ETX-90EC USER FEEDBACK - OCTOBER 1999 Last updated: 24 October 1999

This page is for user comments and information specific to the Meade ETX-90EC. Accessories and Feedback items appropriate to both the original ETX model, the ETX-90EC, and the ETX-125EC are posted on other pages as appropriate. If you have any comments, suggestions, questions or answers to questions posed here, e-mail them to me and I'll post them. Please use an appropriate Subject Line on your message. Thanks.

Subject:	 90 vs 125
Sent:	Sunday, October 24, 1999 05:05:32
From:	lrybka@rcn.com (Lynda Rybka)
I recently sold my ETX RA and am about to buy an EC.  I originally
assumed that I would get a 90, but now I'm wondering if I should
consider the 125. I am far from being anything but a beginner in
astronomy.  I have tried a bit of photography (terrestrial no
astronomical yet).  My long range plans are to purchase a LX200 (if I
hit the lottery), so I have always felt that the size of the 90 is a
good reason to stick with it.  What do you think? 90 or 125?

Thanks

Lynda

Subject:	 Field reports
Sent:	Friday, October 22, 1999 19:30:48
From:	emosser@gte.net (E Mosser)
I have kinda held off on the latest field reports...it seems you have
had your hands full.  My two cents is that your website is not only
educational and informative, but also inspirational.

Between October 10 and 15, I took advantage of the clear skys and lack
of moon early in the evening.  With the ETX90 I was able to have quite a
bit of luck.  As previously stated, I do not have any computer system,
just a Peterson Field Guide.

The recent Sky and Telescope pointed out several items.  First that I
located was Stock 12.  It was about 20 arc minutes and I was able to
resolve 25+ stars.  It was on a line from Beta Cas thru NGC 7789 about 2
times that distance.  I was able to locate M27, the Dumbell Nebula in
Sagitta.  Didn't see a dumbell detail, but the nebula was very obvious.

Turned back to Cephus and located Mu Cephus.  Now that is a red star! 
Just below it Struve 2816 and 2819 were in the same FOV @ 96X.  2819 is
a double system with separtion of 12".  2816 is a triple system with
separations of 12" & 20".

The next night I revisited NGC 7635, the Bubble Nebula and the nearby
open cluster M52.  There is a very interesting grouping of stars near
M52 which appears to be shaped like a dipper with about 10 stars, all
about 7 magnitude.   Anyone else seen this?

The double cluster, as always was just stunning, diamonds in the sky. 
Nearby was open cluster TR-2, which I described as a dyslectic upside
down question mark in my notes.  That is about as descriptive as I can
get.

I turned attention to the Andromeda area.  Gamma And is a great double. 
I couldn't tell if it was yellow and blue or green.  The open cluster
NGC 752 was next, about 30 arc minutes.  I counted 50+ stars.  Jupiter
is like a giant beach ball.  Wow!

The next night I started at Jupiter and then Saturn.  After revisiting
several items from earlier in the week, I went to Gamma Aries. I called
this double cats eyes or twin peaks.  The actual magnitude of the system
is 4.8 and 4.8 with sep of 7.8"  Go look at this double!   Iota
Triangulum was a tough double for me on the ETX.  I couldn't resolve @
48x or @96x with barlow.  I then inserted the Paul Rini 14mm with 2x
barlow for 178x.  It was a little fuzzy so I dropped back to 96x and
there it was.  It is a tight double at 4" or so, with yellow and blue
stars.

Next was M34.  What a disappointment.  I thought this was a better open
cluster.  Well, the reason for my disappointment was readily visable. 
Clouds were moving in.  I took a final look at Jupiter and noted the
advancement of one of the moons to begin transit.  Saturn was nice and I
spotted one moon.  Clouds were rolling in big time.  With the moon
getting more prominent, it is time to shut down for a few days.

This can be a satisfying hobby with the right equipment and a little
knowledge of the skys.  Lets all hope the two major scope manufacturers
can push the envelope and continue to provide better products.

Ed Mosser   emosser@gte.net

Subject:	 My view of the ETX.
Sent:	Saturday, October 16, 1999 15:53:25
From:	jahorsley@hotmail.com (John A. Horsley)
I have noticed that a lot of the comments being posted about the ETX's
as of late are of a negative nature. That the people who seem to have
trouble with their scopes, go out of there way to voice their opinion,
and complain in all directions about it as much, and as loudly as they
possibly can. Why is it that when something does go wrong, a lot of
people immediately think that the world's coming to an end and that they
are the most important person on the Planet?

