Hello Kory....
First, how old is your LX90?
Is the ticking affecting tracking in Alt Az mode?  There is a major issue with the DEC motor and encoder assembly in some LX90's (newer ones) that affects tracking quite seriously.  Check your tracking and see if you can "see" the tick as a bounce in tracking.  If not, then we need to look for other issues.

Note that if this is a newer LX90 and your tracking is adversely affected, you probably should contact your dealer about changing out the telescope....the problem cannot be fixed without replacing the entire DEC drive assembly, and repairs at Meade have been far less than satisfactory.

Best of luck

Dr. Clay

Hi - sorry that no one has answered this question; are you referring to the fact that when you FIRST START up the scope it does not retain time?  If that is the case, that is normal....the RCX nor the newe LX200 GPS scopes has a time keeping device on board and you must either do a GPS fix or enter the time and date manually.

Dr. Clay

Ron is absolutely right on target with this assessment; the UHTC optics are far superior and actually a bit tougher in terms of long term use and the ability to stand up to cleaning, pollution, pollen, etc. 

The link Ron referred to is an excellent evaluation of the two coatings.

Dr. Clay

Very fine work as always; there is indeed a significant morphological change underway in both currents of Jupiter; we have been wiped out here for any patrol work on the planet because of the low altitude of Jupiter since last year.

This is excellent to see and very fine and valuable archiving.

Dr. Clay

Those of our friends who live in the SE United States are encouraged to attend ONE of TWO public presentations by P. Clay Sherrod of Arkansas Sky Observatory.

PENSACOLA FLORIDA
The first event an evening presentation on Friday night, Oct. 10, at Escambia County Junior College Department of Astronomy in Pensacola, Florida, where Dr. Clay will be presenting a scientific overview of Earth-crossing asteroids and the potential danger from these dangerous objects which now number greater than 30.000.
This presentation will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in room 1770 at the College.

Contact Rick Hogue at:  shootnstarz101@cox.net for complete details on this wonderful evening of astronomy.
---------------------

KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE
The second presentation will be at the
25th Annual Bays Mountain Star Fest
near Kingsport, Tennessee, Friday through Sunday, October 24-26.

http://www.baysmountain.com/planetdept/starfest/starfest2008.html

This presentation is part of a weekend of dark sky observing and fun for astronomers and family alike.

The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club hosts this annual event for amateur astronomers in the southeast region of the United States.  There will be lots of interesting presentations and displays, interaction with other amateur astronomers and, of course, night-time observing at the Bays Mountain Observatory grounds.

Event Highlights:

** FEATURE PRESENTATION:  ASO's Own Dr. Clay (Saturday night) "Doomsday: Things that we do NOT want going Bump in the Night!  (A scientific discussion on Near Earth Asteroids and the potential for Earth impact)
**Special 25th annual "Starry Night Live" presented by our very own Marq Marquette on Friday night followed by an evening of observing.
**Solar Observing.
**Interesting talks and art, photo & ATM displays by fellow astronomy enthusiasts.
**Swap Shop.
**Lots of great meals provided with registration.
**Sunday morning breakfast with a "guaranteed to be entertaining" talk by long-time StarFester Paul Lewis, a NASA Solar System Ambassador and Astronomy Outreach Coordinator at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

We would love to see all of our ASO friends in Eastern Tennessee for this event.

Interesting questions and welcome to ASO....
There really is a lot to the decision and your question is a valid one:  Arkansas now is one of the most ozone (i.e., airborne pollutant) states in the United States.  When I first became involved with serious astronomy, in the late 1960's, Petit Jean Mountain became my weekend and weeknight haunt.  At that time there were no lights in Arkansas...it was truly the most rural states.  The nights were so black that you could not see to operate a telescope even after full night adaptation.  The closest light would be a headlight coming down a distant gravel road west of the mountain.  The cities lacked the Mercury and now Sodium vapor lights that they have.

Lots has changed, but my love for the mountain never did.  I fell in love with it when I was about 5 years old and always vowed to live up here and spend my restful days.

