manualshive.com logo in svg

Meade LXD 75, Instruction Manual, Page: 2 / 68

Share
Download
Meade LXD 75 Instruction Manual Download Page 2

Summary of Contents for LXD 75

Page 1: ...Instruction Manual LXD 75 Series Telescopes MEADE COM ...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...e Star Alignment Method 1 52 Axis Alignment Method 2 53 Axis Alignment Method 3 55 Smart Drive Training PEC Method 4 56 Appendix C Latitude Chart 57 Appendix D EC Handbox 58 Appendix E Mounting the Model SC 8 Optical Tube 62 Appendix F Basic Astronomy 63 CONTENTS WARNING Never use a Meade LXD75 Series Telescope to look at the Sun Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irre versible dama...

Page 4: ... shown Electronic Controller model users see Appendix D page 58 B C g d f I 1 1 1 e H J 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 Fig 1b Close up of Focuser and Viewfinder Assembly Schmidt Newtonian shown See Fig 1a for overview For a close up of the refractor focuser assembly see Fig 10b page 13 BC g d f I e H 1 1 Fig 1c The LXD75 Series Tripod ...

Page 5: ... Cradle Ring Lock Knobs 14 Cradle Rings 15 VF Bracket Screws 16 Focus Lock Knob 17 Dec Lock 18 Polar VF Cap 19 Dec Setting Circle 20 Counterweight Shaft Base 21 Counterweight Lock Knobs 22 Counterweight Shaft 23 Counterweight Safety Cap 24 Computer Control Panel 25 R A Motor Drive 26 Latitude Adjustment Handles 27 Azimuth Control Knobs 28 Latitude Dial 29 Polar Alignment VF 30 Polar Alignment Reti...

Page 6: ... screws to adjust the alignment of the viewfinder F Viewfinder Front Cell and Locking Ring Adjust the front cell to focus the viewfinder See step 3 page 14 for more details The viewfinder is supplied with a small dust cover placed over the front cell G Viewfinder Bracket Holds the viewfinder in place H Focus Knobs Moves the telescope s focuser drawtube in a finely controlled motion to achieve prec...

Page 7: ...rom either a 12v DC auto cigarette lighter plug using the optional 607 Cigarette Lighter Adapter or from a standard 115v AC home outlet using the optional 547 Power Adapter with Cable or 547F Power Adapter for 220v out lets See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES page 38 C LED Illuminates when power is supplied to the Autostar or EC hand box and the telescope s motor drive D ON OFF Switch Turns the Computer Cont...

Page 8: ...Pack and holder see Fig 1f Plug into the 12v DC power connector B Fig 1e of the computer control panel Insert 8 user supplied D cell batteries to power motor drives and Autostar handbox Join an Astronomy Club Attend a Star Party One of the best ways to increase your knowledge of astronomy is to join an astronomy club Check your local newspaper school library or telescope dealer store to find out i...

Page 9: ... with a red LED Light Emitting Diode for easy viewing in the dark The backlit display key arrangement and sequen tial menu structure make Autostar extremely user friendly B 2 Line LCD Display This screen displays Autostar s menus and other informa tion about the telescope W Top line Lists the primary menu W Bottom line Contains other menus that may be selected menu options tele scope status or inf...

Page 10: ...at a time on the second line Press the Scroll keys to move through the options Press and hold a Scroll key to move quickly through the options I Key Press to access the Help function Help provides on screen information on how to accomplish whatever task is currently active Hold down the key and then follow the prompts on the display to access details of Autostar functions in the Help feature The H...

Page 11: ...5a Then slide the shaft up through the tripod mounting base 37 Fig 1c Above the mount snap the e clip into the second narrower precut slot see Fig 5a of the shaft Fig 5b 4 Attach mount to tripod base Place the mount over the tripod mounting base 37 Fig 1c and onto the shaft with the protrusion on top of the tripod s base positioned between the fine azimuth control knobs 27 Fig 1d See Fig 5c If nec...

