Meade LX200-ACF 12 inch User Manual - Page 69

Fig. 57a: One of the two 14" LX200-ACF battery compartments (older models). Fig. 57b: An indentation on the underside of one of the 14" LX200-ACF battery compartments (older models). Fig. 57c: Location of one of the battery compartment screws. The other is located on the opposite end of the horizontal beam of the fork arms near the other battery compartment (older models). Fig. 58: 14" model auxiliary focus and reticle jacks are located on the inner left fork arm. Fig. 59: Insert the included hex wrench into the slots in the plate of secondary mirror housing to access the collimation screws (14" model only). APPENDIX G: 14" LX200-ACF FEATURES 14" LX200-ACF Unique Features The 14" LX200-ACF contains, for the most part, the same features (covered earlier in this manual) as all other LX200-ACF telescope models. The following features are unique to the 14" model: Battery Compartment On newer models, the battery compartment is the same as the compartment described on page 13. For older models, the battery compartments for the 14" LX200-ACF are located under the horizontal beam of the fork arms (Fig. 57a). Each compartment has an indentation below it (Fig. 57b) to allow you to slide out the compartment easily. Important Note: The compartments are designed to hold batteries only. Do not use these compartments to store any other items. Two button-head screws are provided to secure the battery compartments when using the telescope in equatorial alignment. The telescope ships with the screws installed. To install the batteries, first remove the screws with the supplied hex key. See Fig. 57c for location of the screws. Next, remove the battery holder and install the batteries as described in step #2 on page 13. Replace the holder and close the compartment. Replace the screws if you plan to use the telescope in equatorial alignment. These screws are not necessary when using the telescope in altazimuth alignment. Optical Tube Assembly Important Note: Attaching the 14" LX200-ACF optical tube assembly to the tripod is identical to the procedure described on pages 13 and 14. Caution: Due to the weight and size of this product please use extreme caution whenever assembling, disassembling, lifting, transporting or storing this product. Two or more persons should always be used whenever performing any of the above tasks. Disregard for the above warning could result in serious injury or death. Caution: On the rear section of the optical tube is a red slot-head bolt, used only for safety reasons in shipment. Remove this bolt before attempting to turn the focus knob. In its place, insert the rubber plug provided as a dust protector (this rubber plug is included with your hardware package). The 14" LX200-ACF should never be commercially shipped without the red bolt in place. This is essential during commercial transport, where rough handling may occur. Your transport and storage of the telescope never requires this bolt. Auxiliary Jacks The 14" model provides auxiliary focus and reticle jacks on the left fork arm (Fig. 58) for your convenience. Use of the auxiliary jacks eliminates the cord tangle which sometimes occurs when using the jacks located on the control panel Collimation The 14" LX200-ACF can be collimated using the procedure described in the Collimation section, pages 47 - 48, with one exception: When tightening a collimation screw, it is not necessary to loosen the other two collimation screws, or vice versa. In other words, the screws may be tightened or loosened independently of each other. A hex wrench is included in the accessory kit for collimation (use the smaller of the two included hex wrenches; the smaller wrench is only included with the 14" model). Insert the hex wrench into the slots in the plate of the secondary mirror housing to access the collimation screws which are housed below the plate. See Fig. 59 for the position of the slots. - 69 -