Instruction Manual
LXD55-Series Telescopes

Meade Instruments Corporation

CONTENTSWARNING!
Never use a Meade® LXD55-Series
Telescope to look at the Sun! Looking at ornear the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. Eye damage isoften painless, so there is no warning to theobserver that damage has occurred until it is
too late. Do not point the telescope or its
viewfinder at or near the Sun. Do not lookthrough the telescope or its viewfinder as it ismoving. Children should always have adultsupervision while observing.

CAUTION: Use care to install batteries in
the orientation indicated by the illustration in
the battery slots of the battery holder. Follow
battery manufacturer's precautions. Do notinstall batteries backwards or mix new andused 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. "LXD55" and "Autostar" aretrademarks of Meade Instruments Corporation.
"Easy Align" U.S. patent 6,392,799 and other patents pending.
Intelligent Network Architecture to Facilitate Parallel Task
Management U.S. patent 6,304,376© 2003 Meade Instruments Corporation.

Telescope Features ...................................................... 4
Autostar Features .......................................................... 9
Getting Started ..............................................................11
Unpacking and Assembly..........................................11
How to Assemble Your Telescope ............................11
Balancing the Telescope ..........................................13
Aligning the Viewfinder..............................................14
Choosing an Eyepiece ..............................................14
Observing By Moving the Telescope Manually ........15
Activate the Arrow Keys ............................................16
Slew Speeds ............................................................16
Observe the Moon ....................................................17
Tracking Objects ......................................................17
Setting the Polar Home Position ........................17
Observe a Star Using Automatic Tracking ..........18
Using Autostar's GO TO Capabilities ..................18
Moving Through Autostar’s Menus......................19
Initializing Autostar ..............................................19
Training the Drive ................................................20
Easy Alignment ........................................................21
Go To Saturn ............................................................21
Using the Guided Tour ..............................................22
Basic Autostar Operation................................................23
Autostar Navigation Exercise ....................................23
Entering Data into Autostar ......................................24
Navigating Autostar ..................................................24
Autostar's Menus ............................................................25
Object Menu..............................................................26
Event Menu ..............................................................27
Glossary Menu ..........................................................27
Utilities Menu ............................................................27
Setup Menu ..............................................................28
Useful Autostar Features ................................................32
Adding Observing Sites ............................................32
Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Libraries....33
Observing Satellites ..................................................34
Landmarks ................................................................34
To Check on Available Memory ................................35
Photography ..................................................................36
Optional Accessories ......................................................37
Maintenance ..................................................................39
Specifications ................................................................45
Appendix A: Celestial Coordinates ................................48
Setting Circles ....................................................48
Locating the Celestial Pole..................................49
One- And Two-Star Polar Alignment....................49
Appendix B: Enhancing Pointing Precision ....................50
The Polar Alignment Viewfinder ..........................50
Axis Alignment Method 1 ....................................50
Axis Alignment Method 2 ....................................53
Appendix C: Latitude Chart ............................................54
Appendix D: EC Handbox ..............................................55
Appendix E: Mounting the Model SC-8 Optical Tube ....59
Appendix F: Basic Astronomy ........................................60

TELESCOPE FEATURESJ

I Hg f e d C B

1$

1#

1#
1)
1!

1@

Fig. 1a: The LXD55-Series Telescope Optical Assembly (Schmidt-Newtonian model with Autostar handbox shown;Electronic Controller model users, see Appendix D, page 55).

d B 1^ 1% g f e

3%

3(

3^

4)

C
H
I
Fig. 1b: Close up of Focuser and Viewfinder Assembly,
Scmidt-Newtonian shown. (See Fig. 1a for overview.) For
a close up of the refractor focuser assembly, see Fig. 10b,
page 13.

4

3&

3*

Fig. 1c: The LXD55-Series Tripod

1&
1*

3$ 3#
3@
3!
3)
2(
2*

1(


2!
2@
2#

2^

2$2% 2^

2&

Fig. 1d: The LXD55-Series Mount.













Fig. 1e: The LXD55-Series Computer Control Panel (see 2$ above).

5

LXD55-Series:Your Personal
Window to the Universe
The Meade LXD55-Series models are versatile, high-resolution telescopes. Suppliedwith either an Electronic Controller or an Autostar handbox, the LXD55-Series models
offer unmatched mechanical and electronic performance.
Caution: Using products
other than standard Meade
accessories may cause damage to the telescope’s internal electronics and may void
the Meade warranty.

The LXD55-Series telescopes reveal nature in an ever-expanding level of detail.
Observe the feather structure of an eagle from 50 yards or study the rings of the planet Saturn from a distance of 800 million miles. Focus beyond the Solar System andobserve majestic nebulae, ancient star clusters, and remote galaxies. Meade LXD55Series telescopes are instruments fully capable of growing with your interest and canmeet the requirements of the most demanding advanced observer.
Refer to Figures 1a through 1e for the following features:

B Eyepiece Thumbscrew: Tightens the eyepiece (see d) in place. Tighten to a
firm feel only.

C Eyepiece Holder: Holds eyepiece in place. Holders supplied for both 1.25" andd Want to learn more
about the eyepieces
available for your
LXD55-Series telescope?
See OPTIONALACCESSORIES, page37.

e Want to learn more
about aligning the
viewfinder? See page14.

2" eyepieces.
Diagonal (not shown, achromatic refractor models only): Provides a more
comfortable right-angle viewing position. Slide the diagonal directly into the eyepiece holder (see c) and tighten the thumbscrew on the eyepiece holder to a
firm feel only. See page 13 for a photo and more information.

D Eyepiece: Place the supplied Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece into the eyepiece
holder or the diagonal and tighten in place with the eyepiece thumbscrew (seeb). The eyepiece magnifies the image collected in the optical tube.

 8 x 50mm (achromatic refractors models) or 6 x 30mm (Schmidt-Newtonianmodels) Viewfinder: A low-power, wide-field sighting scope with crosshairs thatenables easy centering of objects in the telescope eyepiece (see d).

 Viewfinder Collimation Screws (6): Use these screws to adjust the alignment of
the viewfinder.

 Viewfinder Front Cell and Locking Ring: Adjust the front cell to focus theh Want to learn more
about attaching the
viewfinder? See page12.

viewfinder. See step 3, page 14 for more details. The viewfinder is supplied witha small dust cover placed over the front cell.

 Viewfinder Bracket: Holds the viewfinder in place.
 Focus Knobs: Moves the telescope’s focuser drawtube in a finely-controlled
motion to achieve precise image focus. The LXD55-Series telescopes can befocused on objects from a distance of about 75 ft. to infinity. Rotate the focus
knobs to focus on objects.

 Corrector/Dust Cover: Place the dust cover (not visible in photo) over the corrector when storing the telescope.

1! Want to learn more
about assembling yourtelescope?

Note: The dust cover should be replaced after each observing session
and the power turned off to the telescope. Allow time for any dew thatmight have collected during the observing session to evaporate prior to
replacing the dust cover.

See ASSEMBLING

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

YOUR TELESCOPE,

objects and brings this light to a focus for examination through the eyepiece.

page 11.

1@ EC Handbox users,
see Appendix D, page55, for more information.

1! Cradle Assembly: Attaches to mount base. See 1# and 1$.
1@ Autostar: See pages 9 and 10 for a description of features.
1# Cradle Ring Lock Knobs (2) and Washers (2): Slide washers onto lock knobs
before inserting. Tighten to a firm feel to secure the optical tube in place.

1$ Cradle Rings (2): Part of the cradle assembly (see 1!); hold the optical tube firmly in place.

61% Viewfinder Bracket Screws (2): Tighten to a firm feel to hold viewfinder securely in place (see E). See page 12 for more information.

1^ Focus Lock Knob: Designed to prevent the focuser drawtube from moving when
Caution When loosening
the Dec. lock, be sure to
support the optical tube
(18, Fig. 1a). The weight of
the tube could cause thetube to swing suddenly.

a heavy accessory, such as a camera, is attached to the focuser assembly. For
normal observing with an eyepiece and diagonal, it is not necessary to use thelock knob.

1& Dec. Lock: Controls the manual movement of the telescope. Turning the Dec.
lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope enabling it to be freely rotated byhand about the Dec. axis. Turning the Dec. lock clockwise (to a firm feel only)
tightens the lock and prevents the telescope from being moved manually, but
engages the Dec. motor drive (see 3$) for Autostar operation.

1* Polar Viewfinder Cap: Remove this cap when using the polar viewfinder (see 2().
1( Declination (Dec.) Setting Circle: See APPENDIX A, page 48, for more information.

2) Counterweight Shaft Base: Thread, along with the shaft, to the mount. See
page 11 for more information.

2! Counterweight and Counterweight Lock Knob: Counterbalances the weight ofthe optical tube, and adds stability to the mount. Tighten the lock knob on the sideof the counterweight to a firm feel to prevent the weight from sliding on the shaft.

2@ Counterweight Shaft: Slide the counterweight onto this shaft (see 2!).
2# Counterweight Safety Cap: Prevents the counterweight from accidentally slipping off the end of the counterweight shaft.

2$ Computer Control Panel (see Fig. 1e):
A. Handbox (HBX) Port: Plug the Autostar or EC handbox coil cord (10,Fig. 2) into this port.
B. 12v DC Power Connector: Plug the battery pack into this connector.
The telescope assembly also may be powered from either a 12v DC
auto cigarette lighter plug using the optional #607 Cigarette Lighter
Adaptor or from a standard 115v AC home outlet using the optional#547 Power Adapter with Cable or #547F Power Adapter for 220v outlets. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 38.
C. LED: Illuminates when power is supplied to the Autostar or EC handbox and the telescope’s motor drive.
D. ON/OFF Switch: Turns the Computer Control Panel and Autostar ON
or OFF.
E. AUX Port: Provides connection for current and future Meade accessories.
See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 38.

2%

F. Dec Port: Plug the coil cord from the Dec. motor assembly into this port
for Autostar to control the motor drive.
R.A. Motor Drive Assembly: Controlled by Autostar or EC handbox. Moves the
optical tube along the R.A. axis. The R.A. Lock (see 3#) must be tightened to a
firm feel in order for the R.A. motor to operate.

2^ Latitude Adjustment (2): Sets the latitude of your observing location. The two Thandle screws work in a "push - pull" operation—as you tighten one, loosen theother. The T-handle above the star marking on top of one of the tripod legs is theNorth T-handle screw (South in the Southern Hemisphere). The leg marked witha star must be pointed North (South in the Southern hemisphere) during the polaralignment procedure.

2* Want to learn more
about setting the latitude dials?
See STEP 6, page 12.

2& Fine Azimuth Control Knobs: Fine tune the side-to-side movement of the telescope when centering Polaris in the telescope eyepiece or when using the polaralignment viewfinder (see 2().

2* Latitude Dial: Set the latitude of the observing site on this dial using the latitude
T-handle screws. For more information see Step 6, page 12.

7

2( Polar Alignment Viewfinder: Allows you to precisely polar align the telescope.
2( Want to learn more

Useful when performing astrophotography. See page 50.

3) Polar Alignment Viewfinder Reticle and LED Knob: Rotate the knob to switch

about the polar alignment viewfinder?
See the The Polar
Alignment Viewfinder,
page 50.

on or off the LED that illuminates the reticle within the polar alignment finder. Be
sure to turn off the LED when finished with the polar viewfinder. Powered by (factory-supplied) batteries contained within.

3! Right Ascension (R.A.) Setting Circle: See APPENDIX A, page 48, for more
information.

3@ R.A. Setting Circle Lock Knob: Rotate the knob to lock the R.A. Setting Circle(see 3!) in place.

3# R.A. Lock: Controls the manual movement of the telescope. Turning the R.A.
lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope enabling it to be freely rotated byhand about the R.A. axis. Turning the R.A. lock clockwise (to a firm feel only)
tightens the lock and prevents the telescope from being moved manually, but
engages the R.A. motor drive (see 2%) for Autostar or EC handbox operation.

3$ Dec. Motor Drive Assembly: Controlled by Autostar or the EC handbox. Moves4!

the optical tube along the Dec. axis. The Dec. Lock (see 1&) must be tightened toa firm feel in order for the Dec. motor to operate.

3% Tripod Leg Adjustment Knobs (3): Tighten to a firm feel to secure tripod legs.
3^ Variable Height Tripod Legs (3): Supports the telescope mount. Note that one
legs has a star stamped on top of it. This leg must be pointed North (South in theSouthern hemisphere) during the alignment procedure. The mount attaches tothe top of the tripod.

3& Accessory tray: Set extra eyepieces and other accessory on this convenient
tray.
Fig. 1f: The LXD55-Series Battery
Pack and holder.

3* Tripod Leg Braces (3): Make the tripod more secure and stable. See Fig. 3.
3( Accessory Tray Thumbscrew: Attach on the top side of the tray and tighten to a
firm feel to secure the tray to the tripod and keep the tripod stable. See HOW TOASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE, page 11 for more information.

4) Tripod Leg Lock Knobs (one on each leg): Loosen these knobs to slide the4! Want to learn how to
install the batteries?

inner leg extension. Tighten the knobs to a firm feel to lock in the height of the tripod.

See step 12, page 13.

4! Battery Pack and holder (see Fig. 1f): Plug into the 12v DC power connector(B, Fig. 1e) of the computer control panel. Insert 8 (user-supplied) D-cell batteries to power motor drives and Autostar handbox.

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 notfollowed, batteries may
explode, catch fire, orleak. Improperly installedbatteries void your Meade
warranty. Always remove
the batteries if they are
not to be used for a long
period of time.

LXD55 TIPS
Join an Astronomy Club, Attend a Star Party
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
there’s a club in your area.
At club meetings, you will meet other astronomy and Meade 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” totry out on your LXD55-Series telescope. See page 36 for more information about photography with the LXD55-Series.
Many groups also hold regularly scheduled Star Parties at which you can check out andobserve with many different telescopes and other pieces of astronomical equipment.
Magazines such as Sky & Telescope and Astronomy print schedules for many popularStar Parties around the United States and Canada.

8

AUTOSTAR FEATURES
Important Note: Themodel SN-6EC, model
SN-8EC, and model AR5EC are equipped with an
Electronic Controller
handbox, rather than the
Autostar Handbox.
Several of the following
procedures, such as
Tracking Objects andInitializing Autostar (toname but a few), are relevant only to models
equipped with theAutostar handbox and do
not apply to the EC models. For more information
about the EC handbox,
see APPENDIX D: EC
HANDBOX, page 55.











Fig. 2: The Autostar Handbox.

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

Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button
Control of most LXD55-Series telescope models (excluding the EC models; see margin note) is through the operation of Autostar. Nearly all functions of the telescope areaccomplished with just a few pushes of Autostar’s buttons. Some of the major features of Autostar are:■Automatic GO TO capability: Automatically move the telescope to any of themore than 30,000 objects stored in the object library.
Take a guided tour of the best celestial objects to view on any given night of theyear.
Download the latest satellite data and software revisions directly from the Meade
website (www.meade.com) and share software with other Autostar enthusiasts.
Requires optional #505 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit. See
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 38.
Access a glossary of astronomical terms.

■

Fully automatic tracking of celestial objects.

■■■

Features
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. The backlit display, key arrangement, andsequential menu structure make Autostar extremely user friendly.

B 2-Line LCD Display: This screen displays Autostar's menus and other informa■■Ction about the telescope.
Top line: Lists the primary menu.
Bottom line: Contains other menus that may be selected, menu options, telescope status, or information about a function that is currently being performed.
ENTER Key: Press to go to the next menu level or to choose an option in amenu. The ENTER key is similar to the RETURN or ENTER key on a computer.
See MOVING THROUGH AUTOSTAR'S MENUS, page 19 and AUTOSTAR’S MENUS,
page 25.

9Tip:
If the "ENTER to Sync"
feature is accessed by
mistake, press MODE
to return to the previous
screen.

Note: If ENTER is pressed for two seconds or more and then released,
Autostar emits a beep and “ENTER to Sync” is displayed. "ENTER to
Sync" may be used only after your telescope has been aligned and ispointing at an object. See page 30 for more details.

 MODE Key: Press to return to the previous menu 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 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 theScroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to display the following information and more:■ Right Ascension and Declination (astronomical) coordinates

E Want to learn more

■ Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates

about using the GO TO
function? See page
21.
Want to learn how to
perform a spiralsearch? See page 21.

Definitions:"Slew" means to move thetelescope's optical tube toa selected object.

■ Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST)■ Timer and Alarm Status

Press MODE again to return to the previous menu.

E GO TO Key: Press to slew (move) the telescope to the coordinates of the currently selected object. While the telescope is slewing, the operation may beaborted at any time by pressing any key except GO TO. Pressing GO TO again
resumes the slew to the object. Also, press GO TO after a slew is completed toactivate a "spiral search."

F Arrow Keys: Press to slew the telescope in a specific direction (up, down, left,
and right), at any one of nine different speeds. See SLEW SPEEDS, page 16.

G Number Keys: Press to input digits 0 to 9. When data is not being entered, theNumber keys can be used to change the slew speed. To operate, just press anumber key (1 is the slowest speed, 9 is the highest speed). Press the Number
key "0" to turn on and off the red utility light on the top of the handbox.

H Scroll Keys: Press to access options within a selected menu. The menu is displayed on the first line of the screen. Options in that menu are displayed, one ata 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.

I ? Key: Press to access the "Help" function. Help provides on-screen informationJon how to accomplish whatever task is currently active.
Hold down the ? key and then follow the prompts on the display to access detailsof Autostar functions in the Help feature. The Help system is essentially an onscreen instruction manual.
If you have a question about an Autostar operation, e.g., INITIALIZATION,ALIGNMENT, etc., hold down the ? key and follow the directions that scroll on thesecond line. When satisfied with the Help provided, press MODE to return to theoriginal screen and continue with the chosen procedure.
Coil Cord Port: Plug one end of the Autostar coil cord (see 1)) into this port
located at the bottom of the Autostar handbox and the other end into the HBX
port of the computer control panel (A, Fig. 1e).

1) Coil Cord: Plug one end of the Autostar coil cord into the HBX port (A, Fig. 1e)of the computer control panel of the telescope and the other end into the Autostar
coil cord port (See J).

1! RS232 Port: Plug in RS232 connections for downloading and connecting to computer. Useful for downloading the latest satellite data and software revisions
directly from the Meade website (www.meade.com) Requires optional #505
AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,
page 38.

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 lighton and off.

10

GETTING STARTEDLeg
BracesAs you unpack your telescope, carefully note the following parts. The assembly isshipped in separate boxes.

Slot
over
Protrusion

Telescope Assembly■
Equatorial mount with polar alignment finder■
Heavy duty, adjustable aluminum tripod with leg braces, three tripod leg lockknobs, and a captive mount locking knob■
Complete optical tube assembly including primary mirror with dust cover and arack-and-pinion focuser and eyepiece holders for both 1.25" and 2" eyepiece
holders, tube cradle assembly with two rings and two lock knobs■
Super Plössl (SP) 26mm eyepiece■Counterweight and counterweight shaft. The 8" and 10" models include extra
counterweights.
■
8 x 50mm (achromatic refractors models) or 6 x 30mm (Schmidt-Newtonianmodels) viewfinder

Mounting
Thumbscrew■

Fig. 3: Tripod assembly.

Motor Assembly
Factory-mounted dual electronic motor drive assembly■
Autostar handbox, detachable coil cord, or Electronic Controller■
Battery pack and holder
Accessories■
Accessory shelf with mounting knob, hex keys, LXD55-Series T-Adapter (included with Schmidt-Newtonian models only)

Fig. 4: Place slots in tray over protrusions on leg braces.

Fine
AzimuthControl
Knobs

How to Assemble Your Telescope
The giftboxes contain the optical tube assembly and the tripod with the equatorial
mount. The accessories are located within compartments custom-cut into the styrofoam block inserts.
1.

Remove the components from the giftboxes: Remove and identify the telescope’s equipment. Refer to Figures 1a through 1f for images of the parts andthe overall assembly of your telescope. When removing the tripod from the giftbox, hold the assembly parallel (horizontal) to the ground or the inner tripod leg
extensions will slide out as they are not locked in place.

