Instruction Manual ETX-60AT Astro Telescope with Autostar Hand Controller ETX-70AT Astro Telescope with Autostar Hand Controller Meade Instruments Corporation CONTENTS Quick-Start Guide .......................................................... 3 WARNING! Never use a 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. Meade® ETX® Telescope Features ...................................................... 4 Autostar Features .......................................................... 7 Getting Started ..............................................................10 Parts Listing ..............................................................10 How to Assemble Your Telescope ............................10 Choosing an Eyepiece ..............................................10 Manual Operation Without Using Autostar................11 Manual Operation Using Autostar's Arrow Keys ......11 Moving Through Autostar's Menus ..........................12 Initializing Autostar ....................................................12 Autostar Operation ........................................................13 Autostar Navigation Exercise ....................................13 Easy Two-Star Alignment..........................................14 Observing Exercises ......................................................15 CAUTION: Use care to install batteries in the orientation indicated by illustration in the battery slots of the battery holder. Follow battery manufacturer's precautions. Do not install batteries backwards 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. Go To Saturn ............................................................15 Using the Guided Tour ..............................................15 Autostar Menus ..............................................................16 Complete Autostar Menu Structure ..........................16 Objects Menu ............................................................16 Event Menu ..............................................................17 Glossary Menu ..........................................................18 Utilities Menu ............................................................18 Setup Menu ..............................................................19 Advanced Features ........................................................21 Terrestrial and Astronomical Observing ....................21 Sidereal Rate ............................................................21 Alignment (Mount) ....................................................21 Alt/Az Alignment ..................................................21 Alt/Az Home Position ....................................21 Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment..............................21 One-Star Alt/Az Alignment ............................21 Slew Speeds........................................................22 Observing a Satellite ..........................................23 Photography with the ETX ..................................23 Optional Accessories ......................................................25 Maintenance and Servicing ............................................27 Storage and Transport ........................................27 Inspecting the Optics ..........................................27 Troubleshooting ..................................................28 If you are anxious to use your telescope for the first time, read the QUICK-START GUIDE on page 3. ® 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. Design: Automated Telescope - Patent No. D417881 © 2000 Meade Instruments Corporation. Meade Customer Service ....................................29 Specifications ......................................................29 Appendix A: Equatorial (Polar) Alignment ......................31 Appendix B: Using Autostar to Enter Coordinates ........33 Appendix C: Helpful Charts ............................................34 Appendix D: Training the Drive ......................................35 Appendix E: Initialization Example ................................36 Basic Astronomy ............................................................37 Roadmap to the Stars ....................................................39 QUICK-START GUIDE 1 4 Slew Speed: Slow . . . Medium . . . Fast A B C D 4. A 1. B Take the ETX from its packaging and place it on a sturdy surface. Remove the cover from the battery compartment (20, Fig. 1, page 4) located on top of the drive base and carefully lift the 9v connector and the battery holder from the compartment. Insert six AA-size batteries into the battery holder, oriented as shown on the battery holder. Connect the 9v connector plug (A) to the connector (B) on the battery holder. Return the battery holder to the battery compartment. Replace the cover. See page 10 for more information. Press the Speed/? key (C) to accept the Sun warning. Keep pressing the ENTER key (A) until "Country/State" appears on the display. (Ignore the prompts requesting "Date" and "Time" for now ­ these functions will be explained later). Use the Scroll keys (D) to cycle through the lists of Country/States, Cities, and Telescope Models. Press ENTER (A) when the correct information for each prompt displays. The display then reads "Setup: Align." See page 11 for more information. You can now use the Arrow keys (B) to slew (move) the telescope up, down, right, or left. To change the telescope's slew speed, briefly press the Speed/? key (C). Each press decreases the slew speed down one level, and then will cycle back to the fastest speed. 