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Subject: [M]: RE: LX200/416XT difficulties(!)
From: Michael Hart
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Fri Dec 26 00:27:54 1997
On Thursday, December 25, 1997 3:00 PM, liua@ix.netcom.com wrote:
First, I can only guess your level of CCD experience. Knowing this will
help myself and others with future responses. However, I have been using
a similar telescope/imager setup as yourself going on 4 years. I don't recall
any recent posts from you, so I'll assume you may be new to MAPUG
and/or have not have looked at Ed Stewart's MAPUG Topical Archives at:
http://www.austin.cc.tx.us/astro-ES/AstroDesigns/MAPUG/ArhvList.htm
I advise everyone, new or old to the MAPUG list to look at Ed Stewart's site.
Many problems have been covered before and many have taken the time to
write up solutions that have worked for them. Thanks to Ed, those that don't
read everything on this list can find help.
> Happy Holidays all
>
> But not here I'm afraid. I am having some difficulty and am getting increasingly frustrated. I
> have a 12" LX200 and the 416XT CCD camera. I have them mounted on the roof of my house in a dome
> and connected to a P233MMX devoted essentially exclusively to the telescope. I use Sky IV to
> drive the scope. Sadly, this happy setup does not ever seem to work. I have had multiple
> problems with the LX200, generally small plastic doodads breaking (most recently an O ring in the
> focus knob, took 5 wks to get the part from Meade),
I don't recall a focuser o-ring, but I would advise a good hardware store or bearing
supply house for a future small parts replacements of this nature.
> and have been unsatisfied with the ability to
> focus the 416. I have spent countless hours working on the thing, and many non-toll free calls to
> meade with little gain. At this point,I am unable to even establish a serial link to the Sky
> software, and since replacing the focus knob cannot get critical focus.
The focus knob position is fixed with set screws that control the backlash of the focus
mechanism. With excessive backlash, you will have difficulty maintaining focus, in part
because my 12" (probably yours as well) has an assist spring under the mirror that will
cause loss of focus with excessive backlash. See the MAPUG Topical Archives covering
focuser backlash adjustment at the direct address below:
http://www.austin.cc.tx.us/astro-ES/AstroDesigns/MAPUG/FocusBkL.htm
> problem with collimation, but the problem is that the image remains fuzzy, and the center of my
> out-of-focus donut seems to be aligned. I have had a total of three wonderful nights where
> everything worked, but despite doing everything the same (same hardware settings, same software,
> same alignment stars, same socks etc.) can't get it to work again. I apologize profusely for the
> length of this post, but I am really at my wits end and any and all suggestions would be
> appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance and happy new year
>
> Deke
>
>
--
Michael Hart
Husen Observatory
mhart@netexpress.net