Meade 16 inch Instruction Manual

Meade 16 inch Manual

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  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 1
    Instruction Manual 8", 10", 12", 14", 16" LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes 7" LX200GPS Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope with Autostar II Hand Controller Meade Instruments Corporation
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 2
    in diagram. Not to scale.) In the Schmidt-Cassegrain design of the Meade 8", 10", 12", 14", and 16" LX200GPS models, light enters from the right, Primary Mirror (f/2.5) (Diagram not to scale) The Meade 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain design optimizes imaging performance by utilizing a combination of a two-
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 3
    Guide 4 Telescope Features 6 Autostar II Features 9 Getting Started 12 Parts Listing 12 How to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope 12 How to Assemble Your Telescope 13 Choosing an Eyepiece 14 Mounting and Adjusting the Viewfinder 15 Observing 16 Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 4
    GUIDE It is recommended that you attach the supplied tripod to the LX200GPS for observing. Perform the telescope and Autostar II setup indoors in the light so that you become familiar with the parts and operation before moving the telescope its three arms line up with the tripod feet down and with
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 5
    . Remove the Autostar II handbox and the Autostar II coil cord from the packing materials. Plug one end into the HBX port of the telescope's computer control panel and plug the other end into the coil cord port on the Autostar II handbox. ấ OR ẩẪ 8. Attach microfocuser: Remove the dust
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 6
    FEATURES 2@ 2! 2% 2) 1( 1* (not shown, on left fork arm) 2# (not shown) 2$ B c 1& d e 1^ f 1% 1$ g h i j 1) 1! Ả 1@ Ạ ả 1# ạ Ấấ Fig. 1: The LX200GPS Telescope; Computer Control Panel (inset); Autostar II Handbox (inset). 6 Autostar II Hand Controller. See page 9. Ầ Ầầ
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 7
    them. Meade LX200GPS telescopes are capable image focus. The LX200GPS telescopes can be focused on objects from a distance of about 25 ft. to infinity. Rotate the focus knob counterclockwise to focus on distant objects, and clockwise to focus on nearby objects. H Fork Arms: This heavy-duty mount
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 8
    . Your PC can control your LX200GPS telescope using serial commands. Go to the Meade website (www.meade.com) to download the latest serial commands and device pinouts. H. Autoguider Port: Plug the optional autoguider into this port. See the instruction sheet that came with your autoguider for
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 9
    Meade website (www.meade.com). (Requires the optional LX200 Interface Cable. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 43.) Some of the major features of the Autostar II system are: s Automatically move the telescope ,939 28,484 17,191 17,325 s Take a guided tour of the best celestial objects to view on any
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 10
    the alignment or GO TO procedures to activate a "spiral search." f Arrow Keys: The Arrow keys have several functions. Press an Arrow key to slew the telescope in a specific direction (up, down, left, and right), at any one of nine different speeds. See SLEW SPEEDS, page 17. Use the Up and Down
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 11
    functions in the Help feature. The Help system is essentially an onscreen instruction manual. If you have a question about an Autostar II operation, e.g., to join an astronomy club. Check your local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer/store to find out if there's a club in your area. At
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 12
    s LX200GPS Telescope with fork mount system s telescope's polar axis with the Celestial Pole (or North Star). 1. Remove the field tripod from the shipping carton. Stand the tripod vertically with the tripod feet assembled position, so that one spreader bar arm is located between each adjacent pair of
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 13
    Meade instructions through the fork arms. Move the telescope (shown separate from the telescope assembly for the sake of clarity, see 5, Fig. 1); (B) Microfocuser adapter; (C) Microfocuser; (D) 1.25" accessory adapter. SC accessory adapter (L) may be used in this position instead if Schmidt-Cassegrain
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 14
    1). Note: If you wish to mount a camera directly to the microfocuser, you (B, Fig. 10a) about one of the fork arm handles (15, Fig. 1). Tighten the lock telescope's eyepiece magnifies the image formed by the telescope's main optics. Each eyepiece has a focal length, expressed in millimeters, or "mm
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 15
