Instruction Manual LX85 Series with AudioStar German Equatorial Mounted Telescopes
WARNING! Never use an unfiltered 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.
Appendix A: CONTENTS Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 LX85 Mount Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ACF Optical Tube Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mak-Cass Optical Tube Overview . . . . . . . . . 9 Reflector Optical Tube Overview . . . . . . . . . 10 Refractor Optical Tube Overview . . . . . . . . 11 Parts List . . . . . . . . .
LX85 Mount Overview 4
LX85 Mount Overview 5
position from lifting during transport. Overview Azimuth Adjustment Knobs: Used during polar alignment of the telescope. Makes fine adjustments to the azimuth (left/right) to locate true north (or south in the Southern Hemisphere). Tripod Assembly: Supports the weight of your entire telescope assembly. Adjustable height tripod collapses for transport and storage. LX85 Equatorial Mount: This is the equatorial platform on top of the tripod which holds your telescope and all of its accessories.
Polar Axis Port with Cover: An opening around the R.A. axis which is aimed at the Celestial Pole (north or south) when properly polar aligned. Remove the cap when using the optional Polar Scope, otherwise, keep the cap in place. 12V DC Power Input Port: Accepts 12V DC with at least 5A of current. Accepts tip-positive power plugs with a 5.5mm outside diameter and 2.5mm inside diameter. On/Off Switch: Turns the mount on and off when connected to a power source.
ACF Optical Tube Overview 8
Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical Tube Overview 9
Reflector Optical Tube Overview 10
Refractor Optical Tube Overview 11
LX85 Parts List #217004 with 8" Reflector Parts List Optical Tube Assembly with Tube Rings and Dust Caps LX85 EQ Head Counterweight Shaft 8x50 Finder Scope Altitude Knobs (Adjustment & Lock) 1.25” Plössl Eyepiece, 9mm Azimuth Adjustment Knobs 1.
#217010 with 70mm Astrograph Refractor Parts List Optical Tube Assembly with Tube Rings and Dust Caps 48mm to 42mm Adapter Vixen-style Dovetail Hard Carry Case #217008 with 80mm APO Refractor Parts List Optical Tube Assembly with Tube Rings and Dust Caps 2" to 1.25" Adapter Vixen-style Dovetail Hard Carry Case #217009 with 115mm APO Refractor Parts List Optical Tube Assembly with Tube Rings and Dust Caps 2" to 1.
Assembly Post. While holding the mount onto the top of the tripod with one hand, secure the mount to the tripod by threading in the tripod Center Rod Mount Locking Nut. Begin unpacking the box contents and start assembling the mount during the day to become familiar with the parts and operation of the LX85. 3. Attach the two Azimuth Adjustment Knobs to the mount. They should just be finger tight. 4. Attach the Altitude Adjustment Knobs to the back (south) side of the mount.
Attaching the Accessory Tray Installing the AudioStar and Cables Reminder: The LX85 head should be firmly attached to the tripod before attaching the accessory tray. 1. Plug the Declination Cable into the port on the Control Panel labeled “DEC”, then plug the other end of the cable to the port located on the Declination Motor Housing Cover. 1. Remove the Accessory Tray Nut from the Center Rod and slide the accessory tray up until it comes in contact with the tripod legs.
room for the dovetail bar on the optical tube, but do not remove the screws. Balancing the LX85 Whether you are using an LX85 series optical tube, or an optical tube of your own, balancing the LX85 equatorial mount allows for safe operation and to achieve the best stability, tracking, and pointing accuracy. 4. Place your optical tube’s dovetail bar flat against the Dovetail Saddle of the LX85. Use caution and make sure the bar is flat against the saddle.
in the Southern Hemisphere). The Optical Tube Assembly points toward the forward-facing tripod leg with the “N” label. ring lock knobs firmly in place. After using the LX85 for the first couple of times you will soon be able to run through the balancing procedure quickly and easily. To help indicate the correct Home Position, the LX85 has an index mark on the R.A. and Dec axis. Unlock the R.A. and Dec Lock Levers and position the telescope to align with the index marks, then lock both levers.
1. Using the 26mm eyepiece, locate an object at least 1000 yards away during the day, or a bright star at night. To roughly polar align your LX85: 1. Place the telescope in the home position (counterweight shaft facing downward towards the ground, optical tube facing the north side of the mount, R.A. and Dec aligned to the index marks). 2. Center the object in your eyepiece. 3. Now, look through the Finder Scope. The object will be away from the center point of the crosshairs.
