Instruction Manual
8", 10", 12", 14", 16" LX200
®
-ACF
Advanced Coma-Free Telescopeswith GPS and AutoStar
II Hand Controller
Страница 1: ...Instruction Manual 8 10 12 14 16 LX200 ACF Advanced Coma Free Telescopes with GPS and AutoStar II Hand Controller...
Страница 2: ...rreversible damage to your eye Eye damage is often painless so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late Do not point the telescope at or near the Sun Do not lo...
Страница 3: ...dix D Training the Drive 63 Appendix E The Moon Menu 64 Appendix F 16 LX200 ACF Features 65 Appendix G 14 LX200 ACF Features 69 Appendix H De rotator and Microfocuser Assembly 70 Appendix I Smart Moun...
Страница 4: ...ent Nuts and Spring not visible How to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope Assembly After removing the field tripod from its shipping carton stand the tripod vertically with the tripod feet down and wi...
Страница 5: ...and slide the 3 inner tripod leg sections out to the desired height Retighten the 3 lock lever to a firm feel Fig F To collapse the tripod after removing the telescope rotate the spreader bar 60 from...
Страница 6: ...on AutoStar II s LCD display Slew Speeds Speed 9 Fast Speed 5 Medium Speed 1 Slow Arrow Keys Number Keys R A Lock Dec Lock Display Attach the Microfocuser Optional Accessory standard on 16 model only...
Страница 7: ...utoStar II Hand Controller See page 10 not shown on left fork arm Fig 1 The LX200 ACF Telescope Computer Control Panel inset AutoStar II Handbox inset B c d f e g h i j 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 not...
Страница 8: ...ise to focus on nearby objects H Fork Arms This heavy duty mount holds the optical tube securely in place I Battery Compartments Insert four user supplied C cell batteries into each compartment one co...
Страница 9: ...cal axis Turning the Dec lock clockwise to a firm feel only prevents the telescope from being moved manually but engages the vertical motor drive for AutoStar II operation 1 Dust Cover Gently pry the...
Страница 10: ...L ACCESSORIES page 44 Some of the major features of the AutoStar II system are Automatically move the telescope to any of the more than 145 000 objects stored in the object library including Library N...
Страница 11: ...move the telescope to the coordinates of the currently selected object While the telescope is slewing the operation may be aborted at any time by pressing any key except GO TO Pressing GO TO again res...
Страница 12: ...d into the HBX port Pg 7 Fig 1 13F of the computer control panel of the telescope and the other end into the AutoStar II coil cord port See 9 above 1 Utility Light Use this built in red light to illum...
Страница 13: ...certain that the power switch on the computer control panel Fig 1 13A is in the OFF position Plug the coil cord of the AutoStar II handbox into the HBX port Fig 1 13F Note The AutoStar II handbox and...
Страница 14: ...pped with the mirror locked 7 Remove dust cover Remove the dust cover Fig 1 18 from the optical tube assembly Fig 1 19 by gently prying it off 8 Attach the handbox holder Remove the handbox holder fro...
Страница 15: ...out optional eyepieces for the your telescope see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES page 44 The power or magnification of a telescope is determined by the focal length of the telescope and the focal length of the...
Страница 16: ...s 3 through 5 Note Seeing conditions vary widely from night to night and site to site Turbulence in the air even on an apparently clear night can distort images If an image appears fuzzy and ill defin...
Страница 17: ...it feels loose 6 Once you get a feel for how your telescope moves and focuses try to view something more challenging like a bird or a distant moving train You can also observe stars and objects in the...
Страница 18: ...he desired speed Or press one of the following Number keys after pressing the Focus key to change the speed Key Speed Key Speed 1 or 2 Fine 6 or 7 Medium 3 4 or 5 Slow 8 or 9 Fastest 8 Use the Arrow k...
Страница 19: ...ig 2 5 to enter characters and digits The Arrow keys are also used to move the telescope Use the Number keys to enter digits Automatic Alignment Auto Align Feature AutoStar II offers four methods of a...
Страница 20: ...alignment star will be the brightest star in that area of the sky and hence brightest star When the alignment star is entered press ENTER Note If you press the key while Ctr Brightest Star displays th...
Страница 21: ...he eyepiece AutoStar II then automatically moves the telescope so that it tracks Saturn or whatever other object you may have chosen i e Saturn remains centered in the eyepiece Using the Guided Tour T...
Страница 22: ...el and solid it must have a minimum of three legs AutoStar II makes gravitational measurements to make a precise determination of true level Finding True North Locating True North is one of the most i...
Страница 23: ...ne option at a time When the desired option is displayed on the second line press the ENTER key to choose that option and move down one menu level Press the MODE key to leave a level e g the wrong men...
Страница 24: ...cess the Reticle menu Press the Scroll keys to move up and down through the options or lists Press the Arrow keys to move the cursor across the display Press the Help key to access on line help Tip Wh...
