Page 2 - The LX200 Keypad Hand Controller
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 3. Using the LX200 in Altazimuth (ALTAZ) a. Entering Basic Information 1. Latitude and Longitude of Observing Site 2. Local Time and Date b. Setting Up the Telescope c. Using the Telescope 1. The MODE Key 2. Library Object Keys 3. Dayti...
Page 3 - Magnification and Field of View
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 3. SMART 4. 12/24 HR 5. HELP I 6. REVERSE NS 7. REVERSE EW: 8. BALANCE 9. HP (High-Precision Pointing) a. LX200 Pointing Accuracy b. Using HP 10. SLEW RATE 11. DEC. BACKLASH COMPENSATION b. OBJECT LIBRARY Menu File: 1. OBJECT INFO 2. ST...
Page 5 - Meade Instruments Corporation; Meade LX200 Instruction Manual; A. INTRODUCING THE MEADE LX200; go to
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manual 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain, and 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes A. INTRODUCING THE MEADE LX200 IMPORTANT NOTIC...
Page 6 - the very first night you use the telescope.; c. Altazimuth Mode Operation
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 1. What Is the LX200? An Overview Meade LX200 SCT's mark a new era in telescope technology for the amateur astronomer, whether beginner or seasoned veteran. For the beginner, LX200 electronics permit the location and observation...
Page 7 - Next Page
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] a. 7" Model LX200 lncludes 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain optical tube assembly with EMC Super Multi-Coatings (D = 178mm, F = 2670mm-f/15); heavy-duty fork mount, with 4"-dia. sealed polar ball bearing, quartz-microprocessor...
Page 9 - B. UNPACKING AND INSPECTION; What You Should Have; Please Look Everything Over
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manual 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain, and 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes B. UNPACKING AND INSPECTION IMPORTANT NOTICE! ...
Page 10 - Your focuser is now operational.
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals and the angle the light is coming from) may reveal what would appear to be scratches, dark or bright spots, or just generally uneven coatings, giving the appearance of poor surface quality. These effects are only seen when a high intens...
Page 11 - Keypad Version Number
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals overtighten. (If you have misplaced the red-headed bolt, you may use any other bolt that is 1/4-20x1" long. 3. When packaging the 10" or 12" LX200, be sure to release the R.A. Lock (7, Fig. 3), and Dec. Lock (2, Fig. 3), to ...
Page 12 - C. TELESCOPE ASSEMBLY; attached directly to the field tripod.
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manual 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain, and 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes C. TELESCOPE ASSEMBLY IMPORTANT NOTICE! Never ...
Page 13 - not; PRECAUTIONARY NOTES
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals and an extra clip. Slide the spreader bar onto the threaded rod (note the correct orientation as shown in Fig. 1) and position the threaded rod back through the tripod head. Place the clip retainer ( a "C" clip) into the slot in...
Page 16 - a. Attaching the Viewfinder; b. Focusing the Viewfinder; You; c. Collimating the Viewfinder
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] a. Attaching the Viewfinder The viewfinder is shipped separately from the bracket and must be installed into the bracket. Slide the viewfinder into the bracket and lightly tighten the 6 collimation (alignment) screws (2, Fig. 3)...
Page 17 - Checking the Collimation of the Optics
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals directly into the eyepiece holder for straight-through observations. In this case, however, the image will appear inverted and reversed left-for-right. (Note that the eyepiece holder is standard equipment on 7", 8", and 10" ...
Page 19 - Manually
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manual 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain, and 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes D. QUICK START IMPORTANT NOTICE! Never use a t...
Page 20 - Land
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Releasing the Declination Lock Knob (2, Fig. 4), permits sweeping the telescope rapidly through wide angles in Declination. To use the Declination fine-adjust, or Manual Slow-Motion Knob, lock the telescope in Declination using the Decl...
Page 21 - Motion Speeds; a. Entering Basic Information
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Motion Speeds 4. Turn on the power switch on the Power Panel of the LX200. The Keypad Display (1, Fig. 5) will show "MEADE" for several seconds as the microprocessor does a self-diagnostic test. When the self-diagnostic test is ...
Page 22 - ) Latitude and Longitude of the Observing Site.; If the telescope is in LAND mode,
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 1) Latitude and Longitude of the Observing Site. NOTE: The SITE information cannot be entered if the telescope is in LAND mode. If the telescope is in LAND mode, the SITE menu option (Display 2, below) will appear in lower case ...
Page 23 - Press MODE again to go back to Display 1.
