Meade RCX400TM User Manual

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Instruction Manual

10", 12", 14” RCX400™Advanced Ritchey-Chrétien Telescopes

with AutoStar II

Hand Controller and Digital Front Focus

MEADE.COM

Focusing the Telescope

As you look over your new RCX telescope, one of the first things you will notice is that it has no Focus Knob!

Because this design is of key importance, we are presenting this information on how to focus your telescope on the inside front cover so that it is immediately accessible.

The Focus Key

All focusing of the RCX400 is performed digitally, using AutoStar II’s Focus key (number key 4).

The Focus ke

J Press the Focus key the first time to focus the telescope and to control

the speed at which you focus.

J Press the Focus key again to set and adjust up to nine focus presets.

To change the focus speed:

1. Press the Focus key once. “Focuser: Fast (or the current speed)” displays for two seconds. Use one of the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of 4 a desire displays. Choose a focus speed with which you feel comfortable.

To focus the telescope:

1. Press the Focus key once. “Focuser: Fast (or the current speed)” displays. After two seconds, “Focuser: Position = XX” displays. “XX” stands for a number value in decimal millimeters.

2. Point the telescope at a distant object. Look in the eyepiece and use the Arrow keys until the image in the eyepiece is in focus.

To exit the focus operation at any time:

1. Press MODE.

If you wish learn how to set focus presets, see page 19.

y functions as a toggle key:

vailable focus speeds: Fast, Medium, Slow, Fine. Scroll through the list until the speed you

How to Hot Swap the Autostar II Handbox

You may move the Autostar II handbox from one computer control panel to another, without turning off the RCX control panel. This is called “hot swapping.”

o hot swap the handbox:

1. Unplug the handbox connector and plug Autostar II into the HBX port of the other computer control panel.

2. Press and hold the “?” key for two seconds to refresh the display.

WARNING!

Never use a Meade look at the Sun! Looking at or near the Sun

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

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.

® The name "Meade" and the Meade logo are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal countries throughout the world. "RCX400 " and "AutoStar II" are

ks of Meade Instruments Corporation.

ademar

atents:

US 6,304,376 US 6,392,799 US 6,563,636 D 422,610 Patent Pending.

RCX400 Telescope to

CONTENTS

Focusing your Telescope.........................Inside front cover

k-Start Guide .......................................................... 4

Quic

Telescope Features ...................................................... 8

Autostar II Features........................................................13

Getting Started ..............................................................16

arts Listing, How to Attach the Tripod ....................16

How to Assemble the Tripod ....................................16

How to Assemble Your Telescope ............................16

To Attach the Mount..............................................16

To Install the Batteries ..........................................16

To Connect Autostar II and Attach the Holder......17

To Attach the Diagonal and Eyepiece ..................17

Mounting and Focusing the Viewfinder ....................18

Observing ......................................................................16

Choosing an Eyepiece ..............................................19

ocusing the Telescope ............................................19

Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually..........20

Terrestrial Observing ................................................21

Observing Using Arrow Keys....................................21

Slew Speeds ............................................................21

Observe the Moon, Astronomical Observing ..........22

To Track an Object Automatically ..............................22

Moving Through Autostar II’s Menus ........................22

Automatic Alignment ................................................22

Observe a Star Using Automatic Tracking ................24

Go To Saturn, Using the Guided Tour ......................24

Basic Autostar II Operation ............................................26

Autostar II Menu Exercises ......................................26

Navigating Autostar II................................................27

Autostar II Menus ........................................................28

Menu Tree ................................................................28

Objects Menu............................................................29

Event Menu ..............................................................30

Glossary Menu, Utilities Menu ..................................31

Setup Menu ..............................................................32

Hot Button Menus ....................................................36

Advanced Autostar II Features ......................................37

Adding Observing Sites ............................................37

Creating User Objects

Observing Satellites, Landmarks ..............................39

Identify ......................................................................40

Browse ......................................................................41

Alternate Alt/Az Alignment Methods ........................42

To Download the Latest Autostar II Software............43

eriodic Error Correction ..........................................44

Photography ..................................................................45

Optional Accessories......................................................48

Maintenance

Collimation ....................................................................51

Specifications ................................................................54

Appendix A: Equatorial (Polar) Alignment ......................57

Appendix B:

Appendix C: How to Create Your Own Guided Tour ......63

Appendix D: Training the Drive ......................................67

Appendix E: The Moon Menu ........................................68

Appendix F: Smart Mount ..............................................69

Appendix G:

..................................................................

Latitude Char

Basic Astronom

..............................................

t ............................................62

........................................

QUICK-START GUIDE

Assemble Your Tripod

STEP 1: Attach the legs of the tripod to the base:

Slide each leg (1) into a leg receptacle (2) .

STEP 2: Rotate the leg:

Rotate the leg until the trigger release pin (3) is next to the thruster bar latch (4).

STEP 3: “Hook” the Release Pin:

Slide thruster bar hook into the slot in the trigger release pin.1

Take note of the trigger release lever (5) on the base; you will use the release lever in Step 5 below. The trigger release consists of a lever on one side and a pin that runs through to the other side of the base.

STEP 4: Tighten the adjustment lock:

Rotate the leg attachment lock (6) and tighten to a firm feel.

STEP 5: Set the height of your tripod:

Press and hold down (A) the trigger release lever (5) slide the tripod leg to the desired length (thereb pod).

Important Step: Let go of the trigger (B) when the tripod leg is at the desired length. Unhook the trigger release pin to lock the leg in place. This step prevents your tripod accidentally slipping out of the position you set .

Perform this procedure for each of the tripod’s legs. The tripod should now be stable.

y setting the height of the tr

Attach the Mount to the Tripod

STEP 6: P

Take note of the T-handle/rod (8) that goes through the tripod base. The T-handle/rod is spring-mounted into position. Note also that there is a hole (7) on the bottom side of the mount base

Lift the mount and position the mount base over the tripod base. Line up the hole on the mount base over the T-handle rod. When they are lined up, the rod will “pop up” into the hole.

Caution for 12” and 14” model users: Due to the weight and size of these products, please use extreme caution whenever assembling, disassembling, lifting, transporting or storing these products. Two or more persons should always be used whenever performing any of these tasks. Disregard for the above warning could result in serious injury or death.

STEP 7: Secure the mount with the T-handle:

Rotate the T-handle (9) until the rod is tightened to a firm feel.

osition the mount over the tripod:

Move the Optical Tube and Install the Batteries

STEP 8: Move the optical tube from its shipping position:

Turn the Dec. lock (10) counterclockwise to unlock the the optical tube (11) and move it perpendicular the fork arms, to the position depicted in the image at the left. Turn the Dec. lock clockwise to a firm feel to relock the position of the optical tube.

STEP 9: Install the batteries:

ly of the

ies. Remove the battery compartment (13) covers

e compar

RCX400 telescope requires eight C-cell (user

Retur

y holder

tments and replace the co

Assemb supplied) batter and carefully remove the battery holders (12), being mindful of the connector wires.

Insert four user-supplied C-cell batteries into each battery holder, oriented as shown on the diagram on the battery slots inside the batter respectiv

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

ve the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period

remo of time.

n the batter

y holders to their

vers.

QUICK-START GUIDE {CONTINUED}

Insert the Telescope Diagonal Mirror and Eyepiece

STEP 10: Attach the visual back and diagonal mirror:

1. Thread the ring of the visual back (16) over the rear cell (15) and rotate the r onal (18) into the visual back and secure it in place using the visual back thumbscrew (17).

STEP 11: Insert the eyepiece and remove dust cover:

Remove the UltraWide 24mm eyepiece (19) from its container and place it in the diagonal mirror. Tighten the thumbscrew (20) located on the diagonal mirror to a firm feel only. Remove the dust cover ( tube assembly (

ing, tightening to a firm feel. Slide the diag-

18, Fig. 1a) from the front of the optical

19, Fig. 1a) by gently prying it off.

STEP 12: Plug in the AutoStar II handbox

Check that the power switch on the computer control panel (21) is in the OFF position. Plug the coil cord of the AutoStar II handbox into the HBX port of the base control panel (22).

Note: The AutoStar II handbox does not require batteries; the batteries in the telescope supply the power.

Note: You can only plug one handbox into the telescope at a time; you cannot plug two handboxes into the two control panels at the same time.

STEP 13: T

Press the Power Switch on the computer control panel to the ON position. The copyright message lights on AutoStar II's LCD display (23).

Press the key prompted by AutoStar II to accept the Sun warning. AutoStar II now displays "Automatic Alignment." You can then use the Arrow keys (24) to slew (move) the telescope up, down, right, or left.To change the telescope’s slew speed, press the Speed key (25) and then the Number keys (26). "9" is the f

urn on AutoStar:

astest speed and "1" is the slo

est speed.

Point, Focus and Observe

STEP 14: Tighten the R.A. and Dec. Locks:

Move the R.A. lock (27) and tighten to a firm feel. Rotate the Dec. Lock (28) and tighten to a firm feel, also.

STEP 15: Focus:

To change the focus speed:

Press the Focus key (2() once. “Focuser: Fast (or the current speed)” displays. Use one of the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of 4 available focus speeds: Fast, Medium, Slow, Fine. Scroll through the list until the speed you desire displays (choose a focus speed with which you feel comfortable).

To focus the telescope:

1. Press the Focus key once. “Focuser: Fast (or the current speed)” displays. After two seconds, “Focuser: Position = XX” displays. “XX” stands for a number value in decimal millimeters.

2. Point the telescope at a distant object. Look in the eyepiece and press the Arrow keys until the image in the eyepiece is in focus.

To exit the focus operation:

1. Press MODE.

STEP 16: Point and Observe:

Sight along the side of the telescope tube to locate an object (if you wish to attach the viewfinder, see page 18 for more information).

Look through the eyepiece and use AutoStar’s arrow keys to center the object in your eyepiece.

WHERE

See pages 8 to 12 to learn about your tripod and telescope’s features. See pages 13 to 15 to learn about AutoStar II’s features. See pages 16 to 17 to learn more about your telescope’s assemb See page 18 to lear See pages 19 to 21 to learn more about observing and

ocusing with your scope.

f See pages 22 to 24 to lear to” with your telescope. See pages 28 to 44 to learn about AutoStar’s menus. See pages 45 to 47 to lear telescope See pages 48 to 50 to learn about optional accessories

vailable for your scope.

TO GO FROM HERE...

n about y

n ho

n about photog

our telescope’

w to initializ

wfinder

s vie

, align and

y and your

aph

“go

TELESCOPE FEATURES

eyepiece

diagonal mirror

rear cell and 2” visual back

OTA control panel

viewfinder

fan

optical tube

dust cover

Dec. lock

Dec. slow motion control

right fork arm

handles

left fork arm

battery

compartments

R.A. slow motion control

Base control panel

GPS

Receiv

Dec Setting Circle

AutoStar II handbox and tiltable holder

R.A. lock

mounting base

on the left fork arm

Fig. 1a: The RCX400 Telescope; Dec. Setting Circle (inset).

viewfinder objective lens

Fig. 1b: The Viewfinder close up.

locking ring

adjustment screws

viewfinder eyepiece/focuser

viewfinder bracket

and dovetail mount

A

Off/On

12vDC Out

tripod base with

leg receptacles

leg attachment

lock

sliding leg trigger

release

tripod legs

Fig. 1c: The Tripod.

locking latch and thruster bar

mechanism

USB Ports

Ser

ial por

T-handle

utoguider port

12vDC In

Fig. 1d: The Base Computer Control Panel.

USB P

AUX port

HBX por

Serial port

t accessor

Reticle port

Fig. 1e: The Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) Computer Control Panel.

HBX port

Smar

y por

Caution:

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

B Want to learn more

about the eyepieces available for your

RCX400 telescope?

See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

48, 49, and 50.

, pages

b Want to learn more

focusing your

about telescope? See page

19.

h Want to learn how to

install the batteries? See page 16.

i Want to lear

about the

Ascension and Declination setting circles

n more

Right

? See page 57.

RCX400: YOUR PERSONAL WINDOW TO THE UNIVERSE

The Meade RCX400 models are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes. With high-precision optics, pushbutton controls, precise GPS alignment, true-level and North electronic sensors, automatic tracking of celestial objects, periodic error correction f the

Obser Focus beyond the Solar System on ancient star clusters, remote galaxies, and stars recently disco are capable of meeting the requirements of the most demanding advanced observer.

or both axes, and a library of 145,000+ objects in the AutoStar II data base,

RCX400 models offer observatory-level performance.

ve the feather structure of an eagle from 50 yards or split a difficult double star.

vered to have planets orbiting about them. Meade

RCX400 telescopes

B Eyepiece: Place the 2”, 6-element UltraWide 24mm eyepiece into the diagonal

mirror (

3, Fig. 1a) and tighten in place with the diagonal mirror’s thumbscrew (2,

Fig. 1a

). The eyepiece determines the magnification of the image collected in the

optical tube.

C 2" Diagonal Mirror and Eyepiece Thumbscrew: Provides a more comfortable

right angle viewing position. The eyepiece thumbscrew tightens the eyepiece (

) in place. Tighten to a firm feel only.

Fig. 1a

D Rear Cell P

The diagonal mirror slides into the visual back and is secured by the visual back thumbscrew.

ort and 2” Visual Back:

The visual bac

k threads onto the rear cell.

E Base Computer Control Panel (see j):

ON/OFF Switch: Turns both computer control panels and AutoStar II

ON or OFF. The red power indicator LED next to the switch illuminates when power is supplied to the panel and the AutoStar II handbox.

12vDC In: Provides a connection so that the telescope assembly may

be powered from a standard 115v AC home outlet using the optional RCX AC Wall Adapter with Cable or the optional 12v DC #607 Cigarette Lighter Adapter. See

12vDC Out: Use the 12vDC output to power telescope accessories. This port may be turned on or off with the Aux Port Power option in the Utilities menu. On is the default value.

USB 2.0 High Speed Port: Provides a connection for a USB 2.0

device. This port is typically used to connect to a PC.

AUX Port: Provides connection for current Meade accessories. See

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.

Handbox (HBX) Port: Plug the AutoStar II coil cord into this port.

tant Note:

Impor

the OTA Computer Control Panel include an HBX port, only one hand-

ybe be plugged in at a time;

x ma

bo both ports at the same time.

G. Serial Port: Provides connection with a PC and for current and future

Meade accessories. Your PC can control your serial commands. Go to the Meade website (www.meade.com) to download the latest serial commands and device pinouts.

Important Note: Although both the Base Computer Control Panel and

TA Computer Control Panel include a serial port, only one may be

the O used at a time; you cannot plug into both ports at the same time.

F Handles: Use to lift optical tube assemb

attached to the tripod. Attach the AutoStar II handbox holder to one of the handles (

5, Fig. 1a).

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.

Although both the Base Computer Control P

you cannot plug handboxes into

RCX400 telescope using

ly or to rotate the telescope when

anel and

G Left Fork Arm: The left side of the heavy-duty mount that holds the optical tube

securely in place (see

1%).

H Battery Compartments: Insert four user-supplied C-cell batteries into each com-

tment (one compar

par

I Right Ascension (R.A.) Slo

Ascension, i.e., the horizontal axis, by turning this control with the R.A. Lock (see

tment on each f

w-Motion Control:

e fine adjustments in the Right

Mak

eight batter

k ar

ies total).

Definitions

Throughout this manual, you will notice the terms

Alt/Az," "Right

Ascension

Declination." Alt/Az or

" more properly, altitudeazimuth (or altazimuth), is frequently used to refer to altitude or Declination (the up-and-down vertical movement of the telescope) and azimuth or Right Ascension (the side-to-side horizontal movement of the telescope). Right Ascension is abbreviated as "R.A." and Declination as "

Caution:

When loosening the Dec. lock, be sure to support the optical tube (19, The weight of the tube could cause the tube to swing suddenly.

," and

Dec."

Fig.

1#) in the unlocked position. Set the R.A. Lock to a "partially locked" position to create

ortable drag for the R.A. Slow Motion Control.

a comf

Caution: Do not oper in the fully locked position, as such operation may result in damage to the

internal gear system and also cause you to lose alignment.

ate the R.A. Slow Motion Control with the R.A. Lock

j Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) Computer Control Panel (also see e):

H. USB Port: Provides 3 connections for USB 2.0 devices. This port is

typically used to connect to CCD cameras, such as Meade’s LPI or Deep Sky Imager PC can control your the Meade website (www.meade.com) to download the latest serial commands and de

J. Serial Port: Provides connection with a PC and for current and future

Meade accessories. Your PC can control your serial commands. Go to the Meade website (www.meade.com) to

wnload the latest serial commands and device pinouts.

Important Note: Although both the Base Computer Control Panel and the OTA Computer Control Panel include a serial port, only one may be used at a time; you cannot plug into both ports at the same time.

K. Autoguider Port: Plug the optional autoguider into this port. See the

instruction sheet that came with your autoguider for more information. Also see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.

L. Reticle Port: Plug the optional reticle eyepiece into this port. Control

the reticle through the AutoStar II menus. See page 36. Also see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.

Note: See the instruction sheets that are included with the reticle and the autoguider for more details.

