help please

[David1963]

i inherited a Telestar telescope with remote access and do not know where to begin.  i am not even sure if all parts are here

the only tag reads the following

MEADE

D=130MM

F=1020MM f/7.9

manufactured by Meade Instruments Corporation

this is a very large telescope with a wired remote control and tripod

i am really wanting to learn how to use this and purchase any missing parts if needed.  I assume that there will be an instruction manual online somewhere, but will most likely need a model number to get the correct manual.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

this scope is 8 inches in diameter and approx. 4 ft long with site on top and remote connection at the swivel point on the tripod

anyone have a suggestion or information?

please help

 

thanks

 

[bosun21]

It’s 5” in diameter not 8”. Look up the figures on the label ie D = diameter = 130mm and the focal length being 1020mm. I’m pretty sure you will find a manual online but as for spare parts? That could be a problem.

[David1963]

Thanks for the feedback 

So what do I look for when searching for a manual

[Guest]

Just try googling meade telestar owners manual.  If you cant find it there drop Meade a email.  

[decman]

This one looks close

https://www.meade.com/downloadEntityFile/assets/product_files/instructions/StarNavigator-NG_InstructionManualV001a.pdf

[dweller25]

Welcome to SGL.

The telescope looks complete, probably needs new batteries in.

It’s a good scope and will show a lot - Mars and Jupiter are in the night sky at the moment.

There will be a learning curve for you but stick with it as it will be worth it, feel free to come back and ask questions 👍

Did it come with any eyepieces ?

Here is the Autostar manual

http://di002.edv.uniovi.es/~cueva/aficiones/astronomia/Autostar-494-User-Manual.pdf

And this free sky map software will help you find whats up in the sky…..

https://stellarium.org/

Edited January 14, 2023 by dweller25

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @David1963 and welcome to SGL. 

Looking at your images, I notice that your OTA is the wrong way round on the mount. It's an easy mistake to make. 😉

Edited January 14, 2023 by Philip R

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi David, welcome. 

[Floater]

Welcome. Hope you have lots of fun on the learning curve. 🙂

[Carbon Brush]

Again from the photos. The tripod has one of the spreaders missing.
There ought to be an accessory tray as well. Not only to hold eyepieces and the like - but to make the tripod more rigid.
A wobbly tripod is very frustrating!
If the plastic parts are intact, you can make the missing parts yourself, or look around for someone selling the same tripod.

[Giles_B]

As @Philip R says, you will need to turn the other end of the telescope (the OTA - optical tube assembly) upwards to whatever you want to observe.

Do you have any eyepieces? It looks like you have only a Barlow Lens in the eyepiece holder (which increases the magnification of an eyepiece) - you won't see anything without eyepieces https://www.firstlightoptics.com/eyepieces-barlows.html  Most people start with some Plossls - if the price new is daunting then second hand these will cost around £15-£70 depending on the quality - whichever way you will get what you pay for I'm afraid. I'd recommend UK Astronomy Buy and Sell for second hand equipment if you can't access the classifieds here (you will need to be on SGL for a little while before you can). 2nd hand astronomy stuff from enthusiasts is generally a good buy, but I'd generally be careful about stuff from ebay - the quality can be more variable.

Your telescope is a Newtonian - so you will need a collimation cap to line up the two mirrors ("collimate") - they are cheap new - https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/astro-essentials-125-collimation-cap.html - there are loads of online guides about collimating, it's pretty easy once you get used to it.

I'd recommend the reviews on BBC sky at night website, or member equipment reviews here for buying advice - or you can just post a query to the forums - people on SGL are always ready to recommend great ways to spend your money - but will give good advice in the process!

Good luck!