I'm here to testify that I have an ETX, actually this is my second ETX!
I originally bought my first a 90/RA, 2 1/2 years ago. I never had one
problem with it. I loved that scope and took it with me everywhere. Then
when I found out that they had redesigned the scope to include a DEC
motor drive, and GoTo capabilities. I went to the local Meade dealership
and traded my ETX-90/RA for the EC. The new scope as it sat, was of the
same optic quality as my first, and now being able to slew the scope by
using the handbox was a major plus over the older style. The tracking is
acceptable, keeping objects dead center in the FOV for well over 10
minutes. It is an all around better scope.

Now on to Autostar.... I waited for a month after I purchased the scope,
for my Autostar to come in. When finally it came in... I hooked it up,
and powered on the scope. Well.... The scope started slewing to parts
unknown, hitting the dead stop on the scope. The unit was defective!!!
Luckily, the dealer had gotten two units in and I was able to exchange
it right away. Now armed with a new Autostar, I hooked everything up
once again, and had no problems with this one. The Autostar came
originally loaded with version 1.1j (Remember that?) I've suffered
through all the upgrades to the latest version 1.3b. Each upgrade has
been better than the last and this shows to me that Meade does care and
is trying to better it's product. I do have to say that, I think that
Meade rushed to much to get the Autostar product out on the market. If
they would have waited until they had a sound unit, I think that this
would have kept the vultures more at bay.

Anyway, I have had a blast with this scope! I do a rather involved setup
and alignment, more than most do. But I'd venture to say that I get
probably 90-95% of my GoTos in the FOV of the 26mm EP and a 100% in the
view finder! That's good enough for me! Remember People, This is a
$600.00 telescope and a $150.00 computer, not a $3000.00 LX200!!!!!  One
should keep this in mind, and go out and just enjoy the scope and not
worry so much if it misses and object now and again! And if your scope
looses a little tracking and the image moves off center... ADJUST THE
SCOPE! I also have a 10"LX3, no computer here just setting circles, I
can see more in just a few minutes with my ETX/Autostar, than in a whole
night with my LX. Try turning off your Autostar computer sometime and
use RA & DEC coordinates to locate an object. You'll really appreciate
Autostar then!

I'm not trying to say that if your scope is really doing strange things,
that you just grin and bare it! No if you have a problem call Meade and
get it resolved. I have found them to be most helpful, and if you don't,
then take the scope back to the dealer and have them deal with Meade!

In fact, I just got a Meade Electric Focuser. (Been waiting for it for
almost 8 months!) and went to install it on my scope the other night.
I've seen on the internet postings about taking extreme caution when
installing an electric focuser on an ETX. It seems that if you don't get
the focuser firmly mounted to the focuser shaft, then when you power up
and run the focuser it can run the shaft into the scope housing and fall
inside the scope. Well... even knowing this, and taking extra
precautions against it, I still ran the shaft into the housing! I called
Meade and they had me send the scope in with the electric focuser.
They're going to fix the scope and install the electric focuser for me.
Thanks, Meade! When I was talking to tech support and telling them about
what happened, I mentioned that if they would use a notched slotted
shaft instead of round one that this wouldn't happen. They agreed with
me... Maybe they'll change it. So if you get an electric focuser BE
CAREFUL!

So what's my point!

The ETX-90/ec and Autostar in my opinion is a great combo! Not without
it's quirks mind you, but ones that can be lived with. It's an
affordable, GoTo scope that will let you explore the wonders of the
universe. If you are a beginner looking for a first scope, this is a
dandy! But, keep in mind that this is a small aperture scope. You're not
going to see images through this telescope that look like the pictures
you've seen in books. And most of all, READ THE MANUAL! Then read it
again! Don't expect to have perfect results right out of the box. You'll
have to get to know your scope, and develop your skills at Astronomy.

If you're an experienced Astronomer, an ETX is a little Jewel! You can
take it with you anywhere, and have it setup and tracking in minutes.
Often am I surprised at what you can see with this scope! How crisp and
sharp the images are. On a clear night you can get down to 9-10
magnitude. But like I said before; "This scope is not a LX200!" Don't
expect it to be. How many times have I seen postings on the internet,
knocking the ETX for it's drive system? Saying that it's just not good
enough to do photography with. Have these people ever read the manual???
PLEASE! It states right in there that these scopes are not adequate for
long term photography and that they weren't designed for that purpose.
So why do I keep seeing these whiners complaining about it??? If you
want to do Astrophotography, then don't be so CHEAP! Get the equipment
to do the JOB!