    in the viewfinder mounting assembly. See Fig. 11. To secure the viewfinder to the mounting assembly, tighten the telescope by using high magnifications which the telescope's aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot reasonably support. Keep in mind that a smaller, but bright and well-resolved image
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 16
    manual slow motion control knobs (10, Fig. 1) and (16, Fig. 1) . 5. Practice focusing objects using the coarse focus knob (6, Fig. 1). Important Note: The telescope Therefore, lower power eyepieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. If the image is fuzzy or ill-defined, reduce to a lower power
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 17
    the telescope during CCD and long-exposure photography. See GUIDING RATE, page 29, for more information. 9. Bring the object into focus (see below). Focusing the Eyepiece Using the Microfocuser The LX200GPS zero image-shift microfocuser (24, Fig. 1) allows you to obtain the most precise image focus
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 18
    Autostar II then displays "Enter Date." You may follow prompts to perform a manual alt/az alignment (see page 37) or press MODE repeatedly until "Select Item providing a more dramatic image. Astronomical Observing Used as an astronomical instrument, your telescope has many optical and
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 19
    to move the telescope. Once the telescope has been aligned, do not loosen the telescope locks (12 and 17, Fig. 1), or move the base manually, or alignment will FINDING TRUE NORTH, page 21. d. Attempts a "GPS Fix." The LX200's GPS receiver attempts to acquire and sync up with signals from GPS
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 20
    automatic tracking procedure, only use the Arrow keys to move the telescope. Once the telescope has been aligned, do not loosen the telescope locks (12 and 17, Fig. 1), or move the base manually, or alignment will be lost. Tip: To manually enter the R.A. and Dec. coordinates of an object: Press and
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 21
    hold down MODE for two seconds to leave the Guided Tour menu. Other Guided Tours are available, such as "How Far is position may be within 10 to 15 feet.) As Autostar II uses latitude, longitude, the most important ingredients in the alignment of a telescope. True North is the axis-the pole-which the
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 22
    Object Event Guided Tours Glossary Utilities Setup Fig. 16: Menus set in a loop. Setup Align Date Time Daylight Saving Telescope Targets etc. Fig. 17: Menu options display on the second line. Use the Scroll keys to move up or down through the list of options.
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 23
    Tip: When multiple choices are available within a menu option, the current option is usually displayed first and highlighted by a right pointing arrow (>). 4. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the "Sunset" option in the Event menu. 5. Press the ENTER key to choose the "Sunset" option and
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 24
    Configuration Off On Train Update Load Save As Delete Erase Telescope Mount Model Focal Length Max Slew Rate Mount Upper Limit Mount Lower Limit Park Position Calibrate Home Anti-Backlash Train Drive Calibrate Sensors Tracking Rate Guiding Rate Reverse L/R Reverse Up/Dn Home Sensors GPS Alignment
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 25
    II is performed using the Object menu category. (Note: Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey.) See GO TO SATURN, page 20, for an example brightest star in the constellation. Press GO TO a second time to slew the telescope to that star. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the list of stars
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 26
    observer's meridian, i.e., the time when an object is at its highest point in the sky on any given date. 26 WARNING! Never use your Meade® LX200GPS 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
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 27
    the alarm time arrives, Autostar II beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate the alarm. Eyepiece Calc: Calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope to which Autostar II is connected. s Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the field
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 28
    alignment (see MANUAL ALT/AZ ALIGNMENTS, pages 37 and 38). However, there are numerous other features available within the Setup menu, including: Align on Home: For permanently mounted telescopes only. If Calibrate Home has been performed, power up your telescope and select this menu to return
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 29
    the telescope base. 90 (straight up) is the maximum value that can be entered. s Mount Lower Limit: Allows you enter a number from 0 to 90 that sets a lower limit as to how far the optical tube can swing downward during a programmed slew. (Note that it does not prevent you from performing a manual
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 30