M. Handbox (HBX) Port: Plug the AutoStar II coil cord into this port.

Important Note: Although both the Base Computer Control Panel and the OTA Computer Control Panel include an HBX port, only one handbox maybe be plugged in at a time; you cannot plug handboxes into both ports at the same time.

N. Smart Accessory Port: Provides connection for future Meade acces-

sories.

. See

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.Y

RCX400 telescope using serial commands. Go to

vice pinouts.

RCX400 telescope using

HOT BUTTON MENUS

our

1) GPS Receiver: Receives information transmitted from Global Positioning System

satellites. See page 25 for more information.

1! Declination (Dec.) Setting Circle (on left fork arm): See APPENDIX A, page 57,

for detailed information.

1@ Mounting Base: Attach to the tripod base (see 2&). See page 16 for mounting

instructions.

1# Right Ascension (R.A.) Lock: Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the

telescope.Turning the R.A. lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope, enabling it to be freely rotated b

kwise loc

cloc ally, and engages the horizontal motor drive for AutoStar II operation.

utoStar II Handbo

1$ A

of the telescope. See pages 13 - 15 for detailed information. You may have noticed that there is no manual focus knob; all focus is achieved by

utoStar handbo

A handbox in a convenient location.

ks the telescope

1% Right Fork Arm: The r

tube securely in place (see

1^ Dec

lination (Dec.) Slo

Declination(altitude) by turning this control with the Dec. Lock (see

ed position. In order for this control to operate properly, power must be off.

the loc

y hand about the horizontal axis. Turning the R.A. lock

, prevents the telescope from being rotated manu-

le Holder:

Tiltab

x and

Attach the holder to one of the handles (see

ight side of the hea

g).

w-Motion Contr

Controls all the electronic functions

vy-duty mount that holds the optical

ol:

e fine adjustments in

Mak

using the

Holds y

f).

1& below) in

our

1& Dec. Lock: Controls the manual vertical movement of the telescope. Turning the

k countercloc

loc

Dec. by hand about the vertical axis. Turning the Dec. lock clockwise (to a firm feel

kwise unloc

ks the telescope enabling it to be freely rotated

2! Want to learn more

about attaching and aligning the viewfinder

18.

? See page

only) pre cal motor drive for AutoStar II operation.

1* Dust Co

Note: The dust cover should be replaced after each observing session and the power turned off to the telescope.

vents the telescope from being moved manually, but engages the verti-

ver:

Gently pr

y the dust cover from the front lens of the telescope.

1( Optical Tube: The main optical component that gathers the light from distant

objects and brings this light to a focus for examination through the eyepiece.The tube contains the primary mirror which floats on a layer of adhesive that results in zero-stress to the glass and no distortion to the optics.

2) Fan: AutoStar controls the fan operation. The amount of time required to stabi-

e the temperature will be dependent upon ambient conditions including the

liz observation site and preexisting condition of the telescope. The fan should be activated at the beginning of the observation session to accelerate the temperature stabilization. As soon as the optics have reached an equilibrium with the environment the fan should be turned off. Fan operation time should range between 5 and 25 minutes. While it is permissible to run the fan continuously it is not recommended because the very slight vibration of the fan may cause noticeable movement of the objects observed in the sensitive optics.

The Viewfinder

2! 8 x 50mm Viewfinder: A low-power, wide-field sighting scope with crosshairs

that enables easy centering of objects in the telescope eyepiece.

2@ Viewfinder Objective Lens: Gathers the light for the viewfinder. 2# Viewfinder Locking Ring: Locks the objective lens into place. Unlock to adjust

the focus of the objective lens. See page 18 for details.

2$ Viewfinder Adjustment Screws: Use these six screws to adjust the alignment

of the viewfinder.

2% Viewfinder Eyepiece/Focuser: The eyepiece magnifies the image collected by

the viewfinder’s objective lens. Rotate the eyepiece to focus.

2^ Viewfinder Bracket and Mounting: Holds the viewfinder in place.

The Tripod

2& Tripod Base with leg receptacles: Attach the mounting base (see 1@) to the tri-

pod base. See page 16 for mounting instructions. Slide the tripod legs into the leg receptacles.

2* Leg Attac

hment Lock (3):

Secures the tr

ipod legs into the leg receptacles.

2( Sliding Leg Trigger Release and pin: Press and hold down this lever to easily

change the length of the tripod legs. Let go of the trigger when the tripod leg is at the desired length. The Trigger has a pin that runs through the mounting base; this pin attaches to the thr

uster latch (see

3! belo

w).

3) Variable Height Tripod Legs: Supports the optical tube assembly.

See page

3! Thruster Latc

16 for mounting instructions. Also see

Attach to tr

igger release pin to secure tr

Fig. 8).

ipod in place

3@ T-Handle: Thread into the mounting base and tighten to a firm feel to keep the

tripod stable.

AUTOSTAR II FEATURES

Want to learn more about

downloading the latest updates of Autostar II software from the Meade website

www.meade.com/support/auto.html for complete instructions. Also see page 43.

? Go to

6 7

Fig. 2: The Autostar II Handbox.

Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button

Control of the RCX400 telescope models is through the operation of the standard Autostar II system. Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of Autostar II’s buttons.

Because the Autostar II system uses flash (rewritable) memory, your system will be able to grow when new features and enhancements become available. Download the latest satellite data, star and object catalogs, tours, serial commands list, and software revisions, directly from the Meade website (

RCX400 Interface Cable. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.)

Some of the major features of the Autostar II system are:

J Automatically move the telescope to any of the more than 180,000 objects stored

in the object library, including:

Library # of Objects

New General Catalog (NGC): 7,840 Index Catalog (IC): 5,386 Messier Catalog (M): 110

ell Catalog:

Caldw Named Objects: Herschel Catalog: Abell Catalog of Galaxy Clusters: Arp Catalog of Irregular Galaxies: 645 Uppsala Galaxy Catalog:

phological Catalog of Galaxies:

Mor

al Catalog of

Gener SAO: 17,191 Hipparcos Star Catalog:

....plus the Lunar 100, the Washington Star Catalog, the Gliese Catalog, and more!

our telescope’

ocus y

J F

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

J T J Control your RCX400 with your PC using an RS232 or USB interface. J Align your telescope automatically using GPS (Global Positioning System). J Access a glossary of astronomical terms. J Mount the telescope in the

vertical—horizontal mode) for fully automatic tracking of celestial objects.

J Collimate your telescope using only AutoStar II’s Arrow keys.

Variable Stars: 28,484

s eyepiece.

www.meade.com). (Requires the option-

109 227 400

2,712

12,940 12,939

17,325

“Alt/Az”

mode (i.e, altitude—azimuth, or

e Want to learn more

about using the GO TO function? See page 24.

ant to learn how to

m a

perf search? See page 24.

SPEED

about c speeds? See page 21.

spiral

Want to learn more

hanging sle

utostar II system provides control of virtually every telescope function. The

The A Autostar II handbox has soft-touch keys designed to have a positive feel. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is backlit with red LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) for easy viewing in the dark. The backlit display, key arrangement, and sequential menu structure

e Autostar II extremely user friendly.

mak

B 2-Line LCD Display: This screen displays Autostar II's menus and information

about the telescope.

•

Top line: Lists the primary menu.

• Bottom line: Displays other menus that may be chosen, menu options,

telescope status formed.

, or information about a function that is being per-

c ENTER Key: Press to go to the next menu level or to choose an option in a menu.

The ENTER key is similar to the RETURN or ENTER key on a computer. See

MOVING THROUGH AUTOSTAR II'S MENUS, page 22 and BASIC AUTOSTAR II OPERATION, pages 26 - 27

d MODE Key: Press to return to the previous menu or data level. The top menu

level is “Select Item." The MODE key is similar to the ESCAPE key on a computer.

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

Note: If MODE is pressed and held for two seconds or more, information about the telescope's status displays.When the status displays, press the Scroll keys (

• Right Ascension and Declination (astronomical) coordinates

• Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates

• Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST)

• Timer and Alarm Status

• Date

• Site coordinates

• Battery status Press MODE again to return to the previous menu.

7, Fig. 2) to display the following information:

e GO TO Key: Press to slew (move) the telescope to the coordinates of the cur-

rently 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. Also, press during the alignment or GO TO procedures to activate a "spiral search."

f Arrow Keys: The Arrow keys have several functions. Press an Arrow key to slew

the telescope in a specific direction (up, down, left, and right), at any one of nine different speeds. See to move the telescope vertically up and down. The Left Arrow key rotates the tele-

ontally counterclockwise, while the Right Arrow key rotates it clockwise

scope hor (unless reversed for Southern Hemisphere use). Also The Down Arrow key begins with the letter "A;" the Up Arrow key begins with digit "9."

Additionally Right or Left Arrow key ( in the display.

g Number K

ic function, which is printed on each key (these are commonly known as "hot buttons"—see page 36):

, use the Arro

, use the Arrow keys to move the cursor across the display: Use the

eys:

1 SPEED: Changes the slew speeds. To operate, press Speed and then a

Number key (1 is the slowest speed, 9 is highest speed).

2 CALD (Caldwell): Press to display the Caldwell catalog on the Autostar II

handbox.

3 M (Messier): Press to display the Messier catalog library.

SLEW SPEEDS, page 21. Use the Up and Down Arrow keys

eys to scroll through numbers 0 through 9 and the alphabet.

w k

5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor from one number to the next

Press to

input digits 0 to 9. Each Number key also has a specif-

FOCUS

Want to learn

more about the

? See page 19.

RET

Want to learn

more about the

menu? See page 36.

Focus

Reticle

4 FOCUS: Toggles between two functions. The first press allows you to

change the focus and focus speed. The next press allows you to create presets that tell the telescope where to f

ocus.

5 SS: Press to display the Solar System library. 6 STAR: Press to display the Star library. 7 RET (Reticle):

Press to display the Reticle Control menu.

8 IC: Press to display the Index Catalog library. 9 NGC (New General Catalog): Press to display the NGC catalog library. 0 LIGHT: Press to turn on and off the red utility light on the top of the hand-

box.

h Scroll Keys: Press to access options within a selected menu. The menu is dis-

played on the first line of the screen. Options in 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 control the speed of text scrolling on the Autostar II display. When text is scrolling, press and hold the Up Scroll key for a faster display speed and the Down Scroll key for a slower display speed.

Tip:

When an astronomical

appears in [brack-

term

], press ENTER for a

ets

definition or more detailed information. Press MODE to return to the scrolling Autostar II Help display.

celestial object's

If a name appears in brackets (and your telescope is aligned), press ENTER and then GO TO to slew the telescope to the object.

i ? K

ey:Press to access the "Help" file. "Help" provides on-screen information on

how to accomplish whatever task is currently active.

Press the ? key and then follow the prompts on the display to access details of Autostar II functions in the Help feature. The Help system is essentially an onscreen instruction manual.

If you have a question about an Autostar II operation, ALIGNMENT,

etc., press the ? key and follow the directions that scroll on the sec-

e.g., INITIALIZATION,

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

j Coil Cord Port: Plug one end of the Autostar II coil cord (10, Fig. 2) into this port

located at the bottom of the Autostar II handbox.

1) Coil Cord: Plug one end of the Autostar II coil cord into the HBX port (F, Fig. 1d)

of the computer control panel of the telescope and the other end into the Autostar II coil cord port. See

j above.

1! Utility Light: Use this built-in red light to illuminate star charts and accessories

without disturbing your eye's adaptation to darkness. Press "0" to turn the light on and off.

RCX400 TIPS

Join an Astr

One of the best ways to increase your knowledge of astronomy is to join an astronomy club. Check your local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer/store to find out if

s a club in y

there’

At club meetings 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 tele-

, eyepieces, filters, tripods, and so forth.

scopes

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 with your phy with the

y g

Man observe with many different telescopes and other pieces of astronomical equipment. Magazines such as Star Parties around the United States and Canada.

RCX400.

roups also hold regular

onomy Club, Attend a Star Party

our area.

ou will meet other astronom

, y

RCX400 telescope. See page 45 for more information about photogra-

ly scheduled Star P

Sky & Telescope and Astronomy print schedules for many popular

y enthusiasts with whom you will be able

arties at which you can check out and

GETTING STARTED

Fig. 7: Attach leg (1) to leg receptacle (2).

Fig. 8: Rotate the leg until the trigger release pin (4) is next to the thruster bar (3).

Fig. 9: Slide thruster hook (4) into the slot of the trigger release pin (3).

Fig. 10: Tighten the leg adjustment loc

Fig. 11: Press down the trigger lever (5) so that you can adjust the height of the tripod.

k (6).

Parts Listing

Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first opening the pac

J RCX400 Telescope with fork mount system and GPS Receiver J AutoStar II handbox and interface coil cord; handbox holder J 8 x 50mm viewfinder assembly J 2" diagonal mirror and J Series 5000 UltraWide 24mm eyepiece

ariable height tripod

J V J USB cable and software CD ROM

king box, note carefully the following parts:

2” visual back barrel

How to Assemble the Tripod

Remove the parts of the tripod from the shipping carton. Assembly of the tripod will take just a few minutes.

To assemble the tripod:

1. Slide a tripod leg into a leg receptacle (Fig. 7). Rotate the leg until the trigger

release pin is next to the thruster bar latch (

2. Slide the thruster bar latch hook into the slot in the trigger release pin (

3. Rotate the leg attachment lock to tighten the leg in place (

4. To unlock the leg, press and hold down the trigger release lever ( holding the lever down, slide the leg extension in or out to the desired length. Let go of the lever to lock the leg extension into place. Unhook the trigger release pin to lock the leg in place.

5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the other two tripod legs.

Fig. 8).

Fig. 9).

Fig. 10).

Fig. 11). While

How to Assemble Your Telescope

The telescope’s fork mounting base attaches directly to the tripod. The telescope in this way is mounted in an “altazimuth” (“altitude-azimuth,” or “vertical-horizontal”) format. It is recommended that two people attach the mount to the tripod.

Note: The field tr equatorial wedge (see your wedge’s instruction sheet for more

mation) f

inf

ipod base comes with a tangent ar

The tr

To attach the mount:

1. Take note of the T-handle under the tripod base. The T-handle is spring-mounted into position. Note also that there is a hole on the bottom side of the mount base.

2. Lift the mount and position the mount base over the tripod base. Line up the hole on the mount base o mount do

3. Rotate the T-handle until the rod is tightened to a firm feel (

To install the batteries:

Assembly of the RCX400 telescope requires eight C-cell (user-supplied) batteries or the optional RCX A into the 12vDC In por

1. Turn the Dec. lock ( (

19, Fig. 1a). Move the optical tube to the position depicted in Fig. 1a and turn

the Dec. lock clockwise to a firm feel to relock the position of the optical tube.

2. Remove the battery compartment covers ( batter supplied C-cell batter gram on the battery slots inside the battery holder. Return the battery holders to their respectiv

wn onto the rod and the rod will “pop up” into the hole (

y holders, being mindful of the connector wires (

ipod also can be used in conjunction with the optional

or long exposure astrophotography.

m attached f

ver the T-handle rod. When they are lined up, place the

Wall Adapter to a standard 115v home outlet . Plug the adapter

t of the computer control panel (

17, Fig. 1a) counterclockwise to unlock the the optical tube

ies into each batter

e compar

tments and replace the co

y holder

or use with the superw

Fig. 13).

Fig. 1d

7, Fig. 1a) and carefully remove the

, or

ers.

Fig.15).

iented as sho

edge

Fig.12).

Insert four user-

wn on the dia

Caution: Use care to install batter compartment. Follow battery manufacturer's precautions. Do not install

ies backwards or mix new and used batteries. Do not mix battery

batter types. If these precautions are not followed, batteries may explode, catch

, or leak. Improperly installed batteries void your Meade warranty.

fire Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of time.

To attach AutoStar II and connect the handbox holder

ies as indicated by the battery

Fig. 12: Line up the T-handle rod (8) with the hole on the base (7).

Fig. 13: Tighten the T-handle (9) to a “firm feel.”

16:

Fig.

Locations of the On/Off s HBX por ed on the base of the telescope

1. Plug in the AutoStar II handbox: Check that the power switch on the computer

2. Attach the handbox holder: Remove the handbox holder from the plastic bag. If

To attach the diagonal mirror and the eyepiece

t on the Computer Control Panel locat-

control panel ( II handbox into the HBX port of the base control panel ( port of the OTA control panel (

Note: The AutoStar II handbox does not require batteries; the batteries in the telescope supply the power.

Note: You can only plug one handbox into the telescope at a time; you cannot plug in two handboxes into the two control panels at the same time.

necessary, loosen the lock knob ( about one of the fork arm handles ( feel. Slide the AutoStar II handbox into the holder ( snap the handbox into the holder: Slide one side of the handbox into the holder and then firmly press the other side of the handbox into the holder until it snaps in place. Adjust the tilt of of the holder by loosening the lock knob and then moving the holder clamp to the desired angle. Retighten the lock knob.

12, Fig. 16) is in the OFF position. Plug the coil cord of the AutoStar

witch and the

M, Fig. 1e).

14, Fig. 17a) and place the clamp (15, Fig. 17a)

Fig. 17a: Handbox holder: (14) Lock knob; (15) Clamp; (16) Holder. Fig. 17b: Handbox holder attached to fork arm handle.

