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page 27

NOTE:

To perform an accurate calculation, Starfinder must be properly

initialized with the current date, time, and location of the observing site.

To enter the current date, time, and location information of your observing
site, see “ INITIALIZE STARFINDER” page 17, before proceeding with this
exercise.

To Calculate Sunset time:

1.  Press the MODE key several times, until "Select Item: Object" displays. 

2.  Press the Scroll Down key once to display the Event option in the Select Item

menu. 

3.  Press the ENTER key to choose the Event option and move down a menu level.

"Event: Sunrise" displays. 

4.  Press the Scroll Down key once to display the Sunset option in the Event menu. 

5.  Press the ENTER key to choose the Sunset option and move down another menu

level. 

6.  Starfinder calculates the Sunset time based on the current date, time, and

location. Starfinder then displays the time of Sunset. 

7.  Press MODE once to start moving back up through the Starfinder menu levels.

The first menu level up is Event. 

8.  Press MODE again to move up another menu level. This is the top menu level,

Select Item. 

9.  Press MODE again to return to the starting point of "Select Item: Object."

Solar System

Mercury
Etc.
Moon
Asteroids
Comets

Constellations

Andromeda
Etc.

Deep Sky

Named Object
Galaxies
Nebulae
Planetary Neb.
Etc.

Star

Named 
SAO Catalog
Double
Etc.

Satellite

Select
Add
Delete
Edit

User Objects

Select
Add
Delete
Edit

Landmarks

Select
Add
Delete

Identify

Sunrise
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonset
Moon Phases

Next Full Moon
Next New Moon
Next 1st Qtr
Next 3rd Qtr

Meteor Showers

Quadrantids
Lyrids
Eta Aquarids
Delta Aquarids
Perseids
Orionids
Taurids
Leonids
Geminids
Ursids

Solar Eclipses
Lunar Eclipses
Min. of Algol
Autumn Equinox
Vernal Equinox
Winter Solstice
Summer Solstice

Tour Objects

A...

Accretion Disk
Etc.

B...
C...
D...
E...
F...
G...
H...
I...
J...
K...
L...
M...
N...
O...
P...
Q...
R...
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.
Battery Alarm
Landmark Survey
Sleep Scope
Park Scope

Align

One Star
Two Star

Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope

Focal Length
Az/Alt Ratio
Train Drive
Tracking Rate
Reverse L/R
Reverse Up/Dn
Calibrate Motor
High Precision

Targets

Astronomical
Terrestrial

Site

Select
Add
Delete 
Edit

Owner Info
Download
Statistics
Reset

Select Item:
  Object

Select Item:
  Event

Select Item:
  Guided Tour

Select Item:
  Glossary

Select Item:
  Utilities

Select Item:
  Setup

Tonight's Best
How Far is Far
A Star's Life

Fig. 20:

The complete Starfinder menu structure.

Содержание 4504

Страница 1: ...truction Manual Meade Model 4504 4 5 114mm Equatorial Reflecting Telescope With Starfinder Electronic Hand Controller ENTER GO TO MODE MEADE ENTER GO TO MODE SPEED STARFINDER Meade Instruments Corporation ...

Страница 2: ...the viewfinder and insert the eyepiece into the focuser Lesson 4 Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually How to focus an eyepiece How to move your telescope manually to make observations Lesson 5 Observing using Starfinder s Arrow keys How to install the motor drives How to change the slew speeds How to observe using Starfinder s Arrow keys Lesson 6 Tracking Objects How to Polar align your tele...

Страница 3: ...us 16 Initializing Starfinder 17 Training the Drive 19 Align Your Telescope Using Starfinder 20 Check Mount 20 Go To Saturn 21 Using the Guided Tour 21 Some Observation Tips 22 PART TWO Starfinder Controls and Menus Starfinder Controls 23 How Starfinder s Menus Work 26 Starfinder Navigation Exercise 26 Starfinder Menus 28 Object Menu 28 Event Menu 29 Glossary Menu 29 Utilities Menu 30 Setup Menu 3...

