Meade RB-60 User Manual

www.meade.com

MEADE INSTRUCTION MANUAL

60mm | 2.4" Altazimuth Refracting Telescope

RB-60

WARNING!

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

Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. Eye damage is often painless, so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late. Do not point the telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope or SmartFinder™as it is moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing.

INTRODUCTION

Your telescope is an excellent beginner’s instrument, and is designed to observe objects in the sky and also on land. It can be your personal window on the universe or allows you to intimately study the behavior of nesting birds on a distant hillside.

The telescope is shipped with the following parts:

• Optical tube

• Aluminum tripod with an accessory tray

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

• 2x 1.25" Barlow lens

• Diagonal mirror

• Red dot viewfinder with bracket

• Telescope mount

The tube has a focal length of 700mm, and its objective lens has a diameter of 60mm. The lens diameter is one of the most important pieces of information about the telescope. The size of the objective lens determines how much detail you will be able to see in your telescope. The focal length will help later on to calculate magnification.

Setting up your telescope involves these simple steps:

• Assemble your tripod

• Attach the accessory tray

• Attach the optical tube to the mount

• Attach the red dot viewfinder

• Attach the diagonal mirror and eyepiece

• Align the red dot viewfinder

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

FIGURE 1

1. Eyepiece

2. Red dot viewfinder (see Inset A)

3. Red dot viewfinder alignment screws

(see Inset A)

4. Optical tube assembly

5. Vertical locking lever

6. Horizontal lock knob

7. Tripod legs

8. Leg brace supports (See Inset C)

9. Leg brace (See Inset C)

10. Mount base attachment

11. Optical tube lock knobs

12. Horizontal slow motion controll (See Inset B)

13. Diagonal mirror

14. Objective lens cell

15. Focuser drawtube

16. Vertical slow motion control (See Inset B)

17. Accessory tray (Inset C)

18. Red dot viewfinder bracket (see Inset A)

19. Adjustable sliding leg extension (see Inset C)

20. Tripod leg lock (see Inset C)

21. Dew shield/lens shade

22. Front lens cap (removed)

23. Focusing knob

24. Single arm mechanism

Figure 1: Meade 60-RB Altazimuth Refracting Telescope

Inset A: Red Dot Viewfinder Assembly Inset B: Tripod Legs and Accessory Tray Inset C: Altaz or Azimuth Mount

(Not visible)

Inset A

Inset B

Inset C

ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD

The tripod is the basic support for your telescope. Its height may be adjusted so that you can view comfortably. NNoottee:: NNuummbbeerr iinn bbrraacckkeettss,, ee..gg..,, ((33)),, rreeffeerr ttoo FFiigg.. 11..

1. Spread the legs out evenly apart.

2. Set the height of your tripod unlock the leg lock (20).

3. Slide leg (19) in or out to the desired length

Inset B

4. Tighten the leg

Fig. 2

lock. See Inset B.

3. Rotate the tray, locking the corners of the tray in place on the leg brace supports.

ATTACH THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER

An eyepiece (1) has a narrow field of view. A viewfinder (2) has a wider field of view, which makes it easier to locate objects. The red dot viewfinder has a red dot to make it easier to line up more precisely with a target.

1. Note the red dot viewfinder (2) has a quick release mounting bracket (18).

2. Slide the red dot viewfinder (2) into the

Fig. 3

lock (20) to relock the leg lock.

5. Repeat for the other two legs.

ATTACH TH E ACCESSORY TRAY

The tray helps stabilize the tripod and is also a convenient holder of eyepieces and other Meade accessories, such as the Barlow lens.

1. Place the accessory tray (17) over the center of the leg brace supports (8).

2. Rotate the tray so it fits onto the central

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE TO THE MOUNT

The optical tube gathers distant light which is focused in the eyepiece.

1. Remove the two lock knobs (11) from the optical tube.

2. Slide the altitude rod into the hole in the altitude adjustment control. Tighten to a firm feel. See Fig. 2.

3. Place the optical tube (4) onto the mounting bracket Fig. 2.

4. Thread a lock knob (11) onto each of the mounting screws and tighten to a firm feel. See Fig. 2.

ATTACH THE DIAGONAL MIRROR AND EYEPIECE

The diagonal mirror reflects the light from the optical tube to a more comfortable viewing position.

1. Slide the diagonal mirror (13) into the focuser drawtube(15).

mounting bracket as shown on Fig. 3.

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To detach the bracket press the bracket quick release button and slide the bracket out.

2. Tighten the drawtube thumbscrew to hold the diagonal mirror securely.

3. Slide the MA 25mm eyepiece (1) into diagonal mirror (13).

4. Tighten the diagonal mirror thumbscrew (26) to hold the eyepiece securely.

ALIGN THE RED DOT VIEWFINDER

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

1. Point the telescope at an easy-to-find land object such as the top of a telephone pole or a distant mountain or tower. Look through the eyepiece in the diagonal mirror and turn the focuser knob (23) until the image is sharply focused. Center the object precisely in the eyepiece’s field of view.

2. Look through the red dot viewfinder. Turn one or more of the viewfinder’s alignment screws (3) until the red dot is precisely over the same object as you centered in the eyepiece.

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

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

alignment screws to make any necessary refinements.

TO MOVE THE TELESCOPE

Your telescope is altazimuth mounted. Altazimuth is just a complicated way of saying that your telescope moves up and down and from side to side. Other telescopes may be mounted in different ways.

