Instruction Manual

8, 10", 12", 16" LightBridge Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescopes

MEADE.COM

WARNING!
Never use a Meade 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 at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope or SmartFinder as it is moving. Children should always have adult supervision while observing.

CONTENTS

Telescope Features.. 8 Assembly.. 5 Assemble the Base.. 5 Assemble the Tube.. 6 Insert Eyepiece, Attach Red Dot Finder. 7 Collimating the Optical System.. 8 Align the deluxe Red Dot Finder..11 Using a Dobsonian Telescope..11 Calculate Magnification..12 Observing...12 Some Tips...15 Care of the Optics..15 Meade Customer Service...16 Specifications...17 Optional Accessories..19 Appendix A: Altitude Adjustment Knobs.21
Never leave the primary mirror uncovered during the daytime unless using the telescope to view terrestrial objects.
The name "Meade" and the Meade logo are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in principal countries throughout the world. "LightBridge " is a trademark of Meade Instruments Corporation. 2006 Meade Instruments Corporation.
Fig. 1 Telescope features.
Inset A: Focuser assembly.

1&

Base Assembly 9. Side base panels (2) 10. Front base panel 11. Circular base plates (2) 12. Feet (3)
Tube Assembly 1. Eyepiece 2. Focuser assembly 3. Front OTA (optical tube assembly) 4. Top truss lock knobs (3) 5. Trusses (3) 6. Bottom truss lock knobs (3) 7. Altitude bearing 8. Rear OTA

F G H I F J 1(

Inset A 13. a) Focus knob b) Fine focus knob (16" models only) 14. Focus lock & tension adjustment knobs 15. 1.25" & 2"eyepiece holder 16. Draw tube 17. Thumbscrew Inset B 18. Fan 19. Fan battery pack (inset) 20. Collimation adjustment screw (3) 21. Collimation Lock screw (3)

2! 1* 2!

Inset B: Base of mirror tube (see page 9 for 16" base information).

1) J 1! 1@

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

ASSEMBLY

ASSEMBLE THE BASE
Note: You will need to supply a phillips screwdriver and a onequarter inch or adjustable wrench to assemble the telescope. Note: Numbers in parentheses. e.g., (9), refer to Fig.1 and Fig. 1 insets.
STEP 1: The base supports the telescope and allows you to move the telescope from side to side.
Repeat with second side panel.
Line up one of the base side panels (9) with the base front panel (10) as shown here. Thread in the two black attachment bolts to secure the panels together. Tighten the bolts to a firm feel.
Line up the circular base(11) with the 7 predrilled holes against the panels.
Countersunk depression on this side of base
STEP 2: Turn the base panels on their side.
Thread 6 black bolts into the base, as shown here. Make sure that the side with the countersunk holes on the base face the bottom (see photo)
Slide the center bearing bushing into the 7th (center) hole of the circular base.

STEP 3:

Line up the other circular base (sometimes called the ground base), which contains three teflon pads (finger points to a pad)
roller bearing adjustment bolt washers

center bearing bushing

roller bearing plates
Place the center bearing bushing into the countersunk hole of the ground plate. Slide the three roller bearing plates over the center bearing bushing: First the roller bearing plate, then the roller bearing itself (the plate that looks alike a wagon wheel), then the second roller bearing plate. Place the top part of the base plate assembly over the center bearing bushing. To secure in place: On the adjustment knob bolt, place two washers on either side of the roller bearing washer. Slide the adjustment bolt through the top base board and into the center bearing bushing and hand-tighten. A nut is captured on the bottom plate. See drawing

STEP 4:

STEP 5: Next attach the three feet to the bottom panel. Line up each foot and thread a small attachment screw into the foot to hold it in place. Tighten to a firm feel.
Note: When attaching the feet, make sure that the center countersink depression is on the opposite side of the base. STEP 5: Next attach the three feet to the bottom panel. Line up each foot and thread a small attachment screw into the foot to hold it in place. Tighten to a firm feel. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

bracket

First, assemble the red dot finder. Slide the bracket over the groove of the red dot finder scope. Tighten the two hex screws with the supplied hex wrench to secure in place. Slide the red dot finder bracket into the slot on the top OTA. Slide it in from the top (it will only go into the slot from this end). Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the red dot bracket securely in place. You will need to align the red dot finder. See page 8.
STEP 13: To move the telescope, remove the tube assembly from the base assembly. Grasp the tube assembly by the trusses and lift up. It is recommended that you relocate the telescope when it is disassembled into two pieces.
STEP 14: Note that there is a fan on the bottom of the mirror
tube. It is powered by a battery pack using 4 AA user-supplied batteries. If you begin observing at sunset, and the telescope has been heated by the sun or by being in your car, you may notice turbulence in your images. In this case, you can run the fan until your images stabilize and are steady. The fan probably needs to be used less than an hour.
Note also that there are three lock screws and three collimation screws. These screws are for use with the collimation procedure. See page 14.
Meade offers an optional laser collimator to help you to collimate your telescope (see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 18). Nevertheless, take the time now to familiarize yourself with the following collimation procedure so that you may recognize a properly collimated instrument and adjust the collimation yourself, if necessary. Correct Collimation The collimation procedure for the Meade LightBridge Dobsonian is slightly different from that of other Newtonian reflecting telescopes, because of the "fast" f/5 to f/6 focal ratio of the primary mirror. In typical Newtonian reflectors with more conventional focal ratios (i.e. longer focal ratios), when the observer looks down the focuser tube (without an eyepiece in the focuser), the images of the diagonal mirror, primary mirror, focuser tube and the observer's eye appear centered relative to each other.

