Meade 60AZ-D Telescope User Manual
Contents
1. Calculating Power 0 0 2 tees Maintenance tse sect ed pe ne m P Rd eee Sa nin babe Geese A Few Words About Power 00 0 e eee eee Specifications coss de eee ey aaa sans Russ E ENIMS Optional Accessories 0 0 0 eee ees Figure 1 Polaris 60AZ D Altazimuth Refracting Telescope Inset A Accessory Tray Mounting Bolt Hole Inset B Close up of the Viewfinder Assembly Eyepiece Viewfinder Viewfinder collimation screws Optical tube assembly Vertical lock knobs Horizontal lock knob Tripod legs Leg brace supports 9 Accessory tray 10 Tripod to mount base attachment 11 Tripod attachment bolts 12 Accessory tray mounting bolt hole see inset A 13 Diagonal Mirror OO m e ONS 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 d Objective lens cell Focuser drawtube Altitude rod slow motion fine adjustment control Altitude rod coarse adjustment lock knob control Altazimuth mount Adjustable sliding center leg extension Tripod leg lock thumbscrew Dew shield lens shade Front lens cap Focusing knob Viewfinder bracket Viewfinder bracket mounting thumbscrews INTRODUCTION Before you begin we urge you to take a few minutes to completely read this manual so that you can get the best use of the equipment This manual details the set up operation specifications and optional accessories of the Polaris 60 AZ D altazimuth refracting telescope Designed for both astronomic2. see Fig 1 Inset B C altitude coarse adjustment control D vertical lock knob 10 Insert the diagonal mirror 13 Fig 1 into the focuser drawtube 15 Fig 1 and the H 25mm eyepiece 1 Fig 1 into the diagonal mirror Tighten the respective thumbscrews to a firm feel 11 The telescope is now completely assembled To move the telescope and point it from one object to another first slightly loosen one of the chrome lock star shaped knobs 5 Fig 1 which serve as a vertical lock then loosen the azimuth horizontal lock 6 Fig 1 Also slightly loosen the altitude coarse adjustment lock knob 17 Fig 1 Loosening these locks allows the telescope to be moved freely vertically or horizontally in any direction so that the telescope can be positioned to center a terrestrial or celestial object in the telescopic field Once an object is found the altitude lock knob 17 Fig 1 can be tightened and the altitude slow motion fine adjustment control knob 16 Fig 1 can then be used to make very smooth and accurate tracking in the vertical axis VIEWFINDER FOCUSING AND ALIGNMENT The 5 x 24mm viewfinder 2 Fig 1 is a low power wide field sighting device that once aligned will allow you to point the telescope with greater precision Note When you look through the viewfinder you will see a crosshair with images that will be upside down this is normal To work properly the viewfinder must first be aligned to the telesc
3. attach to the 3 leg braces Attach the accessory tray 9 Fig 1 to the leg brace supports 8 Fig 1 by threading the bolt on the bottom of the tray into the center hole located where the three brace supports meet see Fig 1 Inset A and turning the tray clockwise Tighten to a firm feel but do not overtighten you will need to remove the tray if you wish to collapse the tripod To remove the tray just rotate the tray counterclockwise untill the tray comes loose Extend the sliding center portion of the adjustable height tripod leg 19 Fig 1 to the desired length for all 3 legs Lock the tripod legs by tightening the leg lock thumbscrew 20 Fig 1 to a firm feel Remove the two vertical lock knobs D Fig 2 from the optical tube assembly Place the optical tube between the forks of the azimuth mount A Fig 2 oriented as shown in Fig 2 Slide the altitude rod B Fig 2 into the hole in the altitude coarse adjustment control assembly C Fig 2 Tighten to a firm feel Thread a vertical lock knob D Fig 2 through each of the holes in the forks of the azimuth mount A Fig 2 and tighten to a firm feel Attach the viewfinder bracket 2 Fig 1 to the telescope using the Fig 2 Mounting the optical 2 thumbscrews provided 25 Fig 1 The thumbscrews fit through tube assembly A azimuth the 2 holes located at the base of the viewfinder bracket and mount B altitude rod thread into the main tube
