Related Manuals for Meade ETX-LS ACF
Summary of Contents for Meade ETX-LS ACF
- Page 1 Instruction Manual 6" LS-6 ACF and 6" LS-6 SC Telescopes with AutoStar III Hand Controller...
- Page 2 WARNING! Never Meade LS-6 ® ™ Telescope look Sun! Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible 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.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Meade Series 4000 Super Plössl Eyepieces ..16 One Year Limited Warranty ... Back Cover Meade Series 5000 Premium Eyepieces ..17 BATTERY SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: Power Supplies . - Page 4 Here are a few of the features that set the Meade LS-6 telescope system apart from all others.
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Page 5: Getting Started
GETTING STARTED You may want to perform the LS-6 assembly indoors in the light so that you become familiar with the parts and operation before moving the telescope outside into the dark for observing. This Getting Started Guide assumes you are too impatient to read the entire manual first and want to use your new telescope as quickly as possible. Just follow the simple steps below and you will be up and running before you know it. -
Page 6: Mounting The Tripod
Improperly installed Carefully screw the three attachment thumb-screws batteries void your Meade warranty. Always remove on the bottom of the plate to the base of the tripod. the batteries if they will not be used for a long period Hand tighten the screws so the telescope cannot spin of time. -
Page 7: Attaching Accessories
Attaching Accessories Your Telescope is now Fully Assembled Now remove the dust cover from the front of the telescope tube. Be careful not to touch the glass lens. Be sure the telescope master power switch is in the off position. Remove the LS-6 handbox and the coiled interface cable from the packing materials. -
Page 8: Technology
Focus Knob After the telescope powers on, you will hear a brief introductory message. You can press the “MEDIA” key to bypass the introduction if you like. If you have attached a video cable from the Video Out connection on the telescope to the composite video input of a NTSC TV monitor, you will also see graphics accompanying the telescope introduction. -
Page 9: Autostar Iii Handbox - Basic Usage
AUTOSTAR III HANDBOX – BASIC USAGE Now that you have successfully setup and used your LS-6, it’s time for more information about all the capabilities of this amazing telescope system. The first step is to familiarize yourself with the AutoStar III handbox operation. The largest keys on the keypad are the motion control keys. -
Page 10: Changing Modes
Shortcuts! The “ENTER” and “BACK” buttons on the top of the display let you move up and down the menu tree. Now lets look at the numeric keypad. Each of the When you press “ENTER” you will select the current number keys does two things. -
Page 11: Ls-6 Key Features
LS-6 KEY FEATURES 2& Diagonal Eyepiece Holder Diagonal Prism Telescope Input/Output Panel 1.25” Eyepiece Holder ON/OFF LightSwitch Eyepiece Holder Thumb Screw ECLIPS CCD Module Eyepiece Red Dot Finder Alignment Screws Single Fork Arm Mount Handbox Storage Cradle ... - Page 12 Diagonal Thumbscrew Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) Focus Knob Integrated Sensor Module Dust Cover Battery Compartment Red Dot Finder Mini SD Card Slot USB-A for Future Expansion USB-B connector to PC Video Output Audio Output Electronic Focuser Jack Handbox (HNDBX) Port...
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Page 13: Telescope
Diagonal Holder: Holds the eyepiece in place. ECLIPS CCD Module: The integrated camera is part of the system that allows the telescope Diagonal Prism: provides a more comfortable to align itself, and provides you with a wide field right angle viewing position. Slide the diagonal imager when a video monitor is attached to prism directly into the eyepiece holder (Fig. - Page 14 12v DC auto cigarette light plug or from a standard 115v AC home outlet using the optional Meade Universal Power Adaptor. It is important that only the Meade Universal Power Adaptor be used to power the telescope. 2&...
