fastrudy
super member
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 164
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I sent it in last month with an AC supply problem, and it is back in 28 days, door-to-door! Just in time for some Memorial Day Weekend viewing. I was convinced that I wouldn't have it back until mid-July! Thank you, Meade repair! Gotta go to unpack and mount it.
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Edited by fastrudy (05/23/08 08:34 PM)
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blatterjr
sage
Reged: 08/13/07
Posts: 263
Loc: Saint Petersburg Florida
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28 days sounds like a long time to me... without the scope. Glad its back though, have a great weekend!
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Robert
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Meade 12-LX200-ACF
BINO: Nikon AEX 10x50 6.5°
DSLR: Nikon D70+CCPro2
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Saint Petersburg Florida
27°47'22.92"N , 82°43'09.48"W
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tjay
sage
Reged: 02/03/07
Posts: 234
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Great to hear a good news story about repairs for a change. Glad to hear you got your scope back quickly. Enjoy it!
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Clear Skies
Tom
Nexstar 8 GPS
GSO 8" Dob
Meade ETX 80
Kendrick Dew Heater
11mm, 20mm Agena Astro UWA
40mm, 32mm, 26mm, 20mm and 15mm Meade Series 4000 Super Plossl
25mm and 10mm GSO Plossl, GSO 2x barlow
Surplus Shed 47mm Erfle
GSO 2" Dielectric diagonal
Antares f6.3 focal reducer
Philips SPC900NC
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Asturies
super member
Reged: 06/14/07
Posts: 165
Loc: La Mancha, Spain
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You are lucky there, I sent my PST to Germany in March and didn't even get news, mine is going to take 28 MONTHS!! 
Regards, Fernando
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LX90 12" with ultrawedge
Equinox 80mm APO
Mak-Cass 100mm f/14
PST Repaired of rusty objective
Canon EOS 350D
Brand new DBK21 for guiding and planetary
My web translated to English at last!!!
http://perso.wanadoo.es/jfa926/Fernando_Mejido/index.htm
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 5370
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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Not too hateful; a week in transit both ways and two weeks in the shop. Have fun this weekend! I've got a shiny new ETX-125PE to play with and I'm looking forward to it.
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-John
================================================
Homebuilt scopes from 4.25-16.5"
Meade LXD75-N6/SN6/SC8, DSX-90, ETX-60BB, ETX-125PE, DS-2130
Orion StarBlast, BinoViewers, Coronado PST
Rebel XT/XTi, DSI Pro (I & II), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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fastrudy
super member
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 164
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From the height of joy to the abyss of frustration. Unpacked and remounted the scope on the wedge (thanks to my great wife's help in lifting it). Then I noticed that the RA knob wasn't working. Called Meade and got yet another RGA, but no charge this time since I took SKY ASSURANCE! Oh well, at least I get it optically this long weekend before it is unmounted (Honey?) and repacked and travels over 6000 miles on the roads with the best bumps in America to get back to me. Sorry for all the misplaced happiness! I'll keep you posted. Clear skies!
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JerryWise
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/03
Posts: 6876
Loc: Lexington, SC
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Chin up Rudy. You are among good company that can help you through this. It'll all workout.
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Jerry
LX200ACF 14", Tak FS 152 & TOA 150
AP-1200 & Mach1
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cuzimthedad
Just Be Cuz
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 2722
Loc: Sonoma, Northern California
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This really sounds silly, but did you check to see if the set screw backed out? It happened on mine. I tried turning it manually and the knob would spin but nothing happened. I checked and the screw had backed way off.
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Dan
20" Obsession (Freedom I...aka cuzimthescope)
TV102 (Star Dagger)
LXD75 AR-6 (Phoenix)
Megrez 80SD
Antares 1529 (Awaiting arrival)
Bushnell 7X50 Binoc
Zhumell 20X80 Astro-binocs
EPs: TV 5,7,9,11 T6s, 17 & 22 T4s, 31T5, 13E.
The Off Fisher Lane Irregulars
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fastrudy
super member
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 164
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Yes checked set screw. The gear wasn't catching...had to go back. I even asked them if there was anything that I could do to correct it. I used the scope last night. Optically and electronically it is fine, but it is mechanically broken and the RA adjust (if I ever have to use it) simply doesn't work.
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katodog
Supreme Grandmaster
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 2301
Loc: Carol Stream, Illinois
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What exactly is it doing wrong? I had an issue with the RA on my LX200R making an awful ratcheting sound. I took the plates off and found that the pillow block that holds the worm against the gear was too far away. It was easy as pie to fix. Maybe yours is out of whack. Sounds like if it's not catching, maybe the block is too far away, or not engaging at all.
Just a thought.
Too bad you have to be without the scope for another long wait. As long as you are sending it back, maybe you could tinker with it a bit beforehand and see if it's something you can fix yourself.
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The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked
12" Starhopper / Coronado PST
Stellarvue 20x85mm Binocular / LXD75 Mount
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
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fastrudy
super member
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 164
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What exactly is it doing wrong?
When the Fork is rotated manually, the RA knob turns intermittenetly, and vice versa.I don't know what happens when you try to align it, but when I was carrying it to the tripod for mounting, I noticed a mechanical 'clanking' sound with each of my steps. Even if it can align correctly, I know there is something wrong with the RA, and it would drive me nuts. In regard to trying to fix it myself, I had asked Meade if there was anything I could do to fix it on site, but they said, "No". Usually they at least tell you to try and fix it, so I will just go with their advice on this problem. I don't think I am as handy as most people on this forum, when it comes to electronics and telescope mechanisms.
