How it Works
Meade
Loading...
StarNavigator
User Manual
48 pgs2.2 Mb0

Meade StarNavigator User Manual

Instruction Manual
StarNavigator™Series Reflecting and Refracting Telescopes
with Audiostar
™
MEADE.COM
In the refracting telescope, light is collected by a 2-element objective lens and brought to focus at F.
In contrast, the reflecting telescope uses a concave mirror for this purpose.
Refracting Telescope
Reflecting Telescope
WARNING!
Never use a Meade®StarNavigator™T elescope to look at the Sun! Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and
irreversible damage to your eye. Eye damage is often painless, so there is no warning to the observer that damage has occurred until it is too late. Do not point the telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope or viewfinder as it is moving.
Children should always have
adult supervision while obser ving.
Eyepiece
F
2-element
Concave Mirror
Secondary Mirror
Eyepiece
Objective Lens
F
Easy Set-Up Guide ........................................................ 4
Telescope Features ...................................................... 7
Audiostar Features ........................................................ 9
Getting Started ..............................................................11
Packing List ..............................................................11
How to Assemble Your Telescope ............................11
Red Dot Viewfinder ..................................................12
Aligning the Viewfinder ........................................12
Choosing an Eyepiece..............................................13
Observing ......................................................................14
Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually..........14
Terrestrial Observing ................................................14
Observing Using Audiostar's Arrow Keys ................14
Slew Speeds, Playing the Audio,
Observe the Moon ....................................................15
Astronomical Observing ............................................15
To Track an Object Automatically..............................16
Alt/Az Home Position ..........................................16
Moving Through Audiostar’s Menus....................16
Initializing Audiostar ............................................16
Easy (Two-Star) Align ..............................................17
Two-Star Alt/Az Alignment ........................................18
One-Star Alt/Az Alignment........................................19
Go To Saturn ............................................................19
Take a Guided Tour ..................................................19
Basic Audiostar Operation..............................................20
Audiostar Navigation Exercise..................................20
Entering Data into Audiostar ....................................21
Navigating Audiostar ................................................21
Adjusting the Speed of a Scrolling Message............21
Menus and Menu Options..............................................22
Complete Audiostar Menu Structure ........................22
Object Menu..............................................................22
Event Menu ..............................................................23
Glossary Menu, Utilities Menu..................................24
Setup Menu ..............................................................25
Advanced Audiostar Features ........................................28
Adding Observing Sites ............................................28
Landmarks ................................................................29
Identify ......................................................................30
Browse......................................................................30
Optional Accessories......................................................32
Caring for Your Telescope ..............................................33
Collimation ................................................................33
Meade Consumer Solutions......................................34
Specifications ................................................................36
Appendix A: Celestial Coordinates ................................38
Locating the Celestial Pole ......................................38
Appendix B:To Find Objects Not in the Database ........39
Appendix C: Observing Satellites ..................................40
Appendix D:Training the Drive ......................................41
Appendix E: Replacing the Batteries..............................42
Appendix F: Manually Setting Time and Date................42
Basic Astronomy ............................................................43
Meade Limited Warranty ..................................Back Cover
CONTENTS
If you are anxious to use your StarNavigator Telescope for the first time, before a thorough reading of this instruction manual, see the EASY SET-UP GUIDE on page 4.
3
® The name “Meade,” and the Meade logo are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal countries throughout the world. All rights reserved.
™ “LPI”, “AudioStar”, “StarNavigator” and “Tonight’s Best” are trademarks of Meade Instruments Corp.
Patents: US 6,392,799 Other Patent Pending
© 2010 Meade Instruments Corp. All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.
Battery Safety Instructions
• Always purchase the correct size (8 x 1.5V AA,
15A/15AC ANSI, LR6 IEC), (2 x ANSI/NEDA­5004LC, IEC-CR2032) and grade of battery most suitable for the intended use.
• Replace all batter ies of a set at the same time.
• Clean the batter y contacts and also those of the device prior to battery installation.
• Ensure the batteries are installed correctly with regard to polarity (+ and -).
• Remove the batteries from any telescope which is not to be used for an extended period of time.
• Remove used batteries promptly.
• Do not mix old batter ies with new batteries.
• Do not mix alkaline, standard (Carbon Zinc), or rechargeable (Nickel Cadmium) batteries.
