Assembly; Assembly Tools; Tripod Assembly - Meade LX850 Instruction Manual

Assembly

You may want to perform the assembly of the LX850
in the light of day to become familiar with the parts and
operation before performing observations on the night
sky. Setup the telescope in a large open area where
you can see lots of sky. Do not setup right next to a
building or a wall that will obstruct its view of the sky.
Make sure the ground is stable and is approximately
level. It is best to set up the scope away from bright
nighttime lighting, as bright lights will spoil your night
vision and impede your ability to see the sky.
The LX850 system includes the following:
• German Equatorial Mount Assembly with Dovetail
Saddle Plate
• StarLock Optical Tube and Sensor Assembly
• Counterweight(s)
• Counterweight Shaft with Safety Nut
• LX850 Field Tripod
• LX850 Accessories
• LX850 Control Panel
• Autostar II Hand Controller
• StarLock Cable
• StarLock Counterweight
• Custom Utility Tool
• 5/16" Hex head wrench
• DVD with AutoStar Suite and software
• #507 Connecting Cable with USB Adapter
• Internal Cable Fish Tool
• Anti-Vibration Pads
• Micro-focuser (ACF OTAs only)
Additionally, the LX850 can be ordered with various
OTAs and Accessories and may contain additional
counterweights and boxes
configuration ordered.

Assembly Tools

All of the tools necessary to assemble your LX850
telescope will be found in the accessory box:
• LX850 lock knob wrench: A dedicated tool for
securing small and large knobs on both the
telescope and tripod.
• 5/16" hex head wrench: Required for securing
DEC and RA clutches.
Fig 7: LX850 assembly tools.

Tripod Assembly

Remove the LX850 field tripod from the shipping
carton. Included in this carton is the spreader bar,
threaded rod (with spacer) and retaining clip; set these
aside. Position the tripod where you want the telescope
to be assembled. Stand the tripod vertically with the
tripod feet down and with the tripod still fully collapsed.
Grasp two of the tripod legs and, with the full weight
of the tripod on the third leg, gently pull the legs apart
to a fully open position. The legs should be spread so
the three leg braces are spaced evenly apart and the
tripod head is approximately level. Position one of the
legs so that it points approximately true South (True
North in the southern hemisphere). This will allow the
counterweight shaft to clear the tripod if used at low
latitudes.
depending on the
Fig 8: Tripod.
• Internal Cable Fish Tool: Assist routing StarLock,
DEC,RA and accessory connecting cables
Use of these tools will be described in the assembly
procedure. If you will be attaching an OTA that utilizes
a Vixen Style dovetail you will need a 3/16" hex head
wrench (included) to relocate the mounting rails on the
dovetail plate.
Collapsed
5/16" Hex Head Wrench
LX850 Utility Tool
Internal Cable Fish Tool
Leg points to
true South
Opened
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