Meade LNT Instruction Manual

Instruction Manual8" LX90 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope AutoStar®— LNT™— SmartFinder™

10The AutoStar Computer Controller provides control of virtually every telescope function withina compact handbox. AutoStar has soft-touch keys design

118.The SmartFinder’s red dot will now blink on for 10.2 seconds and turn off for 0.7 seconds,and then repeat the cycle until you change the values ag

12Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first opening the packing box, note carefully the following par

136.Place the entire telescope onto the top of the tripod head, and insert the threaded rod intothe central hole in the bottom of the drive base of th

14Choosing an EyepieceA telescope’s eyepiece magnifies the image formed by the telescope’s main optics. Each eyepiece has a focal length, expressed in

15Aligning SmartFinderIn order for the SmartFinder to be useful, it must first be aligned with the main telescope, sothat both the SmartFinder and the

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

172.Verify that AutoStar is properly connected to your telescope. See “HOW TO ASSEMBLEYOUR TELESCOPE,”page 13.3. Flip the telescope power switch to th

Initialization is a procedure thatensures that AutoStaroperates correctly.When you first useAutoStar, it doesn't yetknow where theobservation loc

19Observe a Star using the Automatic Tracking FeatureIn this example, the AutoStar Arrow keys are used to find a star, and then AutoStar's tracki

Primary Baffle TubeField StopsPrimary MirrorRay (1) Ray (2) (2) (1) (2) (1) SecondaryMirrorCorrectingPlateSecondaryBaffle(2)(1)FocalPl

20However, when the telescope slews to the first star, it may not appear in the field of viewin the eyepiece. Use the SmartFinder (17, Fig. 1) and /or

21It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 10).This means thatpressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 2) cycles down t

22To Calculate Sunset time:1. Press the MODE key several times, until “Select Item: Object” is displayed.2. Press the Scroll Down key once to display

AUTOSTAR’S MENUS 23 Tonight's Best How Far is Far A Star's Life Downloaded Tours User-created ToursSolar System MercuryEtc. Moon AsteroidsCo

24MENUS AND MENU OPTIONSObject MenuAlmost all observing with AutoStar is performed using the Object menu category. (NOTE:Exceptions include Guided Tou

25Event MenuThe Event menu provides access to dates and times of astronomical events. The Event database includes:Sunrise and Sunset calculates the ti

26JSet: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then pressENTER.J Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously

27Park Scope is designed for a telescope that is not moved between observing sessions. Alignthe telescope one time, then use this function to park the

Time Zone ShiftAtlantic -4 HoursEastern-5 HoursCentral -6 HoursMountain -7 HoursPacific -8 HoursHawaii -10 HoursTable 1: Time Zone Shift.28J Reverse L

29NOTE:AutoStar compensates for daylight savings time, if selected. See “SETUPMENU: DAYLIGHT SAVING,” page 27.Owner Info accesses the owner informatio

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

30ADVANCED AUTOSTAR FEATURESAdding Observing SitesIf you plan to observe using AutoStar at different geographic locations, you can store up to sixobse

314.Using the Arrow keys, change the name of the site so that it now reads the name of yourobserving location. Press ENTER. "Edit: Name" dis

329.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 de

33How to Create Your Own Guided TourWhen a Guided Tour is selected, AutoStar slews your telescope to a predetermined list of objectsand displays infor

34Writing a TourUsing the list of commands listed above, a custom tour can be created. Placing the word AUTOSELECT before any of the command lines act

35ASTEROID "name"Enter ASTEROID and then the name of the desired asteroid in quotes. AutoStar displays information about the asteroid from i

36AUTO SLEW ON / AUTO SLEW OFFWith AUTO SLEW ON enabled in the tour, AutoStar automatically slews the telescope toobjects first before displaying the

372.Display the "Landmark: Select" menu option. Press ENTER.3. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of objects you have previously

38Two-Star Alt/Az AlignmentTwo-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. AutoStar provides a databaseof bright stars and two stars from

39Photography through the LX90 requires the addition of the optional #62 T–Adapter. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 39. With the #62 T-Adapter and a

4QUICK-START GUIDEIt is recommended that you attach the supplied tripod to the LX90 for observing. Perform the telescope and AutoStarsetup indoors in

40Shorter exposure times is one of the biggest drawback. Long exposures with digital camerasintroduce undesirable noise and artifacts into a digital i

41OPTIONAL ACCESSORIESA wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the LX90 telescope. Thepremium quality of these accessories

42#62 T-Adapter:The T-Adapter (Fig.22) is the basic means of prime-focus photography throughall Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain models. Thread the T-Adapter

43MAINTENANCEThe LX90 is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications.Given the care and respect due any prec

44ring of light fills about 10% of the eyepiece field-diameter. If the dark central spot is offset in(i.e., not concentric with) the ring of light, yo

45Inspecting the OpticsA Note About the “Flashlight Test:" If a flashlight or other high-intensity light source is pointed down the main telescop

46LX90 SpecificationsOptical design ...Schmidt-CassegrainClear aperture ...

47Polar AlignmentIn Polar Alignment, the telescope is oriented so that the horizontal and vertical axes of the telescope are lined up with the celesti

48Locating the Celestial PoleTo get basic bearings at an observing location,take note of where the Sun rises (East) and sets(West) each day. After the

49Note that the R.A.circle is double-indexed (i.e., there are two series of numbers running inopposite directions around the circumference of the R.A.

5RibBatteryHolderBatteryCompartment10. Tighten, to a firm feel only, the Dec and R.A. locks(6 and 9, Fig. 1). Remove the dust cover from theend of t

50Begin polar aligning the telescope by locating Polaris. Finding Polaris is simple. Most peoplerecognize the “Big Dipper.” The Big Dipper has two sta

511.Obtain a rough polar alignment as described earlier. Place the illuminated reticleeyepiece (or eyepiece/Barlow combination) into the eyepiece hold

52NORTH AMERICACity State/Prov./Country LatitudeAlbuquerque New Mexico 35° NAnchorage Alaska 61° NAtlanta Georgia 34° NBoston Massachusetts 42° NCalga

53Train the telescope motors using AutoStar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig. 31 depicts the comple

54APPENDIX D: CHANGING THE LNT MODULEBATTERYThe LNT Module uses a lithium coin CR2023 battery that will last about 5 yearsand is installed with the or

55In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a crude telescope considerably smallerthan the LX90, turned it to look towards the sky in

56PlanetsPlanets change positions in the sky as they orbit around the Sun. To locate the planets on agiven day or month, consult a monthly astronomy m

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6Fig. 1: The LX90 Telescope and AutoStar Handbox.TELESCOPE FEATURES2D368JLMOPQARKN2!2)ABCDDE(not shown)91 Eyepiece 2Eyepiece Holder Thumbscrew3 Eyepie

14-0670-01 10/04MEADE LIMITED WARRANTYEvery Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation (“

7LX90: Your Personal Window to the UniverseThe Meade LX90 is an extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes with features similar tothose availabl

8D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port (2):Provides connection for the LNT module, and also currentand future Meade accessories, such as the Meade Accessory Port Mo

9Fig. 2: The LX90 AutoStar Handbox.L1BDEHIJKCFGTour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a ButtonControl of the LX90 is through the operation of the stand