Bill Fischer
super member
Reged: 11/13/08
Posts: 162
Loc: Magnolia, TX and South America
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I posted this question on the refractor forum with no response. I think the question may belong here. Has anyone had any experience with a Meade 323? I got it at a garage sale and was told it is about 20 years old. It has no diagonal but I tried the one from my SCT. The scope seems to work fine. Does anyone know if it is worth buying parts to fix it up? It is a 90mm f9 made in Japan.
Edited by Bill Fischer (01/05/09 07:11 PM)
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Preston Smith
Military Observer
Reged: 04/24/05
Posts: 3435
Loc: Eureka, Pa
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Hi Bill!
Welcome to Cloudy Nights and the Classic Telescopes Forum!
Well now, you have a scope that I can't seem to find a lot of info on. I've only been able to find one other thread on your scope:
Meade 323
I'm sure others will jump in and tell you more about your scope. It looks nice!
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Preston
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isaiah 40:26
SV115T,NHII,SV70,SV50 and Tele Vue Ranger
Vintage Refractors: Asahi-Pentax, Edmund Scientific, Tasco, Unitron
60mm Telescope Club
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Steve_M_M
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/09/04
Posts: 976
Loc: Moorpark, CA
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Hi Bill,
I bought one of these shortly before Christmas and fixed it up and sent it to my Niece for Christmas.
The optics are spectacular. I believe it is a Vixen or Mizar made 80mm, same as the Celestron well thought of 80/900mm.
Unfortuntely, this was around the time when the tripods took another step backwards and the legs are smaller in diameter and flimsy. It needs to be used without any extension. The mount is the standard EQ-2 that is still sold today. If you goggle, EQ-2 mount, you will find lots on this mount.
I believe it is worth putting some time into. If the OTA is in decent shape, it alone is worth $100 or more.
Steve
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1956 Goto Optical 6" f15 Observatory Refractor
From the Titan Observatory as featured in S&T 1957-1959
&
1961 Nishimura 6" Reflector
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Bill Fischer
super member
Reged: 11/13/08
Posts: 162
Loc: Magnolia, TX and South America
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Preston, Steve,
Thanks for the information. Mine was fairly dirty also, but it cleaned up nice. It looks just like the one in your pictures. I will put some effort into bringing it back into condition. Did anyone send you a manual?
The one night that I tried it with my SCT diagonal and 25mm ep it gave a great view of the Trapezium. It will be fun to use it at low power side by side with my SCT.
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Nexstar 8 GPS w/Clestron FR/FF
Telrad
TV Pan 35mm
WO UWAN 16mm
TV 11mm, 8mm
Meade 2x Telenegative
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Just came across a Meade 323.
Nice scope.
A few questions about it.
Did it come with a case...a wood case?
What accessories came with the telescope?
What finder scope came with it...my scope has none?
While this is a Meade 323 (80mm f/11), who actually built the scope?
Vixen, Towa or Mizar?
Finally what motor drive works with the Meade 323?
Thanks
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dougspeterson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 1041
Loc: Murrieta, CA
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It didn't come with a case, 5x24 finder achromatic full aperture, Mizar built. Nice scope.
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18" Dob
12" SCT
8" TMB F6 + Chromacor
6" F6 APM/LZOS Fluorite triplet, 32", 32lbs
2ea. 6mm singlets, one blind
"--Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be ... limited to our own galaxy."
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Quote:
It didn't come with a case, 5x24 finder achromatic full aperture, Mizar built. Nice scope.
Thanks for the response.
ANy idea when it was sold?
Any ads showing the scope?
Any idea what eyepieces came with it?
What do people use for the Meade Blue color for touch up?
What do you recommend for a clock drive?
Finally what do owners use for a cheap OTA case..I want to give it a pampered life.
Thanks
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dougspeterson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 1041
Loc: Murrieta, CA
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Late 80s. If you google you will get a few hits with photos. I believe it came with a couple kellners. I don't know about touch up paint, I am sure it is the same Meade blue as today, you may talk to them. JMI still sells a clock drive compatable. I store mine in the 40 buck Orion tripod case, padded, zippered, cheap but just as well made and as nice looking as the more expensive case, and Meade blue to boot!
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18" Dob
12" SCT
8" TMB F6 + Chromacor
6" F6 APM/LZOS Fluorite triplet, 32", 32lbs
2ea. 6mm singlets, one blind
"--Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be ... limited to our own galaxy."
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Quote:
Late 80s. If you google you will get a few hits with photos. I believe it came with a couple kellners. I don't know about touch up paint, I am sure it is the same Meade blue as today, you may talk to them. JMI still sells a clock drive compatable. I store mine in the 40 buck Orion tripod case, padded, zippered, cheap but just as well made and as nice looking as the more expensive case, and Meade blue to boot!
