Meade LX200 instruction manual

Page 90

Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals

good performance. Take special care to read and understand this section well so that your LX200 will give you the best optical performance.

Note: The 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain LX200 does not require collimation. For final optical tests, every Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain is precisely collimated at the factory before shipment. Our company is well aware that through shipment and normal handling, the optical alignment can be lost. The design of the optical support system make the method of collimation easy to do. Even the uninitiated can make an alignment of the optics to the same high precision that is performed in the Meade Instruments Optical Laboratories.

Fig. 26: Coillimation of the Optical System (1), (2), (3) Set screws for adjusting collimation.

To check the collimation of your LX200, center a bright star that is overhead, or use a reflected "hot spot" of reflected sunlight from a chrome car bumper or a telephone pole insulator, with the supplied 26mm eyepiece. To make a correct evaluation of the alignment it helps if the telescope has been allowed to either cool down or warm up to the temperature where the instrument is set up. Temperature differences between the optics and the outside air can cause distortion in the images.

With the star or hot spot centered, de-focus the image. You will notice that the out of focus star image looks like a ring of light (the dark center of the ring is the shadow of the secondary mirror). Turn the focus knob until the ring of light fills about 1/8th of the eyepiece field. Take note that if you keep cle-focusing the star past about 1/8th of a field, that the ring will look perfectly concentric (even on all sides) even if the optics are out of alignment, preventing you from seeing any misalignments. If the ring of light does not seem to be even on all sides, or if the dark center seems to be offset in the in the ring of light, follow the method below:

To make collimation easy, the only adjustments possible on the 8", 10" or 12" LX200 come from the three set screws (shown in Fig. 26) located at the edge of the outer surface of the secondary mirror housing.

DON'T FORCE THE 3 COLLIMATION SCREWS PAST THEIR NORMAL TRAVEL AND DO NOT LOOSEN THEM ]VIORE THAN 2 FULL TURNS (COUNTER CLOCKWISE DIRECTION), OR THE SECONDARY MIRROR MAY COME LOOSE FROM IT'S SUPPORT. YOU WILL FIND THAT THE ADJUSTMENTS ARE VERY SENSITIVE: USUALLY, ONLY TURNING A COLLIMATION SCREW 1/2 A TURN WILL GIVE DRAMATIC RESULTS.

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Contents Meade Instruments Corporation LX200 Keypad Hand Controller Magnification and Field of View Appendix B Equatorial Use Related TopicsIntroducing the Meade LX200 Important NoteToc e. Keypad and Power Panel Functions Toc 1. What Is the LX200? An OverviewToc c. Altazimuth Mode Operation Toc a. Heavy-Duty Mounts with 9-speed Dual-Axis ElectronicsToc c Model LX200 Toc a Model LX200Toc b Model LX200 Toc d Model LX200Page Toc 1. What You Should Have Unpacking and InspectionWe strongly recommend that you keep your original packing Toc 2. Please Look Everything OverToc 4. Caution All LX200 Owners Keypad Version Number Telescope Assembly Toc 1. The Field Tripod 7, 8, 10 and 12 LX200 ModelsPrecautionary Notes Page Toc 2. Mounting the Viewfinder 7, 8, 10, and 12 LX200 Models Toc b. Focusing the Viewfinder Toc a. Attaching the ViewfinderToc c. Collimating the Viewfinder Toc 4. Checking the Collimation of the Optics Toc 5 Tube Swing-Through LimitToc 6 Tube Swing-Through Limit Toc 7. Maksutov Fan Toc 1. Using the LX200 Manually Quick StartToc 2. Using the LX200 In Land Toc 3. Using the LX200 In Altazimuth Altaz Motion SpeedsToc a. Entering Basic Information Toc 1 Latitude and Longitude of the Observing Site Toc 2 Local Time and Date Toc b. Setting Up the Telescope Page Toc c. Using the Telescope Toc 1 The Mode Key Toc 2 Library Object Keys Toc 3 Daytime SlewingNext LX200 Keypad Hand Controller Toc 3. GO to Key Toc 2. Mode KeyToc 1. Enter Key Toc 4. Direction KeysToc 8. MAP Key Toc 6. RET KeyToc 7. Focus Key Toc 9. Object Keys M, STAR, and CngcPage LX200 Power Panel Toc 1. ON/ OFF SwitchToc 5. CCD Connector Toc 2. N/S SwitchToc 4. DEC Motor Connector Toc 6. Power 12vDC ConnectorToc 10. RS-232 Connector Toc 8. Reticle ConnectorToc 9. Focuser Connector Toc 11. Aux ConnectorPage Toc a. Telescope Menu File Mode FunctionsToc 1. Mode One TELESCOPE/ Object Library Toc 1 SiteToc a -Star with Known Site Toc 2 AlignToc a Altaz Toc b -Star at Known SiteToc c. Unknown Site Toc d. Which Alignment Method To Use?Page Toc b Polar Toc c Refined Polar AlignmentToc e Land Toc 3 SmartToc 6 Reverse NS Toc 4 12/24 HRToc 5 Help Toc 7 Reverse EWToc 9 HP High-Precision Pointing Toc a LX200 Pointing AccuracyToc 11 DEC. Backlash Compensation Toc b. Object Library Menu File Toc 2 Start FindToc a Type Gpdco Toc 3 FieldToc 4 Parameters Object Sysmbol LegendToc c Higher Quality Symbol LegendToc b Better Toc d LargerToc f Brighter Toc 2. Mode Two COORDINATES/ GO toToc e Smaller Toc g FainterToc 3. Mode Three CLOCK/ Calendar Toc b. GO to Menu OptionToc c. Slew To Altaz Coordinates Toc 4. Mode Four TIMER/ Freq a. Timer = Menu Option Drive Rate SettingsToc b. FREQ= Menu File Toc 5. Mode Five Keypad OFF/ Brightness Adjust Magnification and Field of View toc 1. Magnifications Toc 2. Apparent Field and Actual Field O.D., except as notedPage Appendix a Equatorial Wedge Toc 1 Equatorial Wedge For 7 and 8 LX200Equatorial Wedge for 7 and 8 LX200 Telescope Toc a. Azimuth ControlToc b. Deluxe Latitude Adjuster Toc 2. Superwedge For 10 and 12LX200 Mounting Superwedge, b Latitude Range Holes Page Underside of the Drive Base Toc a. Setting Magnetic Declination Toc b. Compass Installation Toc c. Finding True North Page Page Next Page Appendix B Equatorial USE Toc 1. Celestial Coordinates Declination and Right AscensionPage Toc 2. Lining Up with the Celestial Pole Toc 3. Precise Polar Alignment Page Next Appendix C LX200 Alignment Star Library and Star Charts Toc 1. Alignment StarsToc LX200 Alignment Star Library Star Charts for Northern Hemisphere Observers Page Next Page Toc 2. The Cngc Catalog VQ Guide Cngc ListingsTags Cngc Types Toc 3. The Star CatalogToc 6. The Planets Toc 4. Select Star by NameToc 5. The M Catalog Object Library Planet Legend Toc 7. Other DatabasesConstellation Codes Related Topics Page Meade Instruments Corporation Page Toc 2. Collimation Alignment of the Optical System Page Defocused Star Images Toc 3. Adjusting the Right Ascension Lock Toc 4. Behind the Power PanelToc 5. Factory Servicing and Repairs
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