Bottom Line:

I like my ETX scope and would recommend one to anyone. It's not a
Celestron, so don't compare it to one. Rate it for itself. I've told you
my opinion and what some of my experiences have been with the ETX, if
you have one go out and enjoy it! If you're looking to buy one... just
remember... Take it out and enjoy it!!!

Clear Skies -n- Keep Lookin UP.... John

Subject:	 DEC failure
Sent:	Tuesday, October 12, 1999 21:20:39
From:	jchalfen@goldengate.net (John Chalfen)
My dec failed back in May, got the replacement and it worked fine.
Seemed to be pressed better. Took the 90/EC out last week and noticed
that the dec seemed a little sloppy. Brought inside to investigate and
was amused to watch the OTA go from pointing to ceiling to pointing to
floor by itself. Removing OTA showed the cause: the DEC knob had sheared
off again. Compared to original tube adapter and it had sheared in same
place. Either I got an old one, or this may be something to be aware of.
The guy at Meade was kind of stunned but is sending new one.

--------------------------------------------------

TIA and TTFN       (Don't forget to wear your peril sensitive sunglasses.)

jchalfen@goldengate.net
jchalfen@aol.com (I know...I know...)

Subject:	Fwd: ETX-90EC W/Autostar and JMI Motofocus
Sent:	Monday, October 11, 1999 12:35:17
From:	Wtbesq@aol.com
Well, I fixed the DEC lock failure, and also took the opportunity to
perform the ETX tune-up.  That helped the scope's accuracy a lot.

I received the new JMI Motofocus cable arrangement.  It is set up with a
small control box mounted to a bracket into which the Autostar is
pressed, so you have the control buttons right next to the Autostar
buttons.  This was rather handy, as you always had the focuser controls
available for adjustment without having to scroll through the Autostar
menu.  On the negative side, it adds some bulk to the Autostar, and the
Autostar tended to slip out of the bracket during use or when trying to
set the now-bigger unit down.

All in all, I found the new Motofocus to be at least as good as the
earlier models of the motofocusers I have used on this and other
telescopes, but it suffers from a consistent problem.  It is difficult
to slow the motor down enough to make very fine adjustments without the
power then being too low to turn the motor.  Any ideas?

Best regards, Bill Burghart

Subject:	 Berserk RA Drive
Sent:	Sunday, October 10, 1999 21:15:01
From:	blue_iris_sangha@csi.com (Dewain Belgard and/or Danny Smith)
I just bought an ETX90/EC -- used it three nights so far.  I didn't buy
the autostar. I've had none of the problems so far with a loose dec lock
or any of the RA lock problems I've read about on this site.  However
tonight, after slewing west to east using the EC, as soon as I release
the key, the drive immediately turns the scope west a degree or two. 
This happened maybe 10 or 12 times.  Also when slewing west to east,
several times when I released the key, it took off on its own.  No way
to stop it except to switch the power off.  I'm wondering if some of the
problems some users have attributed to autostar firmware may be
something more basic.  In disgust I switched the power off tonight and
let it sit a while.  Later when I tried it again, it behaved perfectly.

I'm thinking strongly of returning this thing for a refund and looking
around for one of the older models with manual slow motions.  I love the
optics.  Best I've ever used.  But I don't have much time for observing
and I don't plan to use what I have fiddling with a berserk EC.

Well, I've repented my intention to return my little ETX90.  I've been
unable to get it to repeat its naughty behavior of last night.  I called
Meade.  The young man was nice, but not very helpful.  He said the
problem of the drive rotating to the west a bit after I release the key
on an eastward slew is probably related to the gears working out the
slack.  I don't think so.  This was more than a litle recoil to the
west.  The movement was immediate, the motor had time to whine and the
movement west was very positive.  He seemed to think the runaway
behavior after releasing the key on a westward slew was likely related
to a transient problem in the EC's little processor.  I think the latter
is likely the cause of both misbehaviors.  Remember -- I was NOT using
the autostar, so this was definitely not a software problem.   A day
doesn't go by that my PC at work doesn't have a nervous breakdown or
two.  And the one at home goes psychotic at least once a week.  I've had
the etc90 almost a week now, so one little psychotic episode may not be
so bad, though you would think the electronic controller's little
processor is about as complex as one in a microwave oven -- and ought to
be as stable.

Anyway, I figure I can't lose with this little instrument even if the
drive totally malfunctions.  You would expect to pay a lot more just for
an optical assembly of this quality-- minus a drive altogether.

