Mead Autostar-Help please

[Popeye147]

Hello everyone

I have just been given a Meade Telescope with an Autostar remote control device.

I have a couple of questions that I need help with please.

As far as I can understand I have to position the telescope so when I select an object to view via the autostar it sets itself in motion from a particular recognised position. Can some one advise me if this is correct and if so please give advice on how I get the telescope in the correct position to begin with?

Also I have a small switch on the side of the telescope that I believe is a Barlow lens. To my understanding this Barlow lens increases any object 2 times. However when I move this switch the view goes completely blurry and I am unable to fine tune any image in what so ever?

I believe the Telescope I have been given is a Meade EXT-70AT

Many thanks for any information that can be given

Cheers

[Space Bat]

HI Chap - try posting this in the equipment help section, where you should get some informed answers

But this should help I think

Meade Instruments Corporation - Virtual Classroom - ETX-AT Series

Chris

[Capricorn]

First go to the Meade.com site, then support, then download the pdf guide for the ETX-70.

If you have entered the necessary data the set up is fairly simple.

Stand the scope on its tripod wherever and tweek the tripod legs until the scope base is level.

Use the drive to slew the scope tube to North (Polaris), then slew the slope down until it also is level.

Then tell it to align.:D

It will amble through it's database and select a star that should be nice and clear. As they have a big field of view the selected star usually is visible. Centre the star then press Enter and it goes to a second star. Centre this second one and all should be OK.

Do you know the data to enter??

Your Lat/Long being one set.

Use the long EP as this will have a wider field of view for the alignment.

Edit: The ETX 70 does not have a built in barlow as far as I am aware. So no idea what the switch on the side is or does. Any more information on it?

[Jupiter Martin]

Just to add to cap's excellant description you need to enter No to daylight saving aswell as time and date

[Capricorn]

If you got the scope from someone near to you then the position already in it may be OK.

The ETX 70 will use the last "location" that it was set up for as the present location. So as I said if someone near to you then the present location may be OK. If they lived some distance then you will need to supply a new(er) location. Say 20-25 miles +.

Also as JM said DST is OFF at present IF the scope is set for the GMT time zone.

On the ETX some of these bits of information are located well down a tree of entries. I can recall setting up an ETX 105.

The ETX Guide from Meade is pretty good, setup is pages 16 and 20. If you don't have it yet then from the Autostar select SETUP, then I suggest SITE then EDIT. That will allow you to set whatever is there for your present location. You can also use SETUP, SITE, ADD. Puts a new(er) one in, then uses this new location.

One thing the Time Zone is always GMT for us, it is geographic. You adjust for DST/BST by No/Yes at the switch on of the scope.

I say this as someone had a scope that the previous person had set the time zone for the next one West so they didn't have to say Yes to DST/BST. Worked fine until we went back to GMT then the scope couldn't be set up right.

Have fun with it they are a good little scope as long as your expectations are realistic. Very easy to use, bit noisy slewing to a new target. Search out Orion Nebula, clusters and double stars with it. M31 is NOT impressive through one.:p:p. But who cares.

[RichieP]

I didn't think the ETX-70 had the built in Barlow, but its slightly larger brother the ETX-80 does.

What the ETX70 does have is a switch that flips the mirror down, so that the rear port can be used instead. Not sure if that is what you are refererring to, because if you turn that, everything goes black, rather then blurry!

Bear in mind that Barlows alter the focus point quite dramatically and you will have to do a fair bit of refocussing with a Barlow in the light path. This will mean an awful lot of turns of that little ETX focus knob.

regards,

Richard

[Popeye147]

Thanks to all for the replies

[removed word] knows what I have done but I cant see naff out of the telescope now.

Not sure if something has come loose inside but when I look through the telescope I cannot see anything-even if I point it at a light. When moving it up and down I can hear something rattling round???

Can anyone advise on where I can take it in the Essex area to have it looked at?

Also after taking it off its base I have found out it is an ETX 80

[Brendan of Borg]

Congrats on your gift!! Richard has some sound advice. I have the ETX60 and mine has the barlow switch and the rear port switch option aswell! Yes you have to do some serious knob twiddling with the focus when using the barlow on mine, sorry that I do not know the difference betwixt yours and mine but, if you need to repair that rattling sound it's still a bargain - as long as you can see something out the end of it!!

All the best.

[Capricorn]

It will depend on where in Essex you are (why is the text blue?)If North or West Essex then I can only think on Scope and Skies at Ely.Not saying they will fix it but they do have a lot of scopes and there appears to be several used ones and a few that are ETX's. They are the only people I can think of. Another possibility is Greenwitch north of Cambridge, just not sure what they do and if they could help. Worth a phone call or email.Distance wise there will be nothing in it, just a slightly different direction. But not a short trip.Alternatively there is N Essex Astro Club at Witham (I think) you could try to contact them and see if anyone knows anything. I seem to recall they helped someone with a LX90 once.May be a daft point but there is a lever on the scope base (top) that stops the scope freely revolving. It is tightened up when on the tripod and in use. Have you loosened that and is it this that is making a noise?Why is the text Blue?No smilies either!

[Popeye147]

OK

So I called a place in Tunbridge Wells and they had a chat

After some discussions I have found that my mirror has become dislodged from backing plate

I think I need to visit the shop to let them have a look

Thanks again for everyone's help

[Capricorn]

Only thing I will say is don't let the scope sit or get moved so that the objective lens is downwards. You do not want the mirror falling on to the front lens.