Related Manuals for Meade LX90GPS
Summary of Contents for Meade LX90GPS
- Page 1 Instruction Manual 8", 10", 12" LX90 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes AutoStar ® — GPS— SmartFinder ™ ™...
- Page 2 Focal Plane In the Schmidt-Cassegrain design of the Meade LX90, light enters from the right, passes through a thin lens with 2-sided aspheric correction (“correcting plate”), proceeds to a spherical primary mirror, and then to a convex secondary mirror. The convex secondary mirror multiplies the effective focal length of the primary mirror and results in a focus at the focal plane, with light passing through a central perforation in the primary mirror.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
If you are anxious to use your telescope for the first time, read the QUICK-START GUIDE on pages 4 and 5. ® The name "Meade," “AutoStar” and the Meade logo are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in principal countries throughout the world. -
Page 4: Quick-Start Guide
QUICK-START GUIDE It is recommended that you attach the supplied tripod to the LX90 for observing. Perform the telescope and AutoStar setup indoors in the light so that you become familiar with the parts and operation before moving the telescope outside into the dark for observing. - Page 5 Lock Sight along the side of the telescope’s main tube to locate an object. Use the telescope’s focus knob (8, Fig. 1) to bring the object into focus.
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Page 6: Telescope Features
Dust Cover (not visible) Battery Compartment SmartFinder SmartFinder Alignment Screws Handbox Holder Viewfinder Viewfinder Alignment Screws Fig. 1: The LX90 Telescope and AutoStar Handbox. A. Handbox Port B. LED C. ON/OFF Switch D. Auxiliary Ports (2) E. 12v Power Connector Computer Control Panel... - Page 7 LX90: Your Personal Window to the Universe The Meade LX90 is an extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes with features similar to those available only with larger and more specialized imaging systems. With pushbutton controls, automatic tracking of celestial objects and software downloading capability, the LX90 telescope may be all the telescope ever required by many terrestrial and astronomical observers.
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Page 8: To Attach The Handbox Holder
D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port (2): Provides connection for the SmartFinder LNT module, and also current and future Meade accessories, such as the Meade Accessory Port Module. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES E. 12v Power Connector: Provides connection so that the telescope assembly may be powered from either a 12v DC auto cigarette light plug or from a standard 115v AC home outlet using optionally available 25' power cords. -
Page 9: Autostar Features
Take a guided tour of the best celestial 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 enthusiasts. - Page 10 “ENTER to Sync” is displayed. "ENTER to Sync" is relevant only (horizontal). Alt/Az is after the telescope has been aligned and is pointing at an object. If the "ENTER to just one of many Sync" feature is accessed by mistake, press MODE to return to the previous methods used by screen.
- Page 11 GO TO. Pressing GO TO again resumes the slew to the object. Arrow Keys: Slew the telescope in a specific direction (up, down, left, and right), at any one of nine different speeds. Speed selection is explained in following functions are also available with the Arrow keys: •...
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Page 12: Getting Started
• Set of hex wrenches and a plastic bag containing a “C” clip and a washer How to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope Assembly The telescope’s fork mount attaches directly to the field tripod. The telescope in this way is mounted in an “Altazimuth” (“Altitude-Azimuth,” or “vertical-horizontal”) format. The telescope in this configuration moves along vertical and horizontal axes, corresponding respectively to the Declination (vertical) and Right Ascension (horizontal) axes in an astronomical observing mode. -
Page 13: How To Assemble Your Telescope
Do not mix battery types. If these precautions are not followed, batteries may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly installed batteries Battery void your Meade warranty. Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used Holder for a long period of time. -
Page 14: Choosing An Eyepiece
Observing the Sun, even for the during long observing sessions. To find an object with a telescope, always start with a lower smallest fraction of a power eyepiece such as the Super Plössl 26mm. When the object is located and centered in... -
Page 15: Aligning Smartfinder And The Viewfinder
If you have not already done so, insert the Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece into the diagonal prism. Unlock the R.A. (9, Fig. 1) and Dec (7, Fig. 1) locks so that the telescope moves freely on both axes. Point the telescope at some well-defined and stationary land object at least 200 yards dis- tant, such as the top of a telephone pole or street sign. -
Page 16: Observing
Practice focusing objects with the focus knob (8, Fig. 1). reversed left-for-right. Once you get a feel for how your telescope moves and focuses, try to view something more This image inversion is challenging, like a bird or a distant moving train. -
Page 17: Slew Speeds
Observe the Moon Do not look through the Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the Moon is not visible every night) and practice telescope's eyepiece or using the Arrow keys and the slew speeds to view different features. The Moon contains many viewfinder while it is rapidly moving. -
Page 18: Astronomical Observing
As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear to move from East to West. The speed at which the stars move is called the sidereal rate. You can setup your telescope to move at the sidereal rate so that it automatically tracks the stars and other objects in the night sky. If the telescope is not tracking an astronomical object, the object will drift out of the eyepiece field of view. -
Page 19: Observe A Star Using Automatic Tracking
Once the level, tilt and North are detected, the telescope will “Go To” 2 alignment stars. The telescope will go to these stars in order to orient itself to the sky. Once it has done this, it will be able to point to any of the more than 30,000 stars in its database. -
Page 20: Go To Saturn
Earth is rotating beneath the stars. IMPORTANT NOTE telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks (6 and 9, Fig. 1), or move the base manually, or alignment will be lost. Once the telescope is aligned, you may choose and “Go To” any object listed in AutoStar’s Object menu. -
Page 21: Finding True North
Fig. 9: GPS Receiver. To detect level of the base of the telescope, AutoStar must calculate the tip and tilt of the telescope at three compass points and then compensate for it. Finding level involves the geometric calculations of a "plane." In order to define a plane, three positions are necessary. -
Page 22: Basic Autostar Operation
Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned. OBJECT Select from over 30, 220 database objects and press GO TO to move the telescope automatically to the object and place it in the telescopic field of view. SETUP... -
Page 23: Entering Data Into Autostar
SmartFinder. If your viewfinder and SmartFinder have been aligned with the telescope, the alignment star should now be in the eyepiece. Set the slew speed to 4 or less and center the star in the eyepiece. -
Page 24: Menus And Menu Options
MENUS AND MENU OPTIONS... -
Page 25: Objects Menu
LX90. constellation. Press GO TO a second time to slew the telescope to that star. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the list of stars in the constellation, from brightest to dimmest. The available objects... -
Page 26: Event Menu
Moon's shadow. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data. Remember, never use a telescope to look at the Sun! See Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, partial, penumbral) of eclipse. - Page 27 See Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shuts down AutoStar and the telescope without for- getting its alignment. With "Sleep Scope" selected, press ENTER to activate the Sleep function.
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Page 28: Setup Menu
Cord Wrap, when set to "On," moves the telescope in such a way as to prevent the cords and cables attached to your telescope assembly from getting wound around the assembly and tangled as the telescope slews to objects. - Page 29 AutoStar first slews to a nearby bright star and displays "ENTER to Sync." Center the star in the eyepiece, then press ENTER. At that point the telescope has a high precision alignment to that part of the sky and it then slews to the object that was originally requested.
- Page 30 AutoStar handbox. Software: Sends only the basic AutoStar software. This is useful if one user has downloaded a new version of AutoStar software from the Meade website (www.meade.com) and wants to pass this software along to friends.
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Page 31: Advanced Autostar Features
Join an Astronomy Club, Attend a Star Party One of the best ways to increase your knowledge of astronomy is to join an astronomy club. Check your local newspaper, school, library or telescope dealer/store to find out if there’s a club in your area. -
Page 32: Finding Objects Not In The Database
Check out your local library, computer store, or bookstore Enter the R.A. and Dec for astronomy books, CD Roms, or magazines (such as Sky & Telescope or Astronomy), to find coordinates of any coordinates of celestial objects. -
Page 33: Observing Satellites
Satellite orbits change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched. Visit the Meade web site (www.meade.com) approximately once a month to get updated information and instructions on how to download this data to AutoStar. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by AutoStar. -
Page 34: How To Create Your Own Guided Tour
"text only" or as a "MS-DOS text" file). • The Meade #505 Cable Connector Kit to download tour information to the AutoStar handbox. Tour Modes The objects chosen for a tour list are selected from AutoStar's database or by entering the object's RA and Dec coordinates. - Page 35 Writing a Tour Using the list of commands listed above, a custom tour can be created. Placing the word AUTO SELECT before any of the command lines activates Automatic Mode and, when selected, AutoStar automatically searches and finds the designated object. The following is a list of command lines, complete with keywords and necessary strings: TITLE Title must be the first keyword in your tour after any comment lines and must be 15 characters...
- Page 36 ASTEROID "name" Enter ASTEROID and then the name of the desired asteroid in quotes. AutoStar displays information about the asteroid from its database. For example: ASTEROID: "Ceres" COMET "name" Enter COMET and then the name of the desired comet in quotes. AutoStar displays information about the comet from its database.
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Page 37: Landmarks
In this procedure, you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in AutoStar's memory. Set the telescope in the home position, if necessary. Note for future reference where the telescope is located and if you have aligned the telescope, which alignment method is used. -
Page 38: Identify
In this procedure, you will center an object you wish to have identified by AutoStar in the telescope eyepiece and use the "Identify" menu to find out information about the object or the nearest object to it in the AutoStar database. - Page 39 Set Home Position. Place the telescope in the home position. To Set the Home Position Manually: a. See Fig. 14. Loosen the telescope’s Dec. lock (6, Fig. 1). Set the optical tube to 0° on the Dec. setting circle (11, Fig. 1).
