Meade LS 6 inch User Manual

Meade LS 6 inch Manual

Get Meade LS 6 inch PDF manuals and user guides View all Meade LS 6 inch manuals
Add to My Manuals
Save this manual to your list of manuals

Meade LS 6 inch manual content summary:

  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 1
    Instruction Manual 6" LS-6 ACF / 6" LS-6 SC and 8" LS-8 ACF / 8" LS-8 SC Telescopes with AutoStar III Hand Controller Firmware version 1.3 and higher INDEX
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 2
    WARNING! Never use a Meade® LS™ Telescope to look at the Sun! Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. Eye damage is often painless, so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late. Do not point the telescope at or
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 3
    Telescope 35 Updating Your LS Firmware 35 SD Card for Updates and Image Storage 36 Meade Customer Service How to get in contact 36 Appendix A: Training the Drive 37 Appendix B: Creating User Objects 38 Appendix C: Basic Astronomy 39 Specifications LS-6 ACF 41 LS-6 SC 42 LS-8 ACF 43 LS-8 SC
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 4
    of room to learn and expand your interest in astronomy and not out grow your telescope. Here are a few of the features that set the Meade LS telescope system apart from all others. Ease of Use: LightSwitch Technology is the ultimate in easy setup. Using a combination of optical, mechanical and
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 5
    STARTED You may want to perform the LS assembly indoors in the light so that you become familiar with the parts and operation before moving the telescope outside into the dark for observing. This Getting Started Guide assumes you are too impatient to read the entire manual first and want to use your
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 6
    and re-attach the battery compartment cover. ᕧ Use only the optional Meade Universal AC Power Adapter (part number 07584 for North America or 07584F for 220v foreign) with your LS telescope when connecting to AC power. It is specifically selected to provide the quality voltage and current required
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 7
    ¹ When night has fallen, approximately 1 hour after sunset, turn on your telescope. Flip the LightSwitch on the telescope fork arm to the ON (1) position. The copyright message lights on LS's LCD display. 26mm eyepiece into the diagonal prism and tighten the diagonal prism thumbscrew to a firm
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 8
    , the telescope will immediately start its LightSwitch Automatic Alignment procedure. It will take about five to ten minutes for the telescope to orient To exit the tour, press the "Mode" key. LS TIPS "MODE" Key The "MODE" Key cycles the telescope through its three different modes; Menu Mode, Info
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 9
    AUTOSTAR III BASIC USAGE AUTOSTAR III HANDBOX - BASIC USAGE Now that you have successfully setup and used your LS telescope, it's time for more information about all the capabilities of this amazing optical system. The first step is to familiarize yourself with the AutoStar III
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 10
    available menu choice is contained in figure 6 on page 23 of the manual. CHANGING MODES Menu Mode Up till now we have been exploring the Menu . 7. "VOLUME": Gives you quick access to the telescope audio volume control 8. "TOURS": Lets you directly select a guided tour. (note: to exit a tour at any
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 11
    Diagonal Eyepiece Holder ᕢ Diagonal Prism ᕣ 1.25" Eyepiece Holder ᕤ Eyepiece Holder Thumb Screw ᕥ Eyepiece ᕨ Single Fork Arm Mount Figure 1: LS Telescope 2& ¸ Telescope Input/Output Panel Ƹ ON/OFF LightSwitch ƺ ECLIPS CCD Module Ƽ Red Dot Finder Alignment Screws ƽ Handbox Storage Cradle INDEX 11
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 12
    LS KEY FEATURES µ ᕦ ƻ ᕩᕧ ƹ ᕦ Diagonal Thumbscrew ᕧ Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) ᕩ Focus Knob µ Integrated Output 2$ Electronic Focuser Jack 2% Handbox (HNDBX) Port 2^ 12v Power Input Figure 2: LS Right Side Figure 3: LS Front ƿ 2! 2@ ¹ 2# ƾ 2$ 2% 2^ INDEX Figure 4: LS Connectors 12
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 13
    after each observing session and the power turned off to the telescope. Verify that any dew that might have collected during the observing session has evaporated prior to replacing the dust cover. Ƹ ON/OFF LightSwitch: Turns the LS system ON or OFF. The red LED power indicator light illuminates
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 14
    from a standard 115v AC home outlet using the optional Meade Universal Power Adaptor. It is important that only the Meade Universal Power Adaptor be used to power the telescope. 2& AutoStar Suite Software: Contains the LS Instruction Manual and a collection of useful software including a planetarium
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 15
    and accurately, for terrestrial targets or when not using Auto Alignment and GO TO pointing, the LS has a 1X Red-Dot Viewfinder. The Red-Dot Finder will aid you in pointing your telescope easily. It works much like a fighter pilot's heads-up display. To turn on the Red Dot Finder, carefully
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 16
    ACCESSORIES Meade makes a complete line of accessories to enable you to get the most fun and performance from your LS telescope. No matter what you want to accomplish, we have the equipment to help you get there. Choosing Eyepieces A telescope's eyepiece magnifies the image formed by the telescope
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 17
    to the same high quality standards as the primary optics in your LS 6" telescope and allow you to get all the performance that the Advanced ComaFree inch eyepieces. NOTE: 2 inch eyepieces require the optional Series 5000 2" Enhanced Diagonal with 99% Reflectivity (product number 07677) and the SC
