Instruction Manual 8", 10", 12" LX90®-ACF Advanced Coma-Free Telescopes and 8", 10", 12" LX90®-SC Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes AutoStar® — GPS
WARNING! Never use a Meade® LX90® Telescope to look at the Sun! Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible 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 look through the telescope or viewfinder as it is moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing.
CONTENTS BATTERY SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS: • Always purchase the correct size and grade of battery most suitable for the intended use (8 x “C-type”[ANSI 14A, 14AC / IEC LR14]). • Always replace the whole set of batteries at one time, taking care not to mix old and new ones, or batteries of different types. • Clean the battery contacts and also those of the device prior to battery installation. • Ensure the batteries are installed correctly with regard to polarity (+ and -).
QUICK-START GUIDE It is recommended that you attach the supplied tripod to the LX90 for observing. Perform the telescope and AutoStar setup indoors in the light so that you become familiar with the parts and operation before moving the telescope outside into the dark for observing. Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes.
8 1 2 3 4 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) Tripod Head Threaded Rod Tension Knob Spreader Bar Leg Lock Knobs Extension Strut Tension Hub Attachment Nuts and Spring (not visible) 7 6 5 Fig. A: Field Tripod with legs extended. Fig. B: Field Tripod (collapsed). Fig. D: Remove 2 nuts and spring from threaded rod. Leave the washer on the rod. Fig. C: Extend the tripod legs out. flat side Fig. F: Insert spring into hole on top of tripod head. Fig. G: Thread the first nut as far down as it will go.
5. 2. Remove the covers from both battery compartments located on top of the drive base and carefully lift the battery holders from their compartments, being mindful of the connector wires. Insert four (user-supplied) C-cell batteries into each battery holder (eight batteries total), oriented as shown on the diagram on the battery holder. Return the battery holders to the battery compartment. See the diagram above. Replace the covers when you are done. 3. ON/OFF 6.
TELESCOPE FEATURES Side View A. B. C. D. E. Handbox Port LED ON/OFF Switch Auxiliary Ports (2) 12v Power Connector Computer Control Panel Some models of the LX90 have the computer control panel on the left fork arm, others on the right fork arm. All models of the LX90 operate identically.
LX90: YOUR PERSONAL WINDOW TO THE UNIVERSE The Meade LX90 is an extremely versatile, high-resolution telescope with features similar to those available only with larger and more specialized imaging systems. With pushbutton controls, automatic tracking of celestial objects and software downloading capability, the LX90 telescope may be all the telescope ever required by many terrestrial and astronomical observers.
D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port (2): Provides connection for Meade accessories. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42. E. 12v Power Connector: Provides connection so that the telescope assembly may be powered from either a 12v DC auto cigarette light plug or from a standard 115v AC home outlet using optionally available 25' power cords. AutoStar: See page 10 for a description of AutoStar’s features. Dust Cover: Gently pry the dust cover from the front lens of the telescope.
AUTOSTAR FEATURES Fig. 2: The LX90 AutoStar Handbox. Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Control of the LX90 is through the operation of the standard-equipment AutoStar. Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of AutoStar’s buttons.
NOTE: AutoStar does not require batteries; the telescope’s batteries supply power to AutoStar. NOTE: Throughout this manual, you will notice the term "Alt/Az." Alt/Az is frequently used to refer to Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal). Alt/Az is just one of many methods used by amateur astronomers to help locate stars in the night sky. TIP: To manually enter the R.A. and Dec. coordinates of an object: Press and hold MODE for two seconds or more. The R.A. and Dec. coordinates display.
Scroll Keys: Accesses options within a selected menu. The menu is displayed on the first line of the screen. Options within the menu are displayed, one 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. The Scroll keys also scroll through the letters of the alphabet and numerical digits. NOTE: The Scroll Down key and the Down Arrow key move forward through the alphabet & digits (A to Z, 0 to 9).