Cables” on page 15. Operating the LX85 2. Turn the telescope power switch to the ON position. The AudioStar beeps and the display screen is activated. Then AudioStar takes a few moments to start up the system. Powering the LX85 The LX85 requires 12V DC with at least 5 amperes of current with tip positive polarity. Most portable 12V field batteries can provide this. The optional Meade AC Power Adapter (#07584) can be used if you have access to an AC outlet. The power input port uses a 5.
From this point forward, you should not move the mount manually or unlock R.A. or Dec, otherwise the AudioStar alignment will be lost. Scroll keys to scroll through the list of cities. Press ENTER when the correct city appears on screen. 6. The next screen requests the status of Daylight Savings Time. If Daylight Savings Time is active, press the “1” key. If Daylight Savings Time is not active, press the “2” key. 3. Power on the LX85 by pushing the rocker switch to the up position.
a “spiral search”. A spiral search is useful when the telescope slews to an object, but that object is not visible in the eyepiece after the telescope finishes its search. (This sometimes occurs during an alignment procedure.) Press GO TO when the slew is finished and the telescope starts slewing in a spiral pattern at a very slow speed around the search area. Look through the eyepiece and when the object does become visible, press MODE to stop the spiral search.
AUDIOSTAR HANDBOX The AudioStar Handbox 12 1 13 2 14 3 The AudioStar - Back Detail 4 5 1. 2-Line LCD Display 6 2. ENTER Key 11 3. MODE Key 4. “GO TO” Key 7 10 5. Arrow Keys 6. Number Keys 9 8 7. Scroll Keys Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Control of the LX85 is through the operation of the standard-equipment AudioStar. Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of AudioStar’s buttons.
coordinates The AudioStar Computer Controller provides control of the telescope functions. AudioStar has softtouch keys designed to have a positive feel. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is back-lit with a red LED (Light Emitting Diode) for easy viewing in the dark. The back-lit display, key arrangement, and sequential database make AudioStar extremely user friendly. 1 Top line: Lists the primary category or menu item.
To change the speed, press appropriate key shown below. Nine available speeds are: Number Key “1” = 1x (Guide) Number Key “2” = 2x Number Key “3” = 8x Number Key “4” = 16x Number Key “5” = 64x Number Key “6” = 0.50°/sec Number Key “7” = 1.0°/sec Number Key “8” = 1.5°/sec Number Key “9” = 4.
looking along the Earth’s surface through heat waves. These heat waves often cause degradation of image quality. Lower power eyepieces, like the Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece, magnify these heat waves less than higher power eyepieces. Therefore, lower power eyepieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. using AudioStar’s Arrow keys to move the telescope. 1. Verify the telescope is fully assembled and that AudioStar is properly connected to your telescope. 2.
AudioStar Operation Important Note: No matter how many levels into AudioStar are traveled, each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, “Select Item”, is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to the topmost level, “Select Item: Object”. AudioStar Navigation Exercise The Universe of AudioStar To demonstrate how the AudioStar menu structure works, the following exercise calculates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.
is the Event menu. objects that are visible for the user’s particular location, time and date. 8. Press MODE again to move up another level. This is the top level, “Select Item”. 9. Press MODE again to return to the starting point of “Select Item: Object”. The most popular tour is “Tonight’s Best” that guides the user to the best objects that are currently up in the night sky. This tour is the easiest way to get started exploring the cosmos with your new LX85 telescope.
The AudioStar Menu Tree 28
The Object Menu options include: • Solar System is a database of the eight planets (Earth is not included) in ascending orbits from the Sun, followed by the Moon, asteroids, and comets. • Constellation is a database of all 88 Northern and Southern Hemisphere constellations. When this menu option is chosen and a constellation name appears on the first line of the screen, press GO TO once to change the second line to the name of the brightest star in the constellation.
Sunrise and Sunset calculates the time that the Sun rises or sets on the current date. Moon Phases displays the date and time of the next New, 1st Quarter, Full and 3rd Quarter Moon. the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in AudioStar. A hypertext word is any word in [brackets], usually found when using the AudioStar Help function or when reading a scrolling message such as a description of a planet or star.
