Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product ETX-70AT Meade
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Instruction Manual ETX-60A T Astr o T elescope with A utostar Hand Contr oller ETX-70A T Astr o T elescope with A utostar Hand Contr oller Meade Instruments Corporation.
Quick-Start Guide .......................................................... 3 T elescope Features ...................................................... 4 Autostar Features .......................................................... 7 Getting Started .
QUICK-ST AR T GUIDE Quick Start Guide 3 B A A A 5 6 A B C 1 2 3 3. Flip the Power Switch (A) on the computer control panel to the ON position. The copyright message lights on Autostar ’s LCD display . 1. T ake the ETX from its packaging and place it on a sturdy surface.
(opposite side) Fig. 1 : The ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T T elescope. TELESCOPE FEA TURES 4 T elescope Features (not shown) 1 2 17 7 4 5 19 6 7 3 15 14 16 13 11 12 8 18 9 10 20 (on top of base, not shown) .
ETX: Y our Per sonal Window to the Universe The Meade ETX-60A T and the ETX-70A T are extremely versatile, high-resolution telescopes with features similar to those once available only with larger and more specialized imaging sys- tems.
Computer Control P anel A. Handbo x (HBX) P or t - Plug the Autostar coil cord ( 9, Fig. 3 ) into this port. B. LED - The red power indicator light illuminates when power is supplied to the Autostar handbox and to the telescope’s motor drive. C. ON/OFF Switch - T urns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar ON or OFF .
Fig. 3: #494 Autostar Handbo x. 1 2 5 4 3 6 8 7 9 T our the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Control of the ETX-60A T and the ETX-70A T is through the operation of the standard-equipment #494 Autostar . Nearly all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of Autostar ’s buttons.
The Autostar Computer Controller provides control of virtually every telescope function within a compact handbox. Autostar has soft-touch keys designed to have a positive feel. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is backlit with a red LED (Light Emitting Diode) for easy viewing in the dark.
Scroll K eys - 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.
P ar ts Listing Getting the telescope ready for first observations requires only a few minutes. When first open- ing the packing box, note carefully the following parts: • The ETX Astro T elescope with fork mount system. • #494 Autostar handbox with attached coil cord.
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. T o calculate eyepiece power , divide the tele- scope's focal length by the eyepiece's focal length.
Moving Through A utostar’ s Menus The Autostar database is organized in levels for quick and easy navigation. • Press ENTER to go deeper into Autostar's menu levels. • Press MODE to move back toward the top menu level. • Press the Scroll keys to move up and down through the options available for each level.
It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop ( Fig. 9 ). This means that pressing the Scroll Down key ( 7, Fig. 3 ) cycles down through all the available options within a given category , then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key ( 6, Fig.
T o Calculate Sunset time: 1. Press the MODE key several times, until “Select Item: Object” is displayed. 2. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the “Event” option in the “Select Item” menu. 3. Press the ENTER key to choose the "Event" option and move down a level.
Go T o Saturn After performing the Easy T wo-Star Alignment procedure, the motor drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars.
Object Menu Almost all observing with Autostar is performed using the Object menu category . ( NO TE: Exceptions include Guided T our and Landmar k Sur v ey . ) See “GO T O SA TURN,” page 15, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see “USING THE GUIDED T OUR,” page 15.
• Select - T o select a Landmark already in the database, choose the "Select" option and scroll through the list. Press ENTER to select a Landmark, then press GO T O and the tel- escope slews to the object. • Add - T o add a Landmark, choose the "Add" option.
Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, partial, penum- bral) of eclipse. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data. Min. (Minimum) of Algol is the minimum brightness of the dramatic eclipsing binary star sys- tem, Algol.
Brightness Adj : Adjusts the brightness of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER. Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contrast of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete, press ENTER. NO TE: This feature is usually only required in very cold weather .
• T rain Drive : T rains the altitude and azimuth motors to locate objects with more precision. If you are experiencing any problems with pointing accuracy , follow the procedure described in “APPENDIX D: TRAINING THE DRIVE,” page 35, to insure accurate point- ing and tracking.
T errestrial Obser ving The ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T make excellent high-resolution, terrestrial (land) telescopes. Viewing terrestrial objects requires looking along the Earth's surface through heat waves. These heat waves often cause degradation of image quality .
T wo-Star Alt/Az Alignment Level: Beginner/Intermediate T wo-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky . Autostar provides a database of bright stars and two stars from this database are chosen by the observer for alignment. 1. P erform steps 1 thr ough 8 as described in the "EASY TWO-ST AR ALIGNMENT PROCEDURE," page 14.
