Hi all - I've had a Meade 8" SCT for well - 10+ years... It's been used very little. (and for sale) it's just to large for me to bring out and setup easily. Since I'm thinking of selling - I wanted to replace it with something I'd use.

I picked up a new 125PE. so far I really like it... but haven't had it outdoors etc.

I have some questions, if you'd be so kind to help. First - it was a good deal (695) new.
I'm wondering if it's because it's a blem? the tube looks like it didn't get a layer of BLUE during printing. See it here... (is this normal)?

http://www.portranet.com/ftp/125pe-tube.jpg

It's a brownish background sky - and nebula is a light pink wash. Looks nasty like someone took acetone to clean it. All the pics online show the background as blue. Mine appears the blue was never applied.

Next question. It allows 12v AC - I have a 12V adapter here, but afraid to try it (I don't want to fry it). The 12v adapter I have says.

120V 60hz 15w 12VDC 700ma (I suspect it should work) it also says that the enter pin is + and the surround is - (is this correct?)
The plug fits... but do I dare use it?

Lets see... I had other questions.

Oh - the fact that the laptop interface uses RS232 Seems obserd to me! (is this to support OLD software?) why not USB? anyway - ordered a USB to RS232 adapter... but is there any way to use it without this adapter? my dell laptop has only firewire, USB's and net connection.

Next: what software works with the interface other than the one that came with the scope? (which seems a bit crude). Does Starry night backward work with GO TO not he scope?

I think that's all for now (OH - I was surprised to see my eye pieces from my 8" SCT fit the 125! I thought the 125's would be smaller!
IS there a way I can use my older 8" sct t-adapter and camera mount on the 125? The back connection is smaller than my 8" SCT. I saw a ring on scopetronics that I THINK will adapt my 8" sct photo-t-adpater to the 125?

anything I should know? (good freeware etc?)
thanks!

Most stuff today still uses RS-232. Even my very expensive Paramount just puts a USB to RS-232 converter inside the mount. To use USB you have to take off a cover plate, exposing some very bright LEDs to get to the USB port. It must be left off as well so I put black tape over the LED's (Green not red!) The computer tells me its seeing a 232 to USB converter when attached using the USB port. Works fine just a kludge factor I too find annoying, at least they paid for the adapter, that's better than most do. My RoboFocus unit only takes RS-232 as well. I had to by a converter for it. Both connect to the same USB hub and get along fine, just be sure they are assigned to different com ports. Always use the same USB port. If you change ports the software likely will not find it or go into a new hardware -- install driver routine. Many other scopes do the same. In turn most control The Sky etc. all recognize only com ports not USB. Why I don't know.

On the adaptor you say the scope wants 12v AC while your adapter is DC. If they do something that needs AC, like an internal transformer for a switching power supply then it wouldn't work. Switching supplies are very common now though most would start from 110 at least. 12v could be a safety issue however. There are ETX user groups. Ask them or your dealer. Getting a reply from Meade can take forever unless they've improved.

Sounds like someone was asleep at the quality control station. I've seen lots of 90mm but no 125mm ETXs to know for sure. Dealer should be of help here.

Most scope control programs provide drivers for the ETX line. Their websites usually have a listing of scopes they work with.

Rick

The 12 V AC power requirement seems odd to me (haven't checked the specs online for your model). My ETX accepts 12V DC as it was made to accept input from a car cigarette lighter. Unless the scope specifies 12V AC/DC it is probably best not to plug in a DC supply. The supply is more likely to fry than the scope but why risk a near $700 piece of equipment due to a $15 power supply? (btw, + on the inner part and - on the outer shell is pretty much standard)

My ETX-125 is now considered "long in the tooth" I guess. It has only a blue finish on the optical tube. No graphics of the north america nebula. If the optics are fine, you wont see the graphics in the dark so what does it matter, in my opinion. The price you paid seems very discounted, but I have not shopped Meade for a number of years. Maybe they've come down. (Maybe mine was pricey due to some of the options I got; heavy-duty mount, Auto-star, etc)

My ETX is fairly heavy and has a heavy-duty tripod mount (don't recall the model number) and so is not particularly light and portable. Still, its a great little scope, so hopefully you will enjoy yours as much as I have mine.

Apparently all of the astro tube ETXs on sale recently are at such a low price because of blemishes or errors on the tube graphics. Still, they are a good deal.

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