Related Manuals for Meade StarNavigator Series
Summary of Contents for Meade StarNavigator Series
- Page 1 Instruction Manual StarNavigator Series ™ Reflecting and Refracting Telescopes with Audiostar ™ MEADE.COM...
- Page 2 Children should always have adult supervision while observing. Refracting Telescopes use a large objective lens as their primary light-collecting element. Meade refractors, in all models and apertures, include achromatic (2-element) objective lenses in order to reduce or virtually eliminate the false colour (chromatic aberration) that results in the telescopic image when light passes through a lens.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Caring for Your Telescope ..........33 Collimation ..............33 Meade Consumer Solutions........34 Specifications ..............36 ® The name “Meade,” and the Meade logo are trademarks Appendix A: Celestial Coordinates ........38 registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal countries throughout the world. All rights reserved. -
Page 4: Easy Set-Up Guide
EASY SET-UP GUIDE & Fasten Remove 4 screws from the mounting arm wingnuts shaft: Locate the four screws on the mounting Open the tripod: Remove the tripod from the shaft. Remove the screws using a "+" (Phillips head) screwdriver. giftbox and stand vertically. Gently pull the legs apart to a fully open position. - Page 5 Connect Audiostar: Be certain that the power switch (H) on the computer control panel is in the OFF position. Plug the coil cord of the Audiostar 7a. Attach the 90° diagonal prism ( refractor models Controller into the HBX port (I) . Turn on the only, see inside front cover ): Pull out to remove computer panel;...
- Page 6 Fig. 1c (Inset): Computer control panel. (A) Handbox port; (B) Power indicator light, (C) Fig. 1: StarNavigator Series Refracting Telescope. switch; (D) Auxiliary port. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun.
- Page 7 Fig. 1e (Inset): Focus assembly. switch; (D) Auxiliary port. Fig. 1: StarNavigator Series Reflecting Telescope. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
- Page 8 This page folds out...
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Page 9: Telescope Features
C. ON Switch: Press to turn the Computer Control Panel and Audiostar ON or OFF. Note: Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of time. D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port: Provides connection for current and future Meade accessories. See , page 32. - Page 10 Accessory Tray Attachment Bolts - Attach to wing nuts to fasten tray to the tripod. See page 11 for more information. Note: It is not necessary to remove the tray each time you collapse the tripod. The tray is designed to be collapsed with the legs. Accessory Tray - Conveniently holds extra eyepieces, Audiostar handbox, and other accessories.
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Page 11: Audiostar 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 Audiostar enthusiasts. (Requires optional #505 AstroFinder™... - Page 12 the Up Arrow key starts with the digit "9." The Left and Right Arrow keys are used DEFINITION: to move the blinking cursor left and right across the LCD display. Throughout this • Alt/Az Alignment: Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move the telescope manual, you will notice vertically up and down.
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Page 13: Getting Started
GETTING STARTED Packing List Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first opening the packing box, note carefully the parts listed on your giftbox. How to Assemble Your Telescope The telescope attaches directly to the tripod. The telescope in this way is mounted in an “Altazimuth”... -
Page 14: Red Dot Viewfinder
Do not mix battery types. If these precautions are not followed, batteries may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly installed batteries void your Meade warranty. Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of time. -
Page 15: Choosing An Eyepiece
Choosing an Eyepiece Intensity Slider A telescope’s eyepiece magnifies the light gathered by the optical tube. Each eyepiece has a focal length, expressed in millimetres, or “mm.” The smaller the focal length, the higher the magnification. For example, an eyepiece with a focal length of 9 mm has a higher magnification than an eyepiece with a focal length of 25 mm. -
Page 16: Observing
32, ACCESSORIES, objects requires looking along the Earth's surface through heat waves. These heat waves often or consult the Meade cause degradation of image quality. Lower power eyepieces, such as a 25 mm eyepiece, Telescope Catalog. magnify these heat waves less than higher power eyepieces. Therefore, lower power eyepieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. -
Page 17: Observe The Moon
Slew Speeds NOTE: Do not look through Audiostar has nine slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (see TO TRACK the telescope's on page 16 for a definition of "sidereal rate") and have been AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY eyepiece or calculated to accomplish specific functions. -
Page 18: To Track An Object Automatically
