Meade DS-2000 manual

Instruction Manual DS-2000 Series Reflecting and Refracting T elescopes Meade Instruments Corporation[...]

Refracting T elescopes use a large objective lens as their primary light-collecting element. Meade refractors, in all models and apertures, include achromatic (2-element) objective lenses in order to reduce or virtually eliminate the false color (chromatic aberration) that results in the telescopic image when light passes through a lens. Reflecting[...]

Quick-Start Guide .......................................................... 4 T elescope Features ...................................................... 7 Autostar Features .......................................................... 9 Getting Started ..............................................................1 1 Packing List ....................[...]

4 QUICK-ST ART GUIDE 1. Open the tripod: Remove the tripod from the gift- box and stand vertically . Gently pull the legs apart to a fully open position. T urn the center tripod lock knob to secure and stabilize the tripod. T ighten to a firm feel. Caution : Make sure y ou loosen the tripod lock knob bef ore collapsing the tripod at the end of your[...]

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. Practice using the Autostar Arrow keys to center an object in the telescope's field of view . 7a. Attach the 90° diagonal prism ( refractor models only ): Pull out to remove the plastic dust cov[...]

6 1 2 9 5 11 10 6 16 20 13 15 7 3 22 Fig. 1: DS-2000 Ser ies T elescope. Features of the DS-2000 Series telescopes are virtually identical. Certain features of your telescope ma y look different than, or be positioned slightly different than the one pictured here, but the functionality of the features is the same. Fig. 1c (Inset): Computer Control [...]

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 observations through the telescope.  Focus Knob - Moves the telescope’s focus drawtube in a finely-controlled motion to achieve precise image focus. Rotate the focus knob[...]

8  Accessory T ray Attachment Bolts - Attach to wing nuts (not shown) to fasten tray to the tripod. See page 1 1 for more information. Note : It is not necessar y to remove the tr ay each time y ou collapse the tripod. The tra y is designed to be collapsed with the legs.  Accessory T ray - Conveniently holds extra eyepieces, Autostar handbox,[...]

9 Control of the DS-2000A T Series T elescopes is through the operation of the #494 Autostar handbox. Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of Autostar ’s buttons. Some of the major features of Autostar are: ■ Automatically move the telescope to any of the 1400 objects stored in the database or manually e[...]

10 DEFINITION: Throughout this manu- al, you will notice the term "Alt/Az." Alt/Az is frequently used to ref er to Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizon- tal). Alt/Az is just one of many methods used b y amateur astronomers to help locate stars in the night sky . • Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates • Local Ti[...]

11 P acking 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 Assemb le Y our T elescope The telescope attaches directly to the tripod. The telescope in this way is mounted in an “ Altazimuth ” ( “ A[...]

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 the viewfinder bracket (see Figs. 8a and 8b ). Replace the rubber eyecup after the viewfinder is positioned in the bracket. T ighten the four alignment thumbscrews ( 8, [...]

13 Focusing the 6 x 30mm Viewfinder: The 6 x 30mm viewfinder is locked into permanent focus at infinity . Look through the viewfinder at a distant land object. If the focus is not sharp, follow this procedure: 1. Loosen the focus lock ring ( 3, Fig. 12 ) a few turns, permitting the lens cell ( 2, Fig. 12 ) to be rotated. 2. Look through the viewfin[...]

14 image) has been aligned to the main telescope. Fig. 13B shows these same images after the 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 magnifies the image formed by the telescope ’[...]

15 OBSER VING Observing by Mo ving the T elescope Manually If you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you can observe by 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. 1 ). 2. Move your telescope to observ[...]

16 Slew Speeds Autostar has nine slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (see TO TR AC K AN OBJECT A UT OMA TICALL Y below for a definition of "sidereal rate") and have been calculat- ed to accomplish specific functions. Pressing the SPEED/? key changes the slew speed, which is shown for about two seconds on Autost[...]

DEFINITION: Initialization is a proce- dure that ensures that A utostar operates cor- rectly . When you first use A utostar , it doesn't yet kno w where the obser vation location site is or the time or date of the obser vation session. During the procedure, you will enter inf or ma- tion, such as the current time and date, and obser vation loc[...]

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 when the correct city appears on screen. 11 . Select Model Number - The next screen asks for the telescope model. Use the scroll keys to locate your telescope model [...]

19 How to Easy Align Y our T elescope 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 W arning - Press the key prompted by Autostar to accept. 2. Getting Started - Press ENTER to continue. 3. Enter Date - Enter the current date as previously d[...]

20 T wo-Star Alt/Az Alignment T wo-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky . T wo-Star Alignment is identical to Easy: Align (see EASY (TWO-ST AR) ALIGN , above), except Autostar displays a database of bright stars and two stars are chosen b y the observer from this database for alignment. It is rec- ommended that you choose stars w[...]

21 It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop ( Fig. 20 ). This means that pressing the Scroll Down key ( 7, Fig. 2 ) cycles down through all the available options within a given category , then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key ( 6, Fig. 2 ) cycles up through the options in the opposite order . Note that this[...]

