Meade LX80 - Manual

Gears and Drives Its precision worm gear drives on both axes deliver smooth, accurate motion and Meade’s proprietary SmartDrive™ provides periodic error correction that dramatically reduces errors providing performance only available on much more expensive mounts. LX80 Tripod With large two inch dia...

AudioStar AudioStar™ computer-control handbox. Meade’s revolutionary AudioStar computer controller fi nds and points your telescope to over 30,000 objects in the night sky. With its Astronomer Inside™ digital audio technology, everyone around the telescope can listen and learn about the 500-plus cel...

LX80 Key Features Viewfi nder Viewfi nder Collimation Screws Viewfi nder Front Cell and Locking Ring Viewfi nder Bracket Viewfi nder Bracket Screws Eyepiece Accessory Adapter Adapter Thumbscrews Focus Lock Knob (Refractors Only) 2” Star Diagonal with 1.25” Adapter 2-Speed Crayford Style Focusing Sys...

LX80 Key Features 3$ 1% Vixen®-style Dovetail Receiver 1^ Cradle Rings (Refractors only) 2# Azimuth Lock Knob 2* Latitude Scale 3$ DEC Setting Circle 3% DEC Reference Point 4) Battery Compartment Cover 4! Battery Compartment Lock Knob 4( Counterweight Lock Knob Figure 2: LX80 Key Features - Front Vi...

2$ Azimuth Adjustment Drive 2% Latitude Adjustment Drive 2^ Latitude Lock 2& Latitude Pivot Point 3! Multi-Function Hex Head Tool LX80 Key Features Adjustments for German EQ Mode Fig 8: Azimuth Adjustment Fig 9: Latitude Adjustment Fig 10: Latitude Pivot Point Fig 11: Latitude Lock Knob Fig 7: M...

Unpacking your telescope: The LX80 is shipped in two or four boxes: Box #1: LX80 Multi-mount (with components) Box #2: LX80 Field Tripod Box #3: (if ordered): Optional Optical Tube Assembly Box #4: (if required): Additional Counterweight As you unpack your telescope, carefully note the following par...

Balancing the Telescope In order for the telescope to be stable on the tripod and also for it to move smoothly, it must be properly balanced in both vertical and horizontal axes. The horizontal axis is commonly referred to as the DEC (Declination) axis and vertical axis the RA (Right Ascension) axis...

( See Fig 31 ). Manually rotate the counterweight shaft so it is parallel to the ground. Continue to keep your hand on the counterweight shaft to control rotation. Loosen Counterweight: Loosen the lock knob on the counterweight so it is free to move. Slide the counterweight along the counterweight s...

at least 200 yards away. If the distant object is not in focus, turn the focus lock ring counterclockwise to loosen the viewfi nder front cell ( Page 8, Fig 1, 3 ). Twist the front cell until focus is achieved and retighten the focus lock ring. 4. Unlock the RA lock ( Page 8, Fig 1, 29 ) and the DEC...

Speeds 7 or 8: Best used for rough centering of an object in the viewfi nder. Speed 9: Moves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another. Playing Audio The LX80 is equipped with Astronomer Inside technology. This revolutionary technology provides object descriptions of night sky objec...

The LX80 series telescopes feature Meade’s innovative Multi-Mount System that allows you to choose between three (3) modes of operation; Alt-Az, German Equatorial or Dual OTA Mode. Below is a brief overview of the pluses and minuses of each mode: Alt-Az Mode : Easiest to set-up, operate and understa...

city and state. Note: The location settings (country/state/province and city, or ZIP code) are only asked for the fi rst time you turn on the control panel. If you wish to change this setting later on, use the Site menu. See SITE, Page 42 for more information. a. If you chose the ZIP code option, th...

stars to align upon. When the telescope slews to the fi rst star for alignment, it may not appear in the fi eld of view of the eyepiece. The alignment star should be easily recognized and be the brightest star in that area of the sky where the telescope is pointing. While looking through the viewfi ...

Note : Different objects may be displayed on a tour list on any given night. Press ENTER to display information about the object. Press GoTo to move the telescope to the object. 5. Press MODE to return to the Tour list. Press the Scroll keys to scroll through the list. Press ENTER when you fi nd the...

is not fi xed; it moves as the mount moves. Using the LX80 hex head tool loosen the right and left side latitude locks. Insert the same tool into the latitude adjustment drive. Turn the LX80 tool until the latitude reference arrow points to the latitude that corresponds to your location. Once your h...

3. Locate the included secondary dovetail adapter ( Fig 38 ). Note the adapters’ two hex head attaching screws. Inspect the adapter mounting hole and verify the attaching screws are suffi ciently screwed back allowing it to fi t onto the counterweight shaft. You may need to back the attaching screws...

Figure 39: The AudioStar #497 Handbox Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Control of the LX80 is through the operation of the standard-equipment AudioStar. Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of AudioStar’s buttons. Some of the major features of A...

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop ( Fig. 40 ). This means that pressing the Scroll Down key ( Page 33, Fig. 39, 7 ) cycles down through all the available options within a given category, then returns to the fi rst option. The Scroll Up key ( Page 33, Fig. 39, 7 ) c...

Space Telescope (HST), Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and geosynchronous orbit satellites. In order to fi nd and track satellites, you must download recent orbital data into the telescope. Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest that you create in the permanent Au...

