Dear Mr Doyle
This time in German!
Normally repairs are carried out by your Dealer.
When this is not possible, you can send us the mounting and I can set the game for you. However this will incur a charge.
I can however explain to you what the issue is.
The worm gear/screw (?) has a horizontal clearance/bearing play (?) and moves back and forth in its mounting/suspension. This can be set. For this, you have to remove the Motor/engine for example in the RA (?). It is bolted on through the mounting from behind and though. Then you will see a brass nut which is screwed onto an adjusting nut. This brass nut. serves to tighten the adjusting nut. Loosen this brass nut with a 17mm spanner and turn the adjusting nut until the worm gear/screw no longer moves back and forth/has any give. You will have to be very careful in doing this and keep the drive running smoothly. You may have to repeat this several times until you get it. Then tighten up the brass nut. All done.
Sorry for my broken English!

Hope this helps, didn’t get much time to work on it
Yvo

2009/10/16 Paul Doyle Dit Mail Thanks!

Sehr geehrter Herr Doyle.

Hier noch mal in deutsch!
Normalerweise werden Reparaturen von Ihrem Händler erledigt.
Wenn dies nicht möglich ist können Sie uns die Montierung zusenden und ich
stelle Ihnen das Spiel ein. Allerdings gegen Berechnung.
Ich kann Ihnen aber auch sagen woran es liegt.
Die Schnecke hat ein horizontales Spiel und bewegt sich in ihrer Lagerung hin und her.
Das kann man einstellen. Dazu müssen Sie den Motor z. B. in der RA entfernen. Er ist
von hinten durch die Montierung hindurch verschraubt. Nun sehen Sie eine Messing
Mutter die auf eine Stellmutter geschraubt ist. Die Messingmutter dient zum Kontern der
Stellmutter. Öffnen Sie mit einem 17 mm Gabelschlüssel diese Messingmutter und ziehen
die Stellmutter so lange nach bis sich die Schnecke nicht mehr hin und her bewegt. Das
muss sehr feinfühlig geschehen und der Antrieb muss leichtgängig bleiben. Eventuell müssen
Sie hier mehrmals versuchen bis es passt. Dann kontern Sie die Messingmutter. Fertig.

Sorry for my broken english!!

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Achim Mros

——————————

Paul Doyle http://www.nightsky.ie

Here I am 6 months on I’m still setting it up properly. Not a great start. Perhaps the main issue is that you don’t want to get it wrong. This is a rather expensive piece of equipment, and lets face it, you don’t want to something silly like drop a metal ring on the mirror. Yeah, I really regret doing that…..

The first issue.

The tiny screw needed to hold the counter weight broke off immediately. Those weights are heavy! But my foot managed a daring escape. So I cannot “balance” the telescope

oops!

So I managed a temporary fix, took it to Donegal and marveled at an amazing sky. Stunning! The the second issue….

The eyepiece you insert into the telescope decided it should separate from the metal ring holding it in place. CLANG! I reckon that’s not good for the mirror…No picture could describe this one!

So it still seemed to focus OK and I borrowed a new eyepiece when I got home and started to try to zoom in on Jupiter. The third issue….

There is a “wobble” in the mount. The telescope can be locked in position and when that happens it does not move. Or should not move! I have a tiny movement on each axis which causes Jupiter to dance in an out of the field of view with a slight touch. Not a great idea…Try doing your Polar alignment now! (yes there is lots of jargon in these books)

The Wobble

So I contacted Meade in Germany gave them a nice description of the issues above and they eventually gave me a lovely supportive reply. Let me quote.

Dear Mr. Doyle,

please contact your dealer for this problem. Thank you.

Mit freundlichem Gruß / Best regards

So next I find that Astroshop.de are the ones I should be talking to (fair enough!). The listened to my sad story, and immediately sent me a replacement eyepiece, screw, and some jelly beans (honest to god!). So what about that mirror guys? Still waiting…

I did get some noddy suggestion about training the motor which is NOT the issue, and decided to mention that to them. But this is the reply…If you can decode it PLEASE let me know.

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Mr. Doyle.

Who is their dealer?
I can only say at which points it to you lie!
The worm shaft moves horizontal back and forth.
Here there is a brass mother system with that to adjust you the play easily can.
In addition you must remove the mount. They can send us also installing and I stop you the shifting.
That can take place naturally only against computation.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Achim Mros

______________________________________________________

Eh, my move I think. I’m open to suggestions!