7 replies to this topic

[ltipto1]

I borrowed a scope from a friend and I'd like to identify exactly what it is.  A tag on the tube says D=90MM F=1020MM f/7.9 it has a Alt Az mount with a 494 controller.  Could it be a DS-90?

[MistrBadgr]

Hello,

The numbers are not quite jiving.  for an f/7.9 and 90mm diameter, the focal length should be about 800mm, which lines up with a DS-2090 optical tube.

A few questions, what does the mount look like?  Is it a single arm?  Is it pretty much all black?

If the focal length is something like 1020mm, then it would definitely have to be an older model.  I have not seen a description of one like that, but I could simply have missed it in my reading.

1020mm is the focal length of the old long tube DS-2130 newtonian reflector, but it has a 127mm diameter mirror.

Hope this helps,

Bill Steen

[ltipto1]

The numbers haven't been jiving for me neither...  it really is 90mm dia, 1020mm focal length, and f/7.9...  

http://www.flickr.co...N00/7768403814/

It is a single arm all black mount.

http://www.flickr.co...N00/7768417816/

[MistrBadgr]

That is a DS-2130 reflector.  It is not 90mm even though the tag says it is.  The mirror is five inch or 127mm.  Allowing a little bit for the bevel around the edge, the mirror has about a 125mm diameter reflecting surface.  I purchased one, which ended up having a bad mirror in it.  The glass had a lot of stress in it and could not even be reground correctly.  I purchased an additional optical tube that has been a real champion.  Unless it has a mirror problem, it should work very well.  Just don't let the thing fall over.  It will break the drive shaft in the altitude drive and ruin the mount.  The mount is a first generation DS-2000 mount.

Bill Steen

[ltipto1]

Thanks Bill,

That tag has had me messed up for awhile.  I've really been learning a lot these last few weeks.  

I've modified a Philips SPC900NC WebCam to fit into the .965 eyepiece adapter and have been having a lot of fun trying to get some decent video.  LOL  Nothing is ever as simple as advertised!  But I have finally figured out how to get the tracking to work relatively well... Saturn stayed pretty well steady in the field of view.  

I had made a video of the moon earlier without tracking at all and it worked pretty well too...

Do you know if Meade has a part to change from the .965 eyepieces to 1.25 eyepieces.  I need a barlow to make my planetary videos better, and I don't want to invest in a .965 if I can move up to 1.25 easily.

Thanks for your help.

[MistrBadgr]

Nice videos.

I am pretty sure Meade does not have anything that would fit that old of a telescope, but you might call their customer support line and see.  The number is:  800-626-3233.  Another option is to call Bill Vorce who owns Telescope-Warehouse.  He has a site at www.telescope-warehouse.com and also has an eBay store with that same name.  His email address is scopehed@frontiernet.net, I think.  His seller handle on eBay is scopehed1.

If Mr. Vorce does not have just the threaded part, he may have a focuser from another scope that could be adapted.

There are some others on eBay that might have a focuser, but I doubt if they would have just the little threaded part you need.

On mine, I splurged and bought a nice Crayford Focuser and adapted it to the tube.  But, I was re-doing the whole thing, including a curved vane spider and a precision secondary mirror.  I spent some pretty good bucks on it after I figured out I had a really good mirror in the second optical tube I bought.

Incidentally, I bought the optical tubes from Bill Vorce.

Hope this helps,

Bill Steen

[garyasta]

I'm not sure if this is the right topic, but I thought I would use it rather than making a new one.

Some of you may be aware that I have had a problem with a DS-2114S scope with the azimuth playing up and a resultant frying of the mount electronics.

I live in New Zealand and located a replacement mount in the USA. Apart from the fickleness of the skies, all now seems to be OK.

However, the mount that I now have is a white one (the original was black) and I understand that it is a Generation II model.

Anyone know what the difference is?

Gary

[MistrBadgr]

I have just started seeing the white mounts and have not heard about a color change.

I can tell you that the generation 2 mount is a direct improvement of the generation 1 mount.  Any number of internal modifications were made to strengthen various parts.  

One place that was unfortunately overbuilt in the Gen 2 mount can cause a problem if you are not careful.  Under the battery holder, there is a bolt that you can see.  If you take out the bolt, there is a washer and a radial pin bearing that takes the place of a simpler plastic bushing/washer combination piece.  The washer they used to put on top of the plastic bushing was stamped out of steel and had a rough edge around the rim on the bottom would cut the plastic bushing and cause the mount to jam.  The new radial bearing works just fine as long and the bolt in the middle is not tightened up too tight.  All the bolt needs to be is finger tight.

The only improvement that I would like to see from the gen 1 mount that I do not know about in the gen 2 is the altitude shaft in the upper arm has a weak spot where three slots are cut in it for the legs of the compression nut to fit through. If the telescope falls over, it is possible for that shaft to snap at that location.  Only one person that I know about has been able to repair one.  I have tried to repair one and failed.  Pretty much, if that shaft breaks, the mount is history.  The same shaft in your original mount will most likely fit in your new one if you ever have a problem, so do not throw your old mount away.

I will inquire about the white mounts and see what is up.

Bill Steen