GETTING STARTED Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first opening the packing box, note carefully the following parts: • • • • • • • LX90 Telescope with fork mount system AutoStar handbox and interface coil cord Eyepiece holder and 1.
NEVER point the telescope directly at or near the Sun at any time! Observing the Sun, even for the smallest fraction of a second, will result in instant and irreversible eye damage, as well as physical damage to the telescope itself. 4. Remove the dust cap from the rear cell of the telescope. Thread the eyepiece holder into the rear cell thread. Slide the diagonal prism into the eyepiece holder and lock in place by turning the thumbscrew to a firm feel. 5. Remove the Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece (Pg.
Aligning the Viewfinder The viewfinder helps you locate objects and must also be aligned to the main telescope. To align the viewfinder, perform steps 1 through 5 during the daytime; perform step 6 at night. 1. Slide the track on the bottom of the viewfinder bracket into the slot in the viewfinder mounting assembly. See Fig. 6a. To secure the viewfinder to the mounting assembly, tighten the two thumbscrews (Fig. 6a) to a firm feel only. 2.
OBSERVING IMPORTANT NOTE: Objects appear upside-down and reversed left-for-right when observed in the eyepiece when inserted directly into the (straight-through) eyepiece holder – with the diagonal prism in place, images will be right-side-up, but reversed left-for-right. This image inversion is of no consequence when observing astronomical objects and, in fact, all astronomical telescopes yield inverted images.
2. Verify that AutoStar is properly connected to your telescope. See HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE, page 14. 3. Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position. The AutoStar screen is activated and a copyright message displays briefly, followed by a short beep. Then AutoStar takes a few moments to start up the system. “Press 0 to align or Mode for Menu” displays (if you select “0” Alignment will begin). 4. 5. The Arrow keys are now activated. Press the Arrow keys (Pg. 10, Fig.
To Track an Object Automatically As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear to move from East to West. The speed at which the stars move is called the sidereal rate. You can setup your telescope to move at the sidereal rate so that it automatically tracks the stars and other objects in the night sky. If the telescope is not tracking an astronomical object, the object will drift out of the eyepiece field of view.
Important Tip: It is recommended that you train your telescope’s drive the first time you align your telescope. Training the drive improves your telescope’s pointing precision. For more information about training the drive, see page 55 for more information. to start up the system. “Press 0 to Align or Mode for Menu” displays. Press 0 to align your telescope using the “Easy Align” method, see “Easy (Two-Star) Align” on page 19.
9. observing sites location, date and time. Note: Press any key to abort the GPS fix. You will then be prompted to enter the time, date and location. Star Alignment - The Autostar then chooses two stars to align upon. When the telescope slews to the first star for alignment, it may not appear in the field of view in the eyepiece. The alignment star should be easily recognized and be the brightest star in the area of the sky where the telescope is pointing.
Go To Saturn After performing the Easy Alignment procedure, the motor drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars. IMPORTANT NOTE: Once aligned, only use the GO TO or Arrow keys to move the telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks (Pg. 7, Fig. 1, 6 and 9), or move the base manually, or alignment will be lost.
BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION Fig. 9: The AutoStar Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of AutoStar. It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 10). This means that pressing the Scroll Down key (Pg. 10, Fig. 2, 7) cycles down through all the available options within a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (Pg. 10, Fig. 2, 7) cycles up through the options in the opposite order.
To 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Calculate Sunset time: Press the MODE key several times, until “Select Item: Object” is displayed. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the “Event” option in the “Select Item” menu. Press the ENTER key to choose the “Event” option and move down a level. “Event: Sunrise” is displayed. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the “Sunset” option in the Event menu. Press the ENTER key to choose the “Sunset” option and move down another level.
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 Select Item: Event Fig. 12: The Complete AutoStar Menu Tree Structure. Solar System Mercury Etc. Moon Asteroids Comets Constellations Andromeda Etc.
