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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 1
MEADE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
80mm | 3.1" Equatorial Refracting Telescope
80EQ-AR
www.meade.com
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 3 INTRODUCTION Your telescope is an excellent beginner’s Setting up your telescope involves these 1 instrument, and is designed to observe simple steps: objects in the sky. It can be your personal • Assemble your tripod window on the universe. • Attach the accessory tray • Attach the red dot viewfinder The telescope is shipped with the following • Attach the eyepiece parts: • Attach the counterweight • Optical tube • Prepare mount • Aluminum tripod with
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 4 Inset A Figure 1: Meade 80EQ-AR Equatorial Refracting Telescope FIGURE 1 Inset A: Red Dot Viewfinder Assembly 2 1. Dust cap (not shown) 2. Dew shield/lens shade 3. Object lens cell (not shown) 4. Main optical tube (OTA) 5. Declination lock 6. Cradle ring attachment lock knob 7. Cradle ring lock knob (not shown) 8. Cradle ring 9. Red dot viewfinder bracket mounting thumbscrews (see Inset A) 10. Red dot viewfinder 11. Focuser draw tube 12. Eyepiece
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 5 Figure 2: Meade 80EQ-AR Equatorial Refracting Telescope FIGURE 2 Inset B: Accessory Tray 3 Inset C: Tripod Leg 1. Adjustable sliding inner leg extension 25. Optional motor drive gear (see Fig. 5) Inset B (see Inset C) 26. Azimuth circle (see Fig. 5) 2. Sliding leg extension lock (see Inset C) 27. Azimuth base (see Fig. 5) 3. Right ascension lock 28. Azimuth adjustment lock (see Fig. 5) 4. Right ascension setting circle 5. Counterweight 6. Count
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 6 Inset B 5. Attach the remaining ASSEMBLE YOUR TRIPOD brace supports using the two legs to the mount in supplied one-half inch bolts The tripod is the basic support for 4 the same manner. and screwdriver tool your telescope. Its height may be 6. Spread the legs out (See Fig. 4). adjusted so that you can view evenly apart. 3. Thread the supplied nut over comfortably. N No ot te e: : N Nu um mb be er r i in n 7. Set the height of the end of
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 7 3. Replace the thumbscrews onto the bolts BALANCING THE TELESCOPE Fig. 5 and tighten to a firm feel. In order for the telescope to move 5 Fig. 2 Fig. 1 smoothly on its mechanical axes, it INSERT THE EYEPIECE Fig. 2 must first be balanced as follows: 1. Slide the MA25mm eyepiece (19) into 1. Loosen the right ascension lock Fig. 2 Fig. 2 eyepiece holder on the focuser (17). Fig. 2 (22). The telescope mount will turn freely 2. Tight
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 8 Loosen the latitude adjustment lock practice "star-hopping" to locate celestial SUN WARNING! (9, Fig. 6) so you can move the mount objects. They use star charts or NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE 6 to the desired position. astronomical software to identify bright TO LOOK AT THE SUN! stars and star patterns as "landmarks" 3. Re-tighten the latitude adjustment LOOKING AT OR NEAR THE SUN WILL in their search for astronomical objects. lock
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 9 The celestial map also contains two poles latitude and longitude, celestial objects may (e.g., the Dec. of the North and an equator just like a map of the Earth also be located using Right Ascension and celestial pole is +90°). Any point on (see Fig. 6). The celestial poles are defined Declination. For example: You can locate the celestial equator (such as thee 7 as those two points where the Earth's North Los Angeles, Califo
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 10 within a degree or two of the pole is more Fig. 7 complete revolution about the pole, than sufficient: with this level of pointing circling with the pole at the center. 8 accuracy, the telescope can track accurately By lining up the telescope's polar by slowly turning the telescope's R.A. axis with the North Celestial Pole (or flexible cable control and keep objects for observers located in Earth's in the telescopic field of view for perhaps So
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 11 off by difficult terms or complicated THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE Right Ascension (22, Fig. 5) and procedures. Don’t panic! Just relax and enjoy Declination (23, Fig. 5) lock knobs We have one very important rule that your scope. 9 (just rotate to unlock or lock; when you should always follow when using locking, only tighten to a “firm feel,” your telescope: You will begin to grow and learn more about do not overtighten). astronomy the
