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Meade Instruments Corporation
Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes
INTRODUCTION
The Meade ETX is an extremely versatile, high-resolution telescope designed for
everyone. Unlike larger or more specialized telescopes that might appeal only to
the advanced amateur astronomer, the ETX is an easy-to-operate telescope with
fingertip controls, an internal motor drive for automatic tracking of astronomical
objects, and one of the finest optical systems ever manufactured for a
commercial telescope. As a first telescope, the ETX reveals nature in an
everexpanding level of detail: observe the feather structure of a bird from 50
yards or study the rings of the planet Saturn from a distance of 800 million miles. The Meade ETX is an instrument
fully capable of growing with the user's interests. For many, the ETX is all the telescope ever required. As a second
telescope for the amateur astronomer who may already own a larger instrument, the ETX represents extreme
portability without sacrificing the most demanding requirements for optical quality and field performance. The result
of more than five years in development by an elite team of Meade optical designers and engineers, the Meade ETX
is, without question, one of the most revolutionary telescopes to be developed in the past 25 years. We urge the
ETX user to read this manual thoroughly, in order that you might avail yourself of all the designed-in features at
your disposal with this amazing instrument.
Fig. 1: The ETX Astro Telescope
1.
Eyepiece
2.
Viewfinder Alignment Screws
3.
Viewfinder
4.
90° Eyepiece Holder
5.
Focus Knob
6.
Photo Port
7.
Flip-Mirror Control Knobs
8.
1/4-20 Photo Tripod Adapter Block
9.
Fork Mount
10.
R.A. Slow-Motion Control
11.
R.A. Lock
12.
Attachment Holes for Fixed Tripod Legs
13.
Bottom Surface of Drive Base
14.
Drive Base
15.
R.A. (Right Ascension) Setting Circle
16.
Dec Slow-Motion Control
17.
Declination Pointer
18.
Dec (Declination) Setting Circle
19.
Screws for Attaching Optical Tube to Fork Mount
20.
Declination Cover Plate
21.
Declination Lock
ETX Astro Telescope Instruction Manual
second, will cause irreversible damage
to your eye as well as physical damage
to the telescope or spotting scope itself.
IMPORTANT NOTICE! Never
use a telescope or spotting
scope to look at the Sun!
Observing the Sun, even for
the shortest fraction of a
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Summary of Contents for Meade ETX Series
- Page 1 50 yards or study the rings of the planet Saturn from a distance of 800 million miles. The Meade ETX is an instrument fully capable of growing with the user's interests. For many, the ETX is all the telescope ever required. As a second telescope for the amateur astronomer who may already own a larger instrument, the ETX represents extreme portability without sacrificing the most demanding requirements for optical quality and field performance.
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Page 2: Getting Started
GETTING STARTED 1.Parts Listing In keeping with the ETX philosophy of elegant simplicity, the ETX is virtually completely assembled at the Meade factory; getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first opening the packing box, note carefully the following parts included with the ETX Astro Telescope: The ETX Astro Telescope with fork mount system. - Page 3 TELESCOPE USE 1. Quick Tips Viewfinder Alignment with Main Telescope: When first attached to the • telescope, the viewfinder and main optical tube are not aligned. Therefore, it is not possible to locate objects in the main telescope using the viewfinder. Procedures for aligning the viewfinder and main telescope are discussed below.
- Page 4 Eyepiece Focal Length: The eyepiece focal length is the distance light travels inside the eyepiece before reaching focus. Focal length is usually printed on the side of the eyepiece. The Meade ETX is supplied with one eyepiece as standard equipment, a Super Plössl (SP) 26mm eyepiece. Thus, the focal length of the provided eyepiece is 26mm.
- Page 5 Most observers will want to have 3 or 4 eyepieces and the #126 2X Barlow Lens to achieve the full range of reasonable magnifications possible with the ETX. 4. First Observations Unthread the metal dust cap from the front lens, and the ETX Astro Telescope may now be used for terrestrial (land) observing.