Use the OBJECT menu to select an object from the database. When your telescope is aligned and you select an object from any of these lists, you just need to press the GO TO key to move the telescope so that it is pointed at the selected object. Over 30,000 objects are available for the LX90. The available objects include planets, constellations, individual stars, double stars, star clusters, galaxies, quasars, satellites, asteroids and comets.
Use the Event menu to look up dates of various astronomical events, such as sunrises and sunsets, eclipses, moon phases, meteor showers, equinoxes and solstices... ...and not just for the current date. Set any date, past or future, when initializing AutoStar and you can check the time for other events. Use the Glossary menu to look up definitions of astronomical terms and get a description of AutoStar features. Event Menu The Event menu provides access to dates and times of astronomical events.
쩦 Set: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then press ENTER. 쩦 Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the alarm. When the alarm time arrives, AutoStar beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate the alarm. Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope to which AutoStar is connected.
Park Scope is designed for a telescope that is not moved between observing sessions. Align the telescope one time, then use this function to park the telescope. Next time it is powered up, enter the correct date and time – no alignment is required. Pressing ENTER causes the telescope to move to its pre-determined Park position. Once parked, the screen prompts to turn off power.
쩦 Reverse L/R: Reverses the functions of the Left and Right Arrow keys (i.e., the Right key moves the telescope to the left). 쩦 Reverse UP/DOWN: Reverses the functions of the Up and Down Arrow keys (i.e., the Up key moves the telescope down). 쩦 Reverse L/R: Reverses the functions of the Left and Right Arrow keys (i.e., the Right key moves the telescope to the left). 쩦 Reverse UP/DOWN: Reverses the functions of the Up and Down Arrow keys (i.e., the Up key moves the telescope down).
MENU: DAYLIGHT SAVING, page 28. Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including: Time Zone Shift Atlantic -4 Hours Eastern -5 Hours Central -6 Hours Mountain -7 Hours Pacific -8 Hours Hawaii -10 Hours Table 1: Time Zone Shift. 쩦 Name: Users may enter both their first and last names using the Up and Down Arrow keys to cycle through the alphabet. Use the Right and Left Arrow keys to move through the text. Press ENTER when the entry is complete.
ADVANCED AUTOSTAR FEATURES Adding Observing Sites If you plan to observe using AutoStar at different geographic locations, you can store up to six observation sites in AutoStar’s memory to help simplify your telescope setup. Perform these procedures using the Site options (Add, Select, Delete, Edit) of the Setup menu. To Add a Site to the user-defined site list: In this example, you will choose a city and add it to the database list. You will then select the site to enable it. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Time Zone Shift Atlantic -4 Hours Eastern -5 Hours Central -6 Hours Mountain -7 Hours Pacific -8 Hours Hawaii -10 Hours Table 1: Time Zone Shift. TIP: Entering R.A. and Dec . Coordinates of an object without using the menus: If you do not wish to navigate through the menus, a more direct way to enter coordinates is to press and hold MODE for two seconds or more. R.A. and Dec. coordinates display. Press GoTo. “Object Position” and a set of coordinates displays. Enter the R.A. and Dec.
9. AutoStar then prompts you to enter the magnitude of the object. This step is also optional. Use the Number keys to enter this information, if so desired, and press ENTER to go to the next display. “User Object: Add” displays again. To GO TO a user-entered object: In this procedure, you will choose an object from the User Object list and GO TO the object. 1. With “User Object: Add” displayed, press the Scroll Up key once. “User Object: Select” displays. Press ENTER. 2.
How to Create Your Own Guided Tour When a Guided Tour is selected, AutoStar slews your telescope to a predetermined list of objects and displays information about each object, such as type of object, constellation location, R.A. and Dec. coordinates, and so forth. AutoStar contains a few Guided Tours which are programmed at the factory. But it is also possible for an observer to create a custom Guided Tour. A tour is basically an ASCII text file that contains a list of directions and descriptions.
