orion9
sage
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 202
Loc: North Carolina
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As I'm off today I decided to put together my ETX-125PE for the first time. Right out of the box, figuratively and literally, I can not get the dust-cap to thread off without, apparently, major force. Any ideas short of dynamite. 
Thanks,
Doug
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Treehopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 582
Loc: Upstate NY
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This was a major issue when I first bought my ETX-125PE almost a year ago. The thing I worried about most was twisting the retaining ring that keeps the corrector plate in place, as I didn't want that to get knocked out of alignment.
I actually got my hands on a couple of those rubberized jar opener pads. I used one to hold the retaining ring in place, and the other to twist the (very heavy) metal dust cap off. That seemed to help a lot. Once you get it off the first time, try to resist the temptation to torque it back down all the way when you put it back on. I slowly twist it until it start to "feel" tight, then juuuust back it off a smidge. This way it's still secure but you don't have to wrestle with it next time.
Someone a year ago suggested some other container lid that happens to share the same diameter as the 125's objective, but I couldn't find it when I went looking for it. Not sure if it was a Cool-Whip lid or something off one of those big coffee cans. If anyone knows of a good "replacement" dust cap, feel free to comment.
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Tim
Champion of small aperture scopes everywhere!
Meade ETX-125PE
Meade ETX-80
Celestron FirstScope 76mm Mini-dob
 Updated: 09/16/2009
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rcd47
sage
Reged: 03/15/08
Posts: 259
Loc: East Texas, USA
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I remember seeing that thread with the container lid too, but I couldn't find it by searching. At one time I was wondering about the Kendrick Kwik Focus as a dust cover, but couldn't find anyone that had actually tried one. I didn't want to be the guinea pig for $36.  http://tinyurl.com/lbtz3k 1/2 way down the page.
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Randy
Edmund Astroscan
Meade ETX125PE
Skywatcher 102mm F5 & Alt/Az Mount
Orion ST80/Mini EQ1
Tasco Starguide 114/Celestron Hand Paddle
Pentax 10x50 Binoculars
Philips SPC 900NC
Stellacam EX
Edited by rcd47 (06/24/09 09:45 PM)
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orion9
sage
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 202
Loc: North Carolina
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Thanks Tim and Randy, I'll try the jar opener technique tomorrow after I track some down at Wally World or somewhere else. Thanks again and wish me luck... 
Doug
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 9268
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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Good luck.
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Kenny
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe." - Albert Einstein
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StarWars
Postmaster
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 13760
Loc: CyberSpace
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Goto Home Depot and buy a roll of rubber shelf liner. Cut off a section of the liner and use it to grab the dust cover and turn CCW..
The liner with the holes works the best..
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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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Astroboy86
sage
Reged: 01/28/07
Posts: 444
Loc: Southeastern Virginia
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Concur 100% with StarWars on the rubber shelf liner with the holes. Anyone with an SCT should also keep some of this stuff in your toolbox for removing focal reducers, visual backs, or other stuff that freezes onto the SCT threads and doesn't want to come loose, especially when you're trying to work with frozen fingers. Also handy for stuck thumbscrews on tripods & other gear.
-Harry
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Our ever-growing equipment collection:
Celestron CPC 925 GPS XLT (The Precious)
EarthWin PFS-D binoviewer w/dielectric coatings
Meade ETX-125AT (Shadow Lass)
Meade DS-2130ATS-LNT (Mr. Magoo)
Meade 114NT/500 (Foggy Bottom)
StellarVue M4-style EQ mount
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Treehopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 582
Loc: Upstate NY
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Those rubber shelf-liners are the best thing since sliced bread! I've used them for everything from putting jigsaw puzzles together on them (if you're careful, you can simply roll up your in-progress puzzle and it will keep everything nice and tidy), to a handy non-skid surface for holding small parts, like when you're collimating or doing a quick field repair. Awesome stuff, and very inexpensive, plus usually very easy to find. You could probably even get your hands on it a local "dollar store" on the cheap, and they're re-usable! Can't go wrong!
Best of luck, keep us posted!
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Tim
Champion of small aperture scopes everywhere!
Meade ETX-125PE
Meade ETX-80
Celestron FirstScope 76mm Mini-dob
Updated: 09/16/2009
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starquester
sage
Reged: 09/03/04
Posts: 465
Loc: Three Rivers, MI U.S.A>
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Happened to me also,
The whole front lens came off on my 125 PE and I managed to get a thumb print on the lens.
Any ideas on how to clean the inside of the front lens?
Alan
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Alan D. Otterson
Windy Ridge Observatory
41-58.966N
85-43.069W
Alan Otterson
Founder&Owner
A Yahoo Observatory Group
Flip Top & Clamshell & Rubbermaid Observatories
http://tinyurl.com/yz9ckk
The Nikon D40 Astrophotography Group
http://tinyurl.com/5j8qw2
A Yahoo Astrophotography Group
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Arthur Dent
Galactic Hitch-Hiker
Reged: 10/23/08
Posts: 1177
Loc: South Yorkshire, UK
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Hi Alan,
Try Baader "Wonder Cleaning Fluid". I'm sure that you should be able to get this Stateside.
For those in the UK, I got mine from Rother Valley Optics.
http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/baader-optical-wonder-cleaning-fluid_d3297.html
It comes in a press-spray plastic bottle - 100ml for £9.00 (it was £6.95) but it will practically last forever and a day when you consider how little one uses it and how much one uses at any given time.
