56 replies to this topic

[spartan1]

Quick question...if the motor I had in my 628 was a 110V 60Hz American one and I needed to use it here in Oz...if I bought a 240/110V step down transformer here (where we have a 50Hz frequency supply) would the motors operate at a slower speed because of the 50Hz?

 

Thanks.

[apfever]

YES if it is a simple step down transformer. The 17 percent drop in frequency might be pushing it a little for the 60hz motor, but I'm not sure about that stuff. By far most of my drive correctors only go down to about 53hz at the lowest setting. I suspect that burn out and possibly fire would be within the lower range of a Euro Drive Corrector centered on 50hz. 

 

Many of the 'transformers' that are made specifically for conversion between American and European are actually converters that also correct the frequency. They cost more.

Edited by apfever, 25 January 2024 - 12:16 AM.

[NinePlanets]

spartan1:

 

There are simple, inexpensive inverters available that convert 12VDC from say, a car battery (or other power supply) to 120 VAC 60Hz. The little synchronous motors are only 3 watts each, so even a very minimal unit should do the job.

[deSitter]

spartan1:

 

There are simple, inexpensive inverters available that convert 12VDC from say, a car battery (or other power supply) to 120 VAC 60Hz. The little synchronous motors are only 3 watts each, so even a very minimal unit should do the job.

A square wave inverter will even work. You can get those for $20.

 

-drl

[deSitter]

FWIW I wanted to make a clock drive for my Sears and Tasco telescopes. The only synchronous motor I could find with the right parameters was 240v/50Hz. Since I planned to use it with a battery anyway via an inverter, I just found a 240/50 inverter with a square-wave (or nearly so) output from 12v DC input. That operates the motor just fine. The motor does get warm, but that might just be normal for synchronous motors. It tracks perfectly.

 

-drl

[spartan1]

As a post-script to this thread...the original owner of my red tube 628 contacted me this week as he had found the original manual that came with it. It is the 16 page one that has been mentioned here and in other relevant CN topics. My red tube Meade 628 was accompanied by a manual dated 1984 and separately date stamped 17th January 1985. The manual is very basic but is nice to have from a nostalgia POV.

 

The manual was issued with the following 6" and 8" reflecting telesopes:

 

628/618/645/635/826/826A/816/856/856A 

 

...on the following mounts:

 

650/651/652/653/850/851/852/853

 

 

If anyone would like a PDF copy of the manual, send me your email address and I will oblige.

 

All I would ask is that you make a private donation of US$5 to a Cancer charity or Hospice in your area.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Philip

[deSitter]

As a post-script to this thread...the original owner of my red tube 628 contacted me this week as he had found the original manual that came with it. It is the 16 page one that has been mentioned here and in other relevant CN topics. My red tube Meade 628 was accompanied by a manual dated 1984 and separately date stamped 17th January 1985. The manual is very basic but is nice to have from a nostalgia POV.

 

The manual was issued with the following 6" and 8" reflecting telesopes:

 

628/618/645/635/826/826A/816/856/856A 

 

...on the following mounts:

 

650/651/652/653/850/851/852/853

 

 

If anyone would like a PDF copy of the manual, send me your email address and I will oblige.

 

All I would ask is that you make a private donation of US$5 to a Cancer charity or Hospice in your area.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Philip

Needs to go up on the Classic Telescopes wiki.

 

https://wiki.telesco...om/wiki/Manuals

 

-drl