nfbds
journeyman
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 5
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I bought a Meade ETX 125PE on the Saturday before Xmas . Tonight has been the first night it has been clear enough to go outside and see what it can do. I followed the instructions very carefully but still have had no success in auto aligning the telesope. I followed the manual carefully and placed the tube in the home position. ( fairly level and rotated counter clockwise until I felt the stop). Each time the telescope attempts to auto align it hits a stop in the clockwise direction and refuses to move. I switched off the Autostar function, unlocked the clutches and all electrics from the machine and tried to rotate the tube manually. I discovered that the tube will only rotate by about 320 degrees, it then hits a stop. Normally I would expect to be able to rotate the tube by roughly 700 degrees before hitting this stop.. Rotation of the tube is also accompanied by an audible squeal. After several hours I tried to ease the tube a little more in the clockwise direction, this was a bad idea because suddenly it did rotate clockwise and never hits a stop! Clearly something inside the motor assembly was faulty in the fist instance.
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Tombstone Sky
One-Eyed Jack
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 1708
Loc: Tombstone Arizona
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I think you need to re-read the "Home Position", unless they've changed it. You rotate to the stop, and then back it off the other way until (as I recall) the fork is centered over the power panel.
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MJ "Morg" Staley
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M5 Dark-Site Observatory
Meade 12" f/10 LX90GPS "River"
WO 2" Dielectric Diagonal
Meade SP 5000 full set, 24mm Meade 5000 UWA,
BO/TMB Planetary 8, 9mm, Nagler 13mmT6
Meade 505/USB/ASU/SNP6
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nfbds
journeyman
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 5
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yes I agree that I didnt correctly set the home position in the first instance but surely this wouldnt restrict me form being able to manuallyy and with the electrics etc off rotating the scope more than 320 degrees clockwise fron the stop which is located at full counter clockwise rotation.
Any way now, having gone back to the scope, I can say that it moves under power unlimited degrees rotation horizontally but it doesnt even actuate the motors if I try to increase or reduce elevation. Clearly I have a non existent connection to the declination motors, anybody know if I can get to the wiring ??
Edited by nfbds (01/05/08 07:44 PM)
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nfbds
journeyman
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 5
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I removed the rubber feet and took off the baseplate, 4 little washers were rattling around inside there! Being a dentist I managed to extract 2 but the other two are still in there!
Couldnt see any broken wires but I wonder if the squealing is as a result of these loose washers floating around inside there.
Looks like its a back to dealer job regarding the new telescope, I'm so dissapointed.
Nick
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Tombstone Sky
One-Eyed Jack
Reged: 12/18/06
Posts: 1708
Loc: Tombstone Arizona
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Well, maybe you're getting all your bad luck out of the way up front. Hope so, and good luck.
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MJ "Morg" Staley
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M5 Dark-Site Observatory
Meade 12" f/10 LX90GPS "River"
WO 2" Dielectric Diagonal
Meade SP 5000 full set, 24mm Meade 5000 UWA,
BO/TMB Planetary 8, 9mm, Nagler 13mmT6
Meade 505/USB/ASU/SNP6
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Rob_G
sage
Reged: 10/12/06
Posts: 247
Loc: Syracuse, NY
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Quote:
Being a dentist I managed to extract 2 but the other two are still in there!
Maybe it just needs a fluoride treatment. 
Seriously, I'm sorry for the hassle. It sounds like you need to take it back to the dealer. Let us know what happens. And welcome to CN!
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Rob
Bausch & Lomb Legacy 10x50
Meade ETX 125-AT
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StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 13807
Loc: CyberSpace
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First of all the PE can use two different auto alignment setups. And the home position is different for both alignment setups.
1) auto align (page17)
2) easy align (page 36)
The OTA tube should rotate 720 deg. about 2 turns
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Sony Digital Media player..
MX 460 earbuds
Celestron 2x Barlow Lens
Orion Collimation Eyepiece
Rigel Quick Finder
Assorted Bino's 
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StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 13807
Loc: CyberSpace
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Quote:
I bought a Meade ETX 125PE on the Saturday before Xmas . Tonight has been the first night it has been clear enough to go outside and see what it can do. I followed the instructions very carefully but still have had no success in auto aligning the telesope. I followed the manual carefully and placed the tube in the home position. ( fairly level and rotated counter clockwise until I felt the stop). Each time the telescope attempts to auto align it hits a stop in the clockwise direction and refuses to move. I switched off the Autostar function, unlocked the clutches and all electrics from the machine and tried to rotate the tube manually. I discovered that the tube will only rotate by about 320 degrees, it then hits a stop. Normally I would expect to be able to rotate the tube by roughly 700 degrees before hitting this stop.. Rotation of the tube is also accompanied by an audible squeal. After several hours I tried to ease the tube a little more in the clockwise direction, this was a bad idea because suddenly it did rotate clockwise and never hits a stop! Clearly something inside the motor assembly was faulty in the fist instance.
