Page 2 - Refracting Telescope
Refracting Telescopes use a large objective lens as their primarylight-collecting element. Meade refractors, in all models and apertures,include achromatic (2-element) objective lenses in order to reduce orvirtually eliminate the false color (chromatic aberration) that results inthe telescopic image...
Page 3 - CONTENTS; Never use a Meade
Quick-Start Guide .......................................................... 4Telescope Features ...................................................... 7Autostar Features .......................................................... 9Getting Started ........................................................
Page 4 - Remove 4 screws from the mounting arm
4 QUICK-START GUIDE 1. Open the tripod: Remove the tripod from the gift-box and stand vertically. Gently pull the legs apartto a fully open position. Turn the center tripod lockknob to secure and stabilize the tripod. Tighten toa firm feel. Caution: Make sure you loosen thetripod lock knob before co...
Page 5 - Sight along the tube: Sight along the side of the; a. Attach the 90° diagonal prism (refractor models; b. Insert the eyepiece: Remove the supplied 25mm
5 H G Slew Speed: Fast . . . Medium . . . Slow 11. Sight along the tube: Sight along the side of the telescope's main tube to locate an object. Practiceusing the Autostar Arrow keys to center an objectin the telescope's field of view. 7a. Attach the 90° diagonal prism (refractor models only): Pull o...
Page 7 - connected handbox and to the telescope’s motor drive.; C. ON Switch - Turns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar ON or OFF.; TELESCOPE FEATURES
7 An important array of features and manual controls facilitates operation of a DS-2000 tele-scope. Be sure to become acquainted with all of these controls before attempting observationsthrough the telescope. Focus Knob - Moves the telescope’s focus drawtube in a finely-controlled motion to achievep...
Page 8 - Tripod Lock Knob - Tighten to a firm feel to secure tripod legs.
8 Accessory Tray Attachment Bolts - Attach to wing nuts (not shown) to fasten tray to thetripod. See page 11 for more information. Note: It is not necessary to remove the tray each time you collapse the tripod. Thetray is designed to be collapsed with the legs. Accessory Tray - Conveniently holds ex...
Page 9 - Access a glossary of astronomical terms.; Top line: Lists the primary category or menu item.; • Right Ascension and Declination; AUTOSTAR FEATURES; TIPS; Join an Astronomy Club
9 Control of the DS-2000AT Series Telescopes is through the operation of the #494 Autostarhandbox. Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes ofAutostar’s buttons. Some of the major features of Autostar are: ■ Automatically move the telescope to any of the 1400 obj...
Page 10 - following functions are also available with the Arrow keys:
10 DEFINITION:Throughout this manu-al, you will notice theterm "Alt/Az." Alt/Az isfrequently used to referto Altitude (vertical)and Azimuth (horizon-tal). Alt/Az is just one ofmany methods used byamateur astronomersto help locate stars inthe night sky. • Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (hori...
Page 11 - GETTING STARTED
11 Packing List Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first open-ing the packing box, note carefully the parts listed on your packing list or giftbox. How to Assemble Your Telescope The telescope attaches directly to the tripod. The telescope in this wa...
Page 12 - Assembly of the basic telescope is now complete.; The Viewfinder; Focusing the 5 x 24mm Viewfinder:; achieve proper focus.
12 10. Attach the viewfinder: Carefully remove the rubber eyecup from the viewfinder before sliding the viewfinder into the bracket. Slide the viewfinder, eyepiece-end first, into theviewfinder bracket (see Figs. 8a and 8b). Replace the rubber eyecup after the viewfinderis positioned in the bracket....
Page 14 - any necessary refinements.; Choosing an Eyepiece
14 image) has been aligned to the main telescope. Fig. 13B shows these same images afterthe viewfinder and main telescope are aligned. 5. Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as the Moon or a bright star, and make any necessary refinements. Choosing an Eyepiece A telescope’s eyepiece mag...
Page 15 - OBSERVING; Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually; Verify that Autostar is properly connected to your telescope. See
15 OBSERVING Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually If you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you can observeby merely pointing the telescope and looking through the eyepiece. 1. Loosen the telescope’s tripod base lock knob (26, Fig. 1) and Dec. lock (6, Fig...
Page 16 - Slew Speeds; Observe the Moon
16 Slew Speeds Autostar has nine slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (see TO TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY below for a definition of "sidereal rate") and have been calculat- ed to accomplish specific functions. Pressing the SPEED/? key changes the slew speed, whic...
Page 17 - Moving Through Autostar’s Menus; Press ENTER to go deeper into Autostar's menu levels.; Initializing Autostar; Turn on Power - Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position.; North
DEFINITION:Initialization is a proce-dure that ensures thatAutostar operates cor-rectly. When you firstuse Autostar, it doesn'tyet know where theobservation location siteis or the time or date ofthe observation session. During the procedure,you will enter informa-tion, such as the currenttime and da...
Page 18 - Observe a Star using the Automatic Tracking Feature; Turn On Power - Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position.; NOTE: Before aligning the telescope, first verify that
18 10. Select City - The next screen asks for the city (listed alphabetically) closest to the observ- ing site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the database of cities. Press ENTER whenthe correct city appears on screen. 11. Select Model Number - The next screen asks for the telescope model. Use...
Page 19 - Which One’s the
19 How to Easy Align Your Telescope If you have just applied power to Autostar, perform steps 1 through 5. If you have already per-formed the initialization procedure, go to step 6. 1. Sun Warning - Press the key prompted by Autostar to accept. 2. Getting Started - Press ENTER to continue. 3. Enter ...
Page 20 - Go To Saturn; IMPORTANT NOTE; Take a Guided Tour; This example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour.
