GOTO - MEADE CONVERSION

GoldfishPanda wrote:
There has been talk about buying the Nexstar 114GT and using the mount with
existing telescopes (it is apparently on sale at cosco).

Anyone know if there is any conversion kits to use one of those 60mm
refractor goto scopes from Meade (about $168).

I wanna figure out a cheap goto for my StarMayx 127

I had a look at one last night. I was hoping it was the f/9 newt. It is
in fact the f/4.5 newt with a barlow at the end of the focuser. As far
as you Starmax 127, it might just fit the rings on this mount. It's got
to be of similar weight and diameter... and definitely shorter than the
newt.

Eric.

I had a look at one last night. I was hoping it was the f/9 newt. It is
in fact the f/4.5 newt with a barlow at the end of the focuser. As far
as you Starmax 127, it might just fit the rings on this mount. It's got
to be of similar weight and diameter... and definitely shorter than the
newt.

So, you are referring to the MEade scope then? The 4 inch Newt?

My scope is fatter, bit if I put rings around it it may. I was hoping to
hear from someone who had done something similiar so I could know. I am
afraid Wal-Mart may get upset if I open a box and lay it all out on the
floor

"GoldfishPanda" wrote in message ...
There has been talk about buying the Nexstar 114GT and using the mount with
existing telescopes (it is apparently on sale at cosco).

Anyone know if there is any conversion kits to use one of those 60mm
refractor goto scopes from Meade (about $168).

I wanna figure out a cheap goto for my StarMayx 127

You'd probably be better-off adapting the 114GT because the head's design
is more conducive to such adaptation. Visit http://www.alpineastro.com for
more information.

A bit over a year ago I bought two DS-80AT scopes at Costco (mostly for the
#497 Autostar and the motors) for the same price as the 114GT with the intent
of adapting them for other OTAs. Surprisingly, the OTA was "reasonable" and
with some simple fixes and some other mods I converted them into usable
instruments (see http://www.thadlabs.com/DS-80AT/ (only JPGs there)).

I "almost" got one of the DS-80 mounts to support an Apex/StarMax 127 but it
was clearly obvious the mount's design was incorrect to support a 127 which
would have to be positioned f-a-r off the altitude axis no matter what type
of counterbalancing tricks I could conjure-up. In summary, the DS mount is
good only for OTAs that can be secured within the existing cradle and whose
"center of gravity" is (or can be made) coincident with the altitude axis.

With all that said, many people have taken the #497 and DS motors and applied
them to other mounts (such as EQ-3 and Orion's AstroView, SkyViewPro, and the
SkyView Deluxe) which will handle the Apex/StarMax 127 nicely. Check out the
Yahoo group(s) "roboscope" and similar. Also do a Google search.