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 9. Press MODE to go back to Display 2. 10. Press MODE again to go back to Display 1. It is important to note that the longitude standard used in the LX200 starts at 0° in Greenwich, U.K. and increases Westerly only to 359° 59mins. Many ...
Page 24 - Use the top row during; Standard Time; and the bottom row during; Daylight Savings Time.; Press and Hold; b. Setting Up the Telescope
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Use the top row during Standard Time and the bottom row during Daylight Savings Time. For example: In the Pacific Time Zone during Daylight Savings Time, the GMT time zone shift is +7 hours. 6. Use the number keys to enter the GMT time ...
Page 26 - c. Using the Telescope
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals fork arm. The LX200 will track an overhead object, but it does so by moving higher in Altitude up to the illegal position, then the drive speeds up and move 180° in Azimuth so that the optical tube assembly can now be lowered in Altitud...
Page 27 - ) Library Object Keys; If not done correctly, this can be very dangerous.; light out of the telescope should it move across the Sun.; visually check the telescope's position to be sure it is not
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 2) Library Object Keys While in any of the 5 main Keypad displays, you can directly access the library objects by using the M, STAR, or CNGC keys (see Appendix D of this manual for a listing of the 64,359 Object Library). Simply...
Page 28 - Above all, be careful and use common sense.; Observing the Sun, even for the shortest fraction of a
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals pointing near the Sun. If there is any question in your mind that the telescope may be pointing at or near the Sun, do not look through the telescope. 4. Only when you are absolutely convinced that the telescope is pointing away from th...
Page 29 - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals; E. THE LX200 KEYPAD HAND CONTROLLER
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes E. THE LX200 KEYPAD HAND CONTROLLER IMPO...
Page 31 - PREV AND NEXT Keys
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals the 'fast' focus speed for the electric focuser accessory option*, while CNTR and GUIDE set the'slow' focus speed. There are other special functions for the CNTR and GUIDE keys that are discussed in the RET KEY operations. [ toc ] 6. RE...
Page 32 - Accessories for Meade LX-Series Catadioptric Telescopes
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals ● Meade 12" LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain ● Accessories for Meade LX-Series Catadioptric Telescopes ● Index of Instruction Manuals ● General Catalog Index ● Meade Product Repair and Warranty Information | home | about meade | product inf...
Page 33 - F. THE LX200 POWER PANEL
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes F. THE LX200 POWER PANEL IMPORTANT NOTIC...
Page 34 - DEC Motor Connector
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Display reads 'Meade LX200', then the version of the software is indicated briefly before defaulting to the TELESCOPE/ OBJECT LIBRARY. Within 15 seconds, the planetary orbital calculations with their corresponding apparent sizes and mag...
Page 35 - Meade Instruments supplies this information for professional; * See the current Meade Telescope Systems and Accessories Catalog.
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals the LX200 Keypad. [ toc ] 8. Reticle Connector The Reticle connector (5, Fig. 7) accepts optional accessory corded, plug in style illuminated reticle eyepieces such as the Meade 12mm Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece, or the Meade Series 400...
Page 37 - a. TELESCOPE Menu File
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes G. MODE FUNCTIONS IMPORTANT NOTICE! Neve...
Page 38 - IMPORTANT
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals latitude. The entered longitude and latitude is compared by the LX200's computer to your local time, GMT offset, and calendar date to accurately calculate celestial coordinates. Once entered, the information is stored in the telescope's...
Page 39 - When Best Used
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals stars that are not too close together–try to use stars that are at least 90° apart. Do not use Polaris as one of the stars because RA changes very fast at the Pole and minor centering errors can translate to large RA pointing errors. Al...
Page 41 - c) Refined Polar Alignment
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] b) POLAR POLAR allows you to use the LX200 mounted on its' optional Equatorial Wedge (see Appendix A) for long exposure astrophotography as well as visual work. With the LX200 powered up, the POLAR file option selected, the Fiel...
Page 42 - d) The Permanently Mounted, Polar Aligned LX200
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals The Permanently Mounted, Polar Aligned LX200 section to access the Object Library. [ toc ] d) The Permanently Mounted, Polar Aligned LX200 For those who will permanently mount the LX200 in an observatory, or wish to use the already pola...
Page 43 - pushed E instead of W when you should have),
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals about to commence. At this point try to keep the star on the same location of the crosshair during the eight minute training sequence by pressing the N,S,E, and W keys. After eight minutes, the training is over and Smart Drive will play...
