Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 1 www.meade.com MEADE INSTRUCTION MANUAL 114mm | 4.5" Equatorial Reflecting Telescope 114EQ-AR Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 2 WARNING! Never use a Meade® 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 SmartFinderTM as it is moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing. Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 3 INTRODUCTION Your telescope is an excellent beginner's instrument, and is designed to observe objects in the sky. It can be your personal window on the universe. The telescope is shipped with the following parts: · Optical tube · Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray · Two 1.25" eyepieces: MA25mm (28X), MH9mm (78X) · Red dot viewfinder with bracket · Telescope mount · Hardware used in the assembly: The tube has a focal length of 900mm, and its reflective mirror has a diameter of 114mm. The lens diameter is one of the most important pieces of information about the telescope. The size of the primary mirror determines how much detail you will be able to see in your telescope. The focal length information will help later on to calculate magnification. Setting up your telescope involves these simple steps: · · · · · · · Assemble your tripod Attach the accessory tray Attach the red dot viewfinder Attach the eyepiece Attach the counterweight Prepare mount Attach the optical tube to the mount 1 Study the the picture on the next page and become acquainted with the parts of your telescope. Then proceed to "Assemble your Tripod." Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 4 2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. FIGURE 1 Tripod legs Equatorial Mount Right ascension control cable Declination control cable Counterweights Counterweight shaft Counterweight lock knobs Counterweight safety washer Latitude adjustment lock Polar axis (see Fig. 5) Latitude adjustment knob Main optical tube (OTA) Optical tube saddle plate (see Fig. 5) Cradle rings Cradle ring lock knobs Red dot viewfinder bracket mounting thumbscrews (see Inset B) Focuser Focuser thumbscrew Eyepiece Red dot viewfinder bracket (see Inset B) Declination axis (see Fig. 5) Right Ascension lock (see Fig. 5) Declination lock (see Fig. 5) Red dot viewfinder Telescope front dust cover 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. Figure 1: Meade 114EQ-AR Equatorial Reflecting Telescope Inset A: Accessory Tray Inset B: Red Dot Viewfinder Assembly. Inset C: Tripod Leg Eyepiece holder slots (see Inset A) Right Ascension setting circle Declination setting circle (see Fig. 5) Latitude dial (see Fig. 5) Azimuth adjustment lock Focus knobs Optional motor drive gear (see Fig. 5) Azimuth base (see Fig. 5) Red dot viewfinder alignment screws (see Inset B) Azimuth circle (see Fig. 5) Cradle ring attachment lockknob (see Fig. 6) Cradle ring attachment Tripod leg Phillips-head fastener screws (see Fig. 5) Tripod-to-mount wingnuts Accessory tray (see Inset A) Leg brace support (see Inset A) Sliding leg extension lock (see Inset C) Sliding leg extension (see Inset C) Inset A Inset B Inset C Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 5 ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD The tripod is the basic support for your telescope. Its height may be adjusted so that N you can view comfortably.Note: Number in brackets, e.g., (3), refer to Fig. 1 unless noted otherwise. 1. Make sure that as you attach the legs (1) to the mount that the leg braces (41) are facing inward. Fig. 2 Fig. 3 2. Attach the triangular accessory tray to the leg brace supports using the 3 supplied one-half inch bolts and screwdriver tool (See Fig. 3). 3. Thread the supplied nut over the end of the bolt. 4. Finger tighten the bolt and nut using the screwdriver tool. 5. Repeat with the other two leg braces. Fig. 4 wingnut 2. Line up the holes at the top of one of the legs with the holes in the mount. 3. Thread one of the 2-inch bolts through the holes. 4. Thread a wingnut over the bolt and handtighten to a firm feel (See Fig. 2). 5. Attach the remaining two legs to the mount in the same manner. 6. Spread the legs out evenly apart. 7. Set the height of your tripod: a. Rotate and loosen the leg lock thumbscrew (42) to unlock the leg lock. b. Slide the inner portion of the leg in or out to the desired length. Repeat for the other two legs. c. Rotate and tighten the leg lock thumbscrew to relock the leg lock. d. Repeat for the other two legs. ATTACH THE ACCESSORY TRAY The tray helps stabilize the tripod and is also a convenient holder of eyepieces and other Meade accessories, such as the Barlow lens. 1. Remove the plastic covers on the leg brace supports (41, See Fig. 3). ATTACH THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER An eyepiece (19) has a narrow field of view. A viewfinder (24) has a wider field of view, which makes it easier to locate objects. The red dot viewfinder has a red dot to make it easier to line up more precisely with a target. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving. Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 6 1. Note the two thumbscrews (16, Fig. 4) thread onto two bolts 4 on the optical tube. Remove the thumbscrews from the tube. 2. Line up the two holes on the red dot viewfinder bracket over the two bolts. Slide the bracket over the bolts. 3. Replace the thumbscrews on to the bolts and tighten to a firm feel. INSERT THE EYEPIECE 1. Slide the MA25mm eyepiece (19) into eyepiece holder on the focuser (17). 2. Tighten the focuser thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece securely. ATTACH THE COUNTERWEIGHT 1. Hold the counterweights (5) firmly in one hand, (one by one) slide the counterweights onto the counterweight shaft (6). 2. Threading the shaft into the base of the declination axis (Fig. 5). Be sure to support the counterweight with one hand while performing this step. 3. Slide the counterweight to a position about 2" from the bottom of the shaft. 