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 18
    you should consider several other power options that might work better for your situation and save you money. The Meade 3.5 inch LCD monitor integrates fully with the LS telescope. Includes all connectors, dedicated battery pack (up to 20 hours of usage) and integral mounting bracket. Universal AC
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 19
    operates the LS telescope with just a few pushes of AutoStar's buttons. Some of the major features of AutoStar III are: • Automatically move the telescope to any of over 90,000 objects stored in the database or manually enter the astronomical coordinates of any celestial object. • Take a guided tour
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 20
    ," is reached. NOTE: Pressing "BACK" while in the "Select Item" level moves LS to the topmost screen: "Select Item: Object." ᕣ "MODE" KEY: Cycles the telescope through its different modes. NOTE: During any telescope operation, pressing and holding the "MODE" key will stop the current operation From
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 21
    up the scope slew speed menu so you can change the slew rate of the telescope Slew Speeds LS has nine slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (the rate at the built in speaker in your telescope. "8/Tours" - instantly brings up the guided tours INDEX AUTOSTAR III HANDBOX 21
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 22
    the AutoStar coil cord into the HNDBX port (Pg. 12, Fig. 4, 23) of the input/output panel of the telescope and the other end into the coil cord port (Fig. 5, 9). Orion Nebula (M42) LS TIPS Observing Considerations • Try to pick an observing site away from street and house lights and car headlights
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 23
    AUTOSTAR III MENU TREE AUTOSTAR III MENU TREE Menu Mode Scope Info Mode Sky Map Mode Select Item: Guided Tour A Star's Life How Far is Far Tonight's Best Select Item: Scope Info RA DEC AZ EL Date Local Time LST Battery Near LaT Lon
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 24
    LS. AutoStar Suite also allows you to create your own guided tours of the skies, including your own objects, titles, images and sound files (for complete instructions on how to use the authoring tools please refer to the reference manual " will synchronize the telescope's coordinates with the object
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 25
    display the available data. Remember, never use a telescope to look at the Sun! Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming CCD Module that is part of the LightSwitch alignment system. It's great for constellation Cluster (M45 ) image you need to connect the LS to a user supplied external video monitor. Start by
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 26
    Pro II (DSI PRO II), w/RGB Color Filter Set Utilities Menu The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features within LS: Volume: Adjusts audio volume of the telescope using the Scroll keys. When complete, press "ENTER". HBX Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the display using the Scroll
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 27
    alignment in the preferences. • Automatic Align will use the LightSwitch® alignment method to align your telescope. • Alt. Az. 2 Star will begin the LS features section of this manual. • Terrestrial will set up the telescope to use on land objects. Preferences allows you to configure the telescope's
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 28
    the previous locations, and the internal clock time, entering the date, time and location manually, taking a GPS fix, or starting in a Demo/Terrestrial mode. • Rev. Calibrate allows you to precisely tune several aspects of your telescope for peak performance. Calibration options include: • Azimuth
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 29
    is close to the alignment star "Center Brightest Star: Press "ENTER"" displays. When the telescope slews to the first star, it may not appear in the field of view in all about the star that has been chosen, no problem. Just press the SCROLL DOWN key and LS will find another star to align upon. NOTE:
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 30
    you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not part of the database. LS provides a feature that allows you to enter an object's R.A. and Dec. and allows automatic slewing of the telescope to the userentered coordinates. In order to use this option, you first need to look up
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 31
    the Arrow keys (do not manually move the telescope), move the telescope to the desired landmark and of the display. 8. Press "GO TO", LS slews the telescope to where the satellite should appear. The get updated information and instructions on how to download this data to LS. If orbital parameters
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 32
    is to "overpower" a telescope by using high magnifications which the telescope's aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot reasonably support. Keep in mind that a to achieve the full range of reasonable magnifications possible with the LS telescopes. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 16. Figs. 7a & 7b:
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 33
    the care and respect due any precision instrument, the LS will rarely, if ever, require factory servicing. Maintenance guidelines include: 1. Avoid cleaning the telescope's optics: a little dust on the front surface of the telescope's correcting lens causes virtually no degradation of image quality
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 34
    only adjustments possible, or necessary, on the LS are from the three inner most screws Collimation At this point, look at the front of the telescope where your finger is aiming. It will either on the far side of the black plastic secondary mirror support. This is the set screw that you will adjust.
