Meade LX90-ACF Advanced Coma-Free, Instruction Manual

Page 1: ...Instruction Manual 8 10 12 LX90 ACF Advanced Coma Free Telescopes and 8 10 12 LX90 SC Schmidt Cassegrain Telescopes AutoStar GPS...

Page 2: ...versible damage to your eye Eye damage is often painless so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late Do not point the telescope at or near the Sun Do not look...

Page 3: ...y Information back page CONTENTS If you are anxious to use your telescope for the first time read the QUICK START GUIDE on pages 4 5 and 6 Specifications subject to change without notice Images shown...

Page 4: ...the washer on the bar See Fig D on page 5 Slide the spring into the hole on top of the tripod head Pg 5 Fig A 1 Slide the spreader bar onto the threaded rod on top of the washer that is already on the...

Page 5: ...G Thread the first nut as far down as it will go Then thread the second nut down onto the first nut flat side Fig B Field Tripod collapsed Fig A Field Tripod with legs extended 7 8 6 5 2 1 4 3 1 Trip...

Page 6: ...the computer control panel power switch to OFF if necessary Remove the AutoStar handbox and the AutoStar interface cable from the packing materials Plug one end into the HBX port of the computer contr...

Page 7: ...Pointer 12 GPS Receiver 13 Computer Control Panel 14 AutoStar handbox 15 Dust Cover not visible 16 Battery Compartment 17 Handbox Holder 18 Viewfinder 19 Viewfinder Alignment Screws A Handbox Port B...

Page 8: ...be Pg 5 Fig 1 5 The weight of the tube could cause the tube to swing through the fork arms suddenly Fork Arms Hold the optical tube in place Focus Knob Moves the telescope s primary mirror in a finely...

Page 9: ...hting scope with crosshairs that enable easy centering of objects in the telescope eyepiece Viewfinder Alignment Screws Use these screws to adjust the alignment of the viewfinder See ALIGNING THE VIEW...

Page 10: ...lestial objects to view on any given night of the year Download the latest satellite data and software revisions directly from the Meade website www meade com and share software with other AutoStar en...

Page 11: ...PM status see the instructions supplied with the APM Date Site coordinates Battery status Press MODE again to return to the previous menu GO TO Key Slews moves the telescope to the coordinates of the...

Page 12: ...struction manual If you have a question about an AutoStar operation e g INITIALIZATION ALIGNMENT etc hold down the key and follow the directions that scroll on the second line of the LCD screen When a...

Page 13: ...ation of the holder Do not force the holder into the battery compartment If a holder does not slip easily into the compartment you may have inserted the holder incorrectly Replace the compartment cove...

Page 14: ...ngth of 26mm Your telescope comes supplied with a Super Pl ssl 26mm eyepiece which gives a wide comfortable field of view with high image resolution Low power eyepieces offer a wide field of view brig...

Page 15: ...cope moves freely on both axes 4 Point the telescope at some well defined and stationary land object at least 200 yards distant such as the top of a telephone pole or street sign Center the object in...

Page 16: ...power eyepieces Therefore lower power eyepieces provide a steadier higher quality image If the image is fuzzy or ill defined reduce to a lower power eyepiece where the heat waves do not have such an e...

Page 17: ...4 arc min sec or 0 067 sec Number Key 5 64x 64 x sidereal 16 arc min sec or 0 27 sec Number Key 6 128x 32 arc min sec or 0 5 sec Number Key 7 1 5 90 arc min sec or 1 5 sec Number Key 8 3 180 arc min...

Page 18: ...ghten the RA lock to a firm feel 3 Loosen the Dec lock Pg 7 Fig 1 6 and adjust the vertical position of the telescope to the level position Note The bubble level compass can be used to find the level...

Page 19: ...tostar will remember its position on the worm gear If you do not park the scope and turn it off it will not remember its position See PARK page 28 and PEC TRAINING page 53 3 Testing Motors The telesco...

Page 20: ...alignment star When the procedure is performed correctly Alignment Successful displays If Autostar does not display this message perform this procedure again NOTE Autostar locates alignment stars base...

Page 21: ...ng Saturn press MODE twice so that Select Item Object displays again 2 Press the Scroll Down key twice Select Item Guided Tour displays 3 Press ENTER Guided Tour Tonight s Best displays Press ENTER NO...

Page 22: ...selected within that menu level Some options are choices that select the next menu level down The Scroll keys move up and down within the list of available options showing one option at a time When th...

Page 23: ...re organized for quick and easy navigation Press ENTER to go deeper into AutoStar s menu levels Press MODE Pg 10 Fig 2 3 to move back toward the top menu level Press the Scroll keys to move up and dow...

Page 24: ...nal Equinox Winter Solstice Summer Solstice Tour Objects A Accretion Disk Etc B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Timer Set Start Stop Alarm Set On Off Eyepiece Calc Field of View Magnif...

Page 25: ...andmark was added to the database Select To select a Landmark already in the database see ADD below choose the Select option and scroll through the list Press ENTER to select a Landmark then press GO...

Page 26: ...oStar functions Access directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in AutoStar A hypertext word is any word in brackets usually found when using the AutoStar Help function o...

Page 27: ...st See LANDMARKS page 37 Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shuts down AutoStar and the telescope without forgetting its alignment With Sleep Scope selected press ENTER to activate the Sleep fu...

Page 28: ...aylight Saving is used to enable or disable Daylight Savings time NOTE Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by different names in various areas of the world Check local time to verify Telescope ac...