Страница 25: ...AUTOSTAR II s MENUS 25...
Страница 26: ...sing the AutoStar II hot keys Caldwell key 2 Messier catalog 3 Solar System 5 IC 8 and NGC 9 To slew the telescope to catalog objects Enter the catalog number of the object using the Number keys and t...
Страница 27: ...e Perseids the Leonids etc Also lists the dates of the showers and when they reach maximum Note Meteors are fast moving objects that cover large areas of the sky and are usually best observed with the...
Страница 28: ...AutoStar II beeps Press ENTER to deactivate the alarm Eyepiece Calc Calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope to which AutoStar II is connected Field of View Scroll through...
Страница 29: ...that date See EVENT MENU page 27 Time Changes the time entered into AutoStar II Setting the correct time is critical for AutoStar II to properly calculate locations and events Time may be set to AM P...
Страница 30: ...ring a number from 0 to 199 This sets the backlash in the way the Arrow keys move the telescope along an axis If you enter a value near 199 telescope responds more quickly as you hold down an Arrow ke...
Страница 31: ...displays Use this option when you move to a different geographic location Add Allows you to add new observing sites to the database Scroll through the list of Countries States Press ENTER when the sit...
Страница 32: ...nge the speed see chart to the left Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to achieve fine focus of the object See page 18 for more information Reticle Control Menu Press Number key 7 to select this menu direc...
Страница 33: ...the site is added to your observing sites list Choosing a site already on the list as opposed to using the Custom feature makes it easier to edit as the Time Zone value may not need to be changed 2 S...
Страница 34: ...ly 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 Sc...
Страница 35: ...tellite orbits change and new satellites including the Space Shuttle are launched Visit the Meade website www meade com approximately once a month to get updated information and instructions on how to...
Страница 36: ...to slew the telescope to the landmark 4 Press MODE to exit To perform a Landmark Survey This procedure allows you to perform a tour of the objects entered in the Object Landmark menu option note that...
Страница 37: ...rs displays Press ENTER 3 Edit Parameters Largest mins displays Mins stands for arc minutes Press ENTER 4 Largest mins and a value displays Using the Number keys enter a size in arc minutes AutoStar I...
Страница 38: ...edure again Keep pressing MODE until Align Easy displays and repeat the procedure Mirror Mirror The LX200 ACF telescopes provide features that allow you to control the primary optical mirror and focus...
Страница 39: ...he home position 3 To Set the Home Position Manually a See Figs 19 and 20 Loosen the telescope s Dec lock Pg 7 Fig 1 17 Set the optical tube to 0 on the Dec setting circle Fig 1 20 b Tighten the Dec l...
Страница 40: ...overwrites any previous PEC data 1 Select Train from the Dec PEC menu in the Setup Telescope menu and press ENTER 2 Look through the reticle Use the Arrow keys to keep the star centered in the reticl...
Страница 41: ...wedge and One Star polar alignment is recommended See APPENDIX A pages 53 through 57 Caution With the 62 T Adapter and a camera body mounted to the LX200 ACF photo port the telescope can only be rota...
Страница 42: ...f using manual focus set to infinity Otherwise using the camera s autofocus is OK Experiment with your camera s exposure brightness and or contrast settings Keep notes for future reference Clean eyepi...
Страница 43: ...synthesized speech through PC speaker Includes a cable to connect your LX200 ACF model to your PC See the CD Rom that is included with AutoStar Suite for more information and instruction manual Fig 23...
Страница 44: ...83 0 81 40 1 67 50 1 34 40mm 2 O D 67 1 00 32 2 09 40 1 67 Ultra Wide Angle Eyepieces 8 elements 1 25 O D except as noted 4 7mm 568 0 15 272 0 31 340 0 25 6 7mm 399 0 21 191 0 44 239 0 35 8 8mm 1 25...
Страница 45: ...d The variable Tele Extender threads onto the telescope s eyepiece holder into which is inserted an eyepiece of typically about 26mm focal length the 35mm camera body couples to the tele extender by m...
Страница 46: ...r images throughout the field The effect is that even during the longest CCD or photographic exposures the telescope acts as if it were precisely equatorially mounted 1222 Field De rotator For use wit...
Страница 47: ...r simply allow the telescope to sit for some time in the warm indoor air so that the wet optical surfaces can dry unattended f If your LX200 ACF is not to be used for an extended period perhaps for on...
Страница 48: ...just c Using the AutoStar II s Arrow keys at the slowest slew speed move the defocused image to the edge of the eyepiece field of view Fig 33a 2 in the same direction as the darker shadow is offset in...
Страница 49: ...l object through the telescope s eyepiece with the telescope aligned and with the motor drive on If the object remains stationary in the field of view your telescope is operating properly If not check...