Страница 4: ...page 4 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Fig 1 Parts included in the Meade Model 4504 Giftbox ...

Страница 5: ...electronic motor drive 12 has a connector for the battery pack marked 15v The Declination Dec electronic motor drive 13 has a connector for the Starfinder handbox marked HBX The motors are connected with a coiled cord Starfinder handbox 14 Battery pack 16 and battery pack case 15 with adhesive backing Accessories 3 Eyepieces 11 0 965 optical diameter SR 4mm H 12 5mm H 25mm 3x Barlow lens 4 Accesso...

Страница 6: ...Dec setting circle 10 Counterweight 11 Counterweight shaft 12 Safety washer thumbscrew 13 Counterweight lock 14 Latitude dial 15 R A setting circle Key to Figures 2a 2b and 2c 16 Latitude adjustment knob 17 Focuser Focus knobs 18 Eyepiece thumbscrew 19 Eyepiece 20 Cradle ring lock knobs 21 Optical tube saddle plate 22 Dec motor drive assembly 23 Latitude lock 24 Azimuth lock 25 R A motor drive ass...

Страница 7: ...8 29 NOTE The coiled cord that connects to the two motor drives has been omitted from the illustration for the sake of clarity Fig 2b The Meade Model 4504 4 5 Equatorial Reflecting Telescope Fig 2c The Meade Model 4504 4 5 Equatorial Reflecting Telescope ...

Страница 8: ...ngle fastener 5 Attach the accessory shelf to the tripod Remove the mounting knob from the round accessory shelf 6 Fig 1 Place the accessory shelf on top of the center triangle leg brace fastener so that the threaded stud protruding from the bottom of the shelf Fig 4 passes through the hole in the center of the triangle fastener Next thread the mounting knob shaft into the threaded stud Tighten to...

Страница 9: ...al tube and position the eyepiece 19 Fig 2b in a more comfortable observing position This adjustment may be performed several times in one observing session if so desired 12 Attach viewfinder The viewfinder holder has two restrained screws i e they cannot be removed from the holder Position the two screws over the threaded holes in the viewfinder mounting plate and tighten the screws using a 1 or ...

Страница 10: ... position without tending to drift down in either direction Re lock the Dec lock 27 Fig 2b The telescope is now properly balanced on both axes Next the viewfinder must be aligned LESSON 3 Aligning the Viewfinder The wide field of view of the 5 x 24mm viewfinder provides an easier way to initially sight objects than the main telescope s eyepiece which has a much narrower field of view If the 5 x 24...

Страница 11: ...epiece 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 of 4mm has a higher magnification than an eyepiece with a focal length of 25mm See APPENDIX A page 38 for more information Low power magnification eyepieces offer a wide...

Страница 12: ... 1 R A Worm Shaft 2 R A Axis Plastic Adapter 3 Aluminum Shaft 4 Set Screw 5 Circular Housing containing notched plastic shaft 6 Battery Pack Connector 7 LED 8 R A Motor Drive 9 Handbox HBX Port 10 Dec Motor Drive 11 R A Lock 12 Dec Worm Shaft 13 Set Screws Key to Figure 11 ...

Страница 13: ...ve Also note the four small recesses 5 Fig 12b inside this housing NOTE The R A motor drive has a connector for the battery pack that is marked 15v 3 Attach the R A motor drive to the R A axis Align and slide the notch 6 Fig 12b of the plastic shaft of the R A motor drive over the aluminum shaft 3 Fig 12a inside the plastic adapter on the R A axis Orient the R A motor drive box as depicted in 8 Fi...

Страница 14: ...eed has been calculated to accom plish specific functions Pressing the Speed key 8 Fig 13 briefly changes the slew speed which is shown briefly on Starfinder s display as the key is pressed Each press decreases the slew speed down one level and then cycles back to the fastest speed NOTE Pressing the Speed key briefly changes the slew speed Holding down the Speed key longer one to two seconds acces...