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 12 wish to move the telescope in very are called rays and are the result of material called a solar system. Our Sun, by the way, small (fine control) steps. thrown out of the crater when it was struck is a single, yellow dwarf star. It is average as 10 by a colliding object. The dark areas on the far as stars go and is a middle aged star. Observe the Moon: When you feel Moon are called maria and are composed of comfortable with the viewfinder,
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 13 Jupiter is quite interesting to observe. You Probably the most memorable sight Fig. 8 can see bands across the face of Jupiter. The you will see in your telescope is more time you spend observing these bands, Saturn. Although you may not see 11 the more details you will be able to see. many features on the surface of Saturn, its ring structure will steal One of the most fascinating sights of Jupiter your breath away. You will probably be able are its
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 14 Almost all the stars you can see in the sky asteroids, planetary nebula and globular Optional color filters help bring out are part of our galaxy. A galaxy is a large clusters. And if you’re lucky, every so often a detail and contrast of the planets. 12 grouping of stars, containing millions or bright comet appears in the sky, presenting Meade offers a line of inexpensive even billions of stars. Some galaxies form a an unforgettable sight. colo
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 15 Fig. 9 same size as they look in your eyepiece. You Objects move in the eyepiece: If you will see that the moons are in a different are observing an astronomical object eyepiece 13 position every night. As you get better at (the Moon, a planet, star, etc.) you drawing, try more challenging sights, like a will notice that the object will begin to barlow crater system on the moon or even a nebula. move slowly through the telescopic field of
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 16 tracks). Viewing from the upper floors of a mind that a bright, clear, but smaller image through the field of view of the building may also cause image movement. is more interesting than a larger, dimmer, eyepiece more rapidly. 14 fuzzy one. Using too high a power eyepiece Let your eyes “dark-adapt:” Allow five or Place the object to be viewed at the is one of the most common mistakes made ten minutes for your eyes to become “dark
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 17 Primary mirror diameter is how big the with your telescope. Just divide the HAVE A GOOD TIME, mirror is on your scope. Telescopes are focal length of the telescope by the ASTRONOMY IS FUN! always described by how large their primary focal length of the eyepiece. 15 SPECIFICATIONS mirror is. Your telescope is 114mm or 4.5 inches. Other telescopes are 90mm, 8 Optical tube focal length . . 900mm Focal Length of the Telescope inches, 16 inches, or e
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 18 Your 25mm low-power eyepiece aluminized mirrors, in particular, should OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES magnifies an object 28 times. be cleaned only when absolutely Additional Eyepieces (1.25" barrel 16 Multiply 28 by 2 and you get 56 times necessary. In all cases avoid touching diameter): magnification with a Barlow. any mirror surface. A little dust on the You might have noticed something strange surface of a mirror or lens causes Eyepiece’s magnific
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 19 original purchaser only and is non- MEADE CONSUMER SOLUTIONS This warranty gives you specific transferable. Meade products purchased rights. You may have other rights If you have a question concerning your outside North America are not included in 17 which vary from state to state. telescope, call Meade Instruments this warranty, but are covered under Consumer Solutions Department at Meade reserves the right to change separate warranties i
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Meade80EQ-AR 4/28/06 9:55 AM Page 21 OBSERVATION LOG OBSERVER: OBJECT NAME: DATE & TIME OBSERVED: CONSTELLATION: EYEPIECE SIZE: SEEING CONDITIONS: EXCELLENT GOOD POOR NOTES: DRAWING OF IMAGE