This site is a great service to etx90 devotees.  Thanks.

Dewain
75716.1124@compuserve.com

Well it happened again this morning.  Exactly the same symptoms.  Runs
away to the west after a westward slew.  Swings back west after an
eastward slew. This morning I used an external power source.  The guy at
Meade had suggested low batteries could cause erratic behavior.  So now
it's done it both with batteries and on an external power source.  So
low batteries is NOT the problem.  It did it this morning immediately
after power on.  So heating up something is not causing it.

The solution was simple.  Cut the power off.  Leave it off a few
seconds. Power on again and all is well. I'm not so upset this time now
that I know this may happen sometimes and what to do about it.  But it
would be nice to find out what's happening and fix it.

Subject:	 Kudos and Questions...
Sent:	Sunday, October 10, 1999 12:48:51
From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com (Dick Seymour)
Your site has been a great help to a new ETX owner.

I bought a used ETX-90/EC at Rivers Camera Shop in Dover NH (they
advertise in Sky&Tele, and i was visiting the area last month).  I was
planning to pick up a C-8 or similar, but two hours of pouring over
their large collection of used gear finally resulted in walking away
with an ETX/EC.  I live in Seattle (high light pollution, frequent
in-city haze, frequent clouds) and picked up an Autostar from the local
Captain's Maps ... and it's been GREAT!  Having a scope which can get
going (aligned) from the few visible stars and then find the Ring Nebula
on the first try is a joy.

The scope seems to be happy (compared to a lot of your correspondent's
problems), but, since it's used, i have no idea if it's been back to
Meade in its former life. The new controller came with 1.1j , and i've
since loaded it with 1.3b (after building an rs232 cable from your
website's data). My only accessories (so far) are a Televue 8mm Plossel,
a Bright Star atlas and a Sky&Tel Messier chart.  That chart is really
handy for quick Messier-lookups. Now I'm on my second set of AA cells,
and trying to power-cord it.  Your site had the numbers (5.5mm /2.5mm
connector) and load data ("scope draws 200ma, moving"), but i'd
appreciate two more nuggets of information (one easy, one harder).

First: what's the Official Meade AC Adapter's ratings (from the module
itself)? I know it'll be 12vdc, but how many milliamps do they claim?

The second question is harder: is it a -regulated- 12vdc?  The easy way
to answer that is simply to measure the adapter's output with a
voltmeter, when it's -not- plugged into the ETX.

I purchased a Radio Shack 273-1773   500ma 12v adapter, but found it was
putting out 15volts (unloaded)!  I gave it about a 80 ma load (100 ohm
resistor) and it only dropped to 14v. Since your correspondent said "20
ma resting, 200 ma moving", I'm (as yet) unwilling to plug the adapter
into the ETX for fear of overvoltage damage.  RS also has "regulated"
supplies, but the 300ma 273-1662 wasn't in stock.

As a sideshow to the above, let me warn folks that Radio Shack is now
selling their power adapters -without- a bunch of Adaptaplugs... you get
to choose a free one when you buy the adapter.  The 5.5mm/2.5mm which
fits the ETX is letter "N" of their series (273-1717). Which (of course)
my RS didn't have! (not even an empty hook on the wall... they went
from M to O.) Since i wanted to make an extension cord anyway, i
negotiated a solder-set of the 274-1573 connectors a a replacement for
the non-stocked N, and used a left-over Adaptaplug for the "two-pin"
end.

My experiences with the 1.3b software have been mixed.  I'd hoped that
they'd "fixed" the trait of no speed control while doing a Sync... it
runs at whatever speed you last moved at -outside- of Sync.  A handy
chart would be the list of "fixes" the various versions have added.
(they have that for the downloading softare, but not a one-list-has-all
for the Autostar's) Something which i could swear didn't happen with the
1.1j software is an unwarranted Slew in the siderial direction after
doing a Sync.  I'll GOTO (near) an object, then Sync to center it, hit
ENTER, hear the siderial drive engage...and then about 5 seconds later
the scope will slew a half degree or so in the forward siderial
direction... driving the object right out of view. It's almost as if
they were "correcting" for the time the drive was idle during my Sync
operation. (but a degree is 2 minutes...and i don't take quite that long
to Sync)

During my build-it-myself assembly of a power adapter, i've been
watching how the ETX judges battery life.  It ran fairly reliably down
to a reported 38%, then got very confused. The Altitude (Dec) drive
stopped working smoothly at that time. Along the way i measured the
batteries' voltages... "80%" seems to be 10 volts across the pack.