Страница 15: ...iece To automatically track objects you must first Polar align the telescope and then select Targets Astronomical from the Starfinder Setup menu To Polar Align the Telescope 1 Level the mount if necessary by adjusting the length of the three tripod legs 2 Release the Azimuth lock 24 Fig 2b of the tripod so that the entire telescope may be rotated in a horizontal direction Rotate the telescope unti...

Страница 16: ...e star You may choose any unobstructed bright star for the purposes of this example Use Starfinder s Arrow keys to center the star in the eyepiece Once the star is centered press ENTER to select Astronomical The telescope s tracking motors then engage It may take the tracking motors several seconds to begin tracking When they do it may be necessary to once again center the star in the eyepiece The...

Страница 17: ...scrolling message with two choices a Press and hold down the Speed key 8 Fig 13 for about 2 seconds for information on Starfinder functions and controls When finished press MODE 3 Fig 13 to exit Help or b Press ENTER 2 Fig 13 to bypass the Help tutorial and continue with Initialization 5 Starfinder then prompts you to enter the current date a To enter numbers press either the Up or Down Arrow key ...

Страница 18: ...t time it is activated These prompts do not appear again unless you reset Starfinder see RESET page 32 However if you change your geographic location you can change the location information by using the Site option of the Setup menu See SITE page 32 for detailed information 9 System Initialization is complete and the display reads Align One Star After performing the Initialization procedure you MU...

Страница 19: ...escope at a terrestrial object Press ENTER when the telescope is pointing at the desired terrestrial object 11 Center reference object displays Center your target object using the Arrow keys When centered press ENTER 12 The telescope slews and Press until it is centered displays Press the Right Arrow key until the target is centered again Then press ENTER NOTE If you pass the object when pressing ...

Страница 20: ... the eyepiece When the star is centered press ENTER Another method to find the alignment star if it does not appear in the eyepiece is to perform a spiral search If the alignment star is not visible in the eyepiece when the telescope finishes its search press GO TO and the telescope starts slewing in a spiral pattern at a very slow speed around the search area Look through the eyepiece and when th...

Страница 21: ...be necessary for you to choose another object from Starfinder s database However the procedure is identical to the one used for observing Saturn 1 After the telescope is aligned Select Item Object displays Press ENTER If Select Item Object is not currently displayed press MODE repeatedly until it displays then press ENTER 2 Object Solar System displays Press ENTER 3 Solar System Mercury displays U...

Страница 22: ...cope Vibrations resulting from such contact will cause the image to move Likewise avoid observing sites where ground based vibrations may resonate the tripod Viewing from the upper floors of a building may also introduce image movement Allow your eyes a few minutes to become adapted to the dark before attempting any serious astronomical observations Use a red filtered flashlight to protect your ni...

Страница 23: ...feel The LCD Liquid Crystal Display is backlit with a red LED Light Emitting Diode for easy viewing in the dark The backlit display key arrangement and sequential database make Starfinder extremely user friendly NOTE Starfinder does not require batteries the telescope s battery pack supplies power to Starfinder Starfinder Controls 2 Line LCD Display Provides an interface between Starfinder and the...

Страница 24: ...rch Then use the Arrow keys to center the object Arrow Keys Slew the telescope in a specific direction up down left and right at any one of seven different speeds speed selection is explained in SLEW SPEEDS page 14 The following functions are also available with the Arrow keys Data Entry Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to Scroll through the letters of the alphabet and numerical digits The Down Arro...

Страница 25: ...ons in the Help feature The Help system is essentially an on screen instruction manual If you have a question about a Starfinder operation i e INITIALIZATION ALIGNMENT etc hold down the Speed key and follow the directions that scroll on the second line of the LCD screen When a word appears in brackets press ENTER to access the word in the Starfinder Glossary A definition or more detailed informati...