2.

Adjust the tripod legs. Spread the tripod legs as far as they will open, so thatthe leg braces are taut. See Fig. 3.

3.

Attach the accessory shelf to the tripod: Remove the mounting knob from thecenter of the leg braces (39, Fig. 1c). Place the triangular accessory shelf on topof the leg braces so that each corner of the triangle lies over a leg brace. Noticethat there is protrusion on each leg brace. There is a corresponding slot for each
protrusion on the accessory tray. See Fig. 4. Line up the slots with the protrusions
and slide the protrusions through the slots to hold the tray in place. Next, slide
the mounting thumbscrew through the hole in the center of the brace and tighten
to a firm feel.

4.

Attach mount to tripod base: Place the mount over the base of the tripod withthe computer control panel positioned above the tripod leg marked with a star andwith the protrusion on top of the tripod's base positioned between the fineazimuth control knobs. See Fig. 5. Back off the azimuth control knobs wide
enough for protrusion to fit between them. Slide the hole in the center of theunderside of the mount onto the captive mount locking bolt in the center of thebase and tighten it by turning the knob below the base. Tighten to a firm feel.

5.

Attach the counterweight(s) to the counterweight shaft: Place the counterweight shaft base (20, Fig. 1d) over the threaded end of the shaft (22, Fig. 1d).
Thread the shaft and base assembly into the hole beneath the Dec. setting circle
as depicted in Fig. 6.

Protrusion
Star

Mount
Locking
Knob (notvisible)Fig. 5: Attach the mount to the tripod.

Dec. Setting Circle
Shaft
Base
Counterweight
Lock
Knob

Shaft
SafetyCap

Fig. 6: Attach Counterweight assembly.

Look through the hole in the counterweight and note the pin blocking the hole. Tilt
the counterweight slightly and the pin moves out of position, clearing the hole. If
the pin does not move, unscrew the counterweight lock knob slightly until the pin
moves.

11

Unscrew the safety cap (23, Fig. 1d) from the shaft. Holding the counterweight(21, Fig. 1d) firmly in one hand, slip the counterweight to approximately the midpoint of the counterweight shaft (22, Fig. 1d). Tighten the counterweight lockknob to a firm feel. Replace the safety cap.
Cradle Assembly
Slot

Secondary
Lock Knob
Cradle Lock KnobFig. 7: Attach cradle to base mounting slot and tighten locking knobs.
Cradle Rings

Lock
Knobs

Fig. 8: Place optical tube in rings
and loosely tighten cradle ring lockknobs.
Note: Model SC-8 users:
After completing step 6,
refer to APPENDIX E, page59, step 1, for information
on how to attach the SC
optical tube to the mount.

Viewfinder
Mounting
Screws and
Nuts

Fig. 9a: Viewfinder assembly,
Schmidt-Newtonian models.

Note: If the counterweight ever slips, the safety cap (23, Fig. 1d) prevents
the counterweight from sliding entirely off the shaft. Always leave thesafety cap in place when the counterweight is on the shaft.
6. Set the latitude: Setting the latitude is easier if it is set before you attach the optical tube to the assembly. Locate the latitude dial (28, Fig. 1d); note that there isa triangular pointer above the dial located on the mount. The pointer is not fixed;
it moves as the mount moves.
Determine the latitude of your observing location. See APPENDIX C: LATITUDE
CHART, page 54, for a list of latitudes, or check an atlas. Move the latitude T-handle screws in order to move the mount until the pointer points to your latitude. The
two T-handle screws work in a "push - pull" operation—as you tighten one, loosen
the other. When the pointer points at your latitude, tighten both screws until they
make contact with the mount.
Also note that below the latitude T-handle screw located directly under the computer control panel is a star on top of the tripod leg. At your observing site, set up
the telescope assembly so that this leg approximately faces North (or South in
the Southern Hemisphere). Model SC-8 users, see APPENDIX E, page 59.
7. Attach the cradle assembly to the mount: Remove the optical tube from thecradle and slide the cradle assembly (11, Fig. 1a) onto the cradle mounting slot.
See Fig. 7. The rounded base of the cradle assembly fits into the rounded portion of the mounting slot. Tighten both the cradle locking knob and the secondary
locking knob to a firm feel.
8. Position optical tube: Unscrew the cradle ring lock knobs (13, Fig. 1a) and open
the cradle rings. While firmly holding the optical tube (10, Fig. 1a), position it onto
the cradle rings (14, Fig. 1a) with the mid-point of the optical tube’s length lying
roughly in the center of the cradle ring assembly. Point the tube so that the frontend (this end comes shipped with the dust cover (9, Fig. 1a) over it) is oriented
as depicted in Fig. 1a. Then close the cradle rings (14, Fig. 1a) over the opticaltube. Loosely tighten the cradle ring lock knobs just to hold the tube securely inplace until you balance it. See BALANCING THE TELESCOPE, page 13.
9. Attach viewfinder bracket: Schmidt-Newtonian models (Fig. 9a): Locate theviewfinder bracket screws (15, Fig. 1b and Fig. 9a) and remove the nuts from thescrews. Slide the holes in the viewfinder bracket over the viewfinder bracket
screws. Replace the nuts and tighten to a firm feel only.
Attach viewfinder tube: Back off the viewfinder collimation screws (5, Fig. 1b)
and slide the viewfinder tube into the bracket. Orient the viewfinder eyepiece as
depicted in Fig. 1b. Tighten the collimation screws to a firm feel. See ALIGNING
THE VIEWFINDER, page 14.
Attach viewfinder bracket: Achromatic refractor and Schmidt-Cassegrainmodels (Fig. 9b): Slide the track on the bottom of the viewfinder bracket into theslot in the viewfinder mounting assembly (which is already attached to the tube).
To secure the viewfinder to the mounting assembly, tighten the two thumbscrews
to a firm feel only.
Attach viewfinder tube: Back off the viewfinder collimation screws (5, Fig. 1b)
and slide the viewfinder tube into the bracket. Point the viewfinder eyepiece
toward the focuser assembly. See Fig. 10b. Tighten the collimation screws to a
firm feel. See ALIGNING THE VIEWFINDER, page 14.

Fig. 9b: Viewfinder assembly, refractor models. Slide bracket into slot.

12

10. Insert the eyepiece: Schmidt-Newtonian models (Fig. 10a): Lift to remove thedust cap from the eyepiece holder on the focuser assembly. Set the dust cap
aside in a safe place and replace it when you have finished observing to protect
the eyepiece assembly. Back off the eyepiece thumbscrews (1, Fig. 1a) andinsert the supplied SP 26mm eyepiece (3, Fig. 1a) into the the eyepiece holder.
Tighten the holder thumbscrews to a firm feel to secure the eyepiece.

Insert the eyepiece: Achromatic refractor and Schmidt-Cassegrain models(Fig. 10b): Lift to remove the dust cap from the eyepiece holder on the focuser
assembly. Set the dust cap aside in a safe place and replace it when you havefinished observing to protect the eyepiece assembly. Back off the eyepiece
thumbscrews (1, Fig. 1b) and slide the diagonal into the holder and tighten the
thumbscrews to a firm feel only. Insert the supplied SP 26mm eyepiece (3, Fig.
1b) into the the diagonal. Tighten the diagonal's thumbscrews to a firm feel tosecure the eyepiece.

Eyepiece

HolderNote: Two eyepiece holders are included with your telescope—for both1.25" and 2" eyepieces. To change eyepiece holders, unscrew the attachedholder from the focuser and thread on the other holder.

Thumbscrew

Fig. 10a: Insert eyepiece into holder
and tighten thumbscrews.
Viewfinder
Eyepiece

11. Adjust the height of the tripod: Adjust the height of the tripod by loosening the
tripod lock knobs (Fig. 11). Extend the sliding inner section of each tripod leg tothe desired length; then tighten each knob. Adjust the tripod to a height that is
comfortable for viewing.
12. Install Batteries: Insert eight (user-supplied) D-size batteries into the battery
holder, oriented as shown in the diagram on the battery slots of the holder. Plugthe battery pack into the 12v DC connector (B, Fig. 1e) on the computer control
panel. See Fig. 12.

EyepieceThumbscrews
HolderCaution: 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, orleak. Improperly installed batteries void your Meade warranty. Always
remove the batteries if they are not to be used for a long period of time.

Diagonal

Fig. 10b: Insert eyepiece into diagonal
and tighten thumbscrews.













Leg
Lock
Knob

Fig. 13b: Reticle LED assembly: (A) Reticle Container; (B) LED;
(C) Batteries; (D) Battery Holder; (E) Threaded Lid; (F) Thumbscrew.

Fig. 11: Adjust the tripod heightusing the leg lock knobs.

13. Remove Plastic from Reticle LED: The polar alignment reticle LED (30, Fig. 1d)contains two watch batteries. The reticle's LED is shipped with a plastic strip
between the two batteries to protect battery life. Unthread both the thumbscrew (F)and the threaded lid (E). Remove the plastic strip before using. Refer to the reticle assembly in Fig. 13b and note the orientation of the batteries. Place the batteries (C) into the battery holder (D) before inserting into the reticle container (A).
Note: Remember to turn off the LED when you are not using the reticle.
14. Plug in Autostar or EC Handbox: Plug the Autostar or EC handbox cable into
the HBX port (A, Fig. 1e).

Balancing the Telescope

Fig. 12: Battery holder.
Polar
Viewfinder
Reticle LED

In order for the telescope to be stable on the tripod and also for it to move smoothly,
it must be balanced. To balance the telescope, unlock the Right Ascension or R.A.
lock (33, Fig. 1d). When this axis is unlocked, the telescope pivots on the R.A. axis.
Later in the procedure, you will also unlock the Declination or Dec. lock (17, Fig. 1d).
When unlocked, the telescope pivots on the Dec. axis. Most of the motion of the telescope takes place by moving about these two axes, separately or simultaneously.
Try to become familiar with these locks and observe how the telescope moves oneach axis. To obtain a fine balance of the telescope, follow the method below:
1.

Firmly hold the optical tube secure so that it cannot accidentally swing freely.
Loosen the R.A. lock (33, Fig. 1d). The optical tube now moves freely about the
R.A. axis. Rotate the telescope so that the counterweight shaft (22, Fig. 1d) isparallel (horizontal) to the ground.

2.

Unlock the counterweight lock knob and slide the counterweight (21, Fig. 1d)along the counterweight shaft until the telescope remains in one position without

Fig. 13a: Remove plastic from reticle
batteries

13

tending to drift down in either direction. Then re-tighten the counterweight lockknob, locking the counterweight in position.
3.

Achromatic refractor and Schmidt-Newtonian models: Again, hold the opticaltube so that it cannot accidentally swing freely. Lock the R.A. lock (33, Fig. 1d),and unlock the Dec. lock (17, Fig. 1d). The telescope now is able to move freely
about the Dec. axis. Loosen the cradle ring lock knobs (13, Fig. 1a) so that themain tube slides easily back and forth in the cradle rings. Move the main tube in
the cradle rings until the telescope remains in one position without tending to drift
down in either direction. Re-lock the Dec. lock (17, Fig. 1d).

The telescope is now properly balanced on both axes. Next, the viewfinder must bealigned.

Aligning the Viewfinder
Collimation Screws

Viewfinder
Eyepiece

The wide field of view of the telescope's viewfinder (4, Fig. 1a) provides an easier way
to initially sight objects than the main telescope's eyepiece (3, Fig. 1a), which has amuch narrower field of view. If you have not already attached the viewfinder to the telescope tube assembly, follow the procedure described in step 9, page 12.
In order for the viewfinder to be useful, it must be aligned to the main telescope, sothat both the viewfinder and telescope's optical tube (10, Fig. 1a) point at the same
position in the sky. This alignment makes it easier to find objects: First locate an
object in the wide-field viewfinder, then look into the eyepiece of the main telescopefor a detailed view.

Viewfinder
BracketFig. 14: Viewfinder Alignment.

Important Note: Objects
appear upside-down andreversed left-for-right whenobserved in the viewfinder.
With refracting telescopemodels, objects viewed
through the main telescopewith the diagonal mirror inplace are seen right-side-up,
but reversed left-for-right.
This image inversion is of noconsequence 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 andcorrect left-for-right) is desirable, an optional Meade#928 45° Erect-Image
Diagonal Prism is available.
See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 38.
Note that for SchmidtNewtonian models, nomeans of image inversion isavailable; while these telescopes may be used for terrestrial observing, the image
will not be correctly oriented
in either right-side-up or leftfor-right orientations.

14

To align the viewfinder, perform steps 1 through 4 during the daytime; perform step 5
at night. Both the 6 x 30mm and the 8 x 50mm viewfinders align in an identical manner. Refer to Fig. 14.
1.

Remove the dust covers from the optical tube (9, Fig. 1a) and the viewfinder.

2.

If you have not already done so, insert the low-power SP 26mm eyepiece (3, Fig.
1b) into the eyepiece holder of the main telescope. See step 10, page 12.

3.

Look through the viewfinder eyepiece at an object at least one-half mile away
(Tip: Remove the viewfinder tube from the bracket to simplify this operation). If
the distant object is not in focus, turn the focus lock ring counterclockwise toloosen the viewfinder front cell (6, Fig. 1b). Twist the front cell until focus isachieved and retighten the focus lock ring.

4.

Unlock the R.A. lock (33, Fig. 1d) and the Dec lock (17, Fig. 1d) so that the telescope turns freely on both axes. Then point the main telescope at a tall, welldefined and stationary land object (e.g., the top of a telephone pole) at least 200
yards distant and center the object in the telescope's eyepiece. Focus the image
by turning the focus knobs (8, Fig. 1b). Retighten the R.A. and Dec. locks.

5.

Look through the viewfinder and loosen or tighten, as appropriate, one or moreof the viewfinder collimation thumbscrews (5, Fig. 1b) until the viewfinder’scrosshairs are precisely centered on the object you previously centered in themain telescope's eyepiece. You are now ready to make your first observations
with your telescope.
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 physicaldamage to the telescope itself.

5.

Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as a bright star or the Moon, andmake any necessary refinements, using the method outlined above in steps 3 and4.

With this alignment performed, objects first located in the wide-field viewfinder will
also appear in the telescope's eyepiece.

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 lengthof 9mm has a higher magnification than an eyepiece with a focal length of 26mm.

Note: Seeing conditions
vary widely from night-tonight and site-to-site.
Turbulence in the air, evenon an apparently clear
night, can distort images. If
an image appears fuzzy
and ill-defined, back off to alower power eyepiece for amore well-resolved image(see Fig. 15a and 15b
below).

Note: For a list of magnification ratings of the eyepieces available for the
LXD55-Series telescopes,
see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 37.

Your telescope comes supplied with a Super Plössl (SP) 26mm 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 eyerelief during long observing sessions. To find an object with a telescope, always startwith a lower power eyepiece such as the Super Plössl 26mm. When the object islocated 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 the LXD55-Series models, see OPTIONALACCESSORIES, page 37.
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, a
26mm eyepiece is supplied with the LXD55-Series. The focal length of the 8" LXD55Series model is 812mm (see SPECIFICATIONS, page 45).
Telescope Focal Length ÷ Eyepiece Focal Length = Eyepiece Power
Telescope Focal Length = 812mm
Eyepiece Focal Length= 26mm812 ÷ 26
= 31
The eyepiece power, or magnification is therefore 31X (approximately).

Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually
After the telescope is assembled and balanced as described previously, you are readyto begin manual observations. View easy-to-find terrestrial objects such as street
signs or traffic lights to become accustomed to the functions and operations of the telescope. For the best results during observations, follow the suggestions below:■■■

When you wish to locate an object to observe, first loosen the telescope’s R.A.
lock (33, Fig. 1d) and Dec. lock (17, Fig. 1d). The telescope can now turn freely
on its axes. Unlock each axis separately and practice moving your telescope.
Then practice with two unlocked axes at the same time. It is very important topractice this step to understand how your telescope moves, as the movementof an equatorial mount is not intuitive.
Use the aligned viewfinder to sight-in on the object you wish to observe. When theobject is centered in the viewfinder’s crosshairs, re-tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks.
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.” Thesmaller the focal length, the higher the magnification. For example, an eyepiecewith a focal length of 9mm has a higher magnification than an eyepiece with a
focal length of 26mm.
Low-power magnification eyepieces offer a wide field of view, bright, high-contrast
images, and relief of eye strain during long observing sessions. To observe an object
with a telescope, always start with a low power eyepiece such as the SP 26mm

LXD55 TIPS
Too Much Power?

Fig. 15a & 15b: Jupiter; examples of
the right amount of magnification andtoo much magnification.

Can you ever have too much power? If the type of power you’re referring to is
eyepiece magnification, yes, you can! The most common mistake of the beginning observer is to “overpower” a telescope by using high magnifications which
the telescope’s aperture and atmospheric conditions cannot reasonably support.
Keep in mind that a smaller, but bright and well-resolved image is far superior to
one that is larger, but dim and poorly resolved (see Figs. 15a and 15b). Powers
above 400X should be employed only under the steadiest atmospheric conditions.
Autostar can calculate the best eyepiece for you to use. Try out the “EyepieceCalc” feature in the Utilities menu.
Most observers should have three or four additional eyepieces to achieve the fullrange of reasonable magnifications possible with the LXD55-Series telescopes.
See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 37.

15

supplied with your telescope. When the object is centered and focused in the eyepiece, switch to a higher power eyepiece to enlarge the image as much as practical for prevailing viewing conditions. For information about other eyepieces available for your telescope, see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 37.
■

Once centered, an object can be focused by turning one of the knobs of the
focusing mechanism (8, Fig. 1b). Notice that when observing astronomical
objects, the field of view begins to slowly drift across the eyepiece field. This
motion is caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. Objects appear to movethrough the field more rapidly at higher powers. See TRACKING OBJECTS, page17, for detailed information on how you can counteract the drift in the field of view.

Activate the Arrow Keys (Autostar Models Only)
Autostar's Arrow keys allow you to slew (move) the telescope up, down, right, or left.
The following procedure describes how to activate Autostar's Arrow keys:
Note: Autostar only
prompts you to enter
Country (or State) andCity as described in steps
3, 4, and 5, the first time itis activated. These
prompts do not appear
again, unless you reset
Autostar (see RESET,
page 31).
However, if you need to
re-enter this information(e.g., you change yourgeographic location), you
can change the location
information by using theSite option of the Setup
menu. See ADDINGOBSERVING SITES, page32, for detailed information.

1.

After the batteries are installed and Autostar's cord is plugged into the HBX portof computer control panel (A, Fig 1e), a copyright message lights on the Autostar
LCD display (1, Fig. 2).

2.

A message warning not to look at the Sun scrolls across the display. Press the
key prompted by Autostar to acknowledge that the Sun warning has been readand understood.

3.

Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) repeatedly until "Country/State" appears on the display.
(Ignore the prompts requesting Date and Time. See INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR,
page 19, for more information).

4.

Use the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to cycle through the database of countries, states,and provinces. Press ENTER when the correct location displays.

5.

Autostar then prompts you to enter the nearest city (listed alphabetically) to theobserving site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the database of cities. Press
ENTER when the correct city appears on the display.
Autostar then prompts you to enter the model number of your telescope. Use theScroll keys to cycle through the list of telescope models. Press ENTER when thecorrect model appears on the display.
The display then reads "Align: Easy." You now can use Autostar's Arrow keys tomove the telescope to observe.

6.

7.

Note: If you go past the "Align: Easy" (or any other menu display you wish
to select), press MODE to return to the previous display(s).
8.

Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to move the telescope up, down, right, or left.
You can move the telescope at different speeds.