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Page 15: Using The Red-Dot Finder
Using the Red-Dot Finder Adjusting the Red-Dot Finder On/Off & Brightness Adjustment Because your telescope has so much magnification, The Red-Dot Finder has been aligned at the factory, its field of view is very small. This can make it hard to but you may need to touch-up the alignment from time know exactly where your telescope is pointing by simply to time. -
Page 16: Optional Meade® Accessories
26mm eyepiece, which gives a wide 53 ARC Minute (just a little less than 1 degree) field of view with 59x Meade makes a complete line of accessories to enable magnification. This is a very good all purpose eyepiece you to get the most fun and performance from your LS- for your telescope, but you should consider buying 6 telescope. -
Page 17: Meade Series 5000 Premium Eyepieces
The Series 5000 Premium Eyepieces represent the highest level of eyepiece technology. Featuring advanced lens designs with 5, 6 and 7 elements, super fully multi-coated lenses and some of the widest fields of view available, they provide the user with the highest-contrast, pinpoint-sharp images and spectacular wide field views of the heavens. -
Page 18: Power Supplies
12v DC power socket. It comes with a 25 foot cord so you can setup far from the car. Off Axis Guiders Accessories at Meade.com. Now you can order all these and more accessories or any Meade products right from the Meade Web Site www.meade.com and it will be shipped right to your door. -
Page 19: Autostar Iii Handbox
• Top line: Lists the primary category or menu item. • Download the latest satellite data and software revisions directly from the Meade website • Bottom line: Contains a menu option or (www.meade.com) and share software with other additional information about an object or LS-6 enthusiasts. - Page 20 • Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal) “ENTER” Key: Selects the option on the second coordinates . line of the display. When you are looking at • Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST) descriptive object text, “ENTER” will synchronize • Timer and Alarm Status the telescope’s coordinates with the object.
- Page 21 Arrow Keys: Slew the telescope in a specific Number Key “1” = 1x direction (up, down, left, and right), at any one Number Key “2” = 2x of nine different speeds. Speed selection is Number Key “3” = 8x explained in “SLEW SPEEDS”, below. The Number Key “4”...
- Page 22 “9/Display” – instantly brings up the handbox brightness controls so you can adjust your handbox display. “0/Mode” – This key lets you cycle through the telescope’s modes, (See the entry above). Scroll Keys: Accesses options within a selected menu. The menu is displayed on the first line of the screen.
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Page 23: Menu Tree
AUTOSTAR III MENU TREE Menu Scope Info Sky Map Mode Mode Mode Select Item: Select Item: Scope Info Sky Map (FOV=xx) up/down zooms FOV = 22 FOV = 31 FOV = 45 Date FOV = 63 Local Time FOV = 90 Battery Near Free Mem... -
Page 24: Guided Tour Menu
Guided Tour Menu followed by the Moon, asteroids, and comets. Constellation is a database of all 88 Northern and When Guided Tours is selected, LS-6 shows you a Southern Hemisphere constellations. When this menu list of theme tours that will help you explore the night option is chosen and a constellation name appears on sky. -
Page 25: Event Menu
IMPORTANT NOTE: To use the Landmark function, stars passes behind the other. The combined magnitude the telescope must be located and aligned exactly as of the two stars thus dips from +2.1 to a minimum of when the landmark was added to the database. +3.4 halfway through the eclipse as the second star is hidden. -
Page 26: Utilities Menu
the thirteen pre-set Contrast curves available, includes AutoStar Suite which automatically sorts, “Cont. Day”, “Cont. Moon”, “Cont. Planet”, “Cont. aligns and combines the best images, resulting in a Stars”, and “Cont. Deep1” thru “Cont. Deep9”. highly detailed color image. The setting after “Cont. Deep9” is Cust.Cont. The following Deep Sky Imagers models and (Custom Contrast). -
Page 27: Setup Menu
On – Selects full-time red video. Preferences allows you to configure the telescope’s behaviors to suit your own viewing tastes. Configurable Off – Selects full-time color video. options include: Sleep Scope is a power and time saving option that • Restore Defaults sets all the settings back to shuts down the LS-6 telescope without forgetting the factory original values. - Page 28 • Use GPS allows you to disable use of the GPS Tip: If you are having difficulties with the telescope, to determine the time and your telescope’s the first step to getting back on track is to use location. If your scope is mounted in an Preferences –...