The ETX90 is a pretty good in-city scope... the high contrast gives an
apparent "black sky" behind stars, and it easily cuts through the murk. 
We've been lucky to have some clear evenings here in Seattle.  The
Autostar's "Constellation" go-to lists have been fun for toruing areas
i've overlooked in the past.

Two "wish list" items for Meade and the Autostar:
(1) speed control during SYNC... if the last thing you did was a slow
touch-up, and the next GOTO ended up way off (such as a planet), speed
control is a must-have.
(2) -maximum- slew-speed control during GOTO.  This is going to sound
weird, but i'd like to -limit- the slew speed during GOTOs... this would
allow appreciating the stars and sights which flow past during (say)
Constellation tours, rather than always going at warp-factor 9.

Clear skies-
--Dick Seymour
rseymour@wolfenet.com
Seattle

Added later:

Thanks for the rapid response... I suspect Meade's 1.5amps is to cover a
stalled motor condition, and/or for future bigger systems...

the 16.5v unloaded means that the radio shack's "paltry" 15v shouldn't
be a problem. (but i won't hold you nor your site responsible if smoke
curls... this is on my own head) ...

thanks again!
--dick seymour (now to go back to convincing it where "home" (as a Site)
is...)

Subject:	 Mike-question on Polar aligning an ETX90EC
Sent:	Wednesday, October 6, 1999 10:22:39
From:	dsinger@curtis-slocom.com (Don Singer)
Question...in polar aligning the scope, I understand that one needs to
adjust the mount to one's latitude, level the mount, and then level the
OTA and set the Dec. circle to 0.  How, when in a northern location like
Portland, Oregon, where the mount has to be adjusted to 46degrees, can
one level the OTA?  The base of the telescope gets in the way and
prevents this...am I missing something?

Thanks for feedback,
Don Singer
dsinger1@uswest.net.

Added later:

Emailed you today re: above...then a big duh! came about...I realized
that when polar aligning the scope, the OTA should be pointed north and,
as a result, the base does not get in the way.  Wish they had a better
DEC adjustment though, so that when it is loosened to adjust the scale
it does not loosen the DEC itself.

Thanks for the great site.

Subject:	 ETX DC Power adapter
Sent:	Tuesday, October 5, 1999 10:27:17
From:	tom.craig@reichhold.com (Craig, Tom)
I spent an hour and 27 min last night searching the archives for a post
regarding fabrication of a cigarette lighter DC adapter that listed the
Radio Shack parts and closed with a comment that the Meade equivalent
was not that expensive and a viable alternative if you didn't want to
build one. I couldn't find it anywhere!  I found a couple about RS 12v
power supplies (I tried searching every which way).  Well, I want to
make one for my ETX125 while it is away in the shop.  Off the top of
your head, do you recall where the message was? If you do, point me in
the right direction please.  If not, sorry to bother you- no need to
reply.

Take Care,

Tom

Subject:	 ETX90EC
Sent:	Tuesday, October 5, 1999 07:10:55
From:	Lyon@CSD.com (Lyon, Jim)
I believe I wrote you about my ETX90EC with the stiff RA drive. I have
decided, since it is not in warranty, that I would like to open it up
and fix it. Do you have a reference to opening the base and freeing up
the RA drive? Does the scope have bearings or Teflon pads that it is
supposed to move on? Any idea what is causing the binding?

Subject:	 A New form of DEC problem ?
Sent:	Saturday, October 2, 1999 21:54:32
From:	andrewj@netvigator.com (Andrew Jackson)
I searched your site and could not find any other example of my ETX
problem. I was wondering if you anyone out there had heard of this:-

When using the ETX with it's batteries installed I can do an Atl Az
align. When I use a 12 volt power supply the DEC always goes running way
past the correct point, sometimes it nearly crashes into the fork arm.
On my previous ETX the DEC and 12 volt power supply combination was
fine.

Andrew Jackson
andrewj@netvigator.com

Added later:

Sorry I assumed the ETX-90EC, but your quite right to mention the other
possibilities. It is an ETX-90EC with no modification or tinkering that
has the problem with the 12 Volt power adapter . Strangely my previous
ETC-90EC had no trouble with the very same power adapter. I can not
imagine why running from the 12volt power supply would confuse the DEC
motor/encoder etc. The RA is fine with batteries or power adapter. The
DEC is fine on batteries only.

If I find out from elsewhere I will be sure to let you know in case it
happens to someone else.

Thanks once more for you kind help and service to the ETX community.

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