Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch User Manual
Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch Manual
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- Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 1
Instruction Manual 8", 10", 12" LX90®-ACF Advanced Coma-Free Telescopes and 8", 10", 12" LX90®-SC Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes AutoStar® - GPS - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 2
WARNING! Never use a Meade® LX90® 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 near - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 3
QUICK-START GUIDE on pages 4, 5 and 6. Specifications subject to change without notice. Images shown in this instruction book may 16 Observing By Moving the Telescope Manually ......16 Terrestrial Observing 16 Observing Telescope..........46 Meade Customer Service 46 Specifications 47 Appendix - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 4
4 QUICK-START GUIDE It is recommended that you attach the supplied tripod to the not seem to extend or collapse easily, do not force the tripod legs in or out. By following the instructions above, the tripod will function properly, but if you are unclear on the proper procedure, forcing the tripod - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 5
1 8 3 (1) Tripod Head (2) Threaded Rod (3) Tension Knob (4) Spreader Bar (5) Leg Lock Knobs (6) Extension Strut (7) Tension Hub (8) Attachment Nuts and Spring (not visible) 7 6 5 Fig. A: Field Tripod with legs extended. 5 2 4 Fig. B: Field Tripod (collapsed). Fig. D: Remove 2 nuts and spring - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 6
6 ᕢ ᕥ 2. Remove the covers from both battery compartments located on top of the drive base and carefully lift the battery holders from their compartments, being mindful of the connector wires. Insert four (user-supplied) C-cell batteries into each battery holder (eight batteries total), oriented - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 7
7 TELESCOPE FEATURES Side View ạ Ả ƽ Ƽ Ƹ Some models of the LX90 have the computer control panel on the left fork arm, others on the right fork arm. All models of the LX90 operate identically. Rear View ᕥ ¸ ᕢ (not shown) ³ Ƹ A. Handbox Port B. LED C. ON/OFF Switch D. Auxiliary Ports - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 8
clockwise (to a firm feel only) prevents the telescope from being moved manually, but engages the vertical motor drive for AutoStar operation. NOTE: The Pg. 5, Fig. 1, 8). CAUTION: When loosening the Dec. lock, be sure to support the optical tube (Pg. 5, Fig. 1, 5). The weight of the tube could cause - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 9
9 D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port (2): Provides connection for Meade accessories. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42. E. 12v Power Connector: Provides connection so that the telescope assembly may be powered from either a 12v DC auto cigarette light plug or from a standard 115v AC home outlet using - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 10
of AutoStar are: • Automatically move the telescope to any of over 30,000 objects stored in the database or manually enter the astronomical coordinates of any celestial object. • Take a guided tour of the best celestial objects to view on any given night of the year. • Download the latest satellite - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 11
by amateur astronomers to help locate stars in the night sky. TIP: To manually enter the R.A. and Dec. coordinates of an object: Press and hold Timer and Alarm Status • Accessory Port Module (APM) status (see the instructions supplied with the APM) • Date • Site coordinates • Battery status Press - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 12
prompts on the display to access details of AutoStar functions in the Help feature. The Help system is essentially an on-screen instruction manual. If you have a question about an AutoStar operation, e.g., INITIALIZATION, ALIGNMENT, etc., hold down the ? key and follow the directions that scroll on - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 13
How to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope Assembly See the Quick-Start Guide on page 4 and page 5, figures A thru H to assemble the tripod. Return to this section after the tripod as been assembled for further instructions. How to Assemble Your Telescope Assembly of the LX90 telescope requires eight - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 14
14 NEVER point the telescope directly at or near the Sun at any time! Observing the Sun, even for the smallest fraction of a second, will result in instant and irreversible eye damage, as well as physical damage to the telescope itself. NOTE: For a list of magnification ratings of the eyepieces - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 15
15 Aligning the Viewfinder The viewfinder helps you locate objects and must also be aligned to the main telescope. To align the viewfinder, perform steps 1 through 5 during the daytime; perform step 6 at night. 1. Slide the track on the bottom of the viewfinder bracket into the slot in the - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 16
. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42. OBSERVING Observing By Moving the Telescope Manually If you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a by using high magnifications which the telescope and atmospheric conditions cannot reasonably support. Keep in mind that a smaller, but bright and well- - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 17
17 2. Verify that AutoStar is properly connected to your telescope. See HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE, page 14. 3. Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position. The AutoStar screen is activated and a copyright message displays briefly, followed by a short beep. Then AutoStar takes a few - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 18
on the AutoStar handbox to abort the GPS fix. Press MODE repeatedly until "Select Item" displays and use the AutoStar menu options to choose a manual alignment or to find an AutoStar option, such as "Brightness". To Track an Object Automatically As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 19
telescope. Once the telescope has been set in the Alt/Az home position, do not loosen the telescope locks (Fig. 1, 6 and 9), or move the base manually, or alignment will be lost. IMPORTANT NOTE: The "Telescope: Mount" option of the Setup menu is set to "Alt/Az" as the default alignment by - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 20
