Using a Meade ETX-60AT Without Its Autostar: Manual Mode, Power and Accessories

The original post on this site was a used-sale listing for a Meade ETX-60 telescope. The seller tested it with an Autostar handset borrowed from another ETX, but the Autostar itself was not included. The listing came with a dew shield, a dust cap, the AA battery holder and a home-made mains adapter. This rewrite explains what that means for anyone who owns, or is thinking of buying, an ETX-60AT without its Autostar. Every specification below comes from Meade’s ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT instruction manual.

Key specifications from Meade’s manual

• Optical design: achromatic refractor
• Focal length: 350 mm
• Focal ratio: f/5.8
• Near focus: about 15 ft (4.6 m), according to the specification table
• Supplied eyepiece example: a 25 mm eyepiece gives 14x (350 ÷ 25)
• Power: six AA batteries, supplied by the user, in a compartment on top of the drive base

The “AT” in the name stands for the Autostar version of the telescope, sold with the Autostar hand controller.

Can you use it without the Autostar?

Yes. Meade’s manual has a section called “Manual Operation of the Telescope without Autostar”. It explains that for a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you can simply point the telescope and look through the eyepiece. Set the telescope on a table or tripod, loosen the locks, aim it and focus.

How the locks work

The manual describes two locks:

• Vertical lock: turning it counterclockwise lets you move the tube up and down by hand. Turning it clockwise, to a “firm feel” only, stops manual movement and engages the vertical motor for Autostar operation.
• Horizontal lock: turning it counterclockwise lets you rotate the telescope left and right by hand. Turning it clockwise engages the horizontal motor for Autostar operation.

So without the Autostar, you leave the locks loose enough to move the telescope yourself, then tighten them gently to hold it in place while you look.

What the Autostar adds

Meade’s manual explains that you plug the Autostar coil cord into the handbox (HBX) port on the computer control panel. With an Autostar connected and the telescope aligned, the mount can move to objects and track them automatically. Without it, the telescope is a manually pointed refractor, and you follow objects by nudging the tube yourself. If you want the GoTo features, you need a compatible Autostar handset.

Powering the telescope

The manual is clear that the ETX-60AT runs on six AA batteries, which you install in the battery holder in the compartment on top of the drive base. The holder connects to the telescope with a 9v-style connector plug. It warns users to:

• Install batteries the right way round, as shown on the battery holder.
• Follow the battery manufacturer’s precautions.

The seller in the original listing had made their own adapter from a wall transformer and a 9V-style battery connector. That is not a Meade part, and Meade’s manual does not describe it. If you buy a used telescope with a home-made adapter, treat it with caution: check the voltage and polarity before you plug it in, or use fresh AA batteries as Meade intends.

The dew shield and dust cap

Meade’s manual lists a #670 Dew Shield as an optional accessory. It threads into the front cell of the telescope and, in moist climates, significantly reduces dew forming on the lens. The manual also says to replace the dust cap after each session, but only once any dew that collected during the night has evaporated.

Magnification

Magnification equals the telescope’s focal length divided by the eyepiece’s focal length. Meade’s manual uses the 25 mm eyepiece as its example: 350 ÷ 25 = 14x. The short focal length gives wide, low-power views, which suits scanning star fields, the Moon and daytime scenes.

Photography

The manual explains that the optional #64ST T-Adapter couples a camera body to the telescope at a focal length of 350 mm and an effective photographic speed of f/5.8 for the ETX-60. It also notes that in this format some darkening (vignetting) appears in the corners of a 35 mm frame.

Checking a used ETX-60AT

• Locks: both should loosen and tighten smoothly without forcing.
• Power: fit six fresh AA batteries and check the motors respond when an Autostar is connected.
• Optics: look for haze, fungus or scratches on the front lens.
• Missing parts: if there is no Autostar, budget for one if you want GoTo pointing.

Safety

Never point the telescope at the Sun without a proper solar filter covering the front lens. Children should observe with adult supervision.

Quick summary

• The ETX-60AT is a 350 mm, f/5.8 achromatic refractor.
• It works by hand without the Autostar: loosen the locks, point and focus.
• The Autostar adds automatic pointing and tracking through the HBX port.
• Meade specifies six AA batteries; be careful with home-made adapters.
• The #670 Dew Shield reduces dew on the front lens.

Jargon buster

• Autostar: Meade’s computerised hand controller for pointing and tracking.
• HBX port: the socket where the Autostar cord plugs in.
• Dew shield: a tube extension that helps stop dew forming on the lens.
• Vignetting: darkening at the corners of a photograph.