Instruction ManualLX65 Series Telescopes with AudioStar

WARNING!Never use an unfiltered 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:• Alwayspurchasethecorrectsizeandgradeofbattery: 8x“C-type”Alkalinebatteries(ANSI14A,14AC/ IECLR14).

• Alwaysreplacethewholesetofbatteriesatonetime,takingcarenottomixoldandnewones,orbatteriesofdifferenttypes.

• Cleanthebatterycontactsandalsothoseofthedevicepriortobatteryinstallation.• Ensurethebatteriesareinstalledcorrectlywithregardtopolarity(+and-).• Removebatteriesfromequipmentwhichisnottobeusedforanextendedperiodoftime.• Removeusedbatteriespromptly.• Neverattempttorechargeprimarybatteriesasthismaycauseleakage,fire,orexplosion.• Nevershort-circuitbatteriesasthismayleadtohightemperatures,leakage,orexplosion.• Neverheatbatteriesinordertorevivethem.• Remembertoswitchoffdevicesafteruse.• Keepbatteriesoutofthereachofchildren;smallbatteriesmaybeingested.• Seekmedicaladviceimmediatelyifabatteryhas beenswallowed.

Caution:Ifbatteriesorpartsareswallowed,seeadoctorimmediately.

Advanced AudioStar Features AddingObservingSites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 FindingObjectsNotIntheDatabase. . . . . . . . . . .30 GoToaUser-enteredObject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 ObservingSatellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 HowtoCreateYourOwnGuidedTour. . . . . . . . . .33 WritingaTour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Landmarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Identify . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 AdvancedAlignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Two-StarAlt/AzAlignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 One-StarAlt/AzAlignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Browse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Maintenance BasicMaintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Collimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 InspectingtheOptics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 GaugingtheMovementoftheTelescope . . . . . . . .41 UpdatingYourLX65Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Meade Customer Service Howtogetincontact.......................43

Appendix A: TrainingtheDrive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Appendix B: BasicAstronomy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

Appendix C: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Appendix D: OpticalSystems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Appendix E: UsingtheLX65WithTwoOpticalTubes. . . . . . . . .50

Contact Information SocialMediaandAddress . . . . . . . . . . . BackCover

®Thename“Meade,”“AudioStar”andtheMeadelogoaretrade-marksregisteredwiththeU.S.PatentandTrademarkOfficeandinprincipalcountriesthroughouttheworld.“DeepSkyImager”and“Tonight’sBest”aretrademarksofMeadeInstrumentsCorp.Patents:

US7,277,223,US7,079,317,US7,092,156

US6,304,376,US6,369,942,US6,392,799

©2018MeadeInstrumentsCorp.

CONTENTSIntroduction

Asolidtelescopebuiltforalifetimeofservice . . . . .4

Getting Started AssemblingtheandUsingtheLX65Telescope

AssemblingtheTripod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 MountingtheTripod. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 InstallingtheBatteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 UsinganACAdapterorDCPowerCord. . . . . . . . .6 AttachingAccessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 TelescopeisnowFullyAssembled . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 UsingtheRedDotFinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 AdjustingtheRedDotFinder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 AligningtheTelescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 TheTelescopeHomePosition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 MagneticNorthHomePosition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 TrueNorthHomePosition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 MovingThroughAudioStar’sMenus. . . . . . . . . . . .10 InitializingAudioStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Easy(Two-Star)Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 HowtoPerformtheEasyAlignProcedure . . . . . . .11 GoToSaturn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 UsingtheGuidedTour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

LX65 Key Features Telescope

KeyFeaturesIdentifiedontheTelescope. . . . . . . .13 KeyFeaturesExplained . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 ChoosingEyepieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

AudioStarHandbox–BasicUsage Buttons,Displayandtheirfunctions. . . . . . . . . . . .17 ObservingUsingAudioStars’Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . .19 PlayingtheAudio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 LX65Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

AudioStarOperation AudioStarNavigationExercise................21 EnteringDataintoAudioStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 GuidedTourMenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 ObjectMenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 AudioStarMenuTree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 EventMenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 GlossaryMenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 UtilitiesMenu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 SetupMenu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

INTRODUCTIONThe LX65 Series Telescope Asolidtelescopebuiltforalifetimeofservice

CongratulationsonreceivingyournewLX65telescope.You’llfindthatthistelescopesystemhasallyouneedtoexploretheUniversewelivein.Meade’sconceptwastocreateatelescopethatwouldbesimpleenoughforanyonetouse,yetcapableenoughfortheexperiencedamateurtostretchtheirknowledgeandskills.WiththeLX65’sadvancedsetoffeatures,youwillhaveplentyofroomtolearnandexpandyourinterestinastronomyandnotoutgrowyourtelescope.HereareafewofthefeaturesthatsettheMeadeLX65telescopesystemapartfromallothers.

Optics: Yourchoiceofopticalsystemstomeetyourneeds.Meade’sAdvancedComa-Free(ACF)andMaksutov-Cassegrain(MC)opticsgiveyouhighperformanceforthebestpossibleprice. Water-white glass, Ultra-High Transmission Coatings (UHTC) and oversized,thermally-stable borosilicate primarymirrors provide spectacular viewing experiencenomatterwhere youobserve.Meadeopticsoffers the ideal solution for the seriousastroimagerorvisualastronomerlookingforobservatory-classoptics.

Mechanics: Strongandstablealuminumcastingswithlargeprecisionworm-geardrivesinbothaxesforsmoothtrackingandimprovedrigidity.Vixen-styledovetailreceiversandsecondarysaddlemakestheMeadeLX65systemidealforsharingthenightsky.

Computer: AudioStarhandboxgivesyoucompletecontrolofyourLX65systemfromthepalmofyourhand.Withadatabaseofover30,000objects,youwillneverrunoutofthingstoexplore.

Ifyouarelikeus,youcan’twaittogetoutsideunderadarkskytotryoutyournewLX65telescope.WehaveprovidedaGettingStartedGuidethatwillgetyouupandrunningintheshortestamountoftimepossible.Afteryourfirstexperience,pleasesitdownwiththismanualandreadaboutalltheadvancedfeaturesthatareavailabletoyouwiththistelescopesystem.WeareconfidentthattheLX65willkeepyoufascinatedwiththeUniverseandentertainedformanyyearstocome.

ClearSkies,

ThepeopleatMeade

INTR

ODUC

TION

4

GETTING STARTEDYoumaywanttoperformthetelescopeassemblyindoorsinthelightsothatyoubecomefamiliarwiththepartsandoperationbeforemovingthetelescopeoutsideintothedarkforobserving.ThisGettingStartedGuideprovidesabriefoverviewsoyoucanuseyournewtelescopeasquicklyaspossible.Justfollowthesimplestepsbelowandyouwillbeupandrunningbeforeyouknowit.

1 Set the telescope ina largeopenareawhereyoucanseelotsofsky.Don’tsetuprightnexttoabuildingorawall.Makesure theground isstableand isapproximately level. It isbest tosetupthescope away from bright nighttime lighting. Brightlightswill spoilyournightvisionand impedeyourabilitytoseethesky.

Assembling the Tripod2Removethefieldtripodfromtheshippingcarton.Standthetripodverticallywiththetripodfeetdownandwiththetripodstillfullycollapsed.Grasptwoofthetripodlegsand,withthefullweightofthetripodonthethirdleg,gentlypullthelegsaparttoafully openposition.

3 Thread in the lock-knobs on each leg near thefoot of each tripod leg. Use the lock-knobs to varytheheightoftheinner,extendibletripodlegsections.Tightenthelockstoafirmfeelonly;donotovertighten.

4 Remove the end nut from the spreader shaftand slide the spreader in between the telescopelegs. Attach the end nut and hand tighten until thetelescope legs are held snuggly in themost spreadposition. Position the tripod where you want thetelescopetobeandcheckthatthetopofthetripodis approximatelylevel.

GETT

ING

STAR

TED

SpreaderBar

EndNut

Lock-Knob

Spreader Shaft

5

Mounting the Telescope

5TaketheLX65from itspackagingandplacetheentire telescope onto the top of the tripod head.Rotate the telescope head slowly until you feel thescoperegisteronthecenterhubof thetripodhead.Carefully screw the three attachment thumb-screwsonthebottomoftheplatetothebaseofthetripod.Handtightenthescrewssothetelescopecannotspinorwobbleonthetripodhead.

Installing the Batteries

6 Remove the end cover from the batterycompartmentexposingthebatterytray.Carefullyslidethebatterytrayoutuntilitreachesitsendstop.Insert8(usersupplied)Alkaline“C”batteriesintothebatterycompartment. Take care that the batteries + and -endsareasindicatedinthebatteryholder.

Slidethebatterycompartmentbackintothetelescope andre-attachthebatterycompartmentcover.

CAUTION: Follow battery manufacturer’sprecautions.Donotinstallbatteriesbackwardsormix new and used batteries. Do notmix batterytypes. If these precautions are not followed,batteries may explode, catch fire, or leak.Improperly installed batteries void your Meadewarranty.Always remove thebatteries if theywillnotbeusedforalongperiodoftime.

Using an AC Adapter or DC Power Cord

7 Use only the optional Meade Universal ACPower Adapter (part number 07584) with yourLX65 telescope when connecting to AC power.Power adapters from other manufactures maycausedamageandvoidyourwarranty.

Plug the AC plug into an AC household socketor the DC plug into the 12v DC socket on thetelescopepanel.

ForexternalDCpowerusetheoptional#607DCPowerCord(partnumber07043)toconnecttoanautomotive12vDCaccessorysocket.

GETT

ING

STAR

TED

Thumb-Screw

CenterHub

6

Followthebattery polarity(orientation) asindicatedbyicons

PowerPort

8 Be sure the telescope power switch is in theoff position. Remove the handbox and the coiledinterface cable from the packing materials. Plugoneend into theHBXport of thecontrolpanel andplug the other end into the Handbox port on the LX65handbox.

9 LoosentheDovetailLockingKnobslightly.Carefullyplace the telescope optical tube’s dovetail into thedovetailsaddleontheLX65’sforkmount,thentightentheDovetailLockingKnob.WhenstandingbehindtheLX65facingthecontrolpanel,theopticaltubeshouldbeontherighthandsideoftheforkmount.

Tobalancethetelescopeinaltitude,carefully loosentheAltitudeClutchKnobwhileholdingontotheopticaltube.Iftheopticaltubeisfrontorbackheavy,slightlyloosentheDovetailLockingKnobandslidetheopticaltubeforwardorbackwardasneededtoreachbalance.Usecautionandneverletgooftheopticaltubeduringthisprocess.Makesuretheopticaltubeissecurelyattachedbeforelettinggo.

Ontheopticaltube,removethedustcapfromtherearcellofthetelescope.Threadthe1.25"eyepieceholderontotherearcell thread.Slide thediagonalmirror into the eyepiece holder and lock in placeby turning the thumbscrew to a firm feel. PlacetheSuperPlössl26mmeyepiece into thediagonalmirrorand tighten thediagonalmirror thumbscrewtoafirmfeelonly.

10 Remove the dust cover from the front ofthe optical tube. Be careful not to touch the glasslens.

GETT

ING

STAR

TED

RearCellThread EyepieceHolder

DustCap DiagonalPrism

7

SlewSpeeds:

Speed9:Fast...Speed5:Medium...Speed1:Slow

ArrowKeys

NumberKeys

Attaching Accessories Your Telescope is Now Fully Assembled

DovetailLockingKnobAltitudeClutchKnob

Adjusting the Red Dot Finder

TheRedDotFinderhasbeenalignedatthefactory,butyoumayneed to touch-up thealignment fromtimetotime.Todothis, lookthroughtheeyepieceofyourscopeandusingthehandcontrollercenteradistantobject.NowturnontheRedDotViewfinderand adjust the brightness so you can see the reddot.Lookthroughthesightaspicturedabove.

Now, without moving the telescope, adjust theindicatedthumbscrewsuntilyouhaveputthereddotontheobjectatwhichyouwerelooking.It’sthatsimple.Nowusethehandcontrollertoputthelaserdotonanewtarget.Checktoseethatthedesiredtargetisintheeyepieceandadjustthefocusknobuntiltheobjectisinfocus.

Using the Red Dot Finder Becauseyourtelescopehassomuchmagnification,itsfieldofviewisverysmall.Thiscanmakeithardtoknowexactlywhereyourtelescopeispointingby simply looking at it. To help you point thetelescopequicklyandaccurately,theLX65hasa1X RedDotViewfinder.

It works much like a fighter pilot’s heads-updisplay.To turnon theRedDotFinder,carefullyrotate the power switch until you feel it clickon. Turning further clockwise will increase thedot brightness. Adjust the dot to the minimumbrightnesswhere itcanbeeasilyseen.Thiswillextend itsbattery life andmake it easier to seefaint stars in the background. Look through thefinder’s glass window. You will see a red dotsuperimposedonyourview.Using thedirectionkeys on the handbox,move the telescope untilthe reddot ison the targetyouwant toview inthe eyepiece. As you get close to your target,selectamoderatelylowspeed,likespeed5,andmovethescopetocenteryourtargetasyoulookthroughtheeyepiece.Thisagreatwaytogetusedtofinding themovement keyswithout removingyoureyefromtheeyepiece.

On/Off&BrightnessAdjustment

Ad jus tmentScrews

GETT

ING

STAR

TED

8

FocusKnob

11 Flip the Power Switch on the computercontrolpanel to theONposition.Thecopyrightmessage lights on AudioStar’s LCD display,followedby the “Press 0 toAlign orMODE forMennu”display.

12 “Press 0 to align or Mode for Menu”displays. Youcan use theArrowkeys toslew(move) the telescope up, down, right, or left.To change the telescope’s slew speed, press aNumberkey.“9” isthefastestspeedand“1” isthe slowwest speed. Or you can Press “0” tobegin Easy Alignment.See page 11 for moreinformation.

ALIG

NING

THE T

ELES

COPE

9

Aligning the TelescopeAstheEarthrotatesbeneaththenightsky,thestarsappear tomove fromEast toWest.Thespeedatwhichthestarsmoveiscalledthesiderealrate.Youcansetupyour telescope tomoveat the siderealrate so that it automatically tracks the stars andother objects in the night sky. If the telescope isnottrackinganastronomicalobject,theobjectwilldriftoutoftheeyepiecefieldofview.Thetrackingfunctionautomaticallykeepsanobjectmoreorlesscenteredinthetelescope’seyepiece.

To automatically track and locate objects in thenightsky,theLX65telescopemustfirstbealignedon the sky. It is best to set up the telescope intwilightorbeforesunsetthefirsttimeyouusetheLX65 telescope. Setup the telescope in a largeopenareawhereyoucanseelotsofthenightsky.Makesurethegroundisstableandapproximatelylevel.Itisbesttosetupthescopeawayfrombrightnighttimelighting.Brightlightswillspoilyournightvisionandimpedeyouabilitytoseethesky.

The Telescope Home Position Once the telescope is fully assembled, you willfirstneed to initializeAudioStar,set the telescopeinto the home position, and perform the EasyAlignmentinorderforthetelescopetosuccessfullylocatecelestialobjects.ThehomepositionfortheLX65seriesiswiththetelescopeopticaltubeleveland pointed in the direction of either True Northor Magnetic North. Either North direction can beusedand theAudioStarwill prompt you towhichNorthdirection theoptical tube ispointingbeforebeginninganalignment.Oncethetelescopeisfullyassembledandoutsideunderthenightsky,followthe steps below to correctly place the telescopeintothehomeposition.

Magnetic North Home Position

1.Usingtheup/downarrowkeysontheAutoStarcontroller,move the telescope so that the opticaltube is approximately level. Place the includedbubblelevel/compassintothediagonalprismanduse the AutoStar left/right arrow keys to movethe telescopeso theoptical tube is linedupwiththe compass needle. The telescopewill then bepointinginthedirectionofMagneticNorth.

2.Nowusetheup/downarrowkeysontheAudioStarcontrollertoleveltheopticaltubeusingbubblelevelfeaturetopreciselyleveltheopticaltube.

3.ThetelescopeisnowintheMagneticNorthHomePosition.

TrueNorthHomePosition

1.Using theup/downarrowkeys on theAudioStarcontroller,movethetelescopesothattheopticaltubeis approximately level. Now use the left/right arrowkeys to move the telescope so the optical tube ispointinginthedirectionofTrueNorth(thenorthstarPolaris).

2.Nowusetheup/downarrowkeysontheAudioStarcontroller to level the optical tube. The includedbubblelevel/compasscanbeplaceintothediagonalprismandhasabuilt inbubblelevelfeaturethatwillaideinlevelingtheopticaltubeifneeded.

