Instruction Manual 16” LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope Meade Instruments Corporation NOTE: Instructions for the use of optional accessories are not included in this manual. For details see the Meade General Catalog. The Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical System (Diagram not to scale) In the Schmidt-Cassegrain design of the Meade 16” model, light enters from the right, passes through a thin lens (correcting plate) with two-sided aspheric correction, proceeds to a spherical primary mirror, and then to a convex aspheric secondary mirror. The convex secondary mirror multiplies the effective focal length of the primary mirror and results in a focus at the focal plane, with light passing through a central perforation in the primary mirror. The 16” model includes an oversize 16.375” primary mirror, yielding a fully illuminated field-of-view significantly wider than is possible with standard-size primary mirrors. Note that light ray (2) in the figure would be lost entirely, except for the oversize p r i m a r y. This phenomenon results in Meade 16” Schmidt- Cassegrains having off-axis field illuminations 10% greater, aperture-for-aperture, than other Schmidt-Cassegrains utilizing standard-size primary mirrors. WARNING! Never use the LX200 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 or its viewfinder at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope or its viewfinder as it is moving. Children 2 17 1 22 13 18 3 12 4 20 19 5 21 6 7 14 11 8 9 15 10 16 Fig. 1: Meade 16" LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope. Captions for Fig. 1 1. Viewfinder Dew Shield 12. Diagonal Mirror 2. Viewfinder Collimation Screws 13. Eyepiece 3. Declination (Dec.) Setting Circle 14. Bubble Level 4. Dec. Vernier Pointer 15. Hour Angle (H.A.) Pointer 5. Focus Knob 16. Drive Base 6. Right Ascension (R.A.) Lock 17. Viewfinder Focus Lock Ring 7. R.A.Slow-Motion Control Knob 18. Dec.Lock-Knob 8. R.A. Vernier Pointer 19. Tube Adapter 9. R.A.Setting Circle 20. Fan Filter 10. Power Panel 21. Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) Mounting Bolts (4) 11. Keypad Hand Controller 22. OTA Contents 16" LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope Introduction . 5 Mode Functions . 17 What is the LX200? An Overview. 5 . Mode 1: Telescope/Object Library . 17 1. Heavy-Duty Mounts. 5 A. Telescope Menu File. 17 2. Built-In 64,359 Object Library . 5 B. Object Library Menu File. 20 3. Altazimuth Mode Operation. 5 Mode 2: Coordinates/GO TO. 23. 4. Terrestrial Operation . 5 1. Coordinates Menu File . 23 5. Keypad and Power Panel Functions . 5 2. GO TO Menu Option. 23 Smart Drive. 5 Mode 3: Clock/Calendar . 23 Standard Equipment . 6 Mode 4: TIMER/FREQ . 24 Unpacking and Inspection. 6 1. TIMER = Menu Option . 24 What You Should Have . 6 2. FREQ = Menu Option. 24 Look Everything Over . 6 Mode 5: Keypad Off/Brightness Adjust. 24 Inspecting the Optics. 6 A Note on the Flashlight Test . 6 Magnification and Field of View. 24 Commercial Reshipment. 6 Magnification. 24 Telescope Assembly . 7 The 16” Field Tripod. 7 Apparent Field and Actual Field. 25 Attaching the 16” Drive Base . 8 Attaching the Fork . 8 Appendix A: Equatorial Use. 26 Mounting the Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) . 8 Celestial Coordinates . 26 Mounting the Viewfinder. 8 Using the LX200 in POLAR Mode. 26 1. Attaching the Viewfinder . 8 2. Focusing the Viewfinder . 8 Lining up with the Celestial Pole . 26 3. Collimating the Viewfinder. 8 Precise Polar Alignment . 27 Attaching the Diagonal Mirror and Eyepiece. 8 Attaching the Power and Data Cords. 8 Appendix B: Alignment Star Library and Southern Hemisphere Operation . 9 Star Charts. 28 Quick Start. 9 Alignment Stars . 28 Using the LX200 Manually. 9 Star Charts. 29 Using the LX200 in LAND Mode . 9 Using the LX200 in ALTAZ Mode. 10 Appendix C: 64,359-Object Library . 31 1. Entering Basic Information . 10 2. Location of the Observing Site. 10 About the SAO Catalog . 31 3. Local Time and Date. 11 About the UGC Catalog . 31 4. Setting Up the Telescope. 11 About the CNGC Catalog. 31 5. MODE key . 13 About the IC Catalog . 32 6. Library Object Keys. 13 About the GCVS Catalog. 