Meade ETX-70AT User Manual

Instruction Manual

ETX-60AT Astro Telescope with Autostar Hand Controller
ETX-70AT Astro Telescope with Autostar Hand Controller

Meade Instruments Corporation

WARNING!

Never use a Meade®ETX®Astro
Telescope to look at the Sun!

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.

CAUTION: Use care to install batteries in
the orientation indicated by illustration in the
battery slots of the battery holder. Follow
battery manufacturer's precautions. Do not
install batteries backwards or mix new and
used batteries. Do not mix battery types. If
these precautions are not followed, batteries
may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly
installed batteries void your Meade warranty.

If you are anxious to use your telescope
for the first time,

read the QUICK-START

GUIDE on page 3.

® The name “Meade,” the Meade logo, and “ETX” are trade­marks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal
countries throughout the world. All rights reserved.

Design: Automated Telescope - Patent No. D417881

© 2000 Meade Instruments Corporation.

Looking at or

CONTENTS

Quick-Start Guide .......................................................... 3

Telescope Features ...................................................... 4

Autostar Features .......................................................... 7

Getting Started ..............................................................10

Parts Listing ..............................................................10

How to Assemble Your Telescope ............................10

Choosing an Eyepiece..............................................10

Manual Operation Without Using Autostar................11

Manual Operation Using Autostar's Arrow Keys ......11

Moving Through Autostar’s Menus ..........................12

Initializing Autostar ....................................................12

Autostar Operation ........................................................13

Autostar Navigation Exercise....................................13

Easy Two-Star Alignment ..........................................14

Observing Exercises ......................................................15

Go To Saturn ............................................................15

Using the Guided Tour ..............................................15

Autostar Menus ..............................................................16

Complete Autostar Menu Structure ..........................16

Objects Menu............................................................16

Event Menu ..............................................................17

Glossary Menu..........................................................18

Utilities Menu ............................................................18

Setup Menu ..............................................................19

Advanced Features ........................................................21

Terrestrial and Astronomical Observing ....................21

Sidereal Rate ............................................................21

Alignment (Mount) ....................................................21

Alt/Az Alignment ..................................................21

Alt/Az Home Position ....................................21

Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment..............................21

One-Star Alt/Az Alignment ............................21

Slew Speeds........................................................22

Observing a Satellite ..........................................23

Photography with the ETX ..................................23

Optional Accessories......................................................25

Maintenance and Servicing ............................................27

Storage and Transport ........................................27

Inspecting the Optics ..........................................27

Troubleshooting ..................................................28

Meade Customer Service....................................29

Specifications ......................................................29

Appendix A: Equatorial (Polar) Alignment ......................31

Appendix B: Using Autostar to Enter Coordinates ........33

Appendix C: Helpful Charts............................................34

Appendix D: Training the Drive ......................................35

Appendix E: Initialization Example ................................36

Basic Astronomy ............................................................37

Roadmap to the Stars ....................................................39

QUICK-START GUIDE

5

6

A

B

C

1

2

3

4

A

C

D

B

A

1. Take the ETX from its packaging and place it on a
sturdy surface. Remove the cover from the bat­tery compartment (
top of the drive base and carefully lift the 9v con­nector and the battery holder from the compart­ment. Insert six AA-size batteries into the battery
holder, oriented as shown on the battery holder.
Connect the 9v connector plug (A) to the connec­tor (B) on the battery holder. Return the battery
holder to the battery compartment. Replace the
cover. See page 10 for more information.

20, Fig. 1, page 4) located on

B

Slew Speed:

Slow

.
.
.

Medium

.
.
.

Fast

4. Press the Speed/? key (C) to accept the Sun
warning. Keep pressing the ENTER key (A) until
"Country/State" appears on the display. (Ignore
the prompts requesting "Date" and "Time" for now
– these functions will be explained later). Use the
Scroll keys (D) to cycle through the lists of
Country/States, Cities, and Telescope Models.
Press ENTER (A) when the correct information for
each prompt displays. The display then reads
"Setup: Align." See page 11 for more information.

You can now use the Arrow keys (B) to slew
(move) the telescope up, down, right, or left. To
change the telescope’s slew speed, briefly press
the Speed/? key (C). Each press decreases the
slew speed down one level, and then will cycle
back to the fastest speed.

A

2. Make sure that the computer control panel power
switch is in the OFF position. Remove Autostar

18, Fig. 1) from the packing materials and plug it

(
into the HBX port (A).

A

3. Flip the Power Switch (A) on the computer control
panel to the ON position. The copyright message
lights on Autostar’s LCD display.

5.

Tighten (to a "firm feel" only, do not overtighten) the
vertical and horizontal locks (6, 9, Fig. 1).
5 for more information. Remove the dust cover
from the end of the telescope tube. Place the MA
25mm eyepiece (A) into the eyepiece holder on
the telescope and tighten the attachment thumb­screw (B) to a "firm feel" only. Make sure that the
flip-mirror control (C) is in the “up” position. See
page 6, for more information.

6. Sight along the side of the telescope’s main tube
to locate an object. Practice using the Autostar’s
Arrow keys to center an object in the telescope’s
field of view. Use the telescope’s focus knob (

Fig. 1) to bring the object into focus.

If you wish to observe using Autostar’s
databases, go to

Page 14 to learn how to perform an Easy Two-Star Alignment;
Page 15 for some practice observing exercises;
Page 16 to

learn about Autostar’s menus and databases.

:

See page

8,

Quick Start Guide 3

TELESCOPE FEATURES

1

21774519673

15

1416131112818910

20

A

BDC

(opposite side)

(on top of base,
not shown)

(not shown)

Fig. 1: The ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT Telescope.

4 Telescope Features

Except for the lens

123

456

789

diameter, the
Meade ETX-60AT
and the ETX-70AT
are identical; all
procedures and
descriptions in this
manual apply to
both telescopes.

CAUTION:

Using products other
than standard
Meade accessories
may cause damage
to the telescope’s
internal electronics
and may void the
Meade warranty.

ETX:Your Personal Window to the Universe

The Meade ETX-60AT and the ETX-70AT are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes
with features similar to those once available only with larger and more specialized imaging sys­tems. With pushbutton controls, automatic tracking of celestial objects, and software down­loading capability, an ETX telescope may be all the telescope ever required by many terrestri­al and astronomical observers.

Your ETX telescope reveals nature in an ever-expanding level of detail. Observe the feather
structure of an eagle from 50 yards or study the rings of the planet Saturn from a distance of
800 million miles. Focus beyond the Solar System and observe majestic nebulae, ancient star
clusters, remote galaxies, and even stars recently discovered to have planets orbiting about
them. Meade ETX telescopes are instruments fully capable of growing with your interest and
are ideal for both the casual observer and serious astronomer alike.

Eyepiece -

in place with thumbscrew (

Eyepiece Holder Thumbscrew - Tightens the eyepiece in place. Tighten to a "firm feel"
only.

90° Eyepiece Holder - Holds the eyepiece upright for easy viewing.

Optical Tube - The main optical component that gathers the light from distant objects and

brings this light to a focus for examination with the eyepiece.

Movable Objective Lens Cell - This component contains the telescope’s lenses. The
focus knob (8, Fig. 1) moves the cell for precise image focus.

Vertical Lock - Controls the manual vertical movement of the telescope. Turning the ver­tical lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope enabling it to be freely rotated by hand
about the vertical axis. Turning the vertical lock clockwise (to a "firm feel" only) prevents
the telescope from being moved manually, but engages the vertical motor drive for
Autostar operation.

Place the MA 25mm eyepiece into the 90° Eyepiece Holder (3, Fig. 1) and tighten

2, Fig.1).

NOTE: The vertical lock knob (6, Fig. 1) is a knurled knob located on the fork arm
to the right of the focus knob (8, Fig. 1). Mounted beneath the knob is a circular
scale with no numbers. Do not confuse this scale with the Dec setting circle

17, Fig. 1) on the opposite fork arm which has a numbered scale used to locate

(
astronomical objects.

CAUTION: When loosening the vertical lock, be sure to support the objective lens

5, Fig.1). The weight of the objective lens could cause the tube to swing down-

cell (
ward suddenly and damage the telescope.

Fork Arms - Hold the optical tube in place.

Focus Knob -

Moves the telescope’s objective lens (5, Fig. 1) in a finely-controlled motion

to achieve precise image focus. The ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT telescopes can be focused
on objects from a distance of about 17 ft. to infinity. Rotate the focus knob clockwise to
focus on distant objects, and counterclockwise to focus on nearby objects.

Horizontal Lock - Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the telescope. Turning the
horizontal lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope, enabling it to be freely rotated by
hand about the horizontal axis. Turning the horizontal lock clockwise prevents the tele­scope from being rotated manually, but engages the horizontal motor drive for Autostar
operation.

Telescope Features 5

Computer Control Panel

161718

192014

15

111213

10

A. Handbox (HBX) Port - 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 - Turns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar ON or OFF.

Fig. 2a: Flip mirror
control in the “up”
position.

D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port -

Provides connection for current and future Meade acces­sories, such as the Meade “AstroFinder Software with Cable Connector Kit,” which
allows you to control your ETX from a PC. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,”
page 25.

Base Housing - Supports the telescope for placement on a flat, level surface, such as
a tabletop or optional tripod. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25.

Holes for Optional Tripod (not shown, on the bottom plate) - See your tripod’s instruc­tion sheet for mounting information.

Right Ascension (R.A.) Setting Circle - See "APPENDIX A," page 31, for detailed infor­mation.

Cellback containing Flip-Mirror and Flip-Mirror Control Knob - ETX telescopes
include an internal mirror. With the flip-mirror control in the “up” position, as shown in Fig.

, light is diverted to the eyepiece. With the flip-mirror control in the “down” position, as

2a

shown in Fig. 2b, light proceeds straight out the photo port for photography. See
“PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE ETX,” page 23.

NOTE: The flip-mirror control is in the “up” position when the control is vertical
(perpendicular to the telescope tube). To place the flip-mirror in the “down” posi­tion, turn the control counterclockwise until it stops.

Photo Port - Attach any 35mm camera with a removable lens to this port using an
optional #64ST T-Adapter or attach the #933 Erecting Prism for correctly oriented images
through the eyepiece. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25.

Declination (Dec) Setting Circle (on left fork arm) - See "APPENDIX A," page 31, for
detailed information.

Fig. 2b: Flip mirror
control in the “down”
position.

6 Telescope Features

Autostar with attached coil cord - See page 7 for a description of Autostar’s features.

Dust Cap - Unthread the dust cap counterclockwise from the front lens of the telescope.

NOTE: The dust cap should be replaced after each observing session and the
power turned off to the telescope. Verify that any dew that might have collected
during the observing session has evaporated prior to replacing the dust cap.

Battery Compartment - Install batteries in this compartment. See page 10 for more
information.

1

2

5

4

3

6

8

7

9

AUTOSTAR FEATURES

Fig. 3: #494 Autostar Handbox.

Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button

Control of the ETX-60AT and the ETX-70AT 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 Autostar are:

• Automatically move the telescope to any of the 1400 objects stored in the database or
manually enter the astronomical coordinates of any celestial object.

• Take a guided tour of the best celestial objects to view on any given night of the year.

• Download the latest satellite data and software revisions directly from the Meade website

www.meade.com) and share software with other Autostar enthusiasts. (Requires option-

(
al #506 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit. See “OPTIONAL ACCES­SORIES,” page 25.)

• Access a glossary of astronomical terms.

• Calculate which eyepiece to use for optimum viewing of a celestial object.

• Mount the telescope in the “Alt/Az” mode (Altitude - Azimuth, or vertical - horizontal) for
fully automatic tracking of celestial objects using a flat, level surface, such as a tabletop,
or the optional #882 Standard Field Tripod. (See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25.)

Autostar Features 7

The Autostar Computer Controller provides control of virtually every telescope function within

1

2

345

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 database make Autostar extremely
user friendly.

NOTE: Autostar does not require batteries; the telescope’s batteries supply power
to Autostar.

2-Line LCD Display - Provides an interface between Autostar and the telescope.

Top line: Lists the primary category or menu item.

•

• Bottom line: Contains a menu option or information about an object or subject,

depending on which function is being performed.

ENTER Key - Accesses, in a sequential manner, the next menu or data level in the
Autostar database. See “MOVING THROUGH AUTOSTAR'S MENUS,” page 12 and
“AUTOSTAR’S MENUS,” page 16.

NOTE: If ENTER is pressed for two seconds or more and then released, Autostar
emits a beep and “ENTER to Sync” is displayed. "ENTER to Sync" is relevant only
after the telescope has been aligned and is pointing at an object. If the "ENTER to
Sync" feature is accessed by mistake, press MODE to return to the previous
screen. See “HIGH PRECISION,” page 20, for more details about this feature.

MODE Key - Returns to the previous menu or data level in the Autostar database until the
top level, “Select Item," is reached. The MODE key is similar to the ESCAPE key on a com­puter.

NOTE: Pressing MODE while in the “Select Item” level moves Autostar to the top­most screen: “Select Item: Object.”

NOTE:

Throughout this man­ual, you will notice
the term "Alt/Az."
Alt/Az is frequently
used to refer to alti­tude or horizontal
and azimuth or verti­cal. Alt/Az is just one
of many methods
used by amateur
astronomers to help
locate stars in the
night sky.

NOTE: If MODE is pressed and held for two seconds or more, the following infor­mation is then available using the Scroll keys (6 and 7, Fig. 3):

• Right Ascension and Declination (astronomical) coordinates (see "APPENDIX A")

• Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates

• Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST)

• Timer and Alarm Status

Press MODE again to return to the previous menu.

GO TO Key - Slews (moves) the telescope to the coordinates of the currently selected
object. While the telescope is slewing, the operation may be aborted at any time by press­ing any key except GO TO. Pressing GO TO again resumes the slew to the object.