1. Slightly loosen the vertical locking lever (5). Loosening this lever allows you to move the telescope up and down.

2. Slightly loosen the horizontal lock knob (6). Loosening this lock allows the telescope to be moved from side to side.

3. Once an object is found, re-tighten the knob. You can then use the slow motion controls to make smooth and precise movements as you follow (or “track”) an object as it moves in the eyepiece.

You will enjoy your telescope even more as you learn more about it. But don’t be scared off by difficult terms or complicated procedures. Don’t panic! Just relax and enjoy your scope.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE

We have one very important rule that you should always follow when using your telescope:

Have a good time when you’re observing. You may not know everything that there is to know about a telescope or what all the sights in the universe are, but that’s OK. Just point and observe at first.

You will begin to grow and learn more about astronomy the more you observe. Go to the

Have Fun!

library and read some books about the stars and planets. Read about astronomers of old. Many of them had telescope no bigger than the one you are using right now. Galileo, who is one of the first astronomers to use a telescope, discovered four of the moons of Jupiter with a telescope about the same size as yours (and his didn’t even focus very well!).

OBSERVING Observe during the daytime: Try out your

telescope during the daytime at first. It is easier to learn how it operates and how to observe when it is light.

Pick out an easy object to observe: A distant mountain, a large tree, a lighthouse or skyscraper make excellent targets. Point the optical tube so it lines up with your object.

Unlock the lock knobs: To move the telescope, you will need to unlock the horizontal lock knob (6) and vertical locking lever(5) (just rotate to unlock or lock; when locking, only tighten to a “firm feel,” do not overtighten).

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

LOOKING AT OR NEAR THE SUN WILL CAUSE

INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO YOUR

EYE. EYE DAMAGE IS OFTEN PAINLESS, SO THERE

IS NO WARNING TO THE OBSERVER THAT DAMAGE

HAS OCCURRED UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. DO NOT

POINT THE TELESCOPE OR ITS VIEWFINDER AT OR

NEAR THE SUN. DO NOT LOOK THROUGH THE

TELESCOPE OR ITS VIEWFINDER AS IT IS MOVING.

CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT

SUPERVISION WHILE OBSERVING.

Use the red dot viewfinder: If you have not done so, align the viewfinder (2) with the telescope’s eyepiece (1) as described earlier. Look through the viewfinder until you can see the object. It will be easier to locate an object using the viewfinder rather than locating with the eyepiece. Line up the object with the viewfinders red dot.

Look through the eyepiece: Once you have the object lined up in the viewfinder, look through the optical tube’s eyepiece. If you have aligned your viewfinder, you will you see the object in your eyepiece.

SSUUNN WWAARRNNIINNGG

NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE

TO LOOK AT THE SUN!

Focus: Look through the eyepiece and

practice focusing on the object you have chosen.

Try out the slow motion adjustment controls: Practice using the slow motion

controls (12 and 16) to move the telescope. These can come in very handy, especially when you wish to move the telescope in very small (fine control) steps.

Observe the Moon: When you feel comfortable with the viewfinder, the eyepieces, the locks and the adjustment controls, you will be ready to try out the telescope at night. The Moon is the best object to observe the first time you go out at night. Pick a night when the Moon is a

You haven’t just bought a telescope, you have embarked on an astronomy adventure that never ends. Share the journey with others by accepting your free membership in the 4M community of astronomers.

Go to www.Meade4M.org to activate your membership today.

THE MEADE 4M COMMUNITY

crescent. No shadows are seen during a full Moon, making it appear flat

and uninteresting.

Look for different features on the Moon. The most obvious features are craters. In fact you can see craters within craters. Some craters have bright lines about them. These are called rays and are the result of material

volcanic activity. You can also see mountain ranges and fault lines on the Moon.

Use a neutral density filter (often called a “moon filter”) when observing the Moon. Neutral density filters are available from Meade as an optional accessory and enhance contrast to improve your observation of lunar features.

is a single, yellow dwarf star. It is average as far as stars go and is a middle aged star.

Beyond the planets are clouds of comets, icy planetoids and other debris left over from the birth of our sun. Recently astronomers have found large objects in this area and they may increase the number of planets in

our solar system. thrown out of the crater when it was struck by a colliding object. The dark areas on the Moon are called maria and are composed of lava from the period when the Moon still had

TOO MUCH POWER?

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” a telescope by using high magnifications which the telescope’s aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot 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. Powers above 400x should be employed only under the steadiest atmospheric conditions.

Spend several nights observing the Moon. Some nights, the Moon is so bright that it makes other objects in the sky difficult to see. These are nights that are excellent for lunar observation.

Observe the Solar System: After observing the Moon, you are ready to step up to the next level of observation, the planets. There are four planets that you can easily observe in your telescope: Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Nine planets (maybe more!) travel in a fairly circular pattern around our Sun. Any system of planets orbiting one or more stars is called a solar system. Our Sun, by the way,

The four planets closest to the Sun are rocky

and are called the inner planets. Mercury,

Venus, Earth and Mars comprise the inner

planets. Venus and Mars can be easily seen

in your telescope.

Venus is seen before dawn or after sunset,

because it is close to the Sun. You can

observe Venus going through crescent

phases. But you cannot see any surface

detail on Venus because it has a very thick

atmosphere of gas.

When Mars is close to the Earth, you can see

some details on Mars, and sometimes even

Mars’ polar caps. But quite often, Mars is

further away and just appears as a red dot

with some dark lines crisscrossing it.

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

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