17 replies to this topic

[Matthew Ota]

Update via Sky & Telescope Magazine.

I hope some corporation will buy all of the manufacturing equipment and bring at least some of the products back on the market, and provide support for the thousands of users out there with Meade , Orion and Coronado products. As for me, I have switched to Celestron.

https://thinkonyx.co...c-holding-corp/

[c2m2t]

Ouch!!

A significant loss to the astro community...I share your sentiments! I have both Meade and Coronado equipment which I enjoy using!

 

Regards, Chris.

[supernov62]

If another company does not take up supporting the Meade brand, then I would hope that the software and the rights to the software would be allowed to go into the public domain as Open Source where development can advance.

[12BH7]

Double ouch! Well, I guess if my LX90 mounts goes I'm going to have to slip a new mount under it. 

[rferrante]

This was a lawsuit with two losers, three counting future customers with less choice. Many more if you count the loss of specialized, skilled jobs.

 

One wonders what could have been. Could Orion have negotiated something giving them the extra margin needed, while allowing Meade to also stay in business? They don't seem to have been able to digest what they won. There is an Aesop's fable in here somewhere.

[vomit]

Wow.  This stinks.  I have a 10 year old LX-200ACF and it would be nice to have some support for when things (undoubtedly) go wrong.  Hopefully it comes back in some sort of form.  

[Skywatchr]

Wow.  This stinks.  I have a 10 year old LX-200ACF and it would be nice to have some support for when things (undoubtedly) go wrong.  Hopefully it comes back in some sort of form.  

Don't abuse it, and it should be good for years to come.   Lowering the top slew speeds will go a long way in preventing the motor driver MOSFETs from burning out from excessive current.  People have been replacing them on their own for quite a while anyways.  And avoid long slews and GoTo as well, especially at full speed.

[kd4pbs]

To hazard an analogy, one can still source parts for 1st generation Chevrolet Corvettes on the used parts market, even disregarding all the aftermarket part support.
The only thing that one cannot replace (yet), at least on the LX200 series mounts, is the microcontrollers on the RA and DEC axis PICs.  Even so, that can be solved by an open-source control system which would easily interface to the existing RA and DEC drives.
Optics can be recoated.  Gears can be manufactured.  And Andrew Johansen's brilliance still shines brightly on our LX200 Autostar mounts.
A bazillion of them were made, and if I were in the market for a scope, I would not hesitate to purchase another used LX200GPS or ACF in decent shape, even if I had the choice between that or a new McGEM for the same price.

[uhoh]

  "Even so, that can be solved by an open-source control system which would easily interface to the existing RA and DEC drives.."

One of the main reasons for convertiing a dead (test subject) LX200gps 3 summers ago, was the noise my ACF made at gallop. Drove me (and my neighbors) nuts. Swapping out the drives with steppers/belts/pulleys is an easy enough task that it would be difficult to even consider leaving the old drive train in place.  Especially with the s/w advances in OnStepX related to Alt/Azm fork mounts.   Jaxn

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[kd4pbs]

Interesting project, uhoh.  I'd think a stepper would be much noisier than the DC servo the stock mount uses though.  I can see where the belt drive would indeed be much quieter than straight-cut gears though.

[uhoh]

Exactly kb.. the metal gears are the source of the noise and vibration, and metal the base and arms act like an amplifier. Meade installed 1/16" foam tape isolation between worm block and casting to keep transfer levels down. This also introduces more flexure in an already compromised block assy. The base plate is only 3/32" thick by 5/8" wide, with the load adj at the drive end of the block. A lever dial mic shows a 4:1 movement difference between block ends. Seems an excessive amount of torsion, but haven't a clue how/if that might contribute to PE, or distorting circles. Nevertheless, while I have the mount tore down again for a controller upgrade and relocation to left fork arm that will include a naked nuc pc(just enough room), I have a double pull bridle cable worm tensioner idea to play with. The fork arm controller/pc relocaction will certainly help solve my quantum cable entanglement problem, with all accoutrement power/data connections at top of arm.