Slew Speeds (Autostar Models Only)
Autostar 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 a Number key (6, Fig. 2) to change the slew speed, which is shown forabout two seconds on Autostar’s display.
The nine available speeds are:Number Key 1 =1x =Number Key 2 =2x =Number Key 3 =8x =Number Key 4 = 16x =Number Key 5 = 64x =Number Key 6 = 128x =Number Key 7 = 1.5° =Number Key 8 =3° =Number Key 9 = Max =16

1 x sidereal (0.25 arc-min/sec or 0.004°/sec)
2 x sidereal (0.5 arc-min/sec or 0.008°/sec)
8 x sidereal (2 arc-min/sec or 0.033°/sec)
16 x sidereal (4 arc-min/sec or 0.067°/sec)
64 x sidereal (16 arc-min/sec or 0.27°/sec)
30 arc-min/sec or 0.5°/sec
90 arc-min/sec or 1.5°/sec
180 arc-min/sec or 3°/sec
270 arc-min/sec or 4.5°/secSpeeds 1, 2, or 3: Best used for fine centering of an object in the field of view of ahigher power eyepiece, such as a 12mm or a 9mm eyepiece.
Speeds 4, 5, or 6: Enables centering an object in the field of a low-to-moderate power
eyepiece, such as the standard Super Plössl 26mm.
Speeds 7 or 8: Best used for rough centering of an object in the viewfinder.
Speed 9: Moves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another.

Note: If you wish to perform a more precise
polar alignment for the
purposes of astrophotography, see "Appendix B,"
page 50.

Observe the Moon

North

Point opticaltube to North

Point
counterweightshaft straight
down overmount.
Level
Mount

Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the Moon is not visible every night). Useyour EC handbox or Autostar to practice using the Arrow keys and the slew speeds toview 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 andadds a depth to the view. 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 OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page
38. Not only does it cut down the Moon's bright glare, but it also enhances contrast,
providing a more dramatic image.

Tracking Objects
As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear to move from East toWest. 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 the stars andother objects in the night sky. The tracking function automatically keeps an object
more or less centered in the telescope’s eyepiece.
To automatically track objects, you first need to learn how to set the polar home positionof your telescope and then how to select "Targets: Astronomical" from the Autostar
Setup menu. EC handbox users, see APPENDIX D, page 55, for more information.

Point leg marked witha star to North

Setting the Polar Home Position
1.

Level the mount, if necessary, by adjusting the length of the three tripod legs.

2.

Unlock the R.A. Lock (33, Fig. 1d). Rotate the Optical Tube Assembly until thecounterweight shaft is pointing straight down over the mount. See Figs. 16a and
16b.

3.

If you have not already done so, lift the telescope assembly and turn it so that the
tripod leg marked with a star faces approximately North (South in the Southern
Hemisphere). Release the Dec. lock (17, Fig. 1d) of the tripod, so that the optical tube (10, Fig. 1a) may be rotated. Rotate the optical tube until it points North(or South in the Southern Hemisphere). Then re-tighten the lock. Locate Polaris,
the North Star, if necessary, to use as an accurate reference for due North (orOctantis in the Southern Hemisphere). See LOCATING THE CELESTIAL POLE,
page 49.
If you have not already done so, determine the latitude of your observing location.
See APPENDIX C: LATITUDE CHART, page 54, for a list of latitudes of major cities
around the world. Use the latitude T-handle screws (26, Fig. 1d) to tilt the telescope mount so that the pointer indicates the correct latitude of your viewing location on the latitude dial (28, Fig. 1d). See step 6, page 12 for more information.

Fig. 16a: The polar home position,side view.

4.

5.

If steps 1 through 4 above were performed with reasonable accuracy, your telescope is now sufficiently well-aligned to Polaris, the North Star, for you to begin
making observations.

Once the mount has been placed in the polar home position as described above, thelatitude angle need not be adjusted again, unless you move to a different geographical location (i.e., a different latitude).

Fig. 16b: The polar home position,
front view.

Important Note: For almost all astronomical observing requirements,
approximate settings of the telescope’s latitude and other settings are
acceptable. Do not allow undue attention to precise settings of polar home
position of the telescope to interfere with your basic enjoyment of the
instrument.

17

Observe a Star using the Automatic Tracking Feature

Tip:
You can change the telescope's slew rate while
centering an object in theeyepiece. See SLEWSPEEDS, page 16 formore information.

In this example, Autostar's Arrow keys are used to find a star, and then Autostar's
tracking capability automatically keeps the star centered in your telescope's eyepiece.
EC handbox users, see APPENDIX D, page 55, for information about tracking with theEC handbox.
1.

If you have activated the Arrow keys and completed setting the telescope in thepolar home position, Autostar's display now reads "Align: Easy." Go to Step 2.
If you have not used Autostar yet or have just plugged it into the HBX port, perform the procedures described in ACTIVATE THE ARROW KEYS, page 16 and SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION, page 17. Then go to Step 2 of this procedure.
If you have been using Autostar to perform other functions and the display does
not read "Align: Easy," follow these steps:

Important Note: Whileperforming the automatic
tracking procedure, you
may use the Arrow keys
to move the telescope or
you may also loosen thetelescope locks (17 and33, Fig. 1d) and movethe optical tube manually
to locate another object
in the sky. The tracking
function will continue tobe operational and thetelescope will track thenew object.

a. Press MODE (3, Fig. 2) repeatedly until "Select Item: Object" displays.
b. Press the Scroll Up key (7, Fig. 2) once. "Select Item: Setup" displays.
c. Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2). "Setup: Align" displays. Go to Step 3.
2.

Press MODE (3, Fig. 2). "Setup: Align" displays.

3.

Press the Scroll Down key repeatedly until "Setup: Targets" displays. Press
ENTER (2, Fig. 2).

4.

"Targets: Terrestrial" displays. Press one of the Scroll keys once (7, Fig. 2).
"Targets: Astronomical" now displays.

5.

Use the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to locate a bright star in the night sky. Use theviewfinder to help line up on the star. You may choose any unobstructed, brightstar for the purposes of this example. Use Autostar's Arrow keys to center the starin the eyepiece. Once the star is centered, press ENTER to select"Astronomical." The telescope's tracking motors then engage. It may take thetracking motors several seconds to begin tracking. When they do, it may be necessary to once again center the star in the eyepiece. The tracking motors willthen keep any star you choose in the center of the eyepiece.

6.

Press and hold the ENTER key for a few seconds and then release to stop tracking. You may also stop tracking by choosing "Terrestrial" in the Targets menu.

Using Autostar's GO TO Capabilities (Autostar Models Only)
Before you can use Autostar's GO TO capabilities, you must first:•
Learn how Autostar's keys move through the menus•
Initialize Autostar•
Place the telescope in the polar home position, if you have not already done so(see SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION, page 17)• Select "Align: Easy" from Autostar's menus

LXD55 TIPS

Which One’s the Alignment Star?
If Autostar has chosen an alignment star with which you are unfamiliar, how can
you be sure if the star in your eyepiece is really the alignment star?
The rule of thumb is that an alignment star is usually the brightest star in thatarea of the sky. If you perform a GO TO to an alignment star and you're not sure
if you have located the alignment star or it isn't in the eyepiece, look through yourviewfinder. 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 muchwider field of view than the eyepiece. Using Autostar, set the slew speed to 6 orhigher and use the Arrow keys to center the alignment star in the viewfinder. If
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. Also see the "Spiral Search" tip on page 21.
If you have an obstruction, such as a tree or a building blocking your view of thealignment star, or if you have any doubts at all about the star that has been chosen, no problem. Just press the Scroll Down key and Autostar will find anotherstar to align upon.

18

Moving Through Autostar’s Menus (Autostar Models Only)
Autostar's menus are organized for quick and easy navigation.
Tip:
When multiple choices areavailable within a menu
option, the current option isusually displayed first andhighlighted by a right pointing arrow (>).

■
■
■
■
■

Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) to go deeper into Autostar menu levels.
Press MODE (3, Fig. 2) to move back toward the top menu level.
Press the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to move up and down through the options available for each menu level.
Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to enter characters.
Press the Number keys (6, Fig. 2) to enter digits.

Initializing Autostar (Autostar Models Only)
This exercise describes how to initialize Autostar.
Definition:
Initialization is a procedure that ensures that
Autostar operates correctly.
When you first use
Autostar, it doesn't yet
know where the observation location site is or thetime or date of the observation session.
You will enter information,such as the current timeand date, and observation
location.
Autostar uses this information to precisely calculate
the location of celestial
objects (such as stars andplanets) and to automatically move your telescopecorrectly for various operations.

Note: Normally, you will enter the Time and Date at the beginning of eachobserving session, but you will only perform the full Initialization procedure (i.e., entering the Location information and selecting the model number as well as entering the Time and Date) the first time you use Autostar
or after performing a Reset.
1.
2.

3.

4.

Make sure that the telescope is assembled correctly, and that the batteries are
installed as described previously.
Make sure the On/Off switch (D, Fig. 1e) is in the Off position. Plug Autostar's
cord into the HBX port (A, Fig. 1e), as previously described. Push the On/Off
switch to the On position.
A copyright message lights on Autostar’s LCD display and a message warning
not to look at the Sun scrolls across the display. Press the key prompted by
Autostar to acknowledge the message has been read and understood.
The Getting Started menu displays a scrolling message with two choices:
a.

5.

6.

7.

Press and hold down the ? key (8, Fig. 2) for about 2 seconds for information on Autostar functions and controls. When finished, press MODE (3, Fig.
2) to exit Help, or,b. Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) to bypass the Help tutorial and continue with
Initialization.
Autostar prompts you to enter the current date:a. Press the Numbers keys (6, Fig. 2) to enter numbers 0 through 9. After thedesired number is displayed, use the Right Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to move thecursor from one number to the next in the day display (or use the Left Arrowkey to move in the other direction across the display, if necessary).
b. Use the Right Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor to the month. Use theScroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to cycle through the list of months. When the current
month is displayed, use the Right Arrow (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor to theyear.
c. Use Number keys (6, Fig. 2) to enter all four digits of the current year. Use
the Right Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor from one number to thenext.
d. Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) when the entire date has been entered.
Autostar then prompts you to enter the current time. Use the Number keys toenter digits. The Right and Left Arrow keys move the cursor across the screen
as described in the previous step. Enter the current time (use a "0" for the first
digit if less than 10). Use the Up Arrow key (7, Fig. 2) to scroll through "AM,""PM,'" or "blank." The "blank" option (screen displays neither AM nor PM) selects
the 24-hour (i.e., military time) clock. Then press ENTER to start the clock.
Autostar then prompts you to enter the status of Daylight Savings Time. Press
one of the Scroll keys to toggle between the YES/NO settings. Select the desired
setting by pressing ENTER.
Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by a different name invarious areas of the world.

8.

If you have previously entered the Country/State and City of your observing site
(as described in ACTIVATE THE ARROW KEYS, page 16), go to step 9. If you havenot entered this information, perform the following steps:

19

a.

9.

Autostar prompts you to enter the Country or State (listed alphabetically) of
the observing site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the database ofcountries, states, and provinces. Press ENTER when the correct location
displays.
b. Autostar then prompts you to enter the nearest city (listed alphabetically) tothe observing site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the database of
cities. Press ENTER when the correct city appears on screen.
Autostar then prompts you to enter the model number of your telescope. Use theScroll keys to cycle through the list of telescope models. Press ENTER when thecorrect model appears on the display.
Note: Autostar only prompts you to enter Country/State and City andmodel number the first time it is activated. These prompts do not appear
again, unless you reset Autostar (see RESET, page 31). However, if you
need to enter this information (e.g., you change your geographic location),
you can do so by using the Site option of the Setup menu. See ADDINGOBSERVING SITES, page 32, for detailed information.

10. System Initialization is complete and the display reads "Align: Easy." After performing the Initialization procedure, you MUST train your drive.

Training the Drive (Autostar Models Only)
Next, train the drive using Autostar. Perform this procedure the first time you use
Autostar with your telescope, after a Reset, or if you are experiencing any pointing
accuracy problems. Training the drive gives your telescope a higher degree of pointing accuracy.
Note: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, totrain the drive. It is best to perform this procedure during the daytime.
Complete this exercise once every 3 to 6 months to maintain the highest
level of telescope pointing accuracy.
1. If you have just performed INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR, go to step 2.
If you have not yet initialized Autostar, go to page 19 and follow the proceduredescribed in INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR.Then go to step 2 of this procedure.
2. Keep pressing MODE until "Select Item: Object" displays.
3. Press the Scroll Up key once. "Select: Item: Setup" displays.
4. Press ENTER to access the Setup menu. "Setup: Align" displays.
5. Keep pressing the Scroll Up key until "Setup: Telescope" displays.
6. Press ENTER to access the Telescope menu. "Telescope: Focal Length" displays.
7. Keep pressing the Scroll Down key until "Telescope: Train Drive" displays.
8. Press ENTER to choose the Train Drive option. "Train Drive: Az/RA Train" displays.
9. Press ENTER to begin Az/R.A. (Right Ascension) training.
10. "Drive Setup: For this...." begins to scroll across the display. This is a reminder topoint your telescope at a terrestrial object. Loosen the R.A. and Dec. locks (17and 33, Fig. 1d) and point the telescope at an object. Then re-tighten the locks.
Press ENTER when the telescope is pointing at the desired terrestrial object.
11. "Center reference object" displays. Center your target object using the Arrowkeys. When centered, press ENTER.
12. The telescope slews and "Press > until it is centered" displays. Press the Right
Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER.
Note: If you pass the object when pressing the Arrow key, you cannot slew
the telescope back in the other direction. Press MODE until "Train Drive:
Az/RA Train" displays and begin the procedure over again.
13. The telescope slews and "Press < until it is centered" displays. Press the Left
Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER.
14. "Train Drive: Az/RA Train" displays again. Press the Scroll Down key and "Train
Drive: Alt/Dec Train" displays. Press ENTER to begin Alt/Dec. (Declination) training.

2015. "Drive Setup: For this...." begins to scroll across the display. This is anotherreminder to point your telescope at a terrestrial object. Loosen the R.A. and Dec.
locks (17 and 33, Fig. 1d) and point the telescope at an object. Then re-tighten
the locks. Press ENTER when the telescope is pointing at the desired terrestrial
object.
16. "Center reference object" displays. Center your target object using the Arrowkeys. When centered, press ENTER.
17. The telescope slews and "Press until it is centered" displays. Press the Up
Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER.
18. The telescope slews and "Press V until it is centered" displays. Press the Down
Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER. "Train Drive:
Alt/Dec Train" displays again. You have now completed this procedure. Continue
onto the next procedure, EASY ALIGNMENT.
V

Note: Two other alignment
methods, One-Star and
Two-Star Polar alignment,
are available as options in
the "Setup: Align" menu.
See page 49 for more
information.

Tip:
The GO TO key also
allows you to perform a"spiral search." A spiralsearch is useful when thetelescope slews to an
object, but that object is
not visible in the eyepieceafter the telescope finishes
its search. (This sometimes occurs during analignment procedure.)
Press GO TO when thetelescope stops slewing.
The telescope begins tomove in a spiral pattern ata very slow speed (youmay change the slew
speed if you wish—see
SLEW SPEEDS, page 16)
around the search area.
Look through the eyepiece
and when the object does
become visible, press
MODE to stop the spiralsearch. Then use theArrow keys to center theobject.

Easy Alignment (Autostar Models Only)
After completing the "Train the Drive" procedure, align your telescope using Autostar.
The fastest and easiest way to start observing with Autostar's Go To capabilities is toalign your telescope using the Easy Alignment.
1.

Keep pressing MODE until "Select Item: Setup" is displayed. Press ENTER.

2.

"Setup: Align" displays. Press ENTER. "Align: Easy" displays. Press ENTER.

3.

"German North" displays and a scrolling message prompts you to set your telescope in the polar home position. See SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION, page17, for a description of this procedure. Press ENTER after you finish the procedure.

4.

Autostar then chooses two stars from its database to align upon. When the telescope slews to the star for alignment, it may not appear in the field of view in theeyepiece. Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope until the star is visible andcentered 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. See WHICH
ONE'S THE ALIGNMENT STAR, page 18, for more information. When the star is centered, press ENTER. Repeat the procedure for the second alignment star.
Note: Autostar locates alignment stars based on the date, time, and location entered. The alignment stars may change from night to night. All thatis required is for the observer to center the selected star in the eyepiece
when prompted.

Go To Saturn (Autostar Models Only)
After performing the Train the Drive and the Easy Alignment procedures, the motor
drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects inthe eyepiece should maintain (i.e., track) their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars.
Important Note: Once aligned, only use the Autostar menus or Arrowkeys to move the telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks, or movethe base manually, or alignment will be lost.
This exercise demonstrates how to select an object for viewing from Autostar’s database, i.e., Saturn. Note that Saturn is not visible all year long and it may be necessary
for you to choose another object from Autostar's database. However, the procedure
will be identical to the one used for observing Saturn.
1.

After the telescope is aligned, “Select Item: Object” displays. Press ENTER. If“Select Item: Object” is not currently displayed, press MODE repeatedly until it
displays, then press ENTER.

2.

“Object: Solar System” displays. Press ENTER.

3.

“Solar System: Mercury” displays. Use the Scroll Down key until “Solar System:
Saturn” displays.

4.

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

21

5.

Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until it finds
Saturn. You may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn precisely in theeyepiece. Autostar then automatically slews (moves) the telescope so that it
tracks Saturn (or whatever other object you may have chosen). Saturn remains
centered in the eyepiece.

Using the Guided Tour (Autostar Models Only)

Fig. 17: The planet Saturnis over 800 million miles
from the Earth.

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

3.

Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’s Best” displays. Press ENTER.
Note: If you wish to try out other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down key
to scroll through other tour choices. When the tour you wish to select displays, press ENTER.

4.

“Tonight’s Best: Searching...” displays. After calculating, “Tonight’s Best: Jupiter”
displays.
Note: Different objects may be displayed on a tour list on any given night.
Press ENTER to display information about the object. Press GO TO to move thetelescope to the object.

22

5.

Press MODE to return to the Tour list. Press the Scroll keys to scroll through thelist. Press ENTER when you find the next object you wish to observe.

6.

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

BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATIONSETUP MENU
Easy alignment
permits all telescope
operations with only
a quick setup.

Important Note: Themodel SN-6EC, model
SN-8EC, and model AR5EC are equipped with an
Electronic Controller
handbox, rather than the
Autostar Handbox. The
following sections (BASIC

Select Item:
Setup
UTILITIES MENU
Calculate eyepiecemagnifications;
set timer alerts;
create your own
landmark survey.

AUTOSTAR OPERATION,
AUTOSTAR MENUS, AND
USEFUL AUTOSTARPROCEDURES), are rele-vant only to models
equipped with theAutostar handbox and do
not apply to the EC models. For more information
about the EC handbox,
see APPENDIX D: EC
HANDBOX, page 55.

ObjectEvent
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup

Fig. 19: Menus set in a
loop.

Setup
Align
Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope
Targetsetc.

Fig. 20: Menu options display on the second line.
Use the Scroll keys tomove up or down throughthe list of options. Press
ENTER to select thedesired option.

Select Item:
ObjectMEADEThe Universe of

Autostar

Select Item:
Utilities
GLOSSARY
What is an elliptical galaxy?
How far away is the Sun?
Expand your knowledge ofastronomy by displaying terms
and definitions, and other information.

OBJECT MENU
Want to see Mars? The Orion nebula?
The Andromeda galaxy? Select fromover 30,000 database objects and press
GO TO to move the telescope
automatically to an object.
Select Item:
Event
EVENT MENU
Display the time ofpast, present, and future
astronomical events,
such as Moon phases
or meteor showers.
Select Item:
Guided Tour

Select Item:
Glossary

GUIDED TOUR
Autostar escorts you
on a tour of tonight's
best celestial objects
at your viewing location.

Fig. 18: The Autostar Universe.The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu ofAutostar.

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 19). This meansthat pressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the available
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 aquick 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 Fig. 20 displays two lines of information. The top line shows the current
menu level. The second line displays an option which may be selected within thatmenu level. Some options are choices that select the next menu level down. The
Scroll keys move up and down within the list of available options, showing one option
at a time.
When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key tochoose that option and move down one menu level.
Press the MODE key to leave a level; e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.
Important Note: No matter how many levels into Autostar are traveled,each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "SelectItem," is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to
the topmost level, "Select Item: Object."