Arrow Keys - Slew the telescope in a specific direction (up, down, left, and right), at any
one of nine different speeds. Speed selection is explained in “SLEW SPEEDS,” page 22.
The following functions are also available with the Arrow keys:

• Data Entry - Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to scroll through the letters of

the alphabet and numerical digits. The Down Arrow key starts with the letter "A"
and the Up Arrow key starts with the digit "9." The Left and Right Arrow keys are
used to move the blinking cursor left and right across the LCD display.

Alt/Az Alignment - Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move the telescope

•
vertically up and down. The Left Arrow key rotates the telescope horizontally
counterclockwise, while the Right Arrow key rotates it clockwise.

8 Autostar Features

6

789

TIPS

FOR BEGINNERS

Scroll Keys - 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 letters of the alphabet and numerical digits.

NOTE: The Scroll Down key and the Down Arrow key move forward through the
alphabet & digits (A to Z, 0 to 9). The Scroll Up key and the Up Arrow key move
backward (Z to A, 9 to 0). Common symbols are also available in the list.

Speed/? Key - Pressing the Speed/? key cycles through the nine slew speeds that move
the telescope. Each time the Speed/? key is pressed briefly, the current slew speed is
shown for about two seconds on the display. See “SLEW SPEEDS,” page 22.

The Speed/? key also accesses the "Help" file. "Help" provides on-screen information on
how to accomplish whatever task is currently active.

NOTE: Pressing the Speed/? key very briefly changes the slew speed. Holding
down the Speed/? key longer (one to two seconds) accesses the Help function.

Hold down the Speed/? key and then follow the prompts on the display to access details
of Autostar functions in the Help feature. The Help system is essentially an on-screen
instruction manual.

If you have a question about an Autostar operation,

e.g., INITIALIZATION, ALIGNMENT,

etc., hold down the Speed/? key and follow the directions that scroll on the second line of

the LCD screen. When a word appears in [brackets], press ENTER to access the Autostar
Glossary. A definition or more detailed information is displayed. Press MODE to return to
the scrolling Autostar Help display.

When satisfied with the Help provided, press MODE to return to the original screen and
continue with the chosen procedure.

Coil Cord - Plug the Autostar coil
cord into the HBX port (10A, Fig. 1)
of the computer control panel of the
telescope.

Join an Astronomy Club

Attend a Star Party

One of the fun ways to learn about astronomy is to
join an astronomy club. Check your local newspa­per, school, library, or telescope dealer/store to find
out if there’s a club in your area.

At club meetings, you will meet other astronomy
enthusiasts with whom you will be able to share
your discoveries. Clubs are an excellent way to
learn more about observing the sky, to find out
where the best observing sites are, and to compare
notes about telescopes, eyepieces, filters, tripods,
and so forth.

Often, club members are excellent astrophotogra­phers. Not only will you be able to see examples of
their art, but you may even be able to pick up some
“tricks of the trade” to try out on your ETX tele­scope. See page 23 for more information about
photography with the ETX.

Many groups also hold regularly scheduled Star
Parties at which you can check out and observe
with many different telescopes and other pieces of
astronomical equipment. Magazines such as
Telescope and Astronomy print schedules for many
popular Star Parties around the United States and
Canada.

Sky &

Autostar Features 9

2

1

3

Fig. 4: View of the
scope

showing six AA-size
batteries mounted inside the
battery compartment:

(1) Battery Compartment
(2) Battery Holder
(3) 9v Connector
(4) Battery Holder Connector

ETX tele-

GETTING STARTED

Parts Listing

Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first open­ing the packing box, note carefully the following parts:

• The ETX Astro Telescope with fork mount system.

• #494 Autostar handbox with attached coil cord.

• MA 25mm and MA 9mm eyepieces, each packed in a plastic storage container.

• Hex-wrench, packed with the instruction manual. See “GENERAL MAINTENANCE,”
page 27.

How to Assemble Your Telescope

Assembly of the ETX telescope requires only six AA-size (user-supplied) batteries and a few, simple steps:

1. The telescope’s battery compartment (
the battery compartment by lifting the release latch and pulling it away from the drive base.

2. Remove the battery holder from the compartment and carefully lift the 9v connector out
from the compartment. Take care not to accidentally detach the wires of the battery con­nector from the base. Whenever you replace the batteries, to safeguard the wires, dis-

4

connect the 9v connector from the battery holder before removing the batteries.

3. Insert six AA-size batteries into the battery holder, oriented as shown on the diagram on
the battery slots of the battery holder. Insert the center battery on each side last for easi­er installation. Connect the 9v connector plug to the battery holder. Carefully replace the
battery holder back into the battery compartment. Replace the cover.

CAUTION: Use care to install batteries as indicated by the battery compartment.
Follow battery manufacturer's precautions. Do not install batteries backwards or
mix new and used batteries. Do not mix battery types. If these precautions are not
followed, batteries may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly installed batteries
void your Meade warranty. Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used
for a long period of time.

1, Fig. 4) is located on top of the drive base. Open

Fig.5: MA 25mm and
MA 9mm eyepieces.

4. Be certain that the power switch on the computer control panel (10C, Fig. 1) is in the OFF
position. Plug the coil cord of the Autostar Controller into the HBX port (10A, Fig. 1).

NOTE: Autostar does not require batteries; the telescope’s batteries supply power
to Autostar.

5. Remove the MA 25mm eyepiece (1, Fig. 1) from its container and place it in the eyepiece
holder (3, Fig. 1). Tighten the thumbscrew (2, Fig. 1) to a "firm feel" only. Unscrew the dust
cover counterclockwise to remove it from the telescope.

Basic assembly of the telescope is now complete.

Choosing an Eyepiece

A telescope’s eyepiece magnifies the image formed by the telescope’s main optics. Each eye­piece has a focal length, expressed in millimeters, or “mm.” The smaller the focal length, the
higher the magnification. For example, an eyepiece with a focal length of 9mm has a higher
magnification than an eyepiece with a focal length of 25mm.

Your telescope comes supplied with two standard eyepieces. The MA 25mm eyepiece gives a
wide, comfortable field of view with high image resolution, while the MA 9mm eyepiece pro­vides a smaller field of view but higher magnification when seeing conditions permit.

Low power eyepieces offer a wide field of view, bright, high-contrast images, and eye relief dur­ing long observing sessions. To find an object with a telescope, always start with a low power
eyepiece such as the MA 25mm. When the object is located and centered in the eyepiece, you
may wish to switch to a higher power eyepiece to enlarge the image as much as practical for
prevailing seeing conditions.

NOTE: Seeing conditions vary widely from night-to-night and site-to-site.Turbulence

in the air, even on an apparently clear night, can distort images. If an image
appears fuzzy and ill-defined, back off to a lower power eyepiece for a more well­resolved image (

Fig. 7a and 7b).

10 Getting Started

TIPS

FOR BEGINNERS

NOTE:

For a list of magnifica­tion ratings of the eye­pieces available for
the ETX-60AT and
ETX-70AT telescopes,
see "OPTIONAL
ACCESSORIES,"
page 25.

Fig. 6: Autostar's Arrow
keys.

NOTE:

Autostar requests the
Country/State, City,
and Telescope Model
information only the
first time Autostar is
activated. If you wish to
change this informa­tion, use the "Site" and
"Telescope Model"
options in the Setup
menu.

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. To calculate eyepiece power, divide the tele­scope's focal length by the eyepiece's focal length.

E.g., a 25mm eyepiece is used with the

ETX-60AT. The focal length of the ETX-60AT is 350mm (see "SPECIFICATIONS," page 29).

Eyepiece Power =

Telescope Focal Length 350mm

Eyepiece Focal Length 25mm

=

= 14X

The eyepiece power, or magnification is therefore 14x.

Manual Operation of the Telescope without Autostar

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. Set the telescope on a table
top or tripod, loosen the horizontal and vertical locks (

6 and 9, Fig. 1), and turn the telescope

towards the object you wish to observe. Sight along the top of the tube until you find the object.
When the object appears in the eyepiece, focus the image using the by turning the focus knob
(

8, Fig. 1). Rotate the knob clockwise to focus on distant objects and counterclockwise to focus

on nearby objects.
You can also observe stars and objects in the night sky using this method, but note that objects

begin to slowly drift across the eyepiece field. This motion is caused by the rotation of the Earth.
As you become familiar with Autostar operation, you can counteract the drift using the auto­matic tracking feature in the Setup menu (see "TO TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY,"
page 20), or by using Autostar's GO TO capabilities (see "GO TO SATURN," page 15).

Manual Operation of the Telescope Using Autostar's Arrow Keys

You may also observe land and astronomical objects using Autostar's Arrow keys.
If you have not already done so, prepare your telescope following the steps described in "HOW

TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE," page 10. Next, flip the On/Off Switch (
computer control panel to the ON position. The copyright message lights on Autostar’s display.
Press the Speed/? key (

8, Fig. 3) to accept the Sun warning. The "Getting Started" message

displays. Keep pressing the ENTER key (A) until "Country/State" appears on the display.
(Ignore the prompts requesting "Date" and "Time" for now – these functions will be explained
later in the manual).

Use the Scroll keys (D) to cycle through
the database of countries/states. Press
ENTER (A) when your location displays.
Next, use the Scroll keys (D) to scroll to
the nearest city to your observing site
and press ENTER. Next, use the Scroll
keys (D) to scroll to your telescope
model and press ENTER. The display
then reads "Setup: Align."

You can now use the Arrow keys (5, Fig.

3) to slew (move) the telescope up,

down, right, or left. To change the tele­scope’s slew speed, briefly press the
Speed/? key (8, Fig. 3). Each press
decreases the slew speed down one
level, and then cycles back to the fastest
speed. See page 22 for more informa­tion.

Tighten (to a "firm feel" only, do not over­tighten) the vertical and horizontal locks
(

6 and 9, Fig. 1). Sight along the side of

the telescope’s main tube to locate an
object and practice using the Autostar’s
Arrow keys to center the object in the

Can you ever have too much power? If the type of
power you’re referring to is eyepiece magnification,
yes, you can! The most common mistake of the
beginning observer is to “overpower” his or her tel­escope by using high magnifications which the tele­scope’s aperture and atmospheric conditions can
not reasonably support. Keep in mind that a small­er, but bright and well-resolved image is far superi­or to one that is larger, but dim and poorly resolved
(see below). Powers above 110X should be
employed only under the steadiest atmospheric
conditions.

Autostar can calculate the best eyepiece for you to
use. Try out the “Eyepiece Calc” feature in the
Utilities menu.

Most observers should have three or four addition­al eyepieces to achieve the full range of reasonable
magnifications possible with the ETX telescopes.
See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25.

Too Much Power?

telescope’s field of view. Use the tele­scope’s focus knob (

8, Fig. 1) to bring

the object into focus.
This procedure demonstrates just a very

small part of Autostar's capabilities. In the
next section of this manual, you will begin
to learn how to make use of Autostar's
extensive and powerful features.

Fig. 7a & b: Jupiter; example of too much magnification.

10, Fig. 1) on the

Getting Started 11

Initialization is a pro­cedure that ensures
that Autostar oper­ates correctly. When
you first use Autostar,
it doesn't yet know
where the observa­tion location site is or
the time or date of
the observation ses­sion.

During the procedure,
you will enter infor­mation, such as the
current time and date,
observation location,
and telescope model.
Autostar uses this
information to pre­cisely calculate the
location of celestial
objects (such as stars
and planets) and how
to move your tele­scope correctly for
various operations.

Moving Through Autostar’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 to enter characters and digits.

The Arrow keys are also used to move the telescope.

Initializing Autostar

This section describes how to initialize Autostar. Perform this procedure the first time you use
Autostar or after performing a RESET. An example of this procedure is presented in
"APPENDIX E," page 36.

1. Make sure that the vertical and horizontal locks (
on page 5.

2. Verify that Autostar is properly connected to your telescope. See “HOW
YOUR TELESCOPE,”

3. Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position.
The Autostar screen is activated and a copyright message displays briefly, followed by a

short beep. Then Autostar takes a few moments to start up the system.

4. A message displays that warns not to look at the Sun. At the end of this message, press
the Speed/? key to signify that the message has been read and understood.

5. The Getting Started menu displays a scrolling message with two choices:

a. Hold down the Speed/? key (

When finished, press MODE (
cedure, or,

b. Press ENTER (

6. Autostar then requests the current date. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys (
enter the digits for the date. Use the Right Arrow key (
to the next in the day display, and also to move to the month. Then, use the Scroll keys (

and 7, Fig. 3

When the
Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to enter all four digits of the current year. Press ENTER
when the date has been entered.

7. Autostar then requests the current time. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to enter the
time. (Use a "0" for the first digit if less than 10.
from one number to the next. Press one of the Arrow keys (
"PM." If you select the "blank" choice that follows "AM" and "PM," the clock displays time
in a 24-hour (military time) format. Then, press ENTER to start the clock.

NOTE: When multiple choices are available within a menu option, the current option

is usually displayed first and highlighted by a right pointing Arrow (>).

) to cycle through the list of months.

current month is displayed, use the Right Arrow (5, Fig. 3) to move to the year.

page 10.

8, Fig. 3) for information on Autostar functions and controls.

3, Fig.3) to exit Help and to return to the Getting Started pro-

2, Fig. 3) to bypass the Help tutorial and continue with initialization.

6 and 9, Fig. 1) are secured as described

TO ASSEMBLE

5, Fig. 3) to

5, Fig. 3) to move from one number

) Use the Right (or Left) Arrow key to move

5, Fig. 3) to scroll to "AM" or

6

12 Getting Started

8. The next screen requests the status of Daylight Savings Time. Pressing a Scroll key tog­gles between the YES/NO settings. Select the desired setting by pressing ENTER.

NOTE: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by a different name in various

areas of the world.