3. The telescope is now in the True North HomePosition.

TelescopeTubeislevel

North

CompassneedleispointingtoMagneticNorth

Bubbleis centered

ALIG

NING

THE T

ELES

COPE

10

Moving Through AudioStar’s MenusTheAudioStardatabaseisorganizedinlevelsforquickandeasynavigation.

• PressENTERtogodeeperintoAudioStar’smenulevels.

• PressMODEtomovebacktowardthetopmenulevel.

• Press the Scroll keys to move up anddown through the options available foreachlevel.

• Press theArrowkeys toentercharactersanddigits.

The Arrow keys are also used to move thetelescope.

Initializing AudioStarThissectiondescribeshowtoinitializeAudioStar.Perform this procedure the first time you useAudioStar or after performing a RESET (see“RESET”page30).

1.VerifythatAudioStarisproperlyconnectedto your telescope. See “Getting Started”page5.

2.TurnthetelescopepowerswitchtotheONposition.

The AudioStar beeps and the displayscreenisactivated.ThenAudioStartakesafewmomentstostartupthesystem.

3.“Press 0 to Align or Mode for Menu”displays.Press0toalignyourtelescopeusingthe“EasyAlign”method,see“Easy(Two-Star) Align” on page 11. To skipthe alignment process and access theAudioStarmenus,presstheModekey.

4.The telescope then tests the motorfunctionofthetelescopebymovinginthehorizontalandverticaldirections.

5.Set Your Location or Zip Code: TheLocation screen displays. This screenasksyouifyouwishtochooseeitherthezipcodeofyourobservinglocationorthelocation(i.e.,enteringthecityandstateorcountryofyourobservinglocation).Press“1”toselectthezipcodeoptionor“2”toenterthecityandstate.

Note: The location settings (country/state/

provinceandcity,orzipcode)areonlyaskedforthefirsttimeyouturnonthecontrolpanel.Ifyouwishtochangethissettinglateron,usethe Sitemenu. See SITE, page 26 formoreinformation.

a.Ifyouchosethezipcodeoption,theleftmost“0” is highlighted. Use the Number keys toenterthedigits.Asyouenteradigit,thenextdigittotherightwillbehighlighted.Enterthenextdigit.Repeatthisprocessuntilall5digitsofyourzipcodeareentered.PressENTER.

b.If you chose the location option, the nextscreenasksforthecountryorstate/province(listedalphabetically)oftheobservingsite.

c.UsetheScrollkeystoscrollthroughthelistofcountries,states,andprovinces.PressENTERwhenthecorrectlocationdisplays.

d.The next screen asks for the city (listedalphabetically) closest to the observing site.Use theScroll keys to scroll through the listofcities.PressENTERwhen thecorrectcityappearsonscreen.

6.ThenextscreenrequeststhestatusofDaylightSavings Time. If Daylight Savings Time isactive,pressthe“1”key.IfDaylightSavingsTimeisnotactive,pressthe“2”key.

Note:DaylightSavingsTimemaybereferredtobyadifferentnameinvariousareasoftheworld.

7.AudioStarthenasksfortheTelescopeModel.Usingthescrollkeys(Pg.19,Fig.5,7)ontheAudioStarlocatethemodelofyourtelescopeandpressenter.

8.Nowenterthecurrentdate,thenpressENTER.

9.Enterthecurrenttime.Select“AM,”“PM,”or24-hourclock(blank).ThenpressENTER.

10. System initialization is now complete andAudioStar enters into the Easy Alignmentroutine. The AudioStar display now reads“North Method, 1=True 2= Compass”. See“Easy(Two-Star)Alignment”forperforminganalignmentonthenightsky.Ifyoudonotwishtobeginanalignmentonthenightsky,presstheMODEkey toexit to themainAudioStarmenu.

ALIG

NING

THE T

ELES

COPE

11

Easy (Two-Star) AlignThefastestandeasiestwaytolocateobjectswithAudioStar’sGOTOcapabilitiesistouseEasyAlign.

AudioStar automatically picks two stars from itsdatabasefortheEasyAlignprocedure.Duringthisprocedure,AudioStarslewsthetelescopetoafirstalignmentstar.Theuserisaskedtoverifythatthetelescope is pointed at the chosen star and thenprompted to center the star in the eyepiece. Theprocessisrepeatedwithasecondstartocompletethealignment.

Note: Before aligning the telescope, firstverify that “INITIALIZINGAudioStar”, page10, has been performed. See “Movingthrough AudioStar’s Menus”, page 10,for a description of how AudioStar’s keysoperate.

How to perform the Easy Align ProcedureIf youhave justpoweredon the telescope, followtheprocedures listed in“InitializingAudioStar”onpage10.Whencompleted,continueontothestepsbelowtoperformtheEasyAlignmentprocedure.Ifthetelescopeisalreadypoweredonandthecorrectsitelocation,date,timeandtelescopemodelhavealreadybeenentered, theEasyAlignmentcanbestartedbyselectinginthemenuSetup:Align:Easyandfollowingthestepsbelow.

1.When the Easy Alignment procedure isselected in the AudioStar’s setup menu,thedisplaywillread“NorthMethod:1=True2=Compass”. AudioStar is asking whichHomePositionthetelescopewillbeplacedin.Seepage9,“TheLX65HomePosition”for a description on placing the LX65telescopeintothehomeposition.

Note: The easiest way to set the telescopeinthehomeposition isusingtheMagneticNorth method. Follow the steps on page9 “Magnetic North Home Position” andpressthe“2”keyonAudioStartoselectthe“Compass”(MagneticNorth)method.

2.Star Alignment - The AudioStar thenchooses two stars to align upon. Whenthe telescope slews to the first star foralignment, itmaynotappear inthefieldofview in the eyepiece. The alignment starshould be easily recognized and be the

brighteststarintheareaoftheskywherethetelescopeispointing.Whilelookingthroughthereddotfinder,usetheArrowKeystomovethetelescopetoplacethereddotonthetopofthestar.NowlookthroughtheeyepieceandusetheArrowKeystomovethestartothecenteroftheeyepiecefield.PressENTER.Ifthatareaof thesky isobscuredbyanobject,youcanprompt AudioStar to chose an alternate starbypressingeitheroneofthetwoScrollKeys.Repeat procedure for the second alignmentstar.

Whentheprocedureisperformedcorrectly,“AlignmentSuccessful” displays. If AudioStar does not displaythismessage,performthisprocedureagain.

NOTE:AudioStarlocatesalignmentstarsbasedonthedate,time,andlocationentered.Thealignmentstarsmay change from night to night. All that is requiredisfortheobservertocentertheselectedstarsintheeyepiecewhenprompted.

NOTE: The GO TO key also allows you to performa “spiral search”.Aspiral search isusefulwhen thetelescope slews to an object, but that object is notvisibleintheeyepieceafterthetelescopefinishesitssearch. (Thissometimesoccursduringanalignmentprocedure.) PressGOTOwhen the slew is finishedandthetelescopestartsslewinginaspiralpatternataveryslowspeedaroundthesearcharea.Lookthroughthe eyepiece and when the object does becomevisible,pressMODE to stop the spiral search.ThenusetheArrowkeystocentertheobject.

Which One’s the Alignment Star? Ifyou’renotfamiliarwithobjectsinthenightsky,howcanyoubesureifthestarinyoureyepieceisreallythealignmentstar?Theruleofthumbisthatanalignmentstarisusuallythebrighteststar in thatareaof thesky. IfyouperformaGoTotoanalignmentstarandyou’renotsureifyouhavelocatedthealignmentstaroritisn’tintheeyepiece,lookthroughyourviewfinder.Whenyouviewanalignmentstarintheviewfinder,itstandsoutdramaticallyfromtherestofthestarsinthatportionofthesky.Theviewfinderwillhelpyoulocateastarmorequicklythantheeyepiece.UsingAudioStar,settheslewspeedto6(pressNumberkey6)orhigherandusetheArrowkeys to center the alignment star in the viewfinder. Ifyour viewfinder has been alignedwith the telescope,thealignmentstarshouldnowbeintheeyepiece.Settheslewspeedto4or lessandcenter thestar intheeyepiece.AlsoseetheSpiralSearchtip,page11.

ALIG

NING

THE T

ELES

COPE

12

Go To SaturnAfter performing the Easy Alignment procedure, themotor drive begins operating and the telescope isalignedforanightofviewing.ObjectsintheeyepieceshouldmaintaintheirpositioneventhoughtheEarthisrotatingbeneaththestars.

ImportantNote:Oncealigned,onlyusetheGOTOorArrowkeystomovethetelescope.Donotmovethetelescopemanually,oralignmentwillbelost.

Oncethetelescope isaligned,youmaychooseand“GoTo”anyobjectlistedinAudioStar’sObjectmenu.This exercise demonstrates how to select one suchcelestialobject,theplanetSaturn,forviewingfromtheObjectmenu.

Note: Saturn is not visible the entire year and youmayneedtochooseanotherobjectfromAudioStar’sdatabase; however, the procedure, as describedbelow,remainsthesame.

1 After the telescope is aligned, “Select Item:Object”displays.PressENTER.

2.“Object:SolarSystem”displays.PressENTER.

3. “Solar System: Mercury” displays. Keeppressing the Scroll Down key until “SolarSystem:Saturn”displays.

4. Press ENTER. “Calculating” displays. Then“Saturn” and a set of coordinates displays.Note that Saturn’s (and other planets’)coordinateschangethroughouttheyear.

5. Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displaysand the telescopeslewsuntil it findsSaturn.YoumayneedtousetheArrowkeystocenterSaturn precisely in the eyepiece. AudioStarthen automatically moves the telescope sothatit“tracks”Saturn(orwhateverotherobjectyou may have chosen); i.e., Saturn remainscenteredintheeyepiece.

After you Go To Saturn, practice the Go TofeaturewithotherobjectsintheObjectmenulists.Forexample,duringWinter,chooseM42,theOrionnebula, fromtheMessier list.Or inthesummer,choosetheDumbbellnebulafromtheDeepSky,NamedObjectslist.

Using the Guided TourThis example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best”GuidedTour.

1.AfterobservingSaturn,pressmodetwiceso

that“SelectItem:Object”displaysagain.

2.PresstheScrollDownkeytwice.“SelectItem:GuidedTour”displays.

3. Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’sBest”displays.PressENTER.

If you wish to try out other GuidedTours,presstheScrollDownkeytoscrollthroughothertourchoices.Whenthetouryouwishtoselectdisplays,pressENTER.

4. “Tonight’s Best: Searching...” displays.Aftercalculating,“Tonight’sBest:Jupiter”displays.

Note:Differentobjectsmaybedisplayedonatourlistonanygivennight.

Press ENTER to display informationabout theobject.PressGOTOtomovethetelescopetotheobject.

5. Press MODE to return to the Tour list.PresstheScrollkeystoscrollthroughthelist.PressENTERwhenyoufindthenextobjectyouwishtoobserve.

6. Press and hold down MODE for twosecondstoleavetheGuidedTourmenu.

LX65

KEY

FEAT

URES

9 Single Fork Arm Mount10 Dovetail Saddle for Optional Second Optical Tube11 AudioStar Handbox12 Optical Tube Assembly13 Battery Compartment14 Dust Cover (not visible)15 Handbox Storage Cradle

1 Diagonal Holder2 Diagonal Mirror3 Visual Back Thumbscrew4 Visual Back5 Eyepiece6 Focus Knob 7 Red Dot Finder8 Computer Control Panel 13

LX65 KEY FEATURES

LX65

KEY

FEAT

URES

A.Handbox(HBX)Port B.ON/OFFSwitchwithLED C.Auxiliary(AUX)Port D.12VDCPowerInputPort E.Auxiliary(AUX)Port 14

LX65 Dovetail Saddle for Optional Second Optical Tube

ComputerControlPanel

A.

B.

C.

D.E.

*NOTE ON USING THE VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT KNOBS: Always rotateadjustmentknobsinthesamedirection,atthesametime,andwiththesamemagnitude.

AlwaystakecautionwhenmakingtheverticaladjustmentandtosupporttheOTAasneeded.Onlysmalladjustmentshouldbeneeded.

1 DiagonalHolder:Holdstheeyepieceinplace.

2 Diagonal Mirror: provides a more comfortableright angle viewing position. Slide the diagonalprismdirectly into the eyepiece holder (Pg. 13,Fig.1,3).

3 Visual Back Thumbscrew: Tighten screw tosecurely hold diagonal mirror, eyepiece, oraccessoriesinplace.

4 VisualBack:Insertthediagonalmirrorhereandtighten with adjacent thumbscrew to securelyholdinplace.

5 Eyepiece:PlacetheSuperPlössl26mmeyepieceintothe90°diagonalmirrorandtighteninplacewith the thumbscrews. The eyepiecemagnifiestheimagecollectedintheopticaltube.

6 Focus Knob: Moves the telescope’s primarymirror in a finely-controlled motion to achieveprecise image focus. The LX65 telescopecan be focused on objects from a distance ofabout 25 ft. to infinity. Rotate the focus knobcounterclockwise to focus on distant objects,andclockwisetofocusonnearbyobjects.

7 RedDotFinder:Providesaneasywaytosightonobjectsandputtheminthetelescope’seyepiece.

8 ComputerControlPanel

A. Handbox(HBX)Port:PlugtheAudioStarcoilcordintothisport.

B. ON/OFFSwitchwithLED:Turnsthetelescopepower on and off. The red power indicatorlightilluminateswhenpowerisappliedtothetelescope.

C. Auxiliary (AUX)Port (1):ProvidesconnectionforMeadeaccessories.

D. 12VDCPowerInputPort:Providesconnectionso that the telescopemaybepowered fromeither a 12VDC auto cigarette light plug orromanoptionalACpoweradapteravailablefromMeade

9 SingleForkArmMount:Holdstheopticaltube(s)inplaceandmovesittofindandtrackobjects.

10 Dovetail Saddle for Optional Second OpitcalTube:Canoptionallyholdandadditionalopticaltubeweighingupto7lbsintandemwiththemaintelescocpeopticaltube.

11 AudioStarHandbox:PlugsintotheHBXport.Provides computerized control for the LX65including a comprehensive celestial objectdatabase, audio tours, and several othertelescopefunctions.

12 Optical Tube Assembly: The main opticalcomponentthatgathersthelightfromdistantobjects and brings this light to a focus forexaminationthroughtheeyepiece.

13 BatteryCompartment:InserteightANSI14A (IEC LR14) Alkaline “C-Cell” (user-supplied)batteries in compartment. Be sure batteriesarealignedcorrectlyasshowninthebatterycompartment.

14 Dust Cover: Protects the optical tubeassembly optics and minimizes dustaccumulation during storage. Always keepthedustcoverontheopticaltubewhenthetelescopeisnotinuse.

15 HandboxStorageCradle:HoldstheAudioStarhandbox in a conventional position on thetelescope.

LX65

KEY

FEAT

URES

15

Choosing EyepiecesAtelescope’seyepiecemagnifiestheimageformedby the telescope’s main optics. Each eyepiecehas a focal length, expressed in millimeters, or“mm.” The smaller the focal length, the higherthemagnification.Forexample,aneyepiecewithafocal lengthof9mmhasahighermagnificationthan an eyepiece with a focal length of 26mm.Experienced users know that higher powers are,ingeneral,notasusefulaslowerpowers.Manyoftheobjectsinthenightskyarerelativelylargeandfaintandlookbestatlowmagnifications.

The power or magnification of a telescope isdetermined by the focal length of the telescopeand the focal lengthof theeyepiecebeingused.Tocalculatemagnification,divide the telescope’sfocal length by the eyepiece’s focal length. Forexample, a 26mm eyepiece is supplied with theLX65 telescope. The focal length of the 6” ACFoptical tube is 1524mm (see SPECIFICATIONS,page47).

TelescopeFocalLength1524mm

EyepieceFocalLength26mm

1524÷26=58.6x

Themagnificationistherefore58.6x.

Lowpowereyepiecesofferawider fieldof view,bright, high-contrast images, and long eye relief.Tofindanobjectwithatelescope,alwaysstartwithalowerpowereyepiecesuchastheSuperPlössl26mmor longer focal length.When theobject islocatedandcenteredintheeyepiece,youmaywishtoswitchtoahigherpowereyepiecetoenlargetheimageasmuchaspractical forprevailing seeingconditions or, formany objects, the view is bestwithahighqualitylow-powerwide-fieldeyepiece.

NOTE:Seeingconditionsvarywidely fromnight-to-nightandsite-to-site.Turbulenceintheair,evenonanapparentlyclearnight,candistortimages.Ifanimageappearsfuzzyandill-defined,reducetoalowerpowereyepiece.

Your telescope comes supplied with a SuperPlössl 26mm eyepiece, which gives a wide 53ARCMinute (justa little less than1degree)fieldofviewwith59xmagnification.Thisisaverygoodall purposeeyepiece for your telescope,but youshould consider buying additional eyepieces inlongerandshorterfocallengthstofullyrealizethe

potential of the excellent 6” optical system in yourLX65telescope.

