Meade LT ACF Series User manual

Instruction Manual
LT ACF and LT SC Series Telescopes
with AutoStar #497 Hand Controller

WARNING!
Never use a Meade®LT Series
Telescope to look at the Sun!
Looking at or near the Sun will cause
instant and irreversible damage to your
eye. Eye damage is often painless,
so there is no warning to the observer
that damage has occurred until it is
too late. Do not point the telescope at
or near the Sun. Do not look through
the telescope or Red Dot Finder as
it is moving. Children should always
have adult supervision while observing.
BATTERY SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:
• Alwayspurchasethecorrectsizeandgradeofbattery:
8x“C-type”Alkalinebatteries(ANSI14A,14AC/
IECLR14).
• Alwaysreplacethewholesetofbatteriesatonetime,
taking care not to mix old and new ones, or batteries of
different types.
• Cleanthebatterycontactsandalsothoseofthedevice
prior to battery installation.
• Ensurethebatteriesareinstalledcorrectlywithregardto
polarity(+and-).
• Removebatteriesfromequipmentwhichisnottobe
used for an extended period of time.
• Removeusedbatteriespromptly.
• Neverattempttorechargeprimarybatteriesasthismay
causeleakage,re,orexplosion.
• Nevershort-circuitbatteriesasthismayleadtohigh
temperatures, leakage, or explosion.
• Neverheatbatteriesinordertorevivethem.
• Remembertoswitchoffdevicesafteruse.
• Keepbatteriesoutofthereachofchildren;small
batteries may be ingested.
• Seekmedicaladviceimmediatelyifabatteryhas
been swallowed.
Caution: If batteries or parts are swallowed, see a
doctor immediately.

#497AutoStarMenuTree ....................25
EventMenu...............................26
GlossaryMenu ............................27
UtilitiesMenu..............................27
SetupMenu...............................28
Advanced AutoStar Features
AddingObservingSites......................31
FindingObjectsNotIntheDatabase ...........32
GoToaUser-enteredObject ..................32
ObservingSatellites ........................32
HowtoCreateYourOwnGuidedTour ..........33
WritingaTour .............................34
Landmarks ...............................37
Identify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Two-StarAlt/AzAlignment....................38
Browse ..................................40
Maintenance
BasicMaintenance .........................41
Collimation ...............................41
InspectingtheOptics........................43
GaugingtheMovementoftheTelescope ........43
UpdatingYourLTSeriesFirmware .............43
Meade Customer Service
How to get in contact........................43
Appendix A:
TrainingtheDrive ..........................44
Appendix B:
BasicAstronomy ...........................45
Appendix C:
Specications .............................47
Appendix D:
OpticalSystems ...........................49
Appendix E:
MeadeDoC...............................50
Meade Warranty
OneYearLimitedWarranty ........... Back Cover
®Thename“Meade,”“AutoStar”andtheMeadelogoaretrade-
marksregisteredwiththeU.S.PatentandTrademarkOfceand
inprincipalcountriesthroughouttheworld.“DeepSkyImager”,“LT
Series”,and“Tonight’sBest”aretrademarksofMeadeInstruments
Corp.
Patents:
US7,277,223,US7,079,317,US7,092,156
US6,304,376,US6,369,942,US6,392,799
©2009MeadeInstrumentsCorp.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Asolidtelescopebuiltforalifetimeofservice......4
Getting Started
Assembling the and Using the LT Telescope
AssemblingtheTripod........................5
MountingtheTripod .........................6
InstallingtheBatteries........................6
UsinganACAdapterorDCPowerCord .........6
AttachingAccessories ........................7
TelescopeisnowFullyAssembled . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Using the Red Dot Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
AdjustingtheRedDotFinder ..................8
AligningtheLTSeries ........................9
TheLTSeriesHomePosition ..................9
NorthHomePosition.........................9
MovingThroughAutoStar’sMenus.............10
InitializingAutoStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Easy(Two-Star)Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
HowtoPerformtheEasyAlignProcedure .......11
GoToSaturn ..............................12
UsingtheGuidedTour ......................12
LT Series Key Features
Telescope
KeyFeaturesIdentiedontheTelescope ........13
KeyFeaturesExplained .....................15
Optional MEADE® Accessories
Choosing Eyepieces ........................16
MeadeSeries4000SuperPlösslEyepieces .....16
MeadeSeries5000PremiumEyepieces ........15
Power Supplies ............................18
ImagersandrelatedAccessories ..............18
AutoStar #497 Handbox – Basic Usage
Buttons, Display and their functions ............19
ObservingUsingAutoStars’Keys ..............21
ObservetheMoon..........................22
TerrestrialObserving ........................22
LTSeriesTips .............................22
AutoStar Operation
AutoStarNavigationExercise .................23
EnteringDataintoAutoStar...................24
GuidedTourMenu..........................24
ObjectMenu ..............................24