9. The next screen asks for the Country or State (listed alphabetically) of the observing site.
Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the database of countries, states, and provinces.
Press ENTER when the correct location displays.

10. The next screen asks for the city (listed alphabetically) closest to the observing site. Use
the Scroll keys to cycle through the database of cities. Press ENTER when the correct city
appears on screen.

11. The next screen asks for the telescope model. Use the Scroll keys to locate ETX-60 or
ETX-70. Press ENTER to select the appropriate model.

12. System initialization is complete and the screen reads "Setup: Align".

AUTOSTAR OPERATION

The Universe of

Autostar

Select Item:
Setup

Select Item:
Utilities

Select Item:
Glossary

Select Item:
Guided Tour

Select Item:
Event

Select Item:
Object

SETUP
Quick, easy alignment
permits all telescope
operations with only
a 2-minute setup.

UTILITIES
Calculate eyepiece
magnifications; set the
timer for an observing
session; or survey user
landmarks in 30-second
intervals.

GLOSSARY
Discover the world of astronomy
by alphabetically accessing 
astronomical terms.

OBJECT
Select from over 1400 database objects and
press GO TO to move the telescope automatically to the
object and place it in the telescopic field of view.

EVENT 
Access the time of
an astronomical
event, such as the 
rising or setting
times of the Moon.

GUIDED TOUR
Journey through the
universe as Autostar
escorts you to the 
best celestial objects
at your location.

Object
Event 
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup



Select Item
Solar System

Select Item
Object

ENTER

Fig. 8: The Autostar Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of Autostar.

Fig. 9: Menus set in a

loop.

Fig. 10: Autostar levels.

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 capability is a quick way to get to an option that is
near the bottom of the list. The following example demonstrates this capability.

Example:

To navigate to the “Select Item: Setup” menu option when the “Select Item: Object” menu is displayed:

1. Press the Scroll Down key four times or the Scroll Up key once.
The screen in

Figure 10 displays two lines of information. The top line shows the current menu

level. The second line displays an option which may be selected within that menu level. Some
options are choices that select the next menu level down. The Scroll keys move up and down
within the list of available options, showing one option at a time.

When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to choose that
option and move down one menu level.

Press the MODE key to leave a level;

IMPORTANT NOTE: No matter how many levels into Autostar are traveled, each
press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "Select Item," is

e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.

reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to the topmost level,
"Select Item: Object."

Autostar Navigation Exercise

To demonstrate how the Autostar menu structure works, the following exercise calculates
Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.

NOTE: To perform an accurate calculation, Autostar must be properly initialized
with the current date, time, and location of the observing site. To enter the current
date, time, and location information of your observing site, see “INITIALIZING
AUTOSTAR,” page 12, before proceeding with this exercise.

Autostar Operation 13

North

Declination 

at 0˚

Pointer

IMPORTANT NOTE:

The "Telescope: Mount"
option of the Setup
menu is set to "Alt/Az"
as the default alignment
by the factory. The
example presented in
this section assumes
that you are performing
an alignment procedure
for the first time with
your telescope and
therefore, the
"Telescope: Mount"
option does not need to
be selected. For infor­mation on equatorial
(Polar) alignment, see
“APPENDIX A,” page

Fig. 11: Alt/Az Alignment
Home Position

.

NOTE:

The GO TO key also
allows you to perform a
"spiral search." A spiral
search is useful when
the telescope slews to
an object, but that object
is not visible in the eye­piece after the telescope
finishes it search. (This
sometimes occurs dur­ing an alignment proce­dure.) Press GO TO
when the slew is finished
and the telescope starts
slewing in a spiral pattern
at a very slow speed
around the search area.
Look through the eye­piece and when the
object does become vis­ible, press MODE to stop
the spiral search. Then
use the Arrow keys to
center the object.

To 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 the Scroll Down key once to display the "Sunset" option in the Event menu.

5. Press the ENTER key to choose the "Sunset" option and move down another level.

6. Autostar calculates the Sunset time based on the current date, time, and location. Autostar
then displays the results of the calculation.

7. Press MODE once to start moving back up through the Autostar levels. The first level up
is the Event menu.

8. Press MODE again to move up another level. This is the top level, "Select Item."

9. Press MODE again to return to the starting point of "Select Item: Object."

Easy Two-Star Alignment

The fastest and easiest way to start observing with Autostar is to use Easy Two-Star Alignment.
Autostar automatically picks two stars from its database for the Easy Two-Star Alignment pro-

cedure. During the Easy Alignment procedure, Autostar slews the telescope to a first alignment
star. The user is asked to verify that the telescope is pointed at the chosen star and then to cen­ter the star in the eyepiece. The process is repeated with a second star to complete the align­ment.

NOTE: Before aligning the telescope, first verify that “INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR,”
page 12, has been performed. See “MOVING THROUGH AUTOSTAR’S MENUS,”
page 12, for a description of how Autostar’s keys operate.

Easy Two-Star Alignment Procedure:

1. Sun Warning - Press the Speed/? key to accept.

2. Getting Started - Press ENTER to continue, or the Speed/? key to access the Autostar
Help tutorial. Press MODE to leave the tutorial at any time.

Enter Date - Enter the current date, then press ENTER.

3.

4. Enter Time - Enter the current time. Select "AM," "PM," or 24-hour clock (blank). Then
press ENTER.

Daylight Savings - Select “Yes” or “No,” then press ENTER.

5.

6. Alignment Option Screen - “Setup: Align” displays. Press ENTER.

7. Select Alignment - “Align Easy” displays. Press ENTER.

8. Set Home Position - Autostar then prompts you to set the telescope in the Alt/Az
Alignment home position. To set your telescope in the "Alt/Az" home position:

• Loosen the telescope’s vertical lock (

• Level the optical tube by lining up 0° on the Dec setting circle (17, Fig. 1) with the

pointer (Fig. 13).

• Tighten the vertical lock (6, Fig. 1) to a "firm feel" only.

• Unlock the horizontal lock (

9, Fig. 1) and turn the telescope horizontally until it points

North. Re-lock the horizontal lock (9, Fig. 1).

• Press ENTER. See “ALT/AZ HOME POSITION,” page 21, for more information.

9 . Star Alignment - The Autostar then chooses two stars to align upon. When the telescope

slews to the first star for alignment, it may not appear in the field of view in the eyepiece.
The alignment star should be easily recognized and be the brightest star in the area of the
sky where the telescope is pointing. Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope until the
star is visible and centered in the eyepiece. Press ENTER. Repeat procedure for the sec­ond alignment star.

NOTE: Autostar locates alignment stars based on the date, time, and location
entered. The alignment stars may change from night to night. All that is required is
for the observer to center the selected stars in the eyepiece when prompted.

6, Fig. 1).

14 Autostar Operation

TIPS

FOR BEGINNERS

NOTE:

Keep in mind that
when viewing
through the eye­piece, images of
terrestrial objects
are right-side-up,
but reversed left-for­right. Normally, such
an image orienta­tion is not bother­some, unless trying
to read a distant
sign, for example.

If the telescope is to
be used for exten­sive terrestrial
observations, a cor­rectly oriented
image is provided
with the #933 45°
Erecting Prism. See
“OPTIONAL
ACCESSORIES,”
page 25.

OBSERVING EXERCISES

Go To Saturn

After performing the Easy Two-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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once aligned, only use the GO TO or Arrow keys to move the
telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks (
manually, or alignment will be lost.

This exercise demonstrates how to select an object for viewing from Autostar’s database. This
example demonstrates how to select Saturn.

NOTE: Saturn is not visible the entire year and you may need to choose another
object from Autostar's database; however, the procedure, as described below,
remains the same.

1 After the telescope is aligned, “Select Item: Object” displays. Press ENTER.

2. “Object: Solar System” displays. Press ENTER.

3. “Solar System: Mercury” displays. Keep pressing the Scroll Down key until “Solar System:
Saturn” displays.

4. Press ENTER. “Calculating” displays. Then “Saturn” and a set of coordinates displays.
Saturn’s (and other planets’) coordinates change throughout the year.

5. Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until it finds Saturn.
You may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn precisely in the eyepiece. Autostar
then automatically slews (moves) the telescope so that it "tracks" Saturn (or whatever
other object you may have chosen);
object is observed in the telescope without using Autostar's GO TO or automatic tracking
capabilities (see "TO TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY
eyepiece gradually drift out of the field of view due to the Earth's rotation.

i.e., Saturn remains centered in the eyepiece. If an

6 and 9, Fig. 1), or move the base

," page 20), objects in the

Using the Guided Tour

This example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour.

1. After observing Saturn, press MODE twice so that “Select Item: Object” displays again.

2. Press the Scroll Down key twice. “Select Item: Guided Tour” displays.

3. Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’s Best” displays. Press ENTER.

NOTE: If you wish to try out other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down key to scroll
through other tour choices. When
the tour you wish to select dis­plays, press ENTER.

4. “Tonight’s Best: Searching...” dis­plays. After calculating, “Tonight’s
Best: Jupiter” displays.

NOTE: Different objects may be
displayed on a tour list on any
given night.

Press ENTER or Speed/? to display
information about the object. Press
GO TO 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 find the next object you wish to
observe.

6. Press MODE repeatedly to leave
the Guided Tour menu.

Which One’s the Alignment

Star?

If Autostar has chosen an alignment star with which
you are unfamiliar, how can you be sure if the star
in your eyepiece is really the alignment star?

The rule of thumb is that an alignment star is usual­ly the brightest star in that area of the sky. When
you view an alignment star in an eyepiece, it stands
out dramatically from the rest of the stars in that
portion of the sky.

If you have an obstruction, such as a tree or a build­ing blocking your view of the alignment star, or if
you have any doubts at all about the star that has
been chosen, no problem. Just press the Scroll
Down key and Autostar will find another star to align
upon.

Observing Exercises 15

Solar System
 Mercury
 Etc.
 Moon
 Asteroids
 Comets
Constellations
 Andromeda
 Etc.
Deep Sky
 Named Object
 Galaxies
 Nebulae
 Planetary Neb.
 Etc.
Star
 Named 
 SAO Catalog
 Double
 Etc.
Satellite
 Select
 Add
 Delete
 Edit
User Objects
 Select
 Add
 Delete
 Edit
Landmarks
 Select
 Add
 Delete
Identify



Sunrise
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonset
Moon Phases
 Next Full Moon
 Next New Moon
 Next 1st Qtr
 Next 3rd Qtr
Meteor Showers
 Quadrantids
 Lyrids
 Eta Aquarids
 Delta Aquarids
 Perseids
 Orionids
 Taurids
 Leonids
 Geminids
 Ursids
Solar Eclipses
Lunar Eclipses
Min. of Algol
Autumn Equinox
Vernal Equinox
Winter Solstice
Summer Solstice

Tour Objects

A...
 Accretion Disk
 Etc.
B...
C...
D...
E...
F...
G...
H...
I...
J...
K...
L...
M...
N...
O...
P...
Q...
R...
S...
T...
U...
V...
W...
X...
Y...
Z...

Timer
 Set
 Start & Stop
Alarm
 Set
 On & Off
Eyepiece Calc.
 Field of View
 Magnification
 Suggest
Display Options
 Sun Warning
 Getting Started
Brightness Adj.
Contrast Adj.
Battery Alarm
Landmark Survey
Sleep Scope
Park Scope

Align
 Easy
 One Star
 Two Star
Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope
 Tele. Model
 Focal Length
 Az/Alt Ratio
 Mount
 Train Drive
 Tracking Rate
 Reverse L/R
 Reverse Up/Dn
 Calibrate Motor
 High Precision
Targets
 Astronomical
 Terrestrial
Site
 Select
 Add
 Delete 
 Edit
Owner Info
Download
Statistics
Reset


Select Item:
Object

Select Item:
Event

Select Item:
Guided Tour

Select Item:
Glossary

Select Item:
Utilities

Select Item:
Setup



Tonight's Best
 How Far is Far
 A Star's Life


16 Autostar Menus

AUTOSTAR MENUS

The Complete Autostar Menu Structure

Object Menu

Almost all observing with Autostar is performed using the Object menu category. (NOTE:

Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey.)See “GO TO SATURN,” 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 Autostar database is a list of viewable

objects, such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae and so forth. When one of these objects is
selected, Autostar moves your telescope (if properly aligned) and points it at the selected
object.

The Object Menu functions include:
Solar System is a database of the eight planets (Earth is not included) in order out from the

Sun, followed by the Moon, asteroids, and comets.
Constellation is a database of all 88 Northern and Southern Hemisphere constellations. When

this menu option is chosen and a constellation name appears on the first line of the screen,
press GO TO once to change the second line to the name of the brightest star in the constel­lation. Press GO TO a second time to slew the telescope to that star. Use the Scroll keys to
cycle through the list of stars in the constellation, from brightest to dimmest.

Deep Sky is a database of objects outside our Solar System such as nebulae, star clusters,
galaxies, and quasars.

Star is a database of stars listed in different categories such as named, double, variable, or
nearby.

Satellite is a database of Earth-orbiting objects such as the International Space Station, the
Hubble Space Telescope, Iridium, Global Positioning System satellites, and geosynchronous
orbit satellites. See

User Objects allows the user to define deep-sky objects of specific interest that are not cur­rently in the Autostar database. See "APPENDIX B," page 33, for more information.

Use the
entered into Autostar.

Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent Autostar database.

Landmark Survey option in the Utilities menu to sequentially view all Landmarks

IMPORTANT NOTE: To use the Landmark function, the telescope must be located

and aligned exactly as when the landmark was added to the database. Additionally,
the telescope needs to be mounted in the same configuration, i.e., Alt/Az or Polar.

“OBSERVING SATELLITES,” page 23.

TIPS

FOR BEGINNERS

• Select - To 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 TO and the tel­escope slews to the object.

Add - To add a Landmark, choose the "Add" option. Enter a name for the Landmark.

•
Locate and center the Landmark, then press ENTER.