Cord Wrap, when set to “On”, moves the telescope in such a way as to prevent the cords and cables attached to your telescope assembly from getting wound around the assembly and tangled as the telescope slews to objects. “Off” is the default setting. 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.
• Min AOS (Acquisition of Signal) allows you enter a value in degrees. This value represents the altitude at which your telescope begins to slew when acquiring a satellite track. This is useful when you are observing satellites, but a tall tree or building is obstructing the telescope. For example, you might begin to track the satellite at 15° altitude, instead of 5°. a value near 0, it takes longer for the tube to respond as you hold down an Arrow key and also slews the tube more slowly.
• Delete: Deletes the database. a stored site from Statistics provides basic statistical data about AudioStar, including: • 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 States, look up the time zone shift in the table at left.
is retained within the AudioStar memory until you overwrite it by performing additional training cycles. PEC Update Menu Option PEC Update does not overwrite the data, but updates the training using information gathered from both the last and the current training sessions. If you wish to further refine your training, select this menu again and repeat the procedure. If you do not wish to update the PEC, press the MODE key to exit from this option.
APPENDIX A: SPECIFICATIONS Mount LX85 German Equatorial Mount & Tripod #217000 Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.91 inch Precision Worm Drive Power 12 Volts DC, 5 Amperes Tripod New Adjustable-Height Steel Leg Tripod Electronics Computer Control AudioStar Handbox Guide Port ST-4 Compatible AutoGuider Port PC Connection RS-232 to AudioStar Included Accessories Compass 9 lbs Counterweight AutoStar Suite DVD Weight LX85 Mount & Tripod 34.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 70mm Astrograph #217010 Optical System Optical Design 4-Element Petzval Refractor Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 70mm Focal Length 350mm Focal Ratio f/5 Optical Coatings Fully Multi-Coated Optical Glass FPL 53 ED (Extremely Low Dispersion) Glass Resolving Power (arc seconds) 1.65 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 11.2 Finder Scope Optional Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 80mm APO Refractor #217008 Optical System Optical Design 3-Element Apochromat Refractor Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 80mm Focal Length 400mm Focal Ratio f/5 Optical Coatings Fully Multi-Coated Optical Glass FPL 53 ED (Extremely Low Dispersion) Glass Resolving Power (arc seconds) 1.45 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 11.5 Finder Scope Optional Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 115mm APO Refractor #217009 Optical System Optical Design 3-Element Apochromat Refractor Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 115mm Focal Length 805mm Focal Ratio f/7 Optical Coatings Fully Multi-Coated Optical Glass FPL 53 ED (Extremely Low Dispersion) Glass Resolving Power (arc seconds) 1.0 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 12.3 Finder Scope Optional Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 5" Refractor #217001 Optical System Optical Design 2-Element Achromat Refractor Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 4.72" (120mm) Focal Length 700mm Focal Ratio f/5.8 Optical Coatings Multi-coated Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.9 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 12.39 Finder Scope 8x50 Optical Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 6" Reflector #217003 Optical System Optical Design Newtonian Reflector with Parabolic Mirror Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 5.9" (150mm) Focal Length 750mm Focal Ratio f/5 Optical Coatings Aluminum with Si02 Overcoat Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.76 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 12.9 Finder Scope 8x50 Optical Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 8" Reflector #217004 Optical System Optical Design Newtonian Reflector with Parabolic Mirror Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 7.9" (200mm) Focal Length 750mm Focal Ratio f/5 Optical Coatings Aluminum with SiO2 Overcoat Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.76 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 12.9 Finder Scope 8x50 Optical Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 6" Maksutov-Cassegrain #217002 Optical System Optical Design Maksutov-Cassegrain Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 5.9" (150mm) Focal Length 1800mm Focal Ratio f/12 Optical Coatings Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.77 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 12.9 Finder Scope 8x50 Optical Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 6" ACF #217005 Optical System Optical Design Advanced Coma-Free Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 6" (152mm) Focal Length 1520mm Focal Ratio f/10 Optical Coatings Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.76 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 12.9 Finder Scope 8x50 Optical Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
SPECIFICATIONS Model and Product Number LX85 with 8" ACF #217006 Optical System Optical Design Advanced Coma-Free Aperture (Diameter of Objective) 8" (203mm) Focal Length 2032mm Focal Ratio f/10 Optical Coatings Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC™) Resolving Power (arc seconds) 0.57 Limiting Visual Setllar Magnitude 13.5 Finder Scope 8x50 Optical Mount Mount Type German Equatorial Drives 2.
