Meade 114EQ-AR Prepare Mount, Attach The Optical Tube To The Mount, Align The Red Dot Viewfinder

Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 7

thumbscrew (7) and slide the counterweights (5) along the shaft until the telescope remains in any given position without tending to drift up or down around the polar axis. Retighten the counterweight lock (31).The telescope is now balanced.

PREPARE MOUNT

1.Attach the flexible cables (3) and (4). These cables are secured in place with a firm tightening of the thumbscrews located at the attachment ends of each cable.

2.Tilt the polar axis of the telescope to roughly a 45° angle with the horizon: Loosen the latitude adjustment lock

(9) so you can move the mount to the desired position.

3.Re-tighten the latitude adjustment lock to secure the mount in place.

ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT

1.Lay the optical tube (12) with cradle rings (14) onto the saddle plate (13).

SUN WARNING!

NEVER USE YOUR 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 OR ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR NEAR THE SUN. DO NOT LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPE OR ITS VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING. CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION WHILE OBSERVING.

2.Tighten the cradle ring attachment lock knob (36) to a firm feel.

ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER

Perform the first part of this procedure during the daytime and the last step at night.

1.Point the telescope at an easy-to-find land object such as the top of a telephone pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look through the eyepiece and turn the focuser

Fig. 6

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knob (31) until the image is sharply focused. Center the object precisely in the eyepiece’s field of view.

2.Look through the red dot viewfinder. Turn one or more of the viewfinder’s alignment screws (34, Inset B) until the red dot is precisely over the same object as you centered in the eyepiece.

3.Check this alignment at night on a celestial object, such as the Moon or a bright star, and use the viewfinder’s alignment screws to make any necessary refinements.

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.