Caution:
• If batteries or parts are swallowed, see a doctor immediately.
4
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
EASY SET-UP GUIDE
2. Attach the mounting arm assembly: Place the mounting arm assembly into the tripod base. Reach underneath and thread the mounting knob through the tripod base and into the mounting arm assembly. Tighten to a fir m feel only, do not overtighten. While observing, you may wish to slightly loosen this knob and rotate the mounting arm assembly with attached optical tube (
see
step #6 below
) around the horizontal axis.
6. Attach and balance the optical tube: Replace the optical tube into the cradle ring. Tighten the cradle rings lock knob so that it holds the optical tube loosely; do not tighten the cradle ring lock knob at this point. Slide the tube back and forth until you find a position where the tube remains horizontal (
i.e.,
without tipping up and down).
Tighten the cradle rings lock knob to a firm feel.
4. Remove 4 screws from the mounting arm shaft: Locate the four screws on the mounting shaft. Remove the screws using a "+" (Phillips head) screwdriver.
5. Attach the cradle to the mounting arm:Line up the cradle with the mounting arm shaft.The cradle contains a molded "key" that fits into a slot on the shaft. Line up the key and the slot, and slide the cradle onto the shaft. This automatically lines up the mating threads on the cradle with the ones on the shaft.Replace the four screws you removed in step #4 into the mating threads as depicted in the diagram above.
3. Remove the optical tube assembly from the cradle rings: The optical tube assembly is shipped with the cradle rings attached. The rings need to be removed so they can be attached to the mounting arm. Loosen the cradle lock knob until you can open the cradle rings. Remove the optical tube assembly from the cradle rings.
2
3
4 & 5
6
7a
C
A
B
E
D
F
1. Open the tripod: Remove the tripod from the giftbox and stand vertically. Gently pull the legs apart to a fully open position. Attach the tray to the tripod: Slide the bolts through the tray and struts. Thread the wingnuts onto the bolts.
1
Fasten wingnuts
5
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
H
G
11. Sight along the tube: Sight along the side of the telescope's main tube to locate an object.Practice using the Audiostar Arrow ke ys to centre an object in the telescope's field of view.
7a. Attach the 90° diagonal prism (
refractor models
only, see inside front cover
): Pull out to remove the plastic dust cover from the eyepiece holder (A). Slide the tube of the diagonal prism (B) into the telescope’s eyepiece-holder and tighten the thumbscrews (C) to a firm feel only to secure.
7b. Insert the eyepiece: Remove the supplied
25 mm or 26 mm eyepiece (D) from it’ s container and place it in the diagonal prism (
refractor
models only
; see Fig. 7a) or directly into the
eyepiece holder (
reflector models only
; see Fig. 7b).Tighten the thumbscrews (F) to a firm feel only. Remove the dust cover from the end of optical tube assembly. Use the focus knobs (E) to bring objects into focus.
8. Insert batteries: Open the batter y compartment by lifting the cover and pulling it away from the drive base.
Remove the battery holder from the compartment and carefully lift the 9v connector out from the compartment. Whenever you replace the batteries, to safeguard the wires, disconnect the 9v connector (G) from the battery holder before removing the batteries.
. Insert eight AA-size batteries into the battery
holder, oriented as shown on the diagram on the battery slots of the battery holder. Connect the 9v connector plug to the battery holder. Carefully replace the battery holder back into the battery compartment. Replace the cover.
9. Connect Audiostar: Be certain that the power switch (H) on the computer control panel is in the OFF position. Plug the coil cord of the Audiostar Controller into the HBX port (I)
.
Turn on the computer panel; the red LED lights when power is supplied to the panel.
If you wish to attach the red dot viewfinder, see page 12.
If you wish to initialize Audiostar, see page 16. If you wish to align the telescope, go to page 17. If you wish to use Audiostar to GO TO Saturn, go
to page 19.
I
7b
8
9
D
F
E
10.
You can use the Arrow keys to slew (move) the telescope up, down, right, or left. To change the telescope’s slew speed, press a Number k e y. "9" is the fastest speed and "1" is the slowest speed.
See
pages 15 and 16 for more details.
Slew Speeds: Speed 9: Fast
. . .
Speed 5: Medium
. . .
Speed 1: Slow
Arrow
Keys
Number Keys
10
11
6
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
1
2
5
11
10
6
16
13
15
7
3
22
Fig. 1: StarNavigator Series Refracting Telescope.