Страница 26: ... key IMPORTANT NOTE No matter how many menu levels of Starfinder are traveled each press of the MODE key moves up a level until the top menu level Select Item is reached Once in the Select Item level press MODE to return to the topmost available screen Select Item Object Starfinder Navigation Exercise To demonstrate how the Starfinder menu structure works the following exercise cal culates the Sun...

Страница 27: ...m Mercury Etc Moon Asteroids Comets Constellations Andromeda Etc Deep Sky Named Object Galaxies Nebulae Planetary Neb Etc Star Named SAO Catalog Double Etc Satellite Select Add Delete Edit User Objects Select Add Delete Edit Landmarks Select Add Delete Identify Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset Moon Phases Next Full Moon Next New Moon Next 1st Qtr Next 3rd Qtr Meteor Showers Quadrantids Lyrids Eta A...

Страница 28: ...r is a database of stars listed in different categories such as named double vari able or nearby User Objects allows the user to define deep sky objects of specific interest that are not currently in the Starfinder database See APPENDIX C page 42 for detailed information Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent Starfinder database IMPORTANT NOTE To use the L...

Страница 29: ...ow Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses including the date and type total partial penumbral of eclipse Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data Min Minimum of Algol is the minimum brightness of the dramatic eclipsing binary star system Algol It is relatively close at a distance of 100 light years Every 2 8 da...

Страница 30: ...s connected Field of View Scroll through a list of available eyepieces When an eyepiece is selected the field of view is calculated Magnification Scroll through a list of available eyepieces When an eyepiece is selected the magnification is calculated Suggest Starfinder calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing based on the telescope and the object being viewed Display Options enables ...

Страница 31: ...ect time is critical for Starfinder to properly calculate locations and events Daylight Saving is used to set the status of Daylight Savings time NOTE Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by a different name in various areas of the world Check local time to verify Telescope accesses the following options Focal Length Displays the focal length of the selected telescope Az Ratio and Alt Ratio Th...

Страница 32: ...list of Countries States Press ENTER when the site you wish to add displays Then choose the desired city in the same manner Delete Deletes a stored site from the database Edit Edits a selected site including the name latitude longitude and time zone Time zone refers to the Greenwich Mean Time GMT time zone shift Users West of Greenwich England use hours East of Greenwich use hours For the United S...

Страница 33: ...nd wrench a 5 64 hex wrench and a Phillips head screwdriver The equatorial mount has four main areas that can be adjusted A loose polar shaft can be tight ened by releasing a 5 64 hex set screw that is on the side of the 11 16 polar shaft acorn cap nut 3 Fig 21 and then turning the 11 16 acorn cap nut clockwise to a firm feel and then tightening the 5 64 hex set screw A loose Azimuth base 4 Fig 21...

Страница 34: ...m the concentric reflections will require adjustments to the diagonal assembly Fig 23 and or the primary mirror cell Fig 24 Spider vane adjustments If the diagonal mirror 1 Fig 26 is left or right of center within the drawtube 2 Fig 26 loosen the spider vane adjustment lock knobs 1 Fig 23 located on the outside surface of the main tube and slide the entire diagonal assembly up or down the tube alo...

Страница 35: ...mary mirror cell 3 Fig 24 These primary tilt screws are located behind the primary mirror at the lower end of the main tube Fig 22 To adjust the primary mirror tilt screws first unscrew several turns the three hex head primary mirror cell locking screws 2 Fig 24 that are next to each pri mary mirror tilt Phillips head screw Then by trial and error turn the primary mirror tilt Phillips head screws ...

Страница 36: ...enter dark shadow If the out of focus star disk appears elongated B Fig 29 you will need to adjust the primary mirror Phillips head tilt screws of the primary mirror cell 3 Fig 24 To adjust the primary mirror tilt screws 3 Fig 24 first unscrew several turns the three hex head primary mirror cell locking screws 2 Fig 24 to allow free turning movement of the tilt knobs As you make adjustments to the...

