Hi all,

Last week, someone gave me a Meade Starfinder EQ 10". I have been
using/working with/tweaking this scope since that time, almost all of the
time being spent on mount issues. I have a short list of
performance-related things that need correcting before I will be satisfied,
and I do have several ideas about how to go about making the corrections.
But, you-all are the Meade experts here, so I thought I would run some
things past you.

1) The drive clutch was full of grease, making tracking an occasional
thing. I just wiped the clutch surface down until clean; should I be
thinking of doing anything more extensive than this simple wipe-down?

2) The drive seems to take up to 5 minutes to engage after moving the scope
by hand - this makes the drive not useful, as re-centering causes the wait
to start all over again.... I have spent a great deal of time adjusting
backlash, clutch tension, and balance (including drive-assisting
imbalances) to see why this is the case. I have also torn apart the drive
system to run 'manual' tests using the worm and tooth gear to simulate
tracking. As far as I can tell, the cause of the delay in drive engagement
is in the nylon (?) pads on the business side of the clutch plate.
Possibly, the worm is mounted too far from the spur gear, but the other
'traditional' symptoms of this latter malady do not seem to be present
(severe wobble in RA being the one I know best). Does anyone know how I
might improve this? I am not at all afraid to remove the nylon and replace
it with something else; this of course begs the question, with what should
I replace it?

3) The drive motor operates quite erratically. This is not noticeable in
the eyepiece, probably due to the reduction gearing. At any rate, the drive
motor will operate slowly at first, then speed up dramatically, then slow
down; all this within 1 revolution. It is as though there is a 'tight spot'
and the motor strains to get past it. I am quite paranoid to mess with
anything near the optical regulator, but I really do feel a need to either
fix this, or get an assurance this is not something I need to worry about.
It has crossed my mind that my power source may be a non-trivial factor
here: so far I have only used a fresh set of alkaline AA batteries. What do
you all think?

4) The person who unloaded this scope indicated that as shipped, the drive
when turned on would make a series of ugly clicking noises. I interpreted
this as an indication of binding; the previous owner indicated that the
scope would not track at all, of course. When I tore off the drive cover, I
found the clutch plate brutally screwed down, and the backlash adjustment
screw tight beyond belief. Loosening these things eliminated the clicking
within the first few seconds that I owned the scope. Could this condition
have anything to do with (2) or (3) above?

5) Occasionally, the drive motor will race, at say 5x the diurnal speed. Why?

A long list, I know. I have delved into the archives extensively, and much
of the material there was helpful; as I said I have some ideas about how to
go about addressing these things. But I am posting in the hopes of getting
some advice tailored specifically to my own case. If replies are sent via
private e-mail, I will post a summary to MAPUG; when the tweaks are
completed on my scope, I will post a 'how-to' article. Fair trade?

Thanks everyone, have a good one!



--
Jeff Medkeff | Acting Assistant Coordinator
Rockland Observatory | Association of Lunar and Planetary
Sierra Vista, Arizona | Observers, Solar Section

On the web at http://shutter.vet.ohio-state.edu/

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