Features of the StarNavigator Series telescopes are virtually identical. Certain features of your telescope may look different than, or be positioned slightly different than the one pictured here, but the functionality of the features is the same.
Fig. 1c (Inset): Computer control panel. (A) Handbox port; (B) Power indicator light, (C)
ON switch; (D) Auxiliary por t.
A B
C
D
8
12
14
19
18
21
23
24
25
E
F
Fig. 1b (Inset): (E) Altitude setting circle; (F) Altitude lock.
Fig. 1d (Inset): Compass/bubble level.
Fig. 1e (Inset): Focus assembly and viewfinder.
4
4
26
17
1. Focus Knob
2. Eyepiece Holder
3. 90° Diagonal Prism (
refractors only
)
4. Eyepiece Holder
Thumbscrew
5. Eyepiece
6. Focus Lock Knob
7.
Red Dot Viewfinder
8.
Red Dot
Viewfinder
Alignment Screw
9.
Compass/Bubble Level
10. Altitude Setting Circle and Lock
11. Dew Shield
12. Dust Cap
13. Optical Tube
14. Cradle Ring Lock Knob
15. Cradle Ring
16. Mounting Arm and Shaft
17. Computer Control Panel
18. Accessory Tray Attachment Bolts
19. Accessory Tray
20. Inner Support Struts
21.Tripod Leg Locks
22.Tripod Legs
23.Tripod Base
24. Azimuth Setting Circle
25. Battery Compartment
26. Base Lock Knob
20
(not visible)
(opposite
side)
9
5
3
8
7
6
2
ASSEMBL Y VIEW:ST ARNAVIGA TOR REFRACTING TELESCOPES
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
1
2
5
10
16
13
15
7
22
Fig. 1: StarNavigator Series Reflecting Telescope.
Features of the StarNavigator Series telescopes are virtually identical. Certain features of your telescope may look different than, or be positioned slightly differently than the one pictured here, but the functionality of the features is the same.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not remove the velvet pads from this end of the telescope.
Fig. 1c (Inset): Computer control panel. (A) Handbox port; (B) Power indicator light, (C)
ON switch; (D) Auxiliary port.
A B
C
D
8
6
12
14
19
18
21
23
24
E
F
Fig. 1b (Inset): (E) Altitude setting circle; (F) Altitude lock.
4
17
17
20
(not visible)
(opposite side)
5
4
1
2
Fig. 1e (Inset): Focus assembly.
6
10
ASSEMBLY VIEW: STARNAVIGATOR REFLECTING TELESCOPES
1. Focus Knob
2. Eyepiece Holder
3. 90° Diagonal Prism
(
refractors only
)
4. Eyepiece Holder
Thumbscrew
5. Eyepiece
6. Focus Lock Knob
7.
Red Dot Viewfinder
8.
Red Dot Viewfinder
Alignment Screws
9.
Compass/Bubble Level
(
refractors only
)
10. Altitude Setting Circle and Lock
11. Dew Shield (
refractors only
)
12. Dust Cap
13. Optical Tube
14. Cradle Ring Lock Knob
15. Cradle Ring
16. Mounting Arm and Shaft
17. Computer Control Panel
18. Accessory Tray Attachment Bolts
19. Accessory Tray
20. Inner Support Struts
21. Tripod Leg Locks
22. Tripod Legs
23. Tripod Base
24. Azimuth Setting Circle
25. Battery Compartment
26. Base Lock Knob
25
26
This page
folds out
7
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Take the time to become acquainted with all of these controls before attempting observations through the telescope.
쐃 Focus Knob:
Moves the telescope’s focus drawtube in a finely-controlled motion
to achieve precise image focus. Rotate the focus knob clockwise to focus on distant objects, and counterclockwise to focus on nearby objects.
Eyepiece Holder: Holds the eyepiece in place. On refractor models, also holds the 90°
diagonal prism in place.
90° Diagonal Prism (
refractor models only
): Holds the eyepiece upright for easy viewing.
Results in an upright, but reversed viewing of land objects.
Eyepiece Holder Thumbscrew:Tightens the eyepiece in place.Tighten to a firm feel only.Eyepiece: Place the supplied eyepiece into the eyepiece holder (
reflector models only
) or
the 90° Diagonal Prism (
refractor models only,
3, Fig. 1) and tighten in place with
thumbscrew (4, Fig.1).