Page 12: ...er bracket over the viewfinder bracket screws Replace the nuts and tighten to a firm feel only Attach viewfinder tube Back off the viewfinder collimation screws 5 Fig 1b and slide the viewfinder tube into the bracket Orient the viewfinder eyepiece as depicted in Fig 1b Tighten the collimation screws to a firm feel See ALIGNING THE VIEWFINDER page 14 Attach viewfinder bracket Achromatic refractor S...

Page 13: ...der D before inserting into the reticle container A Note Remember to turn off the LED when you are not using the reticle 14 Plug in Autostar or EC Handbox Plug the Autostar or EC handbox cable into the HBX port A Fig 1e Balancing the Telescope In order for the telescope to be stable on the tripod and also for it to move smoothly it must be balanced To balance the telescope unlock the Right Ascensi...

Page 14: ...ntical man ner Refer to Figs 14a and 14b 1 Remove the dust covers from the optical tube 9 Fig 1a and the viewfinder 2 If you have not already done so insert the low power SP 26mm eyepiece 3 Fig 1b into the eyepiece holder of the main telescope See step 10 page 12 3 Look through the viewfinder eyepiece at an object at least one half mile away Tip Remove the viewfinder tube from the bracket to simpl...

Page 15: ...ed viewfinder to sight in on the object you wish to observe When the object is centered in the viewfinder s crosshairs re tighten the R A and Dec locks W A telescope s eyepiece magnifies the image formed by the telescope s main optics Each eyepiece has a focal length expressed in millimeters or mm The smaller the focal length the higher the magnification For example an eyepiece with a focal length...

Page 16: ...rving site Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the database of cities Press ENTER when the correct city appears on the display 6 Autostar then prompts you to enter the model number of your telescope Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the list of telescope models Press ENTER when the correct model appears on the display 7 The display then reads Align Easy You now can use Autostar s Arrow keys to...

Page 17: ...lock the R A Lock 33 Fig 1d Rotate the Optical Tube Assembly until the counterweight shaft is pointing straight down over the mount See Figs 16a and 16b 3 If you have not already done so lift the telescope assembly and turn it so the tripod leg below the Fine Azimuth Control Knobs 27 Fig 1c approximately faces North or South in the Southern Hemisphere Release the Dec lock 17 Fig 1d of the tripod s...

Page 18: ...rial in the Targets menu Using Autostar s GO TO Capabilities Autostar Models Only Before you can use Autostar s GO TO capabilities you must first Learn how Autostar s keys move through the menus Initialize Autostar Place the telescope in the polar home position if you have not already done so see SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION page 17 Select Align Easy from Autostar s menus Which One s the Alignm...

Page 19: ...play or use the Left Arrow key to move in the other direction across the display if necessary b Use the Right Arrow key 5 Fig 2 to move the cursor to the month Use the Scroll keys 7 Fig 2 to cycle through the list of months When the current month is displayed use the Right Arrow 5 Fig 2 to move the cursor to the year c Use Number keys 6 Fig 2 to enter all four digits of the current year Use the Ri...

Page 20: ...the daytime 1 If you have just performed INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR go to step 2 If you have not yet initialized Autostar go to page 19 and follow the procedure described in INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR Then go to step 2 of this procedure 2 Keep pressing MODE until Select Item Object displays 3 Press the Scroll Up key once Select Item Setup displays 4 Press ENTER to access the Setup menu Setup Align displays ...

Page 21: ...rs based on the date time and loca tion entered The alignment stars may change from night to night All that is required is for the observer to center the selected star in the eyepiece when prompted Go To Saturn Autostar Models Only After performing the Train the Drive and the Easy Alignment procedures the motor drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing Objects in t...

Page 22: ...ays 3 Press ENTER Guided Tour Tonight s Best displays Press ENTER Note If you wish to try out other Guided Tours press the Scroll Down key to scroll through other tour choices When the tour you wish to select dis plays press ENTER 4 Tonight s Best Searching displays After calculating Tonight s Best Jupiter displays Note Different objects may be displayed on a tour list on any given night Press ENT...

