Meade ETX series AutoStar Instruction Manual

[Page 1] Meade ETX series AutoStar

Instruction Manual ETX ® Premier Edition Telescope Series AutoStar ® — LNT ™ — SmartFinder ™ ™ Premium ETX_without 105.qxd 1/27/09 12:33 PM Page 1 ...

[Page 2] Meade ETX series AutoStar

Premium ETX_without 105.qxd 1/27/09 12:33 PM Page 2 ...

[Page 3] Meade ETX series AutoStar

Quick-Start Guide .......................................................... 4 Telescope Features ...................................................... 6 AutoStar Features .......................................................... 9 Getting Started...

[Page 4] Meade ETX series AutoStar

QUICK-START GUIDE 2 Make sure that the computer control panel power switch (F) is in the OFF position. Remove the AutoStar ® handbox and the coiled cord from the packing materials. Plug one end of the cord into the HBX port (G). Tighten (to a &qu...

[Page 5] Meade ETX series AutoStar

5 To begin automatic alignment, press "0." AutoStar then dis- plays: “Location Option: 1-Zipcode 2-City”. This option allows you to choose how you wish to enter the location of your observing site: you can enter your zip code or choose ...

[Page 6] Meade ETX series AutoStar

TELESCOPE FEATURES 6 1 2 6 16 4 15 7 3 Features of the ETX-90PE and ETX- 125PE are identical, with the excep- tion of the size of optical tube and two styles of the smartfinder device. 8 14 18 Fig. 1a, b and Fig. 2: The ETX Premier Telescope 1 Eyepie...

[Page 7] Meade ETX series AutoStar

MEADE ETX: YOUR PERSONAL WINDOW TO THE UNIVERSE The Meade Premier Edition ETX-90PE and the ETX-125PE are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes. With pushbutton controls, automatic tracking of celestial objects and diffraction-limited imagin...

[Page 8] Meade ETX series AutoStar

8 j Horizontal (R.A.) Lock: Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the telescope. Loosen the horizontal lock counterclockwise to unlock the telescope, enabling it to be freely rotated by hand about the horizontal axis. Tightening the horizontal l...

[Page 9] Meade ETX series AutoStar

9 Fig. 4: The AutoStar Handbox. AUTOSTAR FEATURES             Want to learn more about downloading the latest updates of AutoStar software from the Meade website ? See pages 28 and 42. Tour the Cosmos with Just the...

[Page 10] Meade ETX series AutoStar

10 B 2-Line LCD Display: This screen displays AutoStar's menus and information about the telescope. • Top line: Lists the primary menu. • Bottom line: Displays other menus that may be chosen, menu options, telescope status or information a...

[Page 11] Meade ETX series AutoStar

11 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 16. Use the Arrow keys to move the telesc...

[Page 12] Meade ETX series AutoStar

12 GETTING STARTED Parts Listing Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first opening the packing box, note carefully the following parts: • ETX Premier Telescope with fork mount system and SmartFinder ...

[Page 13] Meade ETX series AutoStar

13 4. Place the 26mm eyepiece (12, Fig. 15) into the eyepiece holder on the telescope and tighten the attachment thumbscrew (13, Fig. 15, not visible in photo) to a "firm feel" only. Make sure that the flip-mirror control (14, Fig. 15) is ...

[Page 14] Meade ETX series AutoStar

14 Fig. 20a & 20b : Jupiter: Examples of the right amount of magnification and too much mag- nification. Fig. 19 : Meade Super Plössl eyepieces. Too Much Power? Can you ever have too much power? If the type of power you’re referring to is eye...

[Page 15] Meade ETX series AutoStar

15 OBSERVING Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually If you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you can observe by merely pointing the telescope and looking through the eyepiece. 1. Loosen the telescope’s ho...

[Page 16] Meade ETX series AutoStar

16 Slew Speeds AutoStar has nine slew speeds that move the optical tube at rates that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate and have been calculated to accomplish specific functions. Press the Number key to change the slew speed. The nine ...

[Page 17] Meade ETX series AutoStar

17 Automatic Alignment 1. When you slide the On/Off switch to “On” on your telescope’s computer control panel, a version screen briefly appears, followed by “Welcome to AutoStar.” 2. The screen displays “Press 0 to align or Mode for Menu....

[Page 18] Meade ETX series AutoStar

Tip : Try out the Guided Tour feature; the “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour will point your telescope at the best objects visible in the sky for every given night of the year. The objects in this tour may change from night to night. You can easily...

[Page 19] Meade ETX series AutoStar

19 NOTE: Saturn is not visible the entire year and you may need to choose another object from AutoStar's database; however, the procedure, as described below, remains the same. If Saturn (or any other object) is not currently vis- ible in the sk...

