Fig. 6a: Loosen the tripod’s
locking ring...
Fig. 6b: ...push down as far as it will go.
Fig. 7: Thread bolts into telescope base.
Fig. 8: Line up bolts over keylike holes.
Fig. 9: Loosen vertical lock to move optical tube.
GETTING STARTED
Parts Listing
Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first open- ing the packing box, note carefully the following parts:
•The ETX Astro Telescope with fork mount system, photographic type tripod.
•
•#494 AutoStar handbox with attached coil cord.
•Meade premium eyepieces; 45° erecting prism.
•
Telescope Assembly
Setup The Tripod
Your backpack observatory does not ship with the parts stowed in the backpack. Before stow- ing the gear in the backpack and taking it out into the field, assemble the telescope in a famil- iar environment to practice the setup.
1.Hold the tripod by its handle and turn the locking ring to loosen the tripod mechanism (Fig. 6a). Push down on the locking ring as far as it will go to spread out the tripod legs (Fig. 6b). Turn the locking ring to tighten the tripod in place.
2.Adjust the height of the tripod, by lifting one of the tripod leg lock levers and sliding the inner leg in or out to the desired length. Then press down on the lever to
3.Use the tripod on a level and even ground. Pointing accuracy depends on the base of the tripod being level with the horizon. The bubble level on top of the tripod can help deter- mine if the base is level: Move the base until the bubble is in the center of the circle.
Attach the Telescope to the Base
4.Thread the supplied bolts about two or three turns through the underside of the tele- scope base (Fig. 7).
5.Line up the bolts over the
6.The optical tube is shipped with the tube upright between the forks. Loosen the vertical lock (Fig. 9) and move the optical tube down between the fork arms. Then,
7.Remove the inverted dewshield from the end of the telescope. Remove the dust cap from the end of the telescope by rotating it counterclockwise. Then thread the dewshield over
the end of the telescope.
8:Remove the eyepiece cap from the 90 degree eyepiece holder and also the cap from the rear cell port. Screw on the 45 degree prism to the rear cell port.
9.You can put two eyepieces into this telescope at the same time: Slip a lower power eye- piece, such as a 25mm or 26 mm eyepiece into the 45 degree prism and another eye- piece into the 90 degree holder. You can switch between the two eyepieces by turning the flip mirror control to the up or down position.
Note: It is strongly recommended that you remove the 45 degree prism from the telescope during the alignment procedure. The prism can correct the orientation of land objects during the daytime, but is not necessarily needed for astronomical viewing. You may use it, but during alignment the prism might strike the telescope base and obstruct the align process.
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