Meade ETX-70 FAQ

1. My scope is broken/missing peices help!
2. The top of the tripod seems lose, how can I secure it?
3. How do i set the scope up in equatorial mode?
4. How to I attach a camera (piggyback) to the scope?
5. After I set the date and time and start the easy alignmnet the scope does not point close to the guide star and alignment fails, whats wrong?

1. My scope is broken/missing peices help!

The first thing to do is to take it back to where you bought it and try to get the issue sorted out. For those who brought the scope from lidl, you should also contact the customer service dept mentioned in the Manual. In case your manual is missing (!) its - Lidl Service Center, Great Britain/Ireland, Anglo Overseas s, 609 London Road, GB West Thurrock, RM20 3BJ. Tel: +44 1708688866
albertw

2. The top of the tripod seems lose, how can I secure it?

The circular metal disc at the top of the supplied tripod is attached by three screws. These are only barely long enough to catch and are liable to become unsecure even with over tightening.

The best solution is to go to a hardware store and buy some M5 sized bolts.

Unscrew the center colum of the tripod, unscrew the handle, and unsrew the three tripod legs. You will then be able to unscrew, with an allen key, the screws attaching to the metal plate. Replace these with the M5 once you have just bought, you may need to cut them to size or to use washers or nuts to get at good fit.

Put the whole lot back together again and the scope should be much more solid.
albertw

3. How do i set the scope up in equatorial mode?

You will need to do this if you want to use the scope for long exposure astrophotography. Although the telescope will track in regular alt-az (up down left right) mode, the image will rotate over time.

To solve this you need the scope to move exactly to counter the rotation of the Earth.

Commercially there are several "Wedges" available either as part of tripods or standalone. searching on online astronomy shops for "ETX-70 wedge" should yeild plenty of options.

However this is something that you can build yourself from some peices of wood, a good hinge and some nuts and bolts. An example of which is at www.weasner.com/etx/techtips/etx70-wedge.html

The basic principle of how a wedge works is explaind in this diagram:

(Thanks to Michael Scully for pointing out the correct angle here, as he says "If you were Santa on the North pole (and had time for observing!) then the base would be horizontal, ie 90deg - Latitude of 90 deg = 0 deg in your diagram.")
albertw

4. How to I attach a camera (piggyback) to the scope?

Several suppliers including scopetronics in the US sell rings with a tripod thread to attach a camera to like so:

Note however that in this image there is a counterweight at the eyepiece end to keep the scope balanced and to not strain the motors. You will probably need to include this if you take a DIY approach.
albertw

5. After I set the date and time and start the easy alignmnet the scope does not point close to the guide star and alignment fails, whats wrong?

This usually occurs when your location is not set properly. Check in the manual for how to select site.
~albertw

Hi,

I'm unlocking this thread in the hope that as those of you with ETX-70's work out things that are of use to others you can post them in a FAQ format here and I'll add them to the main document.

Also for the more experienced, please review what is there from time to time in case inacurracies (or simply wrong facts!) slip in.

Cheers,
~Al

Would it be possible or prctical to set the etx equatorially by adjusting the tripod legs until the scope is at the requiered angle? : or is this idea just plain crazy!

The scope is fairly top heavy, one small knock and it would go over and smash of the ground.

Regarding questions -
every time i switch on the hand controller says "initialising", have to do the sun confirmation, bypass the detail instructions, enter the time ( and date if next day) to get to the align option. Is it supposed to do this every time or have i missed some confirmation entry somewhere or got a sequence wrong?

You do have to do the setup each time you power on. The telescope does not have a battery backed memory.However, the setup should take only two minutes or so.

I have an external power pack which supplies 12 v. Is there a connection anywhere on the unit to connect this external source. I have looked hard but cannot see one. I have seen connecters on sale but cannot find anywhere on scope to plug it in.
Regards and Clear Skies
Peter