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Note:
The cradle rings may be attached with the cradle
ring knobs on either the left or right side of the equatorial
head, as long as both hinges open in the same direction.
e. Mounting the Optical Tube Assembly:
Before placing the OTA in the cradle ring assembly, confirm that
the counterweights are attached to the mount and the R.A. lock
lever (3), Fig. 7, and the Dec lock lever (1), Fig. 7, are firmly
locked by rotating each lever clockwise until it stops.
With both cradle rings open, place the OTA into the cradle ring
assembly. With one hand holding the OTA in place, close the
cradle rings. Tighten the two cradle ring knobs to a firm feel. Do
not overtighten.
Located at the end of the OTA is the Dew Shield (25), Fig. 1,
which can be removed when .cleaning the objective lens (See
General Maintenance Guidelines, page 12.)
Care should be
taken when replacing the Dew Shield to tighten the Dew Shield
Safety Screw (24), Fig. 1.
Tightening of the safety screw will
prevent accidental dislodgment of the Dew Shield during an
observing session
Fig. 6: Attaching the Diagonal Prism and Eyepiece. (1) Alignment
Screws; (2) Viewfinder; (3) Focus Lock Knob; (4) Eyepiece:
(5) Diagonal Prism; (6) Focuser Drawtube; (7) Focus Knob;
(8) Viewfinder Mount
f. Attaching the Diagonal Prism and Eyepiece:
Slide the diagonal prism (5), Fig. 6, directly into the focuser
drawtube (6)
Fig. 6, of the telescope and lock in place by
turning its thumbscrew clockwise until tight (firm-feel only).
Insert the provided PL 25mm eyepiece (4), Fig. 6, into the
diagonal prism and lock in place by tightening the thumbscrew.
Do not overtighten the thumbscrews.
Note
For astronomical observations, the diagonal prism
generally provides a comfortable right-angle viewing position.
Alternately. an eyepiece may be inserted directly into the rear
ceii for straight-through observations.
With the diagonal prism
in place, images will be right-side-up but reversed left-for-right.
With the eyepiece inserted directly into the rear cell (straight
through), images will be upside-down.
For astronomical
purposes, the image orientation is usually of no importance. For
■ e rrestnal observations, where a fully corrected image is highly
desiraole. the optional Meade #928 45° Erect-Image Diagonal
Pnsni
should
be
ordered separately.
(See
Optional
Accessories, page 12.)
g. Mounting the Viewfinder;
The viewfinder, bracket and mounting hardware are shipped in
the box with the optical tube assembly.
Between the focus lock knob (3), Fig. 6, and the optical tube,
locate the four machine screws, Fig 6A, threaded into holes on
the flat, viewfinder mounting area.
Remove the four machine screws. Align the two holes and the
two open slots on the base of the viewfinder mount (8). Fig. 6,
with the threaded holes on the viewfinder mounting area.
Thread the four screws through the viewfinder mount into the
telescope.
Tighten to a firm feel, but do not overtighten.
Alignment of the viewfinder is discussed later in this manual.
BALANCING THE TELESCOPE
The telescope must be balanced around both axes.
With an
improperly balanced telescope, objects may become difficult to
find or, once found, may be easily lost.
To balance the
telescope:
1.
Loosen the R.A. lock lever (3), Fig. 7, by rotating the lever
counterclockwise until it stops. The Optical Tube Assembly
now rotates freely about the Polar Axis (19), Fig. 1. Rotate
the telescope so that the counterweight rod is parallel to
the ground (horizontal).
2.
Loosen the counterweight lock screws (28), Fig. 1, and
slide the counterweights along the rod until the telescope
remains in one position without tending to drift in either
direction.
Re-tighten the counterweight lock screws and
the R.A. lock lever.
3.
Loosen the Dec lock lever (1), Fig. 7, by rotating the lever
counterclockwise until it stops. The Optical Tube Assembly
now rotates freely about the Declination Axis (27), Fig, 1.
Rotate the optical tube assembly so that the tube is parallel
to the ground (horizontal).
4.
Slightly loosen the two cradle ring knobs (22), Fig. 1.
5.
Slide the tube back and forth within the cradle rings until
the telescope is in balance about the Declination Axis.
Tighten the cradle ring knobs and the Dec lock lever when
balanced.
With the telescope properly balanced, it is possible to place the
optical tube in any position without drifting. Rebalancing may be
necessary with the addition of any optional accessories.
Fig. 7: Telescope Controls. (1) Dec Lock Lever; (2) R.A. Slow-
Motion Control; (3) R.A. Lock Lever; (4) Dec Slow-Motion Control.
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