4. Instruction Manual Polaris 60AZ D 60mm 2 4 Altazimuth Refracting Telescope Meade Instruments Corporation 6001 OAK CANYON IRVINE CALIFORNIA 92618 5200 U S A oo 949 451 1450 W FAX 949 451 1460 W www meade com jn Y WARNING NEVER USE AN POLARIS 60AZ D 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 SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION WHILE OBSERVING RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR MEADE LIMITED WARRANTY Every Polaris telescope spotting scope and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments Corporation Meade to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from the date of original purchase in the U S A Meade will repair or replace a product or part thereof found by Meade to be defective provided the defective part is returned to Meade freight prepaid with proof of purchase This warranty applies to the original purchaser only and is non transferable Meade products purchased outside North America are not included in this warranty but are covered under separate warranties issued by Meade international distributors RGA Number Required Prior
5. al and terrestrial observing the Polaris 60 AZ D will be your companion in exploring a universe of celestial and earthly objects STANDARD EQUIPMENT Refer to Fig 1 Complete optical tube assembly objective lens diameter 60mm focal length 700mm Full length fully adjustable aluminum tripod and accessory tray H 25mm 28X H 12 5mm 56X and SR 4mm 175X Eyepieces 0 965 O D Outside Diameter 3x Barlow Lens 0 965 O D Diagonal mirror 0 965 O D 5 x 24mm viewfinder with bracket Altazimuth mount with micro altitude control Hardware package A 3 bolts 3 long with wing nuts and washers B 3 screws 1 2 long with wing nuts and screwdriver tool Note All other necessary hardware provided in place StarLocator astronomy software separate instructions supplied in software package UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLY First time assembly of the telescope should require a set up of about 15 minutes To set up the telescope follow this procedure 1 2 Remove and identify the telescope s components using the listing above Attach the 3 aluminum tripod legs 7 Fig 1 to the base of the altazimuth mount 10 Fig 1 with the 3 hinged leg brace supports 8 Fig 1 facing inward Three bolts 11 Fig 1 each about 2 long with washers and wing nuts are provided for this purpose in hardware package A Stand the telescope upright spreading the tripod legs evenly apart so that the accessory tray can be positioned to
6. aturn and its famous ring system e Deep Space Nebulae galaxies multiple star systems star clusters hundreds of such objects are visible through your Polaris telescope If possible observe under a dark sky away from city lights you will be able to observe more deep space objects through your Polaris telescope Terrestrial objects Your Polaris telescope may also be used for high resolution land viewing Important Note Using the diagonal mirror results in an image which is reversed left for right but which is correctly oriented up and down Terrestrial observations should almost always be made using the 25mm low power eyepiece for bright sharp images Observing horizontally through the Earth s atmosphere distorts images in higher power eyepieces such as 12 5mm CALCULATING POWER The power magnification at which a telescope is operating is calculated by dividing the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece The focal length of the 60 AZ D telescope is identified on the focuser label as being 700mm F 700mm The focal length of the eyepiece is usually identified on the top of the eyepiece barrel For example if you are using a 25mm eyepiece the resulting power will be Power 700mm 25mm 28X For example if you are using a 12 5mm eyepiece the resulting power will be Power 700mm 12 5mm 56X The purpose of a Barlow lens is to increase the magnification possible with a given eyepi
7. ece The 3x Barlow supplied with this telescope will triple the normal eyepiece power For example the 25mm 28X eyepiece when used in conjunction with the 3x Barlow lens yields 84X The 12 5mm 56X eyepiece yields 168X when used with the 3x Barlow lens To use the 3x Barlow lens remove the diagonal mirror 13 Fig 1 from the focuser drawtube 15 Fig 1 Then insert the 3x Barlow lens followed by the diagonal mirror 13 Fig 1 and finally the 25mm eyepiece 1 Fig 1 Refocus until the image is sharp POWER AND EYEPIECES The useful higher magnification with any 60mm diameter telescope is in the range of 80 to 120 power The general rule to follow with any telescope regarding power Only use as much magnification as a steady well defined image supports The stability of the air varies and is one reason why having various eyepieces is desirable Higher powers are no guaranty of better images in fact the opposite is often true MAINTENANCE As with any quality optical instrument lens surfaces should be cleaned as infrequently as possible A little dust on the surface of the objective lens 14 Fig 1 causes negligible degradation of image quality and should not be considered reason to clean the lens When lens cleaning does become necessary use a camel hair brush or compressed air to gently remove dust Wipe only with a soft clean cloth applying as little pressure as possible to avoid scratching glass surfaces Note Gently pull