Page 23: ...pages 19 and 21 To Calculate Sunset time 1 Press the MODE key several times until Select Item Object is displayed 2 Press the Scroll Down key once to display the Event option in the Select Item menu BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION Select Item Setup Select Item Glossary Select Item Guided Tour Select Item Event SETUP MENU Easy alignment permits all telescope operations with only a quick setup UTILITIES ME...

Page 24: ...avigation W Press ENTER 2 Fig 2 to go deeper into Autostar s menu levels W Press MODE 3 Fig 2 to move back toward the top menu level W Press the Scroll keys 7 Fig 2 to move up and down through the options or lists W Press the Arrow keys 5 Fig 2 to move the cursor across the display W Press the Help key 8 Fig 2 to access on line help Tip When multiple choices are available within a menu option the ...

Page 25: ...S T U V W X Y Z Timer Set Start Stop Alarm Set On Off Eyepiece Calc Field of View Magnification Suggest Display Options Sun Warning Getting Started Brightness Adj Contrast Adj Beep Battery Alarm Landmark Survey Sleep Scope Park Scope Cord Wrap Align Easy One Star Two Star Three Star Date Time Daylight Saving Telescope Telescope Model Focal Length Az RA Ratio Alt Dec Ratio Az RA Percent Alt Dec Per...

Page 26: ...ore in memory deep sky objects of spe cific interest that are not currently in the Autostar libraries See Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Libraries page 33 for more information Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent Autostar database Important Note To use the Landmark function the telescope must be located and aligned exactly as when the landmark...

Page 27: ...s a major change in apparent magnitude as one of the two stars passes behind the other The combined magnitude of the two stars thus dips from 2 1 to a minimum of 3 4 halfway through the eclipse as the sec ond star is hidden Autostar calculates minimum magnitude time at mid eclipse Autumn and Vernal Equinox calculates the time and date of the fall or spring equi nox of the current year Winter and S...

Page 28: ...ally slews the telescope to all user defined landmarks with a short pause at each location Press ENTER to start the survey While a slew is in progress press any key to skip that object and go to the next landmark on the list To observe a landmark for a longer period press MODE when paused on the object to stop the survey Press ENTER to restart the survey at the first object on the list Sleep Scope...

Page 29: ...pe responds to the Arrow keys when moving along the altitude or declination axes W Train Drive Trains the Altitude Declination and Azimuth R A motors to locate objects with more precision W Tracking Rate Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in the sky a Sidereal The default tracking setting for Autostar sidereal rate is the stan dard rate at which stars move from East to West ac...

Page 30: ...sted Targets switches between Astronomical targets and Terrestrial targets If Astronomical is selected the telescope tracking motor is activated and any object you observe will remain centered in the eyepiece If Terrestrial is selected the track ing motor is turned off To learn how to track an object automatically see page 18 Site provides access to several options including W Select Displays the ...

Page 31: ...w images discoveries and the latest astronomical information For example when comet Hale Bopp made its approach to our Sun in 1998 astronomers around the world posted new photos daily You can find websites for almost any topic relating to astronomy on the internet Try the following key word searches NASA Hubble HST astronomy Messier satellite nebula black hole variable stars etc Check out Meade s ...

Page 32: ...ame latitude longi tude and the time zone shift You will then select the site to enable it You will need to know the latitude and longitude of your location to perform this pro cedure 1 Using the Add option choose a site on the list that is closest to your observing site and press ENTER so that the site is added to your observing sites list Choosing a site already on the list as opposed to using t...

Page 33: ...escribed to enter the name of the object you wish to add to the database When you are finished press ENTER 6 Right Asc 00 00 0 displays Use the Number keys to enter the digits for the Right Ascension coordinate of your object When you are finished press ENTER 7 Declination 00 00 displays Use the Number keys to enter the digits for the Declination coordinate of your object If necessary use the Scro...

