Meade 80EQ-AR User Manual

MEADE INSTRUCTION MANUAL

80mm | 3.1" Equatorial Refracting Telescope

80EQ-AR

www.meade.com

Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 1

INTRODUCTION

Your telescope is an excellent beginner’s instrument, and is designed to observe objects in the sky. It can be your personal window on the universe.

The telescope is shipped with the following parts:

• Optical tube

• Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray

• Two 1.25" eyepieces: MA25mm (28X), MH9mm (78X)

• Red dot viewfinder with bracket

• Telescope mount

• Hardware used in the assembly:

The tube has a focal length of 900mm, and its reflective mirror has a diameter of 114mm. The lens diameter is one of the most important pieces of information about the telescope. The size of the primary mirror determines how much detail you will be able to see in your telescope. The focal length information will help later on to calculate magnification.

Setting up your telescope involves these simple steps:

• Assemble your tripod

• Attach the accessory tray

• Attach the red dot viewfinder

• Attach the eyepiece

• Attach the counterweight

• Prepare mount

• Attach the optical tube to the mount

Study the the picture on the next page and become acquainted with the parts of your telescope. Then proceed to “Assemble your Tripod.”

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FIGURE 1

Figure 1: Meade 80EQ-AR Equatorial Refracting Telescope

Inset A: Red Dot Viewfinder Assembly

1. Dust cap (not shown)

2. Dew shield/lens shade

3. Object lens cell

4. Main optical tube (OTA)

5. Declination lock

6. Cradle ring attachment lock knob

7. Cradle ring lock knob (not shown)

8. Cradle ring

9. Red dot viewfinder bracket mounting thumbscrews (see Inset A)

10. Red dot viewfinder

11. Focuser draw tube

12. Eyepiece

13. Eyepiece holder and thumbscrew

14. Diagonal mirror

15. Diagonal mirror thumbscrew

16. Focuser knob

17. Declination control cable

18. Optical tube saddle plate

19. Red dot viewfinder bracket (see Inset A)

20. Red dot viewfinder alignment screws (see Inset A)

21. Declination setting circle (see Fig. 5)

Inset A

(not shown)

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1. Adjustable sliding inner leg extension (see Inset C)

2. Sliding leg extension lock (see Inset C)

3. Right ascension lock

4. Right ascension setting circle

5. Counterweight

6. Counterweight shaft

7. Counterweight safety washer

8. Counterweight lock

9. Tripod legs

10. Leg brace

11. Leg brace support

12. Eyepiece holder slots

13. Accessory tray

14. Right ascension control cable

15. Azimuth adjustment lock

16. Latitude adjustment knob

17. Latitude circle

18. Tripod-to-mount attachment point

(see Fig. 3)

19. Latitude adjustment lock (not shown)

20. Equatorial mount

21. Tripod-to-mount wingnuts (see Fig. 3)

22. Declination axis (see Fig. 5)

23. Polar axis (see Fig. 5)

24. Cradle assembly attachment lock knob

(see Fig. 5)

Figure 2: Meade 80EQ-AR Equatorial Refracting Telescope

Inset B: Accessory Tray Inset C: Tripod Leg

Inset C

Inset B

FIGURE 2

25. Optional motor drive gear (see Fig. 5)

26. Azimuth circle (see Fig. 5)

27. Azimuth base (see Fig. 5)

28. Azimuth adjustment lock (see Fig. 5)

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ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD

The tripod is the basic support for your telescope. Its height may be adjusted so that you can view comfortably.

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1. Make sure that as you attach the legs (9)

to the mount that the leg braces (10) are facing inward.

2. Line up the holes at the top of one of

the legs with the holes in the mount.

3. Thread one of the 2-inch bolts

through the holes.

4. Thread a wingnut with washer over

the bolt and hand-tighten to a firm feel (Fig. 3).

5. Attach the remaining two legs to the mount in the same manner.

6. Spread the legs out evenly apart.

7. Set the height of your tripod:

a. Rotate and loosen the

leg lock thumbscrew (2, Inset B) to unlock the leg lock.

b. Slide the inner portion of the leg in or

out to the desired length. Repeat for the other two legs.

c. Rotate and tighten the leg lock

thumbscrew to relock the leg lock.

d. Repeat for the other two legs.

ATTACH THE ACCESSORY TRAY

The tray helps stabilize the tripod and is

also a convenient holder of eyepieces and

other Meade accessories, such as the Barlow lens.

1. Remove the plastic covers on the leg brace supports (11, Inset B).

2. Attach the triangular accessory tray to the leg

brace supports using the supplied one-half inch bolts and screwdriver tool (See Fig. 4).