To Track an Object Automatically 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 Pointer to at the sidereal rate so that it automatically "tracks"... -
Page 19: Easy (Two-Star) Align
the city and state or country of your observing location). Press Up to select the zip code IMPORTANT NOTE: option or down to enter the city and state. Audiostar requests the Note: The location settings (country/state/province and city, or zip code) are only Zip Code or asked for the first time you turn on the control panel. -
Page 20: Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment
How to Easy Align Your Telescope If you have performed Initializing AudioStar as shown on page 16, continue to step 2. Otherwise, before proceeding, please perform the steps shown on page 16, Initalizing AudioStar. NOTE: For the Easy Align procedure to function properly, AudioStar must have the correct time, date and location of the observing site. -
Page 21: One-Star Alt/Az Alignment
which you are familiar from this database when first trying out this method or the One-Star Alignment method. One-Star Alt/Az Alignment One-Star Alignment also requires some knowledge of the night sky. One-Star Alignment is identical to Easy: Align (see , Pg. 17), except Audiostar displays a EASY (TWO-STAR) ALIGN database of bright stars and one star is chosen by the observer from this database for alignment. -
Page 22: Basic Audiostar Operation
BASIC AUDIOSTAR OPERATION OBJECT Select from over 30,000 database objects and press GO TO to move the telescope automatically to the object and place it in the telescopic field of view. SETUP Select Item: Quick, easy alignment Object permits all telescope operations with only a 2-minute setup. -
Page 23: Entering Data Into Audiostar
To Calculate Sunset time: Press the MODE key several times, until “Select Item: Object” is displayed. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the “Event” option in the “Select Item” menu. Press the ENTER key to choose the "Event" option and move down a level. "Event: Sunrise"... -
Page 24: Menus And Menu Options
MENUS AND MENU OPTIONS Object Menu Almost all observing with Audiostar is performed using the Object menu category. ( NOTE: Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey. ) See , page 19, for an GO TO SATURN example of observing using the Object menu. Also see , page 19. -
Page 25: Event Menu
Identify procedure. Do not loosen the telescope locks or move the base or Never use a alignment is lost. Meade When a desired object is visible in the eyepiece, keep pressing MODE until the “Select StarNavigator Item: Object” menu is displayed. Press ENTER to select this menu. -
Page 26: Glossary Menu, Utilities Menu
Glossary Menu The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions for common astronomical terms and Audiostar functions. Access directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Audiostar. A hypertext word is any word in [brackets], usually found when using the Audiostar Help function or when reading a scrolling message such as a description of a planet or star. -
Page 27: Setup Menu
Brightness Adj: Adjusts the brightness of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER. Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contrast of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER. NOTE: This feature is usually only required in very cold weather. Beep: Turns the beep on or off. - Page 28 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. If you enter a value near 0, it takes longer for the tube to respond as you hold down an Arrow key and also slews the tube more slowly.
- Page 29 Astronomy Day, etc. Audiostar software from the Meade website (www.meade.com) and wants Check out Meade’s website for the latest to pass this software along to friends. product and technical information. You can download the latest software revisions, links to...
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Page 30: Advanced Audiostar Features
ADVANCED AUDIOSTAR FEATURES Before trying out the examples in this section, familiarize yourself with the basic operations of Audiostar described earlier in this manual. The following examples assume that you have a basic knowledge of Audiostar and understand how to scroll to a desired menu or menu option, and how to enter numbers and text. -
Page 31: Landmarks
Landmarks This menu option allows you to define and store terrestrial objects in the Landmark database. First, a landmark needs to be stored in memory using the "Landmark: Add" option. To view a landmark, use the "Landmark: Select" option. Landmarks may also be viewed using the "Landmark Survey"... -
Page 32: Identify
Press MODE to pause the Survey. Press ENTER to restart the survey at the first object of the survey. To check on the available amount of memory in Audiostar. Audiostar has a limited amount of memory. Once you begin to store Landmarks, User Objects and other bits of information in Audiostar, you will begin to use up memory. - Page 33 After "Minimum Elevation," "Object Type" displays. Press ENTER." "+Black Hole" displays.If you do not wish wish to have "Black Holes" in your search, press ENTER and the "+" changes to a "–." Press the Scroll Down to scroll to the next item. "+Diffuse Nebula" displays.