Well, here I am but the days (and nights) are not restful.  Dave is right on target:  there is an absolute beauty and peace up here that you likely will not find elsewhere; when the night gets dark there are no sounds, other than those created by nature.  I have my mountain, my land surrounded by it, my loving wife, Patsy,  and my devoted Corgi, Bear.  As the old Miller Beer commercial used to say:  "Life don't get any better than this...."

It certainly is not as dark as it was in 1965, but still dark enough for serious skygazing.  Even the weather patterns have changed, this mostly in the last decade; we now have far more cloudy nights than in previous years and it seems that it might be on the increase still.

But, I am here to stay.  Folks say in every aspect of my life I have learned how to squeeze a dime from a nickle, and that holds true with my astronomy, as it does with my philosophy of life.

Thanks for asking....

Dr. Clay
( enjoy the photos below:  a different artists' masterpiece every day; the Observatory Assistant, Bear, stands watch at the Observatory Gate to H45 )

What a beautiful observatory!
Just in time for some dark rich Milky Way skies of summer.
Congrats to Dave and BAO for the completion of H53.

Excellent work on this nova Ron and others....
This is a classic Type I curve with a sharp peak that dims about a half magnitude and then reaches a short plateau for a while, only to begin to oscillate slightly with pronounced brightenings as we have seen.  Clearly with Ron's last image, the nova is beginning to dim, but this will now take place in all likelihood at a slower pace than you might expect.  The nova should be around as a good astro-imaging target for some time this year.

I encourage everyone to continue to monitor this star both visually and photographically, comparing it to the field stars that are visible and identifiable as to magnitude (to 0.1 mag. accuracy) through any good PC planetarium program.

Keep up the good work.....

Dr. Clay

UPDATE April 24:
The nova demonstrated a measureable brightening on April 22 (UT) over April 17 (UT) as noted by the last sets of photometric data from ASO - H45 Petit Jean Mountain, shown below.
----------------------------

Bright (magnitude 7.5!) new nova in the constellation of CYGNUS, about halfway from the beautiful double star Albireo to the center of the "Northern Cross"; the nova was discovered on April 10, 2008, by Koichi Nishiyama and Fujio Kabashima in Japan.

The coordinates of the nova are right ascension 19h 43.0m, declination +32° 19' (equinox 2000.0).
Observations of this new star are badly needed and should be reported to the American Association of Variable Star Observers ( http://www.aavso.org/ )

Posted is an image of the new nova in Cygnus and some data from last night; north is
UP in this image, field is 12' x 7', 0.5m SCT at f/3.3, 3 second exposure with SBIG
ST402ME and R band filter.  Data from April 12, 2008, UT.

COD H45
CON [drclay@tcworks.net]
OBS P.C. Sherrod
MEA P.C. Sherrod
ACK ASO Observations
AC2 drclay@tcworks.net
TEL 0.51-m f/4 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD
COM Reduction done using Charon
COM Charon version Mar 04 2007 15:06:10
COM Report file created Sat Apr 12 02:43:24 2008
NET UCAC2