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2342
Loc: Boothwyn, PA
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I think there might be an easy, don't send the scope back to meade fix for this. this could be the same "clackety clack" that I had after doing a bucks gears install, and that someone's brand new out of the box, 16 thousand dollar rcx 16" fork mount had. It might just be one set screw to tighten in there. I am away till tomorrow and browsing on my treo phone so it is hard for me to find stuff here, maybe someone else can find the thread from a few months back when I saved that guy's 16k scope?
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Meade RCX400 30cm --
People dont like when I stick up for Meade but they're just jealous of my RCX 
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katodog
Supreme Grandmaster
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 2301
Loc: Carol Stream, Illinois
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Joseph, was that the "Strange vibration noise in new LX200R" thread?
Strange Vibration Thread
Any company is going to tell you not to fix it yourself. They lose out on any extra income if you don't send it back. But, I understand your choice not to tinker with it yourself.
Me, on the other hand, that's all I've done pretty much all my life. Work on heavy machinery and all kinds of stuff. It's pretty natural for me to tear into something and fix it myself, so I tend to suggest that course to others without thinking about their mechanical prowess.
My scope was doing something kind of similar. I noticed when I was moving the scope around the yard that the RA would spin and make a ratcheting sound. I left it as it was for a few months, since it still ran perfectly and tracked perfectly. But, as is the case with me, it didn't sit long before the weight on my mind made me take the scope off the tripod and see what was going on. Once I took the bottom plate off and could see how it was designed, it was pretty much a two-second thought on how to fix it. A simple turn of a set screw and I was in the astronomy game again. Since then, I could physically try to spin the RA and it wouldn't budge.
With your latest description of the clanking sound, it sounds like maybe your problem is a little bit different than mine. I still think it's probably a badly adjusted pillow block though.
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The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked
12" Starhopper / Coronado PST
Stellarvue 20x85mm Binocular / LXD75 Mount
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2342
Loc: Boothwyn, PA
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Not quite the one I was thinking of kato. Rudy where are you located maybe you are close to one of our experts who isn't afraid to open up for a look?
I will try to find the thread in question, in which I uploaded pics of my scope's gears.
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Meade RCX400 30cm --
People dont like when I stick up for Meade but they're just jealous of my RCX
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katodog
Supreme Grandmaster
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 2301
Loc: Carol Stream, Illinois
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Well, I tried. Hopefully the problem will be fixed, by whoever fixes it, in a timely fashion, so Fastrudy can be observing "fast".
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The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked
12" Starhopper / Coronado PST
Stellarvue 20x85mm Binocular / LXD75 Mount
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
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fastrudy
super member
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 164
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I am in Southampton, NY. Repair is done via Sky Assurance and I pay nothing, so I seriously doubt that Meade is asking for it back just for the money, because there is no money associated with this repair. Thanks for all your help.
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2342
Loc: Boothwyn, PA
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I go to Long Island almost every weekend, I wish I knew where you were this weekend, maybe I could have helped. I will be back in Nassau county next weekend if you have time before Meade takes the scope back. Free repair is nice but not if you are without scope for an undetermined amount of time (4 weeks is a LOT less than usual lately, the OPTimist says hopefully that is a sign of improvement, but the PESSimist in us says maybe you got lucky once and won't get lucky again  )
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Meade RCX400 30cm --
People dont like when I stick up for Meade but they're just jealous of my RCX
Edited by Joseph Gillman (05/27/08 01:42 PM)
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southmike
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/22/04
Posts: 2821
Loc: Fayetteville, NC
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if it was me I would send it back ..that way they have nothing to say ..ohhh this marrk here means your warranty is voided.
my scopes are well out of warranty so your own your own so to spreak anyway.
But that is a great offer..nice to have such a helpful community.
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group scope pic
my refractors
LX200 10"-St120
LX200 8" f6.3-Orion 80ed
LX200 8" f10-Orion 90 Mak setup pic
Meade 102ED LXD650
Sky Watcher 100 ED Triplet prototype
Nexstar 5
etx125
etx70's
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Pess
(Title)
Reged: 09/12/07
Posts: 1910
Loc: Toledo, Ohio
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Same thing happened to me.
Sent back with a bad Dec motor and got scope back 28 days later.
Turned power on and the little red led came on but nothing else worked. No handcontroller display, no initialization, nada, nothing, zilch.....
Been back at Irving for six weeks this time.
They promised to start 'looking at it' when I called last week. Apparently they fix like models in batches and I missed the last batch of RCX's with this return.
Pesse (.......................) Mist
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fastrudy
super member
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 164
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Well it came to me today, all fixed!! Pesse, did you get yours yet? I hope so!
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Pess
(Title)
Reged: 09/12/07
Posts: 1910
Loc: Toledo, Ohio
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Quote:
Well it came to me today, all fixed!! Pesse, did you get yours yet? I hope so!
Mine came back yesterday 7/7/2008.
I placed it through its paces and , so far at least, it works flawlessly.
According to the included paperwork Meade replaced the control board (second one they put it so far).
Pesse (Rain, as expected, is forecast for the next seven days) Mist
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