Thanks for the info.
I cleaned the OTA last night..other than for a few paint chips and a slightly bent dew shade it looks really good.
After spending a hour or two on it, I finally got around to looking down the OTA with a flashlight...and WHOA!..something was lookng back at me.
It turns out a Beanie Baby was staring back at me.
LOL..that is a first for me.
Do you think he crawled in there or did he have help? ;<)))
Well the Beanie Baby (a crab for those who must know) was extracted without harm to either Crab or OTA.
If the little fellow would start talking, I think he would have a story to tell.
Anyone else find "things" in the scopes you buy?
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Another question..checking JMI I see the motor suggested for the Meade 323.
It shows the EQ1 mount...I thought the Meade 323 was a EQ2 mount.
Which is it?
Thanks
http://jimsmobile.com/buy_ra_motors.htm#Meade
R. A. Motor for Small Telescope
Celestron Firstscope 60 / 80; Jason 9226 mount (telescope #313); Meade 291, 294, 323, 4420, 4450; Orion EQ-1, Equatorial Mount, Observer 60 EQ Ultra / 80 EQ Ultra, Spaceprobe 4.5; Parks PRT-46, PRT-813; Swift #856, #859R; Tasco 11TR, 13T, 14F, 17TR (Alternative to Meade #781 clock drive.)
110vAC, 60Hz, Part Number RA17001
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dougspeterson
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/01/04
Posts: 1041
Loc: Murrieta, CA
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I just see the motor in the link. The Mizar eq was certainly a nicer mount than the Eq1, whoever built that, maybe Mizar. It could be the motor simply works for both mounts. I can confirm that the 6600 was a 6" newt that used the same mount as the 323.
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18" Dob
12" SCT
8" TMB F6 + Chromacor
6" F6 APM/LZOS Fluorite triplet, 32", 32lbs
2ea. 6mm singlets, one blind
"--Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be ... limited to our own galaxy."
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peter scherff
member
Reged: 07/11/06
Posts: 65
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Quote:
I cleaned the OTA last night..other than for a few paint chips and a slightly bent dew shade it looks really good.
After spending a hour or two on it, I finally got around to looking down the OTA with a flashlight...and WHOA!..something was lookng back at me.
It turns out a Beanie Baby was staring back at me.
LOL..that is a first for me.
Do you think he crawled in there or did he have help? ;<)))
Well the Beanie Baby (a crab for those who must know) was extracted without harm to either Crab or OTA.
I think M1 needs to be your target for first light.
Peter
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Quote:
Quote:
I cleaned the OTA last night..other than for a few paint chips and a slightly bent dew shade it looks really good.
After spending a hour or two on it, I finally got around to looking down the OTA with a flashlight...and WHOA!..something was lookng back at me.
It turns out a Beanie Baby was staring back at me.
LOL..that is a first for me.
Do you think he crawled in there or did he have help? ;<)))
Well the Beanie Baby (a crab for those who must know) was extracted without harm to either Crab or OTA.
I think M1 needs to be your target for first light.
Peter
LOL...yes...I thought of that too...a very fitting target.
My guess is that the scope once sat in some child's playroom where they used the scope as a safe place for the Beanie Baby. Thankfully they removed and replaced the lens cell without damaging the optics or crossthreading the assembly. I also noticed that the eyepieces that came with the scope had been unscrewed..again thankfully all the pieces were there.
I think a lesson that can be learned from this is to teach one's kids not to disassemble your scopes when you are not around to help.
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Does anyone know a source of a larger of finder scope (6x30, same blue color) for this scope? I would like to have the finder mount fit without modifying the scope.
Thanks
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Another interesting twist on the Meade 323....the refractor is set up for 1.25" eyepieces (and the Bluebook says the scope is supposed to be 1.25") and now I notice that the eyepiece tray on the tripod is for 0.95" eyepieces.
The tray sure looks like it belongs to the scope.
Has anyone else come across a Meade scope that has components for both eyepiece sizes?
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Bump.
I would appreciate it if you can answer the outstanding questions.
I would like to finish this scope and donate it to a local club.
Thanks
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Jae
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/13/06
Posts: 559
Loc: near Boston
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Alien....Bill ?
While not a source, some of the less expensive Meade 291 blue scopes came with a larger 6x30 blue finder. Also if the other thread scope is what you have, then it's a Towa scope which had .965 accessories. Some were converted to 1.25 in different ways. My Orion Towa used a hybrid diagonal.
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Jae
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Jae
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/13/06
Posts: 559
Loc: near Boston
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Try this for a blue finder:
http://tinyurl.com/ygfocso
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Jae
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