Page 34: ...get updated information and instructions on how to download this data to Autostar If orbital parameters are more than one month old the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by Autostar Downloading requires the optional 505 AstroFinder Software and Cable Connector Kit See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES page 38 Note Satellite observing is an exciting challenge Most satellites are in low orbit t...

Page 35: ...dmarks repeat steps 5 through 7 To Select a landmark from the database 1 Make sure the telescope is located and aligned exactly as when the desired land mark was entered into memory 2 Display the Landmark Select menu option Press ENTER 3 Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of objects you have previously entered When the desired object displays press ENTER to select the object Use the Sc...

Page 36: ...r is the best way to determine proper shutter speed in any given application Note The camera used with your telescope may have an exposure meter that is still active when the standard lens is removed and the body is con nected to the telescope with the T Adapter If used for terrestrial photog raphy the camera meter should be acceptable If used for astrophotogra phy the meter probably will not prov...

Page 37: ... 2 02 41 1 62 32mm 67 2 O D 24 2 81 25 2 64 32 2 11 40mm 67 2 O D 19 3 52 20 3 30 25 2 64 Ultra Wide Angle Eyepieces 8 elements 1 25 O D except as noted 4 7mm 84 162 0 52 173 0 49 216 0 39 6 7mm 84 114 0 74 121 0 69 152 0 55 8 8mm 84 1 25 2 O D 87 0 97 92 0 91 115 0 73 14mm 84 1 25 2 O D 54 1 54 58 1 45 73 1 16 5 f 9 3 6 f 8 8 f 10 Eyepiece Apparent Field Power Actual Field Power Actual Field Powe...

Page 38: ... threaded cells for eyepieces or for attachment to the rear cells of Meade Schmidt Cassegrain models 928 45 Erect Image Diagonal Prism Primarily used for terrestrial viewing this prism presents a correctly oriented image at a comfortable 45 viewing angle 547 Power Adapter with Cable Includes a 25 ft cord and permits powering from a standard home 115v AC outlet The 547F Power Adapter is available f...

Page 39: ...ne 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...

Page 40: ...for some time in the warm indoor air so that the wet optical surfaces can dry unat tended f If your LXD75 is not to be used for an extended period perhaps for one month or more it is advisable to remove the batteries from the telescope Batteries left in the telescope for prolonged periods may leak causing damage to the telescope s electronic circuitry g Do not leave your LXD75 inside a sealed car ...

Page 41: ...direction or else the diagonal mirror may become loosened from its support Note that the diagonal mirror collimation adjustments are very sensitive generally turning a collimation screw 1 2 turn will have a dra matic effect on collimation 3 If the reflection of the diagonal mirror is not centered within the reflection of the pri mary mirror adjust the 3 collimation screws located on the rear of th...

Page 42: ...you the best optical performance As part of final optical testing every Meade Schmidt Cassegrain is precisely colli mated at the Meade factory before shipment However vibrations in shipping can cause the optical system to become misaligned Re aligning the optics is however a straightforward process To check the collimation of your SC 8 center a bright star that is overhead or use a hot spot of ref...

Page 43: ...n you are turn ing the screw the wrong way Turn the opposite direction and bring the image back to the center of the field e If the screw you are turning becomes very loose tighten the other two screws by even amounts If the screw you are turning gets too tight unthread the other two by even amounts f When you bring the image to center 3 Fig 33a carefully examine the evenness of the ring of light ...

Page 44: ...Fig 35 can rotate about its axis parallel to the main tube Grasp the secondary mirror holder avoid touching the mirror surface with your hand and rotate it until looking through the drawtube you can see the primary mirror centered as well as possible in the reflection of the secondary mirror With the rotation of the second ary mirror holder at this best possible position thread in the three Philli...

Page 45: ...45 2 1 3 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 3 6 2 5 1 4 Fig 34 Fig 35 Fig 36 Fig 37 Fig 38 Fig 39 Fig 40 ...