Apply it using cotton pads and follow the procedure laid down by Arkansas Sky Observatory. Use the pads liberally for wiping and drying but don't spray the fluid directly onto the plate.
www.arksky.org/asoclean.htm
The instructions are very comprehensive.
The corrector should only be cleaned WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. There is a risk (minimal but a risk) that you will damage the lens coatings (but different sites have different opinions on this one). You make your own judgement but YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Hope this helps some.
Art
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If I like it, the wife says that we can't afford it!
=======================================================
Meade ETX105 (a nice "Grab & Go" scope) & Celestron NexStar 6SE with Bob's Knobs.
Various EP's from 6mm to 26mm, Baader Hyperion 8-24mm Zoom, a 2x Barlow, 2" diagonal and 7Ah PowerTank.
MRF and Antares 8x50 RACI finder scope - both for the 6SE's OTA, whilst the ETX gets a plain RDF.
Canon EOS 400D DSLR (un-modded) and SPC900 webcam. Finally climbing the AP Learning Curve!
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starquester
sage
Reged: 09/03/04
Posts: 465
Loc: Three Rivers, MI U.S.A>
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Thanks a lot Art,
I'll try to ind some and I'll check out the link also.
Alan
--------------------
Alan D. Otterson
Windy Ridge Observatory
41-58.966N
85-43.069W
Alan Otterson
Founder&Owner
A Yahoo Observatory Group
Flip Top & Clamshell & Rubbermaid Observatories
http://tinyurl.com/yz9ckk
The Nikon D40 Astrophotography Group
http://tinyurl.com/5j8qw2
A Yahoo Astrophotography Group
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 6749
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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I hope you got it off safely. Mine kinda stuck when it was new. Anymore I just don't tighten it all the way when I put it back on.
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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, & III), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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orion9
sage
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 202
Loc: North Carolina
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Good idea, Starwars. I read your post just as I'm heading out the door, so I'll put the rubberized shelf stuff on my shopping list. Any preference as to color? 
Again, thanks to all for the help.
Doug
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Billydee
super member
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 183
Loc: Winter Haven, FL
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Take it to a camera shop (repair). They have various filter wrenches for solving problems like this. They are split plastic rings with two grips sticking out the side that allow you to remove the cap. They use one on the lens barrel and another on the dust cap. Bill
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orion9
sage
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 202
Loc: North Carolina
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If I get really desparate I'll do the camera shop way. Please, dear Lord, don't let it come to that! My local Home Depot was out of the rubbery shelf liner. So tomorrow I'll try somewhere else. Again, thanks for the great advice; what did I do before the internet and CN?
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Treehopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 582
Loc: Upstate NY
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Quote:
... what did I do before the internet and CN?
My guess, judging from your original post, is... dynamite. 
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Tim
Champion of small aperture scopes everywhere!
Meade ETX-125PE
Meade ETX-80
Celestron FirstScope 76mm Mini-dob
Updated: 09/16/2009
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orion9
sage
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 202
Loc: North Carolina
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Tim,
Unfortunately for me, access to any of Mr. Nobel's stuff has never materialized. Otherwise I'd have used it on more than just stubborn dust-caps! No, for me it has always been the Zen-like transcendence of inner-peace to overcome the frustrating obstacles of everyday life. THEN, if all else fails, The Louieville Slugger! As Eastwood says, nothing beats a good piece of hickory.
In all seriousness, I used a bit of rubberized shelve paper to coax the blighter off. Thanks again to all for the great suggestions.
Doug
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Treehopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 582
Loc: Upstate NY
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Ahh, Dirty Harry, is there any aspect to life that your wit and wisdom doesn't apply? 
So you were successful in getting the dust cap off then? That's great! So what's your impression of the 125 now that you have a chance to actually look it over? Pretty slick little piece of engineering yumminess, isn't it?
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Tim
Champion of small aperture scopes everywhere!
Meade ETX-125PE
Meade ETX-80
Celestron FirstScope 76mm Mini-dob
Updated: 09/16/2009
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orion9
sage
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 202
Loc: North Carolina
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You're right, Tim. This little monster is one sweet piece of glass. I can't wait for a (moderately) clear night to run it through its paces. I originally got it for my nephew, and I will eventually give it to him, but for now it's going to be that g-n-g for those times when time is at a premium. Again, thanks to all for the help and advice.
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Treehopper
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 582
Loc: Upstate NY
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Sheesh I want you as my uncle! Usually all I got growing up from my uncles was a piece of beef jerky and a bottle of Pepsi!
Don't be bashful about playing with the scope in the daylight. Put it through it's paces, learn how to calibrate and train, practice slewing, etc. Better to become acquainted with the controls in broad daylight than fumbling with them under dark sky conditions. I invested in a good AC adapter for mine so I could monkey with it without running through a gob of batteries.
Enjoy it, and tell your nephew he's one lucky son-of-a-gun to have such a generous uncle!
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Tim
Champion of small aperture scopes everywhere!
Meade ETX-125PE
Meade ETX-80
Celestron FirstScope 76mm Mini-dob
Updated: 09/16/2009
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rcd47
sage
Reged: 03/15/08
Posts: 259
Loc: East Texas, USA
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Hmmm..."Uncle Orion9"...does kind of have a ring to it, doesn't it??? 
--------------------
Randy
Edmund Astroscan
Meade ETX125PE
Skywatcher 102mm F5 & Alt/Az Mount
Orion ST80/Mini EQ1
Tasco Starguide 114/Celestron Hand Paddle
Pentax 10x50 Binoculars
Philips SPC 900NC
Stellacam EX
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