Meade ETX-60AT manual

Instruction Manual ETX-60A T Astr o T elescope with A utostar Hand Contr oller ETX-70A T Astr o T elescope with A utostar Hand Contr oller Meade Instruments Corporation[...]

Quick-Start Guide .......................................................... 3 T elescope Features ...................................................... 4 Autostar Features .......................................................... 7 Getting Started ..............................................................10 Parts Listing ....................[...]

QUICK-ST AR T GUIDE Quick Start Guide 3 B A A A 5 6 A B C 1 2 3 3. Flip the Power Switch (A) on the computer control panel to the ON position. The copyright message lights on Autostar ’s LCD display . 1. T ake the ETX from its packaging and place it on a sturdy surface. Remove the cover from the bat- tery compartment ( 20, Fig. 1, page 4) located[...]

(opposite side) Fig. 1 : The ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T T elescope. TELESCOPE FEA TURES 4 T elescope Features (not shown) 1 2 17 7 4 5 19 6 7 3 15 14 16 13 11 12 8 18 9 10 20 (on top of base, not shown) A B D C[...]

ETX: Y our Per sonal Window to the Univer se The Meade ETX-60A T and the ETX-70A T are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes with features similar to those once available only with larger and more specialized imaging sys- tems. With pushbutton controls, automatic tracking of celestial objects, and software down- loading capability , an ET[...]

Computer Control P anel A. Handbox (HBX) P or t - Plug the Autostar coil cord ( 9, Fig. 3 ) into this port. B. LED - The red power indicator light illuminates when power is supplied to the Autostar handbox and to the telescope’s motor drive. C. ON/OFF Switch - T urns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar ON or OFF . D . Auxiliary (A UX) P ort -[...]

Fig. 3: #494 Autostar Handbo x. 1 2 5 4 3 6 8 7 9 T our the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Control of the ETX-60A T and the ETX-70A T is through the operation of the standard-equipment #494 Autostar . Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of Autostar ’ s buttons. Some of the major features of Autosta[...]

The Autostar Computer Controller provides control of virtually every telescope function within a compact handbox. Autostar has soft-touch keys designed to have a positive feel. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is backlit with a red LED (Light Emitting Diode) for easy viewing in the dark. The backlit display , key arrangement, and sequential databas[...]

Scroll K eys - Accesses database options within a selected menu. The menu is displayed on the first line of the screen. Options within the menu are displayed, one at a time, on the second line. Press the Scroll keys to move through the options. Press and hold a Scroll key to move quickly through the options. The Scroll keys also scroll through the [...]

P ar ts Listing Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first open- ing the packing box, note carefully the following parts: • The ETX Astro T elescope with fork mount system. • #494 Autostar handbox with attached coil cord. • MA 25mm and MA 9mm eyepieces, each packed in a plastic storage container[...]

The power , or magnification of a telescope is determined by the focal length of the telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece being used. T o calculate eyepiece power , divide the tele- scope's focal length by the eyepiece's focal length. E.g ., a 25mm eyepiece is used with the ETX-60A T . The focal length of the ETX-60A T is 350mm [...]

Moving Thr ough A utostar ’ s Menus The Autostar database is organized in levels for quick and easy navigation. • Press ENTER to go deeper into Autostar's menu levels. • Press MODE to move back toward the top menu level. • Press the Scroll keys to move up and down through the options available for each level. • Press the Arrow keys t[...]

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop ( Fig. 9 ). This means that pressing the Scroll Down key ( 7, Fig. 3 ) cycles down through all the available options within a given category , then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key ( 6, Fig. 3 ) cycles up through the options in the opposite order . Note that this cap[...]

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. Press [...]

Go T o Saturn After performing the Easy T wo-Star Alignment procedure, the motor drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars. IMPORT ANT NOTE : Once aligned, only use the GO TO or Arro w ke ys to move the telesc[...]

Object Menu Almost all observing with Autostar is performed using the Object menu category . ( NO TE: Exceptions include Guided T our and Landmar k Sur ve y . ) See “ GO T O SA TURN, ” page 15, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see “ USING THE GUIDED TOUR, ” page 15. Many Autostar menu categories contain databases. An [...]

• Select - T o select a Landmark already in the database, choose the "Select" option and scroll through the list. Press ENTER to select a Landmark, then press GO T O and the tel- escope slews to the object. • Add - T o add a Landmark, choose the "Add" option. Enter a name for the Landmark. Locate and center the Landmark, the[...]

Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, partial, penum- bral) of eclipse. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data. Min. (Minimum) of Algol is the minimum brightness of the dramatic eclipsing binary star sys- tem, Algol. It is relatively close at a distance of 100 light years. Every 2.8 [...]

Brightness Adj : Adjusts the brightness of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER. Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contrast of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER. NO TE: This feature is usually only required in ve r y cold weather . Landmark Survey automatically slews the telescope to all user-defined lan[...]

• T rain Drive : T rains the altitude and azimuth motors to locate objects with more precision. If you are experiencing any problems with pointing accuracy , follow the procedure described in “ APPENDIX D: TRAINING THE DRIVE, ” page 35, to insure accurate point- ing and tracking. • T racking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tr[...]

T errestrial Obser ving The ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T make excellent high-resolution, terrestrial (land) telescopes. Viewing terrestrial objects requires looking along the Earth's surface through heat waves. These heat waves often cause degradation of image quality . Low power eyepieces, like the MA 25mm eyepiece, magnify these heat waves less t[...]