Writing a Tour Using the list of commands listed above, a custom tour can be created. Placing the word AUTO SELECT before any of the command lines activates Automatic Mode and, when selected, AutoStar automatically searches and finds the designated object. The following is a list of command lines, complete with keywords and necessary strings: TITLE Title must be the first keyword in your tour after any comment lines and must be 15 characters or less.
ASTEROID “name” Enter ASTEROID and then the name of the desired asteroid in quotes. AutoStar displays information about the asteroid from its database. For example: ASTEROID: “Ceres” COMET “name” Enter COMET and then the name of the desired comet in quotes. AutoStar displays information about the comet from its database.
With AUTO SLEW ON enabled in the tour, AutoStar automatically slews the telescope to objects first before displaying the text description. This feature is useful when designing tours in which observing certain objects is required. For example, an astronomy professor may require his students to observe six objects, four of which AutoStar automatically slews to in a tour. The students would have to manually slew to the last two objects.
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 Scroll keys to scroll through location information about the object, if desired. Press GO TO to slew the telescope to the landmark. 4. Press MODE to exit.
Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. AutoStar provides a database of bright stars and two stars from this database are chosen by the observer for alignment. 1. North Turn the telescope on: Turn the telescope power switch to the ON position. The AutoStar beeps and the display screen is activated. AutoStar then takes a few moments to start up the system. 2. Select Alignment Procedure: “Press 0 to Align or Mode for Menu” displays.
PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE LX90 2 Photography through the LX90 requires the addition of the optional #62 T–Adapter. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 42. With the #62 T-Adapter and a T-mount attached to the telescope (Fig. 14), through-the-telescope photography is possible with any 35mm camera body with a removable lens. In this way, the telescope effectively becomes the lens of the camera. 1 The #62 T-Adapter (Fig. 14, 1) threads on to the photo port, followed by a T-Mount (Fig.
Some tips for better digital photos: • • • • • • • • • • • If you cannot remove the lens to your camera, look for a commercially available digital T-adapter. New solutions for attaching a digital camera to a telescope are becoming available as time goes by. If the camera is not directly coupled to the eyepiece, keep it as close to the eyepiece as possible and center the image to be photographed to minimize vignetting (darkening of the edges of the photo).
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the LX90 telescope. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instrument itself. Consult the Meade General Catalog for complete details on these and other accessories. Some of the Meade Series 5000 Eyepieces are as follows. For a complete list, see your Meade Dealer:* Magnifying W/ Series 5000 Eyepiece Power w/ 8" 2x TeleXtender Series 5000 Plössl PL 5.
#62 T-Adapter: The T-Adapter (Fig. 21) is the basic means of prime-focus photography through all Meade LX90 models. Thread the T-Adapter on to the rear cell of your telescope, followed by a T-Mount for your 35mm camera, and the camera body is rigidly coupled to the telescope. Variable Tele-Extender: For eyepiece-projection photography of the Moon and the planets, a Tele-Extender is required.
MAINTENANCE The LX90 is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, the LX90 will rarely, if ever, require factory servicing. Maintenance guidelines include: a. Avoid cleaning the telescope’s optics: a little dust on the front surface of the telescope’s correcting lens causes virtually no degradation of image quality and should not be considered reason to clean the lens. b.
concentric with) the ring of light, your telescope’s optical system is misaligned and requires collimation. Follow these steps for collimation of the optical system: a. The only adjustments possible, or necessary, on the LX90 are from the three screws (Fig. 24b) located on the inside ring of the secondary mirror housing.
Inspecting the Optics A Note About the “Flashlight Test”: If a flashlight or other high-intensity light source is pointed down the main telescope tube, the view (depending upon the observer’s line of sight and the angle of the light) may reveal what appears to be scratches, dark or bright spots, or just generally uneven coatings, giving the appearance of poor quality optics.