Page 44 - a) LX200 Pointing Accuracy
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals direction. Also, the Declination motor will sound different. After selecting option #8, watch the Ammeter and listen to the Declination motor to determine when the LX200 is balanced. [ toc ] 9) HP (High-Precision Pointing) The High-Prec...
Page 46 - b. OBJECT LIBRARY Menu File
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] b. OBJECT LIBRARY Menu File The OBJECT LIBRARY menu file is the other half of the TELESCOPE/OBJECT LIBRARY mode. With it you can become a tourist of the sky, or conduct research surveys of the 64,359 objects. The LX200 Object Li...
Page 47 - Table 5: Object Sysmbol Legend; OBJECT SYMBOL LEGEND
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 3) FIELD Press the ENTER key to identify objects in the field of view of the telescope. The LX200 will display the object centered in the eyepiece field, and how many other NGC objects are in the field at the same time (defined ...
Page 48 - Table 6: Quality Symbol Legend
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Initially, the blinking cursor appears over the G symbol. If you decide not to look for galaxies, press the NEXT key and the symbol will change from an upper case letter (G) to a lower case letter (g), to deselect the GALAXIES category....
Page 49 - a. Coordinates Menu File
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Some beginning observers have a tough time discerning objects less than about 1 arc minute in size unless it is a double star or a planet. Astrophotographers and those involved with CCD imaging may want to set a higher value based off o...
Page 50 - c. Slew To ALTAZ Coordinates
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals The RA = display is broken down into hours, minutes, and seconds, and the DEC = display is broken down into + for North Declination and - for South Declination into degrees, minutes and seconds as shown in Display 29: If you have made a...
Page 51 - Table 7: Drive Rate Settings
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals this manual. Be sure to use your local hour setting appropriately in either 12 hour or 24 hour format as predetermined by the 12/24 HOUR TELESCOPE menu file option. The long-life lithium battery (Panasonic CR2032 3 volt or Duracell DL20...
Page 53 - H. MAGNIFICATION AND FIELD OF VIEW; diminished
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes H. MAGNIFICATION AND FIELD OF VIEW IMPOR...
Page 54 - Apparent Field and Actual Field
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals diameter is reduced, the minimum practical power with the 8" LX200 is increased to about 60X, to about 75X with the 10" LX200 and to about 90X with the 12" LX200; powers lower than this level should be avoided during daytime...
Page 56 - APPENDIX A: EQUATORIAL WEDGE
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes APPENDIX A: EQUATORIAL WEDGE IMPORTANT N...
Page 58 - b. Deluxe Latitude Adjuster
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 3. Attach the Azimuth Base to the Field Tripod using the 2 ea. 8-32 x 1" round-head machine screws. 4. Thread the two Azimuth Adjustment Knobs into the Azimuth Base, until they just touch the Azimuth Arm. The Azimuth control is now ...
Page 59 - The
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 2. SUPERWEDGE (For 10" and 12"LX200) The Superwedge permits use of the 10" and 12" LX200 telescope in an astronomical, or "equatorial," mode. The wedge fits onto the field tripod, described below, and acc...
Page 60 - Figure 11a: Mounting Superwedge, Figure 11b: Latitude Range Holes
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Figure 11a: Mounting Superwedge, Figure 11b: Latitude Range Holes To assemble the Superwedge, follow this procedure (note that all required wedge hardware and manual knobs are shipped within the wedge carton): 1. Locate the two 8-32 nyl...
Page 62 - Check that the; Figure 13: Underside of the Drive Base
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Check that the knobs or bolts at the side of the wedge, (5, Fig. 8 or 5, Fig. 10), are firmly tightened before placing the telescope onto the wedge. Figure 13: Underside of the Drive Base Grasping the 2 fork arms of the telescope firmly...
Page 63 - Figure 14: Telescope on Wedge; a. Setting Magnetic Declination
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals onto the tilt plate of the wedge by sliding the knob (7" and 8" LX200) or screw (10" and 12" LX200) into the slot at the top of the curved-end of the wedge tilt-plate. Insert the 2 remaining knobs for the 7" and 8...
Page 64 - Installation
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 1. First, determine the Magnetic Declination in your area using the Isogonic Chart (Fig. 15) 2. Squeeze the clear central vial with thumb and index finger of the left hand. 3. With the right hand, rotate the outer dial until the orienti...
Page 65 - c. Finding True North
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 1. Snap the Magnetic Compass into the 3" diameter wedge attachment knob (after setting the Magnetic Declination as described above). Position the compass into the knob so that the 360 degree location on the direction scale (the "...