T wo-Star Alt/Az Alignment Level: Beginner/Intermediate T wo-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky . Autostar provides a database of bright stars and two stars from this database are chosen by the observer for alignment. 1. P erform steps 1 thr ough 8 as described in the "EASY TWO-ST AR ALIGNMENT PROCEDURE," page 14. 2 .[...]

Observing a Satellite NO TE: Satellite obser ving is an exciting challenge . Most satellites are in low orbit, tra veling at appro ximately 17,500 mph. They mov e quickly across the sky and are visible only f or a fe w minutes, requiring A utostar to slew the telescope r apidly . Best viewing is near Sunrise or Sunset when the sky is still dark. Vi[...]

The #64ST T – Adapter permits close-coupling of a camera body to the telescope at a focal length of 350mm and an effective photographic speed of f/5.8 for the ETX-60 and f/5 for the ETX-70. In this format vignetting occurs: the photographic image appears on film with a slight darkening (vignetting) at the corners of the 35mm frame ( Fig. 16 ). Wh[...]

A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories are available for the ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T . 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 quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the [...]

#3200 Lunar & Planetary Color Filter Set: Meade optical glass color filters increase image contrast and resolution of the Moon and planets. The #3200 Set includes light yellow , very light red, very light blue, and neutral density filters. Each filter threads into the barrels of all Meade MA, PL, and W A eyepieces and is packed in a separate pl[...]

General Maintenance The ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T telescopes are precision optical instruments designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, your telescope will rarely require factory servicing or maintenance. Maintenance guidelines include: 1. Avoid cleaning the telescope ’ s optic[...]

T roubleshooting The following suggestions may be helpful with operation of the ETX-60A T or ETX-70A T . The power indicator light on the telescope does not come on or there is no response when pressing A utostar Arro w keys: • V erify that the Computer Control Panel power switch ( 10C, Fig. 1 ) is in the ON position. • V erify that the Autosta[...]

T elescope moves off a terrestrial object while observing: • V erify that the vertical and horizontal locks have been tightened to a "firm feel" ( 6 and 9 Fig. 1 ). T elescope pauses when changing slew direction: • This pause is normal. A terrestrial object appears re versed left-f or-right: • An eyepiece in the standard 90 ° obser[...]

ETX-60A T/ETX-70A T Specifications (cont'd) Slow-Motion Controls ....................................................Electric, 9 speed, both axes Hemispheres of operation ..............................................North and South, switchable Bearings: Altitude ....................................................................Acetal Azimut[...]

P olar Alignment The great majority of ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T owners will find it unnecessary ever to Polar align the telescope. With these ETX telescope models the standard-equipment Autostar controller allows the telescope to be used in the altazimuth (Alt/Az) orientation for all observing purpose. This section is included only for educational p[...]

e.g., the Declination of the North Celestial Pole is +90 ° , with Declination South of the celestial equator indicated with a “–” sign, e.g., the Declination of the South Celestial Pole is – 90 ° . Any point on the celes- tial equator itself which, for example, passes through the constellations Orion, Virgo, and Aquarius, is specified as [...]

Although Autostar's database contains more than 1400 objects (stars, nebulae, planets, etc.) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not part of the data- base. Autostar provides a feature that allows you to enter an object's R.A and Dec coordinates in the "User: Objects" option of Autostar's [...]

UNITED ST A TES City State Latitude Albuquerque New Mexico 35 ° N Anchorage Alaska 61 ° N Atlanta Georgia 34 ° N Boston Massachusetts 42 ° N Chicago Illinois 42 ° N Cleveland Ohio 41 ° N Dallas T exas 33 ° N Denver Colorado 40 ° N Detroit Michigan 42 ° N Honolulu Hawaii 21 ° N Jackson Mississippi 32 ° N Kansas City Missouri 39 ° N Las V[...]

T rain the telescope motors using Autostar . Perform this procedure after RESET or if you are experiencing any point- ing accuracy problems. Figure 30 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 very 3 to 6 months to mainta[...]

APPENDIX E: INITIALIZA TION EXAMPLE ENTER Enter Time: 00:00:00PM 1 (1X) (1X) 2 (2X) (1X) 4 (4X) 7 (7X) AM Enter Time: 12:47:00AM ENTER Daylight Sa vings >NO (00) Meade (1.0) A U T O S T A R Initializing. . . W ARNING LOOKING A T . . . ENTER Getting Star ted For a Detailed. .. Enter Date: 01-Jan-2000 2 (2X) (1X) 6 (5X) (1X) Mar (2X) 2000 (4X) 200[...]

In the early 17th century , Italian Scientist Galileo, using a crude telescope considerably small- er than the ETX-60A T or ETX-70A T , 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. Imagine what it must have be[...]

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 . Listed below are the best planets for viewing through the ETX-60A T and ETX- 70A T . Ve n u s is about nine-tenths the diameter of Earth. As V enus [...]

A Roadmap to the Stars The night sky is filled with wonder and intrigue. Y ou too, can enjoy exploring the universe simply by following a few pointers on a roadmap to the stars. First, find the Big Dipper which is part of the constellation Ursa Major . The Big Dipper is usually easy to locate year round in North America. Extending directly out from[...]

Par t n o . 14-6896-01 06/00 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 © 2000 MEADE LIMITED W ARRANTY Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and te[...]