap that will reveal the writing around the corrector plate.

First job is to try to power it up with fresh internal batteries or a power tank.

Weasner’s site linked to above is a great source of all things ETX👍

Welcome to SGL 😁

Ed.

Edited August 24, 2020 by NGC 1502

[michael8554]

For it to fully work you need the handbox :

It's called a Meade 497 handbox/handset/controller, you can get a pre-owned one for 50 bucks or so.

The scope can be powered by internal batteries, but these deplete very rapidly, giving strange behaviour.

Don't use rechargeble batteries, they only give 1.2V  instead of 1.5V of alkaline batteries.

Even better use a Mains Brick power supply.

Michael

[Starwatcher2001]

If you're unfamiliar with telescopes and optics, before you start attacking that poor neglected scope with a scrubbing brush, you might want to read this page about cleaning the optics. This includes the eyepiece at the top, which looks very grubby.

http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=103

Hopefully a good find for you!

Cheers,

Mark

[Kevin Kretsch]

On 25/08/2020 at 15:52, Starwatcher2001 said:

If you're unfamiliar with telescopes and optics, before you start attacking that poor neglected scope with a scrubbing brush, you might want to read this page about cleaning the optics. This includes the eyepiece at the top, which looks very grubby.

http://www.televue.com/engine/TV3b_page.asp?id=103

THIS! Especially with the eyepiece port open like that, seeing that must dirt and dust on the outside, the internal dust must be correctly dealt with. A small amount of dust on the front glass is relatively easily dealt, and even possibly ignorable, but the internal mirror surfaces are easily permanently damaged if something goes wrong. I would recommend giving it to someone who knows how to do this. 

In fact, I think Clay Sherrod is still offering his cleaning and tune-up service...

http://arksky.org/aso/supercharge

No better man for the job.

Assuming there is nothing other than cleaning to do, and assuming the motor drives and gear are workable you will have a VERY cool telescope. The learning curve can be a little steep but you'll get there.

 

Also, I think that's an ETX-90. It looks like my one, and IIRC the 105 came with a bigger field tripod and a right-angled finder.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Kevin Kretsch

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @MOgazer and a belated welcome to SGL.

A bit late to the party, but that is definitely an an old Meade ETX[105]*.

Since your original post, how is it cleaning up and shaping up? - I would not bother with going to Meade for advice or spares, as their customer service is darn right rude and don't give damn. I should know as I have had the misfortune years ago when I wanted a replacement rear cell/back for mine, following a mishap and damaged two of the three mounting points and a crack along one side.

Anyway, I have 're-modded' the back end and I call it The poorman's Questar - (images below),

After drawing up a plan, I visited a few local engineering workshops and found one that would undertake the job in making a replacement backplate.

Sourcing some tube rings was hit and miss, as the outside diameter is 124mm. So I visited my local DIY/hardware/ironmonger at the time and purchased the two Jubilee/hose rings to attach the dovetail bar to the OTA, as I did not want to drill and tap any holes or risk any filings/swarf getting anywhere; (i.e. focusser, baffle tube, primary & secondary mirror, etc).

The last two images, (below), is in its 'grab & go' or 'lightweight travel' guise, otherwise it is usually mounted alongside my AYO-AOK or Tele-Optic Giro mount alongside my TeleVue Ranger or Celestron C6/SCT-xlt. I can also attach and use my SCT accessories too.

 

Meade released the ETX90 in the mid-1990's. Sometime or later; (late 1990's/early 2000's); Meade released the ETX105 & ETX 125 and in later years added a few variations, then they stopped production. At the time of this posting, Meade re-released ETX90 & ETX125 in 2016, but not the ETX105.

* It should say on the front cell retaining ring as to which model your 'ETX' is, along with the focal length, f/ratio, etc.

Edited September 12, 2020 by Philip R

[RT65CB-SWL]

Following on from my earlier reply... if your ETX is a the '90 or '125 and you want an aluminium backplate, then there is Wegat Optical...
https://wegatoptical.com/ - I did send them an email and asked if they also make them for the '105. Jim Wegat, the owner replied. His reply
was: quote: "...not enough interest at present, but if interest is shown, then we may/would consider making them."

If you wish to disassemble/defork your ETX, then there is this youtube video...

 

When I purchased my ETX105, it had already already been disassembled/deforked.