TheSeries4000SuperPlösslEyepiecesareexcellentwell corrected 4 element optics at popular prices.Theycomeinawiderangeoffocallengthstogiveyoutherightmagnificationforanytypeofcelestialobjectyouareviewing.YoucanalsouseoneoftheSeries4000BarlowstodoubleortriplethemagnificationofaSuperPlössleyepiece.Theseeyepieceshavebeenthestandardfordecades.

CHO

OSIN

G EY

EPIE

CES

16

17

The AudioStar Handbox

Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a ButtonControl of the LX65 is through the operation of thestandard-equipmentAudioStar.NearlyallfunctionsofthetelescopeareaccomplishedwithjustafewpushesofAudioStar’sbuttons.SomeofthemajorfeaturesofAudioStarare:

• Automatically move the telescope to any ofover30,000objectsstoredinthedatabaseormanuallyentertheastronomicalcoordinatesofanycelestialobject.

• Takeaguidedtourofthebestcelestialobjectstoviewonanygivennightoftheyear.

• Meade's Astronomer Inside audio content.Listenthroughitsbuilt-inspeakerasittellsyoufun and informative descriptions of over 500nightskyobjectsasyouactuallyviewthemintheeyepiece.

• Downloadthelatestsoftwarerevisionsdirectlyfrom the Meade website (www.meade.com)and share software with other AudioStarenthusiasts.

• ControlyourLX65withyourPCusinganserialinterface.

• Accessaglossaryofastronomicalterms.

• Calculate which eyepiece to use foroptimumviewingofacelestialobject.

• Mountthetelescopeinthe“Alt/Az”mode(Altitude-Azimuth,orvertical-horizontal)for fully automatic tracking of celestialobjects.

5

3

4

7

8

6

9

12

11

1

2

10

13

1. 2-Line LCD Display

2. ENTER Key

3. MODE Key

4. “GO TO” Key

5. Arrow Keys

6. Number Keys

7. Scroll Keys

8. Serial Port

9. Coil Cord

10. Coil Cord Port

11. "?" Key

12. Utility Light

13. Hook

14. Audio Speaker

14

AUDI

OSTA

R HA

NDBO

X

•The AudioStar Computer Controller providescontrol of virtually every telescope functionwithinacompacthandbox.AudioStarhassoft-touchkeysdesigned tohaveapositive feel.TheLCD (LiquidCrystal Display) is backlit with a red LED (LightEmitting Diode) for easy viewing in the dark. Thebacklit display, key arrangement, and sequentialdatabasemakeAudioStarextremelyuserfriendly.

1 2-Line LCD Display: Provides an interfacebetweenAudioStarandthetelescope.

• Top line: Lists the primary category ormenuitem.

• Bottom line: Contains a menu option orinformation about an object or subject,depending on which function is beingperformed.

2 ENTER Key: Accesses, in a sequentialmanner, the next menu or data level in theAudioStardatabase.SeeMOVINGTHROUGHAudioStar’SMENUS,page10.

NOTE: If ENTER is pressed for two secondsor more and then released, AudioStar emitsa beep and “ENTER to Sync” is displayed.“ENTER to Sync” is relevant only after thetelescopehasbeenalignedandispointingatan object. If the “ENTER to Sync” feature isaccessedbymistake,pressMODEtoreturntothepreviousscreen.SeeHighPrecision,page29,formoredetailsaboutthisfeature.

3 MODE Key: Returns to the previous menuor data level in the AudioStar database untilthe top level, “Select Item” is reached. TheMODEkeyissimilartotheESCAPEkeyonacomputer.

Note: Pressing MODE while in the “SelectItem” level moves AudioStar to the topmostscreen:“SelectItem:Object”.

IfMODEispressedandheldfortwosecondsor more, information about the telescope’sstatus displays. When the status displays,pressoneoftheScrollkeys(Pg.19,Fig.5,7)todisplaythefollowinginformation:

• RightAscensionandDeclination(astronomical)coordinates

• Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal)coordinates

• Date

• Sitecoordinates

• LocalTimeandLocalSiderealTime(LST)

• TimerandAlarmStatus

• Batterystatus

PressMODEagaintoreturntothepreviousmenu.

4 GOTOKey:Slews(moves)thetelescopetothecoordinates of the currently selected object.While the telescope isslewing, theoperationmaybeabortedat any timebypressinganykey except GO TO. Pressing GO TO againresumestheslewtotheobject.

5 ArrowKeys:Slew the telescope ina specificdirection (up, down, left, and right), at anyoneofninedifferentspeeds.Speedselectionis explained in “SLEWSPEEDS”, below. ThefollowingfunctionsarealsoavailablewiththeArrowkeys:

• Moves the telescope–Use theUpand DownArrowkeystomovethetelescope verticallyupanddown.TheLeftArrowkey rotates the telescope horizontally c o u n t e r c l o c k w i s e ,while the Right Arrow key rotatesitclockwise. • Dataentry–Whenthescopeisprompting foruserentereddata,usetheUpandDown Arrowkeystoscrollthroughthelettersofthe alphabetandnumericaldigits.TheDown Arrowkeystartswiththeletter“A”andthe UpArrowkeystartswiththedigit“9.”The Left and Right Arrow keys are used to movetheblinkingcursorleftandrightacross theLCDdisplay.6 NumberKeys:Inputdigits0-9andchanges

theslewspeeds(seeSlewSpeeds,seebelow).The“0”keyalsoturnsonandofftheredutilitylightonthetopofthehandbox.

SlewSpeeds LX65hasnineslewspeedsthataredirectly proportionaltothesiderealrate(therateat whichstarsappeartodriftacrossthesky) and have been calculated to accomplish specificfunctions.PressingaNumberkey changestheslewspeed,whichisshownfor abouttwosecondsonAudioStar’sdisplay.

To change the speed, press the appropriatekeyshownbelow.

AUDI

OSTA

SR H

ANDB

OX

18

Nineavailablespeedsare:

NumberKey“1”=1x(Guide) NumberKey“2”=2x NumberKey“3”=8x NumberKey“4”=16x NumberKey“5”=64x NumberKey“6”=0.50°/sec NumberKey“7”=1.0°/sec NumberKey“8”=1.5°/sec NumberKey“9”=4.0°/sec(Max)

Speeds “1”,“2”, or “3” Best used for fine centeringofanobjectinthefieldofviewof ahigherpowereyepiece,suchasa12mmor a9mmeyepiece.

Speeds“4”,“5”,or“6”:Enablescentering anobjectinthefieldofalow-to-moderate powereyepiece,suchasthestandardSuper Plössl26mm.

Speeds “7” or “8”: Best used for rough centering of an object in the Red Dot Viewfinder.

Speed“9”:Movesthetelescopequicklyfrom onepointintheskytoanother.

7 Scroll Keys: Accesses options within aselectedmenu.Themenuisdisplayedonthefirstlineofthescreen.Optionswithinthemenuare displayed, one at a time, on the secondline.PresstheScrollkeystomovethroughtheoptions.PressandholdaScrollkeytomovequicklythroughtheoptions.

TheScrollkeysalsoscroll throughthe lettersofthealphabetandnumericaldigits.

Note:TheScrollDownkeyandtheDownArrowkeymoveforwardthroughthealphabet&digits(Ato Z, 0 to 9). The Scroll Up key and theUpArrow key move backward (Z to A, 9 to 0).Commonsymbolsarealsoavailableinthelist.

8 ?Key:Accessesthe“Help”file.“Help”provideson-screen informationonhow toaccomplishwhatevertaskiscurrentlyactive.

Hold down the ? key and then follow theprompts on the display to access detailsof AudioStar functions in the Help feature.The Help system is essentially an on-screeninstructionmanual.

If you have a question about an AudioStaroperation,e.g.,INITIALIZATION,ALIGNMENT,etc., hold down the ? key and follow thedirections that scroll on the second lineof the LCD screen. When a word appearsin [brackets], press ENTER to access theAudioStar Glossary. A definition or moredetailedinformationisdisplayed.PressMODEto return to the scrolling AudioStar Helpdisplay.

Whensatisfiedwith theHelpprovided,pressMODE to return to the original screen andcontinuewiththechosenprocedure.

9 CoilCordPort:PlugoneendoftheAudioStarcoilcordintothisport(pg.19,Fig.5,9)locatedatthebottomoftheAudioStarhandbox.

10 CoilCord:PlugoneendoftheAudioStarcoilcordintotheHBXport(Pg.14,Fig.4,10A)ofthe computer control panel of the telescopeandtheotherendintothecoilcordport.

11 Serial Port: plug an serial accessory (#505)cable into AudioStar for updating functionssuchas“Download”or“Clone”.Seepage29for moredetails.

12 Utility Light: Use this built-in red light toilluminatestarchartsandaccessorieswithoutdisturbingyoureye’sadaptationtodarkness.

13 Hook: Attaching the hook to the back ofAudioStar allows it to be hung on manydifferent locations on the telescope for easyaccess.Thehandboxcradleholdercanalsobeused.

14 AudioStarSpeaker:YourAudioStarcomputercontrollerisequippedwithAstronomerInsidetechnology. This revolutionary technologyprovidesobjectdescriptionsofover500nightskyobjectswhileyouareviewingthem.Objectdescriptions for the Moon, planets, stars,clusters, nebulae andgalaxies are presentedbytheAstronomerInside.Informationsuchastemperature,size,distanceandmythologyareallpresentedinafunandentertainingway.

AUDI

OSTA

R HA

NDBO

X

19

AUDI

OSTA

R HA

NDBO

X

20

Observing Using AudioStar’s Arrow KeysYou may observe land and astronomical objectsusingAudioStar’sArrowkeystomovethetelescope.

1.VerifythetelescopeisfullyassembledandthatAudioStarisproperlyconnectedtoyourtelescope.SeeGettingStartedonpage5.

2.FlipthetelescopepowerswitchtotheONposition.TheAudioStarscreenisactivatedand a copyright message displays briefly,followedby a short beep. ThenAudioStartakesafewmomentstostartupthesystem.“Press0toalignorModeforMenu”displays(ifyouselect“0”,Alignmentwillbegin).

3.The Arrow keys are now activated. PresstheArrowkeystoslew(move)thetelescopeup,down,right,orleft.

4.Press aNumber key (Pg. 19, Fig. 5, 6) tochange the telescope’s slew speed. SeeSlewSpeeds,onpg20formoreinformation.

5.Use the viewfinder (Pg. 13, Fig. 1, 13) tolocate an object and practice using theAudioStar’sArrowkeystocentertheobjectinthetelescope’sfieldofview.

6.Use the telescope’s focus knob (Pg. 14,Fig. 2, 9) to bring the object into focus.

Playing the Audio TheLX65 telescope isequippedwithAstronomerInside technology. This revolutionary technologyprovides object descriptions of night sky objectswhile you are viewing them. Object descriptionsfor the Moon, planets, stars, clusters, nebulaeandgalaxiesarepresentedbyAstronomer Inside.Informationsuchastemperature,size,distanceandmythologyarepresentedinafunandentertainingway.

To activate Astronomer Inside technology a nightskyobjectneedstobeselected.Toselectanobject,gototheObjectmenu.Seepage25onnavigatingtheObjectsmenu.

Once an object is selected on the AudioStar, anaudio presentation for that object will begin toplay. While the audio is playing, the volume canbeadjustedbypressingthe7(volumedown)or9(volumeup)keys.Toskipthecurrentaudiofileandplaythenext,pressthe?key.Iftherearenoother

audiofilesforthatobject,theaudiowillstopplaying.Ifmultipleaudiofilesareavailable,keeppressingthe“?”keytoskiptheaudiountilitstops.

LX65 TIPS

ObservingConsiderations

• Trytopickanobservingsiteawayfromstreetand house lights and car headlights. Whilethis is not always possible, the darker thesite,thebetter.

• Try not to use a standard flashlight. Experienced observers use red LEDflashlights,theredutilitylightontheAudioStarhandbox, or tape red cellophane over theirflashlightstouseforsetupandmapreadingso they don’t have to continually readjusttheireyestothedarkness.Becarefulnottoshinebrightlightsifthereareotherobserversinthearea.Donotshineaflashlightintothetelescopewhilesomeoneisobserving!

• Dresswarmly.Itgetschillywhenyou’resittingforprolongedperiods.

• Practice setting up your equipment duringthedayorinalightedareatobecomefamiliarwithitbeforegoingtoadarksite.

• Useyour26mmeyepiece toview terrestrialobjects andwider areas of space, such asopenstarclusters.Useoptionalhigherpowereyepieces, such as a 9mmeyepiece,whenyouwishtoviewsomethingupclose,suchascratersontheMoonortheringsofSaturn.

AUDI

OSTA

R OP

ERAT

ION

21

It is important to understand that menu selectionsaresetinaloop.ThismeansthatpressingtheScrollDownkey(Pg.19,Fig.5,7)cyclesdownthroughallthe available options within a given category, thenreturnstothefirstoption.TheScrollUpkey(Pg.19,Fig.5,7)cyclesupthroughtheoptionsintheoppositeorder.Note that thiscapability isaquickway togetto anoption that is near thebottomof the list. Thefollowingexampledemonstratesthiscapability.

Example:

Tonavigatetothe“Select Item:Setup”menuoptionwhenthe“SelectItem:Object”menuisdisplayed:

1.Press the Scroll Down key four times or theScrollUpkeyonce.

ThescreeninFig.9ºdisplaystwolinesofinformation.Thetoplineshowsthecurrentmenulevel.Thesecondlinedisplaysanoptionwhichmaybeselectedwithinthatmenulevel.Someoptionsarechoicesthatselectthenextmenu leveldown.TheScrollkeysmoveupanddownwithinthelistofavailableoptions,showingoneoptionatatime.

Whenthedesiredoption isdisplayedonthesecondline,presstheENTERkeytochoosethatoptionandmovedownonemenulevel.

PresstheMODEkeytoleavealevel;e.g.,thewrongmenuoptionischosen.

ImportantNote:Nomatterhowmanylevelsinto AudioStar are traveled, each press oftheMODEkeymovesupa level, until thetoplevel,“SelectItem”,isreached.OnceintheSelectItemlevel,pressMODEtoreturntothetopmostlevel,“SelectItem:Object”.

AudioStarNavigationExerciseTodemonstratehowtheAudioStarmenustructureworks,thefollowingexercisecalculatesSunsettimesoaneveningobservingsessioncanbeplanned.

ToCalculateSunsettime:

1. Press the MODE key several times, until“SelectItem:Object”isdisplayed.

2.PresstheScrollDownkeyoncetodisplaythe “Event” option in the “Select Item”menu.

3.PresstheENTERkeytochoosethe“Event”option and move down a level. “Event:Sunrise”isdisplayed.

4.PresstheScrollDownkeyoncetodisplaythe“Sunset”optionintheEventmenu.

5.PresstheENTERkeytochoosethe“Sunset”optionandmovedownanotherlevel.

6.AudioStarcalculatestheSunsettimebasedon the current date, time, and location.AudioStar then displays the results of thecalculation.

7.PressMODEoncetostartmovingbackupthroughtheAudioStarlevels.ThefirstlevelupistheEventmenu.

8. Press MODE again to move up anotherlevel.Thisisthetoplevel,“SelectItem”.

9.PressMODEagaintoreturntothestartingpointof“SelectItem:Object”.

Fig.8:TheAudioStarUniverse:Thesixprimarycate-gorieslistedintheSelectItemmenuofAudioStar.

AudioStar Operation

AUDI

OSTA

R OP

ERAT

ION

22

telescopeforyoutoview.

Thetelescopecomespre-loadedwith:

• “Tonight’s Best”, a selection of the mostinterestingobjectsvisibleonanynight.

• “A Star’s Life”, tours how stars are formed,created,changesthroughtheirlivesandfinallydieusingexamplesthatarevisibletonight.

• “HowFarisFar”,tourshowingthephenomenaldistancesyoucanseewithyourLX65Series.

AudioStarSuitealsoallowsyou tocreate yourownguidedtoursoftheskies,includingyourownobjectsandtitles(forcompleteinstructionsonhowtousetheauthoring toolspleaserefer to the referencemanualincludedontheAudioStarSuiteDVD).

Object MenuAlmostallobservingwithLX65isperformedusingtheObject menu category. (NOTE: Exceptions includeGuidedTourandLandmarks).

ManyLX65menucategoriescontaindatabases.AnLX65 database is a list of objects, such as stars,planets,comets,nebulaeandsoforth.Whenoneoftheseobjectsisselectedfromadatabasebypressing“ENTER” and then “GO TO”, LX65 moves yourtelescope(whenproperlyaligned)andpointsitattheselectedobject.

TheObjectMenuoptionsinclude:

SolarSystemisadatabaseoftheeightplanets(Earthis not included) in ascending orbits from the Sun,followedbytheMoon,asteroids,andcomets.