Precise collimation, or alignment, of your telescopes optical system is essential for good performance. All Meade telescopes are accurately collimated at the factory prior to shipment. You may want to collimate after the telescope has been shipped or if it has endured rough handling or a bumpy car journeyusually, though, just a small touch up is all that's required.
COLLIMATION OF THE OPTICAL SYSTEM
However, with the short focal ratio primary mirror of the LightBridge Dobsonian, correct collimation requires that the diagonal mirror be offset in 2 directions: (1) away from the focuser and (2) towards the primary mirror, in equal amounts. This offset is approximately 1/8" in each direction. Note that these offsets have been performed at the factory prior to shipment of your telescope. It is only necessary for you to confirm that the telescope has not been badly jarred out of collimation, and to perform the final fine-tuning of Step 4, below. To check and, if necessary, set the optical collimation, follow these steps: 1. Observe through the focuser and orient your body so that the telescope's primary mirror is to your right, and the open end of the telescope tube is to your left. Fig. D shows a correctly collimated LightBridge Dobsonian telescope, as it appears when viewed through the focuser with the eyepiece removed.
Note: A small paper ring is attached to the primary mirror. This ring was attached at the factory for purposes of laser collimation. The ring will not diminish your telescope's imaging capabilities and does not need to be removed.
The diagonal mirror will appear centered as shown (2, Fig. D). If the diagonal appears off center, then adjust the 3 collimation screws (2, Fig. B) on the plastic diagonal mirror housing.
2. If the reflection of the primary mirror (3, Fig. D) is not centered on the surface of the diagonal mirror, adjust the 3 collimation adjustment screws on the diagonal mirror housing to center the reflection. As described above, the 3 collimation screws on the diagonal mirror housing are used for two different adjustments during the collimation procedure.
Important Note: Do not force the 3 screws past their normal travel, and do not rotate any screw or screws more than 2 full turns in a counterclockwise direction (i.e., not more than 2 full turns in their "loosening" direction), or else the diagonal mirror may become loosened from its support. Note that the diagonal mirror collimation adjustments are very sensitive: generally turning a collimation screw 1/2-turn will have a dramatic effect on collimation. 3. If the reflection of the diagonal mirror is not centered within the reflection of the primary mirror, adjust the 3 collimation adjustment screws (20, Fig. C) located on the rear of the primary mirror cell. Proceed by "trial and error" until you develop a feel for which collimation screw to turn in order to change the image in any given way. 4. Perform an actual star test to confirm the accuracy of steps 1 through 3. Using the 26mm eyepiece, point the telescope at a moderately bright (second or third magnitude) star, and center the image in the main telescope's field of view.

Fig. A: Newtonian Reflecting Telescope. (1) Spider Vanes; (2) Secondary Mirror; (3) Parabolic Primary Mirror; (4) Primary Mirror Hex Screws; (5) Focuser Drawtube; (6) Focused Image.

Face-on view

Edge-on view
Fig. B: Secondary Mirror Assembly. (1) Spider Vanes; (2) Tilt Screws; (3) Secondary Mirror Holder.
Focuser drawtube Diagonal mirror Reflection of primary mirror back lighting)
Fig. C: Underside of rear mirror tube (primary mirror housing): (20) Collimation Adjustment Screw; (21) Collimation Lock Screw

b c d e f g

Reflection of secondary mirror (darkened due to Primary mirror clips Reflection of observer's eye
Fig. E: Some models come with knobs instead of screws. Use the black knobs to adjust collimation and the white knobs to lock collimation.
Fig. D: The view you will see while collimating your telescope.
5. Bring the star's image slowly in and out of focus until you see several disks surrounding the star's center. If steps 1 through 3 were done correctly, you will see concentric (centered with respect to each other) circles (1, Fig. F).
An improperly collimated instrument will reveal oblong or elongated circles (2, Fig.F). Adjust the 3 collimating screws on the primary mirror housing until the circles are concentric on either side of the focus. In summary, the adjustment screws on the plastic diagonal mirror housing change the tilt of the secondary mirror so that it is correctly centered in the focuser drawtube, and so that the primary mirror appears centered when looking into the focuser. The 3 collimating knobs on the primary mirror change the tilt of the primary mirror so that it reflects the light directly up the center of the drawtube.
Fig. F: Correct (1) and incorrect (2) collimation as viewed during a star test.

Intensity Dial

Hex screws
It is recommended that you perform steps 1 and 2 of this procedure during the daytime and step 3 at night. 1. If you have not already done so, place the low-power 26mm) eyepiece in the eyepiece holder (15) and point the telescope at an easy-to-find land object (e.g., the top of a telephone pole). Turn the focuser knob (13A) so that the image is sharply focused. Center the object precisely in the main telescopes field of view. 2. Then, looking through the red dot finder, adjust one or both of the hex screws on the top and side of the finder until the finders red dot points precisely at the same object as centered in the main telescope. Rotate the dial on top of the finder to change the intensity of the indicator. The red dot finder is now aligned to the main telescope. 3. Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as the Moon or a bright star, and make any necessary refinements.

The magnification, or power of a telescope is determined by two factors: the focal length of the eyepiece and the focal length of the telescope. Your telescope is supplied with one eyepiece. The focal length of the eyepiece, 26mm, is printed on its side.

CALCULATE MAGNIFICATION

Telescope focal length is the distance that light travels inside the telescope before reaching a focus. The focal length of the Dobsonian 8" = 1219mm. The focal length of the Dobsonian 10" = 1270mm The focal length of the Dobsonian 12" = 1524mm The focal length of the Dobsonian 16" = 1829mm To change magnification, change eyepieces.
To calculate the magnification of a given eyepiece, use this formula: Example: Using the 26mm eyepiece supplied with the 8" f/6, the power is: The type of eyepiece, whether Modified Achromatic, Plssl, or Super Plssl, has no effect on magnification, but does have a bearing on such optical characteristics as field of view, flatness of field, and color correction. Maximum practical magnification is about 50X per inch of aperture. Generally, however, lower powers produce higher image resolution. When unsteady air conditions prevail (as witnessed by rapid twinkling of the stars), extremely high powers result in distorted magnification and observational details are diminished by the use of excessive power. Power = 1219mm 26mm = 47mm Power = Telescope Focal Length Eyepiece Focal Length
Observe during the daytime: Try out your telescope during the daytime at first. It is easier to learn how it operates and how to observe when it is light.
When beginning observations on a particular object, always start with a low power eyepiece. Centered the object in the field of view. Sharply focus the object. Then try using a higher power eyepiece. If the image starts to become fuzzy when you use higher magnification, back down to a lower power. The atmosphere is not sufficiently steady to support high powers. Keep in mind that a bright, clearly resolved, but smaller image will show far more detail than a dimmer, poorly resolved larger image.