[Page 20] Meade ETX series AutoStar

AUTOSTAR OPERATION Object Event Guided Tours Glossary Utilities Setup 20 Date Time Daylight Saving Telescope Targets etc. Setup Align    Fig. 27b: Menu options display on the second line. Use the Scroll keys to move up or dow...

[Page 21] Meade ETX series AutoStar

21 Tip: When multiple choices are available within a menu option, the current option is usually displayed first and highlighted by a right pointing arrow (>). Look into the Future The Date option in the Setup menu is much more than just an entry...

[Page 22] Meade ETX series AutoStar

22 Tonight's Best How Far is Far A Star's Life Downloaded Tours User-created Tours Solar System Mercury Etc . Moon Asteroids Comets Constellations Andromeda Etc . Deep Sky Named Object Galaxies Nebulae Messier Etc . St...

[Page 23] Meade ETX series AutoStar

23 Want to learn more about Observing Satellites? See page 32. Use the OBJECT menu to select an object from the database. When your telescope is aligned and you select an object from any of these lists, you just need to press the GO TO key to move ...

[Page 24] Meade ETX series AutoStar

24 WARNING! Never use your ETX 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 i...

[Page 25] Meade ETX series AutoStar

25 Tip: The Contrast Adjustment feature is usually only required in very cold weather. If you adjust the contrast so that you can no longer read the display, turn off the power and turn it on again. When Version appears on the display (the initial d...

[Page 26] Meade ETX series AutoStar

26 Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shuts down AutoStar and the telescope without forgetting its alignment. With "Sleep Scope" selected, press ENTER to activate the Sleep function. AutoStar goes dark, but the internal clock keeps ...

[Page 27] Meade ETX series AutoStar

27  Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in the sky. a. Sidereal: The default setting for AutoStar; sidereal rate is the standard rate at which stars move from East to West across the sky due to the rotation of t...

[Page 28] Meade ETX series AutoStar

28  Add: Scroll through the list of Countries/States. Press ENTER when the site you wish to add displays. Then choose the desired city in the same manner. Choose Zip Code to enter your zip code, if you wish. Choose “Custom” if you wish enter t...

[Page 29] Meade ETX series AutoStar

29 Before trying out the examples in this section, familiarize yourself with the basic operations of AutoStar described earlier in this manual. The following examples assume that you have a basic knowledge of AutoStar and understand how to scroll to...

[Page 30] Meade ETX series AutoStar

30 Using AutoStar to Find Objects Not in the Database In this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not appear in any of the AutoStar database lists. You will enter the object's name and R.A. and Dec. coordinates (re...

[Page 31] Meade ETX series AutoStar

31 3. Select a satellite from list and press ENTER. 4. "Calculating...." and then "Tracking..." displays. If the satellite is going to make a pass, "Located" displays. 5. Use the Scroll keys to display data about the ...

[Page 32] Meade ETX series AutoStar

32 Interactive Mode: Tour name appears on the first line of the AutoStar display and the name of the object displays on line 2. To display descriptive text in this mode, the user must press ENTER. Comment Line Information in the Tour program that is ...

[Page 33] Meade ETX series AutoStar

33 The following commands specify objects that are already in the AutoStar database. If these commands follow the command AUTO SELECT, the object's title displays on line 1 and its description scrolls across line 2. Do not add a description stri...

[Page 34] Meade ETX series AutoStar

34 STAR "name" Enter STAR followed by the name of the desired star in quotes. For example: STAR "Vega" LANDMARK az alt "title" "description" Enter the azimuth (az) for the desired object in the following format...

[Page 35] Meade ETX series AutoStar

35 To Add a landmark to the database: In this procedure, you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in AutoStar's memory. 1. Set the telescope in the home position, if necessary. Note for future reference where the telescope is locate...

[Page 36] Meade ETX series AutoStar

36 displays information about an object in its database that is closest to the one you queried about. Important Note: For this function to operate properly, you must first set the telescope in the home position and initialize AutoStar. If you physi...

[Page 37] Meade ETX series AutoStar

37 One-Star Alt/Az Alignment One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. AutoStar provides a database of bright stars. One-Star Alignment is identical to Two-Star Alt/Az: Alignment (see TWO-STAR ALT/AZ ALIGNMENT, above), except onl...

[Page 38] Meade ETX series AutoStar

38 2. Look through the reticle. Use the Arrow keys to keep the star centered in the reticle cross-hairs. AutoStar displays a count of the 150 positions of the worm gear. When the count reaches 150, one cycle is complete. A full cycle takes about 24 m...

[Page 39] Meade ETX series AutoStar

39 Photography with a 35mm Camera Photography through your ETX model requires the addition of the optional #64 T-Adapter (see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42). With the #64 T-Adapter attached to the telescope (Fig. 30), through-the-telescope photogr...

