Meade LX70 R5 5 inch Instruction Manual - Page 11

1. Firmly hold the counterweight shaft secure so the wide-field viewfinder, then look into the eyeit cannot swing freely. Loosen the R.A. lock(Fig. piece of the main telescope for a detailed view. 1, #17). The optical tube now moves freely about To align the viewfinder, perform steps 1 through the R.A. axis. Rotate the telescope so that the 7 during the daytime; perform step 8 at night. counterweight shaft (Fig. 1, #9) is parallel (hori- zontal) to the ground(see Fig. #26). Focus Lock ring Alignment 2. Unlock the counterweight lock knob and slide screws the counterweight along the counterweight shaft until the telescope remains in one position without tending to drift down in either direction about the RA axis. Then re-tighten the counterweight lock knob, locking the counterweight securely in position. Front Lens Cell Figure 28: Viewfinder adjustments Now, hold the optical tube so that it cannot swing freely. Lock the R.A. lock and while hold- 1. Remove the dust covers from the optical tube ing the OTA in place, unlock the Dec. lock (Fig. and the viewfinder. 1, #18). The OTA is now able to move freely about the Dec. axis. Lightly loosen the cradle 2. If you have not already done so, insert the ring lock knobs (Fig. 2 - 4, #27) so that the main low-power 26mm eyepiece into the eyepiece tube slides easily back and forth in the cradle holder or diagonal of the main telescope. rings. Do not loosen the cradle ring lock knobs too much or the OTA can slip out of the cradle 3. Look through the viewfinder eyepiece at an rings. object at least 200 yards away. Move the main tube in the cradle rings until the 4. If the distant object is not in focus, turn the fo- telescope remains in one position without tend- cus lock ring on the front of the viewfinder coun- ing to drift down in either direction. Re-lock the terclockwise to loosen the viewfinder front lens Dec. lock (Fig. 2 - 4, #27). cell(see Fig. 28). Twist the front cell until focus is achieved and retighten the focus lock ring. The telescope is now properly balanced on both axes. Next, the viewfinder must be aligned. 5. Unlock the R.A. and Dec locks so the tele- Aligning the Viewfinder scope turns freely on both axes. Then point the main telescope at a tall, well defined and sta- tionary land object (e.g., the top of a telephone NEVER point the telescope directly at or near pole) at least 200 yards distant and center the the Sun at any time! Observing the Sun, even object in the telescope's eyepiece. for the smallest fraction of a second, will result in instant and irreversible eye damage, as well 6. Focus the image by turning the OTA focus as physical damage to the telescope itself. knobs (Fig. 2 - 4, #29). Retighten the R.A. and Dec. locks. The wide field of view of the telescope's viewfinder(Fig. 2 - 4, #33) provides an easier 7. Look through the viewfinder and loosen or way to initially sight objects than the main tele- tighten, as appropriate, one or both of the view- scope's eyepiece, which has a much narrower finder alignment thumbscrews (Fig. 2 - 4, #35) field of view. If you have not already attached until the viewfinder's crosshairs are precisely the viewfinder to the telescope tube assembly, centered on the object you previously centered see the section UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLY. in the main telescope's eyepiece. You are now ready to make your first observations with your In order for the viewfinder to be useful, it must be telescope! aligned to the main telescope, so both the view- finder and telescope's optical tube point at the 8. Check this alignment on a celestial object, same position in the sky. This alignment makes such as a bright star or the Moon, and make it easier to find objects: First locate an object in any necessary refinements, using the method 11