    , One-Star, and Two-Star alignment. User must then manually level the telescope and point the telescope to True North during alignment. Default setting is "On." : Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to enter your street address, city, state, and zip code. Press ENTER when the entry is complete. Clone
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 31
    LX200 Interface Cable. See the instruction sheet included with the cable for more information on how to download. Also see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 43. Important Note: If your download fails in the middle of the download attempt (e.g., your PC crashes), turn off the telescope. Turn the telescope
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 32
    Autostar II described earlier in this manual. The following examples assume that you assumes that you have initialized and aligned your telescope. Adding Observing Sites If you plan to add displays. 4. Scroll through the list of cities. Press ENTER when the city you wish to add displays. The Site is
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 33
    that allows you to enter an object's R.A and Dec. coordinates in the "User: Objects" option of the Object menu and allows automatic slewing of the telescope to the user-entered coordinates. In order to use this menu option, you first need to look up the R.A and Dec. coordinates of the object
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 34
    meade.com) approximately once a month to get updated information and instructions on how to download this data to Autostar II. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by Autostar II. Downloading requires the optional LX200 telescope
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 35
    add to the database. When finished, press ENTER. 8. "Center Landmark. Press Enter" displays. Using only the Arrow keys (do not manually move the telescope), move the telescope to the desired landmark and center the object in the eyepiece. Press ENTER. The object is now stored in memory. 9. "Landmark
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 36
    Autostar II database. 1. Center the object you wish to have identified in the telescope's eyepiece. 2. Navigate to the "Object: Identify" option and press ENTER. , NGC6171, Orion Nebula, etc Globular Cluster, Nebula, Black Hole, etc. 16:32:4 13°03' Virgo, Orion, etc. 3 2' "This Globular Cluster
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 37
    offers alternative alignment methods for both alt/az and equatorial mounting. During the One-Star and Two-Star alt/az alignment procedures, you will (unlike the Automatic and Easy alignment procedures) manually place the telescope in the home position. The procedures for equatorial (polar) alignment
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 38
    Set Home Position. Place the telescope in the home position. To Set the Home Position Manually: a. See Figs. 19 and 20, page 37. Loosen the telescope's Dec. lock (17, THE EYEPIECE USING THE MICROFOCUSER, page 17, for more detailed instructions): 1. Set the "travel" (extension) of the drawtube of
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 39
    telescope in order to keep objects that you are imaging dead center in the telescope telescope's R.A. axis. If you train the telescope in polar alignment, make sure that "Polar" is selected in the "Telescope: Mount keep the star centered in the reticle cross-hairs. Autostar II displays a count of the
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 40
    knurled ring of the T-Mount. Rotate the camera body to achieve proper orientation of the object; then re-tighten the adjustment screws. The #62 T-Adapter permits close-coupling of a camera body to the telescope. In this format vignetting occurs: The photographic image appears on film with a slight
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 41
    Meade accessories is available for the LX200GPS telescope models. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instrument itself. Consult the Meade 63/0.70° 76/0.53° 56mm (2" O.D.) 36/1.46° 45/1.16° 54/1.04° Super Wide Angle Eyepieces (6-elements; 1.25" O.D.,
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 42
    27: #929 2" Diagonal Mirror and #928 45° Erect-Image Diagonal Prism. Series 4000 8 - 24mm Zoom Eyepiece: which greatly facilitate locking onto the guide star: Turn the finely-threaded Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain models. Thread the T-Adapter on to the rear cell of your telescope, followed by a T-Mount
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 43
    front-cell of the telescope. #608 for Meade 7" Maksutov and 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain models; #610 for all 10" Schmidt-Cassegrain models; #612 for all 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain models. #905 Variable Polarizer (1.25"): #1A Skylight Filter: The #905 system includes 2 Polarizer filters mounted in a specially
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 44