20 observing sites location, date and time. Note: Press any key to abort the GPS fix. You will then be prompted to enter the time, date and location. 9. Star Alignment - The Autostar then chooses two stars to align upon. When the telescope slews to the first star for alignment, it may not appear in - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 21
loosen the telescope locks (Pg. 7, Fig. 1, 6 and 9), or move the base manually, or alignment will be lost. Once the telescope is aligned, you may choose and "Go observe. 6. Press and hold down MODE for two seconds to leave the Guided Tour menu. GPS Receiver Fig. 8: The GPS Receiver. LX90 Tips The - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 22
BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION Fig. 9: The AutoStar Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of AutoStar. Fig. 10 Menus set in a loop. Fig. 11: AutoStar levels. It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 10). This means that pressing the Scroll - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 23
23 To Calculate Sunset time: 1. Press the MODE key several times, until "Select Item: Object" is displayed. 2. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the "Event" option in the "Select Item" menu. 3. Press the ENTER key to choose the "Event" option and move down a level. "Event: Sunrise" is - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 24
Taurids Leonids Geminids Ursids Solar Eclipses Lunar Eclipses Min. of Algol Autumn Equinox Vernal Equinox Winter Solstice Summer Solstice Select Item: Guided Tour Tour Objects Tonight's Best How Far is Far A Star's Life Downloaded Tours User-created Tours Select Item: Glossary A... Accretion Disk - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 25
Tour and Landmark Survey.) See GO TO SATURN, page 21, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see USING THE GUIDED TOUR, page 21. Many AutoStar menu categories contain databases. An AutoStar database is a list of viewable objects, such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae and so - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 26
26 Use the Event menu to look up dates of various astronomical events, such as sunrises and sunsets, eclipses, moon phases, meteor showers, equinoxes and solstices... ...and not just for the current date. Set any date, past or future, when initializing AutoStar and you can check the time for other - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 27
27 ܖSet: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then press ENTER. ܖStart/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the alarm. When the alarm time arrives, - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 28
GPS: Select "Off" to turn off the GPS function-you will be prompted to manually enter the time, date and location. Select "Start Up" to have the GPS to locate objects with more precision. If you are experiencing any problems with pointing accuracy, follow the procedure described in APPENDIX C: - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 29
a programmed slew. (Note that it does not prevent you from performing a manual slew past this limit.) This is useful when you have a camera or other satellites. ܖCalibrate Motor: If the telescope motors appear to have a problem, use this option to retest the motors before performing a Reset. This - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 30
"Downloading Do Not Turn Off" appears. NOTE: The Download function requires the optional #505 Astrofinder Software and Cable Connector Kit. See the instruction sheet included with the kit for more information on how to download. Also see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42. Clone uploads information from - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 31
31 ADVANCED AUTOSTAR FEATURES Adding Observing Sites If you plan to observe using AutoStar at different geographic locations, you can store up to six observation sites in AutoStar's memory to help simplify your telescope setup. Perform these procedures using the Site options (Add, Select, Delete, - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 32
32 Time Zone Shift Atlantic -4 Hours Eastern -5 Hours Central -6 Hours Mountain -7 Hours Pacific -8 Hours Hawaii -10 Hours Table 1: Time Zone Shift. TIP: Entering R.A. and Dec . Coordinates of an object without using the menus: If you do not wish to navigate through the menus, a more - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 33
new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched. Visit the Meade web site (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 - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 34
and Dec. coordinates, and so forth. AutoStar contains a few Guided Tours which are programmed at the factory. But it is also possible for an observer to create a custom Guided Tour. A tour is basically an ASCII text file that contains a list of - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 35
must be the first keyword in your tour after any comment lines and must be 15 characters or less. AutoStar 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 LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 36
36 ASTEROID "name" Enter ASTEROID and then the name of the desired asteroid in quotes. AutoStar displays information about the asteroid from its database. For example: ASTEROID: "Ceres" COMET "name" Enter COMET and then the name of the desired comet in quotes. AutoStar displays information about the - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 37
which AutoStar automatically slews to in a tour. The students would have to manually slew to the last two objects. He would then place AUTO SLEW ON Make the necessary corrections and try to download again. See the instruction sheet with your #505 Cable Connector Kit for more information about - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 38
38 3. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of objects you have previously entered. When the desired object displays, press ENTER to select the object. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through location information about the object, if desired. Press GO TO to slew the telescope to the landmark - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 39