Constellation is a database of all 88 Northern andSouthernHemisphereconstellations.Whenthismenuoption is chosen and a constellation nameappearsonthefirst lineofthescreen,pressGOTOoncetochangethesecondlinetothenameofthebrighteststarintheconstellation.

PressGOTOasecondtimetoslewthetelescopetothatstar.UsetheScrollkeystocyclethroughthelistofstarsintheconstellation,frombrightesttodimmest.

DeepSkyisadatabaseofobjectsoutsideourSolarSystemsuchasnebulae,starclusters,galaxies,andquasars grouped in various catalogs like Messier,CaldwellandNGC.

Starisadatabaseofstarslistedindifferentcategoriessuchasnamed,double,variable,ornearby.

Entering Data into AudioStar• Toenternumbersandtext:

a)UsetheNumberkeys,or

b) Use the Arrow keys to scroll throughnumbers0-9andthealphabet.TheDownArrowkeybeginswith the letter “A”; theUpArrowkeybeginswithdigit“9”.

• To move the cursor across the display:Use theRight or LeftArrowkey (Pg. 19,Fig. 5, 5) to move the cursor from onenumbertothenextinthedisplay

• PressENTERwhenthedesiredinformationhasbeenentered.

NavigatingAudioStar

AudioStar’s menus are organized for quickandeasynavigation:

•PressENTERtogodeeperintoAudioStar’smenulevels.

• PressMODE (Pg. 19, Fig. 5, 3) tomovebacktowardthetopmenulevel.

• PresstheScrollkeystomoveupanddownthroughtheoptionsorlists.

• PresstheArrowkeystomovethecursoracrossthedisplay.

• Press the Help (?) key to access on-linehelp.

Whenmultiplechoicesareavailablewithinamenuoption,theoptionthatiscurrentlyselectedisusuallydisplayedfirstandhighlightedbyarightpointing arrow(>).

Guided Tour MenuWhenGuidedToursisselected,LX65showsyoua list of theme tours that will help you explorethe night sky. These tours are pre programmedpresentations of objects that are visible for theuser’sparticularlocation,timeanddate.

The most popular tour is “Tonight’s Best” thatguides the user to the best objects that arecurrently up in the night sky. This tour is theeasiestwaytogetstartedexploringthecosmoswithyournewLX65telescope.

Each tour will select the objects, presentinformation about the object and, if you press“GoTo”, put that object in the eyepiece of the

AudioStar MENU TREE

AUDI

OSTA

R M

ENU

TREE

23

To

nigh

t's B

est

A

Star

's Li

fe

How

Far

is F

ar

Sola

r Sys

tem

M

ercu

ry

Etc.

M

oon

As

tero

ids

C

omet

sC

onst

ella

tions

An

drom

eda

Etc.

Dee

p Sk

y

Nam

ed O

bjec

t

Gal

axie

s

Neb

ulae

M

essi

er

Etc.

Star

N

amed

SAO

Cat

alog

D

oubl

e

Varia

ble

Etc.

Sate

llite

Se

lect

Ad

d

Del

ete

Ed

itU

ser O

bjec

ts

Sele

ct

Add

D

elet

e

Edit

Land

mar

ks

Sele

ct

Add

D

elet

eId

entif

yBr

owse

St

art S

earc

h

Edit

Para

met

ers

Sunr

ise

Suns

etM

oonr

ise

Moo

nset

Moo

n Ph

ases

N

ext F

ull M

oon

N

ext N

ew M

oon

N

ext 1

st Q

tr

Nex

t 3rd

Qtr

Met

eor S

how

ers

Q

uadr

antid

s

Lyrid

s

Eta

Aqua

rids

D

elta

Aqu

arid

s

Pers

eids

O

rioni

ds

Taur

ids

Le

onid

s

Gem

inid

s

Urs

ids

Sola

r Ecl

ipse

sLu

nar E

clip

ses

Min

. of A

lgol

Autu

mn

Equi

nox

Vern

al E

quin

oxW

inte

r Sol

stic

eSu

mm

er S

olst

ice

Tour

Obj

ects

A...

Ac

cret

ion

Dis

k

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...

Tim

er

Set

St

art &

Sto

pAl

arm

Se

t

On

& O

ffEy

epie

ce C

alc.

Fi

eld

of V

iew

M

agni

ficat

ion

Su

gges

tBr

ight

est S

tar

Brig

htne

ss A

dj.

Con

trast

Adj

.Be

epBa

ttery

Ala

rmLa

ndm

ark

Surv

eySl

eep

Scop

ePa

rk S

cope

Lang

uage

Audi

o C

lipC

ord

Wra

pG

PS

Sele

ct It

em:

Obj

ect

Sele

ct It

em:

Eve

ntSe

lect

Item

: G

uide

d To

urSe

lect

Item

: G

loss

ary

Sele

ct It

em:

Util

ities

Sele

ct It

em:

Set

upAl

ign

Ea

sy

One

Sta

r

Two

Star

Th

ree

Star

(LXD

-75

Dat

e

O

nly)

Tim

eD

aylig

ht S

avin

gTe

lesc

ope

Te

lesc

ope

Mod

el

Az/R

A R

atio

Al

t/Dec

Rat

io

Mou

nt

LXD

-75

Adju

st (L

XD-7

5

Foca

l Len

gth

Az

/RA

Perc

ent

Al

t/Dec

Per

cent

Sm

art D

rive

(LXD

-75

Tr

ain

Driv

e

Trac

king

Rat

e

Rev

erse

L/R

R

ever

se U

p/D

n

Qui

et S

lew

M

ax E

leva

tion

M

in A

OS

C

alib

rate

Mot

or

Hig

h Pr

ecis

ion

Targ

ets

As

trono

mic

al

Terre

stria

lSi

te

Sele

ct

Add

D

elet

e

Edit

Ow

ner I

nfo

Clo

neD

ownl

oad

Stat

istic

sR

eset

Onl

y)

Onl

y)

Important Note: When an object is selected,pressing“ENTER”willsynchronize the telescope’scoordinates with the object. This is most usefulwhen synching on bright stars to achieve betterpointinginthevicinityofthestar.

UserObjectsallowstheusertodefineandstoreinmemory deep-sky objects of specific interest thatarenotcurrentlyintheLX65database.Seepage38formore information (for complete instructions onhow touse theauthoring toolsplease refer to thereferencemanual includedon theAudioStarSuiteDVD).

SatelliteisadatabaseofEarth-orbitingobjectssuchastheInternationalSpaceStation(ISS),theHubbleSpaceTelescope(HST),GlobalPositioningSystem(GPS)satellites,andgeosynchronousorbitsatellites.In order to find and track satellites, you mustdownloadrecentorbitaldataintothetelescope.

Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial pointsof interest that you create in the permanent LX65database.

IMPORTANTNOTE:TousetheLandmarkfunction,thetelescopemustbelocatedandalignedexactlyaswhenthelandmarkwasaddedtothedatabase.

• Select– ToselectaLandmarkalready inthe database(seeADDbelow),choosethe“Select” optionandscrollthroughthelist.Press“ENTER” toselectaLandmark,thenpress“GOTO”andthe telescopeslewstotheobject.

• Add–ToaddaLandmark,choosethe“Add” option.EnteranamefortheLandmark.Locate andcentertheLandmarkintheeyepiece,then press“ENTER”.

Identify is anexciting feature for anobserverwhowants to scan the night sky and start exploring.Afterthetelescopehasbeenproperlyaligned,usetheAudioStarArrowkeystomoveaboutinthesky.Thenfollowthisprocedure:

ImportantNote:Onlyuse theArrowkeys tomovethetelescopeduringtheIdentifyprocedure.Donotmove the telescopemanuallyor thealignmentwillbelost.

1.Whenadesiredobjectisvisibleintheeyepiece,keeppressingMODEuntilthe“SelectItem:Object”menuisdisplayed.PressENTERtoselectthismenu.

2.ScrollthroughtheObjectmenuoptionsuntilthe

“Object:Identify”screenappears.

3.PressENTER.AudioStarsearchesthedatabasefortheidentityoftheobjectbeingobserved.

4. If the telescope is not directly on anAudioStardatabase object, the nearest database object islocatedanddisplayedonthescreen.PressGOTOandthetelescopeslewstothatobject.

Browse allows you to search the database forobjectswithcertainparameters,muchlikeasearchengine. “Edit Parameters” lets you set variousparameters for the search, such as: Object Type,MinimumElevation,Largest,etc.Onceyouhavesettheparametersofthesearch,select“StartSearch”andpressENTER.AudioStarwilldisplaytheresultsofthesearch.Seepage40formoreinformation.

Event MenuThe Event menu provides access to dates andtimesofastronomicalevents.TheEventdatabaseincludes:

SunriseandSunsetcalculatesthetimethattheSunrisesorsetsonthecurrentdate.

MoonriseandMoonsetcalculatesthetimethattheMoonrisesorsetsonthecurrentdate.

MoonPhasesdisplaysthedateandtimeofthenextNew,1stQuarter,Fulland3rdQuarterMoon.

MeteorShowersprovidesinformationonupcomingmeteorshowers,suchasthePerseids,theLeonids,etc.Also lists thedatesof theshowersandwhentheyreachmaximum.

NOTE:Meteorsarefastmovingobjectsthatcoverlargeareasoftheskyandareusuallybestobservedwiththenakedeye.

Solar Eclipse lists upcoming Solar Eclipses,includingthedateandtype(total,annular,orpartial)ofeclipse,andthelocationandtimeofthefirstandlastcontactsoftheMoon’sshadow.UsetheScrollUp and Down keys to display the available data.Remember, never use a telescope to look at the Sun!

Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses,includingthedateandtype(total,partial,penumbral)of eclipse. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys todisplaytheavailabledata.

AUDI

OSTA

R M

ENU

OPTI

ONS

24

AUDI

OSTA

R M

ENU

OPTI

ONS

25

Min.(Minimum)ofAlgolistheminimumbrightnessofthedramaticeclipsingbinarystarsystem,Algol.Itisrelativelycloseatadistanceof100lightyears.Every2.8daysduringa10hourperiod,Algolundergoesamajorchangeinapparentmagnitudeasoneofthetwo starspassesbehind theother. The combinedmagnitudeof thetwostars thusdips from+2.1toaminimumof+3.4halfwaythroughtheeclipseasthesecondstarishidden.LX65calculatesminimummagnitudetimeatmid-eclipse.

AutumnandVernalEquinoxcalculatesthetimeanddateofthefallorspringequinoxofthecurrentyear.

Winter and Summer Solstice calculates the timeand date of the winter or summer solstice of the currentyear.

Glossary Menu

The Glossary menu provides an alphabeticallisting of definitions and descriptions for commonastronomicaltermsandAudioStarfunctions.Accessdirectly through the Glossary menu or throughhypertextwordsembeddedinAudioStar.Ahypertextwordisanywordin[brackets],usuallyfoundwhenusingtheAudioStarHelpfunctionorwhenreadingascrollingmessagesuchasadescriptionofaplanetorstar.PressENTERwheneverahypertextwordisonscreenandAudioStargoestotheglossaryentryforthatword.

ToaccessdirectlyfromtheGlossarymenu,usetheScroll keys to scroll through the alphabet. PressENTERon the desired letter. Scroll to the desiredentryandthenpressENTERtoreadthedescription.

UtilitiesMenuTheUtilitiesmenuprovidesaccesstoseveralextrafeatures within AudioStar, including a countdowntimerandanalarm.TheUtilitiesfunctionsinclude:

Timer selects a countdown timer. This feature isuseful for functionssuchasastrophotographyandtrackingsatellites.SeeOBSERVINGSatellites,page32. To use the Timer, press ENTER, then choose“Set”or“Start/Stop.”

• Set:Enter thetimetobecounteddown, inhours, minutes, and seconds, then pressENTER.

• Start/Stop:Activatesthetimersetpreviously.Use theScroll keys to toggle betweenONand OFF. When ON is displayed, pressENTERtoactivatethetimer.Whenthetimer

runsout,fourbeepssoundandthetimerisdeactivated.

Alarmselectsatimeforanalarmsignalasareminder.TousetheAlarm,pressENTER,thenchoose“Set”or“Start/Stop”.

• Set: Enter the timeof day for the alarm tosound,inhours,minutes,andseconds,thenpressENTER.

• Start/Stop:Activatesthealarmsetpreviously.Use theScroll keys to toggle betweenONand OFF. When ON is displayed, pressENTERtoactivatethealarm.Whenthealarmtimearrives,AudioStarbeeps.PressENTERtodeactivatethealarm.

Eyepiece Calc calculates information about aneyepiece for the specific telescope to whichAudioStarisconnected.

• FieldofView:Scrollthroughalistofavailableeyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected,thefieldofviewiscalculated.

• Magnification: Scroll through a list ofavailable eyepieces. When an eyepiece isselected,themagnificationiscalculated.

• Suggest:AudioStarcalculatesandsuggeststhebesteyepieceforviewing,basedonthetelescopeandtheobjectbeingviewed.

BrightnessAdjadjuststhebrightnessofthedisplayusingtheScrollkeys.Whencomplete,pressENTER.

ContrastAdjadjuststhecontrastofthedisplayusingtheScrollkeys.Whencomplete,pressENTER.

Note: This feature is usually only required in verycoldweather.

LandmarkSurveyautomaticallyslewsthetelescopeto all user-defined landmarks with a short pauseateach location.PressENTERtostart thesurvey.Whileaslew is inprogress,pressanykey toskipthatobjectandgotothenextlandmarkonthelist.To observe a landmark for a longer period, pressMODE when paused on the object to stop thesurvey.PressENTERtorestartthesurveyatthefirstobjectonthelist.SeeLandmarks,page37.

Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shutsdown

AUDI

OSTA

R M

ENU

OPTI

ONS

26

AudioStarandthetelescopewithoutforgettingitsalignment. With “Sleep Scope” selected, pressENTER to activate the Sleep function. AudioStargoes dark, but the internal clock keeps running.Press any key, except ENTER, to re-activateAudioStarandthetelescope.

Park Scope is designed for a telescope that isnotmovedbetweenobservingsessions.Alignthetelescopeonetime,thenusethisfunctiontoparkthetelescope.Nexttimeitispoweredup,enterthecorrectdateand time–noalignment is required.PressingENTERcausesthetelescopetomovetoitspre-determinedParkposition.Onceparked,thescreenpromptstoturnoffpower.

Important Note: When the “Park Scope” optionischosenandthedisplaypromptsyoutoturnoffthe telescope’spower,AudioStar is unable tobereturnedtooperationwithoutturningthepoweroffandthenbackon.

Language: Select the English language or otherpre-loadedlanguageandAudioStarwilldisplaytextandaudiodescriptionsintheselectedlanguage.

CordWrap,whensetto“On”,movesthetelescopeinsuchawayastopreventthecordsandcablesattachedtoyourtelescopeassemblyfromgettingwound around the assembly and tangled as thetelescope slews to objects. “Off” is the defaultsetting.

AudioClip:SelectfromAutomaticorOnDemand.The Automatic setting will automatically play theobject audiowhenanight skyobject is selectedontheAudioStar.TheOnDemandfeaturerequirestheusertopressthe?keyonceanightskyobjectis selected.Pressing the? keywill thenplay theaudiopresentationsfortheselectedobject.

Setup MenuTheSetupmenu’sprimaryfunctionistoalignthetelescope. However, there are numerous otherfeaturesavailablewithintheSetupmenu,including:

Date changes the date used by AudioStar. Thisfunction is useful to check events in the past orfuture.Forexample,set theDatemenuforadaythreemonthsinthefuture.Thencheckthe“SelectItem:Event”menufortheSunsettimeonthatdate.SeeEVENTMENU,page26.

Time changes the time entered into AudioStar.

Setting the correct time is critical for AudioStar toproperly calculate locations and events. Time maybe set to 24-hourmode (military time) by selectingthe“blank”optionwhichfollowsthe“AM”and“PM”options.

DaylightSavingisusedtoenableordisableDaylightSavingstime.

Note:DaylightSavingsTimemaybe referred tobydifferentnamesinvariousareasoftheworld.Checklocaltimetoverify.

Telescopeaccessestheseveraloptions,including:

• Model: Allows you to select the telescopemodelconnectedtoAudioStar.

• FocalLength:Displaysthefocallengthoftheselectedtelescope.

• AzRatioandAltRatio:TheAz(Azimuth)ratioandAlt (Altitude) ratio refers to the gears ofthe telescope’s motors. Do not alter thesenumbers.