AudioStar #497 MENU TREE Figure 43: The AudioStar #497 Menu Tree 39 AudioStar #497 Menu Tree

Largest, etc. Once you have set the parameters of the search, select “Start Search” and press ENTER. AudioStar will display the results of the search. See Page 49 for more information. Event Menu The Event menu provides access to dates and times of astronomical events. The Event database includes: S...

AudioStar beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate the alarm. Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an eyepiece for the specifi c telescope to which AudioStar is connected. • Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the fi eld of view is calculated. • M...

Advanced AudioStar Features Adding Observing Sites If you plan to observe using AudioStar at different geographic locations, you can store up to six observation sites in AudioStar’s memory to help simplify your telescope setup. Perform these procedures using the Site options (Add, Select, Delete, Ed...

Using AudioStar to Find Objects Not in the Database In this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not appear in any of the AudioStar database lists. You will enter the object’s name and RA and DEC coordinates (required information). You may also enter the object’s magnit...

satellites are in low orbit, travelling at approximately 17,500 mph. When visible, they move quickly across the sky and are only in the fi eld of view for a few minutes, requiring AudioStar to slew the telescope rapidly. Best viewing is near Sunrise or Sunset when the sky is still dark. Viewing in t...

To check on the available amount of memory in AudioStar. AudioStar has a limited amount of memory. Once you begin to store Landmarks, User Objects and other bits of information in AudioStar, you will begin to use up memory. This procedure allows you to check on how much memory is still available. 1....

9. Press ENTER to begin Az/RA (Right Ascension) training. 10. “Drive Setup: For this....” begins to scroll across the display. This is a reminder to point your telescope at a terrestrial object. Loosen the RA and DEC locks ( Page 8, Fig 1, 29 and 30 ) and point the telescope at an object. Then re-ti...

18. The telescope slews and “Press V until it is centered” displays. Press the Down Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER. “Train Drive: Alt/DEC Train” displays again. You have now completed this procedure. Press the MODE key several times until the display reads “Select Ite...

Photography using a 35mm camera requires the addition of the optional #62 T–Adapter. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES , Page 52 . With the #62 T-Adapter and a T-mount attached to the telescope, through-the-telescope photography is possible with any 35mm camera body with a removable lens. In this way, the te...

are becoming available as time goes by. • 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 minimize vignetting (darkening of the edges of the photo). • Try to block ambient light (from street lights, house,...

A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the LX80 telescope models. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instrument itself. To fi nd out more information about these and other exciting Meade accessories visit Meade’s website at www...

Your LX80 model telescope is a precision optical instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding observations. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, the telescope will rarely require factory servicing or maintenance. Use the following guidelines: 1. Avoid cleaning the telesco...

The following suggestions may be helpful with operation of the LX80: The power indicator light on the telescope does not come on or there is no response when pressing the AudioStar Arrow keys: • Verify that the Computer Control panel power switch ( Page 10, Fig. 3. C ) is in the ON position. • Verif...

Press > until itis centered Press < until itis centered Train Drive Az. Train Train Drive Alt. Train Drive Setup For this op. . . Center referenceobject ENTER ENTER ENTER ENTER Scope slews left.Bring target backto center usingthe Right Arrow key. 12 13 14 15 16 17 Scope slews right.Bring targe...

In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a crude telescope considerably smaller than the LX80, turned it to look towards the sky instead of distant trees and mountains. What he saw, and what he realized about what he saw, forever changed the way mankind thought of the universe. Ima...

Planets change positions in the sky as they orbit around the Sun. To locate the planets on a given day or month, consult a monthly astronomy magazine, such as Sky and Telescope or Astronomy . You can also consult LX80 for information about planets. Scroll to the “Object: Solar System” menu and scrol...

APPENDIX C: SPECIFICATIONS Mount Only Product Number 37-0080-00 UPC 7 09942 38120 7 Telescope Mounting Alt-Azimuth or German Equatorial AudioStar Controller AudioStar Object Database 30,000 objects Pointing Precision (High-Precision Mode) Up to 5 arcminutes Go-To Pointing Precision (Approx.) 10 arcm...

EQUATORIAL (POLAR) ALIGNMENT APPENDIX D: Polar Alignment In 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 Polar align your telescope, it is essential to have an understanding of how ...

LATITUDE CHART APPENDIX E: Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World To aid in the polar alignment procedure (see Page 28 ), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the latitude of an observing site not listed on the chart, locate the city closest to your site. T...

MAGNETIC DECLINATION: NORTH AMERICA APPENDIX F: -1 2 -1 2 -12 -12 -12 -12 -1 2 194 -254 178 2 -2 20 -1 86 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -8 -1 4 -176 -174 -170 -14 -160 -1 66 -4 -4 -14 -14 8 166 -152 -15 2 -1 46 16 4 -1 38 -1 34 -142 -1 36 -136 -1 30 -1 32 152 0 -14 14 2 140 13 8 16 13 6 132 12 8 126...

MAGNETIC DECLINATION: GLOBAL MAP APPENDIX G: 67 Appendix G: Magnetic Dec lination - Global Map

RECYCLING INFORMATION (EU Countries only) Correct Disposal of this Product (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) This marking shown on the product or its literature indicates that it must not be disposed of in unsorted municipal waste at the end of its working life To prevent possible harm t...

MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corp. (“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 will repair or replac...