Page 29: ...only be used with polar mounted telescopes Must be performed with a high powered reticle eg Meade Pl ssel 9mm illuminated reticle eyepiece P N 07068 PEC Training for the the LX90 telescopes will take...

Page 30: ...IONAL ACCESSORIES page 42 Clone uploads information from one AutoStar handbox to another Three options are available Catalogs Sends only user defined object information such as new satellite orbits or...

Page 31: ...t You will need to know the latitude and longitude of your location to perform this procedure This information is available on most maps 1 Using the Add option choose a site on the list that is closes...

Page 32: ...Roms or magazines such as Sky Telescope or Astronomy to find coordinates of celestial objects The objects coordinates you enter become part of your own permanent database called User Objects To enter...

Page 33: ...the top line of the display 8 Press GO TO AutoStar slews the telescope to where the satellite should appear The motor drive stops and a countdown is displayed NOTE If the scheduled appearance position...

Page 34: ...comments begin with a character in column 1 of the line For example Extreme Objects c 2000 Meade Instruments Corporation Command Line This line contains programming commands including R A and DEC coor...

Page 35: ...command lines these commands access objects with existing description in the AutoStar database NGC xxxx Enter NGC followed by the desired New General Catalog number and AutoStar provides the user with...

Page 36: ...r example STAR Vega LANDMARK az alt title description Enter the azimuth az for the desired object in the following format xxxdxxmxxs For example 123d27m00s Then enter the altitude of the desired objec...

Page 37: ...ark to the database In this procedure you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in AutoStar s memory 1 Set the telescope in the home position if necessary Note for future reference where th...

Page 38: ...object is not in AutoStar s database AutoStar displays information about an object in its database that is closest to the one you queried about IMPORTANT NOTE The telescope must be successfully aligne...

Page 39: ...North The easiest way to set the telescope in the home position is using the Magnetic North method Follow the steps on page 18 to set the home position If using True North press the 1 key or press th...

Page 40: ...ocus the image with extreme care While observing the subject through the camera s reflex viewfinder turn the telescope s focus knob Pg 7 Fig 1 8 to achieve the sharpest possible focus Note that some 3...

Page 41: ...tter releases may be available for some model digital cameras If you do not have a shutter release use the camera s timer sometimes called self timer which is available with most digital cameras The t...

Page 42: ...der An amplifying lens the 2x Barlow doubles the power of all eyepieces with which it is used Insert the2x Barlow into the telescope s eyepiece holder first followed by the diagonal prism and eyepiece...

Page 43: ...l and clarity can be taken Dew Shield In moist climates water particles suspended in the atmosphere may condense on the front surface of the telescope s correcting plate This dew formation may be inhi...

Page 44: ...ical surfaces Rather simply allow the telescope to sit for some time in the warm indoor air so that the wet optical surfaces can dry unattended f If the LX90 is not to be used for an extended period p...

Page 45: ...g exercise while looking in the eyepiece You will notice that the star image will move across the field If while turning the defocused star image flies out of the eyepiece field then you are turning t...

Page 46: ...er switch on the control panel is on Also check if Astronomical is selected in the Targets option of the setup menu Meade Consumer Solutions Service If you have a question concerning your LX90 telesco...

Page 47: ...finder Coatings Meade Ultra High Transmission Coatings UHTC Mounting Cast aluminum double tine forks Gears 4 9 dia worm gears both axes Alignment Altazimuth or equatorial w optional wedge 5 arc minut...

Page 48: ...with the AutoStar 30 000 object library star charts and planispheres are still useful for a variety of reasons In particular they are a great aid in planning a night of celestial viewing A wide variet...

Page 49: ...ky where an extension of the North Pole intersects the celestial sphere The North Star Polaris is located very near the North Celestial Pole Fig 27 1 The celestial equator Fig 27 2 is a projection of...

Page 50: ...ter it in the telescope eyepiece Two Star Polar Alignment Polar Two Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky AutoStar provides a database of bright stars and two stars from this databas...

Page 51: ...The Meade equatorial wedge is designed solely for use in conjunction with the Meade field tripod The wedge should never be used without the field tripod e g by placing the wedge alone on a table top...

Page 52: ...t time you polar align the telescope check the calibration of the Declination setting circle Fig 1 11 After performing the polar alignment procedure center the star Polaris in the telescope field Loos...

Page 53: ...h or up the telescope s polar axis is pointing too high 7 Use the altitude adjust control on the wedge to make appropriate changes in altitude based on your observations above Again track the star for...

Page 54: ...lo Brazil 23 S Buenos Aires Argentina 35 S Montevideo Uruguay 35 S Santiago Chile 34 S Caracas Venezuela 10 N ASIA City Country Latitude Beijing China 40 N Hong Kong China 23 N Seoul South Korea 37 N...

Page 55: ...er An Einstein lens 5 What are stars made of Why are stars different colors How is the elemental composition of a star determined What is an Lyman Alpha forest 6 What is the difference between a Type...

Page 56: ...mirror baffle tube significantly increase lunar planetary and deep space image contrast These field stops effectively block off axis stray light rays The Meade Advanced Coma Free Optical System 56 APP...

Page 57: ...OBSERVATION LOG 57...

Page 58: ...58 OBSERVATION LOG...

Page 59: ...59 OBSERVATION LOG...

Page 60: ...uired Prior to the return of any product or part a Return Goods Authorization RGA number must be obtained from Meade by writing or calling 800 626 3233 Each returned part or product must include a wri...