Meade DS-2000 Series Instruction Manual
Ds-2000 series altazimuth maksutov-cassegrain telescopes
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Summary of Contents for Meade DS-2000 Series
- Page 1 Instruction Manual DS-2000 Series Altazimuth Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescopes MEADE.COM...
- Page 2 SmartFinder ™ as it is moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing. Refracting Telescopes use a large objective lens as their primary light-collecting element. Meade refrac- tors, in all models and apertures, include achromatic (2-element) objective lenses in order to reduce or virtually eliminate the false color (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 ..........29 Collimation ..............29 Meade Customer Service ........31 ® The name “Meade,” “AutoStar,” and the Meade logo are Specifications ............32 trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal countries throughout the world. All rights reserved. -
Page 4: Quick-Start Guide
QUICK-START GUIDE Mounting Arm Shaft Mounting Plate Fasten wingnuts 3a. Attach the Mounting Plate: If your telescope did Open the tripod: Remove the tripod from the not come with the mounting plate already giftbox and stand vertically. Gently pull the legs attached, remove 4 screws from the mounting apart to a fully open position. - Page 5 Connect Autostar: Be certain that the power switch (J) on the computer control panel is in the OFF position. Plug the coil cord of the Autostar Controller into the HBX port (K) . Turn on the computer panel; the red LED lights when power is Insert the eyepiece: Rear view for models with supplied to the panel.
- Page 6 26. Red Dot Viewfinder 27. Compass/Bubble Level Fig. 1: DS-2000 Series 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.
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Page 7: Telescope Features
C. ON Switch: Turns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar 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 37. - Page 8 Azimuth Setting Circle: Displays Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates. Tripod Legs: Spread the legs out as far as they will open for a secure viewing platform. Inner Support Struts (3): Make the tripod more secure and stable. Mounting Lock Knobs (2): Secure the optical tube to the mounting plate (25, Fig. 1). Accessory Tray: Conveniently holds extra eyepieces, Autostar handbox, and other accessories when not in use.
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Page 9: Autostar Features
AUTOSTAR FEATURES The #494 Autostar controls the DS-2000AT Series Telescopes. Nearly all telescope operations NOTE: are accomplished with just a few pushes of Autostar’s buttons. Some of the major DS-2000EC users, features of Autostar are: APPENDIX E page 39, for informa- Automatically move the telescope to any of the 1400 objects stored in the database or tion about your sup- manually enter the astronomical coordinates of any celestial object. - Page 10 telescope is slewing, the operation may be aborted at any time by pressing any key except DEFINITION: GO TO. Pressing GO TO again resumes the slew to the object. Throughout this manual, you will notice The GO TO key also allows you to perform a "spiral search." A spiral search is useful dur- the term "Alt/Az."...
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Page 11: 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 12: Red Dot Viewfinder
Improperly installed batteries screw (3) (Reflector models). void your Meade warranty. Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of time. 14. Connect Autostar: Be certain that the power switch on the computer control panel is in the OFF position. -
Page 13: Choosing An Eyepiece
The Barlow Lens referring to eyepiece power (magnification), instant and irre- yes, you can! The most common beginner’s Some Meade telescopes include a power versible eye damage, mistake is to “overpower” a telescope by multiplier called a Barlow lens. Consisting of... -
Page 14: Observing
28, ACCESSORIES, often cause degradation of image quality. Lower power eyepieces, such as a 25mm eyepiece, or consult the Meade magnify these heat waves less than higher power eyepieces. Therefore, lower power eye- Telescope Catalog. pieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. If the image is fuzzy or ill-defined, reduce to a lower power eyepiece, where the heat waves do not have such an effect on image quality. -
Page 15: Slew Speeds
Slew Speeds NOTE: Do not look through Autostar has nine slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (this is the the telescope's eye- speed at which stars move) and have been calculated to accomplish specific functions. piece or viewfinder Pressing the SPEED/? key changes the slew speed, which is then shown for about two while it is rapidly seconds on Autostar’s display. -
Page 16: Alt/Az Home Position
The "Alt/Az" Home Position Pointer to 0° on the Loosen the telescope’s Altitude lock (see Fig. 16 and 17) . Altitude Level the optical tube: Remove the eyepiece and drop in the Compass/Bubble Level into Setting Circle the eyepiece holder. Move the tube up or down until the bubble is in the center circle of the North compass. -
Page 17: Observe A Star Using Automatic Tracking
Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of countries, states, and provinces. Press IMPORTANT NOTE: ENTER when the correct location displays. Autostar requests the The next screen asks for the city (listed alphabetically) closest to the observing site. Use Zip Code or the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of cities. - Page 18 How to Easy Align Your Telescope If you have just applied power to Autostar, perform steps 1 through 3. If you have already per- formed the initialization procedure, go to step 4. Sun Warning - Press the key prompted by Autostar to accept. Getting Started - Press ENTER to continue.