INTRODUCTION
4
INTRODUCTION
The LT Series ACF and LT Series SC Telescope
A solid telescope built for a lifetime of service
Congratulations on receiving your new LT Seriestelescope.You’llndthatthistelescopesystemhasallyouneed
toexploretheUniversewelivein.Meade’sconceptwastocreateatelescopethatwouldbesimpleenoughfor
anyonetouse,yetcapableenoughfortheexperiencedamateurtostretchtheirknowledgeandskills.WiththeLTs’
advanced set of features, you will have plenty of room to learn and expand your interest in astronomy and not out
grow your telescope. Here are a few of the features that set the Meade LT Series telescope system apart from all
others.
Optics: Your choice of optical systems to meet your needs. Meade’s Schmidt-Cassegrain (SC) optics
giveyouhighperformanceforthebestpossibleprice.Water-whiteglass,Ultra-HighTransmission
Coatings (UHTC) and oversized, thermally-stable Pyrex® primary mirrors provide spectacular
viewing experience not available on comparable competitors’ telescopes.Advanced Coma-Free
takesallofthefeaturesofourSCmodelsandthenupstheante.ACFgivesaatter,coma-free
eld of view with pinpoint images all the way to the edge of the eld, equaling Ritchey-Crétien
performance.ACFistheperfectsolutionfortheseriousastroimagerorvisualastronomerlooking
for observatory-class optics.
Mechanics: Strong and stable aluminum castings with large precision worm-gear drives in both axes for smooth
tracking with low periodic error.
Computer: AutoStar #497 handbox gives you complete control of your LT Series system from the palm of your
hand.Withadatabaseofover30,000objects,youwillneverrunoutofthingstoexplore.
Ifyouarelikeus,youcan’twaittogetoutsideunderadarkskytotryoutyournewLT Series telescope. We have
providedaGettingStartedGuidethatwillgetyouupandrunningintheshortestamountoftimepossible.After
yourrstexperience,pleasesitdownwiththismanualandreadaboutalltheadvancedfeaturesthatareavailable
toyouwiththistelescopesystem.WearecondentthattheLT Series will keep you fascinated with the Universe
and entertained for many years to come.
Clear Skies,
ThepeopleatMeade

GETTING STARTED
5
GETTING STARTED
You maywanttoperform the LTtelescopeassemblyindoors in the light so that youbecomefamiliarwith the
partsandoperationbeforemovingthetelescopeoutsideintothedarkforobserving.ThisGettingStartedGuide
assumesyouaretooimpatienttoreadtheentiremanualrstandwanttouseyournewtelescopeasquicklyas
possible. Just follow the simple steps below and you will be up and running before you know it.
1 Itisbesttosetupthetelescopeintwilightorbefore
sunsetthersttimeyouuseit.Takethetelescopeand
tripod outside. Set the telescope in a large open area
whereyoucanseelotsofsky.Don’tsetuprightnext
toabuildingorawall.Makesurethegroundisstable
andisapproximatelylevel.Itisbesttosetupthescope
away from bright nighttime lighting. Bright lights will
spoil your night vision and impede your ability to see
the sky.
Assembling the Tripod
2 Removetheeldtripodfromtheshippingcarton.
Stand the tripod vertically with the tripod feet down
and with the tripod still fully collapsed. Grasp two of
the tripod legs and, with the full weight of the tripod
on the third leg, gently pull the legs apart to a fully
open position.
3 Threadintwolock-knobsoneachleg(sixtotal)
near the foot of each tripod leg. Use the lock-knobs
to vary the height of the inner, extendible tripod leg
sections. Tighten the locks to a rm feel only; do
not overtighten.
4 Remove the end nut from the spreader shaft
and slide the spreader in between the telescope
legs. Attach the end nut and hand tighten until the
telescope legs are held snuggly in the most spread
position. Position the tripod where you want the
telescope to be and check that the top of the tripod is
approximately level.
Lock-Knob
Spreader Bar
End Nut
Spreader Shaft

