Meade Autostar Instruction Manual Page 1

Instruction ManualETX-90AT Astro TelescopeETX-105AT Astro TelescopeETX-125AT Astro Telescope

10B 2-Line LCD Display: This screen displays Autostar's menus and informationabout the telescope. •Top line: Lists the primary menu. • Bottom lin

11i ? Key: Press to access the "Help" file. "Help" provides on-screen information onhow to accomplish whatever task is currently a

12GETTING STARTEDFig. 5: Battery installation.Fig. 6: Spread tripod legs.Fig. 7: Slide spreader on rod.Parts ListingGetting the telescope ready for fi

134. Place the 26mm eyepiece (12, Fig. 15) into the eyepiece holder on the telescope and tighten the attachment thumbscrew (13, Fig. 15) to a "fi

14Focusing the ViewfinderThe ETX model viewfinders are pre-focused at the factory. Individual eye variationsmay require that the viewfinder be re-focu

15Fig. 23a & 23b: Jupiter: Examplesof the right amount of magnification and too muchmagnification.Fig. 22: Meade SuperPlössl eyepieces.Too Much Po

16OBSERVINGObserving by Moving the Telescope ManuallyIf you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you canobserve by

17Slew SpeedsAutostar has nine slew speeds that move the optical tube at rates that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate and have been calcu

18Definition:Initialization is a procedure that makes surethat Autostar operates correctly. When you firstuse Autostar, it doesn't yetknow where

19Which One’s the Alignment Star?If you’re not familiar with objects in the night sky, how can you be sure if the starin your eyepiece is really the a

20Important Note:While performing theautomatic tracking procedure, only use theArrow keys to move thetelescope. Once the telescope has beenaligned, do

21Using the Guided TourThis example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour.1. After observing Saturn, press MODE twice so that “Select Item:

AUTOSTAR OPERATIONObjectEvent Guided ToursGlossaryUtilitiesSetup22DateTimeDaylight SavingTelescopeTargetsetc. Setup AlignFig. 26: Menu

23Tip:When multiple choicesare available within amenu option, the currentoption is usually displayed first and highlighted by a rightpointing arrow (&

24Tonight's BestHow Far is FarA Star's LifeDownloaded ToursUser-created ToursSolar SystemMercuryEtc.MoonAsteroidsCometsConstellationsAndrome

25Want to learn more aboutObserving Satellites? Seepage 32.Use the OBJECT menuto select an object from thedatabase.When your telescope isaligned and y

26WARNING!Never useyour ETXTelescope tolook at the Sun! Lookingat or near the Sun willcause instant and irreversible damage toyour eye. Eye damage iso

27Tip:The Contrast Adjustmentfeature is usually onlyrequired in very coldweather.If you adjust the contrastso that you can no longerread the display,

28Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shuts down Autostar and the telescopewithout forgetting its alignment. With "Sleep Scope" select

29 Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in thesky. a.Sidereal: The default setting for Autostar; sidereal rate is t

Quick-Start Guide ... 4Telescope Features ...

30Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including: Name: Users may enter both their first and last names using the Up and DownArrow keys to

31Before trying out the examples in this section, familiarize yourself with the basic operations of Autostar described earlier in this manual. The fol

32Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the DatabaseIn this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not appear inany of the

333. Select a satellite from list and press ENTER.4. "Calculating..." and then "Tracking..." displays. If the satellite is goin

34Interactive Mode: Tour name appears on the first line of the Autostar display and thename of the object displays on line 2. To display descriptive t

35The following commands specify objects that are already in the Autostar database. Ifthese commands follow the command AUTO SELECT, the object's

36STAR "name"Enter STAR followed by the name of the desired star in quotes. For example: STAR"Vega"LANDMARK az alt "title&quo

37To Add a landmark to the database:In this procedure, you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in Autostar'smemory.1. Set the teles

38plays information about an object in its database that is closest to the one you queriedabout. IMPORTANT NOTE: For this function to operate properly

39BrowseThis menu allows you to search the database for objects with certain parameters,much like a search engine. The "Edit Parameters" opt

QUICK-START GUIDE2Make sure that the computer control panel power switch(F) is in the OFF position. Remove the Autostar®handboxand the coiled cord fro

40Photography with a 35mm Camera Photography through your ETX model requires the addition of the optional #64 T-Adapter (see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pag

41Photography through a long lens, such as the ETX, requires special technique forgood results. The photographer should expect to use several rolls fi

42• 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 mi

43OPTIONAL ACCESSORIESA wide assortment of professional Meade accessories are available for the for ETXtelescopes. Meade accessories greatly extend ma

44#64 T-Adapter: The basic means of photography through any ETX Astro telescope,the #64 T-Adapter threads to the rear cell of the telescope, followed

45MAINTENANCEYour ETX model telescope is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding observations. Given the care and res

46Storage and TransportWhen the telescope is not in use, store it in a cool, dry place. Do not expose theinstrument to excessive heat or moisture. It

47Object appears in the viewfinder but not in the eyepiece:• The viewfinder is not properly aligned with the telescope (see ALIGNING THEVIEWFINDER,pag

48SPECIFICATIONSSpecifications:ETX-90AT Astro TelescopeOptical design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maksutov-CassegrainPrimary mirror diamet

49Bearings:Altitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ball bearingsAzimuth . . . . PTFE thrust bearing and radial ball bearing

5Keep pressing the ENTER key until "Country/State" appearson the display. (Ignore the prompts requesting "Date" and"Time"

50Autostar SpecificationsProcessor ...68HC11, 8MHzFlash Memory ...

51Equatorial AlignmentIn equatorial (or "polar") Alignment, the telescope is oriented so that the horizontal and vertical axes of the telesc

52However, owners who wish to perform astrophotography or use the Meade LPI (seePHOTOGRAPHY WITH MEADE’S AUTOSTAR SUITE, page 42, for more information

535. Press ENTER repeatedly until “Setup: Align” displays. 6. Press the Scroll Down key repeatedly until "Setup: Telescope" displays. Press

54Setting CirclesThe ETX models are equipped with R.A. and Dec. setting circles (13 and 16, Fig. 1) to aidin locating faint celestial objects when the

55APPENDIX B: LATITUDE CHARTLatitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the polar alignment procedure (see page 52), latitudes of major cit

56Train the telescope motors using Autostar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig.52depicts the complete

57APPENDIX D:BASICASTRONOMYFig. 53: The Moon. Notethe deep shadows in thecraters.In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a telescop

58Fig. 56: The Pleiades isone of the most beautifulopen clusters.Tip:Enter a date in the Datemenu and you can determine if a planet(s)—or any other ob

TELESCOPE FEATURES61 29511106(on leftfork arm)16419131573Features of the ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT,and ETX-125AT are identical, with theexception of the siz

14-1010-28 5/04 MEADE LIMITED WARRANTYEvery Meade telescope, spotting scope and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation (“Me

MEADE ETX: YOUR PERSONALWINDOW TO THE UNIVERSEThe Meade ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT and the ETX-125AT are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes. Wit

8j Horizontal Lock: Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the telescope. Loosenthe horizontal lock counterclockwise to unlock the telescope, enab

9Fig. 4: The Autostar Handbox.AUTOSTAR FEATURES12479J8356LKWant to learn more aboutdownloading the latestupdates of Autostarsoftware from theMeade web