Meade LXD 75 instruction manual Optional Autostar handbox for EC model users

Fig. 30: Optional Autostar handbox for EC model users.

nal of the telescope, followed by an eyepiece. The #1A Skylight Filter threads onto the rear cell of the Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain SC-8 model and effectively seals the interior of the telescope from dust. All other rear cell accessories may then be thread- ed to the #1A filter. The filter increases visual and photographic contrast, decreases glare, and helps to penetrate haze.

#1205 Electric focuser: For use with LXD75 Schmidt-Cassegrain SC-8 model. Meade electric focusers are uniquely designed to yield smooth, precise microfocus- ing of the image, without disabling the manual focus knob, which may be used for rapid coarse focusing. Includes push-button hand controller with self-contained (user provided) battery.

#1209 Microfocuser: For use with LXD75 Schmidt-Cassegrain SC-8 model. Supplied with a handbox, the microfocuser threads directly to the rear cell of model SC-8. Permits precise focusing of the image during visual or photographic applica- tion, during CCD applications maintains precise image centration on even the small- est CCD chips. Operates at four speeds, from extremely slow to fast; accepts both 2" and 1.25" eyepiece barrels. Requires 8 x AAA (user-supplied batteries).

Series 4000 Plössl 9mm Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece: The most advanced com- mercially-available illuminated reticle eyepiece, this Series 4000 Plössl 9mm model, powered by an internal battery, includes micrometric x-y positioning controls which greatly facilitate locking onto the guide star: Turn the finely-threaded controls and place the reticle’s crossline pattern precisely at the desired position in the field. The sharp, high-power imaging of the 4-element,multi-coated Plössl optical system is complemented by a rubber eyecup (foldable for eyeglass wearers) that shuts out dis- tracting stray light from the observer’s eye. The upper (lens) section of the eyepiece rotates on a fine thread for precise diopter adjustment to the user’s eye. Reticle pat- tern is a double crossline with two concentric circles.

Optional #497 Autostar™ Computer Controller for LXD75 EC Users: One of the most important advances in telescope control in the past 25 years, the Meade Autostar Computer Controller turns your LXD75 EC model into an automatic celestial object locating system. Just plug Autostar into the telescope’s HBX port in place of the standard-equipment Electronic Controller, do a quick telescope alignment, and you are ready to observe any object in the Autostar’s 30,000-object database.

Any of Autostar’s database objects can be called up and entered on the hand con- troller display in seconds. The observer then simply presses the GO TO pushbutton and watches as the telescope automatically slews to the object and places it in the field of view. Autostar moves the telescope to automatically track (follow) the object across the sky. Autostar brings into easy access objects that were previously unreach- able for all but the most dedicated of amateur astronomers.

Autostar Suite with Meade LPI (Lunar Planetary Imager) and Planetarium software (Fig. 23) turns your Meade LXD75 telescope, Autostar and PC into even more powerful and easy-to-use astronomical instruments. See page 36 for more details.

To find out more about these and other accessories available for your telescope, check out the Meade General Catalog or contact your local Meade dealer.

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