Страница 37: ...orial mount Setting circle diameters 6 2cm 2 45 Input voltage 12 volts DC Motor Drive System DC servo motors with encoders both axes Slow Motion Controls Electric 7 speeds both axes Hemispheres of operation North and South switchable Materials Tube body Aluminum Mounting Die cast aluminum Telescope net weight telescope only without batteries eyepieces 10 5 kg 23 lbs Telescope shipping weight teles...

Страница 38: ...nsistent with high image resolution When unsteady air conditions prevail as witnessed by rapid twinkling of the stars extreme high power results in empty magnification where the object detail observed is actually diminished by the excessive power The 3x Barlow lens included with your telescope triples the eyepiece magnification To calculate the power of an eyepiece used with a Barlow lens multiply...

Страница 39: ...lestial pole and for finding objects in the night sky using Declination and Right Ascension Understanding Celestial Movements and Coordinates Understanding where to locate celestial objects and how those objects move across the sky is fundamental to enjoying the hobby of astronomy Most amateur astronomers adopt the simple practice of star hopping to locate celestial objects by using star charts or...

Страница 40: ...s vastly simplified The setting circles R A 15 Fig 2a and Dec 9 Fig 2a of the Meade 4504 Telescope may be dialed in effect to read the object coor dinates and the object can be found without resorting to visual location techniques However these setting circles may be used to advantage only if the telescope is first properly aligned with the Celestial Pole Lining Up with the Celestial Pole Objects ...

Страница 41: ...centered object s R A coordinate before moving to a new R A coordinate setting The R A setting circle has two sets of numbers The inner set is for Southern hemisphere use while the outer set the set closest to the R A gear is for use by observers located North of the Earth s equator e g in North America and Europe Two Star Polar Alignment Besides One Star Polar Alignment which was covered earlier ...

Страница 42: ...usly described to find this option Press ENTER 3 Object Solar System displays Keep pressing the Scroll Up key until Object User Object displays and press ENTER 4 User Object Select displays Press the Scroll Down key once User Object Add displays Press ENTER 5 Name displays on the top line and a blinking cursor on the second line Use the Arrow keys as previously described to enter the name of the o...

Страница 43: ...rleans Louisiana 30 N New York New York 41 N Oklahoma City Oklahoma 35 N Philadelphia Pennsylvania 40 N Phoenix Arizona 33 N Portland Oregon 46 N Richmond Virginia 37 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 Wichita Kansas 38 N EUROPE City Country Latitude Amsterdam Netherl...

Страница 44: ...sure to make use of Starfinder s Glossary feature The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions of common astronomical terms Access these directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Starfinder See GLOSSARY MENU page 29 for more information Objects in Space Listed below are some of the many astronomical objects that can be seen with...

Страница 45: ...Division is occasionally visible through the 4504 Titan the largest of Saturn s 18 moons can also be seen as a bright star like object near the planet Deep Sky Objects Star charts can be used to locate constellations individual stars and deep sky objects Examples of various deep sky objects are given below Stars are large gaseous objects that are self illuminated by nuclear fusion in their core Be...

Страница 46: ... to Spica to refer to the area directly off the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper Follow the arc to Arcturus the second brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere then spike down to Spica the 16th brightest star in the sky Star Locator The chart below lists bright stars with their R A and Dec coordinates along with the Northern Hemisphere season when these stars are prominent in the night sky Thi...

Страница 47: ...ned by writing to MIC or by 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 phone number and a copy of the original sales invoice This warranty is not valid in cases where the product has been abused or mishandled where unauthorized repairs have been attempted or performed or where de...

Страница 48: ...D P R O D U C T S D I V I S I O N Meade Instruments Corporation World s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur 6001 Oak Canyon Irvine California 92618 949 451 1450 FAX 949 451 1460 www meade com 2000 ...

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