2 5 B A C A 5. 2. Make sure that the computer control panel power switch is in the OFF position. Remove Autostar (18, Fig. 1) from the packing materials and plug it into the HBX port (A). 3 6 A Tighten (to a "firm feel" only, do not overtighten) the vertical and horizontal locks (6, 9, Fig. 1). See page 5 for more information. Remove the dust cover from the end of the telescope tube. Place the MA 25mm eyepiece (A) into the eyepiece holder on the telescope and tighten the attachment thumbscrew (B) to a "firm feel" only. Make sure that the flip-mirror control (C) is in the "up" position. See page 6, for more information. 3. Flip the Power Switch (A) on the computer control panel to the ON position. The copyright message lights on Autostar's LCD display. 6. Sight along the side of the telescope's main tube to locate an object. Practice using the Autostar's 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. If you wish to observe using Autostar's databases, go to: Page 14 to learn how to perform an Easy Two-Star Alignment; Page 15 for some practice observing exercises; Page 16 to learn about Autostar's menus and databases. Quick Start Guide 3 TELESCOPE FEATURES 5 4 17 1 2 7 19 3 15 (opposite side) 20 (on top of base, not shown) 14 16 9 6 7 8 13 11 12 (not shown) 18 10 A B C D Fig. 1: The ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT Telescope. 4 Telescope Features Except for the lens diameter, the Meade ETX-60AT and the ETX-70AT are identical; all procedures and descriptions in this manual apply to both telescopes. ETX: Your Personal Window to the Universe The Meade ETX-60AT and the ETX-70AT 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, and software downloading capability, 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. 1 CAUTION: Using products other than standard Meade accessories may cause damage to the telescope's internal electronics and may void the Meade warranty. Eyepiece - Place the MA 25mm eyepiece into the 90° Eyepiece Holder (3, Fig. 1) and tighten in place with thumbscrew (2, Fig.1). 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. Movable Objective Lens Cell - This component contains the telescope's lenses. The focus knob (8, Fig. 1) moves the cell for precise image focus. 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 for Autostar operation. NOTE: The vertical lock knob (6, Fig. 1) 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 (17, 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 objective lens cell (5, Fig. 1). The weight of the objective lens could cause the tube to swing downward suddenly and damage the telescope. 7 8 2 3 4 5 6 Fork Arms - Hold the optical tube in place. Focus Knob - Moves the telescope's objective lens (5, Fig. 1) in a finely-controlled motion to achieve precise image focus. The ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT telescopes can be focused on objects from a distance of about 17 ft. 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. Turning the horizontal lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope, enabling it to be freely rotated by hand about the horizontal axis. Turning the horizontal lock clockwise prevents the telescope from being rotated manually, but engages the horizontal motor drive for Autostar operation. 9 Telescope Features 5 10 Computer Control Panel A. Handbox (HBX) Port - Plug the Autostar coil cord (9, Fig. 3) into this port. B. LED - The red power indicator light illuminates when power is supplied to the Autostar handbox and to the telescope's motor drive. C. ON/OFF Switch - Turns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar ON or OFF. D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port - Provides connection for current and future Meade accessories, such as the Meade "AstroFinder Software with Cable Connector Kit," which allows you to control your ETX from a PC. See "OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES," page 25. 11 Base Housing - Supports the telescope for placement on a flat, level surface, such as a tabletop or optional tripod. See "OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES," page 25. Holes for Optional Tripod (not shown, on the bottom plate) - See your tripod's instruction sheet for mounting information. Right Ascension (R.A.) Setting Circle - See "APPENDIX A," page 31, for detailed information. Cellback containing Flip-Mirror and Flip-Mirror Control Knob - ETX telescopes include an internal mirror. With the flip-mirror control in the "up" position, as shown in Fig. 2a, light is diverted to the eyepiece. With the flip-mirror control in the "down" position, as shown in Fig. 2b, light proceeds straight out the photo port for photography. See "PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE ETX," page 23. NOTE: The flip-mirror control is in the "up" position when the control is vertical (perpendicular to the telescope tube). To place the flip-mirror in the "down" position, turn the control counterclockwise until it stops. 12 13 14 15 Fig. 2a: Flip mirror control in the "up" position. 16 Photo Port - Attach any 35mm camera with a removable lens to this port using an optional #64ST T-Adapter or attac ...