8. off and remove the the dew shield lens shade 21 Fig 1 to access the objective lens 14 Fig 1 SPECIFICATIONS Objective main lens focal length 700mm Objective lens diameter 60mm 2 4 Focal ratio 2 000 eee eee f 11 7 Mounting type 6 eee eee Altazimuth OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES 927 45 Erect Image Roof Prism 0 965 O D Correctly orients the telescopic image during terrestrial observing and yields an image position at a 45 angle to the main telescope tube resulting in a more comfortable observing position in most cases Additional Eyepieces 0 965 Meade recommends the following eyepieces for enhanced astronomical and or terrestrial viewing MA 9mm 0 965 O D Provides high quality higher power close up observation of the Moon and planets 78X MA 40mm 0 965 O D Offers the most dramatic wide field of view for observing deep space objects This is also the eyepiece most recommended for viewing objects on land 18X WRITE FOR THE FULL LINE MEADE GENERAL CATALOG MEADE INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION 6001 OAK CANYON IRVINE CA 92618 FOR SERVICE CALL 949 451 1450 8 30AM 4 00PM PACIFIC TIME MONDAY FRIDAY
9. oon at first if it is visible or a bright star NEVER POINT THE TELESCOPE DIRECTLY AT OR NEAR THE SUN AT ANY TIME OBSERVING THE SUN EVEN FOR THE SMALLEST FRACTION OF A SECOND WILL RESULT IN INSTANT AND IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE AS WELL AS PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE TELESCOPE ITSELF 2 To center an object in the main telescope first use the aligned viewfinder to find the object you wish to observe If necessary slightly loosen the vertical lock 5 Fig 1 and the altitude rod lock knob 17 Fig 1 to re position the telescope so that the desired object can be centered in the viewfinder When the object is centered in the viewfinder it should then also be somewhere in the main telescope s field of view Next using the 25mm eyepiece center the object in the main telescope s field of view and sharply focus the image by turning the focus knob 23 Fig 1 The wide field H 25mm eyepiece included as standard equipment is the best eyepiece to use for the initial finding and centering of an object The low power H 25mm eyepiece presents a bright wide field of view ideal for terrestrial and general astronomical observing of star fields clusters of stars nebulae and galaxies For lunar and planetary viewing switch to a higher power eyepiece such as the H 12 5mm if you have good viewing conditions If the image starts to become fuzzy as magnification is increased back down to a lower power The atmosphere is not steady enough to sup
10. ope s main optical tube To align the viewfinder follow these steps 1 Remove the lens cap 22 Fig 1 of the optical tube assembly Insert the 25mm wide field eyepiece into the diagonal mirror 13 Fig 1 Point the optical tube assembly 4 Fig 1 at a distant land object e g a distant telephone pole Make sure the detail of the distant object you have chosen is in sharp focus Focusing is accomplished by turning the focusing knob 23 Fig 1 until the sharpest possible image is attained 2 Center the viewfinder 2 Fig 1 in both the front and rear rings using the collimation screws 3 Fig 1 Next looking through the viewfinder adjust the collimation screws on the rear ring until the object centered in the telescope s main tube is likewise positioned in the center of the viewfinder s crosshairs Now it is possible to quickly sight an object in the viewfinder first then find that object approximately centered in the 25mm eyepiece of the telescope 3 Ifthe viewfinder s infinity image is not in sharp focus the knurled end of the eyepiece can be turned to fine tune the focus Be sure to hold the viewfinder firmly between your fingers when making this adjustment USING THE TELESCOPE With the telescope assembled you are ready to begin observations 1 First pick out an easy to find object Observing land objects during the daytime is a good way to become accustomed to the operation of the telescope At night try observing the M
11. port higher powers Note Changing eyepieces changes power 3 If you are observing an astronomical object the Moon a planet star etc you will notice that the object will begin to move slowly through the telescopic field of view This movement is caused by the rotation of the Earth and makes an object appear to be moving in the telescope s field of view To keep astronomical objects centered in the field simply move the telescope on one or both of its axes vertical and or horizontal as appropriate At higher powers astronomical objects will seem to move through the field of view of the eyepiece more rapidly Observing Tip Place the object to be viewed at the edge of the field and without touching the telescope watch it drift through the field to the other side before repositioning the telescope so that the object to be viewed is again placed at the edge of the field ready to be further observed 4 Avoid touching the eyepiece while observing through the telescope Vibrations resulting from such contact will cause the image to move Avoid observing sites where vibrations may introduce image movement Viewing from the upper floors of a building may also introduce image movement 5 Allow a few minutes for your eyes to become dark adapted prior to attempting any serious observations Use a red filtered flashlight to protect your night vision when reading star maps or inspecting components of the telescope Tip You can make your own
12. red filtered flashlight by taping red cellophane over a flashlight lens 6 Avoid setting up the telescope inside a room and observing through an opened or closed window pane Images may appear blurred or distorted due to temperature differences between inside and outside air Also it is a good idea to allow your telescope to reach the ambient surrounding outside temperature before starting an observing session 7 Planets and other objects viewed low on the horizon often lack sharpness the same object when observed higher in the sky will appear sharper and have greater contrast Turbulent air in the atmosphere can cause images to shimmer in the eyepiece Try reducing power change your eyepiece until the image steadies Keep in mind that a bright clear but smaller image is more interesting than a larger dimmer fuzzy one 8 Astronomical software or a good star atlas will assist you in locating many interesting celestial objects These objects include The Moon covered with craters mountain ranges and fault lines The Moon is best observed during its crescent or half phase when Sunlight strikes the Moon s surface at an angle It casts shadows and adds a sense of depth to the view No shadows are seen during a full Moon causing the bright Moon to appear flat and uninteresting e Cloud belts across the surface of the planet Jupiter The 4 major moons of Jupiter visible around the planet changing position each night e S
13. to the return of any product or part a Return Goods Authorization RGA number must be obtained from Meade by writing or by calling 949 451 1450 Each returned part or product must include a written statement detailing the nature of the claimed defect as well as the owner s name address and phone number This warranty is not valid in cases where the product has been abused or mishandled where unauthorized repairs have been attempted or performed or where depreciation of the product is due to normal wear and tear Meade specifically disclaims special indirect or consequential damages or lost profit which may result from a breach of this warranty Any implied warranties which cannot be disclaimed are hereby limited to a term of one year from the date of original retail purchase This warranty gives you specific rights You may have other rights which vary from state to state Meade reserves the right to change product specifications or to discontinue products without notice This warranty supersedes all previous Meade product warranties YVYYYYVYVYYYVYYYYYYYYYYYYVYVYYYYYYVYYVYVYYYYY TABLE OF CONTENTS INMOQUCTION Lusit eet Boal eet eerie eb D eed Standard Equipment sx o eve eS etes erc AA CE eh oars Unpacking and Assembly sslllleeee res Altazimuth Mount Movements and Lock 000 eee e eee Viewfinder Focusing and Alignment llle Using the Telescope ix ssresvew ver nee oe bee ed IIR eee wea gee fed
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