Observing a Satellite NO TE: Satellite obser ving is an exciting challenge. Most satellites are in low orbit, tra veling at appro ximately 17,500 mph. They mov e quickly across the sky and are visible only f or a fe w minutes, requiring A utostar to slew the telescope r apidly .
The #64ST T–Adapter permits close-coupling of a camera body to the telescope at a focal length of 350mm and an effective photographic speed of f/5.8 for the ETX-60 and f/5 for the ETX-70. In this format vignetting occurs: the photographic image appears on film with a slight darkening (vignetting) at the corners of the 35mm frame ( Fig.
A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories are available for the ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T . Meade accessories greatly extend many important applications to the telescope, from low-power , wide-field terrestrial viewing to high-power lunar and planetary observing.
#3200 Lunar & Planetary Color Filter Set: Meade optical glass color filters increase image contrast and resolution of the Moon and planets. The #3200 Set includes light yellow , very light red, very light blue, and neutral density filters.
General Maintenance The ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T telescopes are precision optical instruments designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, your telescope will rarely require factory servicing or maintenance.
T roubleshooting The following suggestions may be helpful with operation of the ETX-60A T or ETX-70A T . The power indicator light on the telescope does not come on or there is no response when pressing A utostar Arro w keys: • V erify that the Computer Control Panel power switch ( 10C, Fig.
T elescope moves off a terrestrial object while observing: • V erify that the vertical and horizontal locks have been tightened to a "firm feel" ( 6 and 9 Fig.
ETX-60A T/ETX-70A T Specifications (cont'd) Slow-Motion Controls ....................................................Electric, 9 speed, both axes Hemispheres of operation ..............................................North and South, switchable Bearings: Altitude .
P olar Alignment The great majority of ETX-60A T and ETX-70A T owners will find it unnecessary ever to Polar align the telescope. With these ETX telescope models the standard-equipment Autostar controller allows the telescope to be used in the altazimuth (Alt/Az) orientation for all observing purpose.
e.g., the Declination of the North Celestial Pole is +90°, with Declination South of the celestial equator indicated with a “–” sign, e.g., the Declination of the South Celestial Pole is –90°.
Although Autostar's database contains more than 1400 objects (stars, nebulae, planets, etc.) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not part of the data- base. Autostar provides a feature that allows you to enter an object's R.
UNITED ST A TES City State Latitude Albuquerque New Mexico 35° N Anchorage Alaska 61° N Atlanta Georgia 34° N Boston Massachusetts 42° N Chicago Illinois 42° N Cleveland Ohio 41° N Dallas T exas.
T rain the telescope motors using Autostar . Perform this procedure after RESET or if you are experiencing any point- ing accuracy problems. Figure 30 depicts the complete Drive T raining procedure. NO TE: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to train the drive.
APPENDIX E: INITIALIZA TION EXAMPLE ENTER Enter Time: 00:00:00PM 1 (1X) (1X) 2 (2X) (1X) 4 (4X) 7 (7X) AM Enter Time: 12:47:00AM ENTER Daylight Sa vings >NO (00) Meade (1.0) AU TOSTAR Initializing.
In the early 17th century , Italian Scientist Galileo, using a crude telescope considerably small- er than the ETX-60A T or ETX-70A T , turned it to look towards the sky instead of distant trees and mountains. What he saw , and what he realized about what he saw , forever changed the way mankind thought of the universe.
Planets Planets change positions in the sky as they orbit around the Sun. T o locate the planets on a given day or month, consult a monthly astronomy magazine, such as Sky and T elescope or Astronomy . Listed below are the best planets for viewing through the ETX-60A T and ETX- 70A T .
A Roadmap to the Stars The night sky is filled with wonder and intrigue. Y ou too, can enjoy exploring the universe simply by following a few pointers on a roadmap to the stars. First, find the Big Dipper which is part of the constellation Ursa Major .
Part no . 14-6896-01 06/00 AD V ANCED PRODUCTS DIVISION Meade Instruments Corporation World’ s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical T elescopes for the Serious Amateur 6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 ■ (949) 451-1450 ■ www .
An important point after buying a device Meade ETX-70AT (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Meade ETX-70AT yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Meade ETX-70AT - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Meade ETX-70AT you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Meade ETX-70AT will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Meade ETX-70AT, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Meade ETX-70AT.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Meade ETX-70AT. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Meade ETX-70AT along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