Identify is an exciting feature for an observer who wants to scan the night sky and start explor­ing. After the telescope has been properly aligned, use the Autostar Arrow keys to move about
in the sky. Then follow this procedure:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Only use the Arrow keys to move the telescope during the
Identify procedure. Do not loosen the telescope locks or move the base. Alignment
is lost.

1. When a desired object is visible in the eyepiece, keep pressing MODE until the “Select
Item: Object” menu is displayed.

2. Scroll through the Object menu options until the “Object: Identify” screen appears.

3. Press ENTER. Autostar searches the database for the identity of the object being
observed.

4. If the telescope is not directly on an Autostar database object, the nearest database object
is located and displayed on the screen. Press GO TO and the telescope slews to that
object.

Event Menu

The Event menu provides access to dates and times of astronomical events. The Event data­base includes:

Sunrise and Sunset calculates the time
that the Sun rises or sets on the current
date. Find rise and set times for other
dates by entering a new date into the
“Setup: Date” menu.

Moonrise and Moonset calculates the
time that the Moon rises or sets on the
current date. Find rise and set times for
other dates by entering a new date into
the “Setup: Date” menu.

Moon Phases displays the date and
time of the next Full, New, 1st Quarter,
and 3rd Quarter Moon.

Meteor Showers provides information
on upcoming meteor showers, such as
the Perseids, the Leonids,

etc. Also lists
the dates of the showers and when they
reach maximum.

NOTE: Meteors are fast moving
objects that cover large areas of
the sky and are usually best
observed with the naked eye.

Solar Eclipse lists upcoming Solar
Eclipses, including the date and type (total,
annular, or partial) of eclipse, and the location
and time of the first and last contacts of the
Moon's shadow. Use the Scroll Up and Down
keys to display the available data. Remember,
never use a telescope to look at the sun! See
“WARNING!” page 2.

• Try to pick an observing site away from street
and house lights and car headlights. While this
is not always possible, the darker the site, the
better.

• Give your eyes about ten minutes to adjust to
the darkness before observing. Give your eyes
a rest from observing every ten or fifteen min­utes to relieve eyestrain.

• Try not to use a standard flashlight. A lot of
observers use red LED flashlights or tape red
cellophane over their flashlights to use for
setup and map reading so they don’t have to
continually readjust their eyes to the darkness.
Be careful not to shine bright lights if there are
other observers in the area. Do not shine a
flashlight into the telescope while someone is
observing!

• Dress warmly. It gets chilly when you’re sitting
for prolonged periods.

• Practice setting up your equipment during the
day or in a lighted area to become familiar with
it before going to a dark site.

• Use your 25mm eyepiece to view terrestrial
objects and wider areas of space, such as
open star clusters. Use your 9mm eyepiece
when you wish to view something up close,
such as craters on the Moon or the rings of
Saturn.

•

Know your observing site. If you’re going to try
out an unfamiliar site, check it out in the daylight
for possible obstructions and pitfalls.

Autostar Menus 17

Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, partial, penum­bral) 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 sys­tem, Algol. It is relatively close at a distance of 100 light years. Every 2.8 days during a 10-hour
period, Algol undergoes a major change in apparent magnitude as one of the two stars passes
behind the other. The combined magnitude of the two stars thus dips from +2.1 to a minimum
of +3.4 halfway through the eclipse as the second star is hidden. Autostar calculates minimum
magnitude time at mid-eclipse.

Autumn and Vernal Equinox 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 and Autostar functions. Access directly through the Glossary menu or
through hypertext words embedded in Autostar. A
usually found when using the Autostar Help function or when reading a scrolling message such
as a description of a planet or star. Press ENTER whenever a hypertext word is on screen and
Autostar links directly to the glossary entry for that word.

To access directly from the Glossary menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll through the alphabet.
Press ENTER on the desired letter. Scroll to the desired entry, then press ENTER to read the
description.

hypertext word is any word in [brackets],

Utilities

The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features within Autostar, including a count­down timer and an alarm. The Utilities functions include:

Timer selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful for functions such as astrophotography
and tracking satellites. See “OBSERVING SATELLITES,” page 23. To use the Timer, press
ENTER, then choose “Set” or “Start/Stop”.

•

• Start/Stop: Activates the timer set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON

Alarm selects a time for an alarm signal as a reminder. To use the Alarm, press ENTER, then
choose "Set" or "Start/Stop."

•

• Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON

Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope to which
Autostar is connected.

• Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected,

•

• Suggest: Autostar calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing, based on the

Display Options enables or disables Autostar’s two initial displays. If both displays are dis-

• Sun Warning: Turns the “Sun Warning” message on or off.

• Getting Started: Turns the “Getting Started” message on or off.

Menu

Set: Enter the time to be counted down, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then press ENTER.

and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the timer. When the timer runs
out, four beeps sound and the timer is deactivated.

Set: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then press
ENTER.

and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the alarm. When the alarm time
arrives, Autostar beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate the alarm.

the field of view is calculated.
Magnification: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected,

the magnification is calculated.

telescope and the object being viewed.

abled, Autostar begins with the Date display.

18 Autostar Menus

Brightness Adj: Adjusts the brightness of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press

TIPS

FOR BEGINNERS

ENTER.
Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contrast of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press

ENTER.

NOTE: This feature is usually only required in very cold weather.

Landmark Survey automatically slews the telescope to all user-defined landmarks with a short
pause at each location. Press ENTER to start the survey. While a slew is in progress, press
any key to skip that object and go to the next landmark on the list. To observe a landmark for
a longer period, press MODE when paused on the object to stop the survey. Press ENTER to
restart the survey at the first object on the list. See "Landmark," page 16.

Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shuts down Autostar and the telescope without for­getting its alignment. With "Sleep Scope" selected, press ENTER to activate the Sleep func­tion. Autostar goes dark, but the internal clock keeps running. Press any key, except ENTER,
to re-activate Autostar and the telescope.

Park Scope is designed for a telescope that is not moved between observing sessions. Align
the telescope one time, then use this function to park the telescope. Next time it is powered up,
enter the correct date and time - no alignment is required. Pressing ENTER causes the tele­scope to move to its pre-determined Park position. Once parked, the screen prompts to turn off
power.

IMPORTANT NOTE: When the "Park Scope" option is chosen and the display
prompts you to turn off the telescope's power, Autostar is unable to be returned to
operation without turning the power off and then back on.

Setup

Menu

The Setup menu’s primary function is to align the telescope (see pages 14 and 21). However,
there are numerous other features available within the Setup menu, including:

Date changes the date used by Autostar. This function is useful to check events in the past or
future. For example, set the Date menu for a day three months in the future. Then check the
"Select Item: Event" menu for the Sunset
time on that date. See “EVENT MENU,”
page 17.

Time changes the time entered into
Autostar. Setting the correct time is criti­cal for Autostar to properly calculate
locations and events. Time may be set to
24-hour mode (military time) by selecting
the "blank" option which follows the "AM"
and "PM" options.

Daylight Saving is used to enable or
disable Daylight Savings time.

NOTE: Daylight Savings Time may
be referred to by different names in
various areas of the world. Check
local time to verify.

Telescope accesses the several
options, including:

•

Telescope Model: Selects the
model of telescope connected to
Autostar.

•

Focal Length: Displays the focal
length of the selected telescope.

•

Az Ratio and Alt Ratio: The Az
(Azimuth) ratio and Alt (Altitude)
ratio refers to the gears of the tele­scope's motors. Do not alter these
numbers.

•

Mount: Choose between Alt/Az
mount or Polar Mount. Mount requires
that the telescope be physically
aligned to the mount selected in this
menu. The default setting is "Alt/Az."

One of the most exciting resources for astronomy is
the internet. The internet is full of websites with new
images, discoveries, and the latest astronomical
information. For example, when comet Hale-Bopp
made its approach to our Sun in 1998, astronomers
around the world posted new photos daily.

You can find websites for almost any topic relating
to astronomy on the internet. Try the following key
word searches: NASA, Hubble, HST, astronomy,
Messier, satellite, nebula, black hole, variable stars,
etc.

Check out Meade’s website for the latest product
and technical information. You can download the
latest software revisions, links to other astronomi­cal sites, coordinates of celestial objects and the
latest satellite tracking information for your #494
Autostar handset. See page 20 for more informa­tion. You’ll find our website at:

Here are some other sites you might find interesting:

• Sky & Telescope:

• Astronomy:

• The Starfield:

• Astronomy Picture of the Day:

• Heaven’s Above (satellite observing information):

Surf the Web

http://www.meade.com/

http://www.skypub.com/

http://www2.astronomy.com/astro/

http://users.nac.net/gburke/

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.goc/apod/

http://www.heavens-above.com/

Autostar Menus 19

IMPORTANT NOTE:

While performing the
automatic tracking pro­cedure, only use the
Arrow keys to move
the telescope. Once
the telescope has
been set in the Alt/Az
home position, do not
loosen the telescope
locks (6 and 9, Fig. 1),
or move the base
manually, or alignment
will be lost.

Time Zone Shift

Atlantic -4 Hours
Eastern -5 Hours
Central -6 Hours
Mountain -7 Hours
Pacific -8 Hours
Hawaii -10 Hours

Table 1: Time Zone Shift.

NOTE:

The Download function
requires the optional
#506 Astrofinder
Software and Cable
Connector Kit. See the
instruction sheet
included with the kit for
more information on
how to download. Also
see “OPTIONAL
ACCESSORIES,” page

25.

20 Autostar Menus

• Train Drive: Trains 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 point­ing and tracking.

•

Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in the sky.
a.

Sidereal: The default setting for Autostar; sidereal rate is the standard rate at which
stars move from East to West across the sky due to the rotation of the Earth.

b.

Lunar: Choose this option to properly track the Moon over long observing sessions.

c.

Custom: Allows entry of user-defined tracking rates.

•

Reverse L/R: Reverses the functions of the Left and Right Arrow keys (i.e., the Right key
moves the telescope to the left

).

• Reverse UP/DOWN: Reverses the functions of the Up and Down Arrow keys (i.e., the Up

key moves the telescope down

).

• Calibrate Motor: If the telescope motors appear to have a problem, use this option to

retest the motors before doing a Reset. This option is also used if an Autostar unit is moved
between telescopes to match Autostar to the telescope.

•

High Precision: If High Precision is turned on, when looking for a faint celestial object (i.e.,
a nebula or galaxy), Autostar first slews to a nearby bright star and displays "ENTER to
Sync." Center the star in the eyepiece, then press ENTER. At that point the telescope has
a high precision alignment to that part of the sky and it then slews to the object that was
originally requested.

Targets switches between Astronomical targets and Terrestrial targets. If Astronomical targets
are selected, the telescope tracking motor is activated and objects you're observing will remain
centered in the eyepiece. If Terrestrial targets are selected, the tracking motor is turned off.

To track an object automatically, set the telescope in the Alt/Az home position (see "EASY
TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT PROCEDURE, step #8", page 14), locate an object you wish to
observe using Autostar's Arrow keys (see page 11), and center the object in the eyepiece. Then
scroll to the "Targets: Astronomical" menu display and press ENTER. Autostar then automati­cally slews (moves) the telescope to keep the object centered in the eyepiece.

Site provides access to several options including:

•

Select: Displays the currently selected observing site and and also allows you to select

other sites you have entered into a user-defined database (see "Add" below). Use

the Scroll keys to cycle through all available sites in this database. Press ENTER when the
site you wish to select displays. Use this option when you move to a different geographic
location.

NOTE: Only the site that is entered during Initialization (see page 16) will be dis­played until other sites are entered with the "Add" option.

• Add: Allows you to add a new observing site to the database (up to six sites may 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. Time
Zone refers to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) time zone shift. Users West of Greenwich,
England use “-” hours, East of Greenwich use “+” hours. For the United States, look up the
time zone shift in Table 1.

NOTE: Autostar compensates for daylight savings time, if selected. See “Setup
Menu: Daylight Saving,” page 19.

Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including:

• Name: Users may enter both their first and last names using the Up and Down Arrow keys

to cycle through the alphabet. Use the Right and Left Arrow keys to move through the text.
Press ENTER when the entry is complete.

•

Address: Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to enter your street address, city, state, and
zip code. Press ENTER when the entry is complete.

Download transfers information from a personal computer or another Autostar. During the
operation, the warning “Downloading Do Not Turn Off” appears.

Statistics provides basic statistical data about Autostar, including:

•

Characters Free: Shows how much room is available in user-defined object memory.

•

Version: Shows the current version of the Autostar software.

Reset completely resets Autostar. Autostar requires initialization again after a Reset before pro-

ceeding with observations. See “INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR,” page 12. You also need to per­form “TRAINING THE DRIVE,” page 35.

ADVANCED FEATURES

North

Declination 

at 0˚

Pointer

Terrestrial Observing

The ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT 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 than higher power eyepieces. Therefore,
low power eyepieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. If the image is fuzzy or ill­defined, reduce to a lower power eyepiece, where the heat waves do not have such an effect
on image quality. Observing in early morning hours, before the ground has built up internal
heat, produces better viewing conditions than during late afternoon hours.

Astronomical Observing

Used as an astronomical instrument, your telescope has many optical and electromechanical
capabilities. It is in astronomical applications where the high level of optical performance is
readily visible. The range of observable astronomical objects is, with minor qualification, limit­ed only by the observer’s motivation.

Sidereal Rate

As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear to move from East to West. The
speed at which the stars move is called the sidereal rate.

If the telescope is aligned, the motor drive is designed to rotate the telescope at the sidereal
rate so that it automatically tracks the stars. This tracking makes it easy to locate objects and
keep them centered in the telescope’s eyepiece.

Alignment (Mount)

The telescope's mount permits the movement of the telescope in both Altitude (vertically) and
Azimuth (horizontally). In order to automatically track a celestial object, the mount must be
properly aligned. Easy Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment is described on page 14.