15, Fig. 1a). Tighten the lock knob to a firm

16, Fig. 17a).You may also

13, Fig. 16) or the HBX

Fig. 14: Loosen the R.A. (11) and Dec. tube from its shipping position.

Fig. 15: Battery installation.

ks to Move the optical

(10) loc

18:

Fig.

Rear cell (17).

Visual bac

Attach

1. the rear cell and rotate the ring, tightening to a firm feel (see Slide the diagonal into the visual bac thumbscrew.

19:

Fig.

visual back (18) onto the rear cell (17). Slide diagonal into the visual bac thumbscrew (19).

k and Diagonal mirror

Thread the r

k and secure with

ing of the

Thread the ring of the visual back over

k and secure it in place using the visual bac

epiece (20)

Slide e

Fig.20:

into the diagonal mirror and tighten thumbscrew (21).

Figs. 18 and 19) .

Fig. 21: Viewfinder bracket assembly: Slide the track (23) into the mounting slot (22). Tighten the thumbscrews (24) to secure.

Fig.22: 8x50 Viewfinder tube: Objective lens (25), eyepiece/focuser (26) and locking ring (27).

2. Insert eyepiece: Remove the UltraWide 24mm eyepiece from its container and slide it in the diagonal mirror. Tighten the thumbscrew ( diagonal mirror to a firm feel only.

3. Remove dust cover: Remove the dust cover ( assembly by gently prying it off.

18, Fig. 1a) from the optical tube

Fig. 20) located on the

Mounting and Focusing the Viewfinder for the First Time

The first time you mount and focus the viewfinder, follow the these steps:

1. Slide the track on the bottom of the viewfinder bracket into the slot in the viewfinder mounting assembly. See assembly, tighten the two thumbscrews to a firm feel only.

Slide the viewfinder tube (see

2. en the adjustment screws (see align the viewfinder (see the next section below).

2. Look through the viewfinder. Rotate the eyepiece/focuser until you sharply focus the crosshairs.

3. Loosen (rotate clockwise) the objective lens locking ring.

4. Rotate the objective lens until you sharply focus on an object located at infinity.

5. Tighten the locking ring.

6. You may now rotate the eyepiece to focus on objects.

Fig. 21. To secure the viewfinder to the mounting

Fig.22) into the vie

Fig. 23). You will use the adjustment screws to

wfinder bracket. Loosely tight-

Aligning the Viewfinder

To align the viewfinder, perform steps 1 through 4 during the daytime; perform step 5 at night.

1. If you have not already done so, insert the UltraWide 24mm eyepiece into the diagonal mirror.

2. Unlock the R.A. ( moves freely on both axes.

3. Point the telescope at some well-defined and stationary land object at least 200 yards distant, such as the top of a telephone pole or street sign. Center the object in the telescope eyepiece. Re-tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks.

4. Look through the viewfinder eyepiece and loosen or tighten, as appropriate, one or more of the viewfinder adjustment screws (see crosshairs are precisely centered on the object you previously centered in the telescope eyepiece.

5. Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as the Moon or a bright star, and

y necessar

e an

mak

Note: Seeing conditions v

urbulence in the air, even on an apparently clear night, can distort

T images. If an image appears fuzzy and ill-defined, back off to a lower

er e

13, Fig. 1a) and Dec. (17, Fig. 1a) locks so that the telescope

Fig. 23) until the viewfinder

, using the method outlined in steps 2 through 4.

y widely from night-to-night and site-to-site

ell-resolved image (see

24a and 24b

Fig.

epiece f

y refinements

or a more w

Fig. 23: Viewfinder adjustment screws (28).

Fig. 24a & 24b: Jupiter; examples of the right amount of magnification and too much magnification.

RCX400 TIPS

oo Much Power?

Can you ever have too much power? If the type of power you’re referring to is

epiece magnification, y

e ning obser the telescope’ 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 abo tions.

utostar II can calculate the best e

A Calc” feature in the Utilities menu.

Most obser

ange of reasonab

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.

ver is to “overpower” a telescope by using high magnifications which

s aper

e 400X should be employed only under the steadiest atmospheric condi-

ers should ha

le magnifications possible with the

, you can! The most common mistake of the begin-

ture and atmospheric conditions cannot reasonably support.

Figs. 24a and 24b). Powers

epiece for you to use. Try out the “Eyepiece

e three or f

our additional eyepieces to achieve the full

RCX400 telescopes

See

Important Note:

Objects appear upside-down and reversed left-for-right when observed in the viewfinder. Objects viewed through the telescope eyepiece when inserted into the diagonal prism assembly appear right-side-up, but reversed left-for-right.

This image inversion is of no consequence when observing astronomical objects and, in fact, all astronomical telescopes yield inverted images.

During terrestrial observing, where a fully-correctly-oriented image (right-side-up and correct left-for-right) is desirable, an optional #928 45° Erecting Prism and optional

1.25” eyepiece holder are available. See ACCESSORIES, pages 48 -

50.

OPTIONAL

OBSERVING

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 26mm.

Your telescope comes supplied with an UltraWide 24mm eyepiece which gives a wide, comfortable field of view with high image resolution.

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 lower power eyepiece such as the UltraWide 24mm. 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. For information about optional eyepieces for your telescope, see pages 48 - 50.

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 (an eyepiece's focal length is printed on the side of the eyepiece). To calculate eyepiece power, divide the telescope's focal length by the eyepiece's focal length. supplied with

SPECIFICATIONS, pages 54 - 56).

RCX400 models. The focal length of the 12" f/8 RCX400 is 2438mm (see

Eyepiece Power = Telescope focal length ÷ Eyepiece focal length Eyepiece Power = 2438mm ÷ 24mm Eyepiece Power = 102

The eyepiece power, or magnification is therefore 102X (approximately).

Note: For a list of magnification ratings of the eyepieces available for the

RCX400 telescopes, see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,

For example: A 24mm eyepiece is

FOCUS KEY

Fig. 25: Focus is all-digital, using the Focus key (the #4 Number key) of the AutoStar II handbox.

Focusing the Telescope

All focusing of the RCX400 is performed digitally, using AutoStar II’s Focus key (number key 4). The Focus key functions as a toggle key:

J Press the Focus key the first time to focus the telescope eyepiece and to control

the speed at which you focus.

J Press the Focus key again to set and adjust up to nine focus presets.

To change the focus speed:

1. Press the Focus key once. “Focuser: Fast (or the current speed)” displays for two seconds. Use one of the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of 4 available focus speeds: Fast, Medium, Slow, Fine. Scroll through the list until the speed

. Choose a focus speed with which you feel comfortable.

ou desire displa

To focus the telescope eyepiece:

1. Press the Focus key once. “Focuser: Fast (or the current speed)” displays. After two seconds, “Focuser: Position = XX” displays. “XX” stands for a number value in decimal millimeters

2. Point the telescope at a distant object. Look in the eyepiece and use the Arrow keys until the image in the eyepiece is in sharp focus.

Presets:

ou “Park” your telescope, you do not have to refocus the telescope each time you

If y use it. Nine preset focus positions are available, and they operate much like presets on a car radio—everyone can have their own favorite station, or in this case, their own personalized focus. You can set one preset to take into account your own eyesight,

or your observing partner (who may wear glasses), one for your camera’s focus,

one f and so forth.

Three preset menus are available. Use the Define Preset menu to assign a preset, use the GoTo Preset menu to select a preset you have previously assigned, and use

Note:

Viewing conditions vary widely from night-to-night and siteto-site. Turbulence in the air, even on an apparently clear night, can distor Low-power e as the UltraWide 24mm supplied with your telescope, are better suited to resolving images in poor viewing conditions.

t images.

yepieces, such

Sync On Preset men

focus presets after you turn off and turn on your scope again ).

To define a preset:

Point the telescope at a distant object, press FOCUS and use the Up and Down

1. Arrow keys to focus the telescope until the object is sharply focused as previously

xplained.

2. Press the Focus key again (FOCUS toggles between the Focus menu and the Preset menu). “Focuser Preset: Go To” displays. Use a Scroll key and scroll down the list of options until “Focuser Preset: Define Preset” displays. Press ENTER.

3. A list of presets displays. If no preset is currently assigned, “1- Unnamed” displays

ollowed by 2- Unnamed, up to 9 - Unnamed).

4. Use the up and down Scroll keys to scroll through the alphabet and the right and left Arrow keys to move to cursor right or left across the display.

5. When you have finished typing in a name and focusing the telescope, press ENTER. That number preset is now defined. You can enter 9 names. For example, you may enter “Joe,” “Jill,” “Deep Sky Imager” and so forth.

6. To select one of these presets, you will use the “Focuser Preset: Go To” menu.

To select a previously defined focus preset

1. Press the Focus key twice. “Focuser Preset: Go To Preset” displays. Press ENTER to select this menu.

2. Use a Scroll key and scroll down the list of previously defined presets. When the desired preset displays (for example, “Deep Sky Imager”), press ENTER.

Important Note: If you do not park your telescope, you will need to select one of the presets and refocus your telescope using the Sync On menu.

TO SYNC ON A FOCUS PRESET below.

See

To sync on a focus preset

If you park your telescope, AutoStar II remembers all the focus positions you defined as presets and you will not need this menu.

If you do not park your telescope, you will need to select just one of the presets and refocus your telescope using the Sync On menu. Then AutoStar II will then reset all the other presets back to the focus preset positions you previously defined.

1. Press the Focus key twice. “Focuser Preset: Go To Preset” displays. Use a Scroll key and scroll until “Focuser Preset: Sync On Preset” displays and press ENTER to select this menu.

2. Use a scroll key to choose one of the previously entered presets from this list (the most likely preset you will choose will be one that accounts for your own eyesight).

Use the Up or Do

4. Press ENTER. AutoStar II now “remembers” the relative focus positions of the

yepiece.You can now choose any preset and it will be correctly focused.

To exit the focus operation at any time:

1. Press MODE.

u if you do not park your telescope (this menu will reset all your

wn Arrow keys to focus the eyepiece.

Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually

If you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you can observe by merely pointing the telescope and looking through the eyepiece.

1. Loosen the telescope’s R.A. lock (

2. Move your telescope to observe distant street signs, mountains, trees, and other structures. Use your viewfinder to help site-in on an object.

3. Center the object in the viewfinder’s crosshairs and then in the telescope eye

When the object is

piece R.A. and Dec. locks.

4. To move telescope in the R.A. and Dec. axes again, remember to loosen the R.A. lock and tighten the Dec. lock. Then rotate the manual slow motion control knobs (

10, Fig. 1a) and (16, Fig. 1a) .

5. Practice digitally focusing on objects.

See FOCUSING THE TELESCOPE, page 19.

6. Once you get a feel for how your telescope moves and focuses, try to view some-

centered in your eyepiece, remember to re-tighten the

13, Fig. 1a) and Dec. lock (17, Fig. 1a).

NEVER point the telescope directly at or

any time! Observing the Sun, even for the smallest fraction of a second, will result in instant and irreversible eye damage, as well as physical damage to the telescope itself.

Warning:

Do not look through the telescope's eyepiece or viewfinder while it is rapidly moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing.

Tip:

The slowest speed, 1x, ma Guiding Rate menu. This men the speed by entering a percentage of the speed (either more or less than 100%). This function may be useful in guiding the tel escope during CCD and long-e See 34, f

near the Sun at

y be changed using the

ws you to change

u allo

aph

mation.

xposure photog

GUIDING RATE, page

or more inf

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 the Autostar II handbox operation, you can counteract the drift using the automatic tracking feature in the Autostar II Setup menu (see Autostar II's GO TO capabilities (see

TO TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY, page 22), or by using

GO TO SATURN, page 24).

Terrestrial Observing

The RCX400 models are excellent high-resolution terrestrial (land) telescopes. Viewing terrestrial objects requires looking along the Earth's surface through heat

aves.These heat waves often cause degradation of image quality. Lower power eye-

w pieces, like the UltraWide 24mm, magnify these heat waves less than higher power eyepieces.Therefore, lower power eyepieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. If the image is fuzzy or ill-defined, reduce to a lo

wer 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.

Observing Using Autostar II's Arrow Keys

You may observe land and astronomical objects using Autostar II's Arrow keys to move the telescope.

1. Tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks (

2. Verify that Autostar II is properly connected to your telescope. See

AUTOSTAR

II,

page 17.

13 and 17, Fig. 1a).

TO CONNECT

3. Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position.

The Autostar II screen is activated and a copyright message displays briefly, followed by a short beep. Then Autostar II 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 mes-

sage, press the key prompted by Autostar II to signify that the message has been read and understood.

5. "Automatic Alignment" displays.

6. The Arrow keys are now activated. Press the Arrow keys (

5, Fig. 2) to slew

(move) the telescope up, down, right, or left.

7. Press the Speed key (Number key "1") and then a Number key (

6, Fig. 2) to

change the telescope’s slew speed. ("1" is the slowest speed, "9" is highest speed.)

8. Use the viewfinder (

21, Fig. 1a) to locate an object and practice using the

Autostar II’s Arrow keys to center the object in the telescope’s field of view.

9. Bring the object into focus.

Slew Speeds

Autostar II has nine slew speeds that move the optical tube at rates that are directly proportional to the sidereal rate and have been calculated to accomplish specific functions. Press the Speed key (Number key "1") and then press a Number key to change the slew speed, which is shown for about two seconds on Autostar II’s display.

ailable speeds are:

The nine a

Number Key 1 = 1x = Guide Rate, programmable (see

2x = 2 x sidereal (0.5 arc-min/sec or 0.008°/sec)

y 2

Number K Number K

x sidereal (2 arc-min/sec or 0.033

8x =

y 3

Tip at left)

/sec)

° Number Key 4 = 16x = 16 x sidereal (4 arc-min/sec or 0.067°/sec) Number K Number K

/sec

arc-min/sec or 0.5

128x =

y 6

64x = 64 x sidereal (16 arc-min/sec or 0.27°/sec)

y 5

Number Key 7 = 1.5° = 90 arc-min/sec or 1.5°/sec

3° = 180 arc-min/sec or 3°/sec

y 8

Number K Number K

arc-min/sec or 8

Max =

y 9

480

°/sec)

Speeds 1, 2, or 3: Best used for fine centering of an object in the field of view of a

er eyepiece, such as a 12mm or a 9mm eyepiece.

higher po

Definition: Initialization

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

During the alignment procedure, the system calculates these parameters automatically.

Autostar II uses this information to precisely calculate the location of celestial objects (such as stars and planets) and to move your telescope correctly for various operations.

is a proce-

automatic

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

wer eyepiece, such as the standard UltraWide 24mm.

Speeds 7 or 8: Best used for rough centering of an object in the viewfinder. Speed 9: Mo

ves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another.

Observe the Moon

Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the Moon is not visible every night) and practice using the Arrow keys, the digital front focus and the slew speeds to view different features.The Moon contains many interesting features, including craters, mountain ranges, and fault lines. The best time to view the Moon is during its crescent or half phase. Sunlight strikes the Moon at an angle during these periods and adds a depth to the vie

w. No shadows are seen during a full Moon, making the overly bright surface to appear flat and rather uninteresting. Consider the use of a neutral density Moon filter when observing the Moon. See

SERIES 4000 PHOTO-VISUAL FILTERS, page

48. Not only does it cut down the Moon's bright glare, but it also enhances contrast, providing a more dramatic image.

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 limited only by the observer’s motivation.

To Track an Object Automatically

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. You can setup your telescope to move at the sidereal rate so that it automatically tracks (follows) the stars and other objects in the night sky. If the telescope is not tracking an astronomical object, the object will drift out of the eyepiece field of view. The tracking function automatically keeps an object centered in the telescope’s eyepiece.

To automatically track objects, you need to learn how the Autostar II keypad operates in order to move through its menus.You'll need to initialize and align your telescope.

Tip:

When multiple choices are

If abor

ou ma

m a man

u options

utostar

y a

w (>).

x to abor

ted,

ollo

y f

le within an A

ailab

u option, the current

II men option is usually displayed first and highlighted b

ight pointing arro

Note:

Press any key on the

utostar II handbo

A the GPS fix. Autostar II then displays "Enter Date prompts to perf al alt/az alignment (see page 42) or press MODE repeatedly until "Select Item" displays to use the Autostar II men

Moving Through Autostar II’s Menus

The Autostar II database is organized in levels for quick and easy navigation.

J Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) to go deeper into Autostar II's menu levels.

J Press MODE (3, Fig. 2) to move back toward the top menu level.

J Press the Scroll k

eys (7,Fig. 2) to move up and down through the options avail-

able for each level.

J Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to enter characters and digits. The Arrow keys are

also used to move the telescope.

J Use the Number keys to enter digits.

Automatic Alignment Feature

Autostar II offers four methods of altazimuth (alt/az) alignment; this section describes

how to initialize and align your telescope using tion of the other alt/az alignment methods, see pages 42 and 43. For information about equatorial (polar) alignment, see

To prepare your telescope for Automatic Alignment:

1. Tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks (13 and 17, Fig. 1a).

2. Verify that Autostar II is properly connected to your telescope. See

AUTOSTAR II

page 17.

3. Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position.

The Autostar II screen is activated and a copyright message displays briefly, followed by a short beep. Then Autostar II takes a few moments to start up the system.