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Page 19: Two-Star Alignment
Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Two-Star Alignment is identical to Easy: Align (see , above), except Autostar displays a database of EASY (TWO-STAR) ALIGN bright stars and two stars are chosen by the observer from this database for alignment. It is rec- ommended that you choose stars with which you are familiar from this database when first try- ing out this method or the One-Star Alignment method. -
Page 20: Basic Autostar Operation
1400 database objects and press a 2-minute setup. GO TO to move the telescope automatically to an object. Select Item: Select Item: Setup MEADE MEADE Event UTILITIES MENU EVENT MENU Calculate eyepiece Display the time of The Universe of past, present, and future magnifications;... -
Page 21: Entering Numbers And Text Into Autostar
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 22: Menus And Menu Options
MENUS AND MENU OPTIONS Object Menu Almost all observing with Autostar 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 23: Event Menu
Identify procedure. Do not loosen the telescope locks or move the base or align- Never use a ment is lost. Meade DS- When a desired object is visible in the eyepiece, keep pressing MODE until the “Select 2000 Telescope to Item: Object”... -
Page 24: Glossary Menu
Glossary Menu The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions for common astronomical terms and Autostar functions. Access directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Autostar. A hypertext word is any word in [brackets], usually found when using the Autostar Help function or when reading a scrolling message such as a description of a planet or star. -
Page 25: Setup Menu
Both batteries the percent value until you get a "feel" for the Arrow keys that is comfortable for you. available from Meade, photographic supply Alt Percent: The Alt (Altitude) Percent operates identical to the AZ Percent option (see houses or any place above), but allows you to change the altitude backlash, i.e., the way the Arrow keys move... - Page 26 Train Drive: Trains the Altitude and Azimuth motors to locate objects with more precision. If you are experiencing any problems with pointing accuracy, follow the procedure described in , page 37, to insure accurate pointing and APPENDIX D: TRAINING THE DRIVE tracking.
- Page 27 HST, astronomy, Messier, satellite, nebula, black hole, variable stars, extrasolar, Chandra, gamma burster, comets, Astronomy Day, etc. Check out Meade’s website for the latest prod- uct and technical information. You can down- load the latest software revisions, links to other...
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Page 28: Optional Accessories
Milky Way or for the study of broad diffuse nebulae, the wide-field MH 50mm eyepiece is a highly desirable accessory for all DS-2000 Series Telescopes (except for the DS-2060mm models, which cannot accept large-barrel eyepieces). On the DS-2070, for example, the MH 50mm ocular yields an actual field of view of 2.5°... -
Page 29: Caring For Your Telescope
Collimation DS-2000 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 DS-2114mm and DS-2130mm reflecting telescope models are also factory-aligned, but may occasionally require re-alignment, particularly if the telescope has received rough handling in shipment. - Page 30 Fig. 23. Fig. 24. Fig. 25. Fig. 26. Fig. 27. Fig. 28. Fig. 29. 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.
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Page 31: Meade Customer Service
DS-2000 telescope requires factory servicing or repairs, write or call the Meade Consumer Solutions Department first, before returning the telescope to the fac- tory, giving full particulars as to the nature of the problem, as well as your name, address, and daytime telephone number. -
Page 32: Specifications
SPECIFICATIONS DS-2090MAK Optical design ....Maksutov-Cassegrain Diameter ....... . 90mm (3.5”) Focal length . - Page 33 DSX-2102MAK Optical design ....Maksutov-Cassegrain Diameter ......102mm (4.13”) Focal length .
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Page 34: 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 35: Appendix B: To Find Objects Not In The Database
APPENDIX B Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Database Although Autostar contains a database of more than 1400 celestial objects (stars, nebulae, TIP: planets, etc.) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not part Entering R.A. -
Page 36: 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 Autostar. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by Autostar. -
Page 37: Appendix D: Training The Drive
MODE The Astronomical Society of the Pacific keys. 390 Ashton Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112 Select Item The Meade 4M Community Object check out www.meade4M.org And watch Jack Horkheimer, Star Gazer, on your local Fig. 32: Training the Drive Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the... -
Page 38: Appendix E: Battery Replacement
Replace the internal clock’s battery with a CR2023 lithium battery. This battery is located in the bat- tery compartment. Both batteries are available from Meade, photographic supply houses or any place lithium batteries are sold. APPENDIX F How to manually set the date to March 6, 2005: 1. -
Page 39: Appendix G: Electronic Controller (Ds-2000Ec Users Only)
APPENDIX G Fast Medium Moderate Slow Fig. 33: Electronic Controller. (1) Arrow Keys; (2) Indicator Lights; (3) SPEED Key; (4) Coil Cord; (5) MODE Key; (6) OUT Key; (7) IN Key. Electronic Controller (DS-2000EC Users Only) DS-2000 "EC" models come equipped with an Electronic Controller handbox, rather than the Autostar Handbox. -
Page 40: Optional #494 Autostar For Ds-2000Ec Users
Electronic Controller, do a quick telescope alignment, and you are ready to observe any object in the Autostar’s 1400-object database. Best of all, the Meade Autostar is easy to use. Even the most novice observer will locate dozens of fascinating celestial objects the very first night out. Study Saturn and its ring system; the primary cloud belts of Jupiter as well as its four major satellites;... -
Page 41: Basic Astronomy
So as you look through your Meade DS-2000 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 beat- ing heart of the universe might be observed. - Page 42 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 Autostar for information about planets. Scroll to the "Object: Solar System"...
- Page 44 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.