- Page 6 Fig. 1. 2. Attach the telescope to the optional Meade ETX Field Tripod as detailed in the instructions included with the tripod and as shown in Figure 5. This tripod was exclusively designed for the ETX Astro Telescope to...
- Page 7 3. Alternately, attach the entire ETX Astro Telescope (including fork mount), to a heavy-duty photo tripod. Attachment to a photo tripod is effected by means of the threaded hole (3, Fig. 3) in the center of the bottom surface of the telescope's drive base. This central hole is threaded with the phototripod-standard 1/4-20 thread.
- Page 8 Polar Alignment The Meade ETX can be used for astronomical observations in the same way as just described for terrestrial observations: simply set the telescope on a tabletop, locate objects through the viewfinder, and then observe through the main telescope.
- Page 9 throughout the world are listed later in this manual. Example: The latitude of New York City is 41° . The center tripod leg should be extended so that the center of the thumbscrew is set next to the 41° reading on the scale. Note: With the center tripod leg threaded fully into the center hole of the drive base, the latitude scale may be at an inconvenient position for reading the latitude scale (e.g., the scale may be facing the drive base).
- Page 10 5. Note the dotted line and arrow extending from the telescope tube in Fig. arrow) points due North. 8. This line defines the telescope's polar axis. Lift the entire telescope, including tripod, and place the telescope on a tabletop so that this axis is pointed due North.
- Page 11 The positions of celestial objects change over the course of the year, so you should obtain a star chart (such as the Meade Star Charts, available from your Meade dealer) or refer to the monthly star charts presented in astronomy magazines, such as Sky &...
- Page 12 The Dec setting circle has been factory set to read the correct Declination of sky objects, but this setting should be re-checked the first time the setting circles are used. With the telescope polar aligned, point the telescope as shown in Fig. 8 and center the North Star, Polaris (Fig. 9), in the telescopic field. Polaris has a Declination of 89.2° . With Polaris centered in the field of view, both Dec setting circles should therefore read 89.2°...
- Page 13 A few tips on photography through the ETX: 1. Use a rigid tabletop or the optional Meade ETX Field Tripod as a platform for the telescope. At effective focal lengths of 1250mm to 1450mm, even small external vibrations can easily ruin an otherwise good photo.
- Page 14 1. The Moon The Moon is, on average, a distance of 230,000 miles (370,000km) from Earth and is the easiest object to view at night. It is best observed during its crescent or half phase, when sunlight strikes its surface at an angle, casting shadows and adding a sense of depth to your view.
- Page 15 Diffuse Nebulae are clouds of dust and gas where stars are formed. The Great Nebula in Orion (M42) is a diffuse nebula that appears as a faint wispy gray cloud. M42 is 1600 light years in distance from Earth. Galaxies are large groupings of stars, nebulae, clusters, and more. The most common shape is spiral, but galaxies also are elliptically-shaped, or even seen as irregular blobs.
- Page 16 Phoenix Arizona 33° N Portland Oregon 46° N Richmond Virginia 37° N Salt Lake City Utah 41° N San Antonio Texas 29° N San Diego California 33° N San Francisco California 38° N Seattle Washington 47° N Washington District of Columbia 39° N Wichita Kansas 38°...
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Page 17: Telescope Maintenance And Servicing
Rabat Morocco 34° N Tunis Tunisia 37° N Windhoek Nambia 23° S AUSTRALIA City State Latitude Adelaide South Australia 35° S Brisbane Queensland 27° S Canberra New South Wales 35° S Alice Springs Northern Territory 24° S Hobart Tasmania 43° S Perth Western Australia 32°... - Page 18 Do not remove the lens from its metal housing or else optical alignment of the lens will be lost, necessitating a return of the telescope to the Meade factory. e. If the ETX is used outdoors on a humid night, water condensation on the telescope surfaces will probably result.
- Page 19 (949) 451-1450, or fax at (949) 451-1460. Customer Service hours are 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. In the unlikely event that your ETX requires factory servicing or repairs, write or call the Meade Customer Service Department first, before returning the telescope to the factory, giving full details as to the nature of the problem, as well as your name, address, and daytime telephone number.