Meade ETX-90AT - Manual

MEADE ETX: YOUR PERSONALWINDOW TO THE UNIVERSE The Meade ETX-90AT, ETX-105AT and the ETX-125AT are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes. With pushbutton controls, automatic tracking of celestialobjects and diffraction-limited imaging, an ETX telescope may be all the telescopeever required...

8 j Horizontal Lock: Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the telescope. Loosenthe horizontal lock counterclockwise to unlock the telescope, enabling it to be freelyrotated by hand about the horizontal axis. Tightening the horizontal lock clockwiseprevents the telescope from being rotated manu...

9 Fig. 4: The Autostar Handbox. AUTOSTAR FEATURES 1 2 4 7 9 J 8 35 6 L K Want to learn more aboutdownloading the latestupdates of Autostarsoftware from theMeade website? Seepages 29 and 43. Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Control of ETX Telescopes is through the operation of the stand...

10 B 2-Line LCD Display: This screen displays Autostar's menus and informationabout the telescope. • Top line: Lists the primary menu. • Bottom line: Displays other menus that may be chosen, menuoptions, telescope status or information about a function that is beingperformed. c ENTER Key: Press to g...

11 i ? Key: Press to access the "Help" file. "Help" provides on-screen information onhow to accomplish whatever task is currently active. Press the ? key and then follow the prompts on the display to access details ofAutostar functions in the Help feature. The Help system is essentia...

12 GETTING STARTED Fig. 5: Battery installation. Fig. 6: Spread tripod legs. Fig. 7: Slide spreader on rod. Parts Listing Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. Whenfirst opening the packing box, note carefully the following parts: • The ETX Astro Telescope w...

13 4. Place the 26mm eyepiece (12, Fig. 15) into the eyepiece holder on the telescope and tighten the attachment thumbscrew ( 13, Fig. 15) to a "firm feel" only. Make sure that the flip-mirror control (14, Fig. 15) is in the “up” position, as shownin the above photo. See page 8, for more inf...

14 Focusing the Viewfinder The ETX model viewfinders are pre-focused at the factory. Individual eye variationsmay require that the viewfinder be re-focused. To check the focus, point the viewfinder at a distant terrestrial (land) object such as a telephone pole or light poleand look through the view...

15 Fig. 23a & 23b : Jupiter: Examples of the right amount of magnification and too muchmagnification. Fig. 22 : Meade Super Plössl eyepieces. Too Much Power? Can you ever have too much power? If the type of power you’re referring to iseyepiece magnification, yes, you can! The most common mistake...

16 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 canobserve by merely pointing the telescope and looking through the eyepiece. 1. Loosen the telescope’s horizontal lock ( 9, Fig. 1) and vertical lock (6, Fig. ...

17 Slew Speeds Autostar has nine slew speeds that move the optical tube at rates that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate and have been calculated to accomplish specific functions. Press the Number key to change the slew speed. The nine available speeds are: Number Key 1 = 1x = 1 x sidere...

18 Definition:Initialization is a procedure that makes surethat Autostar operates correctly. When you firstuse Autostar, it doesn't yetknow where the observa-tion location site is or thetime or date of the observation session. During the alignment procedure, you will entertime, date and observingloc...

19 Which One’s the Alignment Star? If you’re not familiar with objects in the night sky, how can you be sure if the starin your eyepiece is really the alignment star? The rule of thumb is that an alignment star is usually the brightest star in thatarea of the sky. If you perform a GO TO to an alignm...

21 Using the Guided Tour This example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour. 1. After observing Saturn, press MODE twice so that “Select Item: Object” displays again. 2. Press the Scroll Down key twice. “Select Item: Guided Tour” displays. 3. Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’s Best” disp...

AUTOSTAR OPERATION ObjectEvent Guided ToursGlossaryUtilitiesSetup 22 DateTimeDaylight SavingTelescopeTargetsetc. Setup Align Fig. 26: Menu options display on thesecond line. Use the Scroll keys tomove up or down through the list ofoptions. Press ENTER to select thedesired option. Fig. 25: Menus set ...