Automatic Alignment. (For a descrip-

APPENDIX A, page 57.)

TO CONNECT

Important Note:

Once the telescope is aligned, only use the Arrow keys to move the telescope. Once the telescope has been aligned, do not loosen the telescope locks

13 and 17, Fig. 1a), or

( move the base manually, or alignment will be lost.

Important Note:

If the objects you have chosen are not in the eyepiece after after alignment, it is also recommended that you

CALIBRA

This menu allows you to improve your telescope's pointing accuracy to alignment stars. It calibrates to correct slight mechanical misalignment due to transport, vibration, or aging. It is recommended that calibration be performed once on a new telescope after the user initially assembles it.

When this menu is selected, the telescope slews to P then prompts you to center P ENTER. Autostar II uses the position of Polaris to fine tune the position of North and also detects le telescope.

TE SENSORS

olar

is and to press

olar

or the base of the

el f

is. Autostar II

Autostar II initializes the Smart Drive if "On" has been previously chosen from

both the R.A. and Dec. PEC menus in the "Setup: Telescope" menu (the very first time the system is tur

ned on, the Smart Drive feature will not be enabled). Once "On" is chosen, Autostar remembers the setting until "Off" is chosen again. If "On" has been selected, the R.A.

and Dec. motors operate briefly and "Initializing:

Smart Drive" displays.

A message displays that warns not to look at the Sun. At the end of this message,

5. press the key prompted by Autostar II to signify that the message has been read and understood.

6. "Automatic Alignment" displays. Press ENTER.The system now performs the following routines (press any Autostar II key to abort Automatic Alignment) :

Caution: As the telescope performs the following operations, it will swing and rotate. Keep a safe distance from the telescope.

a. Finds the home position. Moves the telescope to find the "home" position.

When the home position is found, the system knows the limiting positions of the telescope and can avoid tangling cables and over-rotating the telescope.

b. Detects “level” of the base of the telescope; finds tilt and tip. To detect

level, Autostar II must calculate "level" at three compass points. See FINDING

TRUE LEVEL

Autostar II also determines the positioning (

in the RCX400 INFO box on page 25.

i.e., tilt and tip) of the optical tube.

c. Finds North. Locates magnetic North, then calculates true North. See

FINDING TRUE NORTH, page 25.

d. Attempts a "GPS Fix." The RCX400's GPS receiver attempts to acquire and

sync up with signals from GPS satellites. "Getting GPS Fix" displays. See

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM in the RCX400 INFO box on page 25.

THE

After performing these operations, Autostar II now knows:

J The telescope's limiting positions J Where level is for the telescope J The location of true North J The observing site's location J The date and time

e. Star Alignment. Autostar II then chooses two stars to align upon.

"Searching...." displays. When the telescope slews (moves) to the first star for

alignment, it may not appear in the field of view in the eyepiece. If it is not, look through the viewfinder—in most cases, the star will be visible. Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope (you can change speed at which the telescope moves: see

SLEW SPEEDS, page 21 for more information) until the star is vis-

ible and centered 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. Press ENTER. Repeat this procedure for the second star. For more information about alignment stars, see

belo

WHICH ONE'S THE ALIGNMENT STAR?

RCX400 TIPS

Which One’s the Alignment Star?

w can

, ho

utostar has chosen an alignment star with which y

If A 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

orm a GO TO to an alignment star and you're not sure

ou perf

If y

area of the sky if you have located the alignment star or it isn't in the eyepiece, look through your viewfinder. When you view an alignment star in the viewfinder, it stands out dramatically from the rest of the stars in that portion of the sky. The viewfinder will help you locate a star more quickly than the eyepiece, because it has a much wider field of view than the eyepiece. Using Autostar, set the slew speed to 6 or higher and use the Arro your viewfinder has been aligned with the telescope, the alignment star should now be in the eyepiece. Set the slew speed to 4 or less and center the star in the eyepiece.

ys to center the alignment star in the vie

w k

ou are unf

amiliar

wfinder. If

Tip:

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 its search. (This sometimes occurs during an alignment procedure.)

Press GO TO when the telescope stops slewing. The telescope begins to move 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.

Important Note:

While performing the automatic tracking procedure, only use the Arrow keys to move the telescope. Once the telescope has been aligned, do not loosen the telescope locks ( Fig. 1a), or move the base manually, or alignment will be lost.

Tip: To manually enter the R.A. nates of an object:

Press and hold MODE for

o seconds or more

tw R.A. and Dec. coordinates displa TO. "Object Position" and a set of coordinates dis-

pla and Dec. coordinates of any celestial object using Number keys. As soon as the coordinates are entered, Autostar II slews the telescope to the coordinates. Note that the telescope must be initial ized for this procedure to operate properly.

13 and 17,

and Dec.

Then enter the R.A.

coor

Press GO

The

When the procedure is performed correctly, "Alignment Successful" displays. If Autostar II does not display this message, perform this procedure again.

Note: 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.

Observe a Star using the Automatic Tracking Feature

w that your telescope has been aligned, you are able to track celestial objects. In

No this example, the Autostar II Arrow keys are used to find a star, and then Autostar II's tracking capability automatically keeps the star centered in your telescope's eyepiece.

1. When Automatic Alignment is completed (as described in the previous section), "Select Item: Object" displays on Autostar II.

2. Select a bright star from one of the Object menus. You may choose any unobstructed, bright star for the purposes of this example. Use the viewfinder (

21, Fig.

1a) to help line up on the star. Use Autostar II's Arrow keys to center the star in

the eyepiece. The tracking motors will then keep the star you have chosen in the center of the eyepiece.

Go To Saturn

This exercise demonstrates how to select a celestial object, the planet Saturn, for viewing from Autostar II’s Solar System library. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars. In other words, the telescope tracks the chosen objects.

Note: Saturn is not visible the entire year; you may need to choose another object from any of Autostar II's many object libraries; however, the procedure, as described below, remains the same.

1 After the telescope is aligned, press Number key "5."

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

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

4. 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 II then automatically moves the telescope so that it "tracks"

n (or whate

Satur tered in the e

ver other object you may have chosen);

epiece

i.e.,Satur

n remains cen

Using the Guided Tour

The Guided Tour feature is an easy and fun method of exploring Autostar II's GO TO

onight’s Best” Guided Tour.

capabilities

xample demonstr

This e

ates using

1. After observing Saturn, keep pressing MODE until “Select Item: Object” displays again.

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

our: Tonight’s Best” displays. Press ENTER.

Press ENTER.

“Guided

Note: If you wish to try out other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down key to scroll through other tour choices

, press ENTER.

pla

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

displa

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

Press ENTER to display information about the object. Press GO TO to move the telescope to the object.

“T

When the tour y

ou wish to select dis

Press MODE to return to the Tour list. Press the Scroll keys to scroll through the

5. list. Press ENTER when you find the next object you wish to observe.

Press and hold down MODE for two seconds to leave the Guided Tour menu.

Other Guided Tours are available, such as "How Far is Far" and "A Star's Life." If you have programming skills, you may wish to create a custom Guided Tour. See

YOUR OWN GUIDED TOUR, page 63.

CREATE

RCX400 INFO

GPS

Receiv

Fig. 26: RCX400 GPS Receiver.

The Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is comprised of 24 satellites orbiting the Earth that are constantly transmitting their precise position and time. The system provides highly accurate, worldwide positioning and navigation information for any number of applications.

GPS receivers on the Earth acquire signals from three to twelve satellites to determine the precise latitude, longitude, and time of the receiver. (Accuracy of the receiver's position may be within 10 to 15 feet.) As Autostar II uses latitude, longitude, and time information to calculate the positions of celestial objects, GPS is an ideal tool for aligning your telescope.

RCX400

Detecting True Level

To detect level of the base of the telescope, Autostar II must calculate the tip and tilt of the telescope at three compass points and then compensate for it. Finding level involves the geometric calculations of a "plane." In order to define a plane, three positions are necessary. This is not unlike building a table: For a table to stand level and solid, it must have a minimum of three legs. Autostar II makes gravitational measurements to make a precise determination of true level.

Finding True North

Locating True North is one of the most important ingredients in the alignment of a telescope. True North is the axis—the pole—which the Earth spins about and is a key reference for the motion of the Earth.

As you look at the night sky, the stars seem to move; in fact, if you watched long enough or took a long time-exposure photograph, you'd realize that the

rue North. When

e around one point—the pole or

olv

stars seem to re Autostar II knows where True North is and also knows the time, it can calculate the location of all the other objects in the sky

One traditional way to find True North is to locate the North Star, Polaris, which lies very close to True North. Another way to calculate True North is to use gyroscopes or accelerometers.

The RCX400 determines True North by using a magnetic North sensor. The sensor locates magnetic North. Magnetic North is not True North, but a measurement of the magnetic lines of the Earth. Magnetic North may deviate several degrees from True North. But Autostar II, using the observation site location determined by the GPS and magnetic North information, can calculate the position of

Some areas are subject to magnetic disturbances, and the magnetic field of the Earth changes slightly from year to year. Autostar II allows you to adjust for discrepancies in the local magnetic field using the "Calibrate Sensors" option in the

elescope men

th.

ue Nor

See page 34 for more information.

Select Item: Setup

Select Item: Utilities

Select Item: Glossary

Select Item: Guided Tour

Select Item: E

vent

SETUP MENU

utomatic alignment permits all telescope ope

rations with only

minimal setup.

UTILITIES MENU Calculate

eyepiece magnifications; set timer ale

rts; create your own landma

rk survey.

GLOSSARY What is an elliptical galaxy? H

ow far away is the Sun? Expand your knowledge of astrono

my by displaying terms

and definitions, and other information.

OBJECT MENU

ant to see Mars? The Orion nebula?

The Andromeda galaxy? Select from

over 180,000 objects and press

TO to move the telescope

automatically to an object.

EVENT MENU Display the time of past, present, and future astronomical events, such as Moon phases or meteor sh

owers.

GUIDED TOUR

utostar II escorts you on a tour of tonight's best celestial objects at your viewing location.

Select Item: Object

utostar I

The Unive

rse o f

AAutostar Iutostar I

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



Date Time Daylight Saving Telescope Targets etc.

Setup Align 

Fig. 28: Menus set in a loop.

Fig. 29: Menu options display on the second line move up or down through the list of options desired option.

Use the Scroll k

. Press ENTER to select the

ys to

BASIC AUTOSTAR II

Fig. 27: The Autostar II Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu

of Autostar II.

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 28).This means that pressing the Scroll Down key ( options within a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (7, Fig.

2) 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 five times or the Scroll Up key once.

The screen in menu. The second line displays an option which may be selected within that menu. 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 displa choose that option and move down one menu level.

Press the MODE key to leave a menu level;

Autostar II Navigation Exercise

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

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” men

Press the ENTER k

3. "Event: Sunrise" is displayed.

Fig.29displa

Important Note: No matter how many levels into Autostar II are traveled, each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "Select Item," is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to the topmost level, "Select Item: Object."

7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the available

ys two lines of information. The top line shows the current

yed on the second line, press the ENTER key to

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

ey to choose the "Event" option and move down a level.

Display

MODE

ENTER

Arrow keys

Scroll Up

Fig. 30: Some of the features of the Autostar II handbox.

Tip:

Scroll Down

When multiple choices are available within a menu option, the current option is usually displayed first and highlighted by a right pointing arrow (>).

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

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

5. level.

6. Autostar II calculates the Sunset time based on the current date, time, and loca-

Autostar II then displays the results of the calculation.

tion.

7. Press MODE once to start moving back up through the Autostar II levels. The first

vel 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."

Example of Locating a menu

As you typically will be using menus after you initialize and align your telescope, this example will assume you have just completed aligning your scope. AutoStar II displays “Select Item: Object” after the alignment procedure; this will be our starting point. In this example, we will locate the “Owner Info” option. See example.

1. “Select Item: Object” displays.

2. As the Owner Info option is in the Setup menu, you will have to use one of the Scroll keys to navigate through the list of menus. Press the Scroll Down Key. “Select Item: Event” displays

3. Keep pressing the Scroll Down key. Notice that all the menus display as you press the key: Guided Tour, Glossary, Utilities, Setup. Stop when “Select Item: Setup” displays. If you press the Scroll Down key one more time, “Select Item: Object” will display again. This is because the list of menus or options cycles through each choice over and over again when you press one of the Scroll keys.

4. With “Select Item: Setup” displayed, press ENTER. Pressing ENTER selects the menu or option currently displayed.

5. “Setup: Align” displays.

6. Press the Scroll Down key again. “Select Item: Date” displays. Autostar II will now display all the choices that are available with the Setup menu.

7. Continue to press the Scroll Down key until “Setup: Owner Info” displays.

8. Press ENTER. “Owner Info: Name” displays. Press ENTER again. “Name” displays, with the second line blank. On this line you may enter your first and last name into Autostar II’s memory.

9. Press the Up or Down Arrow key. Notice that a letter of the alphabet displays. Continue to press one of the Arrow keys until the first letter of your name displays.

10. Use the Right Arrow key to move to the next position so you can choose the second letter of your name. Continue to use the Arrow keys to enter your full name.

11. Press ENTER when you are finished. Your name is now entered into AutoStar II’s memory.

12. “Owner Info: Name” displays again (if you wish, you can press the Scroll Down key—“Owner

Address” will display and you can enter your address if you wish).

Inf

Press MODE and

13. displays. MODE allows you to backup and exit through the menu structure.

“Setup: Owner Info” displays. Press MODE again. “Select Item: Setup”

Fig. 30 for the location of the Autostar II keys used in this

Navigating Autostar II

Autostar II's menus are organized for quick and easy navigation:

J Press ENTER to go deeper into Autostar II's menu levels.

J Press MODE to mo

ve back toward the top menu level.

J Press Number key "1" to engage the Speed mode, and then press Number keys

1 through 9 to change speeds.

J Press Number k

y "4" to access the F

ocus menu.

J Press Number key "7" to access the Reticle menu.

J Press the Scroll keys to move up and down through the options or lists.

J Press the Arrow keys to move the cursor across the display.

J Press the Help (?) k

y to access on-line help

OTA Fan

Dew Heater

OTA Temperature

Ambient Te mp.

Timer

Set

Start & Stop

Alarm

Set

On & Off

Eyepiece Calc.

Field of View

Magnification

Suggest

Sun Warning

Brightness Adj.

Contrast Adj.

Panel Light

Aux Port Power

Beep

Te mperature

Battery

Landmark Survey

Sleep Scope

Park Scope

Sunrise

Sun Transit

Sunset

Moonrise

Moon Transit

Moonset

Moon Phases

Next Full Moon

Next New Moon

Next 1st Qtr

Next 3rd Qtr

Meteor Showers

Quadrantids

Lyrids

Etc.

Solar Eclipses

Lunar Eclipses

Min. of Algol

Autumn Equinox

Vernal Equinox

Winter Solstice

Summer Solstice

Tour Objects

A...

Accretion Disk

Etc.

B...

C...

Etc.

Align

Automatic

Easy

One Star

Two Star

Align on Home

Date

Time

Daylight Saving

Smart Mount

Configuration

Off

Train

Update

Load

Save As

Delete

Erase

Telescope

Mount

Model

Focal Length

Max Slew Rate

Focuser

Collimate

Mount Upper Limit

Mount Lower Limit

Park Position

Calibrate Home

Anti-Backlash

Train Drive

Calibrate Sensors

Tracking Rate

Guiding Rate

Reverse L/R

Reverse Up/Dn

Home Sensors

GPS Alignment

R.A. PEC

Dec. PEC

High Precision

Targets

Astronomical

Terrestrial

Site

Select

Add

Delete

Edit

Owner Info

Clone

Download

Statistics

Reset

Select Item:

Event

Select Item:

Guided Tour

Select Item:

Glossary

Select Item:

Utilities

Select Item:

Setup

Tonight's Best

How Far is Far

Etc.

Solar System

Mercury

Etc.

Moon

Asteroids

Comets

Constellations

Andromeda

Etc.

Deep Sky

Named Object

Galaxies

Nebulae

Planetary Neb.

Etc.

Star

Named

SAO Catalog

Etc.

Satellite

Select

Add

Delete

Edit

User Objects

Select

Add

Delete

Edit

Landmarks

Select

Add

Delete

Identify

Browse

Start Search

Edit Parameters

Select Item:

Object

Moon

Overview

Landing Sites

Apollo 11

Etc.

Craters

Abbot

Etc.

Mountains

Mons Bradley

Etc.

Mare, Lakes

Lacus Aestatis

Etc.

Valley, Rills

Rima Agatharchid

Etc.

Calibrate

GPS-UTC Offset

AUTOSTAR II's MENUS

Hold down MODE for two seconds and the

following data displays:

• Right Ascension and Declination coordinates

• Altitude and Azimuth coordinates

• Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST)

• Timer and Alarm Status

• Date

• Site coordinates

• Battery status

Hot Buttons

Press the following keys to display

the corresponding menu:

Key Menu

1 Speed

2 Caldwell catalog (C)

3 Messier catalog (M)

4 Focus

5 Solar System (SS)

6 Star library

7 Reticle (RET)

8 Index catalog

9 New General catalog (NGC)

ucture.

Tree Str u

utostar II Men

The Complete A

Figure 31:

Want to learn more about Observing Satellites? See page 39.

