Meade LXD55 instruction manual Modes of Operation, Slew Speeds

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Meade Instruments Corporation

 

 

 

 

FC

35-4702-00 CC

 

 

 

 

 

Tested to comply

 

 

B

A

with FCC Standards

B

C

FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

Fig. 45: Mode screws on rear of Electronic Controller. (1) Mode Screw A; (2) Mode Screw B.

Definition: Sidereal. As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear to move from East to West. The speed at which the stars move is called the side- real rate. You can setup your telescope to move at the sidereal rate so that it automatically tracks the stars and other objects in the night sky. The tracking function automatically keeps an object more or less cen- tered in the telescope’s eyepiece.

See pages 17 and 18 for more information.

MODE Key: Press and hold MODE to place the Electronic Controller into the Mode function, i.e., to select operation for the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. See TRACKING RATES, page 57.

OUT Key: Use this key to decrease the tracking rate. See TRACKING RATES, page 57.

IN Key: Use this key to increase the tracking rate. See TRACKING RATES, page 57.

Modes of Operation

When both the A and B screws are in place, the Northern hemisphere polar mode is selected when power is applied (i.e., the motor drive is activated for operation in the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere). This is the factory default mode.

Remove mode screw B (2, Fig. 44) to make the Southern Hemisphere polar mode the automatic default of the Electronic Controller when power is applied (i.e., the motor drive is activated for operation in the Earth’s Southern Hemisphere ).

Remove mode screw A to disable the tracking function. Select either the Northern hemisphere polar mode or the Southern Hemisphere polar mode, as described above, to make the tracking function available. See CHANGING THE POLAR MODE, page 58, for more information.

Note: Removing either A or B screw affects only the telescope’s default mode; you may still make mode changes when desired using the MODE key.

Slew Speeds

The Electronic Controller has four slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate. Press SPEED to change the slew speed (use the Arrow keys to slew the telescope in the desired direction). Note each slew speed corresponds to one of the four LED's of the Electronic Controller.

Light 1 (top LED): The fastest speed. Use to move the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another.

Light 2: Best for centering an object in the viewfinder.

Light 3: Best for centering an object in the field of a low-to-moderate power eyepiece, such as the standard SP 26mm.

Light 4: The slowest speed. Use to center an object in the field of view of high-power eyepieces, such as the optional 6.7mm or 12.4mm.

The four available speeds are:

Light 1 =1200 x sidereal (300 arc-min/sec or 5°/sec)

Light 2 = 32 x sidereal (8 arc-min/sec)

Light 3 = 8 x sidereal (2 arc-min/sec)

Light 4 = 2 x sidereal (0.5 arc-min/sec )

The two slowest speeds (2x and 8x sidereal) can be used for manual tracking of astronomical objects while observing through the eyepiece.

To move the telescope using the Electronic Controller:

1.Insert a low-power eyepiece (e.g., SP 26mm) into the eyepiece holder (2, Fig. 1) and tighten the eyepiece thumbscrew (1, Fig. 1).

2.Tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks (17 and 33, Fig. 1), if necessary.

3.Verify that the On/Off switch (24D, Fig. 1) on the telescope’s Computer Control panel is off.

4.Plug in the Electronic Controller coil cord (4, Fig. 42) to the HBX port (24A, Fig. 1) on the Computer Control panel.

5.Flip the power switch to ON. The LED (24C, Fig. 1) on the Computer Control panel lights.. The Speed indicators lights will cycle off and on in sequence.

6.Press any key on the Electronic Controller and the telescope slews momentarily in the vertical and horizontal directions to test the motors.

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Contents Meade Instruments Corporation Page Contents Telescope Features 1 1% g f e$2% LXD55-SeriesYour Personal Window to the Universe Computer Control Panel see e LXD55 Tips Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Autostar FeaturesFeatures Tip How to Assemble Your Telescope Telescope AssemblyAccessories Getting StartedViewfinder assembly Schmidt-Newtonian models Balancing the Telescope Insert eyepiece into holder and tighten thumbscrewsAligning the Viewfinder Choosing an EyepieceToo Much Power? Observing by Moving the Telescope ManuallyActivate the Arrow Keys Autostar Models Only Slew Speeds Autostar Models OnlySetting the Polar Home Position Observe the MoonTracking Objects 16bObserve a Star using the Automatic Tracking Feature Using Autostars GO to Capabilities Autostar Models OnlyMoving Through Autostar’s Menus Autostar Models Only Initializing Autostar Autostar Models OnlyTraining the Drive Autostar Models Only Easy Alignment Autostar Models Only Go To Saturn Autostar Models OnlyUsing the Guided Tour Autostar Models Only Planet Saturn is over 800 million miles from the EarthAutostar Navigation Exercise To Calculate Sunset timeEntering Data into Autostar Navigating AutostarAutostars Menus Select Item ObjectMenus Object MenuEvent Menu Glossary MenuUtilities Menu LXD55-SeriesSetup Menu EnterObserving Considerations Setup Menu Daylight SAVING, Surf the Web To Edit a Site Adding Observing SitesTo Add a Site to the user-defined site list Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Libraries To GO to a user-entered objectTo Add a landmark to the database Observing SatellitesLandmarks To perform a Landmark Survey To Check on the Available MemoryTo Select a landmark from the database Photography Few tips on photography with the LXD55-SeriestelescopesOptional Accessories 10 f/4Series 4000 Photo-Visual Page Maintenance General MaintenanceD e f g Page Defocused star images. Misaligned 1, 2, Aligned Meade Customer Service Inspecting the Optics4 Model SN-8, SN-8EC Specifications Specifications5 Model SN-6, SN-6EC Specifications 8 Model AR-6 Specifications 10 f/4 Model SN-10 Specifications9.3 Model AR-5, AR-5EC Specifications Autostar Dimensions 10 Model SC-8 SpecificationsAutostar Specifications Setting Circles Appendix a Celestial CoordinatesLocating the Celestial Pole One- and Two-Star Polar AlignmentOne-Star Polar Alignment Two-Star Polar AlignmentAxis Alignment Procedure Procedure #1 To correct for attitude misalignmentPolar Alignment Viewfinder Method 1 Manual AlignmentProcedure #2 To correct for elevation misalignment Position aStar Charts TipsMethod 2 Axis Alignment Using Autostar Appendix C Latitude Chart Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the WorldCity State/Prov./Country Latitude City Country LatitudeAppendix D EC Handbox Slew Speeds To move the telescope using the Electronic ControllerModes of Operation Tracking Rates Changing the Polar Mode Optional Autostar Computer Controller for LXD55 EC UsersHow to Attach the Optical Tube to the Mount Mounting the SC bracket and optical tube to the mountAppendix F Basic Astronomy Autostar GlossaryObjects in Space MoonPlanets Deep-Sky ObjectsFurther Study Page Meade Instruments Corporation