Autostar Navigation Exercise
To demonstrate how the Autostar menu structure works, the following exercise calculates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.
Note: Before proceeding with this exercise, Autostar must be properly initialized and aligned (see pages 19 and 21).
To Calculate Sunset time:
1. Press the MODE key several times, until “Select Item: Object” is displayed.
2.

Press the Scroll Down key once to display the “Event” option in the “Select Item”
menu.

23

3.

Press the ENTER key to choose the "Event" option and move down a level.
"Event: Sunrise" is displayed.

4.

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

5.

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

6.

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

7.

Press MODE once to start moving back up through the Autostar levels. The firstlevel 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."Entering Data into Autostar
Tip:
When multiple choices areavailable within a menu
option, the current option isusually displayed first andhighlighted by a right pointing arrow (>).

■

Use the Number keys to enter digits.

■■

Use the Arrow keys to scroll through numbers 0 through 9 and the alphabet. The
Down Arrow key begins with the letter "A;" the Up Arrow key begins with digit "9."To move the cursor across the display:■

Use the Right or Left Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor from one number
to the next in the display.
Press ENTER when the desired information has been entered.

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

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

■

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

■

Press the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to move up and down through the options or lists.

■

Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor across the display.

■Press the Help (?) key (8, Fig. 2) to access on-line help.

LXD55 TIPS
Look into the Future
The Autostar 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
events. Autostar can calculate the date and times of future events and, except
for eclipses, past events as well (based on the current calendar system). E.g.,
a Sunrise on March 6, 2043 A.D. or the Vernal Equinox in 1776 A.D. To use thisfeature, enter the desired date in the Setup: Date menu and select an option in
the Event menu.
Autostar can calculate dates and times for Sunrises, Sunsets, Moonrises,
Moonsets, Moonphases, Solar and Lunar Eclipses (for the next 100 years),
meteor showers, equinoxes and solstices, and the minimums of Algol.
One very practical use of the Date and Time menus is to use the Sunset option
to determine when you can begin your astronomical observing on any given
evening.

24

Solar System
Mercury
Etc.
Moon
Asteroids
CometsConstellations
Andromeda
Etc.
Deep Sky
Named Object
Galaxies
NebulaePlanetary Neb.
Etc.
Star
Named
SAO Catalog
DoubleVariable
Etc.
Satellite
SelectAdd
Delete
Edit
User Objects
SelectAdd
DeleteEdit
Landmarks
SelectAdd
DeleteIdentify
BrowseStart Search
Edit Parameters

Select Item:
Event
SunriseSunsetMoonriseMoonsetMoon Phases
Next Full Moon
Next New Moon
Next 1st Qtr
Next 3rd Qtr
Meteor Showers
Quadrantids
LyridsEta Aquarids
Delta Aquarids
Perseids
Orionids
Taurids
Leonids
Geminids
UrsidsSolar Eclipses
Lunar Eclipses
Min. of Algol
Autumn Equinox
Vernal Equinox
Winter SolsticeSummer SolsticeFig. 21 The Complete Autostar Menu Structure.

Select Item:
Guided Tour

Select Item:
Glossary

Tour Objects

A...

Tonight's BestStar Groups
Stars of the Night

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

Select Item:
Utilities
Timer
Set
Start & Stop
Alarm
Set
On & OffEyepiece Calc.
Field of View
Magnification
Suggest
Display Options
Sun Warning
Getting Started
Brightness Adj.
Contrast Adj.
Battery Alarm
Landmark Survey
Sleep Scope
Park Scope
Cord Wrap

Select Item:
Setup
Align
Easy
One Star
Two Star
Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope
Model
Focal Length
Az/RA Ratio
Alt/Dec Ratio
Az/RA Percent
Alt/Dec Percent
Train Drive
Tracking Rate
Reverse L/R
Reverse Up/Dn
Calibrate Motor
High Precision
Targets
Astronomical
Terrestrial
Site
SelectAdd
DeleteEdit
Owner Info
Clone
Download
Statistics
Reset

AUTOSTAR'S MENUS

Select Item:
Object25

MENUS
Object Menu
Almost all observing with Autostar is performed using the Object menu category.
(Note: Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey.) See GO TO SATURN,
page 21, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see USING THE
GUIDED TOUR, page 22.
Autostar 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
moves your telescope (if properly aligned) and points it at the selected object.
The Object Menu options include:
Solar System is a library of the eight planets (Earth is not included) in order out fromthe Sun, followed by the Moon, asteroids, and comets.
Constellation is a library of all 88 Northern and Southern Hemisphere constellations.
When this menu option is chosen and a constellation name appears on the first lineof 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 thatstar. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the list of stars in the constellation, frombrightest to dimmest.
Deep Sky is a library of objects outside our Solar System such as nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and quasars.
Star is a library of stars listed in different categories such as named, double, variable,or nearby.
Want to learn more about
observing satellites?
See page 34.

Want to learn more about
Landmarks?

Satellite is 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.
User Objects allows the user to define and store in memory deep-sky objects of specific interest that are not currently in the Autostar libraries. See Using Autostar to
Find Objects Not in the Libraries, page 33 for more information.
Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent
Autostar database.
Important Note: To use the Landmark function, the telescope must be
located and aligned exactly as when the landmark was added to the database.

See page 34.

■

Select: To select a Landmark already in the database (see ADD below), choosethe "Select" option and scroll through the list. Press ENTER to select a
Landmark, then press GO TO and the telescope slews to the object.

■

Add: To add a Landmark, choose the "Add" option. Enter a name for theLandmark. Locate and center the Landmark in the eyepiece, then press ENTER.

Identify is an exciting feature for an observer who wants to scan the night sky andstart exploring. After the telescope has been properly aligned, use the Autostar Arrowkeys 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 thebase or alignment is lost.

26

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.

2.

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

3.

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

4.

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

Browse allows you to search the library for objects with certain parameters, much likea 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 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:
Want to learn more about
using the Date menu?
See the LXD55 TIPS box,
page 24.

Sunrise and Sunset calculates the time that the Sun rises or sets on the current date.
Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the “Setup: Date”
menu.
Moonrise and Moonset calculates the time that the Moon rises or sets on the current
date. Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the “Setup:Date” menu.
Moon Phases displays the date and time of the next Full, New, 1st Quarter, and 3rd
Quarter Moon.
Meteor Showers provides information on upcoming meteor showers, such as the
Perseids, the Leonids, etc. Also lists the dates of the showers and when they reachmaximum.

WARNING!
Never usea Meade®
LXD55-Series

Telescope to look at
the Sun! Looking ator near the Sun willcause instant andirreversible damage
to your eye. Eyedamage is often
painless, so there is
no warning to theobserver 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 throughthe telescope or its
viewfinder as it ismoving. Children
should always haveadult supervision
while observing.

Note: Meteors are fast moving objects that cover large areas of the sky andare usually best observed with the naked eye.
Solar Eclipse lists upcoming Solar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, annular, or partial) of eclipse, and the location and time of the first and last contacts of the
Moon's shadow. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the available data.
Remember, never use a telescope to look at the Sun! See WARNING! to the 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 is the minimum brightness of the dramatic eclipsing binary
star system, Algol. It is relatively close at a distance of 100 light years. Every 2.8 days
during a 10-hour period, Algol undergoes a major change in apparent magnitude as
one of the two stars passes behind the other. The combined magnitude of the twostars thus dips from +2.1 to a minimum of +3.4 halfway through the eclipse as the second star is hidden. Autostar calculates minimum magnitude time at mid-eclipse.
Autumn and Vernal Equinox calculates the time and date of the fall or spring equinox of the current year.
Winter and Summer Solstice calculates the time and date of the winter or summer
solstice of the current year.

Glossary Menu
The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions forcommon astronomical terms and Autostar functions. Access directly through the
Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Autostar. A hypertext word
is any word in [brackets], usually found when using the Autostar Help function orwhen reading a scrolling message such as a description of a planet or star. Press
ENTER whenever a hypertext word is on screen and Autostar goes to the glossary
entry for that word.
To access directly from the Glossary menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll through thealphabet. Press ENTER on the desired letter. Scroll to the desired entry and thenpress ENTER to read the description.

Utilities Menu
The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features within Autostar, including
a countdown timer and an alarm. The Utilities functions include:
Timer selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful for functions such as
astrophotography and tracking satellites. To use the Timer, press ENTER, thenchoose “Set” or “Start/Stop."27

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

■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 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.

■

Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle
between on and off. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the alarm.
When the alarm time arrives, Autostar beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate thealarm.

Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope towhich Autostar is connected.
■

Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece isselected, the field of view is calculated.

■

Magnification: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece isselected, the magnification is calculated.

■

Suggest: Autostar calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing, basedon the telescope and the object being viewed.

Display Options enables or disables Autostar’s two initial displays. If both displays
are disabled, Autostar begins with the Date display.

Tip:
If you notice that the text is"smearing" on the Autostar
display, use the contrast
adjustment menu.

Want to learn more about
Landmarks?
See page 34.

■

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

■

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

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. The Contrast Adjustment feature is usually only required in very cold weather.
Landmark Survey automatically slews the telescope to all user-defined landmarks
with a short pause at each location. Press ENTER to start the survey. While a slew isin 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 is a power saving option that shuts down Autostar and the telescope
without forgetting its alignment. With "Sleep Scope" selected, press ENTER to activate the Sleep function. Autostar goes dark, but the internal clock keeps running.
Press any key, except ENTER, to re-activate Autostar and the telescope.
Park Scope is designed for a telescope that is not moved between observing sessions. Align the telescope one time, then use this function to park the telescope. Next
time it is powered up, enter the correct date and time – no alignment is required.
Pressing ENTER causes the telescope to move to its pre-determined Park position.
Once parked, the screen prompts to turn off power.
Important Note: When the "Park Scope" option is chosen and the display
prompts you to turn off the telescope's power, Autostar is unable to be
returned to operation without turning the power off and then back on.
Cord Wrap moves the telescope in such a way as to prevent the cords and cables
attached to your telescope assembly from getting wound around the assembly and tangled as the telescope slews to objects. This menu is set to "On" and cannot bechanged by the user.

Want to learn more about
using the Date menu?
See the LXD55 TIPS box,
page 24.

28

Setup Menu
The Setup menu’s primary functions are for setting up telescope alignment. However,there are numerous other features available within the Setup menu, including:
Date changes the date used by Autostar. This function is useful to check events in thepast 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 27.

Time changes the time entered into Autostar. Setting the correct time is critical for
Autostar to properly calculate locations and events. Time may be set to 24-hour mode
(military time) by selecting the "blank" option (i.e., no option is displayed) which follows the "AM" and "PM" options.
Daylight Saving is used to enable or disable Daylight Savings time.
Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by different names in various areas of the world. Check local time to verify.
Telescope accesses several options, including:■Model: Allows you to select the telescope model connected to Autostar.
■

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

■Az/R.A. Ratio and Alt/Dec. Ratio: The Az (Azimuth) or the R.A. (Right
Ascension) ratio and Alt (Altitude) or Dec. (Declination) ratio refers to the gears of
the telescope's motors. Do not alter these numbers.

■

Az/R.A. Percent: This option allows you to change the AZ (azimuth) or R.A. (rightascension) backlash, i.e., the way the Arrow keys move the telescope along theazimuth or R.A. axes. If you enter a value near 100, the telescope tube responds
more quickly (it responds immediately at 100%) as you hold down an Arrow key
and also slews (moves) the tube more quickly. If you enter a value near 0, it takes
longer for the tube to respond as you hold down an Arrow key and also slews thetube more slowly. Experiment with this option. Try changing the percent value
until you get a "feel" for the Arrow keys that is comfortable for you.

■

Alt/Dec. Percent: The option operates identical to the Az/R.A. Percent option(see above), but allows you to change the altitude or declination backlash, i.e.,
the way the telescope responds to the Arrow keys when moving along the altitude
or declination axes.
Train Drive: Trains the Altitude/Declination and Azimuth/R.A. motors to locate
objects with more precision.

■■

If you are experiencing any problems with pointing accuracy, follow the proceduredescribed in TRAINING THE DRIVE, page 20, to insure accurate pointing and tracking.
Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in thesky.
a.

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

LXD55 TIPS
Observing Considerations•

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

•

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

•

Try not to use a standard flashlight. Experienced observers use red LED flashlights, the red utility light on the Autostar handbox, or tape red cellophane overtheir flashlights to use for setup and map reading so they don’t have to continually readjust their eyes to the darkness. Be careful not to shine bright lights
if there are other observers in the area. Do not shine a flashlight into the telescope while someone is observing!

•

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

•

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

•

Use your 26mm eyepiece to view terrestrial objects and wider areas of space,such as open star clusters. Use an optional 9mm eyepiece when you wish toview something up close, such as craters on the Moon or the rings of Saturn.

•

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

29

b.

Tip:
The Reverse L/R and U/Dfunctions are useful if you
are observing in theSouthern hemisphere.

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

■Lunar: Choose this option to properly track the Moon over long observing
sessions.
c. Custom: Allows entry of user-defined tracking rates.
Reverse L/R: Reverses the functions of the Left and Right Arrow keys (i.e., theRight key moves the telescope to the left).

■

Reverse U/D: Reverses the functions of the Up and Down Arrow keys (i.e., theUp key moves the telescope down).

■

Calibrate Motor: If the telescope motors appear to have a problem, use thisoption to retest the motors before performing a Reset. This option is also used if
an Autostar unit is moved between telescopes, to match Autostar to the new telescope. To calibrate the motors, select this option and press ENTER.

■High Precision: If High Precision is turned on, when looking for a faint celestial
object (i.e., a nebula or galaxy), Autostar first slews to a nearby bright star anddisplays "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 turned off. To learn how to track an object automatically, see page 18.
Site provides access to several options including:■Select: Displays the currently selected observing site. Use the Scroll keys tocycle through all available sites (see ADD below). Press ENTER when the site
you wish to select displays. Use this option when you move to a different geographic location.

Want to learn more about
adding and editing
sites? See page 32.
Time Zone
Atlantic
Eastern
CentralMountainPacific
AlaskaHawaiiShift-4 Hours-5 Hours-6 Hours-7 Hours-8 Hours-9 Hours-10 Hours

Table 1: Time Zone Shift.

■

Add: Allows you to add new observing sites to the database (up to six sites may
be stored). Scroll through the list of Countries/States. Press ENTER when the site
you wish to add displays. Then choose the desired city in the same manner.

■

Delete: Deletes a stored site from the database.

■Edit: Edits a selected site, including: the name, latitude, longitude, and timezone. Time Zone refers to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) time zone shift.
Users West of Greenwich, England use “-” hours, East of Greenwich use “+”hours. For the United States, look up the time zone shift in Table 1.
Note: Autostar compensates for daylight savings time, if selected. See
SETUP MENU: DAYLIGHT SAVING, page 29.

Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including:Name: Users may enter both their first and last names using the Up and Down
Arrow keys to cycle through the alphabet. Use the Right and Left Arrow keys tomove through the text. Press ENTER when the entry is complete.

■

Note: The Download andClone functions require
the optional #505
Astrofinder Software andCable Connector Kit. See
the instruction sheet
included with the kit for
more information on how
to download.

30■

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

Download transfers information from a personal computer or another Autostar.
During the operation, the warning “Downloading Do Not Turn Off” appears.
Clone uploads information from one Autostar handbox to another. Three options areavailable:■
Catalogs: Sends only user-defined object information, such as new satellite
orbits or comet data to another Autostar handbox.
■

Software: Sends only the basic Autostar software. This is useful if one user has
downloaded a new version of Autostar software from the Meade website(www.meade.com) and wants to pass this software along to friends.

■

All: Everything–user-defined information and Autostar software–is sent to another Autostar.

Statistics provides basic statistical data about Autostar, including:■Characters Free: Shows how much room is available in user-defined object
memory.
■Version: Shows the current version of the Autostar software.

Reset completely resets Autostar. Most values entered into the menus revert to factory defaults. Autostar requires initialization after a Reset before proceeding withobservations. See INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR, page 19.

LXD55 TIPS
Surf the Web
One of the most exciting resources for astronomy is the internet. The internet is fullof websites with new images, discoveries, and the latest astronomical information.
For example, when comet Hale-Bopp made its approach to our Sun in 1998,
astronomers around the world posted new photos daily.
You can find websites for almost any topic relating to astronomy on the internet. Try
the following key word searches: NASA, Hubble, HST, astronomy, Messier, satellite,
nebula, black hole, variable stars, etc.
Check out Meade’s website for the latest product and technical information. You candownload the latest software revisions, links to other astronomical sites, coordinatesof celestial objects and the latest satellite tracking information for your Autostar
handset. See page 34 for more information. You’ll find our website at:
http://www.meade.com/
Here are some other sites you might find interesting:• Sky & Telescope:
http://www.Skyand Telescope.com• Astronomy:
http://www.astronomy.com• The Starfield:
http://users.nac.net/gburke/• Astronomy Picture of the Day:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.goc/apod• Heavens Above (satellite observing information):
http://www.heavens-above.com• Photographic Atlas of the Moon:
http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/research/lunar_orbiter• Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pictures.html

31

USEFUL AUTOSTAR PROCEDURES
Before trying out the examples in this section, familiarize yourself with the basic operations of Autostar described earlier in this manual. The following examples assume
that you have a basic knowledge of Autostar and understand how to scroll to a desired
menu or menu option, and how to enter numbers and text. It also assumes that you
have initialized and aligned your telescope.

Adding Observing Sites
If you plan to observe using Autostar at different geographic locations, you can store
up to six observation sites in Autostar's memory to help simplify your telescope setup.
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 thenselect 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
you wish to add displays.

4.

Scroll through the list of cities. Press ENTER when the city you wish to add displays. The Site is now added to the database. You may add 5 sites using thismethod (the sixth site is the site you added during the manual initialization
process).

5.

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

Time Zone
Atlantic
Eastern
CentralMountainPacific
AlaskaHawaiiShift-4 Hours-5 Hours-6 Hours-7 Hours-8 Hours-9 Hours-10 Hours

Table 1: Time Zone Shift.

32

1.

Using the Add option, choose a site on the list that is closest to your observingsite 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" feature)makes it easier to edit, as the "Time Zone" value may not need to be changed.

2.

Scroll to "Site: Edit" and press ENTER. "Edit: Name" displays. Press ENTER.

3.

The name of the site you have just entered to your list displays; if it does not,scroll to the site.

4.

Using the Arrow keys, change the name of the site so that it now reads the nameof your observing location. Press ENTER. "Edit: Name" displays again.

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.

8.

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

9.

Press the Scroll Down key and "Edit: Time Zone" displays. Press ENTER. (If thesite you chose from the list in step 1 has the same Time Zone as the site you are
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 (onehour per time zone) and users East of Greenwich use "+" hours. For the UnitedStates, look up the shift in TABLE 1, at the left.

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

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 or press MODE to exit.

Using Autostar to Find Objects Not in the Libraries
In this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not appear inany of the Autostar libraries. You will enter the object's name and R.A. and Dec. coordinates (required information). You may also enter the object's magnitude and size
(optional information).
Although Autostar 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 part of a library. Autostar provides a feature that allows you to enter an 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 out your local library, computer store, or bookstore for astronomy books, CD Roms, or magazines (such as Sky& Telescope or Astronomy), to find coordinates of celestial objects. 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:
Tip:
Entering R.A. and Dec.
Coordinates of an object
without using the menus:
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 ormore. R.A. and Dec. coordinates display. Press GO TO.
"Object Position" and a set ofcoordinates displays. Enterthe R.A. and Dec. coordinatesof any celestial object using
Number keys, overwriting thecoordinates currently displayed. As soon as the coordinates are entered, Autostar
slews the telescope to thecoordinates. Note that the telescope must be initialized(see page 19), placed in the
Home position (see page 17),and aligned (see page 21) for
this procedure to operateproperly.
However, if you wish to store
the coordinates of an object
in memory, use the method
described at the right.