    servicing. Maintenance guidelines include: a. 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 telescope used for serious purposes is important, but in the case of the Schmidt-Cassegrain design
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 45
    images. Misaligned (1, 2), Aligned Fig. 31b: Collimation screws. Follow these steps for collimation of the optical system: a. The only adjustments possible, or necessary, on the Schmidt-Cassegrain black plastic secondary mirror support until you see the front of the telescope where your finger is
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 46
    i. As a final check of alignment, examine the star image in focus with the higher power eyepiece as suggested (j), servicing or repairs, write or call the Meade Customer Service Department first, before returning the telescope to the factory, giving full particulars as to the nature of the problem
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 47
    4-speed zero image-shift microfocuser 16-channel GPS receiver True-level electronic sensor Net telescope weight 53 Schmidt-Cassegrain Clear aperture 203mm (8") Focal length 2000mm Focal ratio (photographic speed f/10 Resolving power 0.56 arc sec Coatings Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings Mounting
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 48
    adapter Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece 4-speed zero image-shift microfocuser 16-channel GPS receiver True-level electronic sensor Net telescope weight 73 lbs. Net tripod weight 50 lbs. 14" f/10 LX200GPS Specifications Optical design Schmidt-Cassegrain Clear aperture 356mm (14") Focal length 3556mm
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 49
    Net telescope weight 110 lbs. Net tripod weight 50 lbs. 16" f/10 LX200GPS Specifications Optical design Schmidt-Cassegrain Clear aperture 406.4mm (16") Focal length 4064mm Focal ratio (photographic speed f/10 Resolving power 0.28 arc sec Coatings Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings Mounting
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 50
    " option does not need to be selected. If the telescope is equatorially mounted, you must choose the "Polar" option from the Autostar II "Telescope Mount" menu. North Celestial Pole (Vicinity of Polaris) 1 +90 Dec. Star Declination 17 18 16 15 14 13 Earth's 12 11 10 19 Rotation 20 21 22
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 51
    basic enjoyment of the instrument. Note: The Meade equatorial wedge is designed solely for use in conjunction with your Meade tripod. The wedge should never be used without the tripod (e.g., by placing the wedge alone on a table top and then mounting the telescope on the wedge-the wedge may become
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 52
    to set the fork arms to 00 H.A. instruction sheet included with your equatorial wedge for information about attaching the wedge to the telescope and also about using the azimuth and latitude controls. 1. Select "Setup: Telescope" from the Autostar II menus. Press ENTER. Scroll to "Telescope: Mount
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 53
    to use the manual setting circles, the R.A. setting circle (Fig. 36) must be calibrated manually on the Right Ascension of a star every time the telescope is set up polar alignment requires the use of a crosshair eyepiece. The Meade Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece (see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42) is
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 54
    Polar" in the "Mount" option of the "Setup: Telescope" menu. Autostar II Polar Alignment Autostar II provides three different (manual) methods for polar , satellite, nebula, black hole, variable stars, etc. Check Meade's website for the latest product and technical information. You can download
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 55
    : Northern hemisphere observers (N): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) North of the listed city, add one degree for every 70 miles. If the site is over 70 miles South of the listed city, subtract one degree per 70 miles. Southern Hemisphere observers (S): If the site is over 70 miles
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 56
    Meade's website (www.meade.com) for future additions. When a Guided Tour is selected, Autostar II slews your telescope file). s The optional Meade LX200 Interface Cable to download tour in the following format: HH:MM:SS. Eg., 18:51:05 string can contain up to 16 characters and must be surrounded
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 57
    be the first keyword in your tour after any comment lines and must be 15 characters or less. Autostar II displays this title when "Guided Tour" is selected from the menus. For example: TITLE "A Star's Life" TEXT "title string" "description string" This command allows you to display a text title
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 58
    PLANET "name" Enter PLANET and then the name of the desired planet in quotes. Autostar II provides the user with a description of the selected planet from its database. For example: PLANET "Pluto" MOON This command accesses information about the Moon from the Autostar II database. SATELLITE "name"