[Page 40] Meade ETX series AutoStar

40 technique. Long-lens photography has its own rewards, however, which short-focus lenses cannot duplicate. A Few Tips on Photography 1.Use the standard tripod or the optional table tripod ( see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42) as a platform for the...

[Page 41] Meade ETX series AutoStar

41 • Try to block ambient light (from street lights, house, etc.) from the eyepiece and the camera with a piece of cardboard, a screen, etc. • Keep extra (charged) batteries on hand for your camera as digital cameras often drain batteries in a s...

[Page 42] Meade ETX series AutoStar

42 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories are available for the for ETX telescopes. Meade accessories greatly extend many important applications to the telescope, from low-power, wide-field terrestrial viewing to hi...

[Page 43] Meade ETX series AutoStar

43 #932 45° Erecting Prism: All ETX models include an internal optically-flat mirror to reflect light to the telescope’s 90° astronomical observing position. In this position the telescope’s image is upright, but reversed. For terrestrial obser...

[Page 44] Meade ETX series AutoStar

44 MAINTENANCE Your ETX model telescope is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding observations. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, the telescope will rarely require factory servicing or mainten...

[Page 45] Meade ETX series AutoStar

45 Storage and Transport When the telescope is not in use, store it in a cool, dry place. Do not expose the instrument to excessive heat or moisture. It is best to store the telescope in its original box with the vertical and horizontal locks (6 and...

[Page 46] Meade ETX series AutoStar

46 Object appears in the SmartFinder but not in the eyepiece: • The SmartFinder is not properly aligned with the telescope (see ALIGNING SMARTFINDER , page 13). Slew speed does not change when you press the SPEED key or the telescope moves slowly ...

[Page 47] Meade ETX series AutoStar

47 SPECIFICATIONS Specifications: ETX-90PE Astro Telescope Optical design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maksutov-Cassegrain Primary mirror diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96mm (3.78”) Clear aperture. . . . . . . . . . . . ...

[Page 48] Meade ETX series AutoStar

48 Specifications: ETX-125PE Astro Telescope Optical design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maksutov-Cassegrain Primary mirror diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138mm (5.43”) Clear aperture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....

[Page 49] Meade ETX series AutoStar

49 AutoStar Specifications Processor ............................................................................68HC11, 8MHz Flash Memory ............................................................1MB, reloadable Keypad ..............................

[Page 50] Meade ETX series AutoStar

50 Equatorial Alignment In equatorial (or "polar") Alignment, the telescope is oriented so that the horizontal and vertical axes of the telescope are lined up with the celestial coordinate system. In order to equatorial align your telesco...

[Page 51] Meade ETX series AutoStar

51 However, owners who wish to perform astrophotography or use the Meade LPI or Deep Sky Imager (see PHOTOGRAPHY WITH MEADE’S AUTOSTAR SUITE, page 41, for more information) will want to use equatorial mounting. Equatorial Mount Equatorial moun...

[Page 52] Meade ETX series AutoStar

52 5. Press ENTER repeatedly until “Setup: Align” displays. 6. Press the Scroll Down key repeatedly until "Setup: Telescope" displays. Press ENTER. “Telescope: Telescope Model” displays. 7. Press the Scroll Down key repeatedly unt...

[Page 53] Meade ETX series AutoStar

53 Setting Circles The ETX models are equipped with R.A. and Dec. setting circles (13 and 16, Fig. 1a) to aid in locating faint celestial objects when the telescope has been polar aligned . Setting cir- cles emulate the celestial coordinates found o...

[Page 54] Meade ETX series AutoStar

54 APPENDIX B: LATITUDE CHART Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the polar alignment procedure (see page 51), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the latitude of an observing site not listed ...

[Page 55] Meade ETX series AutoStar

55 Train the telescope motors using AutoStar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 53 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. Note: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post,...

[Page 56] Meade ETX series AutoStar

APPENDIX D:CHANGING THE LNT MODULE BATTERY 56 The LNT Module uses a lithium coin CR2023 battery that will last about 5 years and is installed with the original LNT Module assembly. After you replace the battery, you will need to recalibrate the teles...

[Page 57] Meade ETX series AutoStar

57 APPENDIX E:BASIC ASTRONOMY Fig. 57: The Moon. Note the deep shadows in the craters. In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a telescope smaller than your ETX, turned it skyward instead of looking at the distant trees and mountai...

[Page 58] Meade ETX series AutoStar

58 Fig. 60: The Pleiades is one of the most beautiful open clusters. Tip: Enter a date in the Date menu and you can determine if a planet(s)— or any other object in the database—will be visible during the night of the entered date. After enterin...

[Page 59] Meade ETX series AutoStar

Premium ETX_without 105.qxd 1/27/09 12:33 PM Page 59 ...

[Page 60] Meade ETX series AutoStar

14-1010-29 1/09 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 dat...