User manual MEADE MAX-ACF

[. . . ] Instruction Manual 20" MAX-ACF Advanced Coma-Free Telescope on MAX Robotic German Equatorial Mount MEADE. COM DANGER Read this manual carefully before attempting to assemble the MAX-ACF mount and attaching the OTA. Follow steps as outlined in this manual in order to assemble the telescope safely. Failure to follow steps may result in injury or death, and/or damage to the telescope and mount. CONTENTS WARNING! Never use a Meade MAXACFTM Telescope to look at the Sun!Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. [. . . ] The Event database includes: Sunrise, Sun Transit, and Sunset: Calculate the time of Sun rise, Sun transit, or Sun set on the current date. Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the "Setup: Date" menu. Moonrise, Moon Transit, and Moonset: Calculate the time of Moon rise, Moon transit, or Moon set on the current date. Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the "Setup: Date" menu. Moon Phases: Displays the date and time of the next Full, New, 1st Quarter, and 3rd Quarter Moon. Meteor Showers: Provides information on upcoming meteor showers, such as the Perseids, the Leonids, etc. Also lists the dates of the showers and when they reach maximum. Note: Meteors are fast moving objects that cover large areas of the sky and are usually best observed with the naked eye. Solar Eclipse: Lists upcoming Solar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, annular, or partial) of eclipse. Lunar Eclipse: Lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total, partial, penumbral) of eclipse. (Minimum) of Algol: Displays the minimum brightness of the dramatic eclipsing binary star system, Algol. Every 2. 8 days during a 10-hour period, Algol undergoes a major change in apparent magnitude as one of the two stars passes behind the other. The combined magnitude of the two stars thus dips from +2. 1 to a minimum of +3. 4 halfway through the eclipse as the second star is hidden. Autumn and Vernal Equinox: Calculate the time and date of the fall or spring equinox of the current year. Winter and Summer Solstice: Calculate the time and date of the winter or summer solstice of the current year. Glossary Menu The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions for common astronomical terms and Autostar II functions. Access directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Autostar II. A hypertext word is any word in [brackets], usually found when using the Autostar II Help function or when reading a scrolling message such as a description of a planet or star. Press ENTER whenever a hypertext word is on screen and Autostar II goes to the glossary entry for that word. To access directly from within the Glossary menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll through the alphabet. Scroll to the desired entry and then press ENTER to read the description. Utilities Menu The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features within Autostar II, including a countdown timer and an alarm. The Utilities functions include: Balance OTA: Use while you're balancing the OTA (see pages 22 - 23 for complete procedure). Allows to balance on both axes. 36 Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving. OTA Fan: Allows you to turn the fan off or on if you have an MAX-ACF model. The fan should be activated at the beginning of an observing session and run until the optics have achieved an equilibrium with the environment. [. . . ] Off When Smart Mount is "Off, " the telescope will not use any model you have created to refine pointing accuracy. Erase The Erase command clears the Current Smart Mount table values to allow a new model to be created. To delete a model, just scroll through the names and select the model to you wish to delete and press ENTER. You will be asked to confirm your choice. Press ENTER again and it will be removed from memory. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. [. . . ]