SPECIFICATIONS 8" LX90 Specifications Optical designs 8” LX90-ACF ..............................................................Advanced Coma-Free 8” LX90-SC..................................................................Schmidt-Cassegrain Clear aperture ............................................................8" Focal length ................................................................2000mm Focal ratio (photographic speed) ..............................f/10 Viewfinder..........................
AutoStar Specifications Keypad ........................................................................20 key alphanumeric Display ........................................................................2 line, 16 character LCD Backlight......................................................................Red LED Utility Light ..................................................................Yes RS-232 ........................................................................Yes Coil Cord ................
APPENDIX A: EQUATORIAL (POLAR) ALIGNMENT Polar Alignment In Polar Alignment, the telescope is oriented so that the horizontal and vertical axes of the telescope are lined up with the celestial coordinate system. In order to Polar align your telescope, it is essential to have an understanding of how and where to locate celestial objects as they move across the sky.
Locating the Celestial 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 shoulder toward where the Sun sets. To precisely point at the pole, find the North Star (Polaris) by using the Big Dipper as a guide (Fig. 28). For precise tracking of astronomical objects, your telescope should be Polar aligned. Little Dipper Big Dipper Polaris Cassiopeia Fig. 28: Locating Polaris.
Note that the R.A. circle is double-indexed (i.e., there are two series of numbers running in opposite directions around the circumference of the R.A. circle). The upper series of numbers (increasing counterclockwise) applies to observers located in the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere; the lower series of numbers (increasing clockwise) applies to observers located in the Earth’s Southern Hemisphere. Fig. 29: Section of Right Ascension Setting Circle.
Setting The Polar Home Position a.Using the bubble level of the wedge, adjust the tripod legs so that the bubble is level. b. Set the wedge to your observing latitude. c. Using the Up and Down Arrow keys, rotate the telescope tube in Declination so that the telescope’s Declination reads 90°, that is the molded Dec. pointer (Pg. 7, Fig. 1, 11) is pointed to 90° on the Dec. setting circle. d.Loosen the R.A. lock, and rotate the fork arms to the 00 position H. A. on the R.A. setting circle.
known as the “Drift” method: Fig. 32: Tripod set in Polar configuration with an optional wedge. 1. Obtain a rough polar alignment as described earlier. Place the illuminated reticle eyepiece (or eyepiece/Barlow combination) into the eyepiece holder of the telescope. 2. Point the telescope, with the motor drive running, at a moderately bright star near where the meridian (the North-South line passing through your local zenith) and the celestial equator intersect.
APPENDIX B: HELPFUL CHARTS Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the Polar Alignment procedure (see page 49), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the latitude of an observing site not listed on the chart, locate the city closest to your site. Then follow the procedure below: Northern Hemisphere observers (N): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) North of the listed city, add one degree for every 70 miles.
APPENDIX C: TRAINING THE DRIVE Train the telescope motors using AutoStar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 33 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. NOTE: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive. Complete this exercise once every 3 to 6 months to maintain the highest level of telescope pointing accuracy. LX90 TIPS Further Study.... This manual gives only the briefest introduction to astronomy.
APPENDIX D: CATADIOPTIC OPTICAL SYSTEMS The Meade Advanced Coma-Free Optical System (2) (1) (1) (2) Ray (2) Ray (1) (2) (1) Focal Plane Secondary Mirror Secondary Baffle Primary Baffle Tube Field Stops Correcting Plate Primary Mirror Unlike Schmidt-Cassegrain systems, Meade’s Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) optical system provides razor-sharp pin-point star images all the way to the very edge of the field of view.
OBSERVATION LOG
OBSERVATION LOG
OBSERVATION LOG
MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation (“Meade”) to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from the date of original purchase in the U.S.A. and Canada. Meade will repair or replace a product, or part thereof, found by Meade to be defective, provided the defective part is returned to Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of purchase.
