Meade ETX-60/70 - Finder/Guidescope

[OICURMT]

Thinking about buying a Meade ETX-60 or ETX-70 and removing the OTA to make a guidescope. I quite like the integrated flip mirror, but have a question...

Does anyone have experience with the flip mirror system? I think it would make an ideal finder for visual and then you can flip the mirror up with a guide camera out the back.

My main concerns are mirror flop while viewing versus what the camera would see for guilding (the idea is that I can see potential candidates for guiding prior to engaging PhD).


Thoughts?
OIC!

[Barrykgerdes]

It's a messy job to remove the OTA because the pivots are integral. I have an ETX70 that broke its drive mechanism and salvaged the scope. I had to cut the pivots off and clean it up but it still looks rough.

The focus control is a bit iffy. It moves the object lens back and forward and can be hard to get back together if you wind the lens too far forward and off the rod.

However the optics are reasonable for this type of simple scope. and the flip mirror works OK. The straight through position has an odd thread I had to make an adapter for it.

Pity you are so far away. You could have borrowed it to try!

Barry

[OICURMT]

Thanks for the info. Think I'll give up on this one then. I was hoping to get a reasonable setup and have a mount for my PST.