3. Thread the supplied nut over the end of the bolt.

4. Finger tighten the bolt and nut using the screwdriver tool.

5. Repeat with the other two leg braces.

ATTACH THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER

An eyepiece (19) has a narrow field of view. A viewfinder (24) has a wider field of view, which makes it easier to locate objects. The red dot viewfinder has a red dot to make it easier to line up more

precisely with a target.

1. Note the two thumbscrews (16, Fig. 4) thread onto two bolts on the optical tube. Remove the thumbscrews from the tube.

2. Line up the two holes on the red dot viewfinder bracket over the two bolts. Slide the bracket over the bolts.

Inset A

Inset B

Fig. 4

Fig. 3

attachment point

wingnut

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3. Replace the thumbscrews onto the bolts and tighten to a firm feel.

INSERT THE EYEPIECE

1. Slide the MA25mm eyepiece (19) into eyepiece holder on the focuser (17).

2. Tighten the focuser thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece securely.

ATTACH THE COUNTERWEIGHT(see Fig. 5)

1. Hold the counterweights (5) firmly in one hand, (one by one) slide the counterweights onto the counterweight shaft (6).

2. Threading the shaft into the base of the declination axis (Fig. 5). Be sure to support the counterweight with one hand while performing this step.

3. Slide the counterweight to a position about 2" from the bottom of the shaft.

4. Secure in place by tightening the counterweight lock (7).

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Make sure the safety washer and screw (8) always remain in place on the shaft.

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BALANCING THE TELESCOPE

In order for the telescope to move smoothly on its mechanical axes, it must first be balanced as follows:

1. Loosen the right ascension lock (22). The telescope mount will turn freely about the polar axis. Rotate the telescope about the polar axis so that the counterweight shaft (6) is parallel to the ground (horizontal).

2. Loosen the counterweight's locking thumbscrew (7) and slide the counterweights (5) along the shaft until the telescope remains in any given position without tending to drift up or down around the polar axis. Retighten the counterweight lock (31). The telescope is now balanced.

PREPARE MOUNT

1. Attach the flexible cables (3) and (4) (See Fig. 6). These cables are secured in place with a firm tightening of the thumbscrews located at the attachment ends of each cable.

2. Tilt the polar axis of the telescope to roughly a 45

° angle with the horizon:

(on reverse side)

Fig. 5

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

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3. Check this alignment at night on a celestial object, such as the Moon or a bright star, and use the viewfinder’s alignment screws to make any necessary refinements.

UNDERSTANDING CELESTIAL MOVEMENTS AND COORDINATES

Understanding where to locate celestial objects and how those objects move across the sky is the key to enjoying the hobby of astronomy. Most amateur astronomers

Loosen the latitude adjustment lock (9, Fig. 6) so you can move the mount to the desired position.

3. Re-tighten the latitude adjustment lock to secure the mount in place.

ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT

1. Lay the optical tube (12) with cradle rings (14) onto the saddle plate (13) (See Fig. 6).

2. Tighten the cradle ring attachment lock knob (36) to a firm feel.

ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER

Perform the first part of this procedure during the daytime and the last step at night.

1. Point the telescope at an easy-to-find land object such as the top of a telephone pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look through the eyepiece and turn the focuser knob (31) until the image is sharply focused. Center the object precisely in the eyepiece’s field of view.

2. Look through the red dot viewfinder. Turn one or more of the viewfinder’s alignment screws (34, Inset B) until the red dot is precisely over the same object as you centered in the eyepiece.

practice "star-hopping" to locate celestial objects. They use star charts or astronomical software to identify bright stars and star patterns as "landmarks" in their search for astronomical objects. Another technique for locating objects is to use the setting circles that are provided on your telescope.

UNDERSTANDING HOW CELESTIAL OBJECTS MOVE

Due to the Earth's rotation, celestial bodies appear to move from East to West in a curved path through the skies.

All stars and celestial objects are mapped onto an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth. This mapping system is similar to the system of latitude and longitude on Earth surface maps.

In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines of longitude are drawn between the North and South Poles and lines of latitude are drawn in an East-West direction, parallel to the Earth's equator. Similarly, imaginary lines have been drawn to form a latitude and longitude on the celestial sphere. These lines are known as

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SUN WARNING!

NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE

TO LOOK AT THE SUN!

LOOKING AT OR NEAR THE SUN WILL

CAUSE INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE

DAMAGE TO YOUR EYE. EYE DAMAGE IS

OFTEN PAINLESS, SO THERE IS NO WARNING TO THE OBSERVER THAT

DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED UNTIL IT IS TOO

LATE. DO NOT POINT THE TELESCOPE OR

ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR NEAR THE SUN.

DO NOT LOOK THROUGH THE TELESCOPE

OR ITS VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING.

CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT

SUPERVISION WHILE OBSERVING.

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