Meade LX70 Series, Instruction Manual

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outlined above. With this alignment performed, 
objects first located in the wide-field viewfinder 
will also appear in the telescope’s eyepiece.

Choosing an Eyepiece

A telescope’s eyepiece magnifies the image 
formed by the telescope’s main optics. Each 
eyepiece has a focal length, expressed in mil-
limeters, or “mm.” The smaller the focal length, 
the higher the magnification. For example, 
an eyepiece with a focal length of 9mm has a 
higher magnification than an eyepiece with a 
focal length of 26mm. Your telescope comes 
supplied with a 26mm eyepiece which gives a 
wide, comfortable field of view with high image 
resolution.

Low power eyepieces offer a wide field of view, 
bright, high-contrast images, and eye relief 
during long observing sessions. To find an ob-
ject with a telescope, always start with a lower 
power eyepiece such as the 26mm. When the 
object is located and centered in the eyepiece, 
you may wish to switch to a higher power eye-
piece to enlarge the image as much as practical 
for prevailing seeing conditions. For information 
about optional eyepieces for the LX70 Series 
models, see 

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES.

The power, or magnification of a telescope is 
determined by the focal length of the telescope 
and the focal length of the eyepiece being 
used. To calculate eyepiece power, divide the 
telescope’s focal length by the eyepiece’s focal 
length.

For example, a 26mm eyepiece is supplied with 
the LX70 series. The focal length of the 8” re-
flector model is 1000mm. 

Telescope Focal Length ÷ Eyepiece Focal Length = Mag-
nification (Power)
Telescope Focal Length = 1000mm
Eyepiece Focal Length = 26mm
1000 ÷ 26 = 38.46

The eyepiece power, or magnification is there-
fore 38X (approximately).

Can you ever have too much power? If the type 
of power you’re referring to is eyepiece magni-
fication, yes, you can! The most common mis-
take of the beginning observer is to “overpower” 
a telescope by using high magnifications which 
the telescope’s aperture and atmospheric con-

ditions cannot reasonably support. Keep in mind 
that a smaller, but bright and well-resolved im-
age is far superior to one that is larger, but dim 
and poorly resolved. 

Powers above 400X should be employed only 
under the steadiest atmospheric conditions. 
Most observers will eventually want three or 
four additional eyepieces to achieve the full 
range of reasonable magnifications possible 
with the LX70 telescopes. See 

OPTIONAL AC-

CESSORIES.

Using the Bubble Level

For best telescope performance, the equatorial 
mount should be properly leveled. A level tri-
pod allows better weight distribution and easier 
alignment on the night sky. The LX70 mount in-
cludes a small bubble level near its base. Adjust 
the height of each tripod leg until the bubble ap-
pears in the center of the circle.  

Note: Adjusting the tripod on a fully assembled 
mount can be dangerous. Get the assistance of 
a friend if attempting to adjust the tripod height 
while fully assembled.

Observing by Moving the 
Telescope Manually

After the telescope is assembled and balanced 
as described previously, you are ready to begin 
manual observations. View easy-to-find terres-
trial objects such as street signs or traffic lights 
to become accustomed to the functions and op-
erations of the telescope. For the best results 
during observations, follow the suggestions be-
low:

When you wish to locate an object to observe, 
first loosen the telescope’s R.A. lock and Dec. 
lock. The telescope can now turn freely on its 
axes. Unlock each axis separately and practice 
moving your telescope. Then practice with two 
unlocked axes at the same time. It is very im-
portant to practice this step to understand how 
your telescope moves, as the movement of an 
equatorial mount is not intuitive.

Use the aligned viewfinder (see 

ALIGNING 

THE VIEWFINDER,

 pg 11) to sight-in on the 

object you wish to observe. When the object is 
centered in the viewfinder’s crosshairs, re-tight-