Instruction Manual ETX-90EC Astro Telescope ETX-105EC Astro Telescope ETX-125EC Astro Telescope Meade Instruments Corporation CONTENTS WARNING! Never use a Meade® ETX® Astro 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. Quick-Start Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Telescope Electronic Controller Functions . . . . . . . . .5 ETX: Your Personal Window on the Universe . . . . . . .6 Telescope Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Electronic Controller Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Parts Listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Assembly Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Using the Viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Focusing the Viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Aligning the Viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Observation Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Choosing an Eyepiece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Understanding Magnification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Terrestrial Observing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Astronomical Observing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Sidereal Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 The Electronic Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Slew Speeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Modes of Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Telescope Mountings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Alt/Az Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Polar Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Celestial Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Locating the Celestial Pole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Polar Alignment Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 A Few Tips on Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 General Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Storage and Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Inspecting the Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Meade Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Telescope Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Appendix A: Advanced Controller Functions . . . . . . .26 Tracking Motor Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Changing Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Appendix B: Helpful Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World . . . .27 Star Locator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Appendix C: Polar Alignment; Setting Circles . . . . . .28 Precise Polar Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Setting Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Appendix D: You and the Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Objects in Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 The Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Planets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Deep-Sky Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 CAUTION! Use care to install batteries as indicated by the battery compartment. Follow battery manufacturer's precautions. Do not install batteries backward or mix new and used batteries. Do not mix battery types. If these precautions are not followed, batteries may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly installed batteries void your Meade warranty. If you are anxious to use your ETX Astro Telescope for the first time, before a thorough reading of this instruction manual, see the QUICK-START GUIDE on page 4. ® The name "Meade," the Meade logo, and "ETX" are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal countries throughout the world. All rights reserved. © 2001 Meade Instruments Corporation. -3- QUICK-START GUIDE 1 4 A B G E Remove the ETX from its packaging and place it on a sturdy surface. Place the eyepiece (A) and viewfinder (B) into their appropriate positions on the telescope and tighten their respective attachment screws to a firm feel only. Slide the Power Switch (E) on the Computer Control panel to the ON position. The lights flicker on the Electronic Controller. Press any key and the motors briefly move the telescope. The Electronic Controller is now operational. 2 5 H Slew Speed: Fast Medium Moderate Slow I D C Securely place the ETX on its side and remove the battery compartment cover (C) from the underside of the drive base. Insert eight (user-supplied) AA-size batteries into the battery compartment (D) in the proper orientation. Replace the cover and return the telescope to an upright position. Use the Electronic Controller Arrow keys (H) to move the telescope up, down, left, and/or right. To change the telescope's slew speed, press the SPEED key (I). The indicator lights signify the speed, with the upper light showing the highest speed. Each press slows the speed down one level, then cycles back to the highest speed. NOTE: Before observing, verify that the flip-mirror control (14, Fig. 1) is in the "up" position. See FLIPMIRROR CONTROL, 3 F G E NOTE: The telescope has rotational hard stops in the horizontal and vertical axes to prevent damage to the telescope. See page 6, for more information. 6 page 7, for more information. Verify that the Computer Control panel power switch (E) is in the OFF position. Remove the Electronic Controller (F) from the packing materials and plug it into the HBX port (G). Tighten the vertical and horizontal locks (6 and 9, Fig. 1) and then remove the dust cover (19, Fig. 1) from the end of the telescope tube. Sight along the side of the telescope's main tube to locate an object. Practice using the Electronic Controller Arrow keys to center an object in the telescope's field of view. Use the telescope's focus knob (8, Fig. 1) to bring the object into focus. TELESCOPE AND ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FUNCTIONS 18 1 2 3 4 5 Features of the ETX-90EC, ETX105EC, and ETX-125EC are identical, with the exception of the size of optical tube and the type of viewfinder included as standard equipment. 