Hi all. I just wanted to share yet another bad experience I had today with Meade customer service. I’ve had an LXD 650 mount for a five-inch apo that has almost never worked properly. It (the mount) has been returned to Meade for service on at least five different occasions and has even sometimes been returned to me in a non-working condition. I called today to see if there’s anything they could do to help me out and the response, in so many words, was, “No.” All they would offer was to suggest that I buy yet another sh$%!@tty Meade mount to replace the one I own. This is a typical experience for me with Meade customer service. I have never had a good experience with their service department. I would NEVER purchase another Meade product, and if one were given to me I would sell it immediately and buy a Celestron product with the cash. I hope this doesn’t offend anyone, but I’m enormously disappointed (pi__ed-off would be more accurate) with Meade and I’m extremely offended and angry by their nonchalant attitude toward their badly manufactured products and dissatisfied customers. I think my astronomy friends, especially anyone considering purchasing a new scope or mount, should be aware of Meade’s way of doing business. BTW, my brother has had similar experiences after purchasing both a 12-inch SCT and a 14-inch SCT. Both scopes spent more time at Meade for warranty repairs than they did in his possession. OK, now I feel better for getting that off my chest. I am now in the market for a suitable replacement mount, but I don’t have much money. If anyone has something that would work and would consider some kind of trade, please let me know. Kim
Do you know what, specifically, is wrong with the mount, Kim? I might be willing to make you a "salvage" offer on it. On 7/26/10, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
I am now in the market for a suitable replacement mount, but I don’t have much money. If anyone has something that would work and would consider some kind of trade, please let me know.
Chuck, the mount just has a mind of its own. When I power it up it usually doesn't do anything. Just now I turned it on with the usual result - the hand controller turned on but nothing would work. I left it on for awhile then when I went back to see if anything had happened I found that the RA motor had suddenly decided to slew to who-knows-what and continued to run even when it ran into an obstacle. There's been no consistency in the way it works - or doesn't work. So, the short answer to your question is, I don't know what specifically is wrong. I would be happy to use it if I could just get the RA and Dec controls to work. I don't care about the go-to stuff. Any ideas? Kim -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 5:12 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Meade products Do you know what, specifically, is wrong with the mount, Kim? I might be willing to make you a "salvage" offer on it. On 7/26/10, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
I am now in the market for a suitable replacement mount, but I don't have much money. If anyone has something that would work and would consider some kind of trade, please let me know.
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Kim, honestly, In light of Meade's total lack of support, I'd probably convert it to AC synchronous operation, and lose the GoTo. Retrofit it to 25-year-old technology, with a 12VDC dec. motor. At least it would be useable. PM me if you want to discuss a sale.
What exact mount is it? Dan On Jul 26, 2010, at 6:44 PM, Kim wrote:
Chuck, the mount just has a mind of its own. When I power it up it usually doesn't do anything. Just now I turned it on with the usual result - the hand controller turned on but nothing would work. I left it on for awhile then when I went back to see if anything had happened I found that the RA motor had suddenly decided to slew to who-knows-what and continued to run even when it ran into an obstacle. There's been no consistency in the way it works - or doesn't work. So, the short answer to your question is, I don't know what specifically is wrong.
I would be happy to use it if I could just get the RA and Dec controls to work. I don't care about the go-to stuff. Any ideas?
Kim
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 5:12 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Meade products
Do you know what, specifically, is wrong with the mount, Kim?
I might be willing to make you a "salvage" offer on it.
On 7/26/10, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
I am now in the market for a suitable replacement mount, but I don't have much money. If anyone has something that would work and would consider some kind of trade, please let me know.
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
-- Daniel Holmes, danielh@holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin
The nitty-gritty work and the rewards of astrophotography: http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/47/10009578/Nightly-news-astronomy-The-Lagoo... Thanks, Joe
I still think Joe should receive some sort of "Most Determined" astroimager award. :) patrick On 26 Jul 2010, at 22:06, Joe Bauman wrote:
The nitty-gritty work and the rewards of astrophotography:
http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/47/10009578/Nightly-news-astronomy-The-Lagoo...
Thanks, Joe
That's kind of you, Patrick. If I didn't blunder so much it would be easier, though. -- Thanks, Joe --- On Mon, 7/26/10, Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> wrote: From: Patrick Wiggins <paw@wirelessbeehive.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] A blog To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, July 26, 2010, 10:12 PM I still think Joe should receive some sort of "Most Determined" astroimager award. :) patrick On 26 Jul 2010, at 22:06, Joe Bauman wrote:
The nitty-gritty work and the rewards of astrophotography:
http://www.deseretnews.com/blog/47/10009578/Nightly-news-astronomy-The-Lagoo...
Thanks, Joe
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Response to questions that I couldn't get to yesterday: The mount is an LXD 650, "computer drive system, LX quartz - DC servo motor, smart drive." When it last worked properly both motors were running fine, then it suddenly began to slew wildly and hasn't worked properly since. I suspect, therefore, that the problem is in the electronics or "smart drive" system (whatever that is). Some of you may recall that Meade, being ever-so-contraire, built all their drives during that period to run on 18V DC rather than 12V DC. (Do they still do that?) I've tried powering it from both a 12V source and from house current with a Meade 18V transformer, but no difference. Meade actually sent a second hand controller some time back so I have two; neither works. The mount will power up and the hand controller light up but nothing will function. Again, I suspect internal electronics are the problem. Chuck, I'll get back to you off-list. I may want to sell or see if someone with the know-how can make it operable. At this point I don't care if I have go-to capability or not. Kim
Kim: Sorry for all the aggrivation. Have you looked online for cures? The Meade Advanced Products Users Group? There is also a very small group on Yahoo groups for the 650 and 750. The MAUPAG group has a ton of information about the old handbox (which are getting as rare as hens teeth) but most applies to the LX200's. Cloudy Nights has several members who own or have owned 750's and 650's. You might try some of these leads if nothing else. Steve
From: kimharch@cut.net To: utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:01:53 -0600 Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Meade mount
Response to questions that I couldn't get to yesterday:
The mount is an LXD 650, "computer drive system, LX quartz - DC servo motor, smart drive." When it last worked properly both motors were running fine, then it suddenly began to slew wildly and hasn't worked properly since. I suspect, therefore, that the problem is in the electronics or "smart drive" system (whatever that is). Some of you may recall that Meade, being ever-so-contraire, built all their drives during that period to run on 18V DC rather than 12V DC. (Do they still do that?) I've tried powering it from both a 12V source and from house current with a Meade 18V transformer, but no difference. Meade actually sent a second hand controller some time back so I have two; neither works. The mount will power up and the hand controller light up but nothing will function. Again, I suspect internal electronics are the problem. Chuck, I'll get back to you off-list. I may want to sell or see if someone with the know-how can make it operable. At this point I don't care if I have go-to capability or not.
Kim
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
BTW, I LOVE my CGEM. It worked perfectly right-out-of-the-box. That said, Celestron's customer service is lacking, as well, though their products might have a better track record as far as quality control. The CD that came with the mount, for computer control, was broken. Repeated calls have assured me that a replacement was being mailed right out. It's been nearly two months and I still don't have my CD. Not that I want to control the mount from a laptop (I don't), but I DO want what I paid for.
participants (6)
-
Chuck Hards -
Daniel Holmes -
Joe Bauman -
Kim -
Patrick Wiggins -
Steve FISHER