39 North 0° Fig. 13: Alt/Az Home Position. Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. AutoStar provides a database of bright stars and two stars from this database are chosen by the observer for alignment. 1. Turn the telescope on: Turn the telescope - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 40
and internet readiness. And because unwanted photos are easily discarded, they provide the freedom to experiment. Digital cameras present some problems for the astrophotographer: Many models have lenses that cannot be removed, difficulties in attaching to a telescope, possible vignetting, lack - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 41
focus and shoot. • Magic Eye software-assisted focusing. • Automatic and manual exposure control from .001 seconds to one hour. • Automatically takes multiple movies of objects, such as Jupiter • Create your own Guided Tours. • Advanced Image Processing Software includes Unsharp Masking, Convolution - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 42
42 Fig. 19: #928 45° Erect-Image Diagonal Prism. Fig. 20: Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece. OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the LX90 telescope. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instrument itself. - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 43
ways to get started in astrophotography. Attach your 35mm camera, with its own 35mm-to-250mm lens, atop your LX90 in equatorial mode, and guiding the camera through the main telescope, widefield photos of the Milky Way of remarkable detail and clarity can be taken. Dew Shield: In moist climates - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 44
of rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, the LX90 will rarely, if ever, require factory 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 - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 45
light. Move your finger around the edge of the black plastic secondary mirror support until you see the shadow of the finger crossing the thinnest part of at the set screw on the far side of the black plastic secondary mirror support. This is the set screw that you will adjust. c. Using the Arrow - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 46
first, before returning the telescope to the factory, giving full particulars as to the nature of the problem, as well as your name, address and daytime telephone number. The great majority of servicing issues can be resolved by telephone, avoiding return of the telescope to the factory. LX90 TIPS - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 47
47 SPECIFICATIONS 8" LX90 Specifications Optical designs 8" LX90-ACF Advanced Coma-Free 8" LX90-SC Schmidt-Cassegrain Clear aperture 8" Focal length 2000mm Focal ratio (photographic speed f/10 Viewfinder 8 x 50 finder Coatings Meade Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) Mounting Cast- - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 48
, on the internet and on CD Roms. Meade offers AutoStar Suite™ and other star locator software. Contact your Meade dealer or Meade's Customer Service department for more information. Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star charts each month for up-to-the-minute maps of the heavens. - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 49
objects as they move across the sky. This section provides a basic introduction to the terminology of Polar-aligned astronomy, and includes instructions for finding the celestial pole and for finding objects in the night sky using Declination and Right Ascension. Celestial Coordinates A celestial - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 50
left shoulder toward where the Sun sets. To precisely point at the pole, find the North Star (Polaris) by using the Big Dipper as a guide (Fig. 28). Little Dipper Polaris Big Dipper Cassiopeia For precise tracking of astronomical objects, your Fig. 28: Locating Polaris. telescope should be Polar - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 51
adapter to attach the equatorial wedge to the tripod. See the instruction sheet supplied with the wedge for installation. Equatorial Wedge The equatorial the field tripod by means of only one manual knob. • Quick azimuth adjustment by loosening the manual knob as described above. • Bubble level for - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 52
, it is a straightforward procedure to obtain a rough polar alignment. To line up with Polaris, follow the procedure described below. Refer to the instruction sheet included with your equatorial wedge for information about attaching the wedge to the telescope and also about using the azimuth and - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 53
53 Fig. 32: Tripod set in Polar configuration with an optional wedge. known as the "Drift" method: 1. Obtain a rough polar alignment as described earlier. Place the illuminated reticle eyepiece (or eyepiece/Barlow combination) into the eyepiece holder of the telescope. 2. Point the telescope, with - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 54
54 APPENDIX B: HELPFUL CHARTS Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the Polar Alignment procedure (see page 49), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the latitude of an observing site not listed on the chart, locate the city closest to your site - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 55
if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 33 depicts the complete Drive Training pointing accuracy. Further Study.... This manual gives only the briefest introduction to astronomy The Guide to Amateur Astronomy by Jack Newton and Philip Teece 2. The Sky: A User's Guide by - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 56
56 APPENDIX D: CATADIOPTIC OPTICAL SYSTEMS The Meade Advanced Coma-Free Optical System (2) (1) Focal Plane (2) (1) (1) (2) Ray (2) Ray (1) Primary Baffle Tube Field Stops Primary Mirror Secondary Mirror Correcting Plate Secondary Baffle Unlike Schmidt-Cassegrain systems, Meade's - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 57
57 OBSERVATION LOG - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 58
58 OBSERVATION LOG - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 59
59 OBSERVATION LOG - Meade LX90-ACF 8 inch | User Manual - Page 60
MEADE LIMITED 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
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Instruction Manual
8", 10", 12" LX90
®
-
ACF
Advanced Coma-Free Telescopes
and
8", 10", 12" LX90
®
-
SC
Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes
AutoStar
®
— GPS