1.

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

2.

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

3.

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

4.

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

5.

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

6.

"Right Asc.: 00.00.0" displays. Use the Number keys to enter the digits for the
Right Ascension coordinate of your object. When you are finished, press ENTER.

7.

"Declination: +00°.00' " displays. Use the Number keys to enter the digits for the
Declination coordinate of your object. If necessary, use the Scroll Keys to change"+" to "-." When you are finished, press ENTER.

8.

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

9.

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

To GO TO a user-entered object
In this procedure, you will choose an object from the User Object list and GO TO theobject.
1.

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

2.

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

3.

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

4.

Press GO TO and the telescope slews to the object.

33

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.

4.

"Calculating...." and then "Tracking..." displays. If the satellite is going to make apass, "Located" displays.

5.

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

6.

"Alarm" displays after the location information. Press ENTER and Autostar automatically sets the alarm to sound a minute before the satellite's scheduledappearance. 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 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 starts to movethe telescope along the expected satellite track. When the track clears theobstruction, 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 Arrow keys to center the object in the viewfinder, then lookthrough the eyepiece to view the object.
Satellite orbits change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched.
Visit the Meade website (www.meade.com) approximately once a month to get
updated information and instructions on how to download this data to Autostar. If
orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at
the time predicted by Autostar. Downloading requires the optional #505 AstroFinder™
Software and Cable Connector Kit. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 38.
Note: Satellite observing is an exciting challenge. Most satellites are in
low orbit, travelling at approximately 17,500 mph. When visible, they movequickly across the sky and are only in the field of view for a few minutes,
requiring Autostar to slew the telescope rapidly. Best viewing is near
Sunrise or Sunset when the sky is still dark. Viewing in the middle of thenight can be problematic because the satellite may pass overhead, but not
be visible as it is in the Earth's shadow.
Tip:
To use the Landmark function, the telescope must be
located and aligned exactly
as when the landmark(s)was added to the database.

34

Landmarks
This menu option allows you to define and store terrestrial objects in the Landmark
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.
To Add a landmark to the database:In this procedure, you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in Autostar's
memory.
1. Note for future reference where the telescope is located. Select an easily recognizable reference object and center the object in the telescope eyepiece. Each time
you wish to view landmarks you have added to the database, setup the telescopein this location and center the reference object in the eyepiece. If you do not use aconsistent point of reference, the telescope will not be able to locate the objects you
have added to the database.

Another setup method is to select an object from the Landmark database. See TO
SELECT A LANDMARK FROM THE DATABASE below. Then manually move the telescope's optical tube and center this object in the telescope eyepiece.
2.

Display the "Setup: Targets" menu option. Choose "Terrestrial" and press
ENTER. "Setup: Targets" displays again. Choosing this option turns off tracking
for astronomical objects which is not useful for the viewing of terrestrial objects
such as those in the Landmark database. Be sure to change this option back to"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.

7.

"Landmark Name" displays. Using Arrow keys, enter a name for the landmark
you 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 andcenter the object in the eyepiece. Press ENTER. The object is now stored inmemory.

9.

"Landmark: Add" displays. If you wish to add more landmarks, repeat steps 5through 7.

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.
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 havepreviously entered objects in the Landmark menu.
1. Navigate to the "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 pause the Survey. Press ENTER to restart the survey at the firstobject of the survey.

To Check on the Available Memory
Autostar has a limited amount of memory. Once you begin to store Landmarks, user
objects and other bits of information in Autostar, 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 stillavailable to the user.

35

PHOTOGRAPHY
Photography through an LXD55 Schmidt-Newtonian telescope requires an LXD55-Series TAdapter (supplied) attached to the telescope (Fig. 22). Through-the-telescope photography is possible with any 35mm camera body with a removable lens. In this way, the telescope effectively becomes the lens of the camera.
Unthread the focuser extension tube (Fig. 23) from the focuser drawtube to remove
from the focuser assembly. The T-Adapter (2, Fig. 22) threads onto the focuser, followed by the camera body (1, Fig. 22).

d

C

B

Fig. 22: LXD55-Series T-Adapter
attached to focuser assembly andcamera.
(1) Camera Body, (2) T-Adapter,(3) Focus Knob.
Focuser
ExtensionTube

To orient an object in the viewfinder of the 35mm camera body, use a small jeweler’sscrewdriver to slightly loosen three adjustment screws around the outer knurled ringof the T-Adapter. Rotate the camera body to achieve proper orientation of the object;then re-tighten the adjustment screws.
Photography through a long lens such as the LXD55-Series requires special techniquefor good results, and the photographer should probably expect to waste a roll or twoof 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 LXD55-Series telescopes:
1.

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

2.

Focus the image with extreme care. While observing the subject through the camera’s reflex viewfinder, turn the telescope’s focus knob (3, Fig. 22) to achieve the
sharpest possible focus. Note that some 35mm cameras may have an optional
focusing screen (available from the manufacturer) for use with a long telephotolens. This screen provides a brighter and clearer image to focus, and is highly recommended.

3.

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 meterthat is still active when the standard lens is removed and the body is connected to the telescope with the T–Adapter. If used for terrestrial photography, the camera meter should be acceptable. If used for astrophotography, the meter probably will not provide good results since camera meters
are not made to compensate for a dark sky.

Fig. 23: Focuser Extension Drawtube
with eyepiece holder and eyepiece
attached.

36

4.

Terrestrial photography through the LXD55-Series is sensitive to heat waves risingfrom the Earth’s surface. Long distance photography is best accomplished in theearly morning hours before the earth has had time to build up heat.

5.

Photography of the Moon and planets through the LXD55-Series can be especially gratifying, but points 1 through 4 should be particularly noted in this case.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the LXD55-Series
telescope models. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instrument itself. Consult the Meade General Catalog for complete details
on these and other accessories.

Eyepiece/Apparent Field6” f/5
Power/Actual Field8” f/4
Power/Actual Field10” f/4
Power/Actual Field

Super Plössl Eyepieces (4-elements; 1.25” O.D.)

6.4mm/52°
9.7mm/52°
12.4mm/52°
15mm/52°
20mm/52°
26mm/52°32mm/52°
40mm/44°
Fig. 24: Series 4000 Eyepieces.

119/0.44°
79/0.66°
61/0.85°
51/1.02°38/1.36°
29/1.77°
24/2.18°
19/2.31°127/0.41°
84/0.62°65/0.79°
54/1.96°
41/1.28°
31/1.67°
25/2.05°
20/2.17°

159/0.33°
105/0.50°
82/0.63°
68/0.77°
51/1.02°39/1.33°
32/1.64°25/1.73°

Super Wide Angle Eyepieces (6-elements; 1.25” O.D., except as noted)

13.8mm/67°
18mm/67°
24.5mm/67°
32mm/67° (2" O.D.)
40mm/67° (2" O.D.)

55/1.21°42/1.58°
31/2.15°
24/2.81°
19/3.52°

59/1.14°45/1.49°
33/2.02°25/2.64°
20/3.30°74/0.91°
56/1.19°
41/1.62°
32/2.11°25/2.64°

Ultra Wide Angle Eyepieces (8-elements; 1.25” O.D., except as noted)

Fig. 25: #140 2x Barlow Lens.

4.7mm/84°
162/0.52°
6.7mm/84°
114/0.74°
8.8mm/84° (1.25" - 2" O.D.)
87/0.97°
54/1.54°14mm/84° (1.25" - 2" O.D.)

Eyepiece/Apparent Field5” f/9.3
Power/Actual Field

173/0.49°
121/0.69°
92/0.91°
58/1.45°

216/0.39°
152/0.55°
115/0.73°
73/1.16°6” f/8
Power/Actual Field8” f/10
Power/Actual Field

Super Plössl Eyepieces (4-elements; 1.25” O.D.)

Fig. 26: #905 Variable Polarizer.

6.4mm/52°
9.7mm/52°
12.4mm/52°
15mm/52°
20mm/52°
26mm/52°32mm/52°
40mm/44°

184/0.28°
122/0.43°
95/0.55°
79/0.66°
59/0.88°
45/1.15°
37/1.41°30/1.49°

188/0.28°
124/0.42°
97/0.54°80/0.65°60/0.87°
46/1.13°38/1.39°
30/1.47°

313/0.17°
206/0.25°
161/0.32°
133/0.39°
100/0.52°
77/0.68°
63/0.83°
50/0.88°

Super Wide Angle Eyepieces (6-elements; 1.25” O.D., except as noted)

13.8mm/67°
18mm/67°
24.5mm/67°
32mm/67° (2" O.D.)
40mm/67° (2" O.D.)

86/0.78°
66/1.02°
48/1.39°
37/1.82°
30/2.27°87/0.77°
67/1.01°49/1.37°
38/1.79°
30/2.23°

145/0.46°
111/0.60°
82/0.82°
63/1.07°50/1.34°

Ultra Wide Angle Eyepieces (8-elements; 1.25” O.D., except as noted)

Fig. 27: Series 4000 8 - 24mm Zoom
Eyepiece.

4.7mm/84°
6.7mm/84°
8.8mm/84° (1.25" - 2" O.D.)
14mm/84° (1.25" - 2" O.D.)

251/0.33°
176/0.48°
134/0.63°
84/1.00°

255/0.33°
179/0.47°
136/0.62°
86/0.98°

426/0.20°
299/0.28°
227/0.37°
143/0.59°

37

Series 4000 8 - 24mm Zoom Eyepiece: The internal zoom optics of this eyepiece
move on smooth, precisely machined surfaces which maintain optical collimation at
all zoom settings. A scale graduated in 1mm units indicates the zoom focal length inoperation. An excellent addition to any eyepiece set.
#140 2x Barlow Lens: A 3-element design, doubles each eyepiece power while
maintaining uncompromised image resolution, color correction, and contrast. Insert
the #140 into the telescope’s eyepiece holder first, followed by the diagonal (as applicable) and eyepiece. The #126 2x Barlow Lens, a compact 2-element alternative to
the #140, may also be employed with any LXD55-Series telescope.

Fig. 28: Series 4000 Photo-Visual#905 Variable Polarizer (1.25"): The #905 system includes 2 Polarizer filters mounted in a specially-machined cell, for glare-reduction in observing the Moon. Rotate thethumbscrew at the side of the unit to achieve light transmission between 5% and
25% of its original value. The #905 inserts into the diagonal of the telescope, followedby an eyepiece.
Series 4000 Photo-Visual Color Filters: Color filters significantly enhance visualand 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.
Series 4000 Nebular Filters: A modern boon to the city-dwelling deep-spaceobserver, the interference nebular filter effectively cancels out the effects of mosturban light pollution, while leaving the light of deep-space nebular emissions virtually unattenuated. Meade Series 4000 Nebular Filters utilize the very latest in coating
technology, and are available with threaded cells for eyepieces or for attachment to
the rear cells of Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain models.

Fig. 29: Series 4000 Nebular Filters.

#928 45° Erect-Image Diagonal Prism: Primarily used for terrestrial viewing, thisprism presents a correctly-oriented image at a comfortable 45° viewing angle.
#505 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit: With Meade AstroFinder
loaded into your PC, Autostar-equipped telescopes, such as the LXD55-Series, may be
remotely controlled from the PC display. The #505 Connector Cable Set, permitting
connection of the LXD55-Series, Autostar, and PC, is included with each AstroFinder
package. A Cable Connector Kit is also available without the software.
#547 Power Adapter with Cable: Includes a 25 ft. cord and permits powering from astandard home (115v AC) outlet. The #547F Power Adapter is available for 220v AC
outlets.
#607 Cigarette Lighter Adapter: Power a LXD55-Series telescope by means of an
automobile cigarette lighter plug. The LXD55 telescope may be powered for a fullnight’s observing without risk of car-battery drain.

Fig. 30: #505 Cable Connector Kit.

#62 T-Adapter: The T-Adapter is the basic means of prime-focus photography throughall 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 bodyis 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 toassure that the telescope remains precisely positioned on the object being photographed. Like the T-Adapter, the Off-Axis Guider couples the camera body to 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.
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 LX200GPS in equatorial mode, and guiding the camera through the main telescope, wide-field photos of the Milky Way of remarkabledetail and clarity can be taken.

38Dew Shield: 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. #608 for Meade SchmidtCassegrain SC-8 model.
#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 of the telescope, followed by an eyepiece. The #1A Skylight Filter threads onto
the rear cell of the Meade Schmidt-Cassegrains SC-8 model and effectively seals theinterior of the telescope from dust. All other rear cell accessories may then be threaded to the #1A filter. The filter increases visual and photographic contrast, decreases
glare, and helps to penetrate haze.
#1205 Electric focuser: For use with LXD55 Schmidt-Cassegrain SC-8 model.
Meade electric focusers are uniquely designed to yield smooth, precise microfocusing of the image, without disabling the manual focus knob, which may be used for
rapid coarse focusing. Includes push-button hand controller with self-contained (userprovided) battery.
#1209 Microfocuser: For use with LXD55 Schmidt-Cassegrain SC-8 model.
Supplied with a handbox, the microfocuser threads directly to the rear cell of model
SC-8. Permits precise focusing of the image during visual or photographic application, during CCD applications maintains precise image centration on even the smallest CCD chips. Operates at four speeds, from extremely slow to fast; accepts both2" and 1.25" eyepiece barrels. Requires 8 x AAA (user-supplied batteries).
Optional #497 Autostar™ Computer Controller for LXD55 EC Users: One of themost important advances in telescope control in the past 25 years, the Meade
Autostar Computer Controller turns your LXD55 EC model into an automatic celestial
object locating system. Just plug Autostar into the telescope’s HBX port in place of thestandard-equipment Electronic Controller, do a quick telescope alignment, and you
are ready to observe any object in the Autostar’s 30,000-object database.
Any of Autostar’s database objects can be called up and entered on the hand controller display in seconds. The observer then simply presses the GO TO pushbutton
and watches as the telescope automatically slews to the object and places it in thefield of view. Autostar moves the telescope to automatically track (follow) the object
across the sky. Autostar brings into easy access objects that were previously unreachable for all but the most dedicated of amateur astronomers.
To find out more about these and other accessories available for your telescope,check out the Meade General Catalog or contact your local Meade dealer.

39

MAINTENANCE
General Maintenance
LXD55-Series telescopes are precision optical instruments designed to yield a lifetimeof rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument,
your LXD55 will rarely, if ever, require factory servicing. Maintenance guidelines
include:a.

Avoid cleaning the telescope’s optics: A little dust on the front surface of the telescope’s correcting lens causes virtually no degradation of image quality andshould not be considered reason to clean the lens.

b.

When absolutely necessary, dust on the front lens should be removed with gentle strokes of a camel hair brush or blown off with an ear syringe (available at any
pharmacy). DO NOT use a commercial photographic lens cleaner.

c.

Organic materials (e.g., fingerprints) on the front lens may be removed with asolution 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, whitefacial tissues and make short, gentle strokes. Change tissues often.
Caution: Do not use scented or lotioned tissues or damage could result
to the optics.

Note: It is not necessary
for the user to collimate therefractor models.
SC-8 Schmidt-Cassegrainusers see the following
section, ALIGNMENT OF
THE SCHMIDT-CASSEGRAIN
OPTICAL SYSTEM, page 42.

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 toreplace the corrector in its proper rotational orientation and serious degradation of optical performance will result. Meade Instruments assumes noliability for damage incurred to the telescope in this way.

e.

If the LXD55 is used outdoors on a humid night, water condensation on the telescope surfaces will probably result. While such condensation does not normallycause 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 tosit for some time in the warm indoor air, so that the wet optical surfaces can dry
unattended.

f.

If your LXD55 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.

g.

Do not leave your LXD55 inside a sealed car on a warm summer day; excessive
ambient temperatures can damage the telescope’s internal lubrication and electronic circuitry.

Alignment (Collimation) of the Schmidt-Newtonian Optical
SystemAll Meade Schmidt-Newtonian telescopes are precisely collimated at the factory
before packing and shipment, and it is probable that you will not need to make any
optical adjustments before making observations. However, if the telescope sustainedrough handling in shipment, you may need to re-collimate the optical system. Suchre-collimation is not a difficult procedure in any case.
The collimation procedure for the Meade Schmidt-Newtonians is slightly different fromthat of other Newtonian reflecting telescopes, because of the "fast" f/4 to f/5 focal ratioof the primary mirror. In typical Newtonian reflectors with more conventional focal
ratios (i.e. longer focal ratios), when the observer looks down the focuser tube (without an eyepiece in the focuser), the images of the diagonal mirror, primary mirror,
focuser tube, and the observer's eye appear centered relative to each other. However,with the short focal ratio primary mirror of the Schmidt-Newtonian, correct collimation
requires that the diagonal mirror be offset in 2 directions: (1) away from the focuserand (2) towards the primary mirror, in equal amounts. This offset is approximately 1/8"
in each direction. Note that these offsets have been performed at the factory prior to40

b Focuser drawtube
c Diagonal mirror
d Reflection of primaryTip:
A useful tool for making
collimation easier is to makea hole in the plastic cap thatcomes with the eyepiece toprotect it during shipping.
Use a drill to make a 1/8"
hole in the center of the cap
and place it over the eyepiece holder for use during
the collimation procedure.

mirrore Reflection of secondary
mirror (darkened due toback lighting)f Primary mirror clips
g Reflection of observer's eye

b c

d

e

f

g

Fig. 31a: The view you will see while collimating a Schmidt-Newtonian telescope.

shipment of your telescope. It is only necessary for you to confirm that the telescope
has not been badly jarred out of collimation, and to perform the final fine-tuning of Step
4, below.
Fig. 31a shows a correctly collimated Schmidt-Newtonian telescope, as it appears
when viewed through the focuser with the eyepiece removed.
To check and, if necessary, set the optical collimation, follow these steps.

Fig. 31b: The four collimation screws
on the diagonal mirror housing.

1. Observe through the focuser and orient your body so that the telescope's primary
mirror is to your right, and the correcting plate end of the telescope tube is to your left.
The diagonal mirror will appear centered as shown (2, Fig. 31a). If the diagonal
appears off center, then adjust the 4 collimation screws on the plastic diagonal mirror
housing.
2. If the reflection of the primary mirror (3, Fig. 31a) is not centered on the surface ofthe diagonal mirror, adjust the 4 collimation screws on the plastic diagonal mirror
housing to center the reflection.
As described above, the 4 collimation screws (Fig. 31b) on the plastic diagonal mirror
housing are used for two different adjustments during the collimation procedure.

knurled knob

thumb screw

Fig. 31c: The six collimation screws
on the rear of the primary mirror cell.

Important Note: Do not force the 4 screws past their normal travel, anddo not rotate any screw or screws more than 2 full turns in a counterclockwise direction (i.e., not more than 2 full turns in their "loosening"
direction), or else the diagonal mirror may become loosened from its
support. Note that the diagonal mirror collimation adjustments are very
sensitive: generally turning a collimation screw 1/2-turn will have a dramatic effect on collimation.
3. If the reflection of the diagonal mirror is not centered within the reflection of the primary mirror, adjust the 3 collimation screws located on the rear of the primary mirror
cell.
Note: There are 6 screws (Fig. 31c) on the primary mirror cell. The 3
knurled knobs are the collimation screws, and the 3 smaller thumb screws
are locking screws. The locking screws must be loosened slightly in orderto adjust the collimation screws.
Proceed by "trial and error" until you develop a feel for which collimation screw to turnin order to change the image in any given way.

41

b

c

Fig. 32: Correct (1) and incorrect (2) collimation as viewed during a star test.

Note: A small paper ring is
attached to the primary mirror. This ring was attachedat the factory for purposesof laser collimation. The ring
will not diminish your telescope's imaging capabilities
and does not need to be
removed.