GETTING STARTED
6
Mounting the Telescope
5 TaketheLTSeriesfromitspackagingandplace
the entire telescope onto the top of the tripod head.
Rotate the telescope head slowly until you feel the
scope register on the center hub of the tripod head.
Carefully screw the three attachment thumb-screws
on the bottom of the plate to the base of the tripod.
Hand tighten the screws so the telescope cannot spin
or wobble on the tripod head.
Installing the Batteries
6 Remove the end cover from the battery
compartment exposing the battery tray. Carefully slide
thebatterytrayoutuntilitreachesitsendstop.Insert
8(usersupplied)Alkaline“C”batteriesintothebattery
compartment.Takecarethatthebatteries+and-ends
are as indicated in the battery holder.
Slide the battery compartment back into the telescope
and re-attach the battery compartment cover.
CAUTION: Use care to install batteries as indicated by
the battery compartment. Follow battery manufacturer’s
precautions. Do not install batteries backwards or mix
new and used batteries. Do not mix battery types. If
these precautions are not followed, batteries may
explode, catch  re, or leak. Improperly installed
batteries void your Meade warranty. Always remove
the batteries if they will not be used for a long period
of time.
Using an AC Adapter or
DC Power Cord
7 UseonlytheoptionalMeadeUniversalACPower
Adapter (part number 07584 for North America or
07584Ffor220vforeign)withyourLTSeriestelescope
whenconnectingtoACpower.Itisspecicallyselected
toprovide the quality voltage and current requiredto
power and protect the electronics in the telescope.
Power adapters from other manufactures may cause
damage and void your warranty.
Plug the AC plug into a AC household socket
and the DC plug into the 12v DC socket on the
telescope panel.
ForexternalDCpowerusetheoptional#607DCPower
Cord(partnumber07043)toconnecttoanautomotive
12vDCaccessorysocket.
Thumb-Screw
Center Hub
Follow the battery
polarity(orientation)
as indicated by
molded icons
Power
Port

GETTING STARTED
7
Attaching Accessories
 Be sure the telescope master power switch is in
the off position. Remove the LT Series handbox and
the coiled interface cable from the packing materials.
Plug one end into the HBX port of the control panel
and plug the other end into the Handbox port on the
LTSerieshandbox.
9 Remove the dust cap from the rear cell of the
telescope. Thread the 1.25" eyepiece holder onto
the rear cell thread. Slide the diagonal prism into
the eyepiece holder and lock in place by turning the
thumbscrew to a rm feel. Place the Super Plössl
26mm eyepiece into the diagonal prism and tighten the
diagonalprismthumbscrewtoarmfeelonly.
Your Telescope is now Fully Assembled
 Now remove the dust cover from the front
of the telescope tube. Be careful not to touch the
glass lens.
 Flip the Power Switch on the computer control
paneltotheONposition.Thecopyrightmessagelights
onAutoStar’sLCDdisplay.
 “Press0toalignorModeforMenu”displays.You
canusetheArrowkeystoslew(move)thetelescope
up,down,right,orleft.Tochangethetelescope’sslew
speed, press a Number key. “9” is the fastest speed
and “1” is the slowest speed. See page 20 for more
details.OryoucanPress“0”tobeginEasyAlignment.
Seepage11formoreinformation.
RearCellThread Eyepiece Holder
Dust Cap Diagonal Prism
Slew Speeds:
Speed9:Fast
.
.
.
Speed5:Medium
.
.
.
Speed1:Slow
Arrow
Keys
Number
Keys

