Meade LX80 Getting Started, Attach viewfinder to the OTA, Tighten DEC lock, Insert the eyepiece

midpoint of the counterweight shaft. Tighten the counterweight(s) lock knob to a firm feel. Replace the safety cap.

Note: If the counterweight ever slips, the safety cap prevents the counterweight from sliding entirely off the shaft. Always leave the safety cap in place when the counterweight is on the shaft.

6.Attach the optical tube to the dovetail mount. All of Meade’s standard LX80 OTAs is equipped with a dovetail that mates with the mount’s Vixen®- style receiver.

prevent the OTA from moving once it is installed in the receiver. Next loosen the two dovetail receiver lock knobs, pick-up the OTA and slide the tube’s dovetail mount into the mount;s receiver. Maintain your grip on the OTA so that it does not slide through or off of the receiver; secure by tightening the two

(2) lock knobs to a firm feel.

7.Assemble the viewfinder. Attach the six viewfinder collimation screws to the viewfinder bracket leaving room to slide the viewfinder tube into the bracket. Slide the optical viewfinder into the bracket and adjust the collimation screws so the viewfinder is approximately centered in the bracket. Orient the viewfinder eyepiece as depicted in (Page 8, Fig 1, 3).

Attach viewfinder to the OTA

Getting Started

Fig 19: Tighten DEC lock

•Schmidt-Cassegrain OTAs: Dovetails on the 6, 8 and 10 inch OTAs are factory mounted and can be immediately mounted onto the LX80.

•Series 5000 ED APOs and Coronado SolarMax OTAs: are equipped with Vixen®-style dovetails mated to cradle ring style mounts. It is always good practice to make sure that the cradle ring lock knobs are tight and secured to prevent the tube from slipping from the cradle.

First lock the declination lock (see Fig 19) to

Fig 20: Slide dovetail into bracket and secure

Fig 21: Slide in finderscope and secure

•Slide the viewfinder bracket into the pre-installed mounting adapter on the rear of the OTA so the viewfinder eyepiece points toward the rear of the telescope. Tighten the locking screws to a firm feel.

Note: The 80mm APO is not equipped with a viewfinder.

Coronado SolarMax II: both the 60mm and 90mm solar scopes include a built-inSol-Ranger projection viewfinder mounted to the cradle ring and are pre-aligned at the factory.

8.Insert the eyepiece.

Schmidt-Cassegrain models: Unscrew the rear silver dust cap and set aside in a safe place. Replace it when you have finished observing to prevent dust from entering the rear cell of the optical tube assembly. Thread the accessory adapter onto

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