If the hard stop to hard stop is not nearly two full rotations then it is not a hard stop but some other object you may be hitting, including a wire..
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Sony Digital Media player..
MX 460 earbuds
Celestron 2x Barlow Lens
Orion Collimation Eyepiece
Rigel Quick Finder
Assorted Bino's
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DNTash
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/02/07
Posts: 762
Loc: India
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Wow -- that is frustrating. Sounds like it might have caught on one of those loose washers, unless they were a result of removing the baseplate. I would definitely take it back to the dealer for a replacement. It's a good scope and shouldn't be that way.
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AT 72
TMB 92
Orion 120ST
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nfbds
journeyman
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 5
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yes its all packaged up now, fortunately I had kept ALL the wrappings just in case and the dealer is in the next town to me, hopefully he will replace the unit rather than send it off for repair.
I'll post again when there's more to say
Nick
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nfbds
journeyman
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 5
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My dealer was fantastic, I phoned him this morning and explained exactly the problem. He checked he had anonther in stock then told me to bring the faulty scope back and he swapped them.
Can't get better than that I don't think!
Cloud and wind tonight so I thinkk I'll just concentrate reading the manual.
Nick
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StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 13807
Loc: CyberSpace
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Quote:
My dealer was fantastic, I phoned him this morning and explained exactly the problem. He checked he had anonther in stock then told me to bring the faulty scope back and he swapped them.
Can't get better than that I don't think!
Cloud and wind tonight so I think I'll just concentrate reading the manual.
Nick
That is great! 
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Sony Digital Media player..
MX 460 earbuds
Celestron 2x Barlow Lens
Orion Collimation Eyepiece
Rigel Quick Finder
Assorted Bino's
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Starlighter
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/03/07
Posts: 4494
Loc: Sunny California
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I'm glad you're getting a new one as an exchange.
I bought a WO binoviewer that fell apart in my hands as I unpacked it.
My CR-4 refractor made in China by Synta arrived with a bent focus shaft. I'm sure it was made that way and not damaged in transit since no damage was observed with either the outer or inner box. Others on the refractor forum have complained of the same problem.
A diagonal I purchased for my SCT that is manufactured in China had a serious flaw in the mirror requiring me to return it.
I'm discovering that of all the mechanical and electrical products I buy manufactured in China or Taiwan, nearly half develop serious problems, or worse yet, don't work at all right out of the box. This tells me shoddy workmanship is the order of the day. This is not just limited to telescopes. I purchased a large aquarium made in China and yesterday the entire lighting unit went bad. Fortunately, it's still under warranty and the company is shipping me free replacement parts. Otherwise, to fix it would have cost as much as I paid for it.
A compact stereo system I purchased that has a well-known Japanese brand name on it that was made in China went south after only six months of use.
I've had a faulty satellite receiver made in China go bad as well as having to stop buying a brand of cat food that many felt contained poison. I won't go into the lead found in various Chinese made toys.
As my grandaddy used to say: "You get what you pay for."
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Celestron C4-R 102mm achromat
Celeston Nexstar 6SE SCT
Meade 80mm APO Triplet
Televue NP-101
Televue TV-85
Vixen A70Lf
Vixen A80Mf
William Optics 66mm Zenithstar Patriot
Celestron CG4 EQ mount
Orion Skyview Pro AZ mount
Vixen Portamount
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radsdad
super member
Reged: 11/05/06
Posts: 116
Loc: Southern California
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Sounds like a great dealer, which one was it? Good dealers deserve their props!
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Meade ETX-125AT UHTC and ETX-60AT
Zhumell 20x80 Supergiant Binoculars
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Starlighter
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/03/07
Posts: 4494
Loc: Sunny California
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I've dealt with a couple of really good dealers in my area that stand behind their products. One is Oceanside Photo and Telescope and the other is Scope City, both in Southern California. Their salespeople are knowledgeable and if there's ever a problem that cannot be easily fixed on a new item, they will replace it without any argument. And their prices are fair and competitive.