              C2008 04 12.41191 19 43 01.99 +32 19 13.6           7.7 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41191      2454568.911910              7.66
              C2008 04 12.41266 19 43 02.01 +32 19 14.2           7.6 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41266      2454568.912663              7.55
              C2008 04 12.41299 19 43 01.96 +32 19 13.1           7.9 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41299      2454568.912987              7.81
              C2008 04 12.41353 19 43 01.96 +32 19 13.3           7.8 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41353      2454568.913531              7.71
              C2008 04 12.41411 19 43 01.99 +32 19 13.1           7.6 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41411      2454568.914109              7.55
              C2008 04 12.41463 19 43 01.98 +32 19 13.2           7.9 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41463      2454568.914630              7.85
              C2008 04 12.41546 19 43 01.96 +32 19 13.5           7.8 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41546      2454568.915464              7.76
              C2008 04 12.41591 19 43 01.95 +32 19 13.1           7.7 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41591      2454568.915915              7.69
              C2008 04 12.41645 19 43 01.96 +32 19 13.0           7.8 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41645      2454568.916447              7.76
              C2008 04 12.41695 19 43 01.97 +32 19 13.4           7.7 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41695      2454568.916945              7.69
              C2008 04 12.41725 19 43 01.92 +32 19 14.2           8.0 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41725      2454568.917246              7.98
              C2008 04 12.41804 19 43 01.98 +32 19 13.1           7.7 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41804      2454568.918045              7.65
              C2008 04 12.41850 19 43 02.02 +32 19 13.5           7.7 R      H45
              C2008 04 12.41850      2454568.918496              7.70
-------
C2008 04 15.38153       2454571.881529              8.60
              C2008 04 15.38267      2454571.882675              8.50
              C2008 04 15.38322      2454571.883219              8.53
              C2008 04 15.38398      2454571.883983              8.65
              C2008 04 15.38457      2454571.884573              8.52
              C2008 04 15.38515      2454571.885152              8.50
              C2008 04 15.38568      2454571.885684              8.60
              C2008 04 15.38622      2454571.886216              8.45
              C2008 04 15.38682      2454571.886818              8.68
              C2008 04 15.38739      2454571.887385              8.50
              C2008 04 15.38793      2454571.887929              8.48
              C2008 04 15.38852      2454571.888520              8.53
---------
              C2008 04 17.34338       2454573.843381              9.08
              C2008 04 17.34467      2454573.844666              9.11
              C2008 04 17.34582      2454573.845823              9.30
              C2008 04 17.34639      2454573.846390              9.09
              C2008 04 17.34698      2454573.846980              9.14
              C2008 04 17.34807      2454573.848068              9.35
              C2008 04 17.34866      2454573.848659              9.23
              C2008 04 17.34918      2454573.849179              9.34
              C2008 04 17.34972      2454573.849723              9.40
              C2008 04 17.35028      2454573.850279              9.26
--------
v2491 Cyg
              C2008 04 22.40805 19 43 01.98 +32 19 13.5           9.1 R      H45
              C2008 04 22.40805      2454578.908045              9.01
              C2008 04 22.40916      2454578.909156              8.98
              C2008 04 22.40976      2454578.909758              9.12
              C2008 04 22.41029      2454578.910291              9.09
              C2008 04 22.41085      2454578.910846              9.15
              C2008 04 22.41141      2454578.911413              9.09
              C2008 04 22.41198      2454578.911980              8.99
              C2008 04 22.41257      2454578.912571              9.09
              C2008 04 22.41315      2454578.913149              9.06
              C2008 04 22.41372      2454578.913716              9.05
---------

Dr. Clay

Arkansas Sky Observatories
Harvard MPC/ H43 (Conway)
Harvard MPC/ H41 (Petit Jean Mountain)
Harvard MPC/ H45 (Petit Jean Mtn. South)
http://www.arksky.org/

** CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW to enlarge **

Hello....you are right, things seem to be going from bad to worse.
If you did not get the "No Sensor" message before, then there is a strong change that:
1) you reconnected the wires improperly missing a prong connector or backwards on the wiring;
2) the connectors are loose on the contacts
3) you have put a connector on the wrong set of prongs.

However, it also of course, could mean a sensor problem. 

I would first check all the wires.  If they seem to be okay, then attempt to MODE when you see the sensor message and get to SETUP and do a RESET on the system.  That will clear up any mis-communications.

Are you operating in Polar?  Did you have RA PEC turned ON when you got the sensor message?

If you cannot get to the RESET function, then do the emergency flash load (have the Meade ASU updater on your PC, connected to the scope, but scope turned off...then start pressing "9-9-9-9..." and turn on the power.  Once up, the Autostar will tell you that it is in flash mode....press "Update Firmware" on the ASU and wait for about an hour until the upload is finished.

That will clear up any communications issues.  But it likely will NOT clear up the cold weather issue.  I suspect that the hand controller is the culprit on the cold weather problem.

Dr. Clay

Hello Mike and congrats on the LX90....they are absolutely great scopes.
However....they should never be kept outside, ocean or not.
What you have can be sea spray corrosion OR it can be brown mildew.  Either way, you should not attempt to clean this yourself, as the secondary is not overcoated substantially to protect from scratching.....even the softest touch can leave a mark if you are not careful.