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Page 34: Optional Accessories
Consult meade.com for complete details on these and other accessories. Eyepieces: For higher and lower magnifications, Meade Series 4000 Super Plössl (SP) yield high-resolution imaging with all StarNavigator telescope models. A useful selection includes the SP 15 mm and SP 12.4 mm eyepieces. -
Page 35: Caring For Your Telescope
Collimation StarNavigator refracting telescopes are optically aligned (collimated) at the factory prior to shipment, and it is never necessary to re-collimate the optics of these models. Meade StarNavigator114 and StarNavigator130 reflecting telescope models are also factory-aligned, but may occasionally require re-alignment, particularly if the telescope has received rough handling in shipment. -
Page 36: Meade Consumer Solutions
StarNavigator telescope requires factory servicing or repairs, write or call the Meade Consumer Solutions Department first, before returning 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. - Page 37 Fig. 23. Fig. 24. Fig. 25. Fig. 26. Fig. 27. Fig. 29. Fig. 28. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
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Page 38: Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS StarNavigator60 Optical design..................Refractor Clear aperture ..................60 mm Focal length ..................700 mm Focal ratio ..................f/11.7 Resolving power ..................1.9 arc secs Max power ..................200X Mounting....................Single-arm, motorized Alt-Az Alignment ..................Altazimuth Slew speeds ..................1x sidereal to 5.5°/sec in 9 increments Tripod ....................Aluminum, full-length; adjustable w/accessory tray Optical tube dimensions ..............2.5"/6.4 cm x 27"/68.6 cm Batteries (user-supplied) ..............8 x AA Hand controller ..................AudioStar... - Page 39 StarNavigator114 Optical design..................Reflector Clear aperture ..................114mm Focal length ..................910mm Focal ratio ..................f/8 Resolving power ..................1.0 arc secs Max power ..................325X Mounting....................Single-arm, motorized Alt-Az Alignment ..................Altazimuth Slew speeds ..................1x sidereal to 5.5°/sec in 9 increments Tripod ....................Aluminum, full-length; adjustable w/accessory tray Optical tube dimensions ..............5.5"/14 cm x 34"/86.4 cm Batteries (user-supplied) ..............8 x AA Hand controller ..................AudioStar...
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Page 40: Appendix A: Celestial Coordinates
APPENDIX A Celestial Coordinates North Celestial It is helpful to understand how to locate celestial +90 Dec. Pole Star objects as they move across the sky. (Vicinity of Polaris) A celestial coordinate system was created that maps an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth upon which all stars appear to be placed. -
Page 41: Appendix B: To Find Objects Not In The Database
APPENDIX B Using Audiostar to Find Objects Not in the Database TIP: Entering R.A. and Although Audiostar contains a database of more than 32,000 celestial objects (stars, nebulae, Dec. Coordinates of planets, etc.) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not part of object without the database. -
Page 42: Appendix C: 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 Audiostar. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by Audiostar. -
Page 43: Appendix D: Training The Drive
APPENDIX D Training the Drive Train the telescope motors using Audiostar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 32 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive. Complete this NOTE: exercise once every 3 to 6 months to maintain the highest level of telescope pointing accuracy. -
Page 44: Appendix E: Replacing The Batteries
APPENDIX E Batteries Replace the red dot Viewfinder’s battery with a CR2032 lithium battery. The battery is located on the bottom of the red dot viewfinder. You may need to slide your fingernail or a screwdriver blade underneath the battery and then slide it out. Replace the internal clock’s battery with a CR2032 lithium battery. -
Page 45: Basic Astronomy
So as you look through your Meade StarNavigator 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 46 Planets Planets change positions in the sky as they orbit around the Sun. To locate the planets on a given day or month, consult a monthly astronomy magazine, such as Sky and Telescope or Astronomy . You can also consult Audiostar for information about planets. Scroll to the "Object: Solar System"...
- Page 47 Meade Instruments Corp 27 Hubble Irvine, CA 92618 U.S.A. We declare that the Meade Instruments Corp. Model StarNavigator comply with the provisions of the following harmonized standards: • CISPR 22: 2005 Information Technology Equipment • EN 55022: 2006 + A1: 2007 •...
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Page 48: Meade Limited Warranty
Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments 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.