Want to learn more about Landmarks? See page 39.

Object Menu

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

Note: Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey.)See GO TO SATURN,

CREA

USING THE

TING USER

page 24, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see

GUIDED TOUR, page 24.

Autostar II contains many libraries of viewable objects, such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae and so forth. When one of these objects is selected from a library, Autostar II moves your telescope (if properly aligned) and points it at the selected object. Six of the most popular libraries can be accessed directly using the hot buttons.

The Object Menu options include:

Solar System: A library of the eight planets (Earth is not included) in order out from the Sun, followed by the Moon, asteroids, and comets.

Constellation: A library 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: A library of objects outside our Solar System such as nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and quasars.

Star: A catalog of stars listed in different categories such as named, double, variable, or nearby. Also included are the Hipparcos, SAO, HD, and HR catalogs. The Star catalog may also be accessed directly by pressing the Number key "6."

Satellite: A library of Earth-orbiting objects such as the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope, Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, and geosynchronous orbit satellites.

Catalogs are accessed directly using the Autostar II "hot keys": Caldwell (key

Other "2"), Messier catalog ("3"), Solar System ("5"), IC ("8"), and NGC ("9").

To slew the telescope to catalog objects:

Enter the catalog number of the object using the Number keys and then press ENTER. For example: To slew to NGC 6720, press Number Key "9," then using the Number keys, enter the digits "6-7-2-0." Then press ENTER.

Autostar II displays the common name and alternate names of the object, if available. Press one of the Scroll keys to display some or all of the following information about that object: Type of object (galaxy, nebula, etc.), Dec. and R.A. coordinates, constellation it is located within, magnitude object is a star. If further information is available, it displays as scrolling text.

Press GO TO. The telescope, if aligned (see slew to that chosen object. Press MODE repeatedly to return to previous menu levels.

User Objects: Allows the user to define and store in memory deep-sky objects of specific interest that are not currently in the A

OBJECTS

Landmarks: Stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent

Autostar II database. This function works with a telescope that remains in one fixed spot or can be setup in the exact same spot each time it is used.

J Select: To select a Landmark already in the database (see ADD below), choose

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

, page 38, f

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.

Landmar

tant Note:To add objects to the Landmar

Impor

must be located and aligned exactly as when the original objects were added to the database.

or more inf

Locate and center the Landmar

, size, distance, and star-type classification, if the

AUTOMATIC ALIGNMENT, page 22), will

ies. See

, then press ENTER.

epiece

k database, the telescope

mation.

utostar II libr

k in the e

Identify: 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 II 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 or alignment is lost.

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

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

3. Press ENTER. Autostar II searches the libraries for the identity of the object being

ved.

obser

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

Want to learn more about using the Browse menu? See page 41.

Definition: Transit is the time when

the Sun, Moon, or other celestial object crosses an observer's meridian, i.e., the time when an object is at its highest point in the sky on any given date.

ARNING!

W Never use your 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 or its vie or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope or its vie it is moving. should always have adult supervision while observing.

RCX400

wfinder at

wfinder as

Children

Browse: Allows you to search the library for objects with certain parameters, much

like a search engine. "Edit Parameters" lets you set various parameters for the search, such as: Object Type, Minimum Elevation, Largest,

etc. Once you have set the parameters of the search, select "Start Search" and press ENTER. Autostar II will display the results of the search.

Event Menu

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

Sunrise, Sun Transit, and Sunset: Calculate the time of Sun rise, Sun transit, or Sun set on the current date. Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the “Setup: Date” menu.

Moonrise, Moon Transit, and Moonset: Calculate the time of Moon rise, Moon tran- sit, or Moon set 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 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. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data. Remember, never use a telescope to look at the Sun! See left.

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: Displays the minimum brightness of the dramatic eclipsing binary star system, Algol. It is relatively close at a distance of 100 light years. Every

ing a 10-hour per

ys dur

2.8 da nitude as one of the tw

o stars thus dips from +2.1 to a minimum of +3.4 halfway through the eclipse as

the tw

iod, Algol undergoes a major change in apparent mag

o stars passes behind the other

the second star is hidden. Autostar II calculates minimum magnitude time at mid-

eclipse

Autumn and Vernal Equinox: Calculate the time and date of the fall or spring equinox of the current year.

Winter and Summer Solstice: Calculate the time and date of the winter or summer solstice of the current year.

on upcoming meteor showers, such as the

WARNING! to the

The combined magnitude of

Glossary Menu

The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions for common astronomical ter Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Autostar II. A

y word in [

is an 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 II goes to the glossary entry for that word.

o access directly from within the Glossary menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll through

T the alphabet. Press ENTER on the desired letter. Scroll to the desired entry and then press ENTER to read the description.

brac

ms and Autostar II functions. Access directly through the

hypertext word

kets

], usually f

ound when using the Autostar II Help function or

Utilities Menu

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

OTA Fan: Allows you to turn the fan off or on. The fan assists with the stabilization of the optics. The fan should be activated at the beginning of an observing session and run until the optics have achieved an equilibrium with the environment. Fan operation time should range from about 5 to 25 minutes. Note that the fan may introduce a slight vibration and this may cause noticeable movement observed with sensitive optics.

Dew Heater: Allow you to adjust heater level, setting from 0 to 100.

OTA Temperature: Provides a temperature reading at the edge of the corrector plate.

Ambient Temperature: Provides a temperature reading at the fork arm.

Timer: Selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful for functions such as

astrophotography and tracking satellites. To use the Timer, press ENTER, then choose “Set” or “Start/Stop."

Tip:

The Contr feature is usually only required in very cold weather.

If you adjust the contrast so that you can no longer read the display, turn off the po again. When Version appears on the display (the initial displa not affected by the Contrast control), press MODE.

ast Adjustment

er and tur

y screens are

n it on

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

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

ON 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.

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

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

J Star

Eyepiece Calc: Calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope

to which A

J Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is

J Ma

J Sug

Sun Warning: Enables or disables Autostar II’s Sun warning display.

Brightness Adj:

plete, press ENTER.

Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contr press ENTER.

t/Stop:Activ

between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the alar

When the alar

ate the alar

utostar II is connected.

selected, the field of vie

gnification:

selected, the magnification is calculated.

gest:Autostar II calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing,

based on the telescope and the object being vie

ates the alar

m time arrives, Autostar II beeps. Press ENTER to deacti-

Scroll through a list of a

Adjusts the br

m set pre

w is calculated.

ightness of the displa

ast of the displa

viously

yepieces. When an eyepiece is

le e

ailab

ed.

y using the Scroll keys. When com-

y using the Scroll k

Use the Scroll k

eys to toggle

ys. When complete,

Want to learn more about Landmarks? See page 39.

Panel Light: Aux Port Power:

Beep: Turns the beep alerts on or off.

Temperature: Gives a temperature reading of the ambient air. This reading is not always

available.

Landmark Survey: Automatically slews the telescope to all user-defined landmarks with a shor 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.

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

Park Scope: Designed for a telescope that is not moved between observing sessions. Align the telescope one time, then use this function to park the telescope. The next time it is powered up, pressing ENTER causes the telescope to move to its predetermined Park position. Once parked, the screen prompts to turn off power.

Allows you to turn off LED panel light.

Allows you turn off and on the 12vDC OUT power port.

t pause at each location. Press ENTER to start the survey. While a slew is

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

Setup Menu

There are numerous other features available within the Setup menu, including:

Align on Home: For permanently mounted telescopes only. If Calibrate Home has been performed, power up your telescope and select this menu to return the previously calibrated home position. In other words, the telescope is fully aligned according to the setting that were stored in Autostar II's memory during the Calibrate Home procedure. See

Date: Changes the date used by Autostar II.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 30.

Time: Changes the time entered into Autostar II. Setting the correct time is critical for

Autostar II to proper or 24-hour mode (military time). To select the 24-hour mode, press ENTER when the

lank" option displa

the "b

ylight Sa

Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by different names in various areas of the w

CALIBRATE HOME, page 33, for more information.

vents. Time may be set to "AM," "PM,"

ylight Sa

vings time setting.

ify

ving

ly calculate locations and e

ys (

i.e., neither "AM" nor "PM" is displa

Enab

les or disab

ld.

les the Da

k local time to v

Chec

ed).

RCX400 TIPS

Look into the Future

The Autostar II Date option in the Setup menu is much more than just an entry of today's date; with it you can look far into the future or learn about past

Autostar II can calculate the date and times of future events and, except

ents

or eclipses, past events as well (based on the current calendar system).

f a Sunrise on March 6, 2043 A.D. or the Vernal Equinox in 1776 A.D.To use this feature, enter the desired date in the Setup menu or select an option in the Event menu.

Autostar II, using the Event menu, can calculate dates and times for Sunrises, Sunsets, Moonrises, Moonsets, Moonphases, Solar and Lunar Eclipses (for

xt 100 y

the ne mums of Algol.

One very practical use of the Event menu is to check the Sunset option to determine when you can begin your astronomical observing session.

ears), meteor showers, equinoxes and solstices, and the mini-

E.g.,

Smart Mount: See page 69 for detailed information. GPS-UTC Offset: Univ

GPS does not. The offset is the number of leap seconds added since the establishment of GPS

Telescope: Accesses several options, including:

J Mount: Set this option to "Alt/Az" if using alt/az alignment and to "Polar" if using

polar alignment. "Alt/Az" is the default value.

J Model: Allows you to select the telescope model connected to Autostar II.

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

J Max Slew Rate: Sets the upper limit for the slew rate. 8 degrees per second is

the fastest setting.

J Focuser: Allows you to recalibrate your focuser. Normally, not used. Recalibrates

focuser and focuser backlash.

J Collimate: Allows you use the Arrow keys to collimate the telescope. See pages

51 and 52 for more details.

J Mount Upper Limit: Allows you enter a number from 0 to 90 that sets an upper

limit as to how far the optical tube can swing upward during a programmed slew. (Note that it does not prevent you from performing a manual slew past this limit.) This is useful when you have a camera or other peripheral attached to the telescope—you can prevent it from striking the telescope base. 90 (straight up) is the maximum value that can be entered.

J Mount Lower Limit: Allows you enter a number from 0 to 90 that sets a lower

limit as to how far the optical tube can swing downward during a programmed slew. (Note that it does not prevent you from performing a manual slew past this limit.) This is useful when you have a large optical tube (12" model) or have a dewshield attached to the telescope—you can prevent it from striking the telescope base. -90 (straight down) is the maximum value that can be entered.

J Park Position: For permanently mounted telescopes only. After aligning your tel-

escope, select this menu and power down the telescope. The alignment settings—level, North, time, alignment stars—are stored in Autostar II's memory and are remembered after you power off the telescope. When you power on the telescope, "Automatic Alignment" displays after the start up routine. Press MODE (do not press ENTER). The telescope remembers its alignment and you can continue viewing or performing other operations without aligning the telescope again.

Park Position provides two options. Use Current Position uses the last position set by the user. Use Default Position levels telescope and points it North.

J Calibrate Home: For permanently mounted telescopes only. After aligning your

telescope, select this menu and the alignment settings—level, North, time, alignment stars—are stored in Autostar II's memory and are remembered after you power off the telescope. You can enable Autostar II to retrieve and automatically align your telescope using these settings the next time you power up by choosing the Align on Home menu. See tion.

J Anti-Backlash: This option allows you to change the backlash along either the

R.A. and the Dec.axes by entering a number from 0% to 199%.This sets the backlash in the way the Arrow keys move the telescope along an axis. If you enter a value near 199%, telescope responds more quickly as you hold down an Arrow key. If you enter a value near 0%, it takes longer for the tube to respond as you hold down an Arrow key. Experiment with this option: Try changing the values until the motion of the telescope (while holding down an Arrow key) feels comfortable to you.

J Train Drive: All telescopes have a certain amount of "backlash" (looseness in the

inter the Altitude and Azimuth motors—which helps locate objects with more precision.

Note: This method is not as precise as PARK POSITION (see above).

y of gears).

pla

ersal Time (UTC) adds leap seconds to its time calculations,

ALIGN ON HOME, page 32, for more informa-

This menu allows you to compensate for the backlash in the

North

Dec. Setting Circle

Level Base

Fig. 32: Alt/Az Home Position. Note that the Control Panel should face South, which is not depicted in the above photograph.

Fig. 33: Dec. Setting Circle at 0°.

Do you want to learn how to

m the

perf correction procedure? See

RECTION

Tip:

If the "ENTER to Sync" feature is accessed by mistake (holding the ENTER k more than 2 seconds), press MODE to return to the previous screen.

Want to learn more about adding and editing sites? See page 37.

periodic err

PERIODIC ERROR COR-

, page 44.

y f

J Calibrate Sensors:This men

u allows you to improve your telescope's pointing accuracy to alignment stars. It calibrates to correct slight mechanical misalignment due to transport, vibration, or aging. It is recommended that calibration be

ormed once on a new telescope after the user initially assembles it.

perf

When this menu is selected, the telescope slews to Polaris. Autostar II then prompts you to center Polaris and to press ENTER. Autostar II uses the position of Polaris to fine tune the position of North and also detects level for the base of the telescope.

J Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in the

sky.

Sidereal: The default setting for Autostar II; 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. Custom: Allows entry of user-defined tracking rates.

Note: Custom Tracking Rate allows you to enter values from -999 (stands for

99.9%) to 999 (stand for +99.9%). The lower the number, the slower the rate; the higher the number the faster the rate. If you enter -999, the telescope will move so slow as to appear to be stopped. If you enter 999, the telescope will be moving at approximately twice the tracking rate.

J Guiding Rate: Allows you to change the base slew speed, 1x. Enter a percent-

age of the speed (less than 100%) and press ENTER. This function may be useful in guiding the telescope during CCD and long-exposure photography. See

SLEW SPEEDS, page 21, for more information.

J Reverse L/R: Reverses the functions of the Left and Right Arrow keys for con-

trolling the telescope's motion (i.e., the Right key moves the telescope to the left).

J Reverse U/D: Reverses the functions of the Up and Down Arrow keys for con-

trolling the telescope's motion (

i.e., the Up key moves the telescope down).

J Home Sensors: Turns off or on the True North and True Level sensors, if pre-

ferred, for Easy, One-Star, and Two-Star alignment. User must then manually level the telescope, set Dec. circle to 0°, point the optical tube to True North and point the control panel on the base to South during alignment. The default setting for this menu is "On." See

Figs. 32 and 33.

J GPS Alignment: Allows three options. Select "Off" if you wish to align the tele-

scope manually (turns off GPS). Select "On" (default setting) if you wish to automatically align your telescope and want the telescope to get the GPS fix when it is needed during alignment. Select "At Start Up" if you want the telescope to get a GPS fix when the telescope is powered up.

J Dec. PEC: Allows you to perform periodic error correction on the Dec. drive worm

gear. Must be performed with a high-power reticle (eg., 9mm).

J R.A.

PEC:

ws you to perform periodic error correction on the R.A. drive worm

Allo

gear. Must be performed with a high-power reticle (eg., 9mm).

aint celestial

J High Precision: If High Precision is tur

object (e.g.

ula or galaxy), Autostar II first slews to a nearby bright star and

, a neb

ned on, when looking f

or a f

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" is selected, the telescope tracking motor is activated and any object you observe will remain centered in the eyepiece. If "Terrestrial" is selected, the tracking motor is tur

Site: Site pro

. See

ned off

vides access to several options including:

TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY

, page 22.

J Select: Displays the currently selected observing site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle

through all a

vailable sites (see

ADD belo

w). Press ENTER when the site you wish

Time Zone Shift

Atlantic -4 Hours Eastern -5 Hours Central -6 Hours Mountain -7 Hours Pacific -8 Hours Alaska -9 Hours Hawaii -10 Hours

Table 1: Time Zone Shift. Calculations are for standard

time

to select displays. Use this option when you move to a different geographic

location.

J Add: Allows you to add new observing sites to the database. 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

However, when the GPS signal is received, the site is normally selected automatically and the site list is updated automatically

. Use of this option is not necessary and is included for the convenience of those users who may wish to enter a site manually.You may edit the name of a site using the Edit option (see below).

J Delete: Deletes a stored site from the database.

J 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 II compensates for daylight savings time, if selected. See

SETUP MENU: DAYLIGHT SAVING, page 32.

Owner Info: Accesses the owner information menu, including:

J 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.

J 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.

Clone: Uploads information from one Autostar II handbox to another. Three options are available:

Note:

The Download function requires the USB cable supplied with the RCX tele-

. See page 43 for

scope more information on how to download.

tant Note:

Impor

If your download fails in the middle of the download attempt (e.g., your PC crashes), turn off the tele-

Turn the telescope

scope

k on and as soon the

bac Autostar II display lights up, press "999." Then attempt the download again.

J Catalogs: Sends only user-defined object information, such as new satellite

orbits or comet data to another Autostar II handbox.

J Software: Sends only the basic Autostar II software.This is useful if one user has

downloaded a new version of Autostar II software from the Meade website

www.meade.com) and wants to pass this software along to friends.

(

J All: Everything—user-defined information and Autostar II software—is sent to

another Autostar II.