22 T o 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" is displayed. 4. Pre[...]

23 MENUS AND MENU OPTIONS Object Menu Almost all observing with Autostar is performed using the Object menu category . ( NOTE: Exceptions include Guided T our and Landmark Sur ve y . ) See GO TO SA TURN , page 20, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see USING THE GUIDED TOUR , page 20. Many Autostar menu categories contain datab[...]

24 Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent Autostar data- base. IMPORT ANT NOTE: T o use the Landmark function, the telescope must be located and aligned e xactly as when the landmark was added to the database. ■ Select : T o select a Landmark already in the database (see ADD below), choose the "Selec[...]

25 A utumn and V ernal Equino x calculates the time and date of the fall or spring equinox of the current year . Winter and Summer Solstice calculates the time and date of the winter or summer solstice of the current year . Glossary Menu The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions for common astronomical terms[...]

26 ■ Suggest: Autostar calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing, based on the telescope 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 W arning: Turns the “ Sun W arning ” message on or off. ■ [...]

27 Arrow key and also slews the tube more slowly . Experiment with this option. T ry changing the percent value until you get a "feel" for the Arrow keys that is comfortable for you. Alt P ercent : The Alt (Altitude) Percent operates identical to the AZ Percent option (see above), but allows you to change the altitude backlash, i.e., the [...]

28 be stored). Scroll through the list of Countries/States. Press ENTER when the site you wish to 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 ime Zone refers to the Greenwich Mean T i[...]

29 OPTIONAL A CCESSORIES A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the DS-2000 Series T elescopes. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instru- ment itself. Consult the Meade General Catalog for complete details on these and other accessories. Eyepieces (1.25" barrel diameter)[...]

30 CARING FOR Y OUR TELESCOPE Y our 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 will rarely , if ever , require factory servicing. Maintenance guidelines include: a. Avoid cleaning the telescope ’ s optics: a l[...]

31 2 1 3 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 4 3 6 2 5 1 4 Fig. 23. Fig. 24. Fig. 25. Fig. 26. Fig. 27. Fig. 28. Fig. 29.[...]

32 thread inward one of the adjustment/lock knobs ( 1, Fig. 24 ) while unthreading another of these knobs. Only make adjustments to two knobs at a time until the secondary mirror appears as in Fig. 28 . 3. Secondar y mirror-holder adjustments : If the secondary mirror ( 1 , Fig. 28 ) is centered in the focuser drawtube ( 2, Fig. 28 ), but the prima[...]

33 SPECIFICA TIONS DS-2060 Optical design......................................................................................Refractor Clear aperture ....................................................................................60mm Focal length ........................................................................................700mm Fo[...]

34 DS-2114S Optical design......................................................................................Reflector Clear aperture ....................................................................................1 14mm Focal length ........................................................................................1000mm Focal ratio ..[...]

35 Celestial Coordinates It is helpful to understand how to locate celestial objects as they move across the sky . A celestial coordinate system was created that maps an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth upon which all stars appear to be placed. This mapping system is similar to the system of latitude and longitude on Earth surface maps. In ma[...]

APPENDIX B 36 Using A utostar 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 part of the database. Autostar provides a feature that allows you to enter an object's R.A and Dec[...]

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. "Calculating...." and then "T racking.[...]

38 T raining the Drive T rain the telescope motors using Autostar . Perform this procedure if you are experiencing any pointing accuracy prob- lems. Fig. 32 depicts the complete Drive T raining procedure. NO TE: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive. Complete this e xercise once e ver y 3 to 6 months to[...]

39 Fig. 33: Electronic Controller. (1) Arrow K eys; (2) Indicator Lights; (3) SPEED Ke y; (4) Coil Cord; (5) MODE Ke y; (6) OUT Key ; ( 7 ) I N Ke y . Fast Medium Moderate Slow        APPENDIX E Electronic Contr oller (DS-2000EC Users Only) DS-2000 "EC" models come equipped with an Electronic Controller handbox, rathe[...]

40 Slew Speeds The Electronic Controller has four slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate (see page 16 for more information). Press the Speed key to change the slew speed. Note each slew speed corresponds to one of the four LED's of the Electronic Controller . Light 1 (top LED): The fastest speed. Use to move the telesc[...]

41 In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a telescope smaller than your DS-2000 model, 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 about the universe. Imagine what it must have been like being the first [...]

42 Planets Planets change positions in the sky as they orbit around the Sun. T o locate the planets on a given day or month, consult a monthly astronomy magazine, such as Sky and T elescope or Astronomy . Y ou can also consult Autostar for information about planets. Scroll to the "Object: Solar System" menu and scroll through the lists of[...]

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14-7185-01 05/01 AD V ANCED PRODUCTS DIVISION Meade Instruments Corporation World’ s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical T elescopes for the Serious Amateur 6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 ■ (949) 451-1450 F AX: (949) 451-1460 ■ www .meade.com © 2001 MEADE LIMITED W ARRANTY Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope acce[...]