4. Perform an actual star test to confirm the accuracy of steps 1 through 3. Using the
SP 26mm eyepiece, point the telescope at a moderately bright (second or third magnitude) star, and center the image in the main telescope's field of view.
5. Bring the star's image slowly in and out of focus until you see several disks surrounding the star's center. If steps 1 through 3 were done correctly, you will see concentric (centered with respect to each other) circles (1, Fig. 32).
An improperly collimated instrument will reveal oblong or elongated circles (2, Fig.
32). Adjust the 3 collimating screws on the primary mirror housing until the circles
are concentric on either side of the focus.
In summary, the 4 adjustment screws on the plastic diagonal mirror housing change
the tilt of the secondary mirror so that it is correctly centered in the focuser drawtube, and so that the primary mirror appears centered when looking into the focuser.
The 3 collimating knobs on the primary mirror change the tilt of the primary mirror
so that it reflects the light directly up the center of the drawtube.

Alignment (Collimation) of the Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical
SystemThe optical collimation (alignment) of any astronomical telescope used for serious
purposes is important, but in the case of the Schmidt-Cassegrain design of the model
SC-8, such collimation is absolutely essential for good performance. Take special careto read and understand this section well so that your model SC-8 will give you the best
optical performance.
As part of final optical testing, every Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain is precisely collimated at the Meade factory before shipment. However, vibrations in shipping cancause the optical system to become misaligned. Re-aligning the optics is, however, astraightforward process.
To check the collimation of your SC-8, center a bright star that is overhead, or use a“hot spot” of reflected Sunlight from a chrome car bumper, with the supplied 26mm
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.
With the star or hot spot centered, de-focus the image. You will notice that the out offocus star image looks like a ring of light surrounding a dark central spot; the dark central spot is in fact the shadow of the secondary mirror. Turn the focus knob until thering of light fills about 10% of the eyepiece field-diameter. If the dark central spot isoffset in (i.e., not concentric with) the ring of light, your telescope’s optical system is
misaligned and requires collimation.
Follow these steps for collimation of the optical system:a.

42

The only adjustments possible, or necessary, on the SC-8 models are from thethree screws (Fig. 33b) located at the edge of the outer surface of the secondary
mirror housing.

1

2

3

Fig. 33a: Defocused star images. Misaligned (1, 2), Aligned

Fig. 33b: Collimation screws.

Caution: Do not force the three collimationscrews past their normal travel and do not loosen them more than two fullturns in a counterclockwise direction or the secondary mirror may comeloose from its support. You will find that the adjustments are very sensitive,
usually requiring only one-half turn or less to produce the desired result.
b.

While looking at the defocused star image, notice which direction the darker shadow is offset in the ring of light or notice which part of the ring is the thinnest (1,Fig. 33a). Place your index finger in front of the telescope so that it touches oneof the collimation set screws. You will see the shadow of your finger in the ring oflight. Move your finger around the edge of the black plastic secondary mirror support until you see the shadow of the finger crossing the thinnest part of the ring oflight. At this point, look at the front of the telescope where your finger is aiming. It
will either be pointing directly at a set screw, or it will be between two set screws
aiming at the set screw on the far side of the black plastic secondary mirror support. This is the set screw that you will adjust.

c.

Using the Autostar's Arrow keys at the slowest slew speed, move the defocused
image to the edge of the eyepiece field of view (2, Fig. 33a), in the same direction as the darker shadow is offset in the ring of light.

d.

Turn the set screw that you found with the pointing exercise while looking in theeyepiece. You will notice that the star image will move across the field. If whileturning the defocused star image flies out of the eyepiece field, then you are turning the screw the wrong way. Turn the opposite direction and bring the image
back to the center of the field.

e.

If the screw you are turning becomes very loose, tighten the other two screws byeven amounts. If the screw you are turning gets too tight, unthread the other two
by even amounts.

f.

When you bring the image to center (3, Fig. 33a), carefully examine the evennessof the ring of light (concentricity). If you find that the dark center is still off in thesame direction, continue to make the adjustment in the original turning direction.
If it is now off in the opposite direction, you have turned too far and you need toturn in the opposite direction. Always double check the image in the center of the
field of the eyepiece.

g.

You may find after your initial adjustment that the dark center is off in a new direction (e.g., instead of being off side-to-side it is now off in an up-and-down direction). In this case repeat steps b through f to find the new adjustment screw.

h.

Now try a higher power eyepiece (e.g., 9mm or less) and repeat the above tests.
Any lack of collimation at this point will require only very slight adjustments of thethree set screws. You now have good collimation of the optics.

i.

As a final check of alignment, examine the star image in focus with the higher
power eyepiece as suggested (j), under good viewing conditions. The star pointshould appear as a small central dot (commonly referred to as an “Airy disc”) witha diffraction ring surrounding it. To give a final precision collimation, makeextremely slight adjustments of the three set screws, if necessary, to center the
Airy disc in the diffraction ring. You now have the best alignment of the optics possible with this telescope.

43

Inspecting the Optics
A Note About the “Flashlight Test: If a flashlight or other high-intensity light sourceis 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 appears to be scratches, darkor bright spots, or just generally uneven coatings, giving the appearance of poor quality optics. These items are only seen when a high intensity light is transmitted throughlenses 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 by the “flashlight test;" the true
test of optical quality can only be conducted through careful star testing.

Meade Customer Service
If you have a question concerning your LXD55-Series telescope, contact the Meade
Instruments Customer Service Department at:
Telephone: (949) 451-1450
Fax: (949) 451-1460
Customer Service hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Pacific Time, Monday throughFriday. In the unlikely event that your LXD55-Series telescope 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.

44

SPECIFICATIONS
6" f/5 Model SN-6, SN-6EC Specifications
Optical design ..............................................Schmidt-Newtonian
Clear aperture..............................................6" (152mm)
Focal length ................................................762mm
Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/5
Resolving power ..........................................0.74 arc secs
Coatings ......................................................Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings
Ultra-High Transmission Coating optional
Mounting ......................................................Die-cast aluminum
Input Voltage ..............................................12v DC
Alignment ....................................................German-type equatorial mount
Slew Speeds................................................SN-8: 1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec
in 9 increments
SN-8EC: 2x sidereal to 4.5°/sec
in 4 increments
Tripod ..........................................................Variable-height field tripod
Accessories ................................................6 x 30mm finder
T-Adapter
Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece
1.25" and 2" eyepiece holders
Battery pack for 8 D-cell batteries(user-supplied)
SN-6: Autostar Controller
SN-6EC: Electronic Controller
Polar Finder Reticle Batteries......................Maxell LR41 or equivalent
Net telescope weight ..................................13 lbs.
Net tripod weight..........................................35 lbs.

8" f/4 Model SN-8, SN-8EC Specifications
Optical design ..............................................Schmidt-Newtonian
Clear aperture..............................................8" (203mm)
Focal length ................................................812mm
Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/4
Resolving power ..........................................0.56 arc secs
Coatings ......................................................Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings
Ultra-High Transmission Coating optional
Mounting ......................................................Die-cast aluminum
Input Voltage ..............................................12v DC
Alignment ....................................................German-type equatorial mount
Slew Speeds................................................SN-8: 1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec
in 9 increments
SN-8EC: 2x sidereal to 4.5°/sec
in 4 increments
Tripod ..........................................................Variable-height field tripod
Accessories ................................................6 x 30mm finder
T-Adapter
Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece
1.25" and 2" eyepiece holders
Battery pack for 8 D-cell batteries(user-supplied)
SN-8: Autostar Controller
SN-8EC: Electronic Controller
Polar Finder Reticle Batteries......................Maxell LR41 or equivalent
Net telescope weight ..................................24 lbs.
Net tripod weight..........................................45 lbs.

45

10" f/4 Model SN-10 Specifications
Optical design ..............................................Schmidt-Newtonian
Clear aperture..............................................10" (254mm)
Focal length ................................................1016mm
Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/4
Resolving power ..........................................0.45 arc secs
Coatings ......................................................Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings
Ultra-High Transmission Coating optional
Mounting ......................................................Die-cast aluminum
Input Voltage ..............................................12v DC
Alignment ....................................................German-type equatorial mount
Slew Speeds................................................1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec in 9 increments
Tripod ..........................................................Variable-height field tripod
Accessories ................................................6 x 30mm finder
T-Adapter
Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece
1.25" and 2" eyepiece holders
Battery pack for 8 D-cell batteries(user-supplied)
Autostar Controller
Polar Finder Reticle Batteries......................Maxell LR41 or equivalent
Net telescope weight ..................................30 lbs.
Net tripod weight..........................................55 lbs.

5" f/9.3 Model AR-5, AR-5EC Specifications
Optical design ..............................................Achromatic Refractor
Clear aperture..............................................5" (127mm)
Focal length ................................................1180mm
Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/9.3
Resolving power ..........................................0.90 arc secs
Coatings ......................................................Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings
Mounting ......................................................Die-cast aluminum
Input Voltage ..............................................12v DC
Alignment ....................................................German-type equatorial mount
Slew Speeds................................................SN-8: 1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec
in 9 increments
SN-8EC: 2x sidereal to 4.5°/sec
in 4 increments
Tripod ..........................................................Variable-height field tripod
Accessories ................................................8 x 50mm finder
1.25" diagonal
Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece
1.25" and 2" eyepiece holders
Battery pack for 8 D-cell batteries(user-supplied)
AR-5: Autostar Controller
AR-5EC: Electronic Controller
Polar Finder Reticle Batteries......................Maxell LR41 or equivalent
Net telescope weight ..................................15 lbs.
Net tripod weight..........................................35 lbs.

6" f/8 Model AR-6 Specifications
Optical design ..............................................Achromatic Refractor
Clear aperture..............................................6" (152mm)
Focal length ................................................1200mm
Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/8
Resolving power ..........................................0.74 arc secs
Coatings ......................................................Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings
Mounting ......................................................Die-cast aluminum
Input Voltage ..............................................12v DC

46

Alignment ....................................................German-type equatorial mount
Slew Speeds................................................1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec in 9 increments
Tripod ..........................................................Variable-height field tripod
Accessories ................................................8 x 50mm finder
1.25" diagonal
Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece
1.25" and 2" eyepiece holders
Battery pack for 8 D-cell batteries(user-supplied)
Autostar Controller
Polar Finder Reticle Batteries......................Maxell LR41 or equivalent
Net telescope weight ..................................27 lbs.
Net tripod weight..........................................45 lbs.

8" f/10 Model SC-8 Specifications
Optical design ..............................................Achromatic Refractor
Clear aperture..............................................8" (203mm)
Focal length ................................................2000mm
Focal ratio (photographic speed) ................f/10
Resolving power ..........................................0.56 arc secs
Coatings ......................................................Meade EMC Super Multi-Coatings
Ultra-High Transmission Coating optional
Mounting ......................................................Die-cast aluminum
Input Voltage ..............................................12v DC
Alignment ....................................................German-type equatorial mount
Slew Speeds................................................1x sidereal to 4.5°/sec in 9 increments
Tripod ..........................................................Variable-height field tripod
Accessories ................................................8 x 50mm finder
1.25" diagonal
Super Plössl 26mm eyepiece
1.25" and 2" eyepiece holders
Battery pack for 8 D-cell batteries(user-supplied)
Autostar Controller
Polar Finder Reticle Batteries......................Maxell LR41 or equivalent
Net telescope weight ..................................24 lbs.
Net tripod weight..........................................45 lbs.

Autostar Specifications
Processor ............................................................................68HC11, 8MHz
Flash Memory ............................................................1.0MB, reloadable
Keypad ........................................................................20 key alphanumeric
Display ........................................................................2 line, 16 character LCD
Backlight......................................................................Red LED
Utility Light ..................................................................Yes
Coil Cord ....................................................................24"
Database ....................................................................30,223 objects

Autostar Dimensions
Length ........................................................................6.56" (16.6cm)
Width (LCD end) ........................................................3.19" (80cm)
Width (Connector end) ................................................2.25" (57cm)
Depth ..........................................................................0.81" (21cm)
Autostar net weight ....................................................1.12 lbs (0.51kg)

Maxell is a trademark of Hitachi Maxell, Ltd.

47

APPENDIX A: CELESTIAL
COORDINATES
A celestial coordinate system was created that maps an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth upon which all stars appear to be placed. This mapping system is similar to the system of latitude and longitude on Earth surface maps.
In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines of longitude are drawn between the Northand South Poles and lines of latitude are drawn in an East-West direction, parallel tothe Earth’s equator. Similarly, imaginary lines have been drawn to form a latitude andlongitude grid for the celestial sphere. These lines are known as Right Ascension
and Declination.
The celestial map also contains two poles and an equator just like a map of the Earth.
The poles of this coordinate system are defined as those two points where the Earth’s
north and south poles (i.e., the Earth's axis), if extended to infinity, would cross thecelestial sphere. Thus, the North Celestial Pole (1, Fig. 34) is that point in the sky
where an extension of the North Pole intersects the celestial sphere. The North Star,
Polaris is located very near the North Celestial Pole. The celestial equator (2, Fig. 34)
is a projection of the Earth’s equator onto the celestial sphere.

North
Celestial
Pole(Vicinityof Polaris)+90 Dec.
Star

17
18
19

16

15

14

13 12

11

ation
clin
De

1

10

9

Earth’s
Rotation

20 21

22

23

0

1

2

Right Ascension

3

8
4

7
6
5

Celestial
Equator
0 Dec.

2South
Celestial
Pole-90 Dec.

Fig. 34: Celestial Sphere.

Just as an object's position on the Earth’s surface can be located by its latitude andlongitude, celestial objects may also be located using Right Ascension and
Declination. For example, you could locate Los Angeles, California, by its latitude(+34°) and longitude (118°). Similarly, you could locate the Ring Nebula (M57) by its
Right Ascension (18hr) and its Declination (+33°).
■
Right Ascension (R.A.): This celestial version of longitude is measured in unitsof hours (hr), minutes (min), and seconds (sec) on a 24-hour "clock" (similar to
how Earth's time zones are determined by longitude lines). The "zero" line wasarbitrarily chosen to pass through the constellation Pegasus — a sort of cosmic
Greenwich meridian. R.A. coordinates range from 0hr 0min 0sec to 23hr 59min
59sec. There are 24 primary lines of R.A., located at 15-degree intervals along
the celestial equator. Objects located further and further East of the zero R.A. gridline (0hr 0min 0sec) carry higher R.A. coordinates.
■
Declination (Dec.): This celestial version of latitude is measured in degrees, arcminutes, and arc-seconds (e.g., 15° 27' 33"). Dec. locations north of the celestial
equator are indicated with a plus (+) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the North celestial poleis +90°). Dec. locations south of the celestial equator are indicated with a minus(–) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the South celestial pole is –90°). Any point on the celestial equator (such as the the constellations of Orion, Virgo, and Aquarius) is said
to have a Declination of zero, shown as 0° 0' 0."

Setting Circles
Setting circles included with the LXD55-Series models permit the location of faint celestial objects not easily found by direct visual observation. With the telescope pointed at
the North Celestial Pole, the Dec. circle (19, Fig. 1d) should read 90° (understood tomean +90°). Each division of the Dec. circle represents a 1° increment. The R.A. circle (31, Fig. 1d) runs from 0hr to (but not including) 24hr, and reads in increments of
5min.
Using setting circles requires a developed technique. When using the circles for the
first time, try hopping from one bright star (the calibration star) to another bright starof known coordinates. Practice moving the telescope from one easy-to-find object toanother. In this way, the precision required for accurate object location becomes evident.
Note You may also enter an object's R.A. and Dec. coordinates using the"User: Objects" option of Autostar's Object menu. Autostar then automatically slews the telescope to the entered coordinates.
To use the setting circles to locate an object not easily found by direct visualobservation:
Insert a low-power eyepiece, such as a 26mm, into the focuser assembly. Pick out abright star with which you are familiar (or is easily located) that is in the area of thesky in which your target object is located. Look up the R.A. coordinate of the bright48

star, and also of the object you wish to locate, in a star atlas. Point the object at thebright star. Then loosen the R.A. setting circle lock knob (32, Fig. 1d) and turn the
R.A. setting circle to read the correct R.A. coordinate of the bright star; lock the R.A.
setting circle lock knob onto the object. Next, loosen the R.A. lock (33, Fig. 1d) andturn the telescope in R.A. to read the correct R.A. coordinate of the object. Tighten the
R.A. lock (33, Fig. 1d). If the procedure has been followed carefully, the desired object
should now be in the telescopic field of a low-power eyepiece.
If you do not immediately see the object you are seeking, try searching the adjacentsky area. Keep in mind that, with the 26mm eyepiece, the field of view of the LXD55Series is about 0.5°. Because of its much wider field, the viewfinder may be of significant assistance in locating and centering objects, after the setting circles have beenused to locate the approximate position of the object.
See USING AUTOSTAR TO FIND OBJECTS NOT IN THE LIBRARIES, page 33, for information on how to manually enter coordinates into Autostar.

Locating the Celestial Pole
Little Dipper

PolarisBig Dipper

To get basic bearings at an observing location, take note of where the Sun rises (East)and sets (West) each day. After the site is dark, face North by pointing your left shoulder toward where the Sun set. To precisely point at the pole, find the North Star
(Polaris) by using the Big Dipper as a guide (Fig. 35).

Cassiopeia

One- and Two-Star Polar Alignment
Fig. 35: Locating Polaris.

Autostar provides three different methods for Polar Alignment: Easy, One-Star and
Two-Star. See EASY ALIGNMENT, page 21, for that procedure.

One-Star Polar Alignment
Polar One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar provides a library of bright stars and one star from this library is chosen by the observer
for alignment. Polaris is chosen by Autostar. The rest of the procedure is almost identical to the EASY ALIGNMENT, page 21, except that Autostar prompts you to point thetelescope at Polaris and center it in the telescope's eyepiece.

Two-Star Polar Alignment
Polar Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar provides a library of bright stars and two stars from this library are chosen by the observer for alignment. Polaris is chosen by Autostar. The rest of the procedure is almost
identical to the EASY ALIGNMENT, page 21, except that Autostar prompts you to point
the telescope at Polaris and center it in the telescope's eyepiece.

49

Reticle LED Knob

Eyepiece

APPENDIX B: ENHANCING
POINTING PRECISION
The Polar Alignment Viewfinder
Typically Autostar's pointing capabilities are sufficient for most telescope observers,
and the use of the polar alignment viewfinder is unnecessary for them. However, forthose observers who need to meet the more demanding requirements of astrophotography, the polar alignment viewfinder allows the telescope mount to be more precisely aligned with true North. The polar alignment viewfinder contains a reticle, lit by
an LED (Figs. 36 and 37).
To align your telescope to North using the polar alignment viewfinder:

Fig. 36: The polar alignment
viewfinder.

1.

Set your telescope in the home position (see page 17). Then loosen the Dec.
lock (17, Fig. 1d) and rotate the optical tube 90°. Re-tighten the Dec. Lock.

2.

Loosen the R.A. Lock (33, Fig. 1d).

3.

Remove the polar viewfinder cap (18, Fig. 1d).

4.

If you have not already done so, remove the plastic separating the watch batteries inside the polar alignment reticle. See step 12, page 13.

5.

Turn the polar alignment reticle LED knob to turn on the LED and look throughthe reticle.

6.

Northern Hemisphere: Move the telescope mount until Polaris is superimposedon the graduated area of the reticle (between 40' and 60'). The center crosshairdenotes the North celestial pole. Southern Hemisphere: The four-sided figure in
the reticle represents a grouping of four stars in Octantis (Sigma, Tau, Chi, andUpsilon) for use in the Southern Hemisphere. Move the telescope mount on its
R.A. axis until the four stars depicted in the reticle are superimposed on the fourstar group that matches the reticle pattern.

7.

Use the latitude T-handle screws (26, Fig. 1d) and the fine azimuth control knobs(27, Fig. 1d) to fine tune the mount adjustment until the reticle pattern is more
precisely superimposed over the appropriate position as described in step 6.

Fig. 37: The view inside the polaralignment viewfinder reticle.

Note: Not all pointing positions are possible with the polar alignment reticle,
as the tripod is a limiting factor as to how far the optical tube and mount canbe moved.
8.

Tighten the R.A. Lock (33, Fig. 1d). Return the optical tube to the home position.
Note: Remember to turn off the polar alignment reticle LED.