Focus Lock Knob: Designed to prevent the focuser drawtube from moving when a heavy
accessory, such as a camera, is attached to the focuser assembly. For normal observing with an eyepiece and diagonal prism, it is not necessary to use the lock knob.
Red Dot Viewfinder and Mounting Bracket: Provides an easier way to initially sight objects than the main telescope eyepiece which has a narrower field of view.
Slide the switch on the side of the red dot viewfinder to turn on the device and to change the intensity of the red dot.
Red Dot Viewfinder Alignment Screws: Adjust these screws to align the viewfinder. See
page 12 for more information.
Compass/Bubble Level: Compass will assist you in finding Nor th. Bubble level can be
used to level the optical tube when setting the Home Position (included with refractng models only.)
쐅 Altitude Setting Circle and Lock
A) Altitude Setting Circle: Displays Altitude (vertical) coordinates (E, Fig. Ib). B) Altitude Lock: Controls the manual vertical movement of the telescope.Turning
the Altitude lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope enabling it to be freely tilted by hand on the vertical axis. Turning the Altitude lock clockwise (to a firm feel only) prevents the telescope from being moved manually and engages the vertical motor drive clutch for Audiostar operation (F, Fig. Ib).
쐈 Dew Shield: Reduces dew formation on the telescope's primary lens (refractor models only). 쐉 Dust Cap: Pull to remove the dust cap from the front lens of the telescope.
Note: The dust cap should be replaced and the power turned off to the telescope after each observing session. Verify that any dew that might have collected during the observing session has evaporated before replacing the dust cap.
씈 Optical Tube: The main optical component that gathers the light from distant objects and
brings this light to a focus for observation with the eyepiece.
씉 Cradle Ring Lock Knob: Tighten to a firm feel to hold the optical tube securely in place. 씊 Cradle Ring: Holds optical tube in place. Attaches to the mounting arm shaft (16, Fig. 1). 씋 Mounting Arm and Shaft: Holds the optical tube assembly. Attaches to the tripod base
(23, Fig. 1).
씌 Computer Control Panel (Fig. Ic)
A. Handbox (HBX) Port: Plug the Audiostar handbox. B. LED: The red power indicator light illuminates when power is supplied to the
connected handbox and to the telescope’s motor drive.
C. ON Switch: Press to turn the Computer Control Panel and Audiostar ON or OFF.
Note: Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of
time.
D. Auxiliary (AUX) Port:
Provides connection for current and future Meade
accessories. See
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 32.
TELESCOPE FEATURES
8
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Fig. 2:The StarNavigator Audiostar handbox.
씍 Accessory Tray Attachment Bolts - Attach to wing nuts to fasten tray to the tripod. See
page 11 for more information.
Note: It is not necessar y to remove the tray each time you collapse the tripod.The tray is designed to be collapsed with the legs.
씎 Accessory Tray - Conveniently holds extra eyepieces, Audiostar handbox, and other
accessories.
2) Inner Support Struts (3) - Make the tripod more secure and stable. 2! Tripod Leg Locks (3) - Lift the lock up to loosen inner section of a tripod leg and extend
the inner leg to desired height. Press the lock down to lock the leg in place.
2@ Tripod Legs - Spread the legs out as far as they will open for a secure viewing platform. 2# Tripod Base - Holds the mounting arm assembly (16, Fig. 1) in place. 2$ Azimuth Setting Circle - Displays Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates. 2% Battery Compartment - Install eight user-supplied AA batteries in this compar tment. See
page 12 for more information.
2^ Base Lock Knob - Attaches mounting arm assembly to tripod base. Loosen before
manually moving the optical tube on the horizontal axis.See page 11 for more information.
9
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button
Control your StarNavigator Series system with the standard-equipment Audiostar. Near ly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of A udiostar’ s b uttons.Some of the major features of Audiostar are:
• Automatically move the telescope to any of over 30,000 objects stored in the database or manually enter the astronomical coordinates of any celestial object.
• Learn the secrets and details of the objects you observe while you are viewing them with Astronomer Inside audio through the built-in handbox speaker.
• Take a guided tour of the best celestial objects to view on any given night of the year.
• Download the latest satellite data and software revisions directly from the Meade website (www.meade.com) and share software with other Audiostar enthusiasts. (Requires optional #505 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit. See
OPTIONAL
ACCESSORIES, page 32.)