32 Star Alignment. 13 About the Star Catalog. 32 1. 1-Star Alignment with Known Site . 13 About the M (Messier) Catalog. 32 2. 2-Star Alignment with Known Site . 13 The Planet Catalog . 32 3. Alignment with Unknown Site . 13 The CNGC Catalog . 33 4. Which Alignment Method to Use . 14 The Star Catalog . 40 The LX200 Keypad Hand Controller . 14 The M (Messier) Catalog . 46 ENTER Key. 14 MODE Key. 14 Appendix D: Maintaining Your LX200 . 48 GO TO Key . 14 Keeping Your Telescope Clean and Dry . 48 Direction Keys . 14 Collimation (Alignment) of the Optical System . 49 Speed Keys. 15 RET Key . 15 Right Ascension (R.A.) Lock. 50 FOCUS Key. 15 Behind the Power Panel. 50 MAP Key. 15 Factory Service and Repairs . 50 Object Keys. 15 PREVand NEXT Keys. 15 Appendix E: LX200 Personal Computer Control. 51 The LX200 Power Panel . 15 The RS-232 Cable. 51 ON/OFF Switch . 16 LX200 Test Program . 51 Ammeter . 16 LX200 Command Set. 52 DECMotor Port . 16 1. Command Set Formats . 52 CCD Port. 16 2. General Telescope Information. 52 POWER 18vDC Port . 16 3. Telescope Motion. 53 Keypad Port. 16 4. Home Position. 53 Reticle Port . 16 5. Library/Objects . 53 Focuser Port . 16 6. Miscellaneous . 54 RS-232 Port. 16 LX200 Demo Program . 55 Field De-Rotator Port. 16 12vDC Output . 16 Appendix F: LX200 Specifications. 59 - 5 - INTRODUCTION catalog. As a new LX200 owner, you are preparing for a journey into the • 7,840 NGC (New General Catalog) objects:* c o m p l e t e universe with the most advanced amateur telescope ever Catalog. produced. This instrument is the culmination of twenty years of * innovation and design at Meade Instruments. Never before • 5,386 IC (Index Catalog) objects: complete catalog. have the features that you have in your hands been available • 21,815 GCVS (General Catalog of Variable Stars) objects: to amateur astronomers: from robotic object-location to the complete catalog. revolutionary Smart Drive and the most stable mounting • 351 alignment stars: LX200 alignment stars. structure ever. Your telescope comes to you ready for adventure; it will be your tour guide and traveling companion in • 110 M (Messier) objects: complete catalog. a universe of planets, galaxies, and stars. • 8 major planets, from Mercury to Pluto. Meade 16” LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes (SCT) are instruments of advanced mirror-lens design for astronomical *NGC 2000 and IC databases are copyrighted by Sky and terrestrial applications. Optically and mechanically, the 16” Publishing Corporation and used with their permission. telescope model is perhaps the most sophisticated and precisely manufactured telescope ever made available to the 3. Altazimuth Mode Operation serious amateur. This telescope enables the visual astronomer to reach out for detailed observations of the planets of our Solar For all visual observing applications and for lunar and planetary System and beyond to distant nebulae, star clusters, and photography, you may set up the telescope in the altazimuth galaxies. mode. Just attach its drive base directly to the tripod, use the The astrophotographer will find a virtually limitless range of fast 1-star alignment procedure, and the telescope’s computer possibilities. With the precision Meade worm-gear motor-drive actuates 2-axis tracking. This keeps objects precisely centered system, long-exposure guided photography becomes not a in the field, even at high powers, during the entire observing distant goal but an achievable reality. The capabilities of the session. instrument are essentially limited not by the telescope, but by For long-exposure astrophotography, the telescope has an the acquired skills of the observer and photographer. optional field de-rotator. It eliminates the image rotation caused IMPORTANT NOTE by altazimuth tracking. If you are anxious to use your LX200 for the first time, at the very least be sure to read TELESCOPE ASSEMBLY 4. Terrestrial Operation (page 7),and QUICKSTART (page 9).Thereafter, we urge you to read the balance of this manual thoroughly at The Meade LX2 0 0 makes an incredible land-viewing your leisure, so you may fully enjoy the many features telescope. Set.