I have a Meade ETX-70AT scope that I inherited from a neighbor years ago. It came with two eye pieces (9 and 25 mm), a tripod, and an Autostar which I believe is the #494 model. On the bottom of the Autostar, there are no ports for cables and only the coil cable going in (no way to remove it without cutting it). When I plug it in, even with fresh batteries in the scope, and turn on the power, I only see one row of LCD squares, occasionally two, and every once in a great while it lights up red. I usually try it when indoors where I can see what I'm doing, and I am at a loss for what to do, other than break it open and try to fix it myself. Thanks in advance, Alex

Rick, Check the attached links,
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http://www.meade.com/support/auto/autostar.pdf

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjnwIi_u6DLAhWG74MKHUJODScQFgghMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.meade.com%2Fsupport%2Fetxseries_faq.html&usg=AFQjCNGFz4ltSftR7Bcf5k0XhOv0F0hMOg

Meade ETX 90PE Instruction Manual Initializing Autostar For The First Time...

You might be able to drill a hole through the plastic knob and use a washer and a bolt to hold the screw tight. Or do something like this fix:

http://www.schlatter.org/Dad/Astronomy/etx90decknb.htm

There are some possible repairs. Go to the Mighty ETX web site and search for DEC KNOB repair.
http://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.html

From Meade--

See this web site:
http://www.meade.com/support/index.html

Meade "might" sell you the replacement part. But most likely they will want you to return the scope for repairs.

Call them:

http://www.meade.com/support/index.html

Dead on arrival!

Meade can fix these, but they must be shipped back to the factory.

Here is their customer service web site:
http://www.meade.com/support/index.html

The manuals are all available to download from www.meade.com.

If your scope has the motor drives and a control panel into which a controller could be plugged, then you just need to buy an Autostar 497 - always available on eBay for about £85. However, there are older models of the ETX which only have one motor or as a spotting scope for terrrestrial use with no motors - Autostar cannot be connected to these.

Look at the pictures of scopes on eBay which come with Autostar - if your looks like these, Autostar will fit. Else you are out of luck!

I assume the small red light on the power panel is ON. ???

If it is the scope is receiving power--- check to make sure the cable from the hand controller is plugged in properly-- jiggle the cable to see if you have a loose BAD cable. Before you panic --- try another cable or reverse the ends ---

Before you buy another hand controller try a new cable-- scopestuff.com sells a nice long flexible one for the 497 hand controller.

Are the batteries flat?
Is the cable properly connected to the scope? Unplug and reinsert both ends.

Some (not all) versions have an end stop - it it just reaching that? The scope will rotate only aboit 3 complete turns between the 2 ends.

The 'correct' starting position is as follows: Place scope on tripod or table with control panel at the West. Unlock the declination lock (horizontal slew). Rotate scope anticlockwise until it hits the end stop, Then roate it back clockwise until scope is pointing North (should be about 3/8 of a turn, as the end stop is at South West). Then lock the declination, Set the tube horizontal and continue with the alignment process.

Autostar always thinks you have set the position like that. If you haven't, it will work OK until it tries to rotate past the point it won't go, then chaos results!