TheSkySearchers

Hello I have Meade 4.5" reflecting scope. I bought it 10+ years ago. When I had chance to use it, I've seen the rings of Saturn, various moon positions of Jupiter. Then it has been packed away for last few years. Now I have a little more "free" time , I got it back out. I polar alighned it to Polaris. Then the handheld controller StarFinder, went to VEGA for second star align. Except something is definitly OFF. I have SKY GUIDE on my iphone so I know where VEGA is located. When the scope is done slewing to VEGA, which is 30 degrees up from horizon 90 degrees from POLARIS. Except my scope is pointing at 60degrees and slightly downward. The motors must think VEGA is below the horizon. New batteries didnt help. I know this isnt a real good scope but i've seen some nice things with it. Maybe lil later on after I know enough of the shortcomings I'll get a better scope, but for now.....

Thank You,
Bruce

Can you post the model number of the telescope.
Check your location information and make sure you are inputting it correctly.
Some require location to be in D,M,S or decimal degrees.
Also make sure you current time is accurate.

Welcome to the forums and hopefully this is sorted soon.

It may have just dawned to me that when storing away I did a no no. I unattached the Dec motor and worm gear. I dissasembled the Dec motor/worm gear and set scope tube north. Then I made sure degree pointer was pointed to zero. I carefully reattached worm gear so as to not move Dec alignment. I reattached Dec motor back to worm gear housing. I'll know shortly if corrected

Its a Meade 4504

BruceY19 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 04, 2020 6:36 pm It may have just dawned to me that when storing away I did a no no. I unattached the Dec motor and worm gear. I dissasembled the Dec motor/worm gear and set scope tube north. Then I made sure degree pointer was pointed to zero. I carefully reattached worm gear so as to not move Dec alignment. I reattached Dec motor back to worm gear housing. I'll know shortly if corrected

Its a Meade 4504

That sounds like you may have solved the problem!

With my phones app, lil tweaking. In my basement as fowl weather bad blowing by. polar aligned first star best I could with iPhone app. Second star Arcturus went in general direction but still lil off. Tell it to go back to Polaris, lil off. Like my viewing terms, LOL. I think after this storm is history and clear night is only way to properly see whats going on. But at least fixing that DEC worm drive got me back in the neighborhood

Question. The stock focuser the Meade 4504 takes a 0.96something eyepiece . Can I "upgrade" to a 1.25" focuser? Or is it moot point with this scope?

Check with this guy. https://telescope-warehouse.com/ I would suggest calling him to inquire. I'm pretty sure he has what you are looking for.

Ask for Bill and be sure to tell him you found him on TheSkySearchers.com forum.

Gordon wrote: ↑Wed Aug 05, 2020 6:33 pm Check with this guy. https://telescope-warehouse.com/ I would suggest calling him to inquire. I'm pretty sure he has what you are looking for.

Ask for Bill and be sure to tell him you found him on TheSkySearchers.com forum.

PS for the money the scope you have is pretty good. I would say it's worth the investment to use the better/larger eyepieces as those will work with any scope you might upgrade to.