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BAS Meade LX90 User Manual

8” telescope
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BAS – Meade LX90 8" Telescope - User Guide
This is a brief guide to setting-up and observing with the Meade LX90 8" Schmitt Cassegrain
telescope. The guide explains each step in some detail. However, in summary, the main steps to
setting up the telescope and aligning it with the stars are:
•
Attach the telescope to the tripod.
•
Attach the finderscope and star diagonal and eyepiece to the telescope.
•
Align the finderscope crosshairs to indicate the same place the telescope points towards.
•
Align the optical tube to horizontal and pointing toward true north.
•
Attach the 12V DC battery and power cord.
•
Turn the telescope ON.
•
Input the current date, time, time zone, daylight savings status.
•
Select the Two Star Alignment method.
•
Align the telescope with two initial stars.
The telescope is now ready to use.
You will need a good Compass App
Before heading out to set-up this telescope, you
must load a good compass app into your
smartphone. Having an accurate compass is
essential to being able to performing an initial two-
star alignment and subsequently being able to slew
the telescope to desired targets.
BAS recommends you load a compass app that
allows you to select TRUE NORTH as the display
option (rather than magnetic north).
The Safety of You and the Telescope
Do not set this telescope up, and attempt to use it,
during the day when there is a risk the Sun could
shine directly into the uncovered front lens of the
telescope. The concentration of heat from the 8-
inch diameter mirror can cause instant blindness to
anyone looking through telescope eyepiece. In
addition, internal components of the telescope will
rapidly, and irreparably, melt.
The storage box has wheels and detachable "wheel
barrow" handles for easier movement.
1

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Summary of Contents for BAS Meade LX90

  • Page 1 BAS – Meade LX90 8” Telescope - User Guide This is a brief guide to setting-up and observing with the Meade LX90 8” Schmitt Cassegrain telescope. The guide explains each step in some detail. However, in summary, the main steps to setting up the telescope and aligning it with the stars are: •...

  • Page 2: Setting Up The Telescope

    Telescope Components To use the telescope, you will need: • Meade LX90 8” telescope • Tripod and center support bracket • Hand controller • Charged 12v battery and telescope power cable • Finderscope • Visual back and diagonal mirror eyepiece holder •...
  • Page 3 Attach the hand controller to the HBX socket and 12v battery power cable. Make sure there is a long length of slack power cable so that the telescope can rotate on the tripod and not rip the power plug from the socket on the telescope, or break the wires.
  • Page 4 A note regarding the Hand Controller The four direction arrow buttons in the centre of the controller move the telescope optical tube up/down and rotate clockwise/anticlockwise. The number key have two functions. The first is to input numerical information such as times and object database numbers such as NGC 5139.
  • Page 5 Aligning the finderscope with the telescope Make sure you never point the telescope or finderscope towards the sun at any time! If the finderscope does not point to the same patch of sky as the main telescope it will be very difficult to complete the 2-star alignment procedure (explained below).
  • Page 6 The telescope needs two accurate initial physical alignment references to commence the two-star alignment process. These physical references are: • The optical tube is accurately pointing towards TRUE NORTH • The optical tube is accurately horizontal. If these references are inaccurate, you will have difficulty finding the two initial alignment stars in the finderscope or eyepiece.
  • Page 7 Connect the power cable to a 12v DC battery and insert the plug into the power socket on the side of the telescope. Make sure there is a long length of slack power cable so that the telescope can rotate on the tripod and not rip the power plug from the socket on the telescope, or break the wires Click the power switch to ON on the side of the telescope.
  • Page 8 You are now ready to commence aligning the telescope with the stars in the sky. Two-Star Alignment Procedure There are a few methods by which the Meade LX90 telescope can be aligned with the stars. However, BAS recommends using the Two Star Alignment method. (Other more automated methods have a very high probability of leaving you very confused as to which star the telescope wants you to align upon.
  • Page 9 North Method Press 1 to tell the telescope 1=True 2=Compass you have pointed the optical Tell the telescope you tube toward True North and have pointed the optical the tube is also horizontal. tube toward TRUE NORTH The hand controller will then Tell the telescope the display some very rapidly optical tube is horizontal...
  • Page 10 You need to center the under the cross hairs. Then star in the finderscope look through the eyepiece. and then the eyepiece. (You might now need to slow the slewing speed to perhaps Key 5 or slower.) Now center the star in the center of the eyepiece field of view.
  • Page 11 app (SkySafari is recommended) to help identify the alignment stars correctly. The telescope is now aligned with the stars in the sky. You are ready to observe objects. Observing Objects Some of the hand controller number keys provide direct access to catalogs of objects. Key 1/M –...
  • Page 12 Meade LX90 Menu Tree Access the menu of telescope functions by pressing ENTER to sequentially move down the options. Press MODE to reverse up the options. Press the up/down scroll keys on the bottom of the hand controller to move through options.

  • Page 13: Guided Tour

    Guided Tour Press the MODE key until “Select Item: Object” is displayed. Press the scroll down key to display “Select Item: Guided Tour”. Press ENTER. Controller displays “Select Item: Tonight’s Best”, press ENTER to start the tour. Press MODE to return. Observe Deep Sky Objects The telescope has a database of about 30,000 objects you can ask it to point to.