 

As far as stepper motor noise goes.. um... What noise..? Oh..!! you mean that R2D2 jibberish you get from poor tuning or funky drivers. Yeah, some need more attention than a others to behave properly, but the 0.9deg motors seem to resonate best at 32us, then it's a matter of adjusting amperage on the web server control page until they whisper a lullaby that will put a baby to sleep.. : ) I've also built a wireless controller that occupies the old power panel location. Had to go wifi as the E4 board i'm using doesn't support st4.  Jaxn

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[uhoh]

Drive side..

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[deSitter]

Exactly kb.. the metal gears are the source of the noise and vibration, and metal the base and arms act like an amplifier. Meade installed 1/16" foam tape isolation between worm block and casting to keep transfer levels down. This also introduces more flexure in an already compromised block assy. The base plate is only 3/32" thick by 5/8" wide, with the load adj at the drive end of the block. A lever dial mic shows a 4:1 movement difference between block ends. Seems an excessive amount of torsion, but haven't a clue how/if that might contribute to PE, or distorting circles. Nevertheless, while I have the mount tore down again for a controller upgrade and relocation to left fork arm that will include a naked nuc pc(just enough room), I have a double pull bridle cable worm tensioner idea to play with. The fork arm controller/pc relocaction will certainly help solve my quantum cable entanglement problem, with all accoutrement power/data connections at top of arm.

 

As far as stepper motor noise goes.. um... What noise..? Oh..!! you mean that R2D2 jibberish you get from poor tuning or funky drivers. Yeah, some need more attention than a others to behave properly, but the 0.9deg motors seem to resonate best at 32us, then it's a matter of adjusting amperage on the web server control page until they whisper a lullaby that will put a baby to sleep.. : ) I've also built a wireless controller that occupies the old power panel location. Had to go wifi as the E4 board i'm using doesn't support st4.  Jaxn

This is cool!

 

My ETX90 sounds like a coffee grinder. The plastic shell is a bass reflex speaker But the ETX105 with a metal superstructure purrs like a kitten with the same motors.

 

-drl

[uhoh]

This is cool!

 

My ETX90 sounds like a coffee grinder. The plastic shell is a bass reflex speaker But the ETX105 with a metal superstructure purrs like a kitten with the same motors.

 

-drl

..  I have the ETX90 and 125, and have wondered if anyone in a Hollywood special effects dept. was aware of these. A quartet of 90's would do a fine job of emulating a 2nd Armored Division invasion.  I once contemplated spinning up an Evolution mount juxtapose my imaging rig, in hopes that it's air raid quality audio would get the neighbors to douse their lights..

[vomit]

So, you all are saying that you will be able to help me when the time comes that my LX-200 needs some help. 

 

One of the main reasons for convertiing a dead (test subject) LX200gps 3 summers ago, was the noise my ACF made at gallop. Drove me (and my neighbors) nuts. Swapping out the drives with steppers/belts/pulleys is an easy enough task that it would be difficult to even consider leaving the old drive train in place.  Especially with the s/w advances in OnStepX related to Alt/Azm fork mounts.   Jaxn

I mean this ^ is amazing.  Basically a rebuild.  I need Youtube videos, people.......

[uhoh]

I doubt our 'need' for utube vids, and while they can expedite projects, confirm your approach, or even provide some proof of concept.., there's also something to be said to about finding your way through the dark..   If your looking for a kit, there is some scuttlebutt over at OnStep.io, with a couple newer LX200gps builds that mention pcb files and motor mounting templates in the future. If no one else gets around to it, I may make a functional kit next year. Just too consumed with family needs atm, for atm moments..   

[Greg Becker]

I have a 12inch LX600 Meade with StarLock guider which I purchased slightly used.  The StarLock utility never has appeared on the keypad, but everything else is normal.  Have tried a new keypad.  I've been trying to get help from Meade, but that can't work now.  Anyone out there have some insight into this?

I would greatly appreciate your help.  Greg B.

[carolinaskies]

I have a 12inch LX600 Meade with StarLock guider which I purchased slightly used.  The StarLock utility never has appeared on the keypad, but everything else is normal.  Have tried a new keypad.  I've been trying to get help from Meade, but that can't work now.  Anyone out there have some insight into this?

I would greatly appreciate your help.  Greg B.

Have you checked in the utilities list to see if it was turned off?  Also, check the version of firmware to see if the prior owner updated the wrong firmware number because the LX200 is different from the LX600 to accomodate for the Starlock