Page 66 - ). The magnetic pointing arrow will point to magnetic north.
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 1. Loosen the knob/compass slightly. This allows for rotation of the Equatorial Wedge under the knob/compass ( Fig. 17 ). The magnetic pointing arrow will point to magnetic north. http://www.meade.com/manuals/lx200/apxa.html (11 of 14) ...
Page 68 - ). The centerline of the Equatorial Wedge now
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 3. Rotate the Equatorial Wedge in azimuth (without moving the knob/compass) until the centerline of the wedge lines up with the point of the knob/compass ( Fig. 19 ). The centerline of the Equatorial Wedge now falls directly on the true...
Page 70 - APPENDIX B: EQUATORIAL USE; Celestial Coordinates: Declination and Right Ascension
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes APPENDIX B: EQUATORIAL USE IMPORTANT NOT...
Page 72 - Lining Up with the Celestial Pole; perfectly
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 2. Lining Up with the Celestial Pole Objects in the sky appear to revolve around the celestial pole. (Actually, celestial objects are essentially "fixed," and their apparent motion is caused by the Earth's axial rotation...
Page 73 - ), located at the top of the left fork arm. After performing the polar; Precise Polar Alignment
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals wedge/tripod system reads "level." 2. Set the Equatorial Wedge to your observing latitude as described in Appendix A. 3. Loosen the Dec. Lock, and rotate the telescope tube in Declination so that the telescope's Declination read...
Page 74 - East
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals a. If the star drifts South (or down), the telescope's polar axis is pointing too far East ( Fig. 22 ) b. If the star drifts North (or up), the telescope's polar axis is pointing too far West ( Fig. 23 ). 4. Move the wedge in azimuth (h...
Page 76 - APPENDIX C: LX200 ALIGNMENT STAR LIBRARY AND STAR CHARTS:; Table 9: LX200 Alignment Star Library
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes APPENDIX C: LX200 ALIGNMENT STAR LIBRARY...
Page 77 - Star Charts (for Northern Hemisphere Observers)
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals DENEBOLA 114 2.1 LEO 11 49.1 +14 34 DIPHDA 8 2 CETUS 00 43.6 -17 59 ENIF 238 2.4 PEGASUS 21 44.2 +09 53 FOMALHAUT 247 1.2 PISCES AUST. 22 57.7 -29 38 HADAR 144 0.6 CENTAURUS 14 03.9 -60 24 HAMAL 17 2 ARIES 02 07.2 +23 28 MARKAB 249 2.5 ...
Page 82 - Very bright with very interesting shape or structure.; Table 10: CNGC Listings
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals will vary, largely due to sky conditions. If the object has been rated by observation, an upper-case character (ABCDEFG) is used for the VQ on the CNGC listing. If the object has not been observed, the VQ has been estimated by a compute...
Page 83 - The following types are distinguished in the CNGC.
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 5 MAG Magnitude (-5.5 through 19.9) 6 TYPE Type of object 7 * * means object is not in the RNGC 8 ALT CAT Alternate catalog name and number. 9 VQ Visual Quality Rating (abcdefg) or (ABCDEFG) 10 TAGS Object Type # (o-F) : S = Sky-Cat : T...
Page 84 - Select Star by Name; Table 12: Object Library Planet Legend
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 4. Select Star by Name When selecting a star from the object library, any of the 33 stars listed in the LX200 Instruction Manual can now by accessed by its name. 1. Press the STAR key. The Keypad display will show "STAR obje...
Page 85 - Code Const Code Const Code Const Code Const; Table 13: Constellation Codes
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals constellation where the variable star is located and is listed in the table below. The next four digits are assigned sequentially within each constellation according to the standard sequence of variable-star designations (R, S, ...). Th...
Page 87 - APPENDIX E: MAINTAINING YOUR LX200; Keeping Your Telescope Clean
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals Meade Instruments Corporation Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals 7" Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope 8", 10", and 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes APPENDIX E: MAINTAINING YOUR LX200 IMPOR...
Page 92 - Adjusting the Right Ascension Lock; Behind the Power Panel; Factory Servicing and Repairs
Meade Instruments Corporation - Meade LX200 Instruction Manuals [ toc ] 3. Adjusting the Right Ascension Lock After a period of time, it is possible that the R.A. lock (7, Fig. 3) of the LX200 will not tighten sufficiently due to internal wear of the clutch mechanism. In such an event, remove the R....