• Control your StarNavigator telescope with your PC using an RS-232 interface.
• Access a glossary of astronomical terms.
• Calculate which eyepiece to use for optimum viewing of a celestial object.
NOTE: Audiostar does not require batteries; the telescope’s batteries supply power to Audiostar.
Audiostar has soft-touch keys designed to ha v e a positiv e f eel.The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is backlit with a red LED (Light Emitting Diode) for easy viewing in the dark.The backlit display, key arrangement, and sequential database make Audiostar extremely user friendly.
b 2-line LCD Display: Provides an interface between Audiostar and the telescope.
• Top line: Lists the primar y categor y or menu item.
• Bottom line: Contains a menu option or information about an object or subject, depending on which function is being performed.
c ENTER Key: Accesses, in a sequential manner, the next menu or data level in the
Audiostar database. See
MOVING THROUGH AUDIOSTAR'S MENUS, page 16 and
AUDIOSTAR’S MENU AND MENU OPTION DESCRIPTIONS, page 22.
NOTE: If ENTER is pressed for two seconds or more and then released, Audiostar
emits a beep and “ENTER to Sync” is displayed. "ENTER to Sync" is relevant only after the telescope has been aligned and is pointing at an object. If the "ENTER to Sync" feature is accessed by mistake , press MODE to return to the previous screen. See
HIGH PRECISION, page 26, for more details about this feature.
d MODE Key: Retur ns to the previous menu or data level in the Audiostar database until the
top level, “Select Item," is reached. The MODE key is similar to the ESCAPE key on a computer.
NOTE: Pressing MODE while in the “Select Item” level moves Audiostar to the topmost screen: “Select Item: Object.”
NOTE: If MODE is pressed and held for two seconds or more, inf ormation about the telescope's status is then available using the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2), such as:
• Right Ascension and Declination (astronomical) coordinates (see page 38)
• Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates
• Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST), Timer and Alarm Status Press MODE again to return to the previous menu.
e GO TO Key: Slews (moves) the telescope to the coordinates of the currently selected
object. While the telescope is slewing, the operation may be aborted at any time by pressing any key except GO TO. Pressing GO TO again resumes the slew to the object.
f Arrow Keys:Slew the telescope in a specific direction (up, down, left, and right), at any one
of nine different speeds. Speed selection is explained in
SLEW SPEEDS, page 15. The
following functions are also available with the Arrow keys:
• Data Entry:Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to scroll through the letters of the alphabet and numerical digits.The Down Arrow key starts with the letter "A" and
AUDIOSTAR FEATURES
10
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
DEFINITION:
Throughout this manual, you will notice the term "Alt/Az." Alt/Az (short for altazimuth) just means that your telescope moves up and down and from side to side. Alt/Az is one of many methods used by amateur astronomers to locate celestial objects.
Fasten wingnuts
Fig. 3 Attach Tray to the tripod: Thread the wingnuts to the bolts (bottom view).
Fig. 5: Attach the mounting arm to the tripod base.
Fig. 4: Pads allow the mount to move smoothly.
the Up Arrow key starts with the digit "9." The Left and Right Arro w ke ys are used
to move the blinking cursor left and right across the LCD display.
• Alt/Az Alignment: Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to move the telescope
vertically up and down. The Left Arrow key rotates the telescope horizontally counterclockwise, while the Right Arrow key rotates it clockwise.
g Number Keys: Input digits 0 - 9 and changes the slew speeds (see SLEW SPEEDS, page
15).The "0" key also turns on and off the red utility light on the top of the handbox.
NOTE: While the audio descriptions are playing, the 7 & 9 keys adjust the speaker volume.Press 7 to decrease the volume.Press 9 to increase the volume.
h Scroll Keys: Accesses database options within a selected menu. The menu is displayed
on the first line of the screen. Options within the menu are displayed, one at a time, on the second line.Press the Scroll keys to move through the options.Press and hold a Scroll key to move quickly through the options.
The Scroll keys also scroll through the letters of the alphabet and numerical digits.
NOTE: The Scroll Down key and the Down Arrow key move forward through the alphabet and digits (A to Z, 0 to 9).The Scroll Up key and the Up Arrow key move backward (Z to A, 9 to 0).Common symbols are also available in the list.
i ? Key: While the audio descriptions are playing, the ? key will skip to the next audio file for
the selected object. If there is only one audio file for the object, pressing the ? key will stop the audio.The ? key also accesses the "Help" file. "Help" provides on-screen information on how to accomplish whatever task is currently active.