OBSERVING

Pick out an easy object to observe: A distant mountain, a large tree, a lighthouse or skyscraper make excellent targets. Point the optical tube so it lines up with your object.
Look through the eyepiece: Once you have the object lined up in the finder, look through the optical tubes eyepiece. If you have aligned your finder, you will you see the object in your eyepiece. Focus: Look through the eyepiece and practice focusing on the object you have chosen. The focuser has both a lock knob and a tension adjustment knob. The first lock prevents the draw tube (16) from moving in and out. The second lock locks the focuser knob, thereby locking a focus position into place. Experiment with these knobs to discover which adjustments are comfortable with your viewing style.

Use the red dot finder: If you have not done so, align the red dot finder with the telescopes eyepiece as described earlier. Look through the finder until you can see the object. It will be easier to locate an object using the finder rather than locating with the eyepiece. Line up the object with the finders red dot.
Observe the Moon: When you feel comfortable with the finder, the eyepieces, the locks and the adjustment controls, you will be ready to try out the telescope at night. The Moon is the best object to observe the first time you go out at night. Pick a night when the Moon is a crescent. No shadows are seen during a full Moon, making it appear flat and uninteresting.
Look for different features on the Moon: The most obvious features are craters. In fact you can see craters within craters. Some craters have bright lines about them. These are called rays and are the result of material thrown out of the crater when it was struck by a colliding object. The dark areas on the Moon are called maria and are composed of lava from the period when the Moon still had volcanic activity. You can also see mountain ranges and fault lines on the Moon. Use a neutral density filter (sometimes called a moon filter) when observing the Moon. Neutral density filters are available from Meade as an optional accessory. Spend several nights observing the Moon. Some nights, the Moon is so bright that it makes other objects in the sky difficult to see. These are nights that are excellent for lunar observation.
Craters of the Moon are excellent targets to observe.
Observe the Solar System: After observing the Moon, you are ready to step up to the next level of observation, the planets. There are four planets that you can easily observe in your telescope: Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
Nine planets (maybe more.3 more planets have been discovered in the "Oort" cloud at print time) travel in a fairly circular pattern around our Sun. Any system of planets orbiting one or more stars is called a solar system. Our Sun, by the way, is a single, dwarf star. It is average as far as stars go and is a middle aged star. Beyond the planets are clouds of comets, icy planetoids and other debris left over from the birth of our sun (the Oort cloud). Recently astronomers have found large objects in this area and they may increase the number of planets in our solar system.

The four planets closest to the Sun are rocky and are called the inner planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars comprise the inner planets. Venus and Mars can be easily seen in your telescope. Venus is seen before dawn or after sunset, because it is close to the Sun. You can observe Venus going through crescent phases. But you cannot see any surface detail on Venus because it has a very thick atmosphere of gas.
When Mars is close to the Earth, you can see some details on Mars, and sometimes even Mars polar caps. But quite often, Mars is further away and just appears as a red dot with some dark lines crisscrossing it.
The planet Jupiter. Jupiter's four largest moons can be observed in a different position every night.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto comprise the outer planets. These planets, except for Pluto, are made mostly of gases and are sometimes called gas giants. If they had grown much bigger, they may have become stars. Pluto is made mostly of ice.
Jupiter is quite interesting to observe. You can see bands across the face of Jupiter. The more time you spend observing these bands, the more details you will be able to see.
One of the most fascinating sights of Jupiter are its moons. The four largest moons are called the Galilean moons, after the astronomer Galileo, who observed them for the first time. If youve never watched the Galilean moons in your telescope before, youre missing a real treat! Each night, the moons appear in different positions around the Jovian sky. This is sometimes called the Galilean dance. On any given night, you might be able to see the shadow of a moon on the face of Jupiter, see one moon eclipse another or even see a moon emerge from behind Jupiters giant disk. Drawing the positions of the moons each night is an excellent exercise for novice astronomers. Any small telescope can see the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, plus a few others, but how many moons does Jupiter actually have? No one knows for sure! Nor are we sure how many Saturn has either. At last count, Jupiter had over 60 moons, and held a small lead over Saturn. Most of these moons are very small and can only be seen with very large telescopes.

When you become an advanced observer you can look for other types of objects such as asteroids, planetary nebula and globular clusters. And if youre lucky, every so often a bright comet appears in the sky, presenting an unforgettable sight. The more you learn about objects in the sky, the more you will learn to appreciate the sights you see in your telescope. Start a notebook and write down the observations you make each night. Note the time and the date.
The pleiades is probably the most striking star cluster to observe in the Northern Hemisphere.
Use a compass to make a circle, or trace around the lid of a jar. Draw what you see in your eyepiece inside the circle. The best exercise for drawing is to observe the moons of Jupiter every night or so. Try to make Jupiter and the moons approximately the same size as they look in your eyepiece. You will see that the moons are in a different position every night. As you get better at drawing, try more challenging sights, like a crater system on the moon or even a nebula. Go your library or check out the internet for more information about astronomy. Learn about the basics: Light years, orbits, star colors, how stars and planets are formed, red shift, the big bang, what are the different kinds of nebula, what are comets, asteroids and meteors and what is a black hole. The more you learn about astronomy, the more fun, and the more rewarding your telescope will become.

SOME TIPS

By the way, you might have noticed something strange when you looked through your eyepiece. The image is upside down, and it is also reversed. That means reading words can be a problem or viewing objects on the ground can be a problem. But it has no affect on astronomical objects.
Venus, in its thin, crescent phase.
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.

