User manual MEADE 884 DELUXE FIELD TRIPOD

[. . . ] If the motor drive has not been engaged, celestial objects viewed in the telescope eyepiece drift entirely out of the field of view in 15 to 60 seconds, depending on the magnification employed. However, by mounting your telescope and turning on the motor drive, you can counteract the drift of objects in the eyepiece. The two basic types of mounting are: altazimuth (alt/az) and equatorial. It is unnecessary for ETX owners who use an Autostar Controller to equatorially mount the telescope. [. . . ] 4) so that your observing site's latitude is just visible above the flat surface of the tripod head. 7) so that it is pointing due North (if the location of Polaris, the North Star, is known, point the telescope directly at Polaris. Observers located in the Earth's Southern Hemisphere must point the telescope due South). 7 and 8. ) The telescope is now equatorially mounted; the tripod must not be moved, or else the alignment will be lost. Instead, use one of the following methods to move the telescope's optical tube to a desired celestial object. (a) Loosen the Horizontal (R. A. ) and/or Vertical (Dec. ) locks (see your telescope Operating Instructions) to permit the optical tube to be freely moved manually. (b) With the Horizontal and Vertical locks in their "locked" positions, use the manual slow-motion controls (ETX-90RA models) or the Arrow keys of the Electronic Controller (ETX-90EC, ETX-105EC, and ETX-125EC models) to move the optical tube. Note: For most astronomical observing requirements, approximate settings of the telescope's latitude and North-pointing tripod leg (steps 4 and 5, above) are acceptable. Do not allow undue attention to precise equatorial mounting of the telescope to interfere with your enjoyment of the instrument. Using an Equatorially Mounted Telescope Once your telescope is equatorially mounted, the telescope motor drive will keep a celestial object in the telescope eyepiece's field of view. See the appropriate section in your telescope's operating instructions for more information about locating celestial objects. ETX-90RA models: The On/Off switch is located on the base of the drive base. This switch must be turned on before the telescope is mounted to the tilt-plate. The telescope will automatically track astronomical objects: see the telescope's operating instructions for details in this regard. Use the telescope's manual slow motion controls to make minor adjustments to keep an object centered. ETX-90EC, ETX-105EC, and ETX-125EC models with Electronic Controllers: The On/Off switch is located on the telescope's Computer Control panel. The telescope will automatically track astronomical objects; see the telescope's operating instructions for details in this regard. Use the Electronic Controller's Arrow keys to make minor adjustments to keep the object centered. 3. Fig. 2: High latitude leg mounting hole and corresponding attachment knob. Fig. 4: Set latitude. -2- Note: If your telescope does not begin tracking when you activate the motor drive (you should hearing a "whirring" sound), check the configuration of the "mode screws" on the back of the Electronic Controller. [. . . ] ETX telescopes equipped with an Autostar hand controller (standard equipment with the ETX-70AT: optionally available for the ETX-90EC, ETX-105EC, and ETX-125EC) may be used in the altazimuth mode, and the Autostar hand controller directs the telescope to track astronomical objects in both vertical and horizontal directions, simultaneously. Note that in the case of altazimuth mounting, the orientation of the tripod is irrelevant: the tripod may be placed on the ground with tripod legs pointing in arbitrary directions. For information on the use of your ETX telescope equipped with an Autostar hand controller, consult your telescope's operating instructions. + North Celestial Pole + North Celestial Pole Fig. Note that the face of the tilt-plate points North. -3- Locating the Celestial Pole Using the North Star (Polaris) to find North is useful in equatorial mounting. [. . . ]