17 19 16 (on left fork arm) 6 15 14 7 13 8 9 12 10 11 20 Fig. 1: The ETX-90EC Astro Telescope. E B C D A B Fig. 1 (Inset): Computer Control Panel. (A) On/Off switch; (B) Auxiliary ports; (C) Handbox port; (D) 12v connector; (E) Power indicator light. -5- ETX: Your Personal Window to the Universe The Meade ETX-90EC, ETX-105EC, and the ETX-125EC are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes with features similar to those once available only with larger and more specialized imaging systems. With pushbutton controls, automatic tracking of celestial objects (with one of the optional tripods), and diffraction-limited imaging, an ETX telescope may be all the telescope ever required by many terrestrial and astronomical observers. Your ETX telescope reveals nature in an ever-expanding level of detail. Observe the feather structure of an eagle from 50 yards or study the rings of the planet Saturn from a distance of 800 million miles. Focus beyond the Solar System and observe majestic nebulae, ancient star clusters, remote galaxies, and even stars recently discovered to have planets orbiting about them. Meade ETX telescopes are instruments fully capable of growing with your interest and are ideal for both the casual observer and serious astronomer alike. Telescope Controls An important array of features and manual controls facilitates operation of an ETX telescope. Be sure to become acquainted with all of these controls before attempting observations through the telescope. Eyepiece - Place the supplied SP 26mm eyepiece into the 90° Eyepiece Holder (4, Fig. 1) and tighten in place with thumbscrew (3, Fig.1). Viewfinder a. b. ETX-90EC: 8 x 21mm Viewfinder: Slide the eyepiece end of the viewfinder through the front of the viewfinder bracket (1, Fig. 5). ETX-105EC, ETX-125EC: 8 x 25mm Right-Angle Viewfinder: Slide the front cell end of the right-angle viewfinder through the rear of the viewfinder bracket (2, Fig. 5). Eyepiece Holder Thumbscrew - Tightens the eyepiece in place. Tighten to a firm feel only. 90° Eyepiece Holder - Holds the eyepiece upright for easy viewing. Optical Tube - The main optical component that gathers the light from distant objects and brings this light to a focus for examination with the eyepiece. Vertical Lock - Controls the manual vertical movement of the telescope. Turning the vertical lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope enabling it to be freely rotated by hand about the vertical axis. Turning the vertical lock clockwise (to a firm feel only) prevents the telescope from being moved manually, but engages the vertical motor drive clutch for Electronic Controller operation. When polar aligned, the vertical lock serves as the Declination, or Dec. lock (see DECLINATION, page 16). Note: The vertical lock knob is a knurled knob located on the fork arm to the right of the focus knob (8, Fig. 1). Mounted beneath the knob is a circular scale with no numbers. Do not confuse this scale with the Dec. setting circle (16, Fig. 1) on the opposite fork arm which has a numbered scale used to locate astronomical objects. CAUTION: When loosening the vertical lock, be sure to support the optical tube (5, Fig. 1). The tube may swing downward suddenly and damage the telescope. Fork Arms - Hold the optical tube in place. Note: The telescope base and fork mount are designed with internal "rotational limit stops." The horizontal limit stop prevents the telescope from rotating more than 360° to avoid damage to the internal wiring. The vertical limit stop prevents the viewfinder from contacting the fork mount when the telescope is pointed upward just past 90° and prevents the optical tube from contacting the base if pointed downward more than 30°. Do not force the telescope to move beyond these stops or damage to the telescope will result. Focus Knob - Moves the telescope's optical tube (5, Fig. 1) in a finely-controlled motion to achieve precise image focus. The ETX telescopes can be focused on objects from a distance of about 11.5 ft (ETX-90EC) or 15 ft (ETX-105EC or ETX-125EC) to infinity. Rotate the focus knob clockwise to focus on distant objects, and counterclockwise to focus on nearby objects. Horizontal Lock - Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the telescope. Loosen the horizontal lock counterclockwise to unlock the telescope, enabling it to be freely rotated by hand about the horizontal axis. Tightening the horizontal lock clockwise prevents the telescope from being rotated manually, but engages the horizontal motor drive clutch for Electronic Controller operation. When polar aligned, the horizontal lock serves as the Right Ascension, or R.A. lock (see RIGHT ASCENSION, page 16). -6- µ Computer Control Panel A. ON/OFF Switch - Turns the Computer Control Panel and Electronic Controller ON or OFF. Note: Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of time. B. Auxiliary (AUX) Ports (2) - Provide connection for current and future Meade accessories, such as the Meade "AstroFinder Software with #505 Cable Connector Kit," which allows you to control your ETX from a PC. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 20. C. Handbox (HBX) Port handbox into this port. Plug the Electronic Controller or the optional #497 Autostar D. 12v: The 12v connector is designed to accept an external power supply such as the optional #541 AC Adapter or the #607 Power Cord (see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 20). When one of the external power supply options is used, the internal batteries are disconnected from the power circuit. E. LED - The red power indicator light illuminates when power is supplied to the connected handbox and to the telescope's motor drive. ¸ ¹ Base Housing - Supports the telescope for placement on a flat, level surface, such as a tabletop or optional tripod. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 20. Holes for Optional Tripod - See your tripod's instruction sheet for mounting information. Right Ascension (R.A.) Setting Circle - See page 28 ...