Meade LX90 instruction manual Contents

Page 3

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 dam- age has occurred until it is too late. Do not point the telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope or SmartFinder as it is moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observ- ing.

CAUTION: Use care to install batteries in the orientation indicated by illustration in the bat- tery slots of the battery holder. Follow battery manufacturer's precautions. Do not install batteries backwards or mix new and used batteries. Do not mix battery types. If these precautions are not followed, batteries may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly installed batteries void your Meade warranty.

If you are anxious to use your telescope for the first time, read the QUICK-START GUIDE on pages 4 and 5.

®The name "Meade," “LX90,” “AutoStar” and the Meade logo are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal countries throughout the world.

“LNT [Level North Technology],” “SmartFinder,” “Deep Sky Imager,” “LPI,” and “Tonight’s Best” are trademarks of Meade Instruments Corporation.

Patents:

US 6,304,376

US 6,392,799

US 6,563,636

D422,610 Patent Pending

© 2004 Meade Instruments Corporation.

CONTENTS

 

Quick-Start Guide

4

Telescope Features

6

AutoStar Features

9

Getting Started

12

Parts Listing

12

How to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope

12

How to Assemble Your Telescope

12

Choosing an Eyepiece

14

Using SmartFinder

14

Aligning SmartFinder and the Viewfinder

15

Observing

16

Observing By Moving the Telescope Manually

16

Terrestrial Observing

16

Observing Using AutoStar's Arrow Keys

16

Slew Speeds

17

Observe the Moon

17

Astronomical Observing

18

To Track an Object Automatically

18

Alt/Az Home Position

18

Moving Through AutoStar’s Menus

18

Initializing AutoStar

18

Observe a Star Using Automatic Tracking

19

Automatic Alignment

19

Go To Saturn

20

Using the Guided Tour

20

Basic AutoStar Operation

21

AutoStar Navigation Exercise

21

Entering Data into AutoStar

22

Navigating AutoStar

22

Menus and Menu Options

23

Complete AutoStar Menu Structure

23

Objects Menu

24

Event Menu

25

Glossary Menu

25

Utilities Menu

25

Setup Menu

27

Advanced AutoStar Features

30

Adding Observing Sites

30

Finding Objects Not in the Database

31

Observing Satellites

32

How to Create Your Own Guided Tour

33

Landmarks

36

Identify

37

Advanced Alt/Az Alignment

37

Browse

38

Photography with the LX90

39

Optional Accessories

41

Maintenance

43

Collimation

43

Inspecting the Optics

44

Gauging the Movement of the Telescope

44

Meade Customer Service

44

Specifications

45

Appendix A: Equatorial (Polar) Alignment

46

Appendix B: Helpful Charts

52

Appendix C: Training the Drive

53

Appendix D: Changing the LNT Module’s Battery

54

Appendix E: Basic Astronomy

55

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Contents LX90 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical System Contents QUICK-START Guide ON/OFF E D Telescope FeaturesPage To Attach the Handbox Holder Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Autostar FeaturesTopmost screen Select Item Object Page Getting Started How to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope AssemblyPrecautionary notes for the tripod How to Assemble Your TelescopeChoosing an Eyepiece Using SmartFinderAligning the Viewfinder Aligning SmartFinderTerrestrial Observing Observing Using AutoStars Arrow KeysObserving Observing By Moving the Telescope ManuallyObserve the Moon Slew SpeedsInitializing AutoStar for the First Time Astronomical ObservingTo Track an Object Automatically Moving Through AutoStar’s MenusWhile it does so Observe a Star using the Automatic Tracking FeatureHow to perform the Automatic Alignment procedure Automatic AlignmentGo To Saturn Using the Guided TourAutoStar Navigation Exercise Basic Autostar OperationEntering Data into AutoStar Navigating AutoStarTo Calculate Sunset time Select Item Object AUTOSTAR’S MenusObject Menu Menus and Menu OptionsEvent Menu Glossary MenuUtilities Menu Observing Considerations Setup Menu Time Zone Shift Menu Daylight SAVING, To Edit a Site Advanced Autostar FeaturesAdding Observing Sites To Add a Site to the user-defined site listUsing AutoStar to Find Objects Not in the Database To GO to a user-entered object Observing SatellitesTour Modes How to Create Your Own Guided TourCommand Line What you will needTitle Writing a TourPick END To Select a landmark from the database LandmarksDownloading Tours To Add a landmark to the databaseTo check on the available amount of memory in AutoStar IdentifyAdvanced Alt/Az Alignment To perform a Landmark SurveyBrowse Two-Star Alt/Az AlignmentOne-Star Alt/Az Alignment Photography with the LX90 Few tips on photography with the LX90Photography with a Digital Camera Meade Deep Sky Imager Photography with Meade’s AutoStar SuiteUltra Wide Angle 8-elements Optional AccessoriesEyepiece Power 2x Barlow Super Plössl 4-elements Super Wide Angle 6-elements#62 T-Adapter Collimation MaintenancePage Meade Customer Service Inspecting the OpticsGauging the Movement of the Telescope LX90 Specifications AutoStar SpecificationsAutoStar Dimensions Celestial Coordinates Polar AlignmentEasy Polar Alignment Setting CirclesLocating the Celestial Pole AutoStar Polar AlignmentEquatorial Wedge Lining Up with the Celestial PolePrecise Polar Alignment Star Charts City State/Country Latitude Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the WorldCity State/Prov./Country Latitude City Country LatitudeAppendix C Training the Drive To replace the battery Appendix D Changing the LNT Module BatteryAutoStar Glossary Objects in SpaceMoon Deep-Sky Objects PlanetsPage Page Page Meade Limited Warranty