Telescope Questions & Reviews

[emperor_of_localgroup]

@Eddie and BBrock:<br />i have eyepieces from 4mm to 32 mm, they fit into a diagonal, and there is no problem with eyepieces. i can focus the scope at distant tree leaves. <br /><br />the brochure says the scope comes collimated, that's why i haven't tried collimation myself. i just found out there is a tool i can use for collimation of nexstar scope. may be i'll get one of those tools. and thanks for the collimation links. just one more dumb question. if i adjust my finderscope (star pointer cross-hair) to a star, shouldn't i see the star through the eyepiece without more adjustment? well, that doesn't seem to happen. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#ff0000"><strong>Earth is Boring</strong></font> </div>

 

[toothferry]

Hi there. That was an unusual problem with the eyepieces at low power. Bet your happy its all fixed now! <br /><br />Anyhow, has anyone used the Orion EasyFinder-II red-dot reflex site with their telescope? After I let my dobsonian setup for a few months without use, I got it out for a stunningly clear sky night, but the red-dot had gone out; "darn I must of left it on", I thought. [No big deal, I'll just get a new battery and use my 50mm finderscope in the mean time] And so I replaced the 3V Lithium battery for the second time in a year- this time <i />without success.</i> <br /><br />I checked with Orion and they said the ez-finder needed to be replaced. I'm certainly not going to loose sleep over having to replace an inexpensive ez-finder, but was just wondering if they routinely go out like that. Does anyone have one, and how many times have you been able to replace the battery to bring it back to life again. thanks, tF

 

[bbrock]

Emperor --- You need to align the finderscope and the telescope on the same target. Once this is done, you will most likely need to make small adjustments each time you go out to observe. I suggust you use a high power EP on a bright star. Polaris is a good target because it doesn't move much, but it's difficult to align with Polaris using an equatorial mount telescope. Find the star in the EP first, then adjust the crosshair of the finderscope to the same star. Once this is done, you should be OK. <br /><br />Regarding the Orion EZ Finder ll, I own two of them and I have never needed to change the batteries. I do make certain I turn them off. It was my understanding that you could change the batteries if they ever did run down. I have never had to replace any EZ Finder's. I would think that if the electronics went bad, that Orion would replace it. I don't know the circumstances. I do know that my two telescopes have both a finderscope and EZ Finder ponter. The combination of the two are awsome for locating and finding. <br /><br />Clear Skies<br />Bill

 

[toothferry]

I'm thinking the ez-finder may have been defective because when I first received it, it didn't work at all, and I had to swap the battery (thinking it must have been left on somehow before shipment). <br /><br />After that it worked just fine.. up until recently, and this time my battery swap didn't fix it. I don't explictly remember leaving it on, but assumed it would have been the only way to drain the battery down. But I think its the electronics that are bad now since the new battery didn't help.

 

[bbrock]

toothferry<br /><br />If I were you, I would get on Orion's web site, customer service - and send a E-Mail to Technical Support. I would state exactly what you just posted on this thread. Orion is super about product support. If they deny support or exchange, it would have to be for a very good reason. ( Sort of like -- If you tried to fix it with a hammer. ) <br /><br />Clear Skies<br />Bill<br />

 

[nevers]

I was warned - but I did it anyway. Some of you may know this story: last July I had my little Orion 100mm AstroView set up in my backyard. Daylight came and I left it set up so I could use it again the next night. Well, during the day, something caused it to fall over. I woke up to find it lying on the ground. The 'scope looked fine visually but "mechanically" I wasn't sure (I discovered at a much later date it was indeed all right) but one of the mounting tangs had broken off and I didn't think it was repairable and I thought it was ruined forever. I was very upset and the first thing I did was to go that day and find the first refractor I could to replace it with.<br /><br />What I ended up getting was Meade's LXD55-AR5 with Autostar at a cost of about $700. It looks very impressive all set up. I'll say this up front in case your already bored - imho - don't get one.<br /><br />The instructions are very poor. I had trouble with the alignment at first. Turns out the tripod has to be almost exactly level to get it work close to correct. They don't mention that. The tripod leg-extension lock-down screws are made of the cruddiest metal imaginable - after a few months they were all but stripped out. I had to replace them. One day the motors froze - I had to send it back to the factory. The off/on switch for the illuminated reticle is poorly designed. The focuser has already gotten some backlash. The finderscope adjustments are a pain.<br /><br />About alignment and the Autostar: You know, you'd think that if you've gone through the trouble of marking and exact spot to set the 'scope up and then you get it all aligned and everything and the next day you take it out and set it in the exact same spot that the darn thing would perform as it did the day before - not so. It's always off and always needs to be realigned.<br /><br />Tonight I "Parked" the 'scope. Then later, came out and turned it on making sure I input the correct time (the date was still the same). I said: "GoTo M