Download: Transfers information from another Autostar II. During the operation, the

“Downloading Do Not Turn Off” appears.

ning

J Catalogs: Receives only user-defined object information, such as new satellite

orbits or comet data to another A

J Software: Receiv

wnloaded a ne

has do (

.meade

www

es only the basic A

w v

.com

) and w

ersion of A

utostar II handbox.

utostar II softw

ants to pass this softw

are. This is useful if one user

are from the Meade w

are along to fr

iends

ebsite

J All: Everything—user-defined information and Autostar II software—is received

by another Autostar II handbox.

Statistics: Provides basic statistical data about Autostar II, including:

ailable in user-defined object

J Character

s Free:Displa

ys ho

uch room is a

w m

memory.

J Version: Displays the current version of the Autostar II software.

J Serial Number: Displays the unit's serial number.

Reset: Completely resets Autostar II. Most values entered into the menus revert to factory defaults. Autostar II requires initialization again after a Reset before proceeding with observations. See

AUTOMATIC ALIGNMENT, page 22.

"Hot Button" Menus

Two menus, six object libraries and two functions can be accessed directly using the Number k mode and the Utility light are described earlier in the manual.

Focus Control Menus: Press Number key "4" to select these menus directly from Autostar II's keypad. Each time you press Focus, the key toggles between focus/focus speed men Up or Down Scroll keys to select a focus speed (fast, medium, slow or fine). When “Focuser: Position” displays, use the Up or Down Arrow keys to achieve fine focus of the object.

You can toggle the Focus key to display the “Focuser: Preset” menus. The Focuser preset menu allows you to assign nine focus positions. If you “park” the telescope, you can set your own focus, focus for your observing partners and the focus for your camera or imager. Other Preset menus allow you to select a focus you have assigned and also to Sync on a Focus Preset.The Sync on a Focus Preset allows you retrieve focus positions when you see page 32 for information about parking your telescope.

Reticle Control Menu: Press Number key "7" to select this menu directly from Autostar II's keypad. "Reticle Control: Set Intensity" displays. Press ENTER. The Intensity menu allows you to change the intensity of the Reticle Eyepiece Illuminator. Use the Scroll keys to change the value. As you change the value, look through the reticle to note how the Intensity changes.

When you have finished adjusting the intensity, press ENTER. Press Number key "7" again and the Rate menu displays. Press ENTER again. Use the Scroll keys to change the value of the the rate at which the Reticle Eyepiece blinks. As you change the value, look through the reticle to note how the Blink Rate changes.

When you have finished adjusting the rate, press ENTER. Next, Press Number key "7" again and the Duty Cycle menu displays. Press ENTER again. The Duty Cycle menu controls how long the Reticle Eyepiece Illuminator is on during a blink cycle. Use the Scroll keys to change the value. As you change the value, look through the reticle to note how the Duty Cycle changes. When you have decided on a Duty Cycle value, press ENTER.

To exit the Reticle menu, press MODE once.

Object Catalogs: See page 29 for more information.

eys (commonly referred to as "hot buttons"). The two functions, the Speed

us and the preset control menus. When “Focuser: Fast” displays, press the

do not park your telescope. See page 20 for more information. Also

Note: You may continue to change the values using the Scroll keys (and thus changing the intensity) until you press ENTER again. This allows you to experiment with the intensity level until you decide which intensity level works best for you. This feature operates in the same manner in the Rate and Duty Cycle menus.

Important Note:

The Site information is stored in the Site menu. If you move the telescope more than 5 miles of your initial observing location, Autostar II automatically determines your location when it gets a GPS Fix, and adds the new location to the Site menu.

ADVANCED AUTOSTAR II FEATURES

Before trying out the examples in this section, familiarize yourself with the basic operations of A that you have a basic knowledge of Autostar II and understand how to scroll to a desired men that you have initialized and aligned your telescope.

Adding Observing Sites

If you plan to observe using Autostar II at different geographic locations, you can store obser Perform these procedures using the Site options (Add, Select, Delete, Edit) of the Setup menu.

To Add a Site to the user-defined site list:

In this example, you will choose a city and add it to the database list. You will then select the site to enable it.

1. Navigate to the "Setup: Site" menu. Press ENTER,

2. Scroll through the options until "Site: Add" displays. Press ENTER.

3. Scroll through the list of countries/states. Press ENTER when the country/state

4. Scroll through the list of cities. Press ENTER when the city you wish to add dis-

5. To choose a site, navigate to "Setup: Select." Press ENTER. Scroll through the

utostar II described earlier in this manual. The following examples assume

u or menu option, and how to enter numbers and text. It also assumes

vation sites in Autostar II's memory to help simplify your telescope setup.

you wish to add displays.

plays. The Site is now added to the database. You may add sites using this method.

list of sites. When the desired site displays, press ENTER.

To Edit a Site:

In this procedure, you will enter a location that is not available in the Autostar II database by editing data of a nearby site.You will edit the location's name, latitude, longitude, and the time zone shift. You will then select the site to enable it.

You will need to know the latitude and longitude of your location to perform this procedure.

1. Using the Add option, choose a site on the list that is closest to your observing site and press ENTER so that the site is added to your observing sites list. Choosing a site already on the list (as opposed to using the "Custom" f

es it easier to edit, as the "Time Zone" v

mak

Scroll to "Site:

The name of the site y

3. scroll to the site

Using the Arro

our obser

of y

5. Press the Scroll Down key and "Edit: Latitude" displays. Press ENTER.

6. Using the Number Keys, enter the latitude of your observing site and then press ENTER. "Edit: Latitude" displays again.

7. Press the Scroll Down key and "Edit: Longitude" displays. Press ENTER.

Using the Number K

8. ENTER.

9. Press the Scroll Down key and "Edit: Time Zone" displays. Press ENTER. (If the

ou chose from the list in step 1 has the same

site y editing, just press ENTER again to go on to the next step.) "Time Zone" refers to the Greenwich Time Zone shift. Users West of Greenwich, use "-" hours (one hour per time zone) and users East of Greenwich use "+" hours. For the United States, look up the shift in

10. After entering the shift, press ENTER. "Edit Time Zone" displays.

Edit" and press ENTER.

ve just entered to your list displays; if it does not,

ou ha

, change the name of the site so that it no

w k

ving location. Press ENTER. "Edit: Name" displays again.

, enter the longitude of your observing site and then press

Longitude" displays again.

"Edit:

ABLE 1

page 35.

alue ma

"Edit: Name" displays. Press ENTER.

y not need to be changed.

w reads the name

Time Zone as the site you are

eature)

Tip: Using Autostar II to find objects not in the libraries:

If you do not wish to navigate through the menus, a more direct way to enter coordinates is to press and hold MODE for two seconds or more. R.A. and Dec. coordinates display. Press GO TO. "Object Position" and a set of coordinates displays. Enter the R.A. and Dec. coordinates of any celestial object using Number k coordinates currently displa dinates are entered, Autostar II slews the telescope to the coordinates. Note that the telescope must be aligned (see page 22).

However, if you wish to store the coordinates of an object in memor described at the right.

ys, overwriting the

As soon as the coor-

ed.

, use the method

11. Press MODE. "Site: Edit" displays.

12. Using the Arrow keys, scroll to "Site: Select." The site you have just edited displays. Press ENTER to select the site.

Creating User Objects

In this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not appear in

y of the Autostar II libraries.You will enter the object's name and R.A. and Dec. coor-

an dinates (required information). You may also enter the object's magnitude and size (optional information).

Although Autostar II contains an extensive database of celestial objects (stars, nebulae, planets, etc.) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not par object's R.A and Dec. coordinates in the "User: Objects" option of the Object menu and allows automatic slewing of 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 your local library, computer store Telescope or Astronomy), to find coordinates of celestial objects. The objects/coordinates you enter become part of your own permanent database, called "User Objects."

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

1. Make sure Autostar II has been initialized and the telescope has been aligned.

2. After the telescope is aligned, "Select Item: Object" displays. (If necessary, use

3. "Object: Solar System" displays. Keep pressing the Scroll Up key until "Object:

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

5. "Name" displays on the top line and a blinking cursor on the second line. Use the

6. "Right Asc.: 00.00.0" displays. Use the Number keys to enter the digits for the

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

8. Autostar II then prompts you to enter the size of the object. This step is optional.

9. Autostar II then prompts you to enter the magnitude of the object.This step is also

To GO TO a user-entered object:

In this procedure, you will choose an object from the User Object list and GO TO the object.

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

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

t of a library. Autostar II provides a feature that allows you to enter an

, or bookstore for astronomy books, CD Roms, or magazines (such as

Sky &

the Scroll keys to scroll through the menus, as previously described, to find this option.) Press ENTER.

User Object" displays and press ENTER.

Add" displays. Press ENTER.

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 Ascension coordinate of your object. When you are finished, press ENTER.

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

Use the Number keys to enter the size (in arc-minutes), if so desired, and press ENTER to go to the next display. If you do not wish to enter this information, simply press ENTER.

optional. Use the Number keys to enter this information, if so desired, and press ENTER to go to the next display. "User Object: Add" displays again.

Select" displays. Press ENTER.

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

The name of the object and the Right Ascension and Declination coordinates displa

Observing Satellites

In this procedure, you will prepare your telescope to observe a satellite pass.

1. Navigate to the "Object: Satellite" menu option and press ENTER.

2. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of satellites.

3. Select a satellite from the list and press ENTER.

"Calculating...." and then "Tracking..." displays. If the satellite is going to make a

4. pass, "Located" displays.

5. Use the Scroll keys to display data about the pass: aos—acquisition of signal and los—loss of signal. If you subtract the aos from the los, you can calculate how long the satellite will be visible. Location information also displays.

6. "Alarm" displays after the location information. Press ENTER and Autostar II automatically sets the alarm to sound a minute before the satellite's scheduled appearance. You may return to regular observations until the alarm goes off.

7. 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.

8. Press GO TO. Autostar II slews the telescope to where the satellite should appear. The motor drive stops and a countdown is displayed.

NOTE: If the scheduled appearance position of the satellite is obstructed (i.e., by a building, tree, or hill), press ENTER and Autostar II 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.

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

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

11. Use the Autostar II Arrow keys to center the object in the viewfinder, then look through the eyepiece to view the object.

Satellite orbits change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched. Visit the Meade website ( updated information and instructions on how to download this data to Autostar II. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted b your telescope.

Note: Satellite observing is an exciting challenge. Most satellites are in low orbit, travelling at approximately 17,500 mph. When visible, they move quickly across the sky and are only in the field of view for a few minutes, requiring Autostar II 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 a satellite may pass overhead, but not be visible as it is in the Earth's shadow.

www.meade.com) approximately once a month to get

y Autostar II. Downloading requires the USB cable supplied with

Tips:

To use the Landmark function, the telescope must be located and aligned exactly as when the landmark(s)

as added to the database.

o add objects to the

T Landmark database escope must be located and aligned exactly as when the original objects w to the database

, the tel

ere added

Landmarks

ou to define and store terrestr

This men database. First, a landmark needs to be stored in memory using the "Landmark: Add" option. To view a landmark, use the "Landmark: Select" option. Landmarks may also be viewed using the "Landmark Survey" option in the Utilities menu.

o Ad

In this procedure

memory.

1. Note for future reference where the telescope is located and if you have aligned the

2. Display the "Setup: Targets" menu option. Chose "Terrestrial" and press ENTER.

u option allo

d a landmark to the database:

telescope, which alignment method is used.

"Setup: Targets" displays again. Choosing this option turns off tracking for astronomical objects which is not useful f

ws y

ou will store the location of terrestr

, y

or the vie

ial objects in the Landmar

ial landmarks in Autostar II's

wing of terrestr

ial objects such as

those in the Landmar "Astronomical" when you wish to view celestial objects again.

3. Press MODE once. "Select Item: Setup" displays.

4. Press the Scroll Down key once and "Select Item: Object" displays. Press ENTER. "Object: Solar System" displays.

5. Press the Scroll Up key twice and "Object: Landmarks" displays. Press ENTER. "Landmark: Select" displays.

6. Press the Scroll Down key once. "Landmark: Add" displays. Press ENTER.

"Landmark Name" displays. Using Arrow keys, enter a name for the landmark you

7. wish to add to the database. When finished, press ENTER.

8. "Center Landmark. Press Enter" displays. Using only the Arrow keys (do not manually move the telescope), move the telescope to the desired landmark and center the object in the eyepiece. Press ENTER. The object is now stored in memory.

9. "Landmark: Add" displays. If you wish to add more landmarks, repeat steps 5 through 8.

To Select a landmark from the database:

1. Make sure the telescope is located and aligned exactly as when the desired landmark was entered into memory.

2. Display the "Landmark: Select" menu option. Press ENTER.

3. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of objects you have previously entered. When the desired object displays, press ENTER to select the object.

k database. Be sure to change this option back to

Use the Scroll keys to scroll through location information about the object, if desired. Press GO TO to slew the telescope to the landmark.

4. Press MODE to exit.

To perform a Landmark Survey:

This procedure allows you to perform a tour of the objects entered in the "Object: Landmark" menu option—note that the Landmark Survey will function only if you have previously entered objects in the Landmark menu.

1. Navigate to "Utilities: Landmark Survey" menu and press ENTER.

2. "Landmark Survey: Slewing..." displays. The telescope moves to the first object on the Survey list and displays the name of the object.

3. Press MODE to stop the Survey. Press ENTER to restart the survey at the first object of the survey.

le amount of memory in Autostar II:

ailab

k on the a

hec

o c

utostar II has a limited amount of memor

A objects and other bits of information in Autostar II, you will begin to use up memory. This procedure allows you to check on how much memory is still available.

1. Navigate to the "Setup: Statistics" menu option and press ENTER.

2. "Statistics: 37.2K Char. Free" displays. This is the amount of memory that is still available to the user.

. Once you begin to store Landmarks, user

Identify

This procedure allows you to use Autostar II to identify objects you have found in the night sky using the Arrow keys. If the object is not in Autostar II's database, Autostar II displa quer

ys inf

ied about.

Impor

tialize and align Autostar II. If you physically move the telescope after initialization, this function will fail to operate properly.

mation about an object in its database that is closest to the one y

ou must first ini-

, y

tant Note:For this function to oper

ate proper

In this procedure the telescope eyepiece and use the "Identify" menu to find out information about the object or the nearest object to it in the Autostar II database.

1. Center the object you wish to have identified in the telescope's eyepiece.

2. Navigate to the "Object: Identify" option and press ENTER.

"Searching..." displays. When Autostar II finishes calculating, the name of the

3. closest object displays.

4. Press a Scroll key to display information about this object. Autostar II displays some or all of the f Scroll key:

Displayed information: Example:

Catalog or common name of object Messier 107, NGC6171, Orion Nebula, etc Type of object Globular Cluster, Nebula, Black Hole, etc. Right Ascension 16:32:4 Declination 13°03' Constellation Magnitude 3 Size 2' Scrolling message "This Globular Cluster is 10,000 light years

, you will center an object you wish to have identified by Autostar II in

ollowing information about the object with each press of a

Virgo, Orion, etc.

away...."

Browse

This menu allows you to search the libraries for objects with certain parameters, much like a search engine. "Edit Parameters" lets you set various parameters for the search, and "Start Search" activates the search. A typical search might be performed as follows:

1. Select "Browse" from the Object menu. Press ENTER. "Browse: Start Search" displays.

2. Press one of the Scroll Keys and "Browse: Edit Parameters" displays. Press ENTER.

3. "Edit Parameters: Largest (mins)" displays. "Mins" stands for arc-minutes. Press ENTER.

4. "Largest (mins)" and a value displays. Using the Number keys, enter a size in arcminutes. Autostar II will search for objects ENTER

5. "Edit Parameters: Largest (mins)" displays again. Press the Scroll Down key. "Edit Parameters: Smallest (mins)" displays. Enter the value for the smallest size of an object that Autostar II will search for in the database. Continue with "Brightest," Faintest," and "Minimum Elevation," using the procedure described in steps 3 and

6. After "Minimum Elevation," "Object Type" displays. Press ENTER." "+Black Hole" displays. If you do and the "+" changes to a "–." Press the Scroll Down key to scroll to the next item. "+Diffuse Nebula" displays. Continue to scroll through the list and press ENTER if you wish to change the "+" to a "–" or vice-versa.

7. After you have scrolled to the last item on the "Object Type" list, press MODE twice and the Scroll Down key once. "Browse: Start Search" displays. Press ENTER. "Start Search: Next" displays. Press ENTER. Autostar II searches the database and displays the first object that matches the search parameters you ha MODE and "Star matching the par objects

Press MODE repeatedly to lea

not wish to have "Black Holes" in your search, press ENTER

ve entered. Use the scroll keys to display information about the object. Press

xt" displa

t Search:

ameters displa

Press GO TO to slew telescope to a displayed object.

e this men

up to this size and no larger. Press

ys again.

Repeat this procedure to display all the

Press ENTER and the ne

xt item

Important Note:

If you disable the automatic alignment/GPS function and then use the alternate alignments described in this section, you will be prompted to enter the Time, Date, and Daylight Savings status.

Alternate Alt/Az Alignments

If you would rather set up your telescope without using automatic alignment, Autostar II offers alternative alignment methods for both alt/az and equatorial mounting. During the One-Star and and Easy alignment procedures) manually place the telescope in the home position.