• AzPercent:TheAz (Azimuth)Percentallowsyoutochangetheazimuthbacklash,i.e.,thewaytheArrowkeysmovethetelescopealongthe azimuth (horizontal) axis. If you enter avaluenear100,thetelescopetuberespondsmore quickly (it responds immediately at100%)as youholddownanArrowkeyandalso slews (moves) the tubemorequickly. Ifyouenteravaluenear0,ittakeslongerforthetubetorespondasyouholddownanArrowkey and also slews the tube more slowly.Experiment with this option. Try changingthepercentvalueuntilyougeta“feel”fortheArrowkeysthatiscomfortableforyou.

• AltPercent:TheAlt(Altitude)Percentoperatesidentical to the Az Percent option (seeabove),butallowsyoutochangethealtitudebacklash, i.e., thewaytheArrowkeysmovethetelescopewhenmovingalongthealtitude(vertical)axis.

• Train Drive: Trains the Altitude and Azimuthmotorstolocateobjectswithmoreprecision.

If you are experiencing any problems withpointing accuracy, follow the proceduredescribed in APPENDIX A: TRAINING THEDRIVE,page44, to insureaccuratepointingandtracking.

AUDI

OSTA

R M

ENU

OPTI

ONS

27

galaxy), AudioStar first slews to a nearbybright star and displays “ENTER to Sync”.Center the star in the eyepiece, then pressENTER.Atthatpointthetelescopehasahighprecisionalignmenttothatpartoftheskyandit thenslewsto theobject thatwasoriginallyrequested.

Targets switches between Astronomical targets andTerrestrial targets. If “Astronomical” is selected, thetelescopetrackingmotorisactivatedandanyobjectyou observe will remain centered in the eyepiece.If “Terrestrial” is selected, the tracking motor is turnedoff..

Siteprovidesaccesstoseveraloptionsincluding:

• Select: Displays the currently selectedobserving site. Use the Scroll keys to cyclethrough all available sites (see Add below).PressENTERwhenthesiteyouwishtoselectdisplays.Usethisoptionwhenyoumovetoadifferentgeographiclocation.

• Add:Allowsyoutoaddnewobservingsitestothedatabase (up tosixsitesmaybestored).Scroll through the list of Countries/States.PressENTERwhen thesite youwish toadddisplays.Thenchoose thedesiredcity in thesamemanner.

• Delete: Deletes a stored site from thedatabase.

• Edit:Editsaselectedsite,including:thename,latitude,longitude,andtimezone.TimeZonereferstotheGreenwichMeanTime(GMT)timezoneshift.UsersWestofGreenwich,Englanduse “-” hours, East of Greenwich use “+”hours.FortheUnitedStates,lookupthetimezoneshiftinthetableatleft.

AudioStar compensates for daylight savingstime, if selected. See Setup Menu: DaylightSaving,page28.

Owner Info accesses the owner information menu,including:

• Name:UsersmayenterboththeirfirstandlastnamesusingtheUpandDownArrowkeystocyclethroughthealphabet.UsetheRightand

• TrackingRate:Changesthespeedatwhichthetelescopetrackstargetsinthesky.

a.Sidereal:Thedefaultsetting forAudioStar;sidereal rate is the standard rate at whichstarsmovefromEasttoWestacrosstheskyduetotherotationoftheEarth.

b.Lunar:ChoosethisoptiontoproperlytracktheMoonoverlongobservingsessions.

c.Custom: Allows entry of user-definedtrackingrates.

• Reverse L/R reverses the functions of theLeftandRightArrowkeys(i.e.,theRightkeymovesthetelescopetotheleft).

• Reverse UP/DOWN reverses the functionsoftheUpandDownArrowkeys(i.e.,theUpkeymovesthetelescopedown).

• Quiet Slewsetsthemaximumslewrateto1.5°forquieteroperation.

• Max Elevation allowsyou toenteravaluein degrees that sets a limit as to how farthe optical tube can swing upward duringaprogrammedslew. (Note that it doesnotpreventyoufromperformingamanualslewpastthislimit.)Thisisusefulwhenyouhaveacameraorotherperipheralattachedtothetelescope—youcanprevent it fromstrikingthetelescopebase.

• Min AOS (AcquisitionofSignal)allowsyouenteravalueindegrees.Thisvaluerepresentsthealtitudeatwhichyourtelescopebeginstoslewwhenacquiringasatellitetrack.Thisisusefulwhenyouareobservingsatellites,buta tall treeorbuilding isobstructing thetelescope.Forexample,youmightbegintotrackthesatelliteat15°altitude, insteadof5°. See Observing Satellites, page 32, formoreinformationaboutsatellites.

• Calibrate Motor if the telescope motorsappeartohaveaproblem,usethisoptiontoretestthemotorsbeforeperformingaReset.ThisoptionisalsousedifanAudioStarunitis moved between telescopes, to matchAudioStartothenewtelescope.Tocalibratethe motors, select this option and pressENTER.

• High Precision if turned on, when lookingfor a faint celestial object (i.e., a nebula or

Left Arrow keys to move through the text. PressENTERwhentheentryiscomplete.

• Address:UsetheUpandDownArrowkeystoenteryourstreetaddress,city,state,andzipcode.PressENTERwhentheentryiscomplete.

Download transfers information from another AudioStarduring cloning (see below). During the operation, thewarning“DownloadingDoNotTurnOff”appears.

Note: TheDownload function requires theoptional #505Astrofinder Software and Cable Connector Kit. See theinstructionsheetincludedwiththekitformoreinformationonhowtodownload.

CloneuploadsinformationfromoneAudioStarhandboxtoanother.Threeoptionsareavailable:

• Catalogs: Sends only user-defined objectinformation,suchasnewsatelliteorbitsorcometdatatoanotherAudioStarhandbox.

• Software:SendsonlythebasicAudioStarsoftware.This is useful if oneuser hasdownloadedanewversion of AudioStar software from the Meadewebsite(www.meade.com)andwantstopassthissoftwarealongtofriends.

• All: Everything – user-defined informationand AudioStar software – is sent to anotherAudioStar.

StatisticsprovidesbasicstatisticaldataaboutAudioStar,including:

• Characters Free: Shows how much room isavailableinuser-definedobjectmemory.

• Version:ShowsthecurrentversionoftheAudioStarsoftware.

Reset completely resets AudioStar.Most values enteredintothemenusreverttofactorydefaults.

AUDI

OSTA

R M

ENU

OPTI

ONS

28

Advanced AudioStar FeaturesAdding Observing SitesIf you plan to observe using AudioStar at differentgeographic locations, you can store up to sixobservationsitesinAudioStar’smemorytohelpsimplifyyour telescope setup. Perform these proceduresusingtheSiteoptions(Add,Select,Delete,Edit)ofthe Setupmenu.

To Add a Site to the user-defined site list:In this example, you will choose a city and add itto thedatabase list.Youwill thenselect thesite toenableit.

1.Navigate to the “Setup: Site” menu. PressENTER,

2. Scroll through the options until “Site: Add”displays.PressENTER.

3.Youaregiven a choice to enter a zip code(press“1”)orselectacityfromthelist(press“2”). If youchoose“Zip”,enter thedigitsofyourzipcodeandpressENTER.

4. If you choose “City”, scroll through the listof countries/states. Press ENTERwhen thecountry/stateyouwishtoadddisplays.

5.Scrollthroughthelistofcities.PressENTERwhen the city you wish to select displays.ThesitesyouchoosewillappearatthetopoftheSelectlist(allotheravailablesiteswillbelistedafterthesitesyouhavechosen).

6.Tochooseasite,navigate to“Site:Select”.PressENTER.Scrollthroughthelistofsites.Both Zip Codes and Cities are displayed.When thedesired zipcodeor sitedisplays, pressENTER.

ToEditaSite:

Inthisprocedure,youwillenteralocationthatisnotavailable in theAudioStardatabasebyeditingdataof a nearby site. Youwill edit the location’s name,latitude, longitudeand the timezoneshift.Youwillthenselectthesitetoenableit.

You will need to know the latitude and longitudeof your location to perform this procedure. Thisinformationisavailableonmostmaps.

1.Using theAddoption,chooseasiteon thelistthatisclosesttoyourobservingsiteandpress ENTER so that the site is added to

your observing sites list. Choosing a sitealreadyonthelist(asopposedtousingthe“Custom”feature)makesiteasiertoedit,asthe“TimeZone”valuemaynotneedtobechanged.

2.Scrollto“Site:Edit”andpressENTER.“Edit:Name”displays.PressENTER.

3.Thenameofthesiteyouhavejustenteredtoyour listdisplays; if itdoesnot,scrollto thesite.

4.UsingtheArrowkeys,changethenameofthe site so that it now reads the name ofyourobserving location.PressEnter.“Edit:Name”displaysagain.

5. Press the Scroll Down key and “Edit:Latitude”displays.PressENTER.

6.UsingtheNumberKeys,enterthelatitudeofyourobservingsiteandthenpressENTER.“Edit:Latitude”displaysagain.

7. Press the Scroll Down key and “Edit:Longitude”displays.PressENTER.

8.UsingtheNumberKeys,enterthelongitudeof your observing site and then pressENTER.“Edit:Longitude”displaysagain.

9.PresstheScrollDownkeyand“Edit:TimeZone” displays. Press ENTER. (If the siteyou chose from the list in step 1 has thesameTimeZoneasthesiteyouareediting,justpressENTERagaintogoontothenextstep.)“TimeZone”referstotheGreenwichTimeZoneshift.UsersWestofGreenwich,use“-”hours(onehourpertimezone)andusersEastofGreenwichuse“+”hours.FortheUnitedStates,lookuptheshiftinTable1,attheleft.

10.Afterenteringtheshift,pressENTER.“EditTimeZone”displays.

11.PressMODE.“Site:Edit”displays.

12.UsingtheArrowkeys,scrollto“Site:Select”.Thesiteyouhavejustediteddisplays.PressENTER to select the site or press MODE toexit.

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

29

Using AudioStar to Find Objects Not in the DatabaseIn this procedure, you will enter coordinates ofcelestial objects that do not appear in any of theAudioStardatabaselists.Youwillentertheobject’sname and R.A. and Dec. coordinates (requiredinformation). You may also enter the object’smagnitudeandsize(optionalinformation).

AlthoughAudioStarcontainsanextensivedatabaseof celestial objects (stars, nebulae, planets, etc.)that you can observe, you may eventually wantto viewobjects that arenotpartof thedatabase.AudioStar provides a feature that allows you toenteranobject’sR.A.andDec.coordinates inthe“User: Objects” option of the Object menu andallows automatic slewing of the telescope to theuser-enteredcoordinates.

Inordertousethismenuoption,youfirstneedtolookuptheR.A.andDec.coordinatesoftheobjectorobjectsyouwishtoobserve.Checkoutyourlocallibrary,computerstore,orbookstoreforastronomybooks, CD ROMs, or magazines (such as Sky &Telescope or Astronomy), to find coordinates ofcelestialobjects.Theobjects/coordinatesyouenterbecome part of your own permanent database,called“UserObjects”.

To enter coordinates of an object into the “User:Objects”optionoftheObjectmenu:

1.Make sure AudioStar has been initializedandthetelescopehasbeenaligned.

2.Afterthetelescopeisaligned,“SelectItem:Object” displays. (If necessary, use theScrollkeystoscroll throughthemenus,aspreviously described, to find this option.)PressENTER.

3.“Object: Solar System” displays. Keeppressing the Scroll Up key until “Object:UserObject”displaysandpressENTER.

4.“User Object: Select” displays. Press theScrollDownkeyonce. “UserObject:Add”displays.PressENTER.

5.“Name” displays on the top line and ablinkingcursoronthesecondline.UsetheArrow keys, as previously described, toenter the name of the object you wish toaddtothedatabase.Whenyouarefinished,pressENTER.

6.“Right Asc.: 00.00.0” displays. Use theNumber keys to enter the digits for theRightAscensioncoordinateofyourobject.Whenyouarefinished,pressENTER.

7.“Declination:+00°.00’”displays.Use theNumber keys to enter the digits for theDeclination coordinate of your object. Ifnecessary,usetheScrollKeystochange“+” to “-”.When you are finished, pressENTER.

8.AudioStar thenpromptsyoutoenter thesize of the object. This step is optional.Use the Number keys to enter the size(inarc-minutes), if sodesired,andpressENTERtogotothenextdisplay.Ifyoudonotwishtoenterthisinformation,simplypressENTER.

9.AudioStar thenpromptsyoutoenter themagnitudeoftheobject.Thisstepisalsooptional. Use the Number keys to enterthis information, if sodesired,andpressENTER to go to the next display. “UserObject:Add”displaysagain.

To GO TO a user-entered object:Inthisprocedure,youwillchooseanobjectfromtheUserObjectlistandGOTOtheobject.

1.With“UserObject:Add”displayed,pressthe Scroll Up key once. “User Object:Select”displays.PressENTER.

2.UsetheScrollkeys(ifnecessary)toscrolltothedesiredobject.PressENTER.

3.The name of the object and the RightAscension and Declination coordinatesdisplay.

4.PressGOTOandthetelescopeslewsto theobject.

Observing Satellites Inthisprocedure,youwillprepareyourtelescopetoobserveasatellitepass.

1.Navigate to the “Object:Satellite”menuoptionandpressENTER.

2.UsetheScrollkeystoscrollthroughthelist ofsatellites.

3. Select a satellite from list and pressENTER.

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

30

by AudioStar. Downloading requires the optional#505AstroFinder™SoftwareandCableConnectorKit.

NOTE:Satelliteobservingisanexcitingchallenge.Most satellites are in low orbit, travelling atapproximately17,500mph.Whenvisible,theymovequicklyacross theskyandareonly in thefieldofviewforafewminutes,requiringAudioStartoslewthetelescoperapidly.BestviewingisnearSunriseorSunsetwhentheskyisstilldark.Viewinginthemiddleofthenightcanbeproblematicbecausethesatellitemaypassoverhead,butnotbevisibleasitisintheEarth’sshadow.

HowtoCreateYourOwnGuidedTourWhenaGuidedTour is selected,AudioStar slewsyour telescope to a predetermined list of objectsand displays information about each object, suchas typeof object, constellation location,R.A. andDec.coordinates,andsoforth.AudioStarcontainsa fewGuidedTourswhichareprogrammedat thefactory. But it is also possible for an observer tocreateacustomGuidedTour.

A tour is basically anASCII text file that containsalistofdirectionsanddescriptions.Eachlineofatouriseitheracommentline,acommandline,oradescription.

Whatyouwillneed:

•APCwithtexteditororwordprocessingsoftwareinstalled(thetourmustbesavedasa“textonly”orasa“MS-DOStext”file).

•TheMeade#505CableConnectorKittodownloadtourinformationtotheAudioStarhandbox.

TourModes

TheobjectschosenforatourlistareselectedfromAudioStar’s database or by entering the object’sR.A.andDec.coordinates.Thetourispresentedinoneoftwomodes:

AutomaticMode:Thetitleofanobjectappearsonfirstlineanddescriptivetextscrollsonline2.

InteractiveMode: Tour name appears on the firstlineof theAudioStardisplayand thenameof theobjectdisplaysonline2.Todisplaydescriptivetextinthismode,theusermustpressENTER.

4. “Calculating...” and then “Tracking...”displays.Ifthesatelliteisgoingtomakeapass, “Located”displays.

5.Use theScroll keys to display data aboutthe pass: aos—acquisition of signal andlos—lossofsignal. Ifyousubtract theaosfromthelos,youcancalculatehowlongthesatellitewillbevisible.Locationinformationalsodisplays.

6. “Alarm” displays after the locationinformation. Press ENTER and AudioStarautomatically sets the alarm to sound aminute before the satellite’s scheduledappearance. You may return to regularobservationsuntilthealarmgoesoff.

7. When the alarm goes off, return to theSatellitemenuandpressaScroll keyuntilthedesiredsatelliteisonthetoplineofthedisplay.

8.PressGOTO.AudioStarslewsthetelescopeto where the satellite should appear. Themotor drive stops and a countdown isdisplayed.

Note:Ifthescheduledappearancepositionof the satellite is obstructed (i.e., by abuilding, tree, or hill), press ENTER andAudioStar starts to move the telescopealongtheexpectedsatellitetrack.Whenthetrack clears the obstruction, press ENTERagaintopausethetelescope,thencontinuewiththisprocedure.

9.Withabout20secondsleftonthecountdowntimer,startwatchingthroughthetelescopeViewfinder(Pg.13,Fig.1,13)forthesatellitetoenterthefieldofview.

10. When the satellite enters the viewfinderfield of view, press ENTER. The telescopestartstotrackwiththesatellite.

11.UsetheAudioStarArrowkeystocentertheobject in the viewfinder, then look throughtheeyepiecetoviewtheobject.