25 Want to learn more aboutObserving Satellites? Seepage 32. Use the OBJECT menu to select an object from thedatabase. When your telescope isaligned and you select anobject from any of theselists, you just need to pressthe GO TO key to move thetelescope so that it is pointed at the selectedobject. O...

26 WARNING!Never useyour ETX Telescope to look at the Sun! Lookingat or near the Sun willcause instant and irreversible damage toyour eye. Eye damage isoften painless, so there isno warning to the observer that damage hasoccurred until it is toolate. Do not point the telescope or its viewfinderat or...

27 Tip:The Contrast Adjustmentfeature is usually onlyrequired in very coldweather. If you adjust the contrastso that you can no longerread the display, turn offthe power and turn it onagain. When Versionappears on the display (theinitial display screens arenot affected by theContrast control), press...

28 Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shuts down Autostar and the telescopewithout forgetting its alignment. With "Sleep Scope" selected, press ENTER to activate the Sleep function. Autostar goes dark, but the internal clock keeps running.Press any key, except ENTER, to re-activate Au...

29 ■ Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in thesky. a. Sidereal: The default setting for Autostar; sidereal rate is the standard rateat which stars move from East to West across the sky due to the rotation ofthe Earth. b. Lunar: Choose this option to properly track...

30 Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including: ■ Name: Users may enter both their first and last names using the Up and DownArrow keys to cycle through the alphabet. Use the Right and Left Arrow keys tomove through the text. Press ENTER when the entry is complete. ■ Address: Use the U...

31 Before trying out the examples in this section, familiarize yourself with the basic operations of Autostar described earlier in this manual. The following examplesassume that you have a basic knowledge of Autostar and understand how to scroll toa desired menu or menu option and how to enter numbe...

32 Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Database In this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not appear inany of the Autostar database lists. You will enter the object's name and R.A. and Dec.coordinates (required information). You may also enter the object's magn...

33 3. Select a satellite from list and press ENTER. 4. "Calculating...." and then "Tracking..." displays. If the satellite is going to make a pass, "Located" displays. 5. Use the Scroll keys to display data about the pass: aos – acquisition of signal and los – loss of signal....

34 Interactive Mode: Tour name appears on the first line of the Autostar display and the name of the object displays on line 2. To display descriptive text in this mode, the usermust press ENTER. Comment LineInformation in the Tour program that is not displayed, such as authorship, revision history,...

36 STAR "name" Enter STAR followed by the name of the desired star in quotes. For example: STAR"Vega" LANDMARK az alt "title" "description" Enter the azimuth (az) for the desired object in the following format: xxxdxxmxxs. Forexample: 123d27m00s. Then enter the altitu...

37 To Add a landmark to the database:In this procedure, you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in Autostar'smemory. 1. Set the telescope in the home position, if necessary. Note for future reference where the telescope is located and if you have aligned the telescope, which alignment m...

38 plays information about an object in its database that is closest to the one you queriedabout. IMPORTANT NOTE: For this function to operate properly, you must firstset the telescope in the home position and initialize Autostar. If you physically move the telescope after initialization, this funct...

39 Browse This menu allows you to search the database for objects with certain parameters,much like a search engine. The "Edit Parameters" option lets you set various parameters for the search and "Start Search" activates the search. A typical searchmight be performed as follows: 1. ...

40 Photography with a 35mm Camera Photography through your ETX model requires the addition of the optional #64 T-Adapter (see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES , page 43). With the #64 T-Adapter attached to the telescope ( Fig. 28), through-the-telescope photography is possible with any 35mm camera body with a r...

41 Photography through a long lens, such as the ETX, requires special technique forgood results. The photographer should expect to use several rolls film in acquiring thistechnique. Long-lens photography has its own rewards, however, which short-focuslenses cannot duplicate. A Few Tips on Photograph...

42 • If the camera is not directly coupled to the eyepiece, keep it as close to the eyepiece as possible and center the image to be photographed to minimizevignetting (darkening of the edges of the photo). • Try to block ambient light (from street lights, house, etc.) from the eyepiece andthe camera...

