Meade SN-10 AT Instruction Manual download pdf (Page 3)

Polar Home Position ... (con’t)

Without moving the mount, carefully unscrew the Coun-

terweight Shaft (#22) from the mount. Unlock the RA

Lock (#33), and rotate the head 90 degrees so the Coun-

terweight Shaft Base (#20) is pointing toward the east.

Screw the Counterweight Shaft (#22) back into the mount.

Rotate the head around the RA axis until the Shaft is hori-

zontal. Place the level on the shaft and adjust until the

bubble is centered. Lock the RA Lock (#33). Place the

level in the Cradle Slot and tighten the Cradle Lock Knob

(Fig. 7, Page 12) to hold it firmly in place. Now rotate the

head about the DEC axis un-

til the level is horizontal - the

bubble is centered. Lock the

DEC Lock (#17). Apply an-

other set of arrows on the top

side of the DEC housing

along the DEC housing seam.

Now adjust the Latitude Ad-

justment Handles (#26)

until the pointer on the Lati-

tude Dial (#28) reads your approximate latitude, loosen

the RA and DEC Locks (#17 & #33), adjust the mount so

that the arrows line up - and you should be in Polar Home

Position with the Cradle Slot pointing due North-South

over the front North leg. Lock the RA and DEC Locks

(#17 & #33), mount the Cradle / OTA assembly and you

are ready to continue to your final alignment.

In Polar Home Position, the DEC Motor (#34) should be

on the WEST side of the mount.

Axis Alignment Procedure ...

OK, so now you are getting anxious to get out there and

use your new scope. Just a couple of more adjustments

and your mount will be ready to go.

Make sure your telescope is properly balanced as described

on Page 13. When balancing, be sure to have any of your

usual accessories mounted on the telescope - including one

of your eyepieces.

Tip: Once you have the telescope assembly balanced, wrap

a piece of masking tape around the counterweight shaft to

mark the positioning of the upper most counterweight. The

other weight(s) can be left against the bottom of the counter-

weight shaft. Also place a small piece of tape or one of the

alignment arrows on the OTA indicating the outer edge of the

cradle rings. This will let you avoid having to rebalance when

you get outside ready to view.

So far, weve been assembling and aligning the various com-

ponents of the mount. Now its time to mount the Cradle

and OTA assembly (#10, 11 & 14). Once you have it as-

sembled, turn to Page 48 (Appendix B) and perform the

Axis Alignment Procedure. You can also elect to use

Method 2 on Page 51 and allow AutoStar to assist in the

set up.

Tip: Be careful when adjusting the Cradle Adjustment Screws

(Fig. 40, Page 49). The entire OTA / Ring assembly is held to

the mount by the two center screws. Overtightening could

strip the metal and result in your OTA coming loose. Re-

member, never remove the weights with the OTA attached.

This Axis Alignment insures that your OTA is actually

pointing where AutoStar thinks it is. It matches the align-

ment of the OTA to the mechanical alignment and assem-

bly of your mount.

If you have one of the SN Reflectors, now is the time to

check the collimation of your optics as described on Pages

39 - 41. Once you are satisfied with your collimation, its

time to plug in the electrical components (batteries and

AutoStar) and go outside for your first viewing - commonly

referred to as First Light.

Tip: Remove one of the three adjustment screws from the

secondary (Fig 31b, Page 40). Take it down to your local

hardware store and get a matching threaded allen bolt about

1/2 inch longer. It will have a larger head and be much easier

to adjust. Be very careful when working in close proximity of

the Corrector Plate (#9). You might want to put some shrink-

wrap tubing over the handle portion of your allen wrenches

to give you a better grip and to “cushion” the blow should you

accidentally touch a piece of your scopes optics.

The preceding assemblies and adjustments are basically

one time - essential for initial setup, but not necessary

every time you go out. They should be checked from

time to time as they will affect the accuracy of your GoTo

operations.

First Light ! ...

At this point your scope is assembled and has had all of

the preliminary alignments and adjustments made. As-

suming you have read through the manual on AutoStar

operation, now its time to go out and view the heavens.

Tip: Here is a methodical procedure that works for moving

your scope form the house to your outdoor observation loca-

tion.. Spread a large 12’ x 12’ heavy duty painters canvas

over the ground where you are going to set up. This gives

you a nice clean surface and will help in finding any small

parts that may get dropped such as set screws, batteries,

etc. It also gives you a clean protected area to set your bat-

tery pack, eyepiece cases and other accessories. You can

find these drop cloths at any major hardware store.

Remove the OTA from the ring assembly and carry the tripod

and head assembly to your set up location. Carry out and

install the counterweights onto the counterweight shaft. Use

the indicator you put on the shaft for correct positioning.

Roughly align the North Leg (one with the star) so it is point-

ing toward Polaris. Carry out the OTA and mount it in the

cradle using the alignment arrows you applied for proper bal-

ance. Do not overtighten the Cradle Ring Lock Knobs (#13).

Tighten just enough to prevent the OTA sliding in the rings

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 17 18

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Meade SN-10 AT Instruction Manual Page 3

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