Satelliteorbitschangeandnewsatellites(includingthe SpaceShuttle) are launched. Visit theMeadewebsite (www.meade.com)approximatelyonceamonthtogetupdatedinformationandinstructionsonhowtodownloadthisdatatoAudioStar.Iforbitalparameters are more than one month old, thesatellitepassmaynothappenatthetimepredicted

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

31

Description String: Descriptionofanobject.Mustbesurrounded by quotation marks. If the description islongerthanoneline,eachlinemustendwithaquotationmarkandahardreturn.Beginthenextdescriptionlinewithaquotationmark.

Ifquotationmarksaretobedisplayedintheon-screendescription, use two quote marks at the beginningand end of the desired phrase. For example: “TheOrionNebula isconsidered“awesome”bymanywho viewit”.

Writing a TourUsingthelistofcommandslistedabove,acustomtourcanbecreated.PlacingthewordAUTOSELECTbeforeany of the command lines activatesAutomaticModeand,whenselected,AudioStarautomaticallysearchesandfindsthedesignatedobject.

Thefollowingisalistofcommandlines,completewithkeywordsandnecessarystrings:

TITLE

Titlemust be the first keyword in your tour after anycomment lines and must be 15 characters or less.AudioStar displays this title when “Guided Tour” isselectedfromthemenus.

Forexample:TITLE“AStar’sLife”

TEXT“titlestring”“descriptionstring”

This command allows you to display a text title anddescription.

USERradec“titlestring”“descriptionstring”

This command line allows you to access a specificobject with your own description. Enter USER, thentheR.A.andDEC.ofadesiredobject,anditstitleanddescription.UsetheformatdescribedintheCommandLinesection.

The following commands specify objects that arealreadyintheAudioStardatabase.Ifthesecommandsfollow thecommandAUTOSELECT, theobject’s titledisplays on line 1 and its description scrolls across line2.

Do not add a description string after the followingcommand lines; thesecommandsaccessobjectwithexistingdescriptionintheAudioStardatabase.

Comment Line

InformationintheTourprogramthatisnotdisplayed,suchasauthorship,revisionhistory,

copyrights, etc. All comments begin with a “/”characterincolumn1oftheline.Forexample:

/ExtremeObject

/(c)2009MeadeInstrumentsCorporation

Command Line

This line contains programming commands,including:R.A.andDEC.coordinates,atitlestring,adescriptionstring,andakeyword.

R.A.:EntertheRightAscensionofanobjectinthefollowingformat:HH:MM:SS.

Eg.,18:51:05

Dec.: Enter the Declination of an object in thefollowingformat:DDdMMmSSs.Eg.,–06d16m00s

Title String:Textwithinatitlestringisdisplayedasthetitleoftheobject.Atitlestringcancontainupto16charactersandmustbesurroundedbyquotationmarks.Forexample.“M64”or“MyFavoriteStar”.

In Interactive Mode,thetitlestringappearsonline2untilitisselectedwiththeENTERkey.

In Automatic Mode, or after Interactive Modeselection,thetitlestringappearsonline1whilethedescriptionscrollsacrossline2.

Keywords: Action tobeperformedduringa tour.AudioStarrecognizesthefollowingkeywords:

TITLE TEXT USER NGC IC SAO MESSIER CALDWELL PLANET MOON SATELLITE ASTEROID COMET LUNARECLIPSE METEORSHOWER DEEPSKY CONSTELLATION STAR LANDMARK DEFINE PICKONE/PICKEND AUTOSLEWON/OFF #END

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

32

informationaboutthesatellitefromitsdatabase.Forexample:SATELLITE:“IntlSpaceStn”

ASTEROID“name”

Enter ASTEROID and then the name of thedesired asteroid in quotes. AudioStar displaysinformationabouttheasteroidfromitsdatabase.Forexample:ASTEROID:“Ceres”

COMET“name”

EnterCOMETandthenthenameofthedesiredcomet inquotes.AudioStardisplays informationaboutthecometfromitsdatabase.Forexample: COMET:“Halley”

LUNARECLIPSE

IfLUNARECLIPSEispartofthetour,AudioStarchecksitsdatabaseeverytimethetourisactivatedtoseeifalunareclipseisvisiblethatevening.Ifnoeclipseisvisible,thisoptionisskippedandthetourproceedsonthenextobject.

METEORSHOWER

IfMETEORSHOWERispartofthetour,AudioStarchecks its database every time the tour isactivatedtoseeifameteorshowerisvisiblethatevening.Ifnometeorshowerisvisible,thisoptionisskippedandthetourproceedsontothenextobject.

DEEPSKY“name”

Enter DEEP SKY followed by the name of thedesiredobjectinquotes.Forexample:

DEEPSKY“SmallMagellanicCloud”

CONSTELLATION“name”

EnterCONSTELLATIONfollowedbythenameofthedesiredconstellationinquotes.Forexample:CONSTELLATION“LeoMajor”

NGC xxxx

EnterNGCfollowedbythedesiredNewGeneralCatalognumberandAudioStarprovidestheuserwithadescriptionoftheobjectfromitsdatabase.Forexample:NGC4256

IC xxxx

Enter IC followed by the desired IndexCatalognumberandAudioStarprovides theuserwithadescriptionof theobject from itsdatabase. Forexample:IC1217

SAO xxxxxx

EnterSAOfollowedbythedesiredSAOnumberandAudioStarprovidestheuserwithadescriptionoftheobjectfromitsdatabase.Forexample:SAO30200

Messierxxx

EnterMESSIERfollowedbythedesiredMessiernumberandAudioStarprovides theuserwithadescriptionof theobject from itsdatabase. Forexample:M101

CALDWELLxxx

EnterCALDWELLfollowedbytheCaldwellnumberandAudioStarprovidestheuserwithadescriptionof the object from its database. For example: CALDWELL17

PLANET“name”

EnterPLANETandthenthenameofthedesiredplanet in quotes. AudioStar provides the userwithadescriptionoftheselectedplanetfromitsdatabase.Forexample:PLANET“Pluto”

MOON

This command accesses information about theMoonfromtheAudioStardatabase.

SATELLITE“name”

EnterSATELLITEandthenthenameofthedesiredsatelliteinquotes.AudioStardisplays

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

33

STAR“name”

Enter STAR followed by the name of the desiredstarinquotes.Forexample:STAR“Vega”

LANDMARKazalt“title”“description”

Enter the azimuth (az) for the desired object inthe following format: xxxdxxmxxs. For example:123d27m00s.Thenenterthealtitudeofthedesiredobject in the following format: xxdxxmxxs. Thenenterthetitlestringanddescriptionstringinquotes.Forexample:

LANDMARK123d27m00s 57d20m20s “Landmark1”“Northcornerofapartmentbuilding”

PICKONE/PICKEND

These twostatementsareused tosurrounda listof itemsthatAudioStarcanchoosefromduringatour.AudioStarbeginsatthetopofthePICKONElistanddisplaysthefirstobjectfromthelistthatisabovethehorizonandignorestherest.

This statement is useful for developing tours thatcanbepresentedyearround.Foreachobjecttypeyouwish to use to illustrate in your tour, pick 10to 12 examples spaced across the range of rightascension.BracketthembythePICKONE/PICKENDstatements.Onecurrentexampledisplaysfortheuser.Forexample:

AUTOSELECTTEXT“GlobularCluster”“Globularclustersarehugeballsofstars”.

“They contain 50,000 to 100,000 stars and arelocatedonthefringesofour“galaxy”.

PICKONE

AUTOSELECTMESSIER13

AUTOSELECTMESSIER15

AUTOSELECTMESSIER92

AUTOSELECTMESSIER4

AUTOSELECTMESSIER68

AUTOSELECTNGC1234

AUTOSELECTTEXT “NoneAvailable” “I’m sorry.There are no bright globular” “clusters visible at thistime”.

PICKEND

AUTOSLEWON/AUTOSLEWOFF

WithAUTOSLEWONenabledinthetour,AudioStarautomatically slews the telescope to objects firstbefore displaying the text description. This featureis useful when designing tours in which observingcertainobjectsisrequired.Forexample,anastronomyprofessor may require his students to observe sixobjects, fourofwhichAudioStarautomaticallyslewstoinatour.Thestudentswouldhavetomanuallyslewto the last twoobjects.Hewould thenplaceAUTOSLEWONbeforehisfirst requiredobjectandAUTOSLEWOFFafterthefourthobject.

#END

Toendatour,typethecommand#ENDonaseparatelineattheveryendofthetour.

DownloadingTours

Once a tour is written and stored as an ASCII file(savedeitherasa“textonly”or“MSDOStext”file),load it into AudioStar using the AudioStar UpdateUtilityonyourPC.Astoursaredownloadedintothehandbox, AudioStar examines the programming. Ifit doesn’t understand the terminology used withina tour, it flags questionable areas and displaysthem in a pop-up window on your computerscreen. Make the necessary corrections and tryto download again. See the instruction sheet withyour#505CableConnectorKit formore informationabout downloading data to and interfacing withAudioStar.

LandmarksThis menu option allows you to define and storeterrestrial objects in the Landmark database. First,a landmarkneedstobestored inmemoryusingthe“Landmark:Add”option.Toviewalandmark,usethe“Landmark: Select” option. Landmarksmay also beviewed using the “Landmark Survey” option in theUtilitiesmenu.

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

34

To Add a landmark to the database:

In this procedure, you will store the location ofterrestriallandmarksinAudioStar’smemory.

1. Set the telescope in the homeposition, ifnecessary.Note for future referencewherethe telescope is located and if you havealigned the telescope, which alignmentmethodisused.

IMPORTANT NOTE: To use the Landmarkfunction,thetelescopemustbelocatedandaligned exactly as when the landmark(s)wasaddedtothedatabase.

2.Display the “Setup:Targets”menuoption.Choose “Terrestrial” and press ENTER –“Setup: Targets” displays again. Choosingthisoptionturnsofftrackingforastronomicalobjects and is not useful for the viewingof terrestrial objects such as those in theLandmarkdatabase.Besuretochangethisoption back to “Astronomical” when youwishtoviewcelestialobjectsagain.

3. Press MODE once. “Select Item: Setup”displays.

4.PresstheScrollDownkeyonceand“SelectItem:Object”displays.PressEnter.“Object:SolarSystem”displays.

5.PresstheScrollUpkeytwiceand“Object:Landmarks” displays. Press ENTER.“Landmark:Select”displays.

6.PresstheScrollDownkeyonce.“Landmark:Add”displays.PressENTER.

7. “Landmark Name” displays. Using Arrowkeys, enter a name for the landmark youwishtoaddtothedatabase.Whenfinished, pressENTER.

8. “Center Landmark. Press Enter” displays.UsingonlytheArrowkeys(donotmanuallymovethetelescope),movethetelescopetothedesiredlandmarkandcentertheobjectin theeyepiece.PressEnter.Theobject isnowstoredinmemory.

9.“Landmark:Add”displays.Ifyouwishtoaddmorelandmarks,repeatsteps5through7.

To Select a landmark from the database:

1. Make sure the telescope is located andaligned exactly as when the desiredlandmarkwasenteredintomemory.

2.Display the “Landmark: Select” menuoption.PressENTER.

3. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through thelistofobjectsyouhavepreviouslyentered.When the desired object displays, pressENTERtoselecttheobject.UsetheScrollkeys to scroll through location informationabouttheobject,ifdesired.PressGOTOtoslewthetelescopetothelandmark.

4.PressMODEtoexit.

To perform a Landmark Survey

Thisprocedureallowsyoutoperformatouroftheobjects entered in the “Object: Landmark” menuoption–notethattheLandmarkSurveywillfunctiononly if youhavepreviously enteredobjects in the Landmarkmenu.

1. Navigate to “Utilities: Landmark Survey”menuandpressENTER.

2. “Landmark Survey: Slewing...” displays.ThetelescopemovestothefirstobjectontheSurveylistanddisplaysthenameoftheobject.

3. Press MODE to pause the Survey. PressEntertorestartthesurveyatthefirstobjectof thesurvey.

To check on the available amount of memory inAudioStar.

AudioStarhasa limitedamountofmemory.Onceyou begin to store Landmarks, UserObjects andotherbitsofinformationinAudioStar,youwillbeginto use upmemory. This procedure allows you tocheckonhowmuchmemoryisstillavailable.

1.Navigate to the “Setup: Statistics” menuoptionandpressENTER.

2.“Statistics:97.4KChar.Free”displays.Thisistheamountofmemorythatisstillavailabletotheuser.

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

35

IdentifyThis procedure allows you to use AudioStar toidentifyobjectsyouhavefoundinthenightskyusingtheArrow keys. If the object is not in AudioStar’sdatabase,AudioStardisplaysinformationaboutanobjectinitsdatabasethatisclosesttotheoneyouqueriedabout.

Important Note: The telescope must besuccessfully aligned before the Identifyfeaturecanbeused.Oncealigned,itcannotbe physically moved from that location.Movingthetelescopedisruptsthetelescopesframeofreferencetothenightskyandwillpreventitfromidentifyingobjects.

Inthisprocedure,youwillcenteranobjectyouwishto have identified by AudioStar in the telescopeeyepiece and use the “Identify” menu to find outinformationabouttheobjectorthenearestobjecttoitintheAudioStardatabase.

1.Centertheobjectyouwishtohaveidentifiedinthetelescope’seyepiece.

2.Navigatetothe“Object:Identify”optionandpressENTER.

3. “Searching...” displays. When AudioStarfinishescalculating,thenameoftheclosestobjectdisplays.

4. Press a Scroll key to display informationabout thisobject.AudioStardisplayssomeor all the following information about theobjectwitheachpressofaScrollkey:

Displayedinformation: Example:Catalogorcommonname........................................Messier 107, NGC 6171, OrionNebula,etcTypeofobject...........................................................GlobularCluster,Nebula, .....................................BlackHole,etc.RightAscension................. 16:32:4Declination.......................... 13°03’Constellation..................... Virgo,Orion,etc.Magnitude.......................... 3Size..................................... 2’Scrollingmessage...............“ThisGlobularClusteris 10,000 light years a w a y . . . ”

Advanced Alt/Az AlignmentIf you would rather choose your own alignmentstarsfromtheAudioStardatabaseduringtheAlt/Azalignmentprocedure,AudioStarofferstwomethods describedbelow.

Two-Star Alt/Az AlignmentTwo-StarAlignmentrequiressomeknowledgeofthenight sky. AudioStar provides a database of brightstarsandtwostarsfromthisdatabasearechosenbytheobserverforalignment.

1.Turn the telescope on: Turn the telescopepower switch to the ON position. TheAudioStar beeps and the display screenis activated. AudioStar then takes a fewmomentstostartupthesystem.

2.SelectAlignmentProcedure:“Press0toAlignorModeforMenu”displays.Press“Mode”toaccesstheAudioStarmenu.

3.TestingMotors:Thetelescopethenteststhemotorfunctionofthetelescopebymovinginthehorizontalandverticaldirections.

4.SetYourLocationorZipCode:TheLocationscreen displays. This screen asks you ifyou wish to choose either the zip code ofyour observing location or the location (i.e.,enteringthecityandstateorcountryofyourobservinglocation).Press“1”toselectthezipcodeoptionor“2”toenterthecityandstate.

Note: The location settings (country/state/provinceandcity,orzipcode)areonlyaskedforthefirsttimeyouturnonthecontrolpanel.Ifyouwishtochangethissettinglateron,usetheSitemenu.SeeSITE, page 29 formoreinformation.

a.Ifyouchosethezipcodeoption,theleftmost“0” is highlighted. Use the Number keys toenterthedigits.Asyouenteradigit,thenextdigittotherightwillbehighlighted.Enterthenextdigit.Repeatthisprocessuntilall5digitsofyourzipcodeareentered.PressENTER.

b. If you chose the location option, the nextscreenasksforthecountryorstate/province(listedalphabetically)oftheobservingsite.

c.UsetheScrollkeystoscroll throughthe listof countries, states, and provinces. PressENTER

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

36

whenthecorrectlocationdisplays.

d.The next screen asks for the city (listedalphabetically) closest to the observingsite.Use theScroll keys to scroll throughthe list of cities. Press ENTER when thecorrectcityappearsonscreen.

5.Daylight Savings Time: The next screenrequests the status of Daylight SavingsTime. If Daylight Savings Time is active,pressthe1key.IfDaylightSavingsTimeisnotactive,pressthe2key.

Note:DaylightSavingsTimemaybereferredtobyadifferentname invariousareasof theworld.

6.TelescopeModel:AudioStar thenasks fortheTelescopeModel.Usingthescrollkeys(Pg.19,Fig.5,7)ontheAudioStar locatethe model of your telescope and pressenter.

7.Now enter the current date, then pressENTER.

8.Enterthecurrenttime.Select“AM,”“PM,”or 24-hour clock (blank). Then pressENTER.

9.With“Align:Easy”displayed,usetheScrollKeys to display “Align: Two Star”. PressEnter.