Axis Alignment Procedure
In order for the equatorial mount to accurately point to astronomical objects using the
GO TO feature of the Autostar handbox, the optical axis of the optical tube must bealigned with the R.A. axis of the mount. In most cases, the telescope will perform
adequately without making any adjustments, but performing one of the followingalignment methods before the initial use of the telescope, and periodically thereafter,
will increase the mount’s pointing accuracy.

When the optical axis is perfectly aligned to the R.A. axis and the declination set to 90°,
all objects will rotate about a point in the center of the eyepiece, as the mount is rotatedabout the R.A. axis. A misalignment in elevation results in the center of rotation shifting
up or down. A misalignment in attitude results in the center shifting left or right.
The telescope is moved manually in Method #1 to correct for attitude misalignment
and then for elevation misalignment. Autostar moves the telescope in Method #2; thismethod is recommended for beginners.

Method 1: Manual AlignmentFig. 38: A. Elevation Alignment;
B. Attitude Alignment.

Procedure #1: To correct for attitude misalignment
Important Note: Throughout the following procedures, the directional references up/down/left/right are used. No matter which type of telescope model
you are using, these directions are to be interpreted relative to real-world
targets. For example, left/right moves the image along the horizon, andup/down moves the image vertically.
Perform this procedure during the daytime. You will need to have a clear line ofsight to a wide, distinct landmark with a clear, horizontal feature.
1.

50

Plug in Autostar and turn on the power as described previously in this manual.
You will use Autostar's Arrow keys in the course of this procedure.

2.

Loosen the R.A. Lock (33, Fig. 1d) and the Dec. Lock (17, Fig. 1d). Point the tube
so that it is above the tripod leg marked with a star. Retighten the Dec. Lock.
Move the counterweight shaft and mount so that it is parallel to the horizon. Thisis position A. See Fig. 39. Retighten the R.A. Lock.

3.

If using a Schmidt Newtonian model, rotate the optical tube (you will need toloosen the cradle ring lock knobs (13, Fig. 1a) to do so) to make sure the focuser
extends horizontally from the optical tube while in position A and do not rotate thetube for the remainder of the alignment procedure.
If using a refractor model, use the diagonal assembly to rotate the eyepiece
during testing. However, be careful that the diagonal is placed flush against thefocuser and tightened in place using the thumbscrews. It is important that the
diagonal does not slip during the procedure.

4.

Adjust the tripod legs, polar axis altitude and/or polar axis azimuth so that thewide, horizontal object you have chosen as a target is positioned across the middle of the eyepiece.

Procedure #1: Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Fig. 39: Position A.

Important Note: The image will appear right-side-up, but reversed left-forright, in the eyepiece of a refractor telescope. The image will appear
upside-down, but correct left-for-right, in the eyepiece of a ScmidtNewtonian telescope, if the eyepiece extends horizontally from the tube, as
described in Step #3.
5.

Loosen the R.A. Lock (Tip: Make sure you do not accidentally loosen the Dec.
Lock. If you do, restart the procedure beginning at Step #2). Rotate the telescope
180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, until the optical tube is in position B. See Fig. 40.
Note the position of your target in the eyepiece.

6.

Using the Autostar Up and Down Arrow keys ONLY, move the optical tube in Dec.
axis until your target is HALFWAY back to the center of the eyepiece.

7.

Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, to return the optical tube to position A. Verify that your target is in the same location in the eyepiece vertically asin the previous step (that is, it is not higher or lower or absent from the eyepiece).
Ignore side-to-side misalignment (that is, if it has moved to the right or left).

8.

Repeat steps 6 and 7, if necessary, alternating positions A and B, until the horizontal object is in the same vertical location in the eyepiece in both positions.

9.

The Dec. optical axis is now calibrated to be at 90 degrees. For Procedure #2,
DO NOT adjust the declination of the optical tube, either manually or with the
handbox.

Fig. 40: Position B.

Procedure #2: To correct for elevation misalignment
After performing the attitude correction, select an object that is at a very great distance(at least a mile away) to approximate infinity. Ideally, the object should be unique, withseveral identifiable objects to the left and right of it.

Procedure #2: Step 2

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

1.

Rotate the mount about the R.A. axis only and move the optical tube to position A.

2.

WITHOUT moving the declination axis from its position determined in the previous alignment, adjust the legs, latitude, and azimuth of the tripod to center theobject in the eyepiece.
Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, until optical tube is in position B.

3.

51

4.

Observe the position of the object in the eyepiece. Assuming that the declination
was properly set in the previous procedure, the object should have moved only
horizontally (that is, side-to-side) from its original position. It may be out of theeyepiece altogether.

5.

Using the adjustment mechanism on the bottom of the cradle (Fig. 41), move thereference object approximately half the distance towards the center of the eyepiece.
To adjust the cradle screws, use the supplied hex key to loosen the two outside
screws. Then adjust the position of the object by tightening or loosening the center screw. Perform this adjustment on both sets of screws. When finished, retighten the outer screws.
Before moving the optical tube, note the location that the telescope is centeredon relative to the reference object. Depending on the telescope type and accessories in use, you may need to move the optical tube opposite to the direction thatappears in the eyepiece. The best way to be sure is to move the optical tube
(using the cradle screws) a little, and verify that the correct direction was moved
through the eyepiece.

Fig. 41: Cradle adjustment screws.

6.

WITHOUT moving the declination axis from its position determined in the previous alignment, and WITHOUT adjusting the cradle position further, adjust thelegs, latitude, and azimuth of the tripod to center the object in the eyepiece again.

7.

Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, to return the optical tube to position A.

8.

Repeat steps 5 through 8, if necessary, alternating between position A and position B, and bringing the reference object halfway of the remaining distance to center. Stop the procedure once the distance between the object in position A andposition B is less than one third the width of the eyepiece.

9.

As a final check, select another object and place it into the center of the eyepiece.
Rotate the mount about the R.A. axis. Watch the motion of that object. It is
acceptable if it moves slightly, but should remain in the eyepiece the entire time.

Tips
■

■

■
■

When moving to position A or B, it is usually sufficient to merely level the Dec.
axis by eye. Whether in position A or B, the counterweight shaft should appear tobe horizontal when looked at from several feet away.
If you are finding it difficult to lower the altitude of the tripod head without thecounterweight banging into the forward tripod leg, increase the length of the tworear tripod legs to introduce a tilt into the whole mount.
Before starting the alignment procedure, it is helpful to have the tripod azimuth
adjustment knobs even, to allow an equal range of travel in either direction.
Make sure the focuser lock is tightened once focus is achieved. Otherwise, gravity may cause the focuser to move during rotation of the telescope and introduce
error into the procedure.

LXD55 TIPS
Star Charts
Star charts and planisphere are very useful tools and are great aids in planning a night of celestial viewing.
A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in magazines, on the internet and on CD Roms. Meade offers AstroFinder™ and other star locator software. Contact your Meade dealer or Meade's Customer Service department
for more information.
Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star charts each monthfor up-to-the-minute maps of the heavens.
The Norton Star Atlas and Reference Handbook by A. Norton and Sky Atlas
2000 by W. Tirion and R. Sinnot are two of the most popular star charts on themarket.

52

Method 2: Axis Alignment Using AutostarPerform this procedure during the daytime. You will need to have an unobstructed
view of an easily sighted landmark, such as a light post. Use a low-power eyepiece,
such as the supplied 26mm. This procedure assumes that you have some familiarity
with Autostar's menu structure (you will need to locate the "Setup: Telescope"menu). If necessary, refer to AUTOSTAR'S MENUS, page 25.
Note: For best result, perform this procedure after you have trained thedrive. See page 20.
1.

Adjust the latitude T-handle screws (26, Fig. 1d) so that the latitude is set to
45° or higher. See Step #6, page 12, for information about setting the latitudecontrols.

2.

Refer to Fig. 42 while performing this step. The Dec. motor (B) must be positioned so that it is at the back of the mount. The optical tube (A) must be
approximately horizontal (i.e., parallel with the horizon) and the counterweightshaft must be pointing straight down..

Motor atback ofmount

If using a Schmidt-Newtonian model, loosen the cradle ring locks knobs (C)and move the optical tube until the eyepiece (D) points downward as shown in
the Fig. 42. Re-tighten the cradle ring locks.

Fig. 42: Method #2 Setup. (A) Optical
Tube; (B) Dec. Motor; (C) Cradle
Ring Lock Knobs; (D) Eyepiece.

If using a refractor model, use the diagonal assembly to rotate the eyepiece
to a convenient viewing angle during testing. However, be careful that the diagonal is placed flush against the focuser and tightened in place using the thumbscrews. It is important that the diagonal does not slip during the procedure.
3.

Make sure that both the R.A. and Dec. locks (17 and 33, Fig. 1d) are tightened
to a firm feel.

4.

Turn on Autostar and go to "Setup: Telescope." Press ENTER.

5.

Press one of the Scroll keys until "LXD 55 Adjust" displays and then press
ENTER. A message displays that tells you to center a landmark. If the landmark
is not visible in your eyepiece, lift and move the entire telescope and tripod
assembly—try not to move the tube too far from the horizontal position (nomore than 5° up or down), as described in Step #2. You may also use the fineazimuth controls (27, Fig. 1d) for side to side movement and the Autostar
Up/Down Arrows for small adjustments to the declination axis.

6.

Caution: Before pressing ENTER, step back from the telescope assembly,
as the telescope will begin to rotate about two axes. When the landmark iscentered (Step #5), press ENTER.
The telescope first moves 180° on the Dec. axis and then rotates 180° on the
R.A. axis. Autostar displays "Slewing....".
When the telescope has completed the 180° slew, the telescope will be underthe mount instead of over it. The counterweight shaft is now pointed upwards
and the cradle adjustment screws (Fig. 40) are easily accessible.

7.

Autostar again prompts you to center the landmark you have chosen in theeyepiece. Use the Arrow keys to center the object and then press ENTER.

8.

The telescope moves again on the R.A. axis. Use the cradle screw adjustment
mechanism on the bottom of the cradle to center the landmark in the eyepiece.
To adjust the cradle screws, use the supplied hex key to loosen the two outside
screws. Then adjust the position of the landmark by tightening or loosening thecenter screw. Perform this adjustment on both sets of screws. When finished,retighten the outer screws. The axis is now aligned.
Note: This procedure maximizes the pointing accuracy of the telescope provided the telescope is always placed on the mount in the same fashion. A markmade on the mount under the saddle will ensure this alignment is maintained.

53

APPENDIX C: LATITUDE CHART
Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the WorldTo aid in the polar alignment procedure (see pages 17-21), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the latitude of an observing site not listed on the chart, locate the city closest to your site. Then follow the procedure below:
Northern hemisphere observers (N): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) north of the listed city, add one degree for every 70 miles. If thesite is over 70 miles South of the listed city, subtract one degree per 70 miles.
Southern Hemisphere observers (S): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) north of the listed city, subtract one degree for every 70 miles. If
the site is over 70 miles South of the listed city, add one degree per 70 miles.
NORTH AMERICA

54

SOUTH AMERICA

City

State/Prov./Country Latitude

City

Country

LatitudeAlbuquerqueAnchorage
Atlanta
BostonCalgary
ChicagoCleveland
DallasDenverDetroitHonolulu
JacksonKansas City
KenoshaLas Vegas
Little RockLos Angeles
Mexico City
Miami
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma City
OttawaPhiladelphia
Phoenix
PortlandSalt Lake CitySan Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
SeattleWashington
EUROPE

New Mexico
AlaskaGeorgia
Massachusetts
Alberta
Illinois
Ohio
Texas
Colorado
Michigan
Hawaii
Mississippi
Missouri
Wisconsin
NevadaArkansas
California
MexicoFloridaMinnesota
Tennessee
Louisiana
New York
Oklahoma
Ontario
Pennsylvania
Arizona
OregonUtah
Texas
California
California
Washington
District of Columbia

35° N
61° N
34° N
42° N
51° N
42° N
41° N
33° N
40° N
42° N
21° N
32° N
39° N
45° N
36° N
35° N
34° N
19° N
26° N
45° N
36° N
30° N
41° N
35° N
45° N
40° N
33° N
46° N
41° N
29° N
33° N
38° N
47° N
39° N

Bogotá
São Paulo
Buenos Aires
Montevideo
Santiago
CaracasASIA

Colombia
BrazilArgentina
Uruguay
Chile
Venezuela

4° N
23° S
35° S
35° S
34° S
10° N

City

Country

LatitudeAmsterdam
AthensBern
Copenhagen
DublinFrankfurt
Glasgow
Helsinki
LisbonLondonMadrid
Oslo
Paris
Rome
Stockholm
ViennaWarsaw

Netherlands
GreeceSwitzerland
Denmark
IrelandGermany
ScotlandFinland
Portugal
EnglandSpain
NorwayFrance
Italy
SwedenAustria
Poland

52° N
38° N
47° N
56° N
53° N
50° N
56° N
60° N
39° N
51° N
40° N
60° N
49° N
42° N
59° N
48° N
52° N

City

Country

LatitudeBeijingHong Kong
Seoul
TaipeiTokyo
SapporoBombayCalcutta
Hanoi
Jedda
AFRICA

China
China
South Korea
Taiwan
Japan
Japan
India
India
Vietnam
Saudi Arabia

40° N
23° N
37° N
25° N
36° N
43° N
19° N
22° N
21° N
21° N

City

Country

Latitude

Cairo
Egypt
Cape Town
South Africa
Rabat
Morocco
Tunis
Tunisia
Windhoek
Namibia
AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

30° N
34° S
34° N
37° N
23° S

City

State/Country

Latitude

Adelaide
Brisbane
Canberra
Alice Springs
HobartPerthSydneyMelbourne
AucklandSouth Australia
Queensland
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Tasmania
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
New Zealand

35° S
27° S
35° S
24° S
43° S
32° S
34° S
38° S
37° S

APPENDIX D: EC HANDBOXImportant Note:
The Electronic
Controllers available for
Meade's ETX and DS
telescope series are notcompatible and will not
operate with the LXD55
EC series models. Do
not plug in other telescope series' EC handboxes into the LXD55
computer control panel,
nor plug the LXD55 EC
series handboxes into
any other telescope
series computer control
panel.

Fast

MediumModerate




Slow






Fig. 43: Electronic Controller. (1) Arrow Keys; (2) Indicator
Lights; (3) SPEED Key; (4) Coil Cord; (5) MODE Key; (6) OUT
Key; (7) IN Key.

The model SN-6EC, model SN-8EC, and model AR-5EC come equipped with an
Electronic Controller (EC) handbox, rather than the Autostar Handbox. The Electronic
Controller provides you with the means to control the telescope motors from a compact handbox. The Electronic Controller (Fig. 3) has soft-touch keys designed to havea positive feel, even through gloves.
The primary functions of the Electronic Controller are to move (slew) the telescope toan object, to set operation for the Northern or Southern Hemispheres, and to indicate
the slew speed.
Users of the EC models should follow the procedures described in GETTING STARTED,BALANCING THE TELESCOPE, ALIGNING THE VIEWFINDER, CHOOSING AN EYEPIECE,
and OBSERVING BY MOVING THE TELESCOPE MANUALLY, pages 11 - 16. Other sections relevant to EC users include: OBSERVE THE MOON and SETTING POLAR HOMEPOSITION, page 17, and PHOTOGRAPHY, OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, GENERAL
MAINTENANCE, SPECIFICATIONS, and CELESTIAL COORDINATES, pages 36 - 40 and
44 - 49. LATITUDE CHARTS, page 54, and BASIC ASTRONOMY, pages 61 - 62, mayalso be useful. Note that SLEW SPEEDS, page 16, refers to Autostar functions only.
Slew speed functions of the Electronic Controller are covered in this appendix.
The following numbers refer to Fig. 43 above.
Light No.

Arrow Keys: Press one of the four Arrow keys to slew the telescope (i.e., up,
down, left, and right) at any one of four slew speeds (see SPEED KEY below).

Light Status

Light 1On

Light 2Blinking

Light 3

Off

Light 4
Fig 44: Indicator Light Key.
The procedures in this manual identify the status of thefour indicator lights as depicted above: on, blinking, or off.

Important Note: If you reverse directions while using the Arrow keys toslew to objects, there may be a slight pause as the telescope motors compensate for the reversal of the internal gears.
Indicator Lights: The four red LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights indicate the current slew speed of the telescope.
Note: For purposes of this manual, the lights are identified as 1 through 4, with
1 being the top light and 4 being the bottom light.

SPEED Key: Press SPEED to change the speed at which the telescope slews to
an object. Each press of the SPEED key changes the slew speed to the next
slower setting. If the controller is already on the slowest slew speed (light 4),pressing SPEED cycles back to the highest speed (light 1). Slew speeds are signified by the indicator lights (2, Fig. 43).



Coil Cord: Plug into the HBX connector of the Computer Control Panel.

55

MODE Key: Press and hold MODE to place the Electronic Controller into theMode function, i.e., to select operation for the Northern or Southern Hemisphere.
See TRACKING RATES, page 57.



OUT Key: Use this key to decrease the tracking rate. See TRACKING RATES,
page 57.



IN Key: Use this key to increase the tracking rate. See TRACKING RATES, page
57.

Modes of Operation• When both the A and B screws are in place, the Northern hemisphere polar modeis selected when power is applied (i.e., the motor drive is activated for operation in
the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere). This is the factory default mode.
• Remove mode screw B (2, Fig. 44) to make the Southern Hemisphere polar mode
the automatic default of the Electronic Controller when power is applied (i.e., themotor drive is activated for operation in the Earth’s Southern Hemisphere ).
Meade Instruments Corporation

35-4702-00
CC
Tested to comply
with FCC Standards

C
FC

B

A

FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE

BC

Fig. 45: Mode screws on rear of
Electronic Controller. (1) Mode Screw
A; (2) Mode Screw B.

Definition: Sidereal.
As the Earth rotates
beneath the night sky,
the stars appear to movefrom East to West. The
speed at which the stars
move is called the sidereal rate. You can setup
your telescope to moveat the sidereal rate sothat it automaticallytracks the stars andother objects in the nightsky. The tracking function
automatically keeps an
object more or less centered in the telescope’s
eyepiece.
See pages 17 and 18 formore information.

56• Remove mode screw A to disable the tracking function. Select either the Northernhemisphere polar mode or the Southern Hemisphere polar mode, as describedabove, to make the tracking function available. See CHANGING THE POLAR MODE,
page 58, for more information.
Note: Removing either A or B screw affects only the telescope’s default
mode; you may still make mode changes when desired using the MODE key.
Slew Speeds
The Electronic Controller has four slew speeds that are directly proportional to thesidereal rate. Press SPEED to change the slew speed (use the Arrow keys to slew
the telescope in the desired direction). Note each slew speed corresponds to one of
the four LED's of the Electronic Controller.
Light 1 (top LED): The fastest speed. Use to move the telescope quickly from one
point in the sky to another.
Light 2: Best for centering an object in the viewfinder.
Light 3: Best for centering an object in the field of a low-to-moderate power eyepiece,
such as the standard SP 26mm.
Light 4: The slowest speed. Use to center an object in the field of view of high-power
eyepieces, such as the optional 6.7mm or 12.4mm.
The four available speeds are:
Light 1 =1200 x sidereal (300 arc-min/sec or 5°/sec)
Light 2 = 32 x sidereal (8 arc-min/sec)
Light 3 =8 x sidereal (2 arc-min/sec)
Light 4 =2 x sidereal (0.5 arc-min/sec )The two slowest speeds (2x and 8x sidereal) can be used for manual tracking ofastronomical objects while observing through the eyepiece.
To move the telescope using the Electronic Controller:
1. Insert a low-power eyepiece (e.g., SP 26mm) into the eyepiece holder (2, Fig. 1)
and tighten the eyepiece thumbscrew (1, Fig. 1).
2.

Tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks (17 and 33, Fig. 1), if necessary.

3.

Verify that the On/Off switch (24D, Fig. 1) on the telescope’s Computer Control
panel is off.