Hold down the ? key and then follow the prompts on the display to access details of Audiostar functions in the Help feature. The Help system is essentially an on-screen instruction manual.
If you have a question about an Audiostar operation,
e.g.
, INITIALIZATION, ALIGNMENT,
etc.,
hold down the ? key and follow the
directions that scroll on the second line of the LCD screen. When a word appears in [brackets], press ENTER to access the Audiostar Glossary. A definition or more detailed information is displayed.Press MODE to return to the scrolling Audiostar Help display.
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
Audiostar coil cord into this port (10, Fig. 2) located at the bottom of the Audiostar handbox.
1) Coil Cord: Plug one end of the
Audiostar coil cord into the HBX port (A, Fig. 1C) of the computer control panel of the telescope.
1! RS-232 Port: Plug an RS-232 cable into
Audiostar for downloading functions such as "Download" or "Clone." See page 27 for more details.
1@ Utility Light: Use this built-in red light to
illuminate star charts and accessories without disturbing your eye's adaptation to darkness.
Join an Astronomy Club
Attend a Star Party
A fun way to learn more about astronomy is to join an astronomy club. Check your local newspaper, school, library, or telescope dealer to find out if there’s a club in your area.
At club meetings, you will meet other astronomy enthusiasts with whom you will be able to share your discoveries. Clubs are an excellent way to learn more about observing the sky, to find out where the best observing sites are, and to compare notes about telescopes, eyepieces, filters, tripods, and so forth.
Often, club members are excellent astrophotographers. Not only will you be able to see examples of their art, but you may even be able to pick up some “tricks of the trade” to try out on your StarNavigator telescope.
Many groups also hold regularly scheduled Star Parties at which you can check out and observe with many different telescopes and other pieces of astronomical equipment. Magazines such as
Sky & Telescope
and
Astronomy
print schedules for many popular Star Parties around the United States and Canada.
11
Packing List
Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first opening the packing box, note carefully the parts listed on your giftbox.
How to Assemble Your Telescope
The telescope attaches directly to the tripod. The telescope in this way is mounted in an “Altazimuth” (“Altitude-Azimuth,” or “vertical-horizontal”) format.The telescope in this configuration moves up and down and from side to side.
1. Open the tripod: After removing the field tripod from its shipping carton, stand the tripod vertically, with the tripod feet down and with the tripod still fully collapsed. Gently pull the legs apart to a fully open position.
2. Attach the tray to the tripod: Place the tray (19, Fig. 1) over the inner support strut that contains two bolt holes. Line up the bolt holes on the tray with the bolt holes on the strut. Slide the two included bolts through the top of bolt holes (18, Fig. 1) and tighten the bolts with the included wing nuts on the bottom side of the tray (Fig.3).Tighten to a firm feel only.
Note:The tray does not have to be removed when you collapse the tripod at the end of a viewing session.
3. Three Pads: There are three pads in the tripod base (23, Fig. 1) and three pads on the mounting arm assembly (16, Fig. 1).These pads allow the mounting arm assembly to move more easily inside the base. See Fig. 4. This is pointed out just for the user's knowledge of the telescope; the user does not need to adjust the pads which are pre-installed.
4. Attach the mounting arm assembly to the tripod base: Place the mounting arm assembly into the tripod base and continue to hold onto the arm assembly. With your other hand, reach underneath the base and thread the mounting lock knob (26, Fig. 1) through the tripod base and into the mounting arm assembly. Tighten to a firm feel only; do not overtighten. While obser ving, you may wish to loosen this knob and rotate the mounting arm assembly and optical tube on the horizontal axis.
5. Remove the optical tube assembly from the cradle rings: The optical tube assembly is shipped with the cradle rings attached. The rings need to be removed before they can be attached to the mounting arm. Loosen the cradle lock knob (14, Fig. 1) until you can open the cradle rings. Remove the optical tube assembly (13, Fig. 1) from the cradle rings.
6. Remove 4 scre ws fr om the mounting arm shaft:Locate the four screws on the mounting shaft. Remove the screws using a "+" (Phillips head) screwdriver. Set the screws aside.