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Celestron C4-R 102mm achromat
Celeston Nexstar 6SE SCT
Meade 80mm APO Triplet
Televue NP-101
Televue TV-85
Vixen A70Lf
Vixen A80Mf
William Optics 66mm Zenithstar Patriot
Celestron CG4 EQ mount
Orion Skyview Pro AZ mount
Vixen Portamount
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Rainbow
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 662
Loc: Norfolk, UK
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Quote:
I'm glad you're getting a new one as an exchange.
I bought a WO binoviewer that fell apart in my hands as I unpacked it.
My CR-4 refractor made in China by Synta arrived with a bent focus shaft. I'm sure it was made that way and not damaged in transit since no damage was observed with either the outer or inner box. Others on the refractor forum have complained of the same problem.
A diagonal I purchased for my SCT that is manufactured in China had a serious flaw in the mirror requiring me to return it.
I'm discovering that of all the mechanical and electrical products I buy manufactured in China or Taiwan, nearly half develop serious problems, or worse yet, don't work at all right out of the box. This tells me shoddy workmanship is the order of the day. This is not just limited to telescopes. I purchased a large aquarium made in China and yesterday the entire lighting unit went bad. Fortunately, it's still under warranty and the company is shipping me free replacement parts. Otherwise, to fix it would have cost as much as I paid for it.
A compact stereo system I purchased that has a well-known Japanese brand name on it that was made in China went south after only six months of use.
I've had a faulty satellite receiver made in China go bad as well as having to stop buying a brand of cat food that many felt contained poison. I won't go into the lead found in various Chinese made toys.
As my grandaddy used to say: "You get what you pay for."
Remind me never to cross the road along side you! 
--------------------
Meade ETX 90 UHTC, 497 Autostar, 884 tripod, right angle finder.
CALIBRATE MOTORS and TRAIN DRIVES!
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DNTash
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/02/07
Posts: 762
Loc: India
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Great dealer. Congrats!
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AT 72
TMB 92
Orion 120ST
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Starlighter
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/03/07
Posts: 4494
Loc: Sunny California
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Quote:
Quote:
I'm glad you're getting a new one as an exchange.
I bought a WO binoviewer that fell apart in my hands as I unpacked it.
My CR-4 refractor made in China by Synta arrived with a bent focus shaft. I'm sure it was made that way and not damaged in transit since no damage was observed with either the outer or inner box. Others on the refractor forum have complained of the same problem.
A diagonal I purchased for my SCT that is manufactured in China had a serious flaw in the mirror requiring me to return it.
I'm discovering that of all the mechanical and electrical products I buy manufactured in China or Taiwan, nearly half develop serious problems, or worse yet, don't work at all right out of the box. This tells me shoddy workmanship is the order of the day. This is not just limited to telescopes. I purchased a large aquarium made in China and yesterday the entire lighting unit went bad. Fortunately, it's still under warranty and the company is shipping me free replacement parts. Otherwise, to fix it would have cost as much as I paid for it.
A compact stereo system I purchased that has a well-known Japanese brand name on it that was made in China went south after only six months of use.
I've had a faulty satellite receiver made in China go bad as well as having to stop buying a brand of cat food that many felt contained poison. I won't go into the lead found in various Chinese made toys.
As my grandaddy used to say: "You get what you pay for."
Remind me never to cross the road along side you!
Not a problem. I drive an old English car.
--------------------
Celestron C4-R 102mm achromat
Celeston Nexstar 6SE SCT
Meade 80mm APO Triplet
Televue NP-101
Televue TV-85
Vixen A70Lf
Vixen A80Mf
William Optics 66mm Zenithstar Patriot
Celestron CG4 EQ mount
Orion Skyview Pro AZ mount
Vixen Portamount
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JaredG16
member
Reged: 05/31/08
Posts: 12
Loc: Baton Rouge, LA
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I've noticed that if you reverse the left/right arrows that this problem happens. One sets the home position (complete counterclockwise rotation until STOP then lock), then tries an auto-alignment, the scope attempts to rotation counterclockwise.
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Jared G.
Meade ETX125PE
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Kolenka
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/01/08
Posts: 1009
Loc: Seattle Area, WA, USA
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Quote:
I've noticed that if you reverse the left/right arrows that this problem happens. One sets the home position (complete counterclockwise rotation until STOP then lock), then tries an auto-alignment, the scope attempts to rotation counterclockwise.
Quick comment on this: update to the latest firmware (43g is latest, 43a seems to be shipping on the Astronomics PEs that are on sale). I believe it was 43d or so that fixed this behavior.
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Orion XX12 / Orion 80ED OTA / AT66ED
Nagler 7T6, 9T6, 13T6, 17T4, 26T5
Canon XS, TIS DMK 31AF03, AstroTrac TT320X
Northwest Astro Photoblog
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