Saturn is the perhaps the most unforgettable sight to see in a telescope.
Surf the Web and visit your local library: The internet contains a huge amount of astronomical information, both for children and adults. Check out astronomy books from your library. Look for star chartsthese are available on a monthly basis in Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines. Your Meade telescope is a fine instrument. With reasonable care, it will last a lifetime. Maintenance guidelines include:

CARE OF OPTICS

Avoid cleaning the telescopes optics: A little dust on the front surface of the telescopes correcting lens causes virtually no degradation of image quality and should not be considered reason to clean the lens. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversable damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.
When absolutely necessary, dust on the mirror should be blown off with an ear syringe (available at any pharmacy). DO NOT use a commercial photographic lens cleaner. Organic materials (e.g., fingerprints) on the front lens may be removed with a solution of 3 parts distilled water to 1 part isopropyl alcohol. You may also add 1 drop of biodegradable dishwashing soap per pint of solution. Use soft, white facial tissues and make short, gentle strokes. Change tissues often. Caution: Do not use scented or lotioned tissues or damage could result to the optics.
If your telescope is not to be used for an extended period, perhaps for one month or more, it is advisable to remove the batteries from the battery pack. Batteries left in the telescope for prolonged periods may leak, causing damage. Do not leave your telescope inside a sealed car on a warm summer day; excessive ambient temperatures can damage the telescopes internal lubrication
If the telescope is used outdoors on a humid night, water condensation on the telescope surfaces will probably result. While such condensation does not normally cause any damage to the telescope, it is recommended that the entire telescope be wiped down with a dry cloth before the telescope is packed away. Do not, however, wipe any of the optical surfaces. Rather, simply allow the telescope to sit for some time in the warm indoor air, so that the wet optical surfaces can dry unattended.
If you have a question concerning your LightBridge Truss Tube Dobsonian, contact the Meade Instruments Customer Service Department at (800) 626-3233. Customer Service hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. In the unlikely event that your LightBridge Dobsonian requires factory servicing or repairs, write or call the Meade Customer Service Department first, before returning the telescope to the factory, giving full particulars as to the nature of the problem, as well as your name, address, and daytime telephone number. The great majority of servicing issues can be resolved by telephone, avoiding return of the telescope to the factory. If factory service is required, you will be assigned a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number prior to return.

MEADE CUSTOMER SERVICE

SPECIFICATIONS 8" Deluxe Model
OTA Open truss design. Upper cage metal tube containing spider and secondary mirror holder, focuser with attachment points for truss tubes. Lower metal tube containing mirror cell, altitude bearings, battery powered fan, with truss tube attachment castings and captive bolts and knobs. Silver anodized aluminum with attachment hardware and captive bolts. Machined aluminum altitude bearings. 4-vane, steel 8" 1219mm (48") f/6 0.74 arc seconds 13.5 2" Crayford style machined aluminum with 1.25 adapter. Swivel base with Teflon bearings for azimuth. Three roller bearing plates For one 2 and three 1.25 eyepieces mounted on one side of the base. Meade 26mm QX Wide Angle Eyepiece. To fit over primary mirror inside of lower tube. Deluxe red dot CD-ROM of Autostar Suite Astronomer's Edition software 24 lbs. 20 lbs. wt. 44 lbs. Open truss design. Upper cage metal tube containing spider and secondary mirror holder, focuser with attachment points for truss tubes. Lower metal tube containing mirror cell, altitude bearings, battery powered fan, with truss tube attachment castings and captive bolts and knobs. Silver anodized aluminum with attachment hardware and captive bolts. Machined aluminum altitude bearings. 4-vane, steel 10" 1270mm (50") f/5 0.56 arc seconds 14 2" Crayford style machined aluminum with 1.25 adapter. Swivel base with Teflon bearings for azimuth. Three roller bearing plates For one 2 and three 1.25 eyepieces mounted on one side of the base. Meade 26mm QX Wide Angle Eyepiece. To fit over primary mirror inside of lower tube. Deluxe red dot
Truss tubes Secondary Mirror Support Mirror Focal length Focal ratio Resolving Power Limiting visual magnitude Focuser Mount Base bearings Eyepiece tray
Attach eyepiece tray to side or back base panels.
Eyepiece Dust Cover Finder Computer Software
Assembled OTA weight Assembled Mount weight Total Assembled telescope

10" Standard Model

Truss tubes Secondary Mirror Support Mirror Focal length Focal ratio Resolving Power Limiting visual magnitude Focuser Mount Base bearings Eyepiece tray Eyepiece Dust Cover Finder

Computer Software

CD-ROM of Autostar Suite Astronomer's Edition software Assembled OTA weight 38 lbs. 27 lbs. Assembled Mount weight Total Assembled telescope wt. 65 lbs.

12" Standard Model

Counterweight Eyepiece Dust Cover Finder Computer Software
Open truss design. Upper cage metal tube containing spider and secondary mirror holder, focuser with attachment points for truss tubes. Lower metal tube containing mirror cell, altitude bearings, battery powered fan, with truss tube attachment castings and captive bolts and knobs. All 12 inch models have a triangular ground plate. Silver anodized aluminum with attachment hardware and captive bolts. Machined aluminum altitude bearings. 4-vane, steel 12" 1524mm (60") f/5 0.45 arc seconds 14.5 2" Crayford style machined aluminum with 1.25 adapter. Swivel base with Teflon bearings for azimuth. Three roller bearing plates For one 2 and three 1.25 eyepieces mounted on one side of the base. None Meade 26mm QX Wide Angle Eyepiece. To fit over primary mirror inside of lower tube. Deluxe red dot CD-ROM of Autostar Suite Astronomer's Edition software 47 lbs. 33 lbs. wt. 80 lbs.