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Page 29: Advanced Ls-6 Features
ADVANCED LS-6 FEATURES Two Star Alt Az Alignment e. “Automatic Alignment: Selecting Star” and 1. Select Alt. Az. 2 Star alignment from the Align “Slewing” display. When it is close to the menu to begin two star alignment. alignment star “Center Brightest Star: Press 2. -
Page 30: One Star Alt Az Alignment
Alt/Az 1 Star Alignment This menu option allows you to define and store terrestrial objects in the Landmark database. First, One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the a landmark needs to be stored in memory using the night sky. LS-6 provides a library of bright stars. One- “Landmark: Add”... -
Page 31: Observing Satellites
8. “Center Landmark. Press “ENTER”” displays. 7. When the alarm goes off, return to the Satellite Using only the Arrow keys (do not manually move menu and press a Scroll key until the desired the telescope), move the telescope to the desired satellite is on the top line of the display. -
Page 32: Terrestrial Observing
Terrestrial Observing The LS-6 is an excellent high-resolution, terrestrial (land) telescopes. Viewing terrestrial objects requires looking along the Earth’s surface through heat waves. These heat waves often cause degradation of image quality. Lower power eyepieces, like the Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece, magnify these heat waves less than higher power eyepieces. -
Page 33: Maintenance
1 part isopropyl alcohol. You optical performance. may also add 1 drop of biodegradable As part of final optical testing, every Meade Schmidt- dishwashing soap per pint of solution. Use soft, Cassegrain is precisely collimated at the Meade factory white facial tissues and make short, gentle before shipment. - Page 34 dark central spot is in fact the shadow of the secondary eyepiece field of view (Fig. 8, 2), in the same mirror. Turn the focus knob until the ring of light fills direction as the darker shadow is offset in the about 10% of the eyepiece field-diameter.
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Page 35: Inspecting The Optics
Inspecting the Optics supplied with your telescope. The Updater goes online to the Meade web site and checks to see if there is a A Note About the “Flashlight Test”: If a flashlight or newer version available and can download it directly... -
Page 36: Sd Card For Updates And Image Storage
PC utility or the Meade Customer Service Department to provide AutoStar Suite, before use in the LS-6. The card must an explanation of the problem, as well as your be formatted with the FAT32 File System. -
Page 37: Training The Drive
APPENDIX A: TRAINING THE DRIVE Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any BACK pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 9 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. Guided Tour Calibrate NOTE: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone Azmiuth Drive twice. pole or lamp post, to train the drive. -
Page 38: Creating User Objects
APPENDIX B: CREATING USER OBJECTS and TOURS User Object are catalogs of deep sky objects you can create or import that are not in the LS-6 telescope. You can define your own objects and create your own titles. Tours, similar to the three preloaded guided tours (Tonight’s Best”, “A Star’s Life”... -
Page 39: Basic Astronomy
So across the lunar surface. These dark areas are large as you look through your Meade LS-6 telescope, keep ancient impact basins that were filled with lava from Galileo in mind. To him, a telescope was not merely a... - Page 40 Planets change positions in the sky as they orbit Saturn is nine times the around the Sun. To locate the planets on a given day diameter Earth or month, consult a monthly astronomy magazine, appears as a small, round such as Sky and Telescope or Astronomy. You can disk with rings extending also consult LS-6 for information about planets.
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Page 41: Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number 6"LS-6 ACF # 0610-03-10 Optical System Optical Design Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) Primary Mirror Diameter 6” (152mm) Primary Mirror Material Pyrex® Glass Focal Length, Focal Ratio 1524mm, f/10 Optical Coatings Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.76 Limiting Visual Stellar Magnitude Mount... - Page 42 SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number 6" LS-6 SC # 0610-03-12 Optical System Optical Design Schmidt Cassegrain (SC) Primary Mirror Diameter 6” (152mm) Primary Mirror Material Pyrex® Glass Focal Length, Focal Ratio 1524mm, f/10 Optical Coatings Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.76 Limiting Visual Stellar Magnitude Mount...
- Page 45 Corporation (“Meade”) to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 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.