objects may also be located using Right Ascension and Declination. For example: You could locate Los Angeles, California, by its latitude (+34°) and longitude (118°). Similarly, you could locate the Ring Nebula (M57) by its Right Ascension (18hr) and its Declination (+33°). APPENDIX B: Advanced Polar Alignment You can achieve a satisfactory polar alignment from the method outlined on page 18.
down keys). alignment star based on your observing sites date, time and location. Center that star in the eyepiece and press enter to complete the alignment. • Declination Setting Circle: The Dec. setting circle has been factory set to read the correct Declination of celestial objects. Two-Star Polar Alignment Polar Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. AudioStar provides a database of bright stars and two stars from this database are chosen by the observer for alignment.
Note: Since the second object (i.e., the object to be located) is in constant motion, once the R.A. circle is calibrated (step 2, above) the telescope should be moved rapidly to read the coordinates of the second object. Otherwise the second object will no longer be in the position indicated by the R.A. circle. Using setting circles requires a developed technique. When using the circles for the first time, try hopping from one bright star (the calibration star) to another bright star of known coordinates.
APPENDIX C: telescope to sit for some time in the warm indoor air, so that the wet optical surfaces can dry unattended. General Maintenance f. Do not leave your LX85 inside a sealed car on a warm summer day; excessive ambient temperatures can damage the telescope’s internal lubrication and electronic circuitry. LX85-Series telescopes are precision optical instruments designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications.
APPENDIX D: Verify that AUTOSTAR INITIALIZATION is complete. 1 Training The Drive 2 Press MODE until Select Item is displayed. Select Item Object Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. The diagram to the right depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. 3 Press the scroll up key once. Select Item Setup NOTE: Use a far away terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive.
APPENDIX E: Optical Designs The Meade Advanced Coma-Free Optical System (2) (1) (1) (2) Ray (2) Ray (1) (2) (1) Secondary Mirror Focal Plane 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.
The Refractor Optical System Refracting Telescopes use a large objective lens as their primary light-collecting element. Meade refractors include an achromatic (2-element) objective lenses in order to reduce, or virtually eliminate, the false color (chromatic aberration) that results in the telescopic image when light passes through a lens.
APPENDIX F: Collimating the Optics (for ACFs, Maksutov-Cassegrains and Reflectors) The optics of your LX85 telescope have been collimated (aligned) at the factory. Ordinarily the telescope collimation should remain intact unless it is handled roughly in transport. Occasionally the alignment should be inspected and adjusted, when necessary, to retain the maximum optical performance of the telescope. Collimating the Optical System Figure 2.
system, such collimation is absolutely essential for good performance. Take special care to read and understand this section well so that your ACF will give you the best optical performance. 1. At night, point the telescope to a fairly bright star that is at least 60º above the horizon. This will ensure the star is above most of the turbulent layers of sky seen closer to the horizon.
field. If while turning the defocused star image flies out of the eyepiece field, then you are turning the screw the wrong way. Turn the opposite direction and bring the image back to the center of the field. (1, Fig. 5); primary mirror-tilt screws (5, Fig. 4). The telescope’s image is brought to a focus at (6, Fig. 4). 1. Confirm alignment - To confirm optical alignment look down the focuser draw- tube (1, Fig. 7) with the eyepiece removed.
reflection. With the secondary mirror thus aligned the image through the drawtube appears as in Fig. 10. 3. Primary mirror adjustments: If the secondary mirror (1, Fig. 10) and the reflection of the primary mirror (2, Fig. 10) appear centered within the drawtube (3, Fig. 10), but the reflection of your eye and the reflection of the secondary mirror (4, Fig. 10) appear off-center, then the primary mirror tilt requires adjusting, using the Phillips head screws of the primary mirror cell (3, Fig. 6).
APPENDIX G: 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. If the site is over 70 miles South of the listed city, subtract one degree per 70 miles. Table of Latitudes Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the polar alignment procedure (see page 45), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below.
RECYCLING INFORMATION (EU Countries only) Correct Disposal of this Product (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) This marking shown on the product or its literature indicates that it must not be disposed of in unsorted municipal waste at the end of its working life To prevent possible harm to the environment or human health from uncontrolled waste disposal, please separate this from other types of wastes and recycle it as required by law.
Meade Limited Warranty Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corp (“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.
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