16" Deluxe Model

Truss tubes Secondary Mirror Support Mirror Focal length Focal ratio Resolving Power Limiting visual magnitude Focuser Mount Eyepiece tray
Open truss design. Upper cage metal tube containing spider and secondary mirror holder, focuser with attachment points for truss tubes. Lower metal tube containing mirror cell, altitude bearings, battery powered fan, with truss tube attachment castings and captive bolts and knobs. All 16 inch models have a triangular ground plate. Silver anodized aluminum with attachment hardware and captive bolts. Machined aluminum altitude bearings. 4-vane, steel 16" (406mm) 1829mm (72") f/4.5 0.45 arc seconds 14.to 1 dual-speed 2" Crayford style machined aluminum with 1.25 adapter. Swivel base with Teflon bearings for azimuth. For one 2 and three 1.25 eyepieces mounted on one side of the base. None Meade 26mm Super Plssl To fit over primary mirror inside of lower tube. Standard red dot CD-ROM of Autostar Suite Astronomer's Edition software 74 lbs. 54 lbs. wt. 128 lbs.
Meade Series 4000 Eyepieces: You want to select an eyepiece that not only gives you the magnification that you want, but also give you the eye relief you need. Other qualities to look for with eyepieces are the apparent field size, which is how large an object looks in an eyepiece, and coatings, which increase contrast in an image. Meades series series 5000 eyepieces incorporate all the features that youd want in a set of high quality eyepieces. It is recommended that observers have two or three low and high power eyepiece on hand such as a 9mm ,12mm, and 40mm, in addition to the supplied 26mm. And remove the 1.25 eyepiece holder and your LightBridge is ready to use 2" diameter eyepieces. Series 5000 TeleXtenders: An advanced 4-element design doubles, triples or quadruples magnification while flattening the field of view, and the fully coated lenses deliver the maximum light transmission, the highest contrast and an image free of color fringing. Maintains a comfortable eye relief of longer focal length eyepieces, while increasing magnification. Series - 24mm Zoom Eyepiece: The internal zoom optics of this eyepiece move on smooth, precisely machined surfaces which maintain optical collimation at all zoom settings. A scale graduated in 1mm units indicates the zoom focal length in operation. An excellent addition to any eyepiece set.

A wide assortment of professional Meade accessories is available for the LightBridge telescope models. The premium quality of these accessories is well-suited to the quality of the instrument itself. Consult the Meade General Catalog or meade.com for complete details on these and other accessories.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

Fig. 12: Series Element Plossl Eyepieces.
Fig. 13: Series 5000 Super Wide Angle Eyepieces.
Series 4000 Nebular Filters: A modern boon to the city-dwelling deep-space observer, the interference nebular filter effectively cancels out the effects of most urban light pollution, while leaving the light of deep-space nebular emissions virtually unattenuated. Meade Series 4000 Nebular Filters utilize the very latest in coating technology. Meade Laser Collimator: The Meade Laser Collimator is an easy to use collimation device. Poor collimation can cause planetary detail to be fuzzy and star images to appear elongated or irregular. The Laser Collimator uses a red laser to accurately align the mirrors in your LightBridge Truss Tube Dobsonian telescope. Once accurately aligned, stars will appear as sharp pinpoints, planets will reveal spectacular detail, and double stars can be easily split. Simply insert the laser collimator into the eyepiece holder of the telescope, and make small adjustments to the secondary and primary mirror to center the red dot of the laser. Once centered your Telescope is in collimation and ready to use.
Series 4000 Photo-Visual Color Filters: Color filters significantly enhance visual and photographic image contrast of the Moon and planets. Each filter threads into the barrel of any Meade 1.25" eyepiece, and into the barrels of virtually all other eyepiece brands as well. Meade filters are available in 12 colors for lunar and planetary applications, and in Neutral Density as a lunar glare-reduction filter.
Fig. 14: Series 5000 Ultra Wide Angle Eyepieces.
Shroud: The shroud seals off the LightBridge telescope from all stray light. Attaches easily with velcro strips. More accessories will soon be available for your LightBridge Truss Tube Dobsonian telescope. To find out more about these and other accessories available for your telescope, check out the Meade General Catalog, meade.com or contact your local Meade dealer. Also check out Meades latest ads in Sky and Telescope and Astronomy magazine.

Which AutoStar controller?
This is mostly a question of what you can afford. The ETX-80 comes with our Basic AutoStar controller (#494). It gives you the same object-finding capability of our Deluxe AutoStar controller (#497) but with a smaller object database. Its collection of over 1,400 night sky wonders will keep you busy for a very long time. All ETX Premier Edition models include the Deluxe AutoStar controller #497 (see pg. 13) which includes a database of over 30,000 objects.

Adding on to your ETX:

While your ETX comes with everything you need to get started, it can also grow with you. Additional eyepieces will give you more magnification power and/or expand your field of view. Filters can reduce the effects of city lights or bring out details of planets, the moon, and nebulas. See these and more in the accessories section (see pgs. 130-145).

www. meade.com

800.626.3233
By the end of the night, a few parents had earned their astronomy belt loops too.
Joel Christensen - Gretna, Nebraska
w h en I told my Cub Scouts we were going to do some stargazin g , t h ey werent exactly overjoyed. and who can blame them? s i n ce many of them had tried in vain to focus on the moon wi t h a toy telescope, their expectations were fairly low.
R e ac t i on from the parents was similar. But they agreed to drag the boys out to a star party as long
as there was a scouting award attached. Anything for a belt loop. We held our event at a pack members home just outside of Gretna, Nebraska. They had dark skies and four acres of space. That allowed us to have a bon fire (well away from the telescopes of course) and refreshments. No one expected they would want to spend the entire night at the eyepiece. All of that changed when I got out my Meade ETX telescope and focused on the moon. Once the kids saw the mountains, ridges and craters of the moon that are clearly visible through a quality telescope, their cries of excitement began to draw curious parents across the field for a look. With a crowd gathering, we went to the next brightest object in the sky (I had no idea what it was) and asked the ETXs AutoStar controller to identify it. We soon discovered we were looking at Jupiter.
Now, Im one of those guys who bring real meaning to the term amateur astronomer. But by this time I
had about 30 boys and their parents eating out of the palm of my hand. I was fielding all kinds of questions like: How far? How big? How bright? How come? By the time we got to Saturn, so many parents were in line for a look that I had to politely remind them to give the boys a chance. Late that night when the party finally died down, every boy in the pack had earned his astronomy belt loop. But a few of them had earned something much more: A lifetime love of the night sky.

