Meade LXD 75 Instruction Manual

Meade LXD 75 Instruction Manual

Meade instruments telescope instruction manual lxd 75
Hide thumbs Also See for LXD 75:

Advertisement

Instruction Manual
LXD 75 -Series Telescopes
MEADE.COM

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

Summary of Contents for Meade LXD 75

  • Page 1 Instruction Manual LXD 75 -Series Telescopes ™ MEADE.COM...
  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Improperly installed batteries void your Meade warranty. ® The name "Meade," "Autostar" and the Meade logo are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal countries throughout the world. "LXD75,"...
  • Page 4: Telescope Features

    TELESCOPE FEATURES Fig. 1a: The LXD75-Series Telescope Optical Assembly (Schmidt-Newtonian model with Autostar handbox shown; Electronic Controller model users, see Appendix D, page 58). Fig. 1b: Close up of Focuser and Viewfinder Assembly, Schmidt-Newtonian shown. (See Fig. 1a for overview.) For a close up of the refractor focuser assembly, see Fig.
  • Page 5 1& 2% 2^ Fig. 1d: The LXD75-Series Mount; insert shows opposite side of Mount. Fig. 1e: The LXD75-Series Computer Control Panel (see Legend 1. Eyepiece Thumbscrew 11. Cradle Assembly 2. Eyepiece Holder 12. Autostar Handbox 3. Eyepiece 13. Cradle Ring Lock Knobs 4.
  • Page 6 Observe the feather structure of an eagle from 50 yards or study the rings of the plan- et Saturn from a distance of 800 million miles. Focus beyond the Solar System and observe majestic nebulae, ancient star clusters, and remote galaxies. Meade Series telescopes are instruments fully capable of growing with your interest and can meet the requirements of the most demanding advanced observer.
  • Page 7 D. ON/OFF Switch: Turns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar ON or OFF. E. AUX Port: Provides connection for current and future Meade accessories. , page 38. OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES F. Dec Port: Plug the coil cord from the Dec. motor assembly into this port for Autostar to control the motor drive.
  • Page 8 Check your local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer/store to find out if there’s a club in your area. At club meetings, you will meet other astronomy and Meade enthusiasts with whom you will be able to share your discoveries. Clubs are an excellent way to learn more about observing the sky, to find out where the best observing sites are, and to compare notes about telescopes, eyepieces, filters, tripods, and so forth.
  • 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. Access a glossary of astronomical terms.
  • Page 10 Timer and Alarm Status Press MODE again to return to the previous menu. GO TO Key: Press to slew (move) the telescope to the coordinates of the cur- rently selected object. While the telescope is slewing, the operation may be abort- ed at any time by pressing any key except GO TO.
  • Page 11: Getting Started

    Safety Fig. 6: Attach counterweight assembly. GETTING STARTED As you unpack your telescope, carefully note the following parts. The assembly is shipped in separate boxes. Telescope Assembly Equatorial mount with polar alignment finder Heavy duty, adjustable aluminum tripod with leg braces, three tripod leg lock...
  • Page 12 When the pointer points at your latitude, tighten both screws until they make contact with the mount. At your observing site, set up the telescope assembly so that the tripod leg below the Fine Azimuth Control Knobs (27, Fig. 1c) approximately faces North (or South in the Southern Hemisphere).
  • Page 13: Balancing The Telescope

    HBX port (A, Fig. 1e). Balancing the Telescope In order for the telescope to be stable on the tripod and also for it to move smoothly, it must be balanced. To balance the telescope, unlock the Right Ascension or R.A. lock (33, Fig.
  • Page 14: Aligning The Viewfinder

    9, page 12. In order for the viewfinder to be useful, it must be aligned to the main telescope, so that both the viewfinder and telescope's optical tube (10, Fig. 1a) point at the same position in the sky.
  • Page 15: Observing By Moving The Telescope Manually

    , page 37. ACCESSORIES The power, or magnification of a telescope is determined by the focal length of the tel- escope 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 LXD75-Series.
  • Page 16: Activate The Arrow Keys

    Note: If you go past the "Align: Easy" (or any other menu display you wish to select), press MODE to return to the previous display(s). Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to move the telescope up, down, right, or left. You can move the telescope at different speeds.
  • Page 17: Observe The Moon

    Speed 9: Moves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another. Observe the Moon Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the Moon is not visible every night). Use your EC handbox or Autostar to practice using the Arrow keys and the slew speeds to view different features.
  • Page 18: Observe A Star Using Automatic Tracking

    Learn how Autostar's keys move through the menus • Initialize Autostar • Place the telescope in the polar home position, if you have not already done so (see SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION • Select "Align: Easy" from Autostar's menus Which One’s the Alignment Star?
  • Page 19: Moving Through Autostar's Menus

    Time and Date) the first time you use Autostar or after performing a Reset. Make sure that the telescope is assembled correctly, and that the batteries are installed as described previously. Make sure the On/Off switch (D, Fig. 1e) is in the Off position. Plug Autostar's cord into the HBX port (A, Fig.
  • Page 20: Training The Drive

    Loosen the R.A. and Dec. locks (17 and 33, Fig. 1d) and point the telescope at an object. Then re-tighten the locks. Press ENTER when the telescope is pointing at the desired terrestrial object.
  • Page 21: Easy Alignment

    15. "Drive Setup: For this..." begins to scroll across the display. This is another 16. "Center reference object" displays. Center your target object using the Arrow 17. The telescope slews and "Press until it is centered" displays. Press the Up Arrow Note: Three other align- 18.
  • Page 22: Using The Guided Tour

    800 million miles from the Earth. Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until it finds Saturn.You may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn precisely in the eye- piece. Autostar then automatically slews (moves) the telescope so that it tracks Saturn (or whatever other object you may have chosen).
  • Page 23: Basic Autostar Operation

    To Calculate Sunset time: SETUP MENU Select Item: Easy alignment Object permits all telescope operations with only a quick setup. Select Item: Setup MEADE MEADE UTILITIES MENU Calculate eyepiece The Universe of magnifications; Autostar set timer alerts; create your own landmark survey.
  • Page 24: Entering Data Into Autostar

    Tip: When multiple choices are available within a menu option, the current option is usually displayed first and highlighted by a right point- ing arrow (>). Press the ENTER key to choose the "Event" option and move down a level. "Event: Sunrise"...
  • Page 25: Autostar's Menus

    AUTOSTAR'S MENUS...
  • Page 26: Object Menu

    GO TO once to change the second line to the name of the bright- est star in the 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.
  • Page 27: Event Menu

    Meade Moon's shadow. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data. LXD75-Series Remember, never use a telescope to look at the Sun! See Telescope to look at the Sun! Looking at Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, par- tial, penumbral) of eclipse.
  • Page 28: Setup Menu

    Cord Wrap 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 tan- gled as the telescope slews to objects. This menu is set to "On" and cannot be changed by the user.
  • Page 29 Arrow keys move the telescope along the azimuth or R.A. axes. If you enter a value near 100, the telescope tube responds more quickly (it responds immediately at 100%) as you hold down an Arrow key and also slews (moves) the tube more quickly.
  • Page 30 "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 31 NASA, Hubble, HST, astronomy, Messier, satellite, nebula, black hole, variable stars, etc. Check out Meade’s website for the latest product and technical information. You can download the latest software revisions, links to other astronomical sites, coordinates of celestial objects and the latest satellite tracking information for your Autostar handset.
  • Page 32: Useful Autostar Features

    If you plan to observe using Autostar at different geographic locations, you can store up to six observation sites in Autostar's memory to help simplify your telescope setup. Perform these procedures using the Site options (Add, Select, Delete, Edit) of the Setup menu.
  • Page 33: Using Autostar To Find Objects Not In The Libraries

    Check out your local library, com- puter store, or bookstore for astronomy books, CD Roms, or magazines (such as Sky & Telescope or Astronomy), to find coordinates of celestial objects. The objects/coor- dinates you enter become part of your own permanent database, called "User Objects."...
  • Page 34: Observing Satellites

    Satellite orbits change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched. Visit the Meade website (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 35: To Check On Available Memory

    "Landmark: Add" displays. If you wish to add more landmarks, repeat steps 5 through 7. To Select a landmark from the database Make sure the telescope is located and aligned exactly as when the desired land- mark was entered into memory. Display the "Landmark: Select" menu option. Press ENTER.
  • Page 36: Photography

    Photography with Meade’s Autostar Suite™ The Autostar Suite with Meade LPI™ (Lunar Planetary Imager) and Planetarium soft- ware turns your Meade LXD75 telescope, Autostar and PC into even more powerful astronomical instrument. LPI (Lunar Planetary Imager, Fig. 23) combines the power of an electronic astronomical imager with the simplicity of a web cam.
  • Page 37: Optional Accessories

    A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the telescope models. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the qual- ity of the instrument itself. Consult the Meade General Catalog for complete details on these and other accessories.
  • Page 38 Moon and planets. Each filter threads into the barrel of any Meade 1.25" eyepiece, and into the barrels of virtually all other eyepiece brands as well. Meade filters are available in 12 colors for lunar and planetary appli- cations, and in Neutral Density as a lunar glare-reduction filter.
  • Page 39 The #1A Skylight Filter threads onto the rear cell of the Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain SC-8 model and effectively seals the interior of the telescope from dust. All other rear cell accessories may then be thread- ed to the #1A filter.
  • Page 40: Maintenance And Collimation

    Do not, how- ever, wipe any of the optical surfaces. Rather, simply allow the telescope to sit for some time in the warm indoor air, so that the wet optical surfaces can dry unat- tended.
  • Page 41 1. Observe through the focuser and orient your body so that the telescope's primary mirror is to your right, and the correcting plate end of the telescope tube is to your left. The diagonal mirror will appear centered as shown (2, Fig. 31a). If the diagonal appears off center, then adjust the 4 collimation screws on the plastic diagonal mirror housing.
  • Page 42 As part of final optical testing, every Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain is precisely colli- mated at the Meade factory before shipment. However, vibrations in shipping can cause the optical system to become misaligned. Re-aligning the optics is, however, a straightforward process.
  • Page 43 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 sup- port.
  • Page 44 34); secondary mirror-vanes (4, Fig. 34) and (1, Fig. 35); primary mirror-tilt screws (5, Fig. 34). The telescope’s image is brought to a focus at (6, Fig. 34). Confirm alignment - To confirm optical alignment look down the focuser draw- tube (1, Fig.
  • Page 45 Fig. 34 Fig. 35. Fig. 37. Fig. 39. Fig. 36. Fig. 38. Fig. 40.
  • Page 46: Specifications

    Optical design ...Schmidt-Newtonian Clear aperture...6" (152mm) Focal length ...762mm Focal ratio (photographic speed) ...f/5 Resolving power ...0.74 arc secs Coatings ...Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings Mounting ...Die-cast aluminum Input Voltage ...12v DC Alignment ...German-type equatorial mount Slew Speeds...SN-8: 1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec Tripod ...Variable-height field tripod...
  • Page 47 Clear aperture...10" (254mm) Focal length ...1016mm Focal ratio (photographic speed) ...f/4 Resolving power ...0.45 arc secs Coatings ...Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings Mounting ...Die-cast aluminum Input Voltage ...12v DC Alignment ...German-type equatorial mount Slew Speeds...1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec in 9 increments Tripod ...Variable-height field tripod...
  • Page 48 Clear aperture...8" (203mm) Focal length ...2000mm Focal ratio (photographic speed) ...f/10 Resolving power ...0.56 arc secs Coatings ...Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings Mounting ...Die-cast aluminum Input Voltage ...12v DC Alignment ...German-type equatorial mount Slew Speeds...1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec in 9 increments Tripod ...Variable-height field tripod...
  • Page 49: Inspecting The Optics

    LXD75-Series or repairs, write or call the Meade Customer Service Department first, before return- ing the telescope to the factory, giving full particulars as to the nature of the problem, as well as your name, address, and daytime telephone number. The great majority of servicing issues can be resolved by telephone, avoiding return of the telescope to the factory.
  • Page 50: Appendix A: Celestial Coordinates

    Setting circles included with the LXD75-Series tial objects not easily found by direct visual observation. With the telescope pointed at the North Celestial Pole, the Dec. circle (19, Fig. 1d) should read 90° (understood to mean +90°). Each division of the Dec. circle represents a 1° increment. The R.A. cir- cle (31, Fig.
  • Page 51: Locating The Celestial Pole

    Next, loosen the R.A. lock (33, Fig. 1d) and turn the telescope in R.A. to read the correct R.A. coordinate of the object. Tighten the R.A. lock (33, Fig. 1d). If the procedure has been followed carefully, the desired object should now be in the telescopic field of a low-power eyepiece.
  • Page 52: Appendix B: Enhancing Pointing Precision

    LED (Figs. 43a and 43b). To align your telescope to North using the polar alignment viewfinder: Set your telescope in the home position (see page 17). Then loosen the Dec. lock (17, Fig. 1d) and rotate the optical tube 90°. Re-tighten the Dec. Lock.
  • Page 53: Axis Alignment Method #2

    Autostar then chooses three stars from its database to align upon. When the telescope slews to a star for alignment, it may not appear in the field of view in the eyepiece. Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope until the star is visible and centered in the eyepiece.
  • Page 54 HALFWAY back to the center of the eyepiece. Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, to return the optical tube to posi- tion A. Verify that your target is in the same location in the eyepiece vertically as in the previous step (that is, it is not higher or lower or absent from the eyepiece).
  • Page 55: Axis Alignment Method #3

    Tube; (B) Dec. Motor; (C) Cradle Ring Lock Knobs; (D) Eyepiece. Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, to return the optical tube to posi- tion A. Repeat steps 5 through 8, if necessary, alternating between position A and posi- tion B, and bringing the reference object halfway of the remaining distance to cen- ter.
  • Page 56: Smart Drive Training (Pec) Method #4

    The telescope first moves 180° on the Dec. axis and then rotates 180° on the R.A. axis. Autostar displays "Slewing...". When the telescope has completed the 180° slew, the telescope will be under the mount instead of over it. The counterweight shaft is now pointed upwards and the cradle adjustment screws (Fig.
  • Page 57: Appendix C: Latitude Chart

    APPENDIX C: LATITUDE CHART Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the polar alignment procedure (see pages 17-21), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the lati- tude 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 58: Appendix D: Ec Handbox

    Slew speed functions of the Electronic Controller are covered in this appendix. The following numbers refer to Fig. 49 above. Arrow Keys: Press one of the four Arrow keys to slew the telescope (i.e., up, down, left, and right) at any one of four slew speeds (see...
  • Page 59 Note each slew speed corresponds to one of the four LED's of the Electronic Controller. Light 1 (top LED): The fastest speed. Use to move the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another.
  • Page 60 Polar mode. When the test is complete, light 1 remains on; lights 2, 3, and 4 turn off. Use the four Arrow keys (1, Fig. 49) to slew the telescope to the desired object. To change the slew speed, press SPEED.
  • Page 61 Autostar’s 30,000-object data- base. Best of all, the Meade Autostar is easy to use. Even the most novice observer will locate dozens of fascinating celestial objects the very first night out. Study Saturn and its ring system;...
  • Page 62: Appendix E: Mounting The Model Sc-8 Optical Tube

    Continue the assembly with step 9 as described in , page12, and complete all the subsequent steps. All other procedures ESCOPE are identical as described earlier in this manual. HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TEL-...
  • Page 63: Appendix F: Basic Astronomy

    Moon, and our solar system comes from observations made by ama- teur astronomers. So as you look through your Meade in mind Galileo. To him, a telescope was not merely a machine made of glass and metal, but something far more—a window of incredible discovery. Each glimpse offers a potential secret waiting to be revealed.
  • Page 64 The disk of Venus appears white as Sunlight is reflected off the thick cloud cover that completely obscures any surface detail. Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, and appears through the telescope as a tiny reddish-orange disk. It may be possible to see a hint of white at one of the planet’s Polar ice caps.
  • Page 65 Observing for the Fun of It by Melanie Melton Will Black Holes Devour the Universe? and 100 Other Questions about Astronomy by Melanie Melton Magazines Sky & Telescope Box 9111, Belmont, MA 02178 Astronomy Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187 Organizations:...
  • Page 68 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.

This manual is also suitable for:

Sn-10 atLxd 75-series

Table of Contents