7. Attach the cradle to the mounting arm: Line up the cradle with the mounting ar m shaft. The cradle contains a molded "key" that fits into a slot on the shaft.Line up the key and the slot, and slide the cradle onto the shaft.This automatically lines up the mating threads on the cradle with the ones on the shaft.Replace the four screws into the mating threads using the Phillips head screwdriver (Fig. 6). The key and slot on the shaft set limit stops for the telescope so that it doesn't strike the base or pass beyond approximately 90°upright when you use the Audiostar handbox.
8. Attach and balance the optical tube:Replace the optical tube into the cradle ring.Tighten the cradle ring lock knob so that it holds the optical tube loosely; do not tighten the cradle ring lock knob at this point. Slide the tube back and forth until you find a position where the tube remains horizontal (
i.e.,
without slightly tipping up or down). Tighten the cradle rings lock knob to a firm feel. See Fig. 7. Adjust the length of the tr ipod legs to a comfortable viewing height using the leg locks (21, Fig. 1).
9. Attach the red dot vie wfinder:The viewfinder has a slip-fit type bracket f or easy attachment. Just slide the viewfinder into the bracket until it clicks in place. To detach the bracket, press down on the bracket's quick release tab and slide the bracket out. See Figs. 8a and 8b.
10. Attach the 90° diagonal prism (refractor models only): Pull out to remove the plastic dust cover from the eyepiece holder. Slide the tube of the diagonal prism (3, Fig. 1e) into the telescope’s eyepiece-holder (2, Fig. 1e) and tighten the thumbscrews (to a firm feel only) to secure the diagonal prism in place.
11. Insert the eyepiece: Remove the supplied eyepiece (3, Fig. 9) from its container and place
GETTING STARTED
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Fig. 6: Attach cradle to mounting arm.
Fig. 8b: Press down on the quick release tab to detach the viewfinder from the bracket.
Fig. 8a: Slide viewfinder into slip-fit bracket.
Fig. 7: Attach and balance the optical tube.
12
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
it in the diagonal prism (
refractor models only
; 1, Fig. 9) or directly into the eyepiece holder
(2, Fig. 10,
reflector models only).
Tighten the thumbscrews (2 and 4, Fig. 9,
refractor
models only
) to a firm feel only. Tighten the thumbscrew (3 , Fig. 10,
reflector models only
)
to a firm feel only.
12. Insert batteries: The telescope’s battery compartment (25, Fig. 1) is located on top of the
drive base. Open the battery compartment by lifting the cover and pulling it away from the drive base.
Remove the battery holder from the compartment and carefully lift the 9v connector out from the compartment. Take care not to accidentally detach the wires of the battery connector from the base. Whenever you replace the batteries, to safeguard the wires, disconnect the 9v connector from the battery holder before removing the batteries.
Insert eight AA-size batteries into the battery holder, oriented as shown on the diagram on the battery slots of the battery holder. Connect the 9v connector plug to the battery holder. Carefully replace the battery holder back into the battery compartment.Replace the cover.
CAUTION: Use care to install batteries as indicated by the battery compartment. Follow battery manufacturer's precautions.Do not install batteries backwards or mix new and used batteries. Do not mix battery types. If these precautions are not followed, batteries may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly installed batteries void your Meade warranty. Always remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of time.
14. Connect Audiostar: Be cer tain that the power switch on the computer control panel is in
the OFF position. Plug the coil cord of the Audiostar Controller into the HBX port .Turn on the power switch;the red LED lights when power is supplied to the panel. See Fig. 12.
NOTE:The Audiostar handbox does not require batteries; the telescope’s batteries supply power to Audiostar.
15. Remove the dust cover:Pull out the dust cover (12, Fig. 1) from the optical tube assembly
(13, Fig. 1).
Assembly of the basic telescope is now complete.
The Red Dot Viewfinder
Because the main telescope has a fairly narrow field of view, locating objects directly in the main telescope can sometimes be difficult.The red dot viewfinder (Fig. 13) projects a small red dot that permits you to more easily locate objects.When the red dot viewfinder and optical tube are aligned to each other, both point to the same position in the sky. An object located in the viewfinder is therefore in the eyepiece of the main telescope.
Aligning the Red Dot Viewfinder:
It is recommended that you perform steps 1 through 4 of this procedure during the daytime and step 5 at night.