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 59
    in the tour, Autostar II automatically slews the telescope to objects first before displaying the text description. to in a tour. The students would have to manually slew to the last two objects. He would then again. See the instruction sheet with your LX200 Interface Cable for more information about
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 60
    telescope motors using Autostar II. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems . . 16 Reminder to manual Guide by David Levy 3. Turn Left at Orion by Guy Consolmagno & Dan Davis 4. Astrophotography for the Amateur by Michael Covington Magazines 1. Sky & Telescope
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 61
    't be able to see details such as any of the lunar landers or lunar excursion modules left behind by the astronauts (the best earth-based telescopes can only resolve features of about a half-mile across), you'll be able pinpoint the landing sites and study the terrain surrounding these sites. When
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 62
    16" LX200GPS Computer Control Panel. 16" LX200GPS Unique Features The 16" LX200GPS contains, for the most part, the same features (covered earlier in this manual) as all other LX200GPS telescope a filter, but this filter keeps dust out of the OTA while the fan is off; it should not need replacing.
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 63
    may be voided if shipping damage results. 16" TELESCOPE ASSEMBLY Use the following procedure to assemble your telescope: To Assemble the 16" Super Field Tripod The 16" Super Field Tripod (Figs. 44 and 45) for the Meade 16" LX200GPS telescope is supplied as a completely assembled unit, except
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 64
    that one spreader bar arm is located between each . Attaching the 16" Drive Base telescope until the bolt is removed. The bolt is located near the DB-15 assembly in the base as a reminder to unplug the connector before removing the fork from the drive base. Mounting the Optical Tube Assembly (OTA
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 65
    slide the OTA back so that the shoulder bolts lock into the slots. c. Lock the OTA in place are supplied with the 16" LX200GPS. These should all be attached before powering up the telescope. a. Confirm that the from the Dec. motor to the fork arms. LX200GPS TIPS Observing Considerations • Try to
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 66
    14" model auxiliary focus and reticle jacks are located on the left fork arm. Fig. 57: Insert the included hex wrench into the slots in the the most part, the same features (covered earlier in this manual) as all other LX200GPS telescope models. The following features are unique to the 14" model:
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 67
    of the microfocuser assembly. Perform this assembly on a flat surface (such as a desk or a table) before you attach the derotater and microfocuser to the telescope. 1. With the de-rotater on a flat surface, thread on the adapter ring (B, Fig. 6) until it just touches the housing; then back off the
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 68
    time, we recommend that it be primarily used on permanently mounted instruments or when imaging requires very accurate pointing. Once Smart Mount training has been performed, the scope will benefit from it so long as you carefully park the telescope at the end of each session and do not modify the
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 69
    ) and then Select Smart On. When Smart Mount is "On," the telescope will use the currently loaded model to refine you telescope's pointing, but will not update the model (see SMART MOUNT UPDATE above). If Smart Mount was "On" when you last powered off your telescope, it will be "On" when you start
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 70
    astronomers. So as you look through your Meade LX200GPS telescope, keep in mind Galileo. To him, a telescope was not merely a machine made of glass the Moon, but it also helps enhance contrast, providing a more dramatic image. Using your LX200GPS, brilliant detail can be observed on the Moon,
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 71
    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 II for information about planets. Scroll to the "Object: Solar System" menu and scroll through the lists of
  • Meade 16 inch | Instruction Manual - Page 72
    the right to change product specifications or to discontinue products without notice. ADVANCED PRODUCTS DIVISION Meade Instruments Corporation World's Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur 6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 s (949) 451-1450 FAX: (949
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Instruction Manual
8", 10", 12", 14", 16" LX200GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes
7" LX200GPS Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope
with Autostar II Hand Controller
Meade Instruments Corporation