Page 46: ...Polar Finder Reticle Batteries Maxell LR41 or equivalent Net telescope weight 13 lbs Net tripod weight 35 lbs 8 f 4 Model SN 8AT SN 8EC Specifications Optical design Schmidt Newtonian Clear aperture 8 203mm Focal length 812mm Focal ratio photographic speed f 4 Resolving power 0 56 arc secs Coatings Meade EMC Super Multi Coatings Ultra High Transmission Coating optional Mounting Die cast aluminum I...

Page 47: ...hromatic Refractor Clear aperture 5 127mm Focal length 1180mm Focal ratio photographic speed f 9 3 Resolving power 0 90 arc secs Coatings Meade EMC Super Multi Coatings Mounting Die cast aluminum Input Voltage 12v DC Alignment German type equatorial mount Slew Speeds SN 8 1x sidereal to 4 5 sec in 9 increments SN 8EC 2x sidereal to 4 5 sec in 4 increments Tripod Variable height field tripod Access...

Page 48: ...Variable height field tripod Accessories 8 x 50mm finder 1 25 diagonal Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece 1 25 and 2 eyepiece holders Battery pack for 8 D cell batteries user supplied Autostar Controller Polar Finder Reticle Batteries Maxell LR41 or equivalent Net telescope weight 24 lbs Net tripod weight 45 lbs 6 f 5 Model N 6EC Specifications Optical design Newtonian Reflector Clear aperture 6 152mm Foc...

Page 49: ...reflected off the mirrors and can be seen on any high quality optical system including giant research telescopes The optical quality of a telescope cannot be judged by the flashlight test the true test of optical quality can only be conducted through careful star testing Meade Customer Service If you have a question concerning your LXD75 Series telescope contact the Meade Instruments Customer Serv...

Page 50: ...urther and further East of the zero R A grid line 0hr 0min 0sec carry higher R A coordinates W Declination Dec This celestial version of latitude is measured in degrees arc minutes and arc seconds e g 15 27 33 Dec locations north of the celestial equator are indicated with a plus sign e g the Dec of the North celestial pole is 90 Dec locations south of the celestial equator are indicated with a mi...

Page 51: ...lestial Pole To get basic bearings at an observing location take note of where the Sun rises East and sets West each day After the site is dark face North by pointing your left shoul der toward where the Sun set To precisely point at the pole find the North Star Polaris by using the Big Dipper as a guide Fig 42 Polar Alignment Autostar provides several different methods of Polar Alignment Easy One...

Page 52: ...ment until the reticle pattern is more precisely superimposed over the appropriate position as described in step 6 Note Not all pointing positions are possible with the polar alignment reticle as the tripod is a limiting factor as to how far the optical tube and mount can be moved 8 Tighten the R A Lock 33 Fig 1d Return the optical tube to the home position Note Remember to turn off the polar alig...

Page 53: ... elevation misalignment Autostar moves the telescope in Method 2 Procedure 1 To correct for attitude misalignment Important Note Throughout the following procedures the directional refer ences up down left right are used No matter which type of telescope model you are using these directions are to be interpreted relative to real world tar gets For example left right moves the image along the horiz...

Page 54: ...e objects to the left and right of it 1 Rotate the mount about the R A axis only and move the optical tube to position A 2 WITHOUT moving the declination axis from its position determined in the previ ous alignment adjust the legs latitude and azimuth of the tripod to center the object in the eyepiece 3 Rotate the telescope 180 in the R A axis ONLY until optical tube is in position B 4 Observe the...

Page 55: ...ssary refer to AUTOSTAR S MENUS page 25 Note For best result perform this procedure after you have trained the drive See page 20 1 Adjust the latitude T handle screws 26 Fig 1d so that the latitude is set to 45 or higher See Step 6 page 12 for information about setting the latitude con trols 2 Refer to Fig 48 while performing this step The Dec motor B must be positioned so that it is at the back o...