1. Loosen the tripod base lock knob (26,Fig. 1) and the Altitude lock (10, Fig. 1), so that the
telescope can move freely.
2. If you have not already done so, place a low-power (
e.g.,
25 mm) eyepiece in the diagonal prism of the main telescope (3, Fig. 1e) and point the telescope at an easy-to-find land object (
e.g.,
the top of a telephone pole or sign).Turn the focuser knob (1, Fig. 1) to focus
the image in the eyepiece.Centre the object precisely.
3. Re-tighten the tripod base lock knob (26,Fig. 1) and the Altitude lock (10, Fig. 1) so that the telescope does not move during the procedure.
4. Slide the intensity slider to the right to turn the red dot viewfinder On (by changing the slider’s position, you can change the intensity of the red dot;see Fig. 13). Looking through the viewfinder, turn the viewfinder’s two alignment screws (8, Fig. 1 or 1e) until the viewfinder’s red dot points precisely at the same object as centred in the e yepiece.The red dot viewfinder is now aligned to the main telescope.
5. Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as the Moon or a bright star, and make any necessary refinements.
Fig. 11: Inser t eight AA-size batteries inside the battery compartment: (1) Batter y compar tment (2) Battery holder (3) 9v connector
1
2
3
Fig. 12: Connect Audiostar to the HBX port.
Fig. 9: Attach the diagonal prism (1), tighten prism thumbscrews (2), insert the eyepiece (3), tighten eyepiece thumbscrews (4) (Refractor models).
Fig. 10: Insert the eyepiece (1) into the eyepiece holder (2), tighten eyepiece thumb­screw (3) (Reflector models).
1
3
3
2
2
4
1
13
Choosing an Eyepiece
A telescope’s eyepiece magnifies the light gathered by the optical tube. Each eyepiece has a focal length, expressed in millimetres, or “mm.” The smaller the focal length, the higher the magnification.For example, an eyepiece with a focal length of 9 mm has a higher magnification than an eyepiece with a focal length of 25 mm.
Your telescope comes supplied with a low-powered 25 mm or 26 mm eyepiece which gives a wide, comfortable field of view with high image resolution.Always begin your observations with this eyepiece.
Low power eyepieces offer a wide field of view, bright, high-contrast images, and eye relief during long observing sessions. After an object is located and centred in the eyepiece, try switching to a higher power eyepiece to enlarge the image.
NOTE: Viewing conditions vary nightly and depend on the site. Turbulence in the air,
even on an apparently clear night, can distort images. If an image appears fuzzy and ill-defined, return to a lower power eyepiece for a more well-resolved image.
The power, or magnification of a telescope is determined by the focal length of the telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece being used. To calculate eyepiece power, divide the telescope's focal length by the eyepiece's focal length. For example, you may wish to use a 25 mm eyepiece with the StarNavigator102. Look up the focal length of the StarNavigator102 under
SPECIFICATIONS: StarNavigator102, page 36.The focal length is listed as 800 mm.
Telescope focal length divided by Eyepiece focal length = Eyepiece power
800 쐦 25 = 32
The eyepiece power, or magnification is therefore 32X (approximately).
NEVER point the telescope
directly at or near the Sun at 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.
Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
Too Much Power?
Can you ever have too much power? If you’re referring to eyepiece power (magnification), yes, you can! The most common beginner’s mistake is to “ov erpower”a telescope by using too high of a magnification, which the telescope’s aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot reasonably support. Keep in mind that a smaller, but bright and well­resolved image is far superior to one that is larger, but dim and poorly resolved (see below). Powers above 200X should be employed only under the steadiest atmospheric conditions.
Audiostar can calculate the best eyepiece for you to use.Try out the “Eyepiece Calc”feature in the Utilities menu.
Most observers should have three or four additional eyepieces to achieve the full range of reasonable magnifications possible with the StarNavigator telescopes. See “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 32.
Fig. 14a & 14b: Jupiter; example of too much magnification.
Fig. 13: Red Dot Viewfinder intensity slider.Slide the switch to the right to turn on the viewfinder.The switch provides two levels of intensity for the red dot.
Fig. 15: 26 mm and
9.7 mm eyepieces.
Intensity Slider
Loading...
+ 33 hidden pages
Buy Points How it Works FAQ Contact Us Questions and Suggestions Privacy Policy Cookie Policy Terms of Use