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Page 40: Browse
One-Star Alt/Az Alignment One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. AutoStar provides a library of bright stars. One-Star Alignment is identical to Two-Star Alt/Az: Alignment (see , page 38), except only one star from the database is TWO-STAR ALT/AZ ALIGNMENT chosen by the observer for alignment. -
Page 41: Photography With The Lx90
(Fig. 15), through-the-telescope photography is possible with any 35mm camera body with a removable lens. In this way, the telescope effectively becomes the lens of the camera. The #62 T-Adapter (1, Fig. 15) threads on to the photo port, followed by a T-Mount (2, Fig. 15) for the particular brand of 35mm camera being used, followed by the camera body (3, Fig. - Page 42 Sky Imager • Automatically takes multiple exposures. AutoStar Suite Software includes powerful tools to help you get the most from your Meade LX90 telescope: • Sophisticated planetarium program with over 19 million objects. • Select objects from the planetarium display and the telescope slews to those objects.
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Page 43: Optional Accessories
Consult the Meade General Catalog for complete details on these and other accessories. Some of the Meade Series 4000 and 5000 Eyepieces are as follows. For a complete list, see your Meade Dealer:* Eyepiece Super Plössl (4-elements) - Page 44 #62 T-Adapter: The T-Adapter (Fig. 22) is the basic means of prime-focus photography through all Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain models. Thread the T-Adapter on to the rear cell of your telescope, followed by a T-Mount for your 35mm camera, and the camera body is rigidly coupled to the telescope.
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Page 45: Maintenance
LX90 will give you the best optical performance. As part of final optical testing, every Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain is precisely collimated at the Meade factory before shipment. However, vibrations in shipping can cause the optical system to become misaligned. - Page 46 At this point, look at the front of the telescope where your finger is aiming. It will either be pointing directly at a set screw, or it will be between two set screws aiming at the set screw on the far side of the black plastic secondary mirror support.
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Page 47: Inspecting The Optics
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 telescope, call the Meade Instruments Customer Solutions Department at (800) 626-3233. Consumer Solutions hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. -
Page 48: Specifications
Focal length ...2000mm Focal ratio (photographic speed) ...f/10 Viewfinder...8 x 50 finder SmartFinder ...Red dot projected onto finder’s lens Coatings ...Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings Mounting ...Cast-aluminum, double-tine forks Gears ...4.9"-dia worm gears, both axes Alignment ...Altazimuth or equatorial w/optional wedge Tripod ...Variable-height field tripod... -
Page 49: Star Charts
A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in magazines, on the inter- net and on CD Roms. Meade offers Epoch 2000sk software. Contact your Meade dealer or Meade's Customer Service depart- ment for more information. Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star charts each month for up-to-the-minute maps of the heavens. -
Page 50: Appendix A: Equatorial (Polar) Alignment
In order to Polar align your telescope, it is essential to have an understanding of how and where to locate celestial objects as they move across the sky. This section provides a basic introduction to the terminology of Polar-aligned astronomy, and includes instructions for finding the celestial pole and for finding objects in the night sky using Declination and Right Ascension. -
Page 51: Locating The Celestial Pole
Polaris is chosen by AutoStar. First, choose "Polar" from the "Setup: Telescope: Mount" menu. The rest of the procedure is almost identical to the (Alt/Az) 38, except that AutoStar prompts you to point the telescope at Polaris and center it in the tel- escope eyepiece. -
Page 52: Equatorial Wedge
With the telescope aligned to the Celestial Pole, first look up the celestial coordinates (R.A. and Dec.) of the object in a star atlas. Then loosen the R.A. lock and turn the telescope to read the correct R.A. of the desired object; lock the R.A. lock onto the object. Next, turn the telescope in Declination to read the correct Declination of the object. -
Page 53: Precise Polar Alignment
Declination corrections required is a direct function of the precision of polar alignment. Precise polar alignment requires the use of a crosshair eyepiece. The Meade Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece (see it is also preferable to increase the effective magnification through the use of a 2X or 3X Barlow lens as well. - Page 54 3. Look through the reticle. Use the Arrow keys to keep the star centered in the reticle cross- hairs. 4. Select "On" when you want the telescope to turn on the Smart Drive training. A full cycle takes about 8 minutes.
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Page 55: Appendix B: Helpful Charts
APPENDIX B: HELPFUL CHARTS Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the Polar Alignment procedure (see page 50), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the latitude of an observing site not listed on the chart, locate the city closest to your site. Then follow the procedure below: Northern Hemisphere observers (N): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) North of the listed city, add one degree for every 70 miles. -
Page 56: Appendix C: Training The Drive
APPENDIX C: TRAINING THE DRIVE Train the telescope motors using AutoStar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 33 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. NOTE: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive. -
Page 57: Appendix D: Basic Astronomy
So as you look through your Meade LX90 telescope, keep in mind Galileo. To him, a telescope was not merely a machine made of glass and metal, but something far more - a window through which the beating heart of the universe might be observed. - Page 58 The moons Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, and appears through the telescope as a tiny reddish- can be observed in orange disk. It may be possible to see a hint of white at one of the planet’s Polar ice caps.
- Page 60 ONE YEAR from the date of original purchase in the U.S.A. and Canada. Meade will repair or replace a product, or part thereof, found by Meade to be defective, provided the defective part is returned to Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of purchase.