The procedures for equatorial (polar) alignment are discussed in 57; the three alternative alt/az alignment methods are discussed below.

Two-Star alt/az alignment procedures, you will (unlike the Automatic

APPENDIX A, page

Initialize Autostar II

First, you need to initialize Autostar II.

1. Tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks (

2. Verify that Autostar II is properly connected to your telescope. See

AUTOSTAR II,

3. Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position.

The Autostar II screen is activated and a copyright message displays briefly, followed by a short beep. Autostar II takes a few moments to start up the system.

4. A message then displays that warns not to look at the Sun. At the end of this message, press the key prompted by Autostar II to signify that the message has been read and understood.

6. Autostar II displays "Align: Automatic."

You are now ready to align your telescope using one of the three alt/az alignment procedures.

page 17.

13 and 17, Fig. 1a) to a firm feel.

TO CONNECT

Easy (Two-Star) Alignment

In this method, Autostar II automatically picks two stars from its libraries for alignment. During the procedure, Autostar II 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 prompted to center the star in the eyepiece. The process is repeated with a second star to complete the alignment.

Note: Before performing this procedure, first verify that INITIALIZE

AUTOSTAR II

, above, has been performed.

How to perform the Easy Align Procedure

1. Alignment Option Screen. Following initialization, "Align: Automatic" displays.

2. Select Alignment. Press the Scroll keys until "Align: Easy" displays. Press

ENTER.

Home Position. The telescope automatically sets the following positions: home,

3. level, North, and True North. You may turn off the sensors and manually set these positions. See

. Star Alignment. Autostar II chooses two stars to align upon. The telescope slews

to the first star for alignment. Should the alignment star not appear in the field of view in the eyepiece, it should be easily recognized: It will 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 the procedure for the second alignment star.

Note: See WHICH ONE'S THE ALIGNMENT STAR, page 23, for some impor- tant tips concerning alignments stars and using your viewfinder.

When the procedure is performed correctly, "Alignment Successful" displays. If Autostar II does not display this message, perform this procedure again. (Keep pressing MODE until "Align: Easy" displays and repeat the procedure.)

HOME SENSORS, page 34 for more information.

Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment

Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar II provides a library of bright stars and two stars from this library are chosen by the observer for

el, or

utostar II does not automatically find home

alignment. Nor

In this procedure

th.

Alignment Option Screen. Select Alignment. Press the Scroll keys until "Align: Two Star" displays. Press

ENTER.

, A

"Align:

utomatic" displa

, le

Note:

Autostar II 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.

Tip: Try a Spiral Search

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 its 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

al search.

spir Arrow keys to center the object.

Then use the

3. Set Home P

osition.Place the telescope in the home position.

To Set the Home Position Manually:

a. See Figs. 32 and 33, page 34. Loosen the telescope’s Dec. lock (17, Fig.

). Set the optical tube to 0° on the Dec. setting circle (Fig. 33).

b. Tighten the Dec. lock (

Level the tripod base.

d. Move the base of the telescope so that the computer control panel (

) approximately faces South.

e. Unlock the R.A. lock (

ontally until it points North.

. Re-lock the R.A. lock (

17, Fig. 1a) to a firm feel only.

12, Fig.

13, Fig. 1a) and turn the telescope's optical tube hor-

Fig. 1a).Press ENTER.

13,

g. Press ENTER.

. Star Alignment. "Select Star" displays. Autostar II then displays a library of stars

for the observer to choose from. Use the Scroll keys to scroll to a star on the list that you wish to align upon. Select a star that you can easily locate in the night sky. Press ENTER.

Center Star. The telescope slews to the star. Use the Arrow keys to move the tel-

5. escope until the star is centered in the eyepiece. Press ENTER.

Center Star. Repeat procedure for the second alignment star. The telescope is

6. aligned and you are now ready to use Autostar II's GO TO capabilities for a night of observing.

One-Star Alt/Az Alignment

One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar II provides a library of bright stars. One-Star Alignment is identical to Two-Star Alt/Az: Alignment

TWO-STAR ALT/AZ ALIGNMENT, page 42), except only one star from the data-

(see base is chosen by the observer for alignment.

To Download the Latest Version of Autostar II Software

Included with your telescope is a CD ROM and a USB cable.You need to install the USB drivers, that are included on the CD ROM, BEFORE plugging in the cable:

1 Select RCX Users (the fourth selection on the list) from the CD Rom.

2 Follow on screen instructions (click “Next” and “Finish” buttons when asked to

do so).

3 Plug in the USB cable. Plug one end into one of the RCX400 USB ports on a

computer control panel/ Plug the other end into a USB port of your PC.

Next, you will install the Autostar Suite software from the CD ROM. This software provides a menu that allows you to download the latest version of Autostar II software into the Autostar II handbox.

Select A

4. F

Once the A

utostar Suite on the CD R

w the on-screen instr

ollo

icon on the desktop

uctions

utostar Suite softw

OM to install A

are installs

, doub

utostar Suite onto y

le-clic

k the ne

6. Go to the Telescope menu and select “Update Autostar.” The “Autostar Update” screen displa

rade Autostar Software Now” button.

“Upg

k the

Clic

7. The application detects your telescope type and the version of Autostar software on your handbox.

8. A window displays asking if you wish to download the latest version of Autostar from your hard drive (if you previously downloaded it separately from the

Select one of the choices and f

Meade w

ebsite) or from the inter

on-screen instr

uctions

net.

9. The download will take several minutes (download time depends on your inter-

When the do

th).

net connection, speed of y complete

, the ne

w version of the Autostar software displays.

our computer and so f

our PC

utostar Suite”

“A

ollo

wnload is

Periodic Error Correction

If you wish to perform high-precision astrophotography, you may wish to "train" your telescope in order to keep objects that you are imaging dead center in the telescope's field of view during the photographic exposure. Periodic error correction (PEC) helps to remove the slight perturbations from center that occur due to the mechanical nature of a telescope. To perform this procedure, you need to use a high-power reticle, such as the 9mm reticle (see training is available for both drives.

Train Menu Option

If you perform this procedure in alt/az alignment, you can train the telescope in both the R.A. and the Dec. axes; in polar alignment, you need only train the telescope's R.A. axis. If you train the telescope in polar alignment, make sure that "Polar" is selected in the "Telescope: Mount" menu ("Alt/Az" is the default setting).

To perform the procedure on the Dec. axis (Alt/Az mode), pick a bright star in the East or West that is about about 20° above the horizon.

To perform the procedure on the R.A. axis (Alt/Az mode), pick a bright star in the South that has minimal movement and is about 30° above the horizon (

Southern hemisphere, pick a star in the North that is about 30° above the horizon)

Important Note: The Train option overwrites any previous PEC data.

1. Select "Train" from the Dec. PEC menu (in the "Setup: Telescope" menu) and press

ENTER.

2. Look through the reticle. Use the Arrow keys to keep the star centered in the reticle

cross-hairs. Autostar II displays a count of the 200 positions of the worm gear. When the count reaches 200, one cycle is complete. A full cycle takes about 8 minutes.

3. Select "Train" from the R.A. PEC menu (in the "Setup: Telescope" menu) and press

ENTER.

4. Look through the reticle. Use the Arrow keys to keep the star centered in the reticle

cross-hairs. Autostar II displays a count of the 200 positions of the worm gear. When the count reaches 200, one cycle is complete. A full cycle takes about 8 minutes.

5. Press MODE to exit.

Update Menu Option

Use the Update option to further refine your training; it is recommended that you update your original training two or three times when first using your telescope. Update does not overwrite the data, but updates the training using information gathered from both the last and the current training sessions. Press the MODE key to exit from this option. If you wish to further refine your training, select this menu again and repeat the procedure.

Erase Men

Select this option to erase all PEC training data.

On and Off Menu Options

Select "On" when you want the telescope to use the training information. Select "Off" when you do not want for the telescope to use the training information. Select "On" to enable the Smart Drive.

u Option

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50). PEC

Note: If in the

Fig. 34: Example of vignetting.

PHOTOGRAPHY

The RCX400 optical design consists of a h mary combination that performs as one hyperbolic element. The corrector plate advantage, aside from the obvious optical correction that the lens produces, allow astrophotographers to make images free of diffraction spikes, with diffraction spikes being the only real negative to a traditional Ritchey-Chrétien design.

ou may perform through-the-telescope photography with any 35mm camera body with

Y a removable lens.You may connect a camera to a #62 T-Adapter. Using this method, the telescope effectively becomes the lens of the camera.

The #62 T-Adapter connects to a T-Mount for the particular brand of 35mm camera being used, followed by the camera body.

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

The #62 T-Adapter permits close-coupling of a camera body to the telescope. In this

ormat vignetting occurs: The photographic image appears on film with a slight dark-

f ening (vignetting) at the corners of the 35mm frame (

Photography through a long lens such as the RCX400 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 RCX400 telescopes:

1. Use the Field Tripod for the telescope. At an effective focal length of 2000mm or more, even small external vibrations can easily ruin an otherwise good photo.

For best results in photographing celestial objects, a wedge and One-Star polar alignment is recommended. See

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, focus the telescope. 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. Trial-and-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 probab not made to compensate for a dark sky.

ly will not pro

yperbolic secondary and corrector lens/pri-

Fig. 34).

APPENDIX A, page 57.

vide good results since camer

a meters are

aphy through the

ial photog

errestr

s surface. Long distance photography is best accomplished in the early

th’

the Ear morning hours before the Earth has had time to build up heat.

aphy of the Moon and planets through the

Photog

6. ifying, but points 1 through 4 should be particularly noted in this case. If you wish to take photographs using polar alignment, see

RCX400 is sensitiv

e to heat w

RCX400 can be especially g

APPENDIX A, page 57.

es r

ising from

35:

Fig.

The Lunar Planetar

y Imager

Photograph

Although digital camer tional 35mm cameras, they provide some significant advantages to the casual astrophotographer: You do not have to develop the images (instant images), lower costs, computer and internet readiness. And because unwanted photos are easily discarded, they provide the freedom to experiment.

Digital cameras present some problems for the astrophotographer: Many models have lenses that cannot be removed, difficulties in attaching to a telescope, possible vignetting, lack manual focusing and shorter exposure times.

Shorter exposure times is one of the biggest drawback. Long exposures with digital cameras introduce undesirable noise and artifacts into a digital image. This limits the

ange of astro images to the Moon, planets and bright stars.

r Some tips for better photos:

• If you cannot remove the lens to your camera, look for a commercially available digital T-adapter. New solutions for attaching a digital camera to a telescope are becoming available as time goes by.

• If the camera is not directly coupled to the eyepiece, keep it as close to the eyepiece as possible and center the image to be photographed to minimize vignetting (darkening of the edges of the photo).

• Try to block ambient light (from street lights, house, etc.) from the eyepiece and the camera with a piece of cardboard, a screen, etc.

• Keep extra (charged) batteries on hand for your camera as digital cameras often drain batteries in a short period of time. Rechargeable Lithium batteries provide power for a longer period than non-rechargeable batteries. If practical, use an AC adapter.

• Avoid short-focus eyepieces. They present many difficulties for digital cameras.

• If using manual focus, set to infinity. Otherwise, using the camera's autofocus is OK.

• Experiment with your camera's exposure, brightness and /or contrast settings. Keep notes for future reference.

• Clean eyepieces and camera lens as needed.

• Many digital cameras have a manual ISO setting. Short exposures times work the best.

• Use your camera's highest image quality and lowest compression settings. Although this fills up your camera's memory more quickly, it produces the best quality photos

Use the camer

•

minimize vibration. Wireless shutter releases may be available for some model digital cameras. If you do not have a shutter release, use the camera’s timer (sometimes called “self-timer”), which is available with most digital cameras. The timer may also minimize vibration.

y with a Digital Camera

as still cannot match the quality of images provided by tradi-

a's timer or remote shutter release (if available for your camera) to

Fig. 36: The Deep Sky Imager.

Photography with Meade’s AutoStar Suite™

The AutoStar Suite with Meade LPI™ (Lunar Planetary Imager) or Meade Deep Sky

™ turns your Meade RCX400 telescope, AutoStar and PC into even more pow-

Imager erful and easy-to-use astronomical instrument.

LPI (

Fig. 35) and Deep Sky Imager (Fig. 36) combine the power of an electronic astro-

nomical imager with the simplicity of a web cam. Check out the following imager features:

• Achieve great results the first time out on the Moon, planets, brighter deep-sky objects and terrestrial targets.

• Easy to use with real-time display of object on your PC screen. Just center, focus and shoot.

Magic Eye software-assisted focusing.

•

• Automatic and manual exposure control from .001 to 15 seconds (up to 450x longer than web cams).

Automatically takes multiple exposures.

•

The AutoStar Suite Software includes powerful tools to help you get the most from your Meade RCX400 telescope:

• Sophisticated planetarium program with over 19 million objects.

• Select objects from the planetarium display and the telescope slews to those objects.

Create time-lapse movies of objects, such as Jupiter

•

• Create your own Guided Tours.

• Advanced Image Processing Software including Unsharp Masking, Convolution Filtering and many other features.

• Control all AutoStar functions from your PC.

• Talking Telescope software translates AutoStar text to synthesized speech through PC speaker.

Includes a cable to connect your RCX model to your PC.

•

See the CD Rom that is included with AutoStar Suite for more information and instruction manual.

Fig. 38a: The Deep Sky Imager connected to the RCX400 diagonal mirror.

Fig. 37a: Image of M13 captured with the Deep Sky Imager

Fig. 37b: Image of M51 captured with the Deep Sky Imager.

Fig. 38b: The Deep Sky Imager connected to the RCX400 with a flip mirror optional accessory.

Fig. 39: Series 5000 5 Element Plossl Eyepieces.

Fig. 40: Series 5000 Super Wide Angle Eyepieces.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the RCX400 tel- escope models. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instr

ument itself.

Consult the Meade General Catalog f

on these and other accessories.

Meade Series 4000 Eyepieces:

10” f/8 12” f/8 14” f/8 16” f/8

Eyepiece

Plössl Ey

5.5mm (6-elements) 369/0.16° 443/0.14° 517/0.12° 591/0.10° 9 mm 226/0.26° 271/0.22° 316/0.19° 361/0.17° 14mm 145/0.41° 174/0.34° 203/0.30° 232/0.26° 20mm 102/0.58° 122/0.49° 142/0.42° 163/0.37° 26mm 78/0.76° 94/0.64° 109/0.55° 125/0.48° 32mm 40mm

Super

16mm 127/0.53° 152/0.45° 178/0.38° 203/0.33° 20mm 102/0.67° 122/0.56° 142/0.48° 163/0.42° 24mm 85/0.80° 102/0.67° 119/0.57° 135/0.50° 28mm 73/0.93° 87/0.78° 102/0.67° 116/0.41° 34mm 40mm

Ultra Wide Angle Eyepieces (8-elements; 1.25” O.D., except as noted)

4.7mm 432/0.18° 519/0.16° 605/0.14° 691/0.12°

6.7mm 303/0.27° 364/0.23° 425/0.19° 485/0.17°

8.8mm 231/0.35° 277/0.30° 323/0.25° 369/0.22° 14mm 145/0.57° 174/0.47° 203/0.40° 232/0.35° 18mm 113/0.73° 135/0.61° 158/0.52° 181/0.45° 24mm 30mm

epieces (5 elements; 1.25” O.D., except as noted)

(2" O.D.)

.D.)

(2" O

Wide Angle Eyepieces (6-elements; 1.25” O.D., except as noted)

(2" O.D.) (2" O.D.)

(2” O.D.) (2” O.D.)

Power/Actual Field Power/Actual Field Power/Actual Field Power/Actual Field

64/0.93° 76/0.79° 89/1.67° 102/0.59°

° 61/0.98° 71/1.85° 81/0.74°

51/1.17

60/1.13° 72/0.94° 84/0.81° 96/0.59° 51/1.33° 61/1.11° 71/0.96° 81/0.74°

85/0.96° 102/0.80° 119/0.68° 135/0.60° 68/1.20° 81/1.01° 95/0.86° 108/0.76°

or complete details

Fig.

Angle Eyepieces.

Fig. 42: Series 5000 DERS.

41:

ies 5000 Ultr

Ser

a Wide

TELEXTEN

Series 5000 TeleXtenders:

and the fully coated lenses deliv

An advanced 4-element design flattens the field of view,

er the maxim

um light transmission, the highest contrast and an image free of color fringing. Maintains a comfortable eye relief of longer focal length eyepieces, while increasing magnification.

Magnification

2x 3x 1.25 4 5x 1.25 4 2x

Series 4000 8 - 24mm Zoom Ey

Barrel Size # of elements

1.25”

2.00 (w/1.25”

epiece:

adapter)

The inter

oom optics of this e

nal z

yepiece

move on smooth, precisely machined surfaces which maintain optical collimation at

ocal length in

aduated in 1mm units indicates the z

A scale g

oom settings

all z

operation. An excellent addition to any eyepiece set.

oom f

Series 4000 Photo-Visual Color Filters: Color filters significantly enhance visual and photographic image contrast of the Moon and planets. Each filter threads into the barrel of any Meade 1.25" eyepiece, and into the barrels of virtually all other eyepiece brands as well. Meade filters are available in 12 colors for lunar and planetary applications, and in Neutral Density as a lunar glare-reduction filter.