43 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories are available for the for ETXtelescopes. Meade accessories greatly extend many important applications to the telescope, from low-power, wide-field terrestrial viewing to high-power lunar and planetary observing. The premium ...

44 #64 T-Adapter: The basic means of photography through any ETX Astro telescope,the #64 T-Adapter threads to the rear cell of the telescope, followed by a T-Mountappropriate to the user’s brand of 35mm camera. In this way, the camera body is rigidly coupled to the telescope's optical system, which ...

45 MAINTENANCE Your ETX model telescope is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding observations. Given the care and respect due any precisioninstrument, the telescope will rarely require factory servicing or maintenance. Use thefollowing guidelines: 1. Avoid cleaning...

46 Storage and Transport When the telescope is not in use, store it in a cool, dry place. Do not expose theinstrument to excessive heat or moisture. It is best to store the telescope in its original box with the vertical and horizontal locks (6 and 9, Fig. 1) in the unlockedpositions. If shipping th...

47 Object appears in the viewfinder but not in the eyepiece: • The viewfinder is not properly aligned with the telescope (see ALIGNING THE VIEWFINDER , page 14). Slew speed does not change when you press the SPEED key or the telescopemoves slowly even though the fast slew speed is chosen: • The batt...

48 SPECIFICATIONS Specifications: ETX-90AT Astro Telescope Optical design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maksutov-CassegrainPrimary mirror diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96mm (3.78”)Clear aperture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90mm (3.5”)Focal lengt...

49 Bearings: Altitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ball bearingsAzimuth . . . . PTFE thrust bearing and radial ball bearing Materials: Tube body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . aluminumMounting . . . . . . ABS, with internal aluminum structurePr...

50 Autostar SpecificationsProcessor ............................................................................ 68HC11, 8MHz Flash Memory ............................................................1MB, reloadableKeypad ........................................................................20 key ...

51 Equatorial Alignment In equatorial (or "polar") Alignment, the telescope is oriented so that the horizontal and vertical axes of the telescope are lined up with the celestial coordinate system. In order to equatorial align your telescope, it is essential to have an understanding of howand...

52 However, owners who wish to perform astrophotography or use the Meade LPI (see PHOTOGRAPHY WITH MEADE’S AUTOSTAR SUITE , page 42, for more information) will find equatorial mounting indispensible to their needs. Equatorial MountEquatorial mounting lines up the telescope’s polar axis with the Nort...

53 5. Press ENTER repeatedly until “Setup: Align” displays. 6. Press the Scroll Down key repeatedly until "Setup: Telescope" displays. Press ENTER. “Telescope: Telescope Model” displays. 7. Press the Scroll Down key repeatedly until "Telescope: Mount" displays. Press ENTER. “Scope Mo...

54 Setting Circles The ETX models are equipped with R.A. and Dec. setting circles (13 and 16, Fig. 1) to aidin locating faint celestial objects when the telescope has been polar aligned. Setting circlesemulate the celestial coordinates found on star charts or in sky catalogs. Any charted objectis ea...

55 APPENDIX B: LATITUDE CHART Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the polar alignment procedure (see page 52), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the latitude ofan observing site not listed on the chart, locate the city closest to your site. ...

56 Train the telescope motors using Autostar. Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy problems. Fig.52 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure. Note: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive. Complete this exercise once ev...

57 APPENDIX D:BASICASTRONOMY Fig. 53: The Moon. Notethe deep shadows in thecraters. In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a telescope smaller than your ETX , turned it skyward instead of looking at the distant trees and mountains. What he saw and what he realized about what he s...

58 Fig. 56: The Pleiades isone of the most beautifulopen clusters. Tip:Enter a date in the Datemenu and you can determine if a planet(s)—or any other object in thedatabase—will be visibleduring the night of theentered date. After entering a new date,go to the Object menuand select the desiredplanet ...

14-1010-28 5/04 MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY Every Meade telescope, spotting scope and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation (“Meade”)to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from the date of original purchase in the U.S.A.and Canada. Meade wi...