GETTING STARTED
8
Adjusting the Red Dot Finder
TheRedDot Finder has beenalignedat the factory,
but you may need to touch-up the alignment from time
totime.Todothis,lookthroughtheeyepieceofyour
scope and using the hand controller center a distant
object.NowturnontheRedDotViewnderandadjust
the brightness so you can see the red dot. Look through
the sight as pictured above.
Now,withoutmovingthetelescope,adjusttheindicated
thumb screws until you have put the red dot on the
objectatwhichyouwerelooking.It’sthatsimple.
Nowusethehandcontrollertoputthelaserdotona
new target. Check to see that the desired target is in
theeyepieceandadjustthefocusknobuntiltheobject
is in focus.
Using the Red Dot Finder
Because your telescope has so much magnication,
its eld of view is very small. This can make it
hard to know exactly where your telescope is
pointing by simply looking at it. To help you point
the telescope quickly and accurately, for terrestrial
targets or GO TO pointing, the LT Series has a 1X
RedDotViewnder.
The Red Dot Finder will aid you in pointing your
telescope easily. It works much like a ghter pilot’s
heads-up display. To turn on the Red Dot Finder,
carefully rotate the power switch until you feel it click
on. Turning further clockwise will increase the dot
brightness.Adjustthedottotheminimum brightness
where it can be easily seen. This will extend its
battery life and make it easier to see faint stars in the
background.Look through the nder’sglasswindow.
You will see a red dot superimposed on your view.
Using the direction keys on the handbox, move the
telescope until the red dot is on the target you want to
viewintheeyepiece.Asyougetclosetoyourtarget,
select a moderately low speed, like speed 5, and move
the scope to center your target as you look through the
eyepiece.Thisagreatwaytogetusedtondingthe
movement keys without removing your eye from the
eyepiece.
On/Off &
Brightness
Adjustment
Adjustment
Screws
FocusKnob

ALIGNING THE LT SERIES
9
Aligning the LT Series
AstheEarth rotates beneath thenightsky, the stars
appear to move from East to West. The speed at
which the stars move is called the sidereal rate. You
can setup your telescope to move at the sidereal
rate so that it automatically tracks the stars and
other objects in the night sky. If the telescope is not
tracking an astronomical object, the object will drift
outoftheeyepieceeldofview.Thetrackingfunction
automaticallykeepsanobjectmoreorlesscenteredin
thetelescope’seyepiece.
Toautomaticallytrackand locate objects inthenight
sky, the LT Series must rst be aligned on the sky.
Itisbestto set up the telescope intwilightorbefore
sunsetthersttimeyouusetheLTSeries.Setupthe
telescope in a large open area where you can see lots
ofthenightsky.Makesurethegroundisstableand
approximatelylevel.Itisbesttosetupthescopeaway
from bright nighttime lighting. Bright lights will spoil your
night vision and impede you ability to see the sky.
The LT Series Home Position
Once the LT Series is fully assembled, you will rst
need to initializeAutoStar, set the telescope into the
home position, and perform the Easy Alignment in
orderfortheLTSeriestosuccessfullylocatecelestial
objects.ThehomepositionfortheLTSeriesiswiththe
telescope optical tube level and pointed in the direction
ofTrueNorth.SeeFigure6.Oncethetelescopeisfully
assembled and outside under the night sky, follow the
steps below to correctly place the telescope into the
home position.
North Home Position
1. Using the up/down arrow keys (pg. 19, Fig. 5, 5)
ontheAutoStarcontroller,movethetelescopesothat
the optical tube is approximately level. Now use the
left/right arrow keys (pg. 19, Fig. 5, 5) to move the
telescope so the optical tube is pointing in the direction
ofTrueNorth(thenorthstarPolaris).
2.Now use the up/down arrowkeysontheAutoStar
controllertoleveltheopticaltube.Theincludedbubble
level/compass can be place into the diagonal prism
and has a built in bubble level feature that will aide in
leveling the optical tube if needed.
3.ThetelescopeisnowintheNorthHomePosition.
Moving Through AutoStar’s Menus
TheAutoStardatabaseisorganizedinlevelsforquick
and easy navigation.
• Press ENTER to go deeper into AutoStar’s
menu levels.
• Press MODE to move back toward the top
menu level.
• Press the Scroll keys to move up and down
through the options available for each level.
• PresstheArrowkeysto entercharactersand
digits.
TheArrowkeysarealsousedtomovethetelescope.
Telescope
Tube is level
North
Compass
needle is
pointing to
Magnetic
North
Bubble is
centered
Figure 7: Bubble Level/Compass
Figure 6: Alt/Az Home Position

ALIGNING THE LT SERIES
10
Initializing AutoStar
This section describes how to initialize AutoStar.
PerformthisprocedurethersttimeyouuseAutoStar
orafterperformingaRESET(see“RESET”page30).
1.Verify that AutoStar is properly connected to
your telescope. See “Getting Started” page 5.
2.Turn the telescope power switch to the ON
position.
 TheAutoStarbeepsandthedisplayscreenis
activated.ThenAutoStartakesafewmoments
to start up the system.
3.“Press0toAlignorModeforMenu”displays.
Press0toalignyourtelescopeusingthe“Easy
Align”method,see“Easy(Two-Star)Align”on
page 11.  To skip the alignment process and
access theAutoStar menus, press the Mode
key.
4.Thetelescopethenteststhemotorfunctionof
thetelescopebymovinginthehorizontaland
vertical directions.
5.SetYour Location or Zip Code:The Location
screen displays. This screen asks you if you
wish to choose either the zip code of your
observinglocationorthelocation(i.e.,entering
the city and state or country of your observing
location).Press“1”toselectthezipcodeoption
or “2” to enter the city and state.
Note: The location settings (country/state/
provinceandcity,orzipcode)areonlyasked
forthersttimeyouturnonthecontrolpanel.
Ifyouwishtochangethissettinglateron,use
the Site menu. See SITE, page 34 for more
information.
a.Ifyouchosethezipcodeoption,theleftmost
“0”ishighlighted.UsetheNumberkeystoenter
thedigits.Asyouenteradigit,thenextdigitto
the right will be highlighted. Enter the next digit.
Repeatthisprocessuntilall5digitsofyourzip
codeareentered.PressENTER.
b.Ifyouchosethelocationoption,thenextscreen
asks for the country or state/province (listed
alphabetically)oftheobservingsite.
c. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of
countries,states,andprovinces.PressENTER
when the correct location displays.
d.The next screen asks for the city (listed
alphabetically) closest to the observing site.
Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list
of cities. Press ENTER when the correct city
appears on screen.
6.ThenextscreenrequeststhestatusofDaylight
Savings Time. If Daylight Savings Time is
active, press the “1” key.  If Daylight Savings
Timeisnotactive,pressthe“2”key.
 Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred
to by a different name in various areas of the
world.
7.AutoStar then asks for the Telescope Model.
Usingthescrollkeys(Pg.19,Fig.5,7)onthe
AutoStar locate the model of your telescope
and press enter.
8.Now enter the current date, then press
ENTER.
9. Enter the current time. Select “AM,” “PM,” or
24-hourclock(blank).ThenpressENTER.
10. System initialization is now complete and
Autostar enters into the Easy Alignment
routine. See “Easy (Two-Star) Alignment” for
performinganalignmentonthenightsky.Ifyou
do not wish to begin an alignment on the night
sky, press the MODE key to exit to the main
AutoStarmenu.
Important Note:
If you have updated or replaced yourAutostar #497
handbox,pleasemakesurethetelescopetype“LX90-
8”hasbeenselectedandthesettingofAz/RARatiois
+02.75075 andAlt/DEC Ratio is -02.75075. This are
essentialsetupsettingstogetyourLT-6/LT-8telescope
right working.