4.

Plug in the Electronic Controller coil cord (4, Fig. 42) to the HBX port (24A, Fig.
1) on the Computer Control panel.

5.

Flip the power switch to ON. The LED (24C, Fig. 1) on the Computer Control
panel lights.. The Speed indicators lights will cycle off and on in sequence.

6.

Press any key on the Electronic Controller and the telescope slews momentarily
in the vertical and horizontal directions to test the motors.

7.

When the test is complete, light 1 remains on; lights 2, 3, and 4 turn off.

8.

Use the four Arrow keys (1, Fig. 42) to slew the telescope to the desired object.
To change the slew speed, press SPEED.

9.

Fine-adjust the position of the object with the Electronic Controller Arrow keys sothat it is centered in the viewfinder. The object is now ready to be viewed throughthe telescope’s eyepiece.

Tracking Rates
In polar mode the Electronic Controller normally tracks objects at the sidereal rate (seeTRACKING OBJECTS, page 17). For most observing sessions (once the telescope has
been polar aligned and the tracking motor activated), there is little need to change thisspeed.
For objects, like the Moon or a comet, that move at slightly different rates, the Electronic
Controller Arrow keys (1, Fig. 42) are sufficient to move the telescope slightly as the object
very slowly moves off-center through the eyepiece field.
To change the tracking rate, for extended observations of an object not moving at thesidereal rate, follow the procedure for the appropriate hemisphere:

Step 2.

Step 3.

Use the following procedure to change tracking rates when using the Northern
Hemisphere polar mode. Refer to Fig. 46a.
1. Press and hold MODE (5, Fig. 42) until the Mode function is active (i.e., lights 1
and 2 are on steady; lights 3 and 4 signify whatever tracking mode was last chosen).
2. Press SPEED (3, Fig. 42) until lights 1, 2, and 3 are on steady with light 4 blinking. The telescope is now in the Northern Hemisphere polar mode.
3. Press IN (7, Fig. 42) and light 4 comes on steady. The tracking rate is now 0.5%
faster than sidereal. If the object you're tracking is moving faster than the sidereal rate, look through the eyepiece and press IN. Each time you press IN, the tracking rate increases by 0.5%. Note that when the Mode function is active, thetracking motor stops. To restart the tracking motor, press MODE again.
Experiment with this function to get the right speed: Press IN to set the tracking
rate. Then press MODE and look through the eyepiece. Continue pressing IN and
MODE until the object remains centered with little or no drifting in the eyepiece.
Note: The tracking rate can be increased by up to 65%.

Step 4.

Step 5.

4.

To use a rate slower than sidereal, press OUT (6, Fig. 42) until light 4 blinks again(sidereal rate). Press OUT again and light 4 goes out, signifying a tracking rate
0.5% slower than sidereal. Note that when the Mode function is active, thetracking motor stops. To restart the tracking motor, press MODE again.
Experiment with this function to get the right speed: Press OUT to set the tracking rate. Then press MODE and look through the eyepiece. Continue pressing
OUTand MODE until the object remains centered with little or no drifting in theeyepiece.

5.

Press and hold MODE until only a single light is on. This exits the Mode function.
If Northern or Southern Hemisphere polar mode was chosen, the motor drive
starts operating at the sidereal rate.
Use the four Arrow keys (1, Fig. 42) to slew the telescope to the desired object.
To change the slew speed, press SPEED.

Fig. 46a: Indicator Light Key
for changing tracking rates in
the Northern Hemisphere
Polar mode.

Note: The tracking rate can be decreased by up to 65%.

Step 2.

Step 4.

Step 3.

6.

Step 5.

Use the following procedure to change tracking rates when using the Southern
Hemisphere polar mode. Refer to Fig. 46b.
1. Press and hold MODE (5, Fig. 3) until the Mode function is active (i.e., lights 1 and
2 are on steady; lights 3 and 4 signify the tracking mode last chosen).
2. Press SPEED (3, Fig. 3) until lights 1 and 2 are on steady, light 3 is off, and Light
4 is blinking.
3. Press IN (7, Fig. 3) and light 4 comes on steady. The tracking rate is now 0.5%
faster than sidereal. Note that when the Mode function is active, the tracking
motor stops. To restart the tracking motor, press MODE again. Experimentwith this function to get the right speed: Press IN to set the tracking rate. Thenpress MODE and look through the eyepiece. Continue pressing IN and MODE
until the object remains centered with little or no drifting in the eyepiece.

Fig. 46b: Indicator Light Key
for changing tracking rates in
the Southern Hemisphere
Polar mode.

57

Note: The tracking rate can be increased by up to 65%.
4.

To use a rate slower than sidereal, press OUT (6, Fig. 3) until light 4 blinks again(sidereal rate). Press OUT key and light 4 goes out, signifying a tracking rate
0.5% slower than sidereal. Note that when the Mode function is active, thetracking motor stops. To restart the tracking motor, press MODE again.
Experiment with this function to get the right speed: Press OUT to set the tracking rate. Then press MODE and look through the eyepiece. Continue pressing
OUT and MODE until the object remains centered with little or no drifting in theeyepiece.
Note: The tracking rate can be decreased by up to 65%.

5.

6.

Step 3.

Step 4.

Press and hold MODE until only a single light is on. This exits the Mode function.
If Northern or Southern Hemisphere polar mode was chosen, the motor drive
starts operating at the sidereal rate.
Use the four Arrow keys (1, Fig. 3) to slew the telescope to the desired object. Tochange the slew speed, press SPEED.

Changing the Polar Mode
To use the Electronic Controller to change to Northern or Southern Hemisphere polarmode, use the following procedure. This procedure also allows you to select a"Tracking Disabled" setting. Refer to Fig. 47.
1.

Step 5.

Step 6.

Step 8.

Fig. 47: Indicator Light Key for
Changing the Polar Mode.

Complete the SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION procedure, described on
page 17.
2. Complete steps 2 through 8 as described in TO MOVE THE TELESCOPE USING THE
ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER, page 56, to initialize the Electronic Controller.
3. Press and hold MODE until lights 1 and 2 are on steady Ignore lights 3 and 4;
they may or may nor appear as depicted in the figures to the left (how these lights
appear depend upon what has previously has been set).
4. Press SPEED once. This changes the system to polar mode for the Earth’s
Southern Hemisphere, with the motor drive set to operate at the sidereal rate.
5. Press SPEED a second time. This changes the system to polar mode for the
Earth’s Northern hemisphere, with the motor drive set to operate at the siderealrate.
6. Press SPEED a third time to disable tracking.
7. Use the SPEED key as described in the above steps to cycle among these threemodes (Southern Hemisphere polar, Northern Hemisphere-polar, or Tracking
Disabled) until the desired mode is shown by the appropriate light configuration.
8. Press and hold MODE until just one light is on. This exits the Mode function. If
you choose Northern or Southern Hemisphere polar mode, the motor drive starts
operating at the sidereal rate.
9. Use the four Arrow keys to slew the telescope to the desired object. To change
the slew speed, press SPEED.
Optional Autostar™ Computer Controller for LXD55 EC Users
One of the most important advances in telescope control in the past 25 years, theMeade Autostar Computer Controller turns your LXD55 EC model into an automaticcelestial object locating system. Just plug Autostar into the telescope’s HBX port inplace of the standard-equipment Electronic Controller, do a quick telescope alignment, and you are ready to observe any object in the Autostar’s 30,000-object database.
Best of all, the Meade Autostar is easy to use. Even the most novice observer will
locate dozens of fascinating celestial objects the very first night out. Study Saturn andits ring system; the primary cloud belts of Jupiter as well as its four major satellites;
the moon-like phases of Mercury and Venus; prominent features on Mars. The Moonstands out in stark, almost three-dimensional detail—craters, mountain ranges, andfault lines. In our galaxy, the telescope displays hundreds of nebulae, star clusters,
double and multiple stars, and variable stars—plus dozens of external galaxies in all
their variation of form and structure.
Any of Autostar’s database objects can be called up and entered on the hand controller display in seconds. The observer then simply presses the GO TO pushbutton
and watches as the telescope automatically slews to the object and places it in thefield of view. Autostar moves the telescope to automatically track (follow) the object
across the sky. Autostar brings into easy access objects that were previously unreachable for all but the most dedicated of amateur astronomers.

58

Slot
GrooveAPPENDIX E: MOUNTING
THE MODEL SC-8 SCHMIDTCASSEGRAIN OPTICAL
TUBE
How to Attach the Optical Tube to the Mount
The LXD55 model SC-8 Schmidt-Cassegrain assembles and operates identically to
all the other LXD55 models equipped with an Autostar handbox, with one exception:
the optical tube is attached to the mount with a mounting bracket rather than the cradle ring assembly. The optical tube is shipped with the mounting bracket alreadyattached. To attach the mounting bracket /optical tube assembly to the mount, performthe following steps.

Screws at the
back-end of
the bracket
Locking Knobs

Fig. 48: Mounting the SC bracket andoptical tube to the mount.

1.
2.

e
Slid ardw
For

Screws at the
back-end of
the bracket

3.

Perform steps 1 through 6 as described in HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE,
pages 11 and 12.
Slide the mounting bracket into the cradle assembly mounting slot. For mostapplications, set the groove in the bracket next to the cradle locking knob, so thatthe bolt of the cradle locking knob will enter the groove when the knob is tightened. Tighten both the cradle locking knob and the secondary locking knob to a
firm feel. See Fig. 48.
If you are using heavy accessories (such as a camera, microfocuser, etc.) on theback end of the tube, you may need to balance the tube differently to keep thetube from drifting downward: Slide the mounting bracket and tube forward, until
the screws at the back end of the tray touch the mount. See Figs. 48 and 49.
Then tighten the cradle locking knob and the secondary locking knob to a firm
feel.
Continue the assembly with step 9 as described in HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR TELESCOPE, page12, and complete all the subsequent steps. All other procedures
are identical as described earlier in this manual.

Fig. 49: Adjusting the balance of the
optical tube when using heavy accessories.

59

APPENDIX F:BASIC ASTRONOMY
In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using a telescope smaller than your
LXD55, turned it skyward instead of looking at the distant trees and mountains. What
he saw, and what he realized about what he saw, has forever changed the way
mankind thinks about the universe. Imagine what it must have been like being the firsthuman to see moons revolve around the planet Jupiter or to see the changing phases of Venus! Because of his observations, Galileo correctly realized Earth's movement and position around the Sun, and in doing so, gave birth to modern astronomy.
Yet Galileo's telescope was so crude, he could not clearly make out the rings ofSaturn.
Galileo's discoveries laid the foundation for understanding the motion and nature of
the planets, stars, and galaxies. Building on his foundation, Henrietta Leavitt determined how to measure the distance to stars, Edwin Hubble gave us a glimpse into thepossible origin of the universe, Albert Einstein unraveled the crucial relationship oftime and light, and 21st-century astronomers are currently discovering planets aroundstars outside our solar system. Almost daily, using sophisticated successors toGalileo's telescope, such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-Ray
Telescope, more and more mysteries of the universe are being probed and understood. We are living in the golden age of astronomy.
Unlike other sciences, astronomy welcomes contributions from amateurs. Much of theknowledge we have on subjects such as comets, meteor showers, double and variable stars, the Moon, and our solar system comes from observations made by amateur astronomers. So as you look through your Meade LXD55-Series telescope, keep
in mind Galileo. To him, a telescope was not merely a machine made of glass andmetal, but something far more—a window of incredible discovery. Each glimpse offersa potential secret waiting to be revealed.
Autostar Glossary
Be sure to make use of Autostar’s Glossary feature. The Glossary menu provides analphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions of common astronomical terms.
Access directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in
Autostar. See GLOSSARY MENU, page 27, for more information.
Objects in Space
Listed below are some of the many astronomical objects that can be seen with your
LXD55-Series telescope:
The Moon
The Moon is, on average, a distance of 239,000 miles (380,000km) from Earth and isbest observed during its crescent or half phase when Sunlight strikes the Moon’s surface at an angle. It casts shadows and adds a sense of depth to the view (Fig. 50).
No shadows are seen during a full Moon, causing the overly bright Moon to appear
flat and rather uninteresting through the telescope. Be sure to use a neutral Moon filter when observing the Moon. Not only does it protect your eyes from the bright glareof the Moon, but it also helps enhance contrast, providing a more dramatic image.
Fig. 50 The Moon. Notethe deep shadows in thecraters.

Using your LXD55-Series telescope, brilliant detail can be observed on the Moon, including hundreds of lunar craters and maria, described below.
Craters are round meteor impact sites covering most of the Moon’s surface. With noatmosphere on the Moon, no weather conditions exist, so the only erosive force ismeteor strikes. Under these conditions, lunar craters can last for millions of years.
Maria (plural for mare) are smooth, dark areas scattered across the lunar surface.
These dark areas are large ancient impact basins that were filled with lava from theinterior of the Moon by the depth and force of a meteor or comet impact.
Twelve Apollo astronauts left their bootprints on the Moon in the late 1960's and early
1970's. However, no telescope on Earth is able to see these footprints or any otherartifacts. In fact, the smallest lunar features that may be seen with the largest telescope on Earth are about one-half mile across.

60Planets
Planets change positions in the sky as they orbit around the Sun. To locate the planets on a given day or month, consult a monthly astronomy magazine, such as Sky
and Telescope or Astronomy. You can also consult Autostar for information aboutplanets. Scroll to the "Object: Solar System" menu and scroll through the lists of planets. When a planet you are interested in displays, press ENTER. Use the Scroll keys
to display information about the planet, such as the planet's coordinates, and the riseand set times (Tip: enter a date in the Date menu and you can determine if a planet(s) will be visible during the night of the entered date by checking its rise and set
times). Listed below are the best planets for viewing through the LXD55-Series.

Fig. 51: The giant planet,
Jupiter. The four largest
moons can be observedin a different position
every night.

Venus is about nine-tenths the diameter of Earth. As Venus orbits the Sun, observers
can see it go through phases (crescent, half, and full) much like those of the Moon.
The disk of Venus appears white as Sunlight is reflected off the thick cloud cover thatcompletely obscures any surface detail.
Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, and appears through the telescope as a tiny
reddish-orange disk. It may be possible to see a hint of white at one of the planet’s
Polar ice caps. Approximately every two years, when Mars is closest to Earth in its
orbit, additional detail and coloring on the planet's surface may be visible.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and is eleven times the diameter ofEarth. The planet appears as a disk with dark lines stretching across the surface (Fig.
51). These lines are cloud bands in the atmosphere. Four of Jupiter’s moons (Io,Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) can be seen as “star-like” points of light when using
even the lowest magnification. These moons orbit Jupiter so that the number ofmoons visible on any given night changes as they circle around the giant planet.

Fig. 52: Saturn has themost extensive ring structure in our Solar System.

Saturn is nine times the diameter of Earth and appears as a small, round disk withrings extending out from either side (Fig. 52). In 1610, Galileo, the first person toobserve Saturn through a telescope, did not understand that what he was seeing
were rings. Instead, he believed that Saturn had “ears.” Saturn’s rings are composedof billions of ice particles ranging in size from a speck of dust to the size of a house.
The major division in Saturn's rings, called the Cassini Division, is occasionally visible through the LXD55-Series. Titan, the largest of Saturn’s moons can also be seen
as a bright, star-like object near the planet.
Deep-Sky Objects
Star charts can be used to locate constellations, individual stars and deep-sky
objects. Examples of various deep-sky objects are given below:
Stars are large gaseous objects that are self-illuminated by nuclear fusion in theircore. Because of their vast distances from our solar system, all stars appear as pinpoints of light, irrespective of the size of the telescope used.
Nebulae are vast interstellar clouds of gas and dust where stars are formed. Most
impressive of these is the Great Nebula in Orion (M42), a diffuse nebula that appears
as a faint wispy gray cloud. M42 is 1600 light years from Earth.

Fig. 53: The Pleiades is
one of the most beautiful
open clusters.

Open Clusters are loose groupings of young stars, all recently formed from the same
diffuse nebula. The Pleiades is an open cluster 410 light years away (Fig. 53).
Through the LXD55-Series, numerous stars are visible.
Constellations are large, imaginary patterns of stars believed by ancient civilizations
to be the celestial equivalent of objects, animals, people, or gods. These patterns are
too large to be seen through a telescope. To learn the constellations, start with aneasy grouping of stars, such as the Big Dipper in Ursa Major. Then, use a star chart
to explore across the sky.
Galaxies are large assemblies of stars, nebulae, and star clusters that are bound by
gravity. The most common shape is spiral (such as our own Milky Way), but galaxies
can also be elliptical, or even irregular blobs. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is theclosest spiral-type galaxy to our own. This galaxy appears fuzzy and cigar-shaped. It
is 2.2 million light years away in the constellation Andromeda, located between thelarge “W” of Cassiopeia and the great square of Pegasus.

61

LXD55 TIPS
Further Study....
This manual gives only the briefest introduction to astronomy. If you are interested
in pursuing further studies in astronomy, a few topics are suggested below that areworth reading up on. Try looking up some of these in the optional Autostar glossary.
Also included below is a small sampling of books, magazines, and organizations
that you might find helpful.
Topics
1. How is a star born? How does a solar system form?
2. How is the distance to a star measured? What is a light year? What is red shift
and blue shift?
3. How are the craters on our Moon formed? Is there water under the surface ofthe Moon?
4. What is a black hole? A neutron star? A gamma burster? An Einstein lens?
5. What are stars made of? Why are stars different colors? How is the elemental
composition of a star determined? What is an Lyman Alpha forest?
6. What is the difference between a Type 1 and a Type II supernova?
7. What is the importance of studying the composition of comets? Where docomets come from?
8. How old is our Sun? Will our Sun evolve into a planetary nebula or go supernova?
9. What is the Inflationary Big Bang? What is dark matter? What are MACHO's?
10. How are extrasolar planets discovered? What is an accretion (or protoplanetary) disk?
11. What are the differences between elliptical, spiral, and irregular galaxies? Can
globular clusters be older than the universe itself?
Books
1.

The Guide to Amateur Astronomy by Jack Newton and Philip Teece

2.

The Sky: A User’s Guide by David Levy

3.

Turn Left at Orion by Guy Consolmagno & Dan Davis

4.

Astrophotography for the Amateur by Michael Covington

5.

Observing for the Fun of It by Melanie Melton

6.

Will Black Holes Devour the Universe? and 100 Other Questions about
Astronomy by Melanie Melton

Magazines
1.
2.

Sky & TelescopeBox 9111, Belmont, MA 02178
Astronomy
Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187

Organizations:
1.

2.
3.

Astronomical League
Executive Secretary
5675 Real del Norte, Las Cruces, NM 88012
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112
The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106

And watch Jack Horkheimer, Star Gazer, on your local PBS station.

62

MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY
Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation (“Meade”)
to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from the date of original purchase in the U.S.A.
and Canada. Meade will repair or replace a product, or part thereof, found by Meade to be defective, provided the defective
part is returned to Meade, freight-prepaid, with proof of purchase. This warranty applies to the original purchaser only and is
non-transferable. Meade products purchased outside North America are not included in this warranty, but are covered under
separate warranties issued by Meade international distributors.
RGA Number Required: Prior to the return of any product or part, a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number must be
obtained from Meade by writing, or calling (949) 451-1450. Each returned part or product must include a written statement
detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as well as the owner’s name, address, and phone number.
This warranty is not valid in cases where the product has been abused or mishandled, where unauthorized repairs have been
attempted or performed, or where depreciation of the product is due to normal wear-and-tear. Meade specifically disclaims
special, indirect, or consequential damages or lost profit which may result from a breach of this warranty. Any implied warranties
which cannot be disclaimed are hereby limited to a term of one year from the date of original retail purchase.
This warranty gives you specific rights. You may have other rights which vary from state to state.
Meade reserves the right to change product specifications or to discontinue products without notice.

ADVANCED

PRODUCTSDIVISION

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

6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 ■ (949) 451-1450
FAX: (949) 451-1460 ■ www.meade.com© 200314-7300-01 10/03D