20 Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Two-Star Alignment is identicalto Easy: Align (see EASY (TWO-STAR) ALIGN , above), except Autostar displays a database of bright stars and two stars are chosen by the observer from this database for alignment. ...
Page 21 - Press the Scroll Down key four times or the Scroll Up key once.; Autostar Navigation Exercise; BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION; Autostar
21 It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 20). This means thatpressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the available options within agiven category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (6, Fig. 2) cycles up through theoption...
Page 22 - then displays the results of the calculation.; Entering Numbers and Text into Autostar; To enter numbers and text:; Press ENTER when the desired information has been entered.; Navigating Autostar; Autostar's menus are organized for quick and easy navigation:; Adjusting the Speed of a Scrolling Message
22 To 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 the “Event” option in the “Select Item” menu. 3. Press the ENTER key to choose the "Event" option and move down a level. "Event: Sunrise...
Page 23 - MENUS AND MENU OPTIONS; Object Menu; example of observing using the Object menu. Also see; The Object Menu options include:
23 MENUS AND MENU OPTIONS Object Menu Almost all observing with Autostar is performed using the Object menu category. (NOTE:Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey.) See GO TO SATURN , page 20, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see USING THE GUIDED TOUR , page 20. Ma...
Page 24 - Select: To select a Landmark already in the database (see; Event Menu
24 Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent Autostar data-base. IMPORTANT NOTE: To use the Landmark function, the telescope must be locatedand aligned exactly as when the landmark was added to the database. ■ Select: To select a Landmark already in the databas...
Page 25 - Observing Considerations
25 Autumn and Vernal Equinox calculates the time and date of the fall or spring equinox of thecurrent year. Winter and Summer Solstice calculates the time and date of the winter or summer solstice ofthe current year. Glossary Menu The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and...
Page 26 - NOTE: This feature is usually only required in very cold weather.; Setup Menu; The Setup menu’s primary function is to align the telescope (see; Telescope accesses the several options, including:
26 ■ Suggest: Autostar calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing, based on thetelescope and the object being viewed. Display Options enables or disables Autostar’s two initial displays. If both displays are dis-abled, Autostar begins with the Date display. ■ Sun Warning: Turns the “Sun W...
Page 27 - Surf the Web
27 Arrow key and also slews the tube more slowly. Experiment with this option. Try changingthe percent value until you get a "feel" for the Arrow keys that is comfortable for you. Alt Percent: The Alt (Altitude) Percent operates identical to the AZ Percent option (seeabove), but allows you t...
Page 28 - Delete: Deletes a stored site from the database.; Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including:; Version: Shows the current version of the Autostar software.
28 be stored). Scroll through the list of Countries/States. Press ENTER when the site you wishto add displays. Then choose the desired city in the same manner. ■ Delete: Deletes a stored site from the database. ■ Edit: Edits a selected site, including: the name, latitude, longitude, and time zone. T...
Page 30 - CARING FOR YOUR TELESCOPE; Collimation
30 CARING FOR YOUR TELESCOPE Your DS-2000 telescope is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of reward-ing observations. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, your telescope willrarely, if ever, require factory servicing. Maintenance guidelines include: a. Av...
Page 32 - Meade Customer Service
32 thread inward one of the adjustment/lock knobs (1, Fig. 24) while unthreading another of theseknobs. Only make adjustments to two knobs at a time until the secondary mirror appears as inFig. 28. 3. Secondary mirror-holder adjustments: If the secondary mirror (1, Fig. 28) is centered in thefocuser...
Page 33 - SPECIFICATIONS
33 SPECIFICATIONS DS-2060 Optical design......................................................................................RefractorClear aperture ....................................................................................60mmFocal length ....................................................
Page 36 - APPENDIX B; Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Database; Press GO TO and the telescope slews to the object.
APPENDIX B 36 Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Database Although Autostar contains a database of more than 1400 celestial objects (stars, nebulae,planets, etc.) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not partof the database. Autostar provides a feature that a...
Page 37 - Observing Satellites; APPENDIX C
37 Observing Satellites In this procedure, you will prepare your telescope to observe a satellite pass. 1. Go to the "Object: Satellite" menu option and press ENTER. 2. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of satellites. 3. Select a satellite from the list and press ENTER. 4. "...
Page 38 - Training the Drive; APPENDIX D
38 Training the Drive Train the telescope motors using Autostar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy prob-lems. Fig. 32 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. NOTE: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive. Complete ...
Page 39 - Electronic Controller; Telescope Mounting
39 Fig. 33: Electronic Controller. (1) Arrow Keys; (2) IndicatorLights; (3) SPEED Key; (4) Coil Cord; (5) MODE Key; (6) OUTKey; (7) IN Key. Fast Medium Moderate Slow APPENDIX E Electronic Controller (DS-2000EC Users Only) DS-2000 "EC" models come equipped with an Electronic Controller handbo...
Page 40 - Light 2: Best for centering an object in the viewfinder.; To move the telescope using the Electronic Controller:; Optional #494 AutostarTM Computer Controller for DS-2000EC Users
40 Slew SpeedsThe Electronic Controller has four slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (seepage 16 for more information). Press the Speed key to change the slew speed. Note each slewspeed corresponds to one of the four LED's of the Electronic Controller. Light 1 (top LED): ...
Page 41 - BASIC ASTRONOMY
41 In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a telescope smaller than your DS-2000model, turned it skyward instead of looking at the distant trees and mountains. What he saw,and what he realized about what he saw, has forever changed the way mankind thinks aboutthe universe. Imagine...
Page 44 - Meade Instruments Corporation; MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY
14-7185-01 05/01 A D V A N C E D P R O D U C T S D I V I S I O N Meade Instruments Corporation World’s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur 6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 ■ (949) 451-1450 FAX: (949) 451-1460 ■ www.meade.com © 2001 MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY ...