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 35
    , check to ensure that "Astronomical" is selected in the "Targets" option of the setup menu. Updating Your LS Firmware Meade is constantly refining and improving the operating firmware that controls our computerized telescopes and we even add new features and capabilities from time to time. Your new
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 36
    ensure the Mini SD Card slot is empty and cycle the LS LightSwitch off and on. CUSTOMER SERVICE If you have a question concerning your LS telescope, call the Meade Instruments Customer Service Department at (800) 626-3233. Customer Service hours are 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 37
    DRIVE Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 9 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. NOTE: Guided Tour twice. Press the scroll down key twice Calibrate Press the ENTER key Calibrate Azimuth Drive Slo-Mo Setup Media exits A/V Audio Instructions
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 38
    that are not in the LS telescope. You can define your own objects and create your own titles. Tours, similar to the three preloaded guided tours (Tonight's Best", "A Star's Life" and "How Far Is Far"), can also created. You can chose your own theme and objects. For complete instructions on how to use
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 39
    stars, the Moon and our solar system comes from observations made by amateur astronomers. So as you look through your Meade LS telescope, keep Galileo in mind. 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
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 40
    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 LS for information about planets. Scroll to the "Object: Solar System" menu and scroll through the lists of planets. When a planet
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 41
    Input/Output Speaker Connections Multimedia Content 6"LS-6 ACF # 0610-03-10 Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) 6" (152mm) Pyrex® Glass 1524mm , f/10 Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) 0.76 Aluminum Single-Arm Fork Altazimuth 4.875 inch Precision Worm Drive
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 42
    Input/Output Speaker Connections Multimedia Content 6" LS-6 SC # 0610-03-12 Schmidt Cassegrain (SC) 6" (152mm) Pyrex® Glass 1524mm , f/10 Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) 0.76 Aluminum Single-Arm Fork Altazimuth 4.875 inch Precision Worm
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 43
    Storage Input/Output Speaker Connections Multimedia Content 8"LS-8 ACF # 0810-03-10 Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) 8" (203.2mm) Pyrex® Glass 2000mm, f/10 Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) 0.57 Aluminum Single-Arm Fork Altazimuth 4.875 inch Precision Worm
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 44
    Storage Input/Output Speaker Connections Multimedia Content 8" LS-8 SC # 0810-03-12 Schmidt Cassegrain (SC) 8" (203.2mm) Pyrex® Glass 2000mm, f/10 Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) 0.57 Aluminum Single-Arm Fork Altazimuth 4.875 inch Precision Worm
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 45
    DOC: FCC APPENDIX E: FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY (DoC) FOR THE FOLLOWING EQUIPMENT: PRODUCT NAME : MEADE LS SERIES TELESCOPE MODEL NO : ETX-LS TRADE NAME : MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORP. IS HERE WITH CONFIRMED AND FOUND TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF CFR47 PART
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 46
    RECYCLING RECYCLING INFORMATION (EU Countries only) Correct Disposal of this Product (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) This marking shown on the product or its literature indicates that it must not be disposed of in unsorted municipal waste at the end of its working life To prevent possible
  • Meade LS 6 inch | User Manual - Page 47
    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
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • 43
  • 44
  • 45
  • 46
  • 47
Instruction Manual
6" LS-6 ACF / 6" LS-6 SC and
8" LS-8 ACF / 8" LS-8 SC Telescopes
with AutoStar III Hand Controller
Firmware version 1.3 and higher
INDEX
INDEX