Страница 50: ...eceiver True level electronic sensor Net telescope weight 46 lbs Net tripod weight 20 lbs 10 f 10 LX200 ACF Specifications Optical design Advanced Coma Free Clear aperture 254mm 10 Focal length 2500mm...
Страница 51: ...Pl ssl 16 channel GPS receiver True level electronic sensor Net telescope weight 73 lbs Net tripod weight 50 lbs 14 f 10 LX200 ACF Specifications Optical design Advanced Coma Free Clear aperture 356m...
Страница 52: ...viewfinder 2 diagonal prism with 1 25 adapter Series 5000 26mm 5 element Pl ssl 4 speed zero image shift microfocuser 16 channel GPS receiver True level electronic sensor Net telescope weight 318 lbs...
Страница 53: ...ion 18hr and its Declination 33 Right Ascension R A This celestial version of longitude is measured in units of hours hr minutes min and seconds sec on a 24 hour clock similar to how Earth s time zone...
Страница 54: ...ld now be in the telescopic field of a low power eyepiece If you do not immediately see the object you are seeking try searching the adjacent sky area Keep in mind that with the 26mm eyepiece the fiel...
Страница 55: ...n One Star and press ENTER AutoStar II now prompts you to set the telescope in the polar home position a Using the bubble level of the wedge adjust the tripod legs so that the bubble is level b Set th...
Страница 56: ...ocedure particularly if the pole star is not visible sometimes better known as the Drift method 1 Obtain a rough polar alignment as described earlier Place the illuminated reticle eyepiece or eyepiece...
Страница 57: ...to select any of AutoStar II s three polar alignment options you must first select Polar in the Mount option of the Setup Telescope menu Surf the Web One of the most exciting resources for astronomy i...
Страница 58: ...rk 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 Cali...
Страница 59: ...tering the object s R A and Dec coordinates The tour is presented in one of two modes Automatic Mode The title of an object appears on first line and descriptive text scrolls on line 2 Interactive Mod...
Страница 60: ...description USER ra dec title string description string This command line allows you to access a specific object with your own description Enter USER then the R A and Dec of a desired object and its t...
Страница 61: ...s visible this option is skipped and the tour proceeds on to the next object DEEP SKY name Enter DEEP SKY followed by the name of the desired object in quotes For example DEEP SKY Small Magellanic Clo...
Страница 62: ...utomatically slews to in a tour The students would have to manually slew to the last two objects He would then place AUTO SLEW ON before his first required object and AUTO SLEW OFF after the fourth ob...
Страница 63: ...r An Einstein lens 5 What are stars made of Why are stars different colors How is the elemental composition of a star determined What is an Lyman Alpha forest 6 What is the difference between a Type 1...
Страница 64: ...TO The telescope slews to the Moon 5 With Moon Overview on AutoStar II s display use the Scroll keys to browse through the menus options Five categories of features are available Landing Sites Craters...
Страница 65: ...e filter by removing the four bolts holding the grill The fan also has a filter but this filter keeps dust out of the OTA while the fan is off it should not need replacing The AUX Power option in the...
Страница 66: ...e super giant field tripod in the altazimuth altitude azimuth or vertical horizontal format The telescope also can be mounted on a permanent pier in the equatorial format which is set for the latitude...
Страница 67: ...he fork base Remove the plate Note the DB 15 plug under the fork base d Connect the DB 15 plug to the DB 15 connector underneath the plate Tighten the two thumbscrews onto the connector to a firm feel...
Страница 68: ...s before observing Give your eyes a rest from observing every ten or fifteen minutes to relieve eyestrain Try not to use a standard flashlight Experienced observers use red LED flashlights the red uti...
Страница 69: ...e is a red slot head bolt used only for safety reasons in shipment Remove this bolt before attempting to turn the focus knob In its place insert the rubber plug provided as a dust protector this rubbe...
Страница 70: ...ator and microfocuser to the telescope 1 With the de rotator on a flat surface thread on the adapter ring Fig 8 B until it just touches the housing then back off the adapter ring i e turn it counter c...
Страница 71: ...ining Smart Mount Once training has been completed you will save your model AutoStar II allows you to save several models under different names This allows you to for example save one model for a heav...
Страница 72: ...further refine the pointing of your telescope Save your model after running in update mode otherwise the update will be lost when the telescope is powered off On Load a model from memory see SAVE AS A...
Страница 73: ...extendible tripod leg sections Tighten the locks to a firm feel only do not overtighten C Clip Threaded Rod 4 Remove the spreader bar see above figure from the shipping carton Slide the spreader bar...
Страница 74: ...ssary 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 II Se...
Страница 75: ...a house The major division in Saturn s rings called the Cassini Division is occasionally visible through the LX200 ACF Titan the largest of Saturn s moons can also be seen as a bright star like objec...
Страница 76: ...thorization RGA number must be obtained from Meade by writing or calling 800 626 3233 Each returned part or product must include a written statement detailing the nature of the claimed defect as well...