Page 56: ...edure see page 20 Then use the Periodic Error Correction PEC Train menu option to remove the slight perturbations from center that occur due to the mechanical nature of a telescope To perform this procedure you need to use a high power reticle such as the 9mm reticle see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES page 37 Important Note In order for the Smart Drive training to operate and be updated properly you must pa...

Page 57: ...New York New York 41 N Oklahoma City Oklahoma 35 N Ottawa Ontario 45 N Philadelphia Pennsylvania 40 N Phoenix Arizona 33 N Portland Oregon 46 N Salt Lake City Utah 41 N San Antonio Texas 29 N San Diego California 33 N San Francisco California 38 N Seattle Washington 47 N Washington District of Columbia 39 N EUROPE City Country Latitude Amsterdam Netherlands 52 N Athens Greece 38 N Bern Switzerland...

Page 58: ...eds see SPEED KEY below Important Note If you reverse directions while using the Arrow keys to slew to objects there may be a slight pause as the telescope motors com pensate for the reversal of the internal gears 2 Indicator Lights The four red LED Light Emitting Diode lights indicate the cur rent slew speed of the telescope Note For purposes of this manual the lights are identified as 1 through ...

Page 59: ...ect in the field of a low to moderate power eyepiece such as the standard SP 26mm Light 4 The slowest speed Use to center an object in the field of view of high power eyepieces such as the optional 6 7mm or 12 4mm The four available speeds are Light 1 1200 x sidereal 300 arc min sec or 5 sec Light 2 32 x sidereal 8 arc min sec Light 3 8 x sidereal 2 arc min sec Light 4 2 x sidereal 0 5 arc min sec...

Page 60: ...nd look through the eyepiece Continue pressing IN and MODE until the object remains centered with little or no drifting in the eyepiece Note The tracking rate can be increased by up to 65 4 To use a rate slower than sidereal press OUT 6 Fig 49 until light 4 blinks again sidereal rate Press OUT again and light 4 goes out signifying a tracking rate 0 5 slower than sidereal Note that when the Mode fu...

Page 61: ...7 Use the SPEED key as described in the above steps to cycle among these three modes Southern Hemisphere polar Northern Hemisphere polar or Tracking Disabled until the desired mode is shown by the appropriate light configuration 8 Press and hold MODE until just one light is on This exits the Mode function If you choose Northern or Southern Hemisphere polar mode the motor drive starts operating at ...

Page 62: ... cradle locking knob will enter the groove when the knob is tight ened Tighten both the cradle locking knob and the secondary locking knob to a firm feel See Fig 54 If you are using heavy accessories such as a camera microfocuser etc on the back end of the tube you may need to balance the tube differently to keep the tube from drifting downward Slide the mounting bracket and tube forward until the...

Page 63: ...cret waiting to be revealed Autostar Glossary Be sure to make use of Autostar s Glossary feature The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions of common astronomical terms Access directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Autostar See GLOSSARY MENU page 27 for more information Objects in Space Listed below are some of the many ast...

Page 64: ... seeing were rings Instead he believed that Saturn had ears Saturn s rings are composed of billions of ice particles ranging in size from a speck of dust to the size of a house The major division in Saturn s rings called the Cassini Division is occasionally visi ble through the LXD75 Series Titan the largest of Saturn s moons can also be seen as a bright star like object near the planet Deep Sky O...

Page 65: ...o comets come from 8 How old is our Sun Will our Sun evolve into a planetary nebula or go super nova 9 What is the Inflationary Big Bang What is dark matter What are MACHO s 10 How are extrasolar planets discovered What is an accretion or protoplane tary disk 11 What are the differences between elliptical spiral and irregular galaxies Can globular clusters be older than the universe itself Books 1...

Page 66: ......

Page 67: ......

Page 68: ...product or part a Return Goods Authorization RGA number must be obtained from Meade by writing or calling 949 451 1450 Each returned part or product must include a written statement detailing the nature of the claimed defect as well as the owner s name address and phone number This warranty is not valid in cases where the product has been abused or mishandled where unauthorized repairs have been a...

Reviews:

No comments