Hi I have a new LX 200 GPS and when I am trying to tighten the chrome mirror locking knob, it suddenly becomes slack and the knob can be actually be screwed off the focusing shaft - thus preventing it from tightening to a firm feel.
Could it be that the hex screw holding the knob to the shaft has come loose and thus when I try to tighten the lock, the knob screws off the shaft instead to locking the mirror?
I would suspect damage to the mirror lock assembly if the chrome locking knob IS firmly attached to the focusing shaft (doesn't screw off) and gradually turning it counterclockwise doesn't make it firmer but looser. However, in my case, turning it counterclockwise produces the result of a gradual tightening and then, sudden slackening but the knob itself unscrews from the shaft....
Am I right in my analysis? Or could it be that I have overtightened the lock somehow and the assembly needs repairing?
LX 200 GPS mirror lock - anybody with any experience in this
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chris shaw
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2003 5:16 pm
- Location: Newton area
Hi,
I have noticed something similar with my LX200 GPS if I "play" with the miror lock when the tube is close to horizontal.
By carefully screwing back with the tube aiming up, gravity pushes the miror down and the screw reattached itself.
I then stopped touching the miror lock knob if the tube is horizontal.
I do not know if this adresses your problem, it's just my personal experience,
Cheers
Jean-Yves
I have noticed something similar with my LX200 GPS if I "play" with the miror lock when the tube is close to horizontal.
By carefully screwing back with the tube aiming up, gravity pushes the miror down and the screw reattached itself.
I then stopped touching the miror lock knob if the tube is horizontal.
I do not know if this adresses your problem, it's just my personal experience,
Cheers
Jean-Yves
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chris shaw
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2003 5:16 pm
- Location: Newton area
Dear Jean
What do you mean? You said 'the screw reattach itself'. Are you talking about the hex screw on the mirror lock knob?
When you turn your mirror lock knob counterclockwise, the mirror lock knob should get tighter and tighter and then stop.
But for my scope, the lock knob gets tighter and tighter and then it comes loose. So loose in fact that it can be screwed off!!!
Is this due to the mirror lock knob having a loose hex screw?
Also, can I function the scope without engaging the mirror lock at all? Or is the mirror lock very important? I can focus using the microfocuser and I don't see much mirror slop at all even with the mirror unlocked....
Chris
What do you mean? You said 'the screw reattach itself'. Are you talking about the hex screw on the mirror lock knob?
When you turn your mirror lock knob counterclockwise, the mirror lock knob should get tighter and tighter and then stop.
But for my scope, the lock knob gets tighter and tighter and then it comes loose. So loose in fact that it can be screwed off!!!
Is this due to the mirror lock knob having a loose hex screw?
Also, can I function the scope without engaging the mirror lock at all? Or is the mirror lock very important? I can focus using the microfocuser and I don't see much mirror slop at all even with the mirror unlocked....
Chris
Hi Chris,
Just turn the knob counter clockwise until it is "not loose", this is enough to hold the miror in place.
If it feels tight, you went too far ...
Mirror lock is a very nice feature for astrophoto.
You definitelly can observe without it : the LX200 line before the GPS series did not have it.
Cheers
Jean-Yves
Just turn the knob counter clockwise until it is "not loose", this is enough to hold the miror in place.
If it feels tight, you went too far ...
Mirror lock is a very nice feature for astrophoto.
You definitelly can observe without it : the LX200 line before the GPS series did not have it.
Cheers
Jean-Yves
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chris shaw
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2003 5:16 pm
- Location: Newton area
Dear Jean
Do you know who is technically proficient in dealing with Meade scopes here in Singapore? I want him to look at my mirror lock to make sure nothing is wrong with it....
I actually wrote to Clay Sherrod and he thinks that my mirror lock has come undone inside and needs to be adjusted and tightened but I have to remove the locking assembly from the OTA. I'm not really mechanically proficient....
I also don't want to do something that isn't necessary since it may just be the hex screw that has stripped threads or something...
Chris
Do you know who is technically proficient in dealing with Meade scopes here in Singapore? I want him to look at my mirror lock to make sure nothing is wrong with it....
I actually wrote to Clay Sherrod and he thinks that my mirror lock has come undone inside and needs to be adjusted and tightened but I have to remove the locking assembly from the OTA. I'm not really mechanically proficient....
I also don't want to do something that isn't necessary since it may just be the hex screw that has stripped threads or something...
Chris
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chris shaw
- Posts: 97
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2003 5:16 pm
- Location: Newton area