The corrector can be taken off to get to the secondary.....look for the index mark on the edge and make sure it goes back in exactly as it came out...examine the stuff and write me back at:
drclay@tcworks.net
and I will assess what you might be able to do.

If you want to ship it to me, I can clean it up for you.

Dr. Clay

I strongly suspect that your power source is to blame here....
What are you using and do you have another power source you might try; avoid batteries always.

Dr. Clay

Destruction of a hitherto unnamed spy satellite is planned this week by the Pentagon.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/14/wsat214.xml

Although seemingly "exciting" at first glance, this is not quite such a pretty picture
if folks read between the lines on this event.  The debris scatter, as well as any fall
of the rocket fuel payload (nearly 5,000 pounds, all toxic) are of great concern, even
if the "destruction" is successful.  

If the satellite is successfully engaged, there is
still a high chance of land impact of nearly 200 meters of material.  In my opinion,
this is a no-win situation and we can only hope and pray for a watery resting place for
this either way.

Stay tuned to the Internet for the latest; this is one of the most dangerous re-entries
of space junk to date.

Dr. Clay

Update on the CLOSE PASS on Tuesday Night of Asteroid 2007 TU24....
Don't miss this event!!
This huge asteroid will be VERY FAVORABLY PLACED in the constellation of Ursa Major at darkness!!  Fast moving and 10th magnitude!!
(Dr. Clay)


THIS JUST IN FROM JET PROPULSION LABORATORY/ NASA
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-012

Asteroid to Make Rare Close Flyby of Earth January 29
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
January 24, 2008

Scientists are monitoring the orbit of asteroid 2007 TU24. The asteroid,
believed to be between 150 meters (500 feet) and 610 meters (2,000 feet)
in size, is expected to fly past Earth on Jan. 29, with its closest
distance being about 537,500 kilometers (334,000 miles) at 12:33 a.m.
Pacific time (3:33 a.m. Eastern time). It should be observable that
night by amateur astronomers with modest-sized telescopes.

Asteroid 2007 TU24 was discovered by the NASA-sponsored Catalina Sky
Survey on Oct. 11, 2007. Scientists at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program
Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have
determined that there is no possibility of an impact with Earth in the
foreseeable future.

"This will be the closest approach by a known asteroid of this size or
larger until 2027," said Don Yeomans, manager of the Near Earth Object
Program Office at JPL. "As its closest approach is about one-and-a-half
times the distance of Earth to the moon, there is no reason for concern.
On the contrary, Mother Nature is providing us an excellent opportunity
to perform scientific observations."

Asteroid 2007 TU24 will reach an approximate apparent magnitude 10.3 on
Jan. 29-30 before quickly becoming fainter as it moves farther from
Earth. On that night, the asteroid will be observable in dark and clear
skies through amateur telescopes with apertures of at least 7.6
centimeters (3 inches). An object with a magnitude of 10.3 is about 50
times fainter than an object just visible to the naked eye in a clear,
dark sky.

NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth. The
Near Earth Object Observation Program, commonly called "Spaceguard,"
discovers, characterizes and computes trajectories for these objects to
determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.

For more information, visit http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

DC Agle 818-393-9011
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
agle@jpl.nasa.gov

Jean-Yves....
you do know that you must use the INNER three screws to collimate the "R series" LX200?  Also note that the collimation in these scopes is very, very delicate and does not hold at all firmly compared to the original LX200 series with which you are familiar.  I suggest that you begin by firming up all three adjustment screws until they are beginning to show a bit of resistance but not tight; then collimate by turning each clockwise only....there will be likely one that will need to be turned more than the other two.

I am suspecting that you are getting a bit of axial displacement of the secondary to the primarry and this is creating an affect similar to off axis astigmatism.  By firming up all three screws you will reduce this tilt; by moving in and out of focus (both sides of focus) you are merely enhancing the astigmatic affect.

Best of luck...

Dr. Clay