10.SettingtheHomePosition:“NorthMethod:1=True2=Compass”displays.AudioStarisaskingwhichHomePositionmethodtouseto setup the telescope. See page 9 “TheLX65HomePosition”formoreinformation.TheeasiestwaytosetthetelescopeinthehomepositionisusingtheMagneticNorthmethod. Follow the steps on page 9 tosetthehomeposition.IfusingTrueNorth,press the “1”key,orpress the “2”key touse Magnetic North. Press enter whencomplete.

11.“Select Star” displays. AudioStar thendisplaysadatabaseofstarsfortheobserverto choose from. Use the Scroll keys toscrolltoastaronthelistthatyouwishtoalignupon.Selectastarthatyoucaneasilylocateinthenightsky.PressENTER.

12.The telescope slews to the star. Use theArrow keys to move the telescope until

thestariscenteredintheeyepiece.PressENTER.

13.Repeatprocedureforthesecondalignmentstar. The telescope is aligned and youare now ready to useAudioStar’sGOTOcapabilitiesforanightofobserving.

TooMuchPower?

Can you ever have too much power? If thetype of power you’re referring to is eyepiece magnification, yes, you can! The mostcommon mistake of the beginning observeris to “overpower” a telescope by using highmagnifications which the telescope’s apertureandatmosphericconditionscannotreasonablysupport.Keepinmindthatasmaller,butbrightandwell-resolved image is far superior to onethat is larger,butdimandpoorlyresolved(seeFigs. 12a and 12b to the left). Powers above400X should be employed only under thesteadiestatmosphericconditions.

Most observers should have three or fouradditional eyepieces to achieve the full rangeof reasonablemagnificationspossiblewith theLX65telescopes.

LX65 TIPS

Jupiter; examples of the right amount of magnification and too much magnification.

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

37

One-Star Alt/Az Alignment

One-StarAlignmentrequiressomeknowledgeofthenight sky. AudioStar provides a database of brightstars. One-Star Alignment is identical to Two-StarAlt/Az:Alignment(see“Two-StarALT/AZAlignment,”above), except only one star from this database ischosenbytheobserverforalignment.

IMPORTANTNOTE:TheaccuracyofOne-StarAlt/AzAlignment,unliketheTwo-StarandEasy(Alt/Az) Alignment procedures, depends onhowwelltheobserverlevelsthetelescopeandhow close to North the telescope is pointedwhensettingtheHomePosition(Pg.9,Fig.6).Because theothermethodsuse twostars toalign upon, they aremoreprecise thanOne-StarAlignment.

BrowseThismenuallowsyoutosearchthedatabaseforobjectswith certainparameters,much like a searchengine.“EditParameters”letsyousetvariousparametersforthesearch,and“StartSearch”activatesthesearch.Atypicalsearchmightbeperformedasfollows:

1.Select“Browse”fromtheObjectmenu.PressENTER.“Browse:StartSearch”displays.

2.PressoneoftheScrollKeysand“Browse:EditParameters”displays.PressEnter.

3.“Edit Parameters: Largest (mins)” displays.“Mins”standsforarc-minutes.PressENTER.

TERR

ESTR

IAL O

BSER

VING

ADVA

NCED

FEAT

URES

38

advisable to remove the batteries from the telescope. Batteries left in the telescope for prolongedperiodsmayleak,causingdamageto thetelescope’selectroniccircuitry.

8. Donot leavetheLX65insideasealedcaron a warm summer day; excessive ambient temperatures can damage the telescope’s internallubricationandelectroniccircuitry.

CollimationTheopticalcollimation(alignment)ofanyastronomicaltelescope used for serious purposes is important,butinthecaseoftheAdvancedComa-Freedesignof the LX65 series, such collimation is absolutelyessentialforgoodperformance.Takespecialcaretoreadandunderstand thissectionwell so thatyourLX65willgiveyouthebestopticalperformance.

As part of final optical testing, everyMeade LX65ispreciselycollimatedat theMeade factorybeforeshipment. However, vibrations in shipping cancause the optical system to become misaligned.Re-aligningtheopticsis,however,astraightforwardprocess.

To check the collimation of your LX65 telescope,centerabrightstar that isoverhead,orusea“hotspot” of reflected Sunlight from a chrome carbumper, with the supplied 26mm eyepiece. Allowthe telescope to adjust to the temperature of yourobservation site before proceeding; temperaturedifferencesbetween theoptics and theoutside aircancausedistortionintheimages.

With the star or hot spot centered, de-focus theimage.

Youwillnoticethattheoutoffocusstarimagelookslikearingoflightsurroundingadarkcentralspot;the

TheLX65isaprecisionopticalinstrumentdesignedtoyieldalifetimeofrewardingviewing.

Given the care and respect due any precisioninstrument, the LX65 will rarely, if ever, requirefactoryservicing.Maintenanceguidelinesinclude:

1. Avoidcleaningthetelescope’soptics:alittledust onthefrontsurfaceofthetelescope’scorrecting lenscausesvirtuallynodegradationofimage qualityandshouldnotbeconsideredreasonto cleanthelens.

2. Whenabsolutelynecessary,dustonthefrontlens shouldberemovedwithgentlestrokesofacamel hair brush or blown off with an ear syringe (available at any pharmacy). DO NOT use a commercialphotographiclenscleaner.

3. Organicmaterials(e.g.,fingerprints)onthefront lensmayberemovedwithasolutionof3parts distilledwaterto1partisopropylalcohol.You may also add 1 drop of biodegradable dishwashingsoapperpintofsolution.Usesoft, white facial tissues and make short, gentle strokes.Changetissuesoften.

4. CAUTION:Donotusescentedorlotionedtissues thatcandamagetheoptics.

5. Donot,foranyreason,removethecorrecting plate fromitsmachinedhousingforcleaning or other purposes. You will almost certainly notbeabletoreplacethecorrectorinitsproper rotationalorientationandseriousdegradation of optical performance will result. Meade Instruments assumes no liability for damage incurredtothetelescopeinthisway.

6. If the LX65 is used outdoors on a humid night, water condensation on the telescope surfaces will probably result. While such condensation does not normally cause any damagetothetelescope,itisrecommendedthat theentiretelescopebewipeddownwithadry clothbeforethetelescopeispackedaway.Do not,however,wipeanyoftheopticalsurfaces. Rather,simplyallowthetelescopetositforsome timeinthewarmindoorair,sothatthewetoptical surfacescandryunattended.

7. IftheLX65isnottobeusedforanextended period,perhaps foronemonthormore, it is

MAINTENANCE

(1) (2) (3)

MAI

NTEN

ANCE

39

thedarkershadowisoffsetintheringoflight.

4. Turn the set screw that you found with thepointingexercisewhilelookingintheeyepiece.Youwill notice that the star imagewillmoveacrossthefield.Ifwhileturningthedefocusedstarimagefliesoutoftheeyepiecefield,thenyouareturningthescrewthewrongway.Turnthe opposite direction and bring the imagebacktothecenterofthefield.

5. Ifthescrewyouareturningbecomesveryloose, tightentheothertwoscrewsbyevenamounts.If thescrewyouareturninggetstootight,un-thread theothertwobyevenamounts.

6. When you bring the image to center,carefully examine the evenness of the ring oflight(concentricity).Ifyoufindthatthedark centerisstilloffinthesamedirection,continueto make the adjustment in the original turning direction.Ifitisnowoffintheoppositedirection, youhaveturnedtoofarandyouneedtoturnin theoppositedirection.Alwaysdoublecheckthe imageinthecenterofthefieldoftheeyepiece.

7. Youmayfindafteryourinitialadjustmentthatthe darkcenterisoffinanewdirection(e.g.,instead ofbeingoffside-to-sideitisnowoffinanup-and- down direction). In this case repeat steps 2through6tofindthenewadjustmentscrew.

8. Nowtryahigherpowereyepiece(e.g.,9mmor less)andrepeat theabovetests.Any lackof collimationat thispointwill requireonlyvery slightadjustmentsofthethreesetscrews.You nowhavegoodcollimationoftheoptics.

9. Asafinalcheckonalignment,examinethestar imageinfocuswiththehigherpowereyepiece as suggested above, under good viewing conditions.Thestarpointshouldappearasa smallcentraldot(commonlyreferredtoasan “Airydisc”)withadiffractionringsurroundingit. To give a final precision collimation, make extremely slight adjustmentsof the threeset screws,ifnecessary,tocentertheAirydiscinthe diffractionring.Younowhavethebestalignment oftheopticspossiblewiththistelescope.

dark central spot is in fact the shadow of thesecondarymirror.Turnthefocusknobuntiltheringoflightfillsabout10%oftheeyepiecefield-diameter.Ifthedarkcentralspotisoffsetin(i.e.,notconcentricwith)theringoflight,yourtelescope’sopticalsystemismisalignedandrequirescollimation.

Follow these steps for collimation of the opticalsystem(ACFModelsOnly):

1. Theonlyadjustmentspossible,ornecessary,on theLX65arefromthethreeinnermostscrews

located at the inner surface of the secondary mirrorhousing.

CAUTION:Donotforcethethreecollimationscrewspasttheirnormaltravelanddonotloosenthemmorethan two full turns in a counterclockwise directionor the secondarymirror may come loose from itssupport.Youwillfindthattheadjustmentsareverysensitive,usuallyrequiringonlyone-halfturnorlesstoproducethedesiredresult.

2. Whilelookingatthedefocusedstarimage,notice which direction the darker shadow is offsetintheringoflightornoticewhichpartoftheringisthethinnest.Placeyourindexfingerinfrontof the telescopeso that it touchesoneofthecollimationsetscrews.Youwillseetheshadowofyourfingerintheringoflight.Move yourfingeraroundtheedgeoftheblackplastic secondary mirror support until you see the shadowofthefingercrossingthethinnestpart oftheringoflight.Atthispoint,lookatthefrontof thetelescopewhereyourfingerisaiming.Itwill eitherbepointingdirectlyatasetscrew,oritwill bebetweentwosetscrewsaimingattheset screw on the far side of the black plastic secondarymirrorsupport.Thisisthesetscrew thatyouwilladjust.

3. UsingtheArrowkeysattheslowestslewspeed, movethedefocusedimagetotheedgeoftheeyepiecefieldofview,inthesamedirectionas

MAI

NTEN

ANCE

Collimation Screws

40

Inspecting the OpticsANoteAbout the “Flashlight Test”: If a flashlight orotherhigh-intensity lightsource ispointeddownthemain telescope tube, the view (depending upon theobserver’slineofsightandtheangleofthelight)mayrevealwhat appears tobe scratches, darkor brightspots, or just generally uneven coatings, giving theappearanceofpoorqualityoptics.Theseeffectsareonly seen when a high intensity light is transmittedthrough lenses or reflected off themirrors, and canbeseenonanyhighqualityopticalsystem,includinggiantresearchtelescopes.

Theopticalqualityofatelescopecannotbejudgedbythe“flashlighttest;”thetruetestofopticalqualitycanonlybeconductedthroughcarefulstartesting.

Gauging the Movement of the Telescope A common complaint of many first-time telescopeownersisthattheycannotseethetelescope“move”when themotor drive is engaged. If fact, when thebatteriesareinstalled,thepowerison,thetelescopeis moving. However, the movement is at the samespeedasthehourhandofa24-hourclock;assuch,themovementisdifficulttodiscernvisually.

Tocheckthemovementofyourtelescope,lookatanastronomicalobjectthroughthetelescope’seyepiecewith the telescopepolaralignedandwith themotordriveon. If theobject remainsstationary in thefieldof view, your telescope is operatingproperly. If not,checktoensurethat“Astronomical”isselectedinthe“Targets”optionofthesetupmenu.

Updating Your LX65 FirmwareMeade is constantly refining and improving theoperating firmware that controls our computerizedtelescopes and we even add new features andcapabilities from time to time. Your new LX65shipped with themost current firmware at the timeofmanufacture,buttheremaywellbeanewversionavailable through the AudioStar Updated programsupplied on the AudioStar Suite DVD supplied withyour telescope. The Updater goes online to theMeadewebsiteandcheckstoseeifthereisanewerversionavailableandcandownload itdirectlytothetelescope using the #505CableConnector Kit. Seethe instruction sheet included with the kit for moreinformation.

MAI

NTEN

ANCE

41

If you have a question concerning your LX65telescope,calltheMeadeInstrumentsCustomerServiceDepartmentat(800)626-3233.CustomerServicehoursare7:00AMto5:00PM,PacificTime, Monday through Friday. In the unlikelyevent that the LX65 requires factory servicingor repairs, before returning the telescope tothe factory,write or call theMeadeCustomerServiceDepartment toprovideanexplanationoftheproblem,aswellasyourname,addressand daytime telephone number. The greatmajorityofservicingissuescanberesolvedbytelephone, avoiding returnof the telescope to thefactory.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

APPENDIX A:TRAINING THE DRIVE

TRAI

NING

THE

DRIV

E

Performthisprocedureifyouareexperiencinganypointing accuracy problems. The diagram to therightdepictsthecompleteDriveTrainingprocedure.

NOTE:Useafarawayterrestrialobject,suchasatelephonepoleorlamppost,totrainthedrive.

Completethisexerciseonceevery3to6months.

42

Press > until itis centered

Press < until itis centered

Train Drive Az. Train

Train Drive Alt. Train

Drive Setup For this op. . .

Center referenceobject

ENTER

ENTER

ENTER

ENTER

Scope slews left.Bring target backto center usingthe Right Arrow key.

12

13

14

15

16

17

Scope slews right.Bring target backto center usingthe Left Arrow key.

Menu returns toAz. training.

Altitude(vertical)training.

Reminder to use terrestrialtarget.

Train Drive Az. Train

Select Item Object

Press until itis centered

Press until itis centered

ENTER

ENTER

MODE

18

19

20

21

Center targetusing Arrowkeys.

Scope slews down.Bring target backto center usingthe Up Arrow key.

Scope slews up.Bring target backto center usingthe Down Arrow key.

Multiple presses.

ENTER

Select Item Object

Select Item Setup

Setup Align

Setup Telescope

3

4

6

ENTER

Press the scroll up key once.

Access the Setupmenu.

Multiple presses.

Access the Telescope menu.

5

ENTER

1Telescope Telescope Model

Telescope Train Drive

Train Drive Az. Train

Drive Setup For this op. . .

Center referenceobject.

ENTER

ENTER

ENTER

Multiple presses.

Choose the TrainDrive option.

Azimuth (horizontal)training.

7

8

9

10

11

Reminder to use terrestrialtarget.

Center targetusing Arrowkeys.

ENTER

Verify that AUTOSTAR INITIALIZATION is complete.

Press MODE until Select Item is displayed.

1

2

>

>

In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo,usingacrudetelescopeconsiderablysmallerthantheLX65Series,turnedittolooktowardstheskyinstead of distant trees andmountains.What hesaw, and what he realized about what he saw,foreverchanged thewaymankind thoughtof theuniverse. Imagine what it must have been likebeingthefirsthumantoseemoonsrevolvearoundtheplanetJupiteror tosee thechangingphasesof Venus! Because of his observations, Galileocorrectly realized Earth’smovement and positionaround the Sun, and in doing so, gave birth tomodernastronomy.YetGalileo’stelescopewassocrude,hecouldnotclearlymakeout the ringsofSaturn.

Galileo’s discoveries laid the foundation forunderstandingthemotionandnatureoftheplanets,stars, and galaxies. Building on his foundation,Henrietta Leavitt determined how to measurethe distance to stars; Edwin Hubble proposeda glimpse into the origin of the universe; AlbertEinstein unraveled the relationship of time andlight.Almostdaily,usingsophisticatedsuccessorstoGalileo’s crude telescope, such as theHubbleSpaceTelescope,moreandmoremysteriesoftheuniversearebeingsolvedandunderstood.Wearelivinginagoldenageofastronomy.

Unlike other sciences, astronomy welcomescontributions from amateurs. Much of theknowledgewehaveonsubjectssuchascomets,meteor showers, variable stars, the Moon andour solar systemcomes fromobservationsmadebyamateurastronomers.Soasyou look throughyourMeadeLX65telescope,keepGalileoinmind.To him, a telescope was not merely a machinemadeofglassandmetal,butsomethingfarmore-awindowthroughwhichthebeatingheartoftheuniversemightbeobserved.

ObjectsinSpace

Listedbeloware someof themanyastronomicalobjectsthatcanbeseenwiththeLX65Series

BASIC ASTRONOMYAPPENDIX B:

TheMoonis,onaverage,a distance of 239,000miles (380,000km)from Earth and is bestobserved during itscrescent or half phasewhen Sunlight strikesthe Moon’s surfaceat an angle. It castsshadows and adds asense of depth to theview. No shadows areseenduringafullMoon,causingtheoverlybright

Moontoappearflatandratheruninterestingthroughthetelescope.BesuretouseaneutralMoonfilterwhenobservingtheMoon.Notonlydoesitprotectyour eyes from thebright glareof theMoon,butit also helps enhance contrast, providing amoredramaticimage.