4. Secure in place by tightening the counterweight lock (7). Note: Make sure the safety washer and screw (8) always remain in place on the shaft. This safety feature prevents the counterweight from accidently slipping. BALANCING THE TELESCOPE In order for the telescope to move smoothly on its mechanical axes, it must first be balanced as follows: Note: If the counterweight is positioned as recommended previously then the telescope is already approximately balanced. 1. Loosen the right ascension lock (22). The telescope mount will turn freely about the polar axis. Rotate the telescope about the polar axis so that the counterweight shaft (6) is parallel to the ground (horizontal). 2. Loosen the counterweight's locking Fig. 5 (on reverse side) (see p. 2 for feature names) Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving. Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 7 thumbscrew (7) and slide the counterweights (5) along the shaft until the telescope remains in any given position without tending to drift up or down around the polar axis. Retighten the counterweight lock (31).The telescope is now balanced. PREPARE MOUNT 1. Attach the flexible cables (3) and (4). These cables are secured in place with a firm tightening of the thumbscrews located at the attachment ends of each cable. 2. Tilt the polar axis of the telescope to roughly a 45° angle with the horizon: Loosen the latitude adjustment lock (9) so you can move the mount to the desired position. 3. Re-tighten the latitude adjustment lock to secure the mount in place. ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT 1. Lay the optical tube (12) with cradle rings (14) onto the saddle plate (13). SUN WARNING! NEVER USE YOUR 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 OR ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR NEAR THE SUN. DO NOT LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPE OR ITS VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING. CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION WHILE OBSERVING. 2. Tighten the cradle ring attachment lock knob (36) to a firm feel. ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER Perform the first part of this procedure during the daytime and the last step at night. 1. Point the telescope at an easy-to-find land object such as the top of a telephone pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look through the eyepiece and turn the focuser Fig. 6 5 knob (31) until the image is sharply focused. Center the object precisely in the eyepiece's field of view. 2. Look through the red dot viewfinder. Turn one or more of the viewfinder's alignment screws (34, Inset B) until the red dot is precisely over the same object as you centered in the eyepiece. 3. Check this alignment at night on a celestial object, such as the Moon or a bright star, and use the viewfinder's alignment screws to make any necessary refinements. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving. Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 8 6 UNDERSTANDING CELESTIAL MOVEMENTS AND COORDINATES Understanding where to locate celestial objects and how those objets move across the sky is the key to enjoying the hobby of astronomy. Most amateur astronomers practice "star-hopping" to locate celestial objects. They use star charts or astronomical software to identify bright stars and star patterns as "landmarks" in their search for astronomical objects. Another technique for locating objects is to use the setting circles that are provided on your telescope. UNDERSTANDING HOW CELESTIAL OBJECTS MOVE Due to the Earth's rotation, celestial bodies appear to move from East to West in a curved path through the skies. All stars and celestial objects are mapped onto an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth. This mapping system is similar to the system of latitude and longitude on Earth surface maps. In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines of longitude are drawn between the North and South Poles and lines of latitude are drawn in an East-West direction, parallel to the Earth's equator. Similarly, imaginary lines have been drawn to form a latitude and longitude on the celestial sphere. These lines are known as Right Ascension and Declination. The celestial map also contains two poles and an equator just like a map of the Earth. The celestial poles are defined as those two points where the Earth's North and South poles, if extended to infinity, would cross the celestial sphere. Thus, the North Celestial Pole is that point in the sky where the North Pole crosses the celestial sphere. The North Star, Polaris, is located very near the North Celestial Pole. So just as an object's position on the Earth's surface can be located by its latitude and longitude, celestial objects may also be located using Right Ascension and Declination. For example: You can locate Los Angeles, California, by its latitude (+34°) and longitude (118°). Similarly, you can locate the Ring Nebula (also known as "M57") by its Right Ascension (18hr) and its Declination (+33°). · RIGHT ASCENSION (R.A.): This Celestial version of longitude is measured in units of hours (hr), minutes (min), and seconds (sec) on a 24 hour "clock" (similar to how Earth's time zones ar determined by longitude lines). The "zero" line was chosen to pass through the constellation Pegasus, a sort of cosmic Greenwich meridian. R.A. coordinates range from 0hr 0min 0sec to 23hr 59min 59sec. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving. Meade114EQAR 3/28/07 9:52 AM Page 9 There are 24 primary lines of R.A., located at 15-degree intervals along the celestial equator. Objects located further and further East of the zero R.A. grid line (0hr 0min 0sec) carry higher R.A. coordinates. · Declination (Dec.): This celestial version of latitude is measured in degrees, arcminutes, and arc-seconds (e.g., 15° 27' 33"). Dec. locations North of the celestial Fig. 7 North Celestial Pole (Vicinity of Polaris) Celestial Equator equator are indicated with a plus (+) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the North celestial pole is +90°). Any point on the celestial equator (such as thee constellations of Orion, Virgo, and Aquarius) is said to have a Declination of zero, shown as 0° 0' 0". All celestial objects therefore may be located with their celestial coordinates of Right Ascension ...