Aligning Smartfinder - Meade DS-2000 Series AutoStar-LNT-SmartFinder Instruction Manual

Fig. 13: Connect Autostar to
the HBX port and
Smartfinder to AUX port.
NEVER point
the telescope
directly at or
near the Sun
at any time! Observing
the Sun, even for the
smallest fraction of a
second, will result in
instant and irreversible
eye damage, as well as
physical damage to
the telescope itself.
menu, and "00.2" in the Blink On menu, the red dot will blink on for .2 seconds and then
blink off for .1 second, and then repeat the cycle until you change the values again.
9. Press and hold MODE to exit this function.

Aligning Smartfinder

Because the main telescope has a fairly narrow field of view, locating objects directly in the main
telescope can sometimes be difficult. Smartfinder (7, Fig. 1) projects a small red dot that per-
mits you to more easily locate objects. When Smartfinder and optical tube are aligned to each
other, both point to the same position in the sky. An object located in the viewfinder is therefore
in the eyepiece of the main telescope.
To align Smartfinder:
It is recommended that you perform steps 1 through 4 of this procedure during the daytime and
step 5 at night.
1. Loosen the tripod base lock knob (26, Fig. 1) and the Altitude lock (10, Fig. 1), so that the
telescope can move freely.
2. If you have not already done so, place a low-power ( e.g., 25mm) eyepiece in the diagonal
prism of the main telescope (3, Fig. 1) and point the telescope at an easy-to-find land object
( e.g., the top of a telephone pole or sign). Turn the focuser knob (1, Fig. 1) to focus the
image in the eyepiece. Center the object precisely.
3. Re-tighten the tripod base lock knob (26, Fig. 1) and the Altitude lock (10, Fig. 1) so that the
telescope does not move during the procedure.
4. Looking through Smartfinder. Turn the
Smartfinder's two alignment screws (8,
Fig. 1) until Smartfinder's red dot points
precisely at the same object as cen-
tered in the eyepiece. Smartfinder is
now aligned to the main telescope.
5. Check this alignment on a celestial object,
such as the Moon or a bright star, and
make any necessary refinements.
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.
DS-2000 TIPS
Too Much Power?
Can you ever have too much power? If you're
referring to eyepiece power (magnification),
yes, you can! The most common beginner's
mistake is to "overpower" a telescope by
using too high of a magnification, which the
telescope's aperture and atmospheric condi-
tions cannot reasonably support. Keep in
mind that a smaller, but bright and well-
resolved image is far superior to one that is
larger, but dim and poorly resolved (see
below). Powers above 200X should be
employed only under the steadiest atmos-
pheric conditions.
Autostar can calculate the best eyepiece for
you to use. Try out the "Eyepiece Calc" fea-
ture in the Utilities menu.
Most observers should have three or four
additional eyepieces to achieve the full range
of reasonable magnifications possible with
the DS-2000 telescopes. See "OPTIONAL
ACCESSORIES," page 29.
Fig. 14a & 14b: Jupiter; example of too much
magnification.
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