Using the LX65 Series, brilliant detail can beobservedontheMoon,includinghundredsoflunarcratersandmaria,describedbelow.

Craters are round meteor impact sites coveringmostof theMoon’ssurface.WithnoatmosphereontheMoon,noweatherconditionsexist,sotheonly erosive force ismeteor strikes. Under theseconditions, lunar craters can last for millions ofyears.

Maria (plural for mare) are smooth, dark areasscattered across the lunar surface. These darkareas are large ancient impact basins that werefilledwithlavafromtheinterioroftheMoonbythedepthandforceofameteororcometimpact.

Twelve Apollo astronauts left their bootprintson theMoon in the late 1960’s andearly 1970’s.However, no telescope on Earth is able to seethesefootprintsoranyotherartifacts. In fact, thesmallest lunarfeaturesthatmaybeseenwiththelargesttelescopeonEarthareaboutone-halfmileacross.

BASI

C AS

TRON

OMY

43

Planetschangepositions intheskyastheyorbitaroundtheSun.Tolocatetheplanetsonagivendayormonth,consultamonthlyastronomymagazine,suchasSkyandTelescopeorAstronomy.Youcanalso consult LX65 for information about planets.Scroll to the “Object: Solar System” menu andscrollthroughthelistsofplanets.Whenaplanetyouareinterestedindisplays,press“ENTER”.UsetheScrollkeystodisplayinformationabouttheplanet,suchastheplanet’scoordinates,andtheriseandsettimes(Tip:enteradateintheDatemenuandyoucandetermineifaplanet)willbevisibleduringthenightof theentereddatebychecking its riseandset times).Listedbeloware thebestplanetsforviewingthroughtheLX65Series.

Mars is about half the diameter of Earth, andappears through the telescopeasa tiny reddish-orangedisk.Itmaybepossibletoseeahintofwhiteatoneoftheplanet’sPolaricecaps.Approximatelyevery two years, when Mars is closest to Earthin its orbit, additional detail and coloring on the

planet’s surface may bevisible.

Jupiter is the largestplanet in our solarsystemand is11 timesthe diameter of Earth.The planet appears asa disk with dark linesstretching across thesurface. These linesare cloud bands in theatmosphere. Four ofJupiter’s 16 moons (Io,

Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) can be seenas “star-like”pointsof lightwhenusingeven thelowestmagnification.ThesemoonsorbitJupitersothatthenumberofmoonsvisibleonanygivennightchangesastheycirclearoundthegiantplanet.

Saturn is nine times the diameter of Earth andappearsasasmall,rounddiskwithringsextendingout from either side. In 1610, Galileo, the firstperson to observe Saturn through a telescope,didnotunderstandthatwhathewasseeingwererings.Instead,hebelievedthatSaturnhad“ears.”Saturn’s rings are composed of billions of iceparticles ranging in size from a speck of dust tothesizeofahouse.ThemajordivisioninSaturn’srings, called the Cassini Division, is occasionallyvisiblethroughtheLX65Series.Titan,thelargestof

Saturn’s18moonscanalsobeseenasabright,star-likeobjectneartheplanet.

Deep-Sky Objects

Star charts can be usedto locate constellations,individual stars and deep-skyobjects.

Examples of variousdeep-sky objects are givenbelow:

Stars are large gaseousobjects that are self-

illuminatedbynuclearfusion intheircore.Becauseoftheirvastdistancesfromoursolarsystem,allstarsappearaspinpointsoflight,irrespectiveofthesizeofthetelescopeused.

Nebulaearevastinterstellarcloudsofgasanddustwhere stars are formed. Most impressive of theseistheGreatNebulainOrion(M42),adiffusenebulathatappearsasafaintwispygraycloud.M42is1600lightyearsfromEarth.

Open Clustersareloosegroupingsofyoungstars,all recently formed from the same diffuse nebula.ThePleiadesisanopencluster410lightyearsaway.ThroughtheLX65Series,numerousstarsarevisible.Constellationsarelarge,imaginarypatternsofstarsbelieved by ancient civilizations to be the celestialequivalent of objects, animals, people, or gods.Thesepatterns are too large to be seen through atelescope.To learn theconstellations,startwithaneasy grouping of stars, such as the Big Dipper inUrsaMajor.Then,useastarcharttoexploreacrossthesky.

Galaxiesarelargeassembliesofstars,nebulae,andstar clusters that are bound by gravity. The mostcommon shape is spiral (such as our own MilkyWay), but galaxies can also be elliptical, or evenirregularblobs.TheAndromedaGalaxy(M31)istheclosest spiral-type galaxy to our own. This galaxyappearsfuzzyandcigar-shaped.Itis2.2millionlightyearsawayintheconstellationAndromeda,locatedbetweenthe large“W”ofCassiopeiaandthegreatsquareofPegasus.

BASI

C AS

TRON

OMY

44

SPEC

IFIC

ATIO

NS

SPECIFICATIONS

45

APPENDIX C:

Model and Product Number LX65 with 5” Maksutov-Cassegrain #228001

Optical System OpticalDesign Maksutov-Cassegrain PrimaryMirrorDiameter 5”(127mm) PrimaryMirrorMaterial BorosilicateGlass FocalLength,FocalRatio 1900mm,f/15 OpticalCoatings Ultra-HighTransmissionCoatings(UHTC™) ResolvingPower(arcseconds) 0.91 LimitingVisualStellarMagnitude 12.5 Viewfinder RedDot

Mount MountType AluminumSingle-ArmForkAltazimuth Drives 4.64inchPrecisionWormDrive Power 8“C”CellBatteriesorACAdapter Tripod NewAdjustable-HeightSteelLegTripod

Electronics ControllerHandBox AudioStar

IncludedAccessories EyepieceHolder 1.25”DiagonalMirror Eyepiece SuperPlössl26mm SCAdapter Threadto1.25”AccessoryAdapter

Weight FullyAssembled 34.2lbs. OpticalTube 6.7lbs.

SPEC

IFIC

ATIO

NS

SPECIFICATIONS

46

APPENDIX C:

Model and Product Number LX65 with 6” Maksutov-Cassegrain #228002

Optical System OpticalDesign Maksutov-Cassegrain PrimaryMirrorDiameter 6”(152mm) PrimaryMirrorMaterial BorosilicateGlass FocalLength,FocalRatio 1800mm,f/12 OpticalCoatings Ultra-HighTransmissionCoatings(UHTC™) ResolvingPower(arcseconds) 0.76 LimitingVisualStellarMagnitude 12.9 Viewfinder RedDot

Mount MountType AluminumSingle-ArmForkAltazimuth Drives 4.64inchPrecisionWormDrive Power 8“C”CellBatteriesorACAdapter Tripod NewAdjustable-HeightSteelLegTripod

Electronics ControllerHandBox AudioStar

Included Accessories EyepieceHolder 1.25”DiagonalMirror Eyepiece SuperPlössl26mm SCAdapter SCThreadto1.25”AccessoryAdapter

Weight FullyAssembled 40.2lbs. OpticalTube 12.7lbs.

SPEC

IFIC

ATIO

NS

SPECIFICATIONS

47

APPENDIX C:

Model and Product Number LX65 with 6” ACF #228003

Optical System OpticalDesign AdvancedComa-Free PrimaryMirrorDiameter 6”(152mm) PrimaryMirrorMaterial BorosilicateGlass FocalLength,FocalRatio 1524mm,f/10 OpticalCoatings Ultra-HighTransmissionCoatings(UHTC™) ResolvingPower(arcseconds) 0.76 LimitingVisualStellarMagnitude 12.9 Viewfinder RedDot

Mount MountType AluminumSingle-ArmForkAltazimuth Drives 4.64inchPrecisionWormDrive Power 8“C”CellBatteriesorACAdapter Tripod NewAdjustable-HeightSteelLegTripod

Electronics ControllerHandBox AudioStar

Included Accessories EyepieceHolder 1.25”DiagonalMirror Eyepiece SuperPlössl26mm SCAdapter SCThreadto1.25”AccessoryAdapter

Weight FullyAssembled 37.8lbs. OpticalTube 9.9lbs.

SPEC

IFIC

ATIO

NSSPECIFICATIONS

48

APPENDIX C:

Model and Product Number LX65 with 8” ACF #228004

Optical System OpticalDesign AdvancedComa-Free PrimaryMirrorDiameter 8”(203mm) PrimaryMirrorMaterial BorosilicateGlass FocalLength,FocalRatio 2032mm,f/10 OpticalCoatings Ultra-HighTransmissionCoatings(UHTC™) ResolvingPower(arcseconds) 0.57 LimitingVisualStellarMagnitude 13.5 Viewfinder RedDot

Mount MountType AluminumSingle-ArmForkAltazimuth Drives 4.64inchPrecisionWormDrive Power 8“C”CellBatteriesorACAdapter Tripod NewAdjustable-HeightSteelLegTripod

Electronics ControllerHandBox AudioStar

Included Accessories EyepieceHolder 1.25”DiagonalMirror Eyepiece SuperPlössl26mm SCAdapter SCThreadto1.25”AccessoryAdapter

Weight FullyAssembled 39.5lbs OpticalTube 11.6lbs.

OPTI

CAL S

YSTE

MS

49

ACF AND SC OPTICAL SYSTEMSAPPENDIX D:

Unlike Schmidt-Cassegrain systems, Meade’sAdvancedComa-Free(ACF)opticalsystemprovidesrazor-sharppin-pointstarimagesallthewaytotheveryedgeofthefieldofview.Thisaplanatic(coma-free) optical system brings the highest level ofperformancetotheamateurastronomer.In the ACF design of theMeade LX65 telescope,lightentersfromtheright,passesthroughathinlenswith2-sidedasphericcorrection(“correctingplate”),proceeds to a spherical primary mirror, and thento a hyperbolic secondary mirror. The hyperbolicsecondarymirrormultipliestheeffectivefocallengthof theprimarymirror and results in a focusat thefocal plane, with light passing through a centralperforationintheprimarymirror.

All models of the Meade LT includes oversizeprimary mirrors, yielding a fully illuminated field-of-view significantly wider than is possible with astandard-sizeprimarymirror.Notethat lightray (2)in the figurewould be lost entirely, except for theoversizeprimary.Itisthisphenomenonwhichresultsin Meade ACF having off-axis field illuminationsabout10%greater,aperture-for-aperture,thanothersystemsutilizingstandard-sizeprimarymirrors.Fieldstopsmachinedintotheinside-diametersurfaceoftheprimarymirrorbaffletubesignificantly increaselunar, planetary, and deep-space image contrast.Thesefieldstopseffectivelyblockoff-axisstraylightrays.

In theMaksutov-Cassegraindesignof theMeadeLX65, light enters from the right through amulti-coatedmeniscuslens,proceedstoanf/2.2primarymirror,andthentoaconvexsecondarymirrorthatmultiplieseffective focal lengthbya factorof6.3.The secondary mirror light baffle, in combination

with the anti-reflection threads inside the primarymirror baffle, produces extremely high contrastastronomicalimagesatthefocalplane.

Primary Baffle Tube

Field Stops

Primary Mirror

Ray (1)

Ray (2)

(2)

(1) (2)

(1)

Secondary�Mirror

Correcting�Plate

Secondary�Baffle

(2)(1)

Focal�Plane

Primary Baffle Tube

Field Stops

Primary Mirror

Ray (1)

Ray (2)

(2)

(1) (2)

(1)

Secondary�Mirror

Correcting�Plate

Secondary�Baffle

(2)(1)

Focal�Plane

The Meade Advanced Coma-Free Optical System

The Meade Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical System

Aperture

Primarymirror

Secondarymirror

Focalpoint

IncidentLight

PrimaryBaffle

MeniscusCorrectorLens

USIN

G TH

E LX

65 W

ITH

TWO

OPTI

CAL T

UBES

50

Using the LX65 with Two Optical TubesAPPENDIX E:

TheLX65isequippedwithaseconddovetailsaddle to allow attachment of a secondopticaltubeassembly.TheopticaltubemusthaveaVixen-styledovetailplatetoattachtotheLX65.Thepracticalweight limit for thesecondopticaltubeis7lbs.LoosentheDovetailLockingKnobandinserttheopticaltube.Makesurethedovetailplateis flat against the saddle and tighten theDovetailLockingKnob.

AligningtheSecondOpticalTube

Youmayneedtomakesmallhorizontalandvertical adjustments to the second opticaltube’s positioning so that both opticaltubesarealignedtooneanother.Similartoaligning theRedDot Finder, youmust firstselectadistanttargetsuchasapowerpoleduringthedayorabrightstaratnight.

1.CenteryourtargetintheeyepieceofthemainLX65opticaltube.

2. Carefully rotate both Vertical Adjustment Knobs in the same direction at the same time (the front knob uses left-handedthreadsandtherearknobusesright-handedthreads). Turn the knobs very gradually.Only a small amount of adjustment shouldbeneededsothatthetwoopticaltubesarealignedvertically.

3. Check that the Dovetail Locking Knob is stillsecureaftertheverticalalignmentadjustmentandretightenifnecessary.

4.SlightlyloosentheHorizontalLockKnobs.

5.TurntheHorizontalAdjustmentKnobasneeded

so that the target is centered in the eyepiece ofbothopticaltubes.

6.RetightentheHorizontalLockKnobs.Checkthatboth optical tubes are securewith bothDovetailLockingKnobssecurelytightened.

NOTE:Always rotateVerticalAdjustmentKnobsinthesamedirection,atthesametime,andwiththesamemagnitude.

Always take caution when making the verticaladjustment and to support theOTA as needed.Onlysmalladjustmentshouldbeneeded.

RECYCLING INFORMATION (EU Countries only)

Correct Disposal of this Product(Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment)Thismarking shownon theproductor its literature indicatesthatitmustnotbedisposedofinunsortedmunicipalwasteattheendofitsworkinglifeTopreventpossibleharmtotheenvironmentorhumanhealthfromuncontrolledwastedisposal,pleaseseparatethisfromothertypesofwastesandrecycleitasrequiredbylaw.Householdusersshouldcontacteithertheretailerwheretheypurchasedthis product, or their local government office, for details ofwhere and how they can take this item for environmentally

safe recycling.Business users should contact their supplier andcheck the termsandconditionsofthepurchasecontract

Thisproductshouldnotbemixedwithothercommercialwastesfordisposal.

RECY

CLIN

G

51

Meade Limited Warranty

EveryMeadetelescope,spottingscope,andtelescopeaccessoryiswarrantedbyMeadeInstrumentsCorp(“Meade”)tobefreeofdefectsinmaterialsandworkmanshipforaperiodofONEYEARfromthedateoforiginalpurchaseintheU.S.A.andCanada.Meadewillrepairorreplaceaproduct,orpartthereof,foundbyMeadetobedefective,providedthedefectivepartisreturnedtoMeade,freight-prepaid,withproofofpurchase.Thiswarrantyappliestotheoriginalpurchaseronlyandisnon-transferable.MeadeproductspurchasedoutsideNorthAmericaarenotincludedinthiswarranty,butarecoveredunderseparatewarrantiesissuedbyMeadeinternationaldistributors.

RGA Number Required: Priortothereturnofanyproductorpart,aReturnGoodsAuthorization(RGA)numbermustbeobtainedfromMeadebywriting,orbycalling(800)626-3233.Eachreturnedpartorproductmustincludeawrittenstatementdetailingthenatureoftheclaimeddefect,aswellastheowner’sname,address,andphonenumber.

Thiswarrantyisnotvalidincaseswheretheproducthasbeenabusedormishandled,whereunauthorizedrepairshavebeenattemptedorperformed,orwheredepreciationoftheproductisduetonormalwear-and-tear.Meadespecificallydisclaimsspecial,indirect,orconsequentialdamagesorlostprofitwhichmayresultfromabreachofthiswarranty.Anyimpliedwarrantieswhichcannotbedisclaimedareherebylimitedtoatermofoneyearfromthedateoforiginalretailpurchase.

Thiswarrantygivesyouspecificrights.Youmayhaveotherrightswhichvaryfromstatetostate.

Meadereservestherighttochangeproductspecificationsortodiscontinueproductswithoutnotice.

ThiswarrantysupersedesallpreviousMeadeproductwarranties.

27 Hubble, Irvine, California 92618(800) 626-3233 www.meade.com

CONT

ACT

INFO

RMAT

ION

June2018REV0 14-2713-00

1-800-626-3233Meade Instruments

27 HubbleIrvine, CA 92618

We appreciate your business. Keep in touch!

Let’s get social:@meadeinstruments @meadeinstruments @meadeinstrument

Share your photos with us: #MeadeMoments

Social@meade.com

Forspecialoffersandotherproducts,visitourwebsitewww.meade.com