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MtnGoat
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/18/07
Loc: Columbia Gorge, WA
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Picked up a DS2000 mount...tips?
#3150308 - 06/07/09 11:44 AM
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Hi all,
bought a Meade 497 handset off'n CL for fitty bucks, and a DS2090 came attached to it for free.
Turns out my Orion ST90 fits right in the clamshell cradle. That's kind of handy!
Some hate this light mount, others seem to have their working well enough for basic use. Haven't seen much in the way of tweaks for this thing during my googling, which is a surprise since there are nearly as many of these as ETX's, and there are tons of tips for that one. (Yes, already searched Weasner's Mighty ETX site which also has other Meade stuff)
So...any tips from folks here? I note it has no azimuth clutch. I suppose that nut under the battery compartment does something along these lines...
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dlhensley
member
Reged: 04/06/09
Loc: Kentucky
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Re: Picked up a DS2000 mount...tips?
[Re: MtnGoat]
#3150435 - 06/07/09 12:50 PM
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Hey Mtngoat, Go to www.meade.com and click on customer support then click download manuals. You should be able to get any information you need there. Just save your manual in your favorites. Good luck, Darrell
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MtnGoat
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/18/07
Loc: Columbia Gorge, WA
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Re: Picked up a DS2000 mount...tips?
[Re: dlhensley]
#3150520 - 06/07/09 01:29 PM
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Got the manual...but you know how it is, I want the real skinny. What to adjust or modify, how to tear it down where necessary, all that good stuff.
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MtnGoat
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/18/07
Loc: Columbia Gorge, WA
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Re: Picked up a DS2000 mount...tips?
[Re: MtnGoat]
#3152270 - 06/08/09 12:50 PM
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Checked it out a little more yesterday. This mount is one of the older DS2XXX models, it has the plastic bushing on the AZ axis and not the roller bearings the later ones have. I'm going to pull the bolt and measure stuff and see if I can find a roller bearing for it at McMaster-Carr or somewhere like it.
The mount does have a fair amount of wiggle but it appears as if the stupid tripod is a lot of that. However, there is also cross axis coupling in slow motion that you get with cheap mounts...change directions when slewing in AZ, get som DEC shift, and vice versa. (I need to upgrade the handset code, it's also 'rubber banding' on me. )
I popped the DSI on my ST90 last night and ran the mount for an bit. Oddly enough, if I give the mount a minute or two to take up the backlash in the system, it starts tracking OK for such a piece. I was getting fairly decent 15 second subs and only having to toss every third one or so, which is better than I expected. I think this mount will make an OK grab and go mount for the ST90 and some very light imaging, especially if I can get roller bearings onto it.
I was fairly impressed by the objective on the stock 90mm plastic OTA, the focusser is truly *BLEEP* but the inner and outer focus shows a very nice diffraction pattern. I'll probably poke around in my odd n ends stash and see if I can at least put a metal R&P focuser on it.
Not bad for fifty bucks...a mount that may be workable (on a tripod that needs to be changed out), a 90mm OTA that needs a new focusser, and a 497 handset in very good condition. Keyword on cheap...a lot of elbow grease!
Edited by MtnGoat (06/08/09 12:53 PM)
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sxinias
member
Reged: 10/04/08
Loc: Greece
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Re: Picked up a DS2000 mount...tips?
[Re: MtnGoat]
#3152740 - 06/08/09 05:44 PM Attachment (27 downloads)
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I'm very pleased with my DS2000 mount. Mine also came with a 90mm refractor. The mount is taking my abuse in stride. I even mounted a Celestron C6S on it once and it functioned just fine .... the tripod was very shaky under the weight so I opted for caution and now only have my 4 inch Meade 2045LX3 SCT on it. While its gotos are not perfect, generally I have everything within view of a 25mm eyepiece using a scope with 1000 F scope but do use the spiral search from time to time.
Some suggestions.
1. 90mm scope focusser: remove all the Chinese grease and use it dry; wont be great but will be usable.
2. Before using the mount but after installing your telescope, first calibrate the motors then train the drives.
3. If the mount works, don't open it up. If you do open it up, don't over tighten the altitude nut or azimuth axis bolt. I have the bearing model. With it you must use lock tight on the azimuth axis bolt to keep it from loosening or tightening up during usage. Also getting the proper torque on the bold when you put the mount back together is a long and tedious trial and error process. With your older plastic sleeve azimuth axis bearing you will not have too many chances if you over tighten the bolt so be careful or your mount can be transformed into junk very fast. The altitude axis shaft nut is a little less critical.
4. best accuracy comes if the mount is orthogonal to the plane of the earth; however, it seems as if a good guesstimate for north is generally good enough.
5. Buy stock in a battery company or alter the mount to take an AC adapter or external battery. I use an automotive power pack.
6. The batteries will be no good long before the autostar low battery power indicator comes on.
As you said, the DS2000 mount with a decent scope makes a super grab and go scope.
Joe
Sxinias Greece
Home of the Original Marathon Run
Meade DS2090AT
Meade 2045LX3 SCT
Celestron C6S SCT
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