What can you see? Practically everything.
Large aperture telescopes are awesome, but how likely are you to lug them out to your favorite dark sky location? Remember, more aperture lets you see fainter objects. In a different way, so does getting away from the city lights. You can study craters on the moon, the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, plus hundreds of galaxies, nebulas, double stars, clusters, you name it. The ETX-80 gathers 246% more distant star light than Galileos telescope.
mark sibole / m51 - whirlpool galaxy / ETX-125 / dsi pro ii
mark sibole / ngc 4565 - needle galaxy / etx-125 / dsi pro ii
Meade may recommend the ETX-PE as a great way to start out right in astronomy. But some astronomers use its razor-sharp optics for more
serious pursuits. Award winning astrophotographer Mark Sibole uses our new back cell adapter (which accepts Schmidt-Cassegrain accessories) to capture deep sky objects with his ETX in breathtaking detail. His shots speak volumes about what this little scope can do. Mark is an amazing person who was permanently disabled after being hit by a car in 1996. He later came down with multiple sclerosis. MS took away the sight from his right eye and continues to give him trouble with equilibrium. He told us, Without my Meade GoTo telescope, this would be a very difficult hobby because looking up makes me dizzy. But my scopes ability to find things for me erases that problem completely. Whenever his health and cloudy Michigan skies will let him, youll find Mark in his observatory imaging. Hes one of the most prolific astrophotographers weve ever seen, producing as many quality images in three clear nights as most astronomers will produce in three clear months. In Marks own words, Meades DSI has given me a whole new purpose in life its what gets me up in the morning.
M A R K S I B O L E S S E T- U P : T h e E T X-p i g g y b a c k e d o n h i s 10 " L X 0 , w i t h M e a d e s n e w B a c k C e l l a d a p t e r, 15 m m ex t e n s i o n a d a p t e r, a 3. 3 f o c a l r e d u c e r t o w i d e n t h e f i e l d a n d s h o r t e n t h e ex p o s u r e s , a n d a D S I P r o I I i m a g e r. S e e D S I i m a g e r s ( p g. 122 ) , a n d o t h e r i m a g i n g a c c e s s o r i e s ( p g. ).

mark sibole /

moon / e t x-/ dsi pro i i

LIGHTBRIDGE

E nthusiast
If affordable aperture is what youre after, cross the universe with a LightBridge truss-tube Dobsonian.

Time-tested platform for wide-field observing and astrophotography.
Newtonian-Reflector, Schmidt-Newtonian, Achromatic Refractor, Schmidt-Cassegrain (see pg. 45).
Stable German equatorial mount. Fast (f/4) focal ratio on 8" and 10" Schmidt-Newtonians. Optics praised as best-in-class. Considered the ideal platform for Meades DSI imagers (see pg. 120).
An LXD75 helped first-time astrophotographer Wolfgang Kloehr discover a supernova from his backyard in 2005 (see story on pg. 36).

Enthusiast

SPECIALIST
Equatorial lovers unite. Observe. Shoot. Enjoy.

L X D S eries

Newtonian Schmidt-Newtonian achromatic Refractor Schmidt-Cassegrain

D. A. C. I. E. F. G. J.

The Schmidt-Newtonian optics are great. Very, very contrasty. A very rich field.
Todd Rogelstad, Astrophotographer
The LXD75 SN8 and the DSI Pro II are such an incredible match, I would put the images they produce up against systems costing thousands more.
Steve Hamilton, Astrophotographer
The tripod is so stable that even when heavy trucks rumble through my street, vibrations are dampened quickly
George Moromisato, Astrophotographer
The LXD75 series is the perfect step-up telescope for anyone who wants to see farther and begin to explore astrophotography with a Meade DSI imager (see pg.120). This series gives you a solid GoTo mount with time-tested pointing and tracking accuracy and enough aperture to capture the faint light of tantalizing deep space objects. It also makes premium optics (including the elite SchmidtNewtonian optical design that only Meade makes) affordable to everyone. The LXD75 German Equatorial Mount is the most sturdy, worm-driven, computer-compatible mount you will find for the money. Add a fast f /4 focal ratio 8" or 10" Schmidt-Newtonian and you have a set-up tailor-made for Meades DSI imagers ( f /4 is the optimum focal ratio for any DSI, DSLR, or CCD imager). The entire LXD75 series is built around the sturdy LXD75 German Equatorial Mount that can also be used with other old or new optical tube assemblies in your collection.
St u r dy Mou n t/H e av y-D u t y C a s t i ng s.
Engineered for high-performance activities. Astrophotographer George Moromisato says, The sturdy mount lets me slew blind to objects too faint to see, then track and capture them with CCD astrophotography. Allows optical tube assemblies (OTAs) to be easily removed from the mount for transportation. Also makes changing to other OTAs quick and easy. The RA and Dec axes move effortlessly on
A. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. J.
Q u ic k-R e l e a s e C r a dl e R i ng A s s e m b ly.

Roger Jackson, architect, Little League coach, LX90GPS owner.

Exploring the depths.

Im hooked on Astronomy. Observing. Imaging. You name it. Im looking for the absolute best 8" to 12" Schmidt-Cassegrain I can afford. I want the highest-quality optics and a rock-solid, computer-guided mount.

No clouds, please.

Legendary optics. High-precision tracking. Aperture. Stability. Auto alignment. GPS.
Join the community of dedicated backyard astronomers. Treat my family and friends to the ultimate tour of the universe. Begin to take astrophotographs like a pro.
Also used by: Recruit, Hot Shot, Master.
The ultimate all-around machine for the money.
Advanced Coma-Free. (See pg. 49)
Industry leading optics. Precise computer driven mount.
Sky & Telescope wrote, For a general-purpose telescope, this is one of the best ones Ive ever tested out-of-the-box.
Welcome to serious astronomy. Heres your scope.
lx - A C F ADVANCED COMA-FREE

F. G. H.

A. J. E.
The computer pointing was 100% accurate (scouts honor, not one miss in hundreds of GoTo moves).
An LX90-ACF lets you take photos that look like they came straight from a Palomar Mountain Observatory sky survey.
Tom King , Astrophotographer
I was interested to see if the LX90 would live up to its (long-exposure astrophotography) claims. It certainly does. And then some.
The lx90-acf can locate over 30,000 objects including itself. Turn it on and the built-in Sony gps receiver immediately determines your precise date, time, and location. In just minutes, your scope is ready to give you a tour of the most spectacular sights in the universe with gps precision. With all the features of a legendary lx90 Schmidt-Cassegrain, plus the ability to listen to and track satellites, Meades new lx90gps has it all. When you consider competing methods of alignment (synchronizing your telescopes computer with the night sky), nothing is easier than Meades AutoAlign. Not even competing three-object alignment methods. Thats because lx90-acf telescopes are smart scopes that know the night sky right out of the box (see AutoAlign pg. 15). When it comes to industry-leading optics, oversized primary mirrors, depth of features, and value for your dollar, the lx90-acf is the best SchmidtCassegrain you can find that can find itself.
Au toA l ign M a k e s A l ign m e n t E a s y. A dva nc e d C om a-Fr e e O p t ic s.
Aligns your telescope for you while you watch. Allows you to fine tune alignment with two stars it finds for you automatically when you turn it on (see pg. 15).