Fig. 43: Series 4000 8 - 24mm Zoom Eyepiece.

Fig. 44: #905 Variable Polarizer and #1A Skylight Filter.

Series 4000 Nebular Filters: A modern boon to the city-dwelling deep-space observer, the interference nebular filter effectively cancels out the effects of most urban light pollution, while leaving the light of deep-space nebular emissions virtually unattenuated. Meade technology the rear cells of Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain models.

Variable Tele-Extender: For eyepiece-projection photography of the Moon and the planets, a Tele-Extender is required. The Variable Tele-Extender threads onto the telescope's eyepiece-holder, into which is inserted an eyepiece of typically about 26mm focal length; the 35mm camera body couples to the tele-extender by means of a T-Mount. The Meade

#928 45° Erect-Image Diagonal Prism: Diagonal mirrors and prisms result in images that are correctly oriented up-and-down but reversed left-for-right. For terrestrial observing a fully correctly oriented telescopic image is desirable; the Prism accomplishes this image correction and places the eyepiece at a convenient 45° viewing angle. The #928 is for use with the 1.25" Eyepiece-Holder.

Series 4000 Plössl 9mm Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece: The most advanced commercially-available illuminated reticle eyepiece, the powered by an internal battery, includes micrometric x-y positioning controls which greatly facilitate locking onto the guide star: Turn the finely-threaded controls and place the reticle’s crossline pattern precisely at the desired position in the field. The sharp, high-power imaging of the 4-element, multi-coated Plössl optical system is complemented by a rubber eyecup (foldable for eyeglass wearers) that shuts out distracting stray light from the observer’s eye. The upper (lens) section of the eyepiece rotates on a fine thread for precise diopter adjustment to the user’s eye. Reticle pattern is a double crossline with two concentric circles.

, and are available with threaded cells for eyepieces or for attachment to

Series 4000 Nebular Filters utilize the very latest in coating

Variable Tele-Extender permits a range of projection images.

#928 Diagonal

Series 4000 Plössl 9mm model,

Fig. 45: Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece.

Fig. 46: #62 T-Adapter.

#62 T-Adapter: The T-Adapter is the basic means of prime-focus photography through all Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain models. Thread the T-Adapter on to the rear cell of your telescope, followed by a T-Mount for your 35mm camera, and the camera body is rigidly coupled to the telescope.

#777 Off-Axis Guider: The Off-Axis Guider provides a means during long-exposure astrophotography for the photographer to monitor the tracking of the telescope to assure that the telescope remains precisely positioned on the object being photographed. Like the T-Adapter, the telescope but it also causes a small amount of the guidestar’s incoming light to be diverted at a right angle, where the star’s position can be examined for tracking errors with an illuminated reticle eyepiece; position corrections can then be effected using Autostar II.

Piggyback Brackets: Piggyback photography is one of the most popular and easiest ways to get started in astrophotography. Attach your 35mm camera, with its own 35mm-to-250mm lens, atop your through the main telescope, wide-field photos of the Milky Way of remarkable detail and clarity can be taken.

Dew Shields: In moist climates, water particles suspended in the atmosphere may condense on the front surface of the telescope's correcting plate. This dew formation may be inhibited to a significant extent by the addition of a dew shield, essentially an extension tube attaching to the front-cell of the telescope.

#905 Variable Polarizer (1.25"): #1A Skylight Filter: The #905 system includes 2 Polarizer filters mounted in a specially-machined cell, for glare-reduction in observing the Moon. Rotate the thumbscrew at the side of the unit to achieve light transmission between 5% and 25% of its original value. The #905 inserts into the diagonal mirror of the telescope, followed by an eyepiece. The #1A Skylight Filter threads onto the rear cells of all Meade telescope from dust.

The filter increases visual and photog

filter helps to penetr

All other rear cell accessories may then be threaded to the #1A

ate haz

Off-Axis Guider couples the camera body to the

RCX400 in equatorial mode, and guiding the camera

RCX models and effectively seals the interior of the

aphic contr

ast, decreases glare

, and

#1220 Field De-r

and plugs into an RS232 (Serial) port. Digital data fed from the telescope's microprocessor to the field de-rotater permit precise and continuous update of the de-rotation required to maintain pinpoint star images throughout the field. The effect is that

ven during the longest CCD or photographic exposures, the telescope acts as if it

e were precisely equatorially mounted.

RCX400.

RCX A

Cigarette Lighter Adapter: Powering the RCX400 telescope by means of an automo-

bile cigarette lighter plug.

#644 Flip Mirror System: Has an X/Y adjustment mechanism for the diagonal mirror with locks for the precise centering, and multiple rotating adapters for T-thread and

1.25” camera attachment. Accepts 1.25” O.D. eyepieces and has a clear aperture of 22mm. Use with small to medium size chip CCD cameras. See see image of the Flip Mirror System attached to the rear cell of an

#647 Flip Mirror System: Has an X/Y adjustment mechanism for the diagonal mirror with locks for the precise centering, and multiple rotating adapters for T-thread and

1.25” camera attachment. Accepts 1.25” O.D. and 2.00” eyepieces and has a clear aperture of 40mm. Use with medium to large size chip CCD cameras. See page 49, to see image of the Flip Mirror System attached to the rear cell of an RCX400 model.

CCD Framing Ocular: Displays rectangular frame of all popular CCD chip sizes. Inserts directly into the eyepiece holder or flip mirror. Includes variable LED illumination control and batteries.

Plugs into a special connector on the control panel.

C Wall Adapter:Permits powering from a standard home (115v AC) outlet.

otater:

The field de-rotater attaches to the rear cell of the telescope

#1222 Field De-rotater: For use with the 16"

Fig. 46, page 49, to

RCX400 model.

Fig. 46,

Fig. 47: The Deep Sky Imager.

Astrometric Eyepiece: A high-precision 3-element achromatic eyepiece for a wide range of astronomical measurements. Measure double star separations, position angles, planetary diameters, lunar crater diameters and so forth. Includes variable LED illumination control and batteries.

RCX Super Wedge: The equatorial wedge permits use of the RCX400 models in an

astronomical, or “equatorial,” mode. The superwedge fits onto the Equatorial alignment allows you to take longer exposure photographs with your

RCX400. See APPENDIX A: EQUATORIAL (POLAR) ALIGNMENT, page 57 to 61, for fur-

ther information.

Deep Sky Imager: The Deep Sky Imager combines the power of an electronic astronomical imager with the simplicity of a web cam, allowing you to capture deep sky images on your PC. See PHOTOGRAPHY WITH AUTOSTAR SUITE, pages 47 and 48, for more information.

More accessories will soon be available for your about these and other accessories available for your telescope, check out the Meade General Catalog or contact your local Meade dealer. Also check out Meade’s latest ads in Sky and Telescope and Astronomy magazine.

RCX400 model. To find out more

RCX tripod.

RCX400 TIPS

Star Charts

Even with the Autostar II's massive 180,000 object library, star charts and planispheres are still useful for a variety of reasons. In particular, they are a

reat aid in planning a night of celestial vie

A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in magazines, on the internet and on CD Roms. Meade offers Autostar Suite and other star locator soft-

are. Contact your Meade dealer or Meade's Customer Service department

w for more information.

elescope

Astronomyand Sky and

for up-to-the-minute maps of the heavens.

wing.

magazines pr

int star char

ts each month

MAINTENANCE

RCX400 telescopes are precision optical instruments designed to yield a lifetime of

rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, your

RCX400 will rarely, if ever, require factory servicing. Maintenance guidelines include:

Avoid cleaning the telescope’s optics: A little dust on the front surface of the tele-

scope’s correcting lens causes virtually no degradation of image quality and should not be considered reason to clean the lens

b. When absolutely necessary, dust on the front lens should be removed with gen-

tle strokes of a camel hair brush or blown off with an ear syringe (available at any pharmacy). DO NOT use a commercial photographic lens cleaner.

c. 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. You may also add 1 drop of biodegradable dishwashing soap per pint of solution. Use soft, white facial tissues and make short, gentle strokes. Change tissues often.

Caution: Do not use scented or lotioned tissues or damage could result to the optics.

d. Do not, for any reason, remove the correcting plate from its machined housing for

cleaning or other purposes. You will almost certainly not be able to replace the corrector in its proper rotational orientation and serious degradation of optical performance will result. Meade Instruments assumes no liability for damage incurred to the telescope in this way.

e. If the

f. If your

g. Do not leave your

RCX400 is used outdoors on a humid night, water condensation on the tel-

escope surfaces will probably result. 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 the telescope is packed away. Do not, however, wipe any of the optical surfaces. Rather, simply allow the telescope to sit for some time in the warm indoor air, so that the wet optical surfaces can dry unattended.

RCX400 is not to be used for an extended period, perhaps for one month

or more, it is advisable to remove the batteries from the telescope. Batteries left in the telescope for prolonged periods may leak, causing damage to the telescope’s electronic circuitry.

RCX400 inside a sealed car on a warm summer day; excessive

ambient temperatures can damage the telescope’s internal lubrication and electronic circuitry

Collimation

The optical collimation (alignment) of any astronomical telescope used for serious purposes is important, but in the case of the RCX design, such collimation is absolutely essential for good performance.Take special care to read and understand this section well so that your telescope will give you the best optical performance.

As part of final optical testing, every Meade RCX400 telescope is precisely collimated at the Meade factory before shipment. However, vibrations in shipping can cause the optical system to become misaligned. Re-aligning the optics is, however, a straightforward process with the RCX400.

Test your Collimation

Before collimating your RCX400, you will need to test your collimation.

To test the collimation, center a bright star that is overhead, or use a “hot spot” of reflected Sunlight from a chrome car bumper, with the supplied 24mm eyepiece. Allow the telescope to adjust to the temperature of your observation site before proceeding; temperature differences between the optics and the outside air can cause distortion in the images. Autostar II offers two options in the Utilities menus that take temperature readings: “OTA Temperature” (the temperature of the corrector plate) and “Ambient

(the temper

ature”

emper

When the star or hot spot is centered, de-focus the image.You will notice that the out of focus star image looks like a ring of light surrounding a dark central spot; the dark

al spot is in f

centr

ature of the air around the f

act the shado

w of the secondar

k ar

y mirror

ms).

ou may notice multiple

ings; these are called diffraction rings. Focus until the diffraction rings fills about 10%

r of the eyepiece field-diameter. If the dark central spot is offset in (i.e., not concentric with) the diffr collimation.

w these steps for collimation of the optical system:

Follo

The only adjustments possible, or necessary, on the RCX400 models is performed with the AutoStar handbox. No adjustment screws are necessary, as with traditional telescopes with a 2x barlow, is required for collimation. A good rule of thumb to follow is to select the highest power eyepiece you will use with your telescope, and double it (a 2x barlow is ideal for doubling). See aligned image.

a. Select the “Collimation” option in the Setup/Telescope menu. Once this option is

selected, you will be able to use Autostar’s Arrow keys to adjust the image of the star you have selected.

b. While looking through the eyepiece, Use Autostar II's Arrow keys at the slowest

slew speed, begin to move the defocused center ring so that the rings become more concentric. You will most likely need to press more than one Arrow key.

c. You will notice that the star image will move across the field of view of the eye-

piece. If while using the Arrow key, the defocused star image moves out of the eyepiece field, press MODE to temporarily leave the collimation menu.

d. When you have left the “Collimation” menu, use the Arrow keys to bring the image

back to the center of the eyepiece field.

e. Press ENTER to select the “Collimation” option again.

f. Use the Arrow keys to continue to adjust the image until it become concentric. If

the image moves out of the eyepiece field, perform steps c through e as many times as necessary.

g. Carefully examine the concentricity of the diffraction rings. Always double check

the image in the center of the field of the eyepiece. The star point should appear as a small central dot (commonly referred to as an “Airy disc”) with a diffraction ring surrounding it. You now have the best alignment of the optics possible with this telescope.

action rings, your telescope’s optical system is misaligned and requires

. A high-powered eyepiece, such as a 9mm eyepiece, or a 9mm eyepiece

Fig. 48 below, to see images of an aligned and mis-

Set Default and Restore Default Options: The factory has collimated your telescope

ed the settings in the Restore Def

and sa recall it if the telescope needs collimation. Or you may

ming precise collimation and recall it again when need

ault option after perf

Set Def ed with the Restore Def

ault option.

You may retain this setting and overwrite this setting using the

1 2 3

Fig. 48: Defocused star images. Misaligned (1, 2), Aligned (3).

Inspecting the Optics

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

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

The optical quality of a telescope cannot be judged b of optical quality can only be conducted through careful star testing.

y the “flashlight test;" the true test

Gauging the Movement of the Telescope

A common complaint of many first-time motorized telescope owners is that they cannot see the telescope “move” when the motor drive is engaged. If fact, when the batteries are installed, the power is on and the R.A. lock ( scope is moving. However, the movement is at the same speed as the hour hand of a 24-hour clock; as such, the movement is difficult to discern visually.

To check the movement of your telescope, look at an astronomical object through the telescope’s eyepiece with the telescope aligned and with the motor drive on. If the object remains stationary in the field of view, your telescope is operating properly. If not, check to ensure that you have engaged the R.A. lock and that the power switch on the control panel is on.

13, Fig. 1) engaged, the tele-

Meade Customer Service

If you have a question concerning your RCX400, contact the Meade Instruments Customer Service Department at:

Telephone: (949) 451-1450

Customer Service hours are 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. In the unlikely event that your RCX400 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. If factory service is required, you will be assigned a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number prior to return.

RCX400 TIPS

What is Smart Drive?

Smart Drive is a feature that allows you to train almost all of the periodic error from the R.A. and Dec. motor drive worm gears. Periodic error is brought about by tiny gear imperfections. These imperfections exist in all manufactured worm gears. These imperfections tend to ever so slightly speed up or slow down the drive tracking speed during each rotation of the worm gear. This inconsistency in the tracking rate can have a negative effect on astrophotography. Smart drive lets you train your telescope system to compensate for these inconsistencies and, as a result, perform more accurate tracking during astrophotography. Smart Drive remembers the training even after the telescope is turned off.

If you'd like to learn more about about Periodic Error Correction, see page 44.

TELESCOPE SPECIFICATIONS

10" f/8 RCX400 Specifications

Optical design..............................................Advanced Ritchey-Chrétien

Clear aperture..............................................254mm (10")

ocal length ................................................2032mm

Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/8

Resolving power ..........................................0.45 arc sec

ocus ..........................................................4-speed front focusing mechanism

Slow Motion Controls ..................................Both axes

Coatings ......................................................Ultra-high transmission coatings (UHTC)

Mounting ......................................................heavy duty forks

Gears ..........................................................5.75"-dia. worm gears, both axes

Periodic Error Correction ............................Both axes

Control panel ..............................................2 multi-function, multi-port panels

Temperature Control....................................Thermal stabilization fan

....................................................................internal dew heater

Alignment ....................................................Altazimuth or equatorial w/optional wedge

Pointing Precision ......................................2 arc-minutes in GO TO mode

Slew Speeds................................................1x sidereal to 8°/sec in 9 increments

Power ..........................................................8 C-cell (user-supplied) batteries

or optional 115v AC cord

powered from auto cigarette lighter

Tripod ..........................................................Ultra-stable variable-height field tripod

Accessories ................................................8 x 50mm viewfinder

....................................................................2.0 diagonal mirror with 1.25" adapter

UltraWide 24mm eyepiece,

16-channel Sony GPS receiver,

extended sensitivity, magnetic declination

compensation

True-level and North electronic sensors

12" f/8 RCX400 Specifications

Optical design..............................................Advanced Ritchey-Chrétien

Clear aperture..............................................305mm (12")

Focal length ................................................2438mm

Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/8

Resolving power ..........................................0.375 arc sec

Focus ..........................................................4-speed front focusing mechanism

Slow Motion Controls ..................................Both axes

Coatings ......................................................Ultra-high transmission coatings (UHTC)

Mounting

Gears ..........................................................5.75"-dia. worm gears, both axes

Periodic Error Correction ............................Both axes

Control panel

Temperature Control....................................Thermal stabilization fan

....................................................................

Alignment ....................................................Altazimuth or equatorial w/optional wedge

ointing Precision

P Sle

Power ..........................................................8 C-cell (user-supplied) batteries

Tripod ..........................................................Ultra-stable variable-height field tripod

....................................................................

Accessor

....................................................................

......................................................heavy duty forks

..............................................2 multi-function, multi-port panels

inter

2 arc-min

or optional 115v A

2.0 diagonal mirror with 1.25" adapter

Ultr

16-channel Son

xtended sensitivity

compensation

rue-level and North electronic sensors

w Speeds

ies

......................................

................................................1x sidereal to 8°/sec in 9 increments

................................................8 x 50mm viewfinder

nal dew heater

O mode

utes in GO

ered from auto cigarette lighter

aWide 24mm e

C cord

, USB cab

epiece

y GPS receiver,

, magnetic declination

le,

14" f/8 RCX400 Specifications

Optical design..............................................Advanced Ritchey-Chrétien

Clear aperture..............................................356mm (14")

ocal length ................................................2845mm

Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/8

Resolving power ..........................................0.321 arc sec