Fig. 12: Tripod set in Alt/Az
Configuration on optional
#882 tripod.

Fig. 13: Alt/Az Home

Position.

Alt/Az Alignment

One-Star Alt/AZ Alignment or Two-Star Alt/AZ Alignment allows you to choose the alignment
stars during the alignment procedure. The stars are chosen from Autostar’s database of align­ment stars. The database displays after One-Star Alt/Az or Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment is select­ed. .

The term "Alt/Az." is frequently used to refer to the Altitude or horizontal and Azimuth or verti­cal movements of the ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT telescopes. Other terms to describe a tele­scope's movement may be used with telescopes that have mounts different from the ETX-60AT
and ETX-70AT.

Alt/Az Home Position

To set your telescope in the "Alt/Az" home position:

• Set the telescope on a flat level surface, such as a tabletop, or by mount it on the
optional #882 tripod

• Loosen the telescope’s vertical lock (

• Level the optical tube by lining up 0° on the Dec setting circle (17, Fig. 1) with the
pointer (

• Tighten the vertical lock (6, Fig. 1) to a "firm feel" only.

• Unlock the horizontal lock (9, Fig. 1) and turn the telescope horizontally until it points
North. Learn the position of Polaris, the North Star, which lies due North (Fig. 20).
A small pocket compass may be useful

• Re-lock the horizontal lock (9, Fig. 1).

• Press ENTER.

Fig. 13).

6, Fig. 1).

Advanced Features 21

Fig. 14: Alt/Az Two-Star

Alignment.

Fig. 15: Alt/Az One-Star
Alignment.

Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment

Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Two-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.

Perform steps 1 through 8 as described in the "EASY TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT

1.
PROCEDURE," page 14.

2 . Align to the first star. Autostar then displays a database of stars for the observer to

choose from. Use the Scroll keys to scroll to a star that you wish to align upon. Select a
star that you can easily locate in the night sky.

Press ENTER. The telescope slews to the star for alignment. Use the Arrow keys to move

3.
the telescope until the star is visible and centered in the eyepiece.

4. Press ENTER. Repeat procedure for the second alignment star. The telescope is aligned
and you are now ready to use Autostar's GO TO capabilities for a night of observing.

One-Star Alt/Az Alignment

Level: Intermediate

One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar provides a database of
bright stars. One-Star Alignment is identical to Two-Star Alt/Az: Alignment (see “TWO-STAR
ALT/AZ ALIGNMENT,” above), except only one star from this database is chosen by the observ­er for alignment.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The accuracy of One-Star Alt/Az Alignment, unlike the Two­Star Alt/Az Alignment procedure, depends on how well the observer levels the tel­escope and how close to North the telescope is pointed when setting the Home
Position (Fig. 12). Because Two-Star Alignment uses two stars to align upon, it is
more precise than One-Star Alignment.

Slew Speeds:

Autostar has nine slew speeds that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate and have been
calculated to accomplish specific functions. Pressing the Speed/? key briefly changes the slew
speed, which is shown for about two seconds on Autostar’s display.

NOTE: Pressing the Speed/? key very briefly changes the slew speed. Holding down the
Speed/? key longer (one to two seconds) accesses the Help function.

The nine available speeds are:

Speed 1 = 5° = 1200 x sidereal (300 arc-min/sec or 5°/sec)
Speed 2 = 2° = 480 x sidereal (120 arc-min/sec or 2°/sec)
Speed 3 = 1° = 240 x sidereal (60 arc-min/sec or 1°/sec)
Speed 4 = 0.5° = 120 x sidereal (30 arc-min/sec or 0.5°/sec)
Speed 5 = 64x = 64 x sidereal (16 arc-min/sec or 0.27°/sec)
Speed 6 = 32x = 32 x sidereal (8 arc-min/sec or 0.13°/sec)
Speed 7 = 16x = 16 x sidereal (4 arc-min/sec or 0.067°/sec)
Speed 8 = 8x = 8 x sidereal (2 arc-min/sec or 0.033°/sec)
Speed 9 = 2x = 2 x sidereal (0.5 arc-min/sec or 0.008°/sec)

Speed 1: Moves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another
Speeds 2 or 3: Best used for rough centering of an object in the eyepiece.

Speeds 4, 5, or 6: Enables centering an object in the field of a low-to-moderate power eye-

piece, such as the standard MA 25mm.
Speeds 7, 8, or 9: Best used for fine centering of an object in the field of view of a high power

eyepiece, such as the standard MA 9mm or higher powers.

22 Advanced Features

Observing a Satellite

NOTE: Satellite observing is an exciting challenge. Most satellites are in low orbit,
traveling at approximately 17,500 mph. They move quickly across the sky and are
visible only for a few minutes, requiring Autostar to slew the telescope rapidly. Best
viewing is near Sunrise or Sunset when the sky is still dark. Viewing in the middle
of the night can be problematic because the satellite may pass overhead, but not
be visible as it is in the Earth's shadow.

1. Choose a satellite from the Select menu, then press ENTER. Autostar scans its database
to find if that satellite is expected to pass overhead within the next 6 hours.

2. If a satellite is expected, use the Scroll keys to access a list of information about the pass,
including acquisition time, location,

3. At the end of the list is “Alarm.” Press ENTER and Autostar automatically sets the alarm to
sound several minutes before the scheduled appearance. You may return to regular obser­vations until the alarm goes off.

4. When the alarm goes off, return to the Satellite menu and press a Scroll key until the
desired satellite is on the top line of the display.

5. Press GO TO. Autostar slews the telescope to where the satellite should appear. The motor
drive stops and a countdown starts.

NOTE: If the scheduled appearance position of the satellite is obstructed (i.e., by a

building, tree, or hill), press ENTER and Autostar starts to move the telescope
along the expected satellite track. When the track clears the obstruction, press
ENTER again to pause the telescope, then continue with this procedure.

6. With about 20 seconds left on the countdown timer, start watching through the eyepiece
for the satellite to enter the field of view.

7. When the satellite enters the field of view, press ENTER. The telescope starts to track with
the satellite.

8. Use the Arrow keys to center the object in the eyepiece to view the object. Satellite orbits
change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched. Visit the Meade
website (
instructions on how to download this data to Autostar. If orbital parameters are more than
one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by Autostar. To
download new satellite data into Autostar memory requires the optional Astrofinder
Software and Cable Connector Kit. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25.

www.meade.com) approximately once a month to get updated information and

etc.

Photography with the ETX

Photography through the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT requires the addition of the optional #64ST
T–Adapter. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25. With the #64ST T-Adapter attached to
the telescope (
body with a removable lens. In this way, the telescope effectively becomes the lens of the camera.

For through-the-telescope photography, turn the flip-mirror control (15, Fig. 1) to the “down”
position, allowing light to pass straight through the telescope and out the photo port (
With the flip-mirror control in the “down” position and the photo port’s dust cover removed, the
front lens of the telescope can be seen when looking through the photo port. The #64ST T­Adapter (1, Fig. 17) threads on to the photo port, followed by a T-Mount (2, Fig. 17) for the par-
ticular brand of 35mm camera being used, followed by the camera body (

To frame an object in the viewfinder of the 35mm camera body, use a small jeweler’s screw­driver to slightly loosen three adjustment screws (4, Fig. 17) around the outer knurled ring of
the T-Mount. Rotate the camera body to achieve proper framing of the object; then re-tighten
the adjustment screws.

Fig. 17), through-the-telescope photography is possible with any 35mm camera

16, Fig. 1).

3, Fig. 17).

Advanced Features 23

Fig. 16: Example of
vignetting.

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

3

1

image appears on film with a slight darkening
(vignetting) at the corners of the 35mm frame

Fig. 16).

(

4

When removing the T-Adapter and T-Mount from
the photo port, the T-Adapter may become
torqued to either the photo port or the T-Mount.
If this occurs, the T-Adapter has a slot on both

2

sides which may be used to loosen the T­Adapter. Place a metal straight edge, or similar

Fig. 17: ETX with #64ST T-Adapter.

instrument across the two slots and turn coun­terclockwise to remove the T-Adapter. Photography through a long lens such as the ETX-60AT
or ETX-70AT requires special technique for good results, and the photographer should proba­bly expect to waste a roll or two of film in acquiring this technique. Long-lens photography has
its own rewards, however, rewards that short-focus lenses cannot duplicate.

A few tips on photography with the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT:

1. Use the optional #882 Standard Field Tripod or the #883 Deluxe Field Tripod as a platform
for the telescope. At an effective focal length of 350mm, even small external vibrations can
easily ruin an otherwise good photo.

CAUTION: With the #64ST T-Adapter and a camera body mounted to the ETX­60AT or ETX-70AT photo port, the telescope can only be rotated vertically about
45°. Moving past this point may damage the telescope and camera.

2. Use a cable-operated shutter release. Touching the camera body to initiate shutter opera­tion almost certainly introduces undesirable vibrations.

3. Focus the image with extreme care. While observing the subject through the camera’s
reflex viewfinder, turn the telescope’s focus knob (

8, Fig. 1) to achieve the sharpest pos-

sible focus. Note that some 35mm cameras may have an optional focusing screen (avail­able from the manufacturer) for use with a long telephoto lens. This screen provides a
brighter and clearer image to focus, and is highly recommended.

4. Correct shutter speeds vary widely, depending on lighting conditions and film used. Trial­and-error is the best way to determine proper shutter speed in any given application.

NOTE: The camera used with your telescope may have an exposure meter that is
still active when the standard lens is removed and the body is connected to the tel­escope with the T–Mount. If used for terrestrial photography, the camera meter
should be acceptable. If used for astrophotography, the meter probably will not pro­vide good results since camera meters are not made to compensate for a dark sky.

5. Terrestrial photography through the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT is sensitive to heat waves ris­ing from the Earth’s surface. Long distance photography is best accomplished in the early
morning hours before the earth has had time to build up heat.

6. Photography of the Moon and planets through the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT can be espe­cially gratifying, but points 1 through 4 should be particularly noted in this case. Lunar or
planetary photography requires that the telescope be Polar aligned. See “APPENDIX A,”
page 31.

NOTE: Long exposure photography of deep-sky objects is not practical with the
ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT, since this type of photography requires special elec­tronic and optical guiding devices not available for these telescopes.

24 Advanced Features

Fig. 18: Astrofinder
Software.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories are available for the ETX-60AT and
ETX-70AT. 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 instrument itself.

Meade telescopes and accessories, including optional accessories for ETX telescopes, are
available at more than 3,000 dealer locations in the U.S. and Canada and through Meade inter­national distributors worldwide. Once you have identified the accessories you wish to order,
contact your local Meade authorized dealer. To find a dealer near you call
visit the Meade website at www.meade.com.

#506 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit: Displays more than 10,000 celes­tial wonders – galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, stars, and planets – on your PC, enabling even
the beginner to locate and identify objects to observe with the telescope or to print out star
charts for use in observing sessions. Operates with any Windows™-based personal computer.
The Cable Connector Kit permits connection of the ETX-60AT and the ETX-70AT, Autostar, and
PC, for downloading of new software to Autostar or for updating of Earth satellite or other celes­tial object positions. This kit is included with each AstroFinder Software package.

Eyepieces: Meade Modified Achromatic eyepieces, supplied as standard-equipment with the
ETX-60AT and the ETX-70AT, permit observing powers of 39X (MA 9mm) and 14X (MA 25mm).
Optional eyepieces of the Plössl (PL) optical design yield higher and lower powers, combined
with bright, sharp images. Any of these eyepieces may be used in conjunction with the #124 2x
Barlow Lens or #128 3x Barlow Lens (below) to double or triple, respectively, eyepiece powers.

Meade Modified Achromatic (MA) and Wide Angle (WA) eyepieces in the standard American­size (1.25”) barrel diameter (

Fig. 19) permit a wide range of magnifying powers with the ETX-

60AT and ETX-70AT. Powers obtained with each available eyepiece are shown in the follow­ing table:

[phone] or

Fig. 19: Optional
Eyepieces.

Eyepiece Power 2x Barlow lens 3x Barlow lens
MA 9mm* 39X 78X 117X

MA 25mm* 14X 28X 42X
PL 4mm 88X 176X 264X
PL 5mm 70X 140X 210X
PL 6mm 58X 116X 174X
WA 18mm 19X 38X 57X

* Included as standard-equipment with the ETX-60AT and

ETX-70AT

with #124 with #128

Meade Modified Achromatic (MA), Wide Angle (WA), and Plössl (PL) eyepieces are ideal for
general-purpose astronomical or terrestrial observing. The typical ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT user
may wish to add two or three of these eyepieces to his or her telescope. An introductory selec­tion might include the PL 6mm eyepiece, while the more advanced observer might select the
PL 4mm, PL 5mm, and WA 18mm. The Meade Wide Angle 18mm eyepiece yields wide fields
of view, perfect for the examination of star fields, diffuse nebulae, or for terrestrial applications.

#124 2x Barlow Lens and #128 3x Barlow Lens: For high-power astronomical applications
these coated, amplifying lenses double (#124) or triple (#128) eyepiece magnifying powers
without any reduction of image resolution.

Example: By itself the PL 5mm eyepiece yields a

power of 70X with the ETX-70AT; used with the #128 3x Barlow Lens, this eyepiece yields a
power of 210X. Insert either Barlow Lens into the telescope's eyepiece holder, followed by an
eyepiece.

These lenses are achromatic, high-performance, short-focus Barlow lenses, perfectly suited to
the low-profile design of the ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT. Lens surfaces are coated for maximum
image contrast and light transmission.

Optional Accessories 25

Fig 20:

#773 Hard Carry

Case.

Fig 21:

#64ST T-Adapter.

Fig 22:

#827 Right-Angle

Viewfinder.

#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 WA eyepieces and is packed in a separate plastic case for secure storage.

#773 Hard Carry Case: For secure portability in the field, the #773 Hard Carry Case (Fig. 20)
is fully lined with fitted foam inserts and accepts the complete ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT Astro
Telescope, plus optional accessories. In order for the telescope to fit in its optional Hard Carry
Case, the telescope’s objective lens must be fully retracted.

#64ST T-Adapter: The #64ST T-Adapter (Fig. 21) is the basic means of photography through
the ETX-60AT or the ETX-70AT. Attach the #64ST T-Adapter to the rear cell of the telescope,
followed by a T-Mount appropriate to your 35mm camera body, and the ETX-60AT or ETX­70AT is a supertelephoto lens of 350mm focal length. See “PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE ETX,”
page 23.

#827 8 x 25mm Right-Angle Viewfinder and Bracket: For easy sighting of terrestrial or astro­nomical objects prior to their observation in the main telescope, the #827 8 x 25mm Right­Angle Viewfinder (Fig. 22) displays a wide 7.5° field of view. Includes a crosshair eyepiece and
precise helicoid focusing; the included viewfinder bracket attaches to the main telescope in
seconds.

#933 45° Erecting Prism: The ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT includes an internal optically-flat mir­ror to reflect light to the telescope’s 90° astronomical observing position. In this position, the
telescope’s image is upright, but reversed left for right. For terrestrial observing with the ETX­60AT or ETX-70AT, the #933 45° Erecting Prism (

Fig. 23) results in a fully correctly oriented

image and a convenient 45° observing angle. The #933 Prism threads on to the telescope’s
photo port (

16, Fig.1). An eyepiece of any focal length (magnifying power) may be inserted into

the #933 Prism. The #933 includes an internal relay lens which increases each eyepiece power
by 2.4x. Note that the flip-mirror control (15, Fig. 1) must be in the “down” position (Fig. 2b) for
use with the #933 Prism.

IMPORTANT NOTE: In the most discriminating applications, such as in observing
delicate bird feather structure at long distance, the telescope’s internal, optically­flat mirror yields a higher-resolution image than is possible with any prism, includ­ing the #933. In these special cases, users are advised to observe with the eye­piece in the standard 90° eyepiece-holder (

15, Fig. 1), with the flip-mirror control in

the “up” position (Fig. 2a). This admonition applies only to situations requiring
extraordinarily high optical resolution where the observer’s eye is well-trained to
observe very fine detail. In typical terrestrial applications, no image differences
between the two eyepiece locations can generally be noted.

Fig 23:

#933 Erecting

Prism.

Fig 24:

#670 Dew Shield.

26 Optional Accessories

#670 Dew Shield: In moist climates, water in the atmosphere may condense on the tele­scope’s lens. Dew formation may be reduced significantly by the addition of a #670 Dew Shield

Fig. 24), which threads into the front cell of the telescope.

(

Tripods: Manufactured of strong, lightweight
extruded aluminum, the

#882 Standard Field
Tripod (Fig. 25a) and the #883 Deluxe Field
Tripod (Fig. 25b) allow standing or seated

observations. The heights of both tripods are
continuously adjustable from 34” to 54”.
Micrometric controls in both azimuth and ele­vation-angle of the #883 Deluxe Field Tripod
permit precise Polar Alignment of the tele­scope’s fork mount for advanced astronomical
applications. When Alt/Az Alignment of the tel­escope is desirable, the tripod head of the

Fig. 25a: #882
Standard Field Tripod
set in Alt/Az
Configuration.

Fig 25b:

Field Tripod set in
Polar Configuration.

#883 Deluxe

#883 tilts and locks at 90°. Both tripods include
all the rigidity and stability required for high­power observing through the telescope.

MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING

General Maintenance

The ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT 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 optics. A little dust on the front surface of the telescope’s
correcting lens causes virtually no degradation of image quality and should not be consid­ered reason to clean the lens.

2. When absolutely necessary, dust on the front lens should be removed with gentle strokes
of a camel hair brush or blown off with an ear syringe (available at any pharmacy
use a commercial photographic lens cleaner.

3. Organic materials (e.g., fingerprints) on the front lens may be removed with a solution of
3 parts distilled water to 1 part isopropyl alcohol. A single drop of biodegradable dish­washing soap may be added per pint of solution. Use soft, white facial tissues and make
short, gentle strokes. Change tissues often.

CAUTION: Do not use scented, colored, or lotioned tissues as damage could result
to the optics.

4. If your telescope is used outdoors on a humid night, telescope surfaces may accumulate
water condensation. While such condensation does not normally cause any damage to the
telescope, it is recommended that the entire telescope be wiped down with a dry cloth
before being packed away. Do not, however, wipe any of the optical surfaces. Rather, sim­ply allow the telescope to sit for some time in warm indoor air, so that the wet optical sur­faces can dry unattended. In addition, the dust cap should not be placed back on to the
optical tube until the telescope is thoroughly dry.

5 If your telescope is not to be used for an extended period, perhaps for one month or more,

it is advisable to remove the six AA-size batteries from inside the drive base. Batteries left
installed for prolonged periods may leak, causing damage to the telescope’s electronic cir­cuitry. See “HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE,” page 10.

6. Do not leave your telescope outdoors on a warm day or inside a sealed car for an extend­ed period of time. Excessive ambient temperatures can damage the telescope’s internal
lubrication and electronic circuitry.

7. A (English-format) hex wrench is provided with the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT. Use the
wrench to tighten the set-screws of any knobs which may loosen, such as the horizontal
lock knob or focus knob.

). Do not

Storage and Transport

When not in use, store the telescope in a cool, dry place. Do not expose the instrument to
excessive heat or moisture. It is best to store the telescope in its original box with the vertical
and horizontal locks (
the original box and packing material to protect the telescope during shipment.

When transporting the telescope, take care not to bump or drop the instrument; this type of abuse
can damage the optical tube and/or the objective lens. It is highly recommended to use the
optional Hard Case to transport the telescope. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25.

6 and 9, Fig. 1) in the unlocked positions. If shipping the telescope, use

Inspecting the Optics

A Note About the “Flashlight Test": If a flashlight or other high-intensity light source is point-

ed down the main telescope tube, the view (depending upon the observer’s line of sight and
the angle of the light) may reveal what appears to be scratches, dark or bright spots, or uneven
coatings, giving the appearance of poor quality optics. These effects are only seen when a high
intensity light is transmitted through the lens or reflected off the mirror, and can be seen on any
high quality optical system, including giant research telescopes.

The optical quality of a telescope cannot be judged by the “flashlight test"; the true test of opti­cal quality can only be conducted through careful star testing.

Maintenance 27

Troubleshooting

The following suggestions may be helpful with operation of the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT.

The power indicator light on the telescope does not come on or there is no response
when pressing Autostar Arrow keys:

• Verify that the Computer Control Panel power switch (10C, Fig. 1) is in the ON position.

• Verify that the Autostar cord (4, Fig. 3) is firmly connected to the HBX port (10A, Fig. 1).

• Verify that the batteries are installed correctly and that they have sufficient charge. See
“HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE,” page 10.

NOTE: If the batteries are getting low on charge, there will be a marked difference
in the slew speed. The speed indicator lights may also flash and the speed may
change. If any of these symptoms occur, turn the power off and replace the batter­ies.

• If Autostar does not respond to commands, set the Computer Control Panel power switch
to OFF and then back to ON.

• If the telescope does not slew after power is applied or if the motor quits or stalls, verify
that there are no physical obstructions that would impede telescope movement.

• If all physical obstacles are removed and the telescope still does not move properly, turn
off the power and unplug Autostar. Plug the Autostar back in and turn the power back on.

Unable to see an image through the eyepiece:

• Confirm that the dust cap has been removed from the telescope.

• Confirm that the flip-mirror control (15, Fig. 1) is in the “up” position (Fig. 2a) if using the
eyepiece holder (
the flip-mirror control is in the “down” position (Fig. 2b) if using the #933 Erecting Prism or
performing photography with the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT. See “TELESCOPE FEA­TURES,” page 4 and “PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE ETX,” page 23.

3, Fig. 1) so that light is directed to the eyepiece (1, Fig. 1). Confirm that

Slew speed does not change when the Speed/? key is pressed, or the telescope moves
slowly even though the fast slew speed is chosen:

•

The battery power may be low. See “HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE,” page 10.

Images through the eyepiece appear unfocused or distorted:

• The magnification used may be too high for the seeing conditions. Back off to a lower
power eyepiece. See “TOO MUCH POWER?,” page 11.

• If inside a warm house or building, move outside. Interior air conditions may distort ter­restrial or celestial images, making it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a sharp focus. For
optimal viewing, use the telescope outside in the open air instead of observing through an
open or closed window or screen.

• If viewing a land object on a warm day, heat waves distort the image. See “TERRESTRIAL
OBSERVING,” page 21.

• For clear viewing of objects, turn the focus knob (
of a telescope is precise. Turning the focus knob too quickly may cause the focus point to
pass without notice.

• The optics within the telescope need time to adjust to the outside ambient temperature to
provide the sharpest image. To "cool down" the optics, set the telescope outside for 10 to
15 minutes before observing begins.

When turning the focus knob, it takes a moment for the image to change:

• The focus knob may need to be reset. Verify that the dust cover is in place at the front of
the objective lens cell (5, Fig. 1). Turn the optical tube so that is pointing straight up
through the fork arms and lock the vertical lock. Carefully, turn the telescope upside down
so that the front of the objective lens cell is resting on a clean, flat surface. Use the pro­vided hex wrench to slightly loosen the focus knob set screw. Make sure the focus knob is
flush against the rear cell of the telescope and retighten the focus knob set screw.

8, Fig. 1) slowly since the “in-focus” point

28 Maintenance

Telescope moves off a terrestrial object while observing:

•

Verify that the vertical and horizontal locks have been tightened to a "firm feel" (6 and 9 Fig. 1).

Telescope pauses when changing slew direction:

• This pause is normal.

A terrestrial object appears reversed left-for-right:

• An eyepiece in the standard 90° observing position (3, Fig. 1) yields this image orientation. To

view a correctly oriented image, the optional #933 Erecting Prism is required. See “OPTIONAL
ACCESSORIES,” page 25.

Meade Customer Service

If you have a question concerning your ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT, contact the Meade Instruments
Customer Service Department at:

Telephone: [phone]
Customer Service hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. In the unlike-

ly event that the ETX requires factory servicing or repairs, write or call the Meade Customer Service
Department first, before returning the telescope to the factory, giving full particulars as to the nature of
the problem, as well as your name, address, and daytime telephone number. The great majority of
servicing issues can be resolved by telephone, avoiding return of the telescope to the factory.

ETX-60AT/ETX-70AT Specifications

Optical design ................................................................Achromatic Refractor

Clear aperture

ETX-60AT ..............................................................60mm (2.36”)

ETX-70AT ..............................................................70mm (2.76”)

Focal length....................................................................350mm

Focal ratio (photographic speed)

ETX-60AT ..............................................................f/5.8

ETX-70AT ..............................................................f/5

Near focus (approx.)

ETX-60AT ..............................................................15 ft. (4.6m)

ETX-70AT ..............................................................17 ft. (5.2m)

Resolving power

ETX-60AT ..............................................................1.9 arc secs

ETX-70AT ..............................................................1.6 arc secs

Multi-coatings on objective lens ....................................Standard

Limiting visual stellar magnitude (approx.)

ETX-60AT ..............................................................11.2

ETX-70AT ..............................................................11.5

Image scale

ETX-60AT ..............................................................4.1°/inch

ETX-70AT ..............................................................4.1°/inch

Maximum practical visual power

ETX-60AT ..............................................................200X

ETX-70AT ..............................................................240X

Optical tube dimensions

(dia. x length)..........................................................9.3cm x 30.4-37.1cm (3.6” x 12-14.6”)

Eyepieces

Modified Achromatic ..............................................MA 25mm (1.25” O.D.)

Modified Achromatic ..............................................MA 9mm (1.25” O.D.)

Telescope mounting........................................................Fork type; double tine

Setting circle diameters ..........................................Dec: 3.5”; RA: 7”

Input voltage ..........................................................9-volts DC

Motor Drive System ................................................

DC servo motors with encoders, both axes

Maintenance 29

ETX-60AT/ETX-70AT Specifications (cont'd)

Slow-Motion Controls ....................................................Electric, 9 speed, both axes

Hemispheres of operation ..............................................North and South, switchable

Bearings:

Altitude ....................................................................Acetal

Azimuth ..................................................................Nylon

Materials

Tube body ..............................................................ABS

Mounting ................................................................High-impact ABS

Objective lens (crown, flint) ....................................BK7, F2

Telescope dimensions ....................................................40.4cm x 18cm x 22cm (15.9” x 7” x 9”)

Telescope net weight: (telescope only, without batteries, eyepieces)

ETX-60AT ................................................................2.6 kg (5.8 lbs.)

ETX-70AT ................................................................2.7 kg (5.9 lbs.)

Telescope shipping weight
(telescope, accessories, instruction manual and packing)

ETX-60AT ................................................................5.4 kg (11.9 lbs.)

ETX-70AT ................................................................5.3 kg (11.7 lbs.)

Battery Life (approx.)

with Autostar ..........................................................20 hrs.

Autostar Specifications

Processor ................................................................................68HC11, 8MHz

Flash Memory ................................................................512KB, reloadable

Keypad............................................................................10 key alphanumeric

Display ............................................................................2 line, 16 character LCD

Backlight ........................................................................Red LED

Coil Cord ........................................................................24"

Autostar Dimensions

Length ............................................................................14.2cm (5.60")

Width (LCD end) ............................................................78.0cm (3.08")

Width (Connector end) ..................................................53.5cm (2.10")

Depth ..............................................................................23.5cm (0.93")

Autostar net weight ........................................................0.169kg (0.35 lbs.

)

30 Maintenance

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

0

1

12

11

10

9

8

7
5

6

4

3

2

13

Earth’s

Rotation

0 Dec.

South 
Celestial 
Pole

Right Ascension

Star

Celestial 
Equator

-90 Dec.

+90 Dec.

North 
Celestial 
Pole
(Vicinity 
of Polaris)

D

e

c

l

i

n

a

t

i

o

n

1

2

Fig. 26:

Tripod set in Polar
configuration
#883 tripod.

on optional

APPENDIX A: EQUATORIAL (POLAR) ALIGNMENT

Polar Alignment

The great majority of ETX-60AT and ETX-70AT
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 purposes, where
the observer might wish to operate the analog set­ting circles
tal setting circles built into the Autostar hand con­troller. Absent a desire to use the analog circles or
simply to be informed about the use of the equato­rial (Polar-aligned) mount, reading of this appendix
may be omitted.

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. Polar Alignment requires the telescope
to be mounted to the optional #883 Deluxe Field Tripod

In order to Polar align your telescope, it is essential to have an understanding of how and where
to locate celestial objects as they move across the sky. This section provides a basic introduc­tion to the terminology of Polar-aligned astronomy, and includes instructions for finding the
celestial pole and for finding objects in the night sky using Declination and Right Ascension.

Celestial Coordinates

Celestial objects are mapped according to a coordinate system on the Celestial Sphere (Fig. 26),
an imaginary sphere surrounding Earth on which all stars appear to be placed. This celestial object
mapping system is analogous to the Earth-based coordinate system of latitude and longitude.

The poles of the celestial coordinate system are defined as those two points where the Earth’s
rotational axis, if extended to infinity, North and South, intersect the celestial sphere. Thus, the
North Celestial Pole (1, Fig. 27) is that point in the sky where an extension of the Earth’s axis
through the North Pole intersects the celestial sphere. This point in the sky is located near the
North Star, Polaris.

In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines of longitude are drawn between the North and South
Poles. Similarly, lines of latitude are drawn in an East-West direction, parallel to the Earth’s
Equator. The Celestial Equator (
tial sphere.

Just as on the surface of the Earth, in mapping the celestial sphere, imaginary lines have been
drawn to form a coordinate grid. Thus, object positions on the Earth’s surface are specified by
their latitude and longitude. For example, you could locate Los Angeles, California, by its lati­tude (+34°) and longitude (118° West); similarly, you could locate the constellation Ursa Major
(which includes the Big Dipper) by its general position on the celestial sphere:

•

•

(13 and 17, Fig.1) in place of the digi-

Fig. 27: Celestial Sphere.

(Fig. 26)

.

2, Fig. 27) is a projection of the Earth’s Equator onto the celes-

R.A.: 11hr; Dec: +50°.

Right Ascension: The celestial analog to Earth longitude is called “Right Ascension,” or
“R.A.,” and is measured in time on the 24 hour “clock” and shown in hours or “hr," minutes
or “min," and seconds or “sec," from an arbitrarily defined “zero” line of Right Ascension
passing through the constellation Pegasus. Right Ascension coordinates range from 0hr
0min 0sec to 23hr 59min 59sec. Thus there are 24 primary lines of R.A., located at 15
degree intervals along the celestial equator. Objects located further and further East of the
prime Right Ascension grid line, 0hr 0min 0sec, carry increasing R.A. coordinates.

Declination: The celestial analog to Earth latitude is called Declination, or “Dec,” and is
measured in degrees, arc-minutes and arc-seconds, e.g., 15° 27' 33". Declination shown
as North of the celestial equator is indicated with a “+” sign in front of the measurement,

Appendix A 31

Polaris

Polaris

Polaris

Little Dipper

Big Dipper

Cassiopeia

IMPORTANT
NOTE: In order to

select any of
Autostar's three
Polar Alignment
options, you must
first select "Polar"
in the "Mount"
option of the
"Setup: Telescope"
menu.

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 celes­tial equator itself which, for example, passes through the constellations Orion, Virgo, and Aquarius, is
specified as having a Declination of zero, shown as 0° 0' 0".

All celestial objects are specified in position by their celestial coordinates of Right Ascension and Declination.

NOTE: Since the second object (i.e., the object to be located) is in constant motion,
once the R.A. circle is calibrated (step 2 above), the telescope should be moved
rapidly to read the coordinates of the second object. Otherwise the second object
will no longer be in the position indicated by the R.A. circle.

Using setting circles requires a developed technique. When using the circles for the first time, try hopping
from one bright star (the calibration star) to another bright star of known coordinates. Practice moving the tel­escope from one easy-to-find object to another. In this way, the precision required for accurate object loca­tion becomes evident.

NOTE: You may also enter an object's
R.A. and Dec coordinates using the "User:
Objects" option of Autostar's Object menu.
Autostar then automatically slews the tel-

escope to the entered coordinates.

Locating the Celestial Pole

To get basic bearings at an observing location, take note

Fig. 28: Locating Polaris.

of where the Sun rises (East) and sets (West) each day. After the site is dark, face North by pointing your
left shoulder toward where the Sun set. To precisely point at the pole, find the North Star (Polaris) by using
the Big Dipper as a guide (

Fig. 28).

For precise tracking of astronomical objects, your telescope should be Polar aligned.
To Polar Align using the #883 Deluxe Field Tripod, follow the instructions provided with the tripod.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For almost all astronomical observing requirements, approximate set­tings of the telescope’s latitude and Polar axis are acceptable. Do not allow undue attention to
precise Polar Alignment of the telescope to interfere with your basic enjoyment of the instru­ment. In those unusual cases where more precise.

Fig. 29: Polar One-Star
Alignment.

Fig. 30: Polar Easy and Two­Star Alignment.

NOTE: When the telescope is Polar aligned, the Vertical Lock (6, Fig. 1) serves as a
Declination Lock and the Horizontal Lock serves as a Right Ascension, or R.A. Lock (

9, Fig.

1).

Autostar Polar Alignment

Autostar provides three different methods for Polar Alignment: Easy, One-Star and Two-Star. In each
method, the telescope is pointed at Polaris, which Autostar uses the star as a reference.

Easy Polar Alignment

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Polaris and two alignment stars are chosen by Autostar based on the date, time, and location entered. The
rest of the procedure is identical to the Easy Two-Star Alt/Az: Alignment

(Fig. 30).

One-Star Polar Alignment

Level: Advanced

Polar Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar provides a database of bright
stars and one star from this database is chosen by the observer for alignment. Polaris is chosen by Autostar.
The rest of the alignment procedure is identical to the Easy Two-Star Alt/Az: Alignment

(Fig. 29). See “EASY

TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT,” page 14.

Two-Star Polar Alignment

Level: Advanced

Polar Two-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. Polaris is chosen by
Autostar. The rest of the alignment procedure is identical to the Easy Two-Star Alt/Az: Alignment
See “EASY TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT,” page 14.

(Fig. 30).

32 Appendix A

APPENDIX B: USING AUTOSTAR TO ENTER R.A.
AND DEC COORDINATES

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 data­base. 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 Object menu and then automatically slews the tele­scope to the user-entered coordinates.

In order to use this menu option, you first need to look up the R.A and Dec coordinates of the
object or objects you wish to observe. Check out your local library, computer store or bookstore
for astronomy books, CD Roms, or magazines (such as Sky & Telescope or Astronomy), to find
coordinates of celestial objects. A list of the coordinates of 14 common stars are printed at the
end of this manual; see "STAR LOCATOR," page 39.

The objects/coordinates you enter become part of your own permanent database, called "User
Objects." You may use this menu to view these object as often as you like, but the objects' coor­dinates just need to be entered once.

To enter coordinates of an object into the "User: Objects" option of the Object menu:

1. Make sure Autostar has been initialized (see "INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR," page 12) and
the telescope has been aligned and set to the Alt/Az home alignment position (see "EASY
TWO-STAR ALIGNMENT," page 14).

2. After the telescope is aligned, "Select Item: Object" displays. (If necessary, use the Scroll
keys to scroll through the menus, as previously described, to find this option.) Press
ENTER.

3. "Object: Solar System" displays. Keep pressing the Scroll Up key until "Object: User
Object" displays and press ENTER.

4. "User Object: Select" displays. Press the Scroll Down key once. "User Object: Add" dis­plays. Press ENTER.

5. "Name" displays on the top line and a blinking cursor on the second line. Use the Arrow
keys (as previously described) to enter the name of the object you wish to add to the data­base. When you are finished, press ENTER.

Right Asc.: +00.00.0" displays. Use the Arrow keys to enter the digits for the Right

6. "
Ascension coordinate of your object. If necessary, use the Scroll Keys to change "+" to "-."
When you are finished, press ENTER.

Declination: +00°.00'" displays. Use the Arrow keys to enter the digits for the Declination

7. "
coordinate of your object. If necessary, use the Scroll Keys to change "+" to "-."
are finished, press ENTER.

8. Autostar then prompts you to enter the Size of the object. This step is optional. Use the
Arrow keys to enter this information, if so desired, and press ENTER to go to the next dis­play. If you do not wish to enter this information, simply press ENTER.

9. Autostar then prompts you to enter the Magnitude of the object. This step is also optional.
Use the Arrow keys to enter this information, if so desired, and press ENTER to go to the
next display. "User Object: Add" displays again.

When you

To GO TO a user-entered object:

1. With "User Object: Add" displayed, press the Scroll Up key once. "User Object: Select" dis­plays. Press ENTER.

2. Use the Scroll keys (if necessary) to scroll to the desired object. Press ENTER.

3. The name of the object and the Right Ascension and Declination coordinates display.

4. Press GO TO and the telescope slews to the object.

Appendix B 33

APPENDIX C: HELPFUL CHARTS

Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World

To aid in the Polar Alignment procedure (see page 30), 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. Then follow the
procedure below:

Northern Hemisphere observers (N): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) North of the listed city, add one degree for
every 70 miles. If the site is over 70 miles South of the listed city, subtract one degree per 70 miles.

Southern Hemisphere observers (S): If the site is over 70 miles North of the listed city, subtract one degree for every
70 miles. If the site is over 70 miles South of the listed city, add one degree per 70 miles.

UNITED STATES
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 Texas 33° N
Denver Colorado 40° N
Detroit Michigan 42° N
Honolulu Hawaii 21° N
Jackson Mississippi 32° N
Kansas City Missouri 39° N
Las Vegas Nevada 36° N
Little Rock Arkansas 35° N
Los Angeles California 34° N
Miami Florida 26° N
Milwaukee Wisconsin 46° N
Nashville Tennessee 36° N
New Orleans Louisiana 30° N
New York New York 41° N
Oklahoma City Oklahoma 35° N
Philadelphia Pennsylvania 40° N
Phoenix Arizona 33° N
Portland Oregon 46° N
Richmond Virginia 37° N
Salt Lake City Utah 41° N
San Antonio Texas 29° N
San Diego California 33° N
San Francisco California 38° N
Seattle Washington 47° N
Washington District of Columbia 39° N
Wichita Kansas 38° N

EUROPE
City Country Latitude

Amsterdam Netherlands 52° N
Athens Greece 38° N
Bern Switzerland 47° N
Copenhagen Denmark 56° N
Dublin Ireland 53° N
Frankfurt Germany 50° N
Glasgow Scotland 56° N
Helsinki Finland 60° N
Lisbon Portugal 39° N
London England 51° N
Madrid Spain 40° N
Oslo Norway 60° N
Paris France 49° N
Rome Italy 42° N
Stockholm Sweden 59° N
Vienna Austria 48° N

Warsaw Poland 52° N

SOUTH AMERICA
City Country Latitude

Asuncion Paraguay 25° S
Brasilia Brazil 24° S
Buenos Aires Argentina 35° S
Montevideo Uruguay 35° S
Santiago Chile 34° S

ASIA
City Country Latitude

Beijing China 40° N
Seoul South Korea 37° N
Taipei Taiwan 25° N
Tokyo Japan 36° N
Victoria Hong Kong 23° N

AFRICA
City Country Latitude

Cairo Egypt 30° N
Cape Town South Africa 34° S
Rabat Morocco 34° N
Tunis Tunisia 37° N
Windhoek Namibia 23° S

AUSTRALIA
City State Latitude

Adelaide South Australia 35° S
Brisbane Queensland 27° S
Canberra New South Wales 35° S
Alice Springs Northern Territory 24° S
Hobart Tasmania 43° S
Perth Western Australia 32° S
Sydney New South Wales 34° S
Melbourne Victoria 38° S

34 Appendix C

TIPS

FOR BEGINNERS

Press > until it
is centered

Press < until it
is centered

Train Drive
Az. Train

Train Drive
Alt. Train

Drive Setup
For this op. . .

Center reference
object



ENTER

ENTER

ENTER

ENTER

Scope slews left.
Bring target back
to center using
the Right Arrow key.

12

13

14

15

16

17

Scope slews right.
Bring target back
to center using
the Left Arrow key.

Menu returns to
Az. training.

Altitude
(vertical)
training.

Reminder to 
use terrestrial
target.

Train Drive
Az. Train

Select Item
Object

Press until it
is centered

Press until it
is centered

ENTER

ENTER

MODE

18

19

20

21

Center target
using Arrow
keys.

Scope slews down.
Bring target back
to center using
the Up Arrow key.

Scope slews up.
Bring target back
to center using
the Down Arrow key.

Multiple presses.

ENTER

Select Item
Object

Select Item
Setup

Setup
Align

Setup
Telescope

3

4

6

ENTER

Press the scroll 
up key once.

Access the Setup
menu.

Multiple presses.

Access the 
Telescope menu.

5

ENTER

1

Telescope
Telescope Model

Telescope
Train Drive

Train Drive
Az. Train

Drive Setup
For this op. . .

Center reference
object.

ENTER

ENTER

ENTER

Multiple presses.

Choose the Train
Drive option.

Azimuth 
(horizontal)
training.

7

8

9

10

11

Reminder to 
use terrestrial
target.

Center target
using Arrow
keys.

ENTER

Verify that AUTOSTAR 
INITIALIZATION is 
complete.

Press MODE until 
Select Item is displayed.

1

2

>

>

APPENDIX D: TRAINING THE DRIVE

Train the telescope motors using Autostar. Perform this procedure after RESET or if you are experiencing any point­ing accuracy problems. Figure 30 depicts the complete Drive Training procedure.

NOTE: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive. Complete this

exercise once every 3 to 6 months to maintain the highest level of telescope pointing accuracy.

Further Study....

This manual gives only the briefest introduction to
astronomy. If you are interested in pursuing further
studies in astronomy, a few topics are suggested

Figure 30: Training the Drive Procedure.

below that are worth reading up on. Try looking up
some of these topics in Autostar’s glossary.

Also included below is a small sampling of books,
magazines, and organizations that you might find
helpful.

Topics

1. How is a star born? How does a solar system
form?

2. How is the distance to a star measured? What
is a light year?

3. What is red shift and blue shift?

4. How are the craters on our Moon formed? How
old is the Moon and Earth? How old is the Sun?

What is a black hole? A quasar? A neutron star?

5.

6. What are stars made of? Why are stars differ­ent colors? What is a white dwarf? Ared giant?

7. What is a nova? A supernova?

8. What are comets? Asteroids? Meteors? Meteor
showers? Where do they come from?

9. What is a planetary nebula? Aglobular cluster?

10. What is the Big Bang? Is the universe expand­ing or contracting, or does it always remain the
same?

Books

1. The Guide to Amateur Astronomy by Jack
Newton and Philip Teece

2. The Sky: A User’s Guide by David Levy
Turn Left at Orion by Guy Consolmagno & Dan

3.
Davis

4. Astrophotography for the Amateur by Michael
Covington

Magazines

1. Sky & Telescope
Box 9111, Belmont, MA 02178

2. Astronomy
Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187

Organizations:

1. Astronomical League
Executive Secretary
5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012

2. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
390 Ashton Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112

3. The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Ave, Pasadena, CA 91106

Appendix D 35

APPENDIX E: INITIALIZATION 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 Savings
>NO

(00) Meade (1.0)
A U T O S T A R

Initializing. . .

WARNING
LOOKING AT . . .



ENTER

Getting Started
For a Detailed...

Enter Date:
01-Jan-2000

2 (2X)

(1X)

6 (5X)

(1X)

Mar (2X)

2000 (4X)

2001 (1X)

Enter Date:
26-Mar-2001



ENTER

Country/State
AFGHANISTAN

Country/State
CALIFORNIA



Nearest City
ALAMEDA NAS

Nearest City
IRVINE

Telescope Model
> ETX-60 or ETX-70

Setup
Align

Multiple
Presses

ENTER

ENTER

ENTER

Multiple
Presses

(default)

SPEED

?

Initialization is a procedure that ensures that Autostar operates correctly. When you first use
Autostar, it doesn't yet know where the observation location site is or the time or date of the
observation session.

During the procedure, information, such as the current time and date, observation location, and
telescope model, is entered into Autostar. Autostar uses this information to precisely calculate
the location of celestial objects (such as stars and planets) and how to move your telescope
correctly for various operations.

The diagram below depicts an example of the Autostar initialization procedure. The following
are the parameters that are used in the example:

Date: March 26, 2001
Time: 12:47 AM
Location: Irvine, California

36 Appendix E

Fig. 31: Example of the Initialization Procedure.

Fig. 32: The Moon.

Note the deep shad­ows in the craters.

BASIC ASTRONOMY

In the early 17th century, Italian Scientist Galileo, using a crude telescope considerably small­er than the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT, 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 been like being the first human
to see moons revolve around the planet Jupiter or to see the changing phases of Venus!
Because of his observations, Galileo correctly realized Earth's movement and position around
the Sun, and in doing so, gave birth to modern astronomy. Yet Galileo's telescope was so
crude, he could not clearly make out the rings of Saturn.

Galileo's discoveries laid the foundation for understanding the motion and nature of the plan­ets, stars, and galaxies. Building on his foundation, Henrietta Leavitt determined how to meas­ure the distance to stars; Edwin Hubble proposed a glimpse into the origin of the universe;
Albert Einstein unraveled the relationship of time and light. Almost daily, using sophisticated
successors to Galileo's crude telescope, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, more and more
mysteries of the universe are being solved and understood. We are living in a golden age of
astronomy.

Unlike other sciences, astronomy welcomes contributions from amateurs. Much of the knowl­edge we have on subjects such as comets, meteor showers, variable stars, the Moon, and our
solar system comes from observations made by amateur astronomers. So as you look through
your Meade ETX telescope, keep in mind Galileo. To him, a telescope was not a mere machine
of glass and metal, but something far more - a window through which the beating heart of the
universe might be glimpsed, a fuse to set fire to mind and imagination.

Autostar Glossary

Be sure to make use of Autostar’s Glossary feature. The Glossary menu provides an alpha­betical listing of definitions and descriptions of common astronomical terms. Access directly
through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Autostar. See “GLOS­SARY MENU," page 18, for more information.

Objects in Space

Listed below are some of the many astronomical objects that can be seen with the ETX-60AT
or ETX-70AT:

The Moon

The Moon is, on average, a distance of 239,000 miles (380,000km) from Earth and is best
observed during its crescent or half phase when Sunlight strikes the Moon’s surface at an
angle. It casts shadows and adds a sense of depth to the view (
during a full Moon, causing the overly bright Moon to appear flat and rather uninteresting
through the telescope. Be sure to use a neutral Moon filter when observing the Moon. Not only
does it protect your eyes from the bright glare of the Moon, but it also helps enhance contrast,
providing a more dramatic image.

Using the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT, brilliant detail can be observed on the Moon, including hun­dreds of lunar craters and maria, described below.

Craters are round meteor impact sites covering most of the Moon’s surface. With no atmos­phere on the Moon, no weather conditions exist, so the only erosive force is meteor strikes.
Under these conditions, lunar craters can last for millions of years.

Maria (plural for mare) are smooth, dark areas scattered across the lunar surface. These dark
areas are large ancient impact basins that were filled with lava from the interior of the Moon by
the depth and force of a meteor or comet impact.

Twelve Apollo astronauts left their bootprints on the Moon in the late 1960's and early 1970's.
However, no telescope on Earth is able to see these footprints or any other artifacts. In fact, the
smallest lunar features that may be seen with the largest telescope on Earth are about one-half
mile across.

Fig. 31). No shadows are seen

Basic Astronomy 37

Fig. 33: Jupiter and
its four largest
moons. The moons
can be observed in
a different position
every night.

Fig. 34: Saturn has
the most extensive
ring structure in our
Solar System.

Fig. 35: The
Pleiades is one of
the most beautiful
open clusters.

Planets

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. Listed below are the best planets for viewing through the ETX-60AT and ETX-

70AT.
Venus is about nine-tenths the diameter of Earth. As Venus orbits the Sun, observers can see

it go through phases (crescent, half, and full) much like those of the Moon. The disk of Venus
appears white as Sunlight is reflected off the thick cloud cover that completely obscures any
surface detail.

Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, and appears through the telescope as a tiny reddish­orange disk. It may be possible to see a hint of white at one of the planet’s Polar ice caps.
Approximately every two years, when Mars is closest to Earth in its orbit, additional detail and
coloring on the planet's surface may be visible.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and is 11 times the diameter of Earth. The plan­et appears as a disk with dark lines stretching across the surface. These lines are cloud bands
in the atmosphere. Four of Jupiter’s 16 moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) can be
seen as “star-like” points of light when using even the lowest magnification (

Fig. 33). These

moons orbit Jupiter so that the number of moons visible on any given night changes as they
circle around the giant planet.

Saturn is nine times the diameter of Earth and appears as a small, round disk with rings
extending out from either side (Fig. 34). In 1610, Galileo, the first person to observe Saturn
through a telescope, did not understand that what he was seeing were rings. Instead, he
believed that Saturn had “ears.” Saturn’s rings are composed of billions of ice particles rang­ing in size from a speck of dust to the size of a house. The major division in Saturn's rings,
called the Cassini Division, is occasionally visible through the ETX-60AT or ETX-70AT. Titan,
the largest of Saturn’s 18 moons can also be seen as a bright, star-like object near the planet.

Deep-Sky Objects

Star charts can be used to locate constellations, individual stars and deep-sky objects.
Examples of various deep-sky objects are given below:

Stars are large gaseous objects that are self-illuminated by nuclear fusion in their core.
Because of their vast distances from our solar system, all stars appear as pinpoints of light,
irrespective of the size of the telescope used.

Nebulae are vast interstellar clouds of gas and dust where stars are formed. Most impressive
of these is the Great Nebula in Orion (M42), a diffuse nebula that appears as a faint wispy gray
cloud. M42 is 1600 light years from Earth.

Open Clusters are loose groupings of young stars, all recently formed from the same diffuse
nebula. The Pleiades is an open cluster 410 light years away (

Fig. 35). Through the ETX-60AT

or ETX-70AT, numerous stars are visible.
Constellations are large, imaginary patterns of stars believed by ancient civilizations to be the

celestial equivalent of objects, animals, people, or gods. These patterns are too large to be
seen through a telescope. To learn the constellations, start with an easy grouping of stars, such
as the Big Dipper in Ursa Major. Then, use a star chart to explore across the sky.

Galaxies are large assemblies of stars, nebulae, and star clusters that are bound by gravity.
The most common shape is spiral (such as our own Milky Way), but galaxies can also be ellip­tical, or even irregular blobs. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the closest spiral-type galaxy to
our own. This galaxy appears fuzzy and cigar-shaped. It is 2.2 million light years away in the
constellation Andromeda, located between the large “W” of Cassiopeia and the great square of
Pegasus.

38 Basic Astronomy

Orion

Gemini

Andromeda

Pegasus

Aquila

Lyra

Cygnus

Boötes

Virgo

Scorpius

Leo

“Big Dipper”

“Summer
Triangle”

Polaris

Betelgeuse

Rigel

Pollux

Castor

“Sickle”

Regulus

Deneb

Vega

Antares

Altair

Arcturus

Spica

A Roadmap to the Stars

The night sky is filled with wonder and
intrigue. You 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 the far side of
the Big Dipper’s cup is the constellation
Orion. One of the most exquisite areas of
the winter sky, Orion is distinguished by
Orion’s belt, which is marked by three stars
in a row. The Orion Nebula is located South
of the belt and is one of the most observed
deep-sky objects by amateur astronomers.

Extending from the “pointer stars” of the Big
Dipper’s cup is Polaris, the North Star.
Extending from Polaris is the Great Square
shared by the constellations Pegasus and
Andromeda. .

The Summer Triangle is a notable region in the sky to the left of the handle of the Big Dipper.
The triangle is made up of three very bright stars: Vega, Deneb, and Altair.

By drawing an imaginary line outward from the handle of the Big Dipper, you reach the south­ern constellation “Scorpius.” Scorpius curves to the left like the tail of a scorpion in the sky, or
like letter “J.”

Amateur astronomers commonly use the phrase “Arc to Arcturus and spike to Spica” to refer to
the area directly off the arc in the handle of the Big Dipper. Follow the arc to Arcturus, the sec­ond brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, then spike down to Spica, the 16th brightest star
in the sky.

Star Locator

The chart below lists bright stars with their R.A. and Dec coordinates, along with the Northern
Hemisphere season when these stars are prominent in the night sky. This list aids the observ­er to find alignment stars at various times of the year. For example, if it is a midsummer evening
in the Northern Hemisphere, Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, would be an excellent align­ment star, while Betelgeuse could not be used because it is in the winter constellation Orion
and thus, below the horizon.

Season Star Name

Spring Arcturus Bootes 14h16m 19° 11"
Spring Regulus Leo 10h09m 11° 58"
Spring Spica Virgo 13h25m -11° 10"

Summer Vega Lyra 18h37m 38° 47"
Summer Deneb Cygnus 20h41m 45° 17"
Summer Altair Aquila 19h51m 08° 52"
Summer Antares Scorpius 16h30m -26° 26"

Fall Markab Pegasus 23h05m 15° 12"
Fall Fomalhaut
Fall Mira Cetus 02h19m -02° 58"

Winter Rigel Orion 05h15m -08° 12"
Winter Betelgeuse Orion 05h55m 07° 25"
Winter Sirius Canis Major 06h45m -16° 43"

Winter Aldebaran Taurus 04h35m 16° 31"

Constellation

Pisces Austrinus s

Fig. 36: Road Map to the Stars.

R.A. Dec

22h58m -29° 38"

Basic Astronomy 39

MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY

Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation (“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 replace a product, or part thereof, found by Meade to be defective, provided the defective
part is returned to Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of purchase. This warranty applies to the original purchaser only and is
non-transferable. Meade products purchased outside North America are not included in this warranty, but are covered under
separate warranties issued by Meade international distributors.

RGA Number Required: Prior to the return of any product or part, a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number must be
obtained from Meade by writing, or calling [phone]. Each returned part or product must include a written statement
detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as well as the owner’s name, address, and phone number.

This warranty is not valid in cases where the product has been abused or mishandled, where unauthorized repairs have been
attempted or performed, or where depreciation of the product is due to normal wear-and-tear. Meade specifically disclaims
special, indirect, or consequential damages or lost profit which may result from a breach of this warranty. Any implied warranties
which cannot be disclaimed are hereby limited to a term of one year from the date of original retail purchase.

This warranty gives you specific rights. You may have other rights which vary from state to state.

Meade reserves the right to change product specifications or to discontinue products without notice.

This warranty supercedes all previous Meade product warranties.

ADVANCED PRODUCTS DIVISION

Meade Instruments Corporation

World’s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur

6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 ■ [phone]

■ www.meade.com

© 2000

Part no. 14-6896-01 06/00