Well, image fall-off for one. The average guy looking at the center
of the f ield of view might never notice. But astrophotographers and experienced observers always knew there
was light loss around the very edges of a Schmidt-Cassegrains f ield of view. It could be as much as 30-35%. Does the new ACF design f ix that?
A Oh yes. I expected to be blown away. And I was. Im not seeing the
same image fall-off in the new ACF series at all. You can now use the entire f ield of view the telescope gives you.
Q Can you give us an example? A When I do asteroid work, I use a program that measures the light and
position of an asteroid using the relative brightness of other stars in the f ield of view. The more stars the better. Out in Leo (where there are relatively fewer stars) I was lucky to lock onto f ive or six stars in the f ield of view with any brand of Schmidt-Cassegrain. Peripheral stars were of little or no use. A week ago, I did an asteroid f ield test. Same aperture. Same exposure time. Same CCD imager. In the Schmidt-Cassegrain, I was only able to lock onto 9 stars. With the new Advanced Coma-Free optics, I was able to capture 26 stars. 26! Just because
not an affordable telescope for the amateur that provided a true research-quality f ield of view. For thousands less than traditional RCs, this new ACF optical design gives you an unprecedented view in terms of color, contrast, and image quality. From edge-to-edge. For CCD imaging, it will allow the astronomer to grow his hobby well into the future without feeling limited by his telescopes optics.
A These Advanced Coma-Frees are really a major step up in consumer telescope optics. Until now, there was
of the f latness and clarity of that f ield of view.
Q What does that mean for the recreational astronomer?
1965 Sees shooting star at summer camp Names first scope Echo Begins comet search. Calls it CN3" 1972 Graduates Acadia University (BA English) Graduates Queens University (MA English) Gets 16" ref lector, names it Miranda 1990 Aids in discovery of four more Comets Discovers First Comet (Comet Levy-Rudenko) Discovers two more Comets Discovers another Comet Discovers spectacular Comet Levy 1990c, C/1990K1

R e mot e C on t rol Ac c e s s.
The Enhanced LX400-ACF AutoStar Suite lets you come in from the cold and operate your telescope. You can set-up, control, and image like the pros from the comfort of your home office or even across country via the web.

LX400-ACF highlights

A. The remote control observatory. Control your telescope from the comfort of your home, office, or even out-of-town with Meades completely integrated AutoStar II and LX400-ACF software systems. Access the computer that controls your telescope via network or Web access. Work like the pros, imaging whenever the weather, your schedule, and the universe align. With an LX400ACF, you have your own remotely controlled observatory. Just set-up, connect, control, and image. AutoStar II makes it easy.

On axis

f/8 SchmidtCassegrain

f/8 LX400-ACF

This professional level of off-axis performance was previously unavailable without spending more than three times the cost of an LX400-ACF.
B. Perfect star images edge-to-edge.

.175 off axis

. 25 off axis
C. Leveling made easy. New quick release locks are located at the top of the tripod legs (instead of the bottom). Legs can be extended or retracted with a flip of the waist-high lever. Especially helpful on uneven ground.

LX400-acf

A success story fresh off the drawing board.
On March 26, 2002, Meade engineers set out to design a telescope with the most sophisticated optics, mechanics and electronics ever manufactured. If successful, the new scope would make observatory-level performance accessible to any serious astronomer or astrophotographer who desired it. Th e LX0 -ACF r e v i e w i n Sk y & Tele scope m aga zi n e sa i d, M ea de cl a i m ed t h at on e of i ts goa l s i n de v el opi ng t h e LX0 -ACF li n e was to a ddr e ss va r ious problems t h at h a d dogged Sch m i dt- Casse gr a i ns for mor e t h a n y ea rs. My f eeli ng is t h at t h e com pa n y r ea lly h as succeeded. Ev e n w h e n you j u dge i t by t h e dem a n di ng cr i t er i a i m posed by l ong-ex posu r e i m agi ng, t h e LX0 -ACF is a w i n n er.

Precise mechanical control at your fingertips.
AutoStar II makes my other research-grade systems feel like going back to the dinosaur era, you know, hitting the telescope with a bone to make it move.

Dr. P. Clay Sherrod

The AutoStar II controller is your push-button portal to astrophotography essentials like Smart Mount and Smart Drive (see pg.92), which have helped the LX200-ACF series become the most widely used astrophotography platform in astronomy today. The relatively new LX400-ACF series offers even more advanced features via AutoStar II; like digital focusing, 9 focus presets, and electronic collimation (see pg. 93). The LX400-ACFs AutoStar II database is even expanded to over 180,000 objects.

AutoStar II Database

5,386 7, 12 , , 9 29,364 42,1,8,977 1, , 2 ,1,492
Galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters. The complete Index Catalog (IC). Galaxies, nebulas, and star clusters. The complete New General Catalog (NGC). Best objects for small telescopes from the Caldwell Catalog. Messier objects. The complete Messier catalog. Earth-orbiting satellites. Planets. All the major ones from Mercury to dwarf planet Pluto. Uppsala Galaxy Catalog. Morphological Catalog of Galaxies. General Catalog of Variable Stars and other variable stars. SAO and Hipparcos Star Catalogs. Draper Star Catalog (HD). Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR). Large Bright Quasars Survey (LBQS). Named Objects. Herschel Catalog. Abell Catalog of Galaxy Clusters. Arp Catalog of Irregular Galaxies. Lunar features. Asteroids and Comets. Centroids of the constellations. Solar/Lunar eclipses, meteor showers.

Wireless AutoStar II

Cut the cord. And still connect with the universe.
Sometimes a few extra steps of freed o m a m o u n t t o a quantum leap. Whether youre busy at yo u r l a p t o p t a k i n g astrophotographs , or just sharing the vie w w i t h a f r i e n d , the Wireless AutoSt ar II lets you contro l y o u r t e l e s c o p e with unprecedented freedom. Available a s a n a c c e s s o r y ( see pg. 1 43).
8 Oversized Primary Mirrors
Meades oversized primary mirrors capture the lost light.
Light that travels millions or even billions of years to get here is precious stuff. To have a ray of light spend that much time traveling across the universe only to enter your telescope and miss the primary mirror is a shame. Thats why Meade Instruments designs and manufactures the primary mirrors in its compound telescopes in diameters larger than their listed aperturesomething no other commercial manufacturer does. This yields a wider field of view than competing standard-sized primary mirrors. In fact, Meade Advanced Coma-Free systems have off-axis field illuminations about 10% brighter than competing scopes. Meade believes you should see the light other telescopes leave behind.

Ex pa n de d Au to Sta r Su i t e s of t wa r e w i t h N e t wor k a n d We b C on t rol.
AutoStar Suite version 4.0 gives you a complete turnkey observatory control system at no added cost. Control your scope remotely via web browser from any remote PC, Macintosh, PDA or even cell phone without installing new software. Easily operate your scope anywhere from the classroom to the hotel room.
MAX Mount Components. Massive. Modular. Mobile.

M A X M ount

Fo r a d e t a i l e d M A X M o u n t Q & A , v i s i t m ea d e. c o m/m a x m o u n t/fa q s. h t m l
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
The MAX Mounts unique modular design allows two or three people to assemble (and/or transport) a mount twice the size of any previously available commercial mount. Because its components fit easily into a station wagon, SUV, minivan or small truck, the MAX represents the worlds most portable permanent observatory (a very desirable contradiction in terms).
M a s s i v e O p t ic a l Tu b e A s s e m b ly.
In recent years, Meades 16" LX200-ACF on a fork mount has become the ubiquitous scope of choice for serious amateurs, colleges, and universities. The new MAX Mount means these same individuals and institutions can own an Advanced Coma-Free with either 16" or 20" of aperture (a full half-meter!). A search of astronomical literature indicates the vast majority of good science is produced by telescopes in the half-meter to one-meter class.
P e de s ta l A s s e m b ly.
MAXs rock solid pedestal assembly represents the perfect marriage between stability and adjustability. Standard field adjustments can be made quickly and easily (without tools) with MAXs ergonomic adjustment knobs. The pedestal assembly can easily be configured to cover three altitude ranges without disassembly. This makes the MAX the only mount in its class that can operate anywhere on the planet.
R igh t A s c e n s ion Hou s i ng A s s e m b ly.
The RA Housing mates to the Pedestal easily by sliding firmly into a 100 square inch dovetail block. When locked into place, this broad footprint assures your mount will operate as a single rigid block for accurate and repeatable pointing and tracking. The RA Housing contains Meades proven AutoStar II telescope control system and a massive 13.625" pitch diameter worm gear built to handle gigantic loads.
Declination Housing Assembly. The DEC Housing mates to the RA Housing using another huge dovetail block. When locked in place, the mount is one single rigid structure ready to point your instrument anywhere in the universe with phenomenal accuracy. The mount can cover the whole sky, tracking more than 6 degrees past the meridian (prime seeing area) without interference. In addition to quick-change dovetail plates for your primary OTA, generous wing mounts allow you to attach a variety of secondary instruments without interfering with MAXs all sky design. C ou n t e rw e igh t s.

MAX counterweights are beautifully crafted with sure locking, quick release buttons. Add MAX electronic balancing and you can balance your scope quickly and get back to work.
Tr i p od or P i e r A s s e m b ly.
The MAX tripod can be transported or permanently installed. Its wide stance will safely carry MAXs massive payload in all orientations. But it will still collapse down to a size thats easy to handle. Like the MAX, it sets up, knocks down, and adjusts without tools. The MAX pier is exclusively for permanent installations. It too can handle the MAXs payload in all orientations and withstand vibration. Pier height must be specified at time of order.
+ C o mpu te r - a s s i s te d s q u a r i n g of y ou r o p t ic a l a x i s. + Photographic polar alignment eliminates the need for drift alignment. + No clutches or worm releases means no extra alignment, even if you switch instruments during an observing run.
O t h e r nota b l e p oi n t i ng a n d t r ac k i ng f e at u r e s.
Advanced Pointing and Tracking
OBSERVATORY-LEVEL PRECISION.
Smart Drive. Permanent Periodic Error Correction.
Meades SmartDrive technology allows Permanent Periodic Error Correction (PPEC) on both axes that offers an observatory standard of precision of 5 arc seconds or less. Because no worm gear is perfect, no matter how precisely it is manufactured, small inconsistencies will always occur in the drive system of any telescope. Meades Smart Drive allows you to train your telescopes software to automatically compensate for these tiny periodic errors in the worm/gear system. This will bring your telescopes tracking accuracy up to a level consistent with the worlds top observatories. The programming is stored forever, independent of any power source, yet may be erased, updated or averaged with future programming if you choose.
High-Precision Pointing (HPP). Finding objects too faint to see.
This feature is most helpful to astrophotographers interested in imaging objects too faint to be confirmed with the naked eye. Or those who want to place an item dead center on a very small CCD chip. When you turn this feature on and ask the scope to slew to an object, the scope will first slew to a star right next to the object and John Hoot, San Clemente, CA ask you to center that star perfectly. The star is likely to be perfectly centered already (thats how accurate Meade telescopes are). But once you have confirmed the stars precise location, the scope will slew to the nearby deep sky object and place it exactly in the center of your field of view. For normal observing, this level of precision isnt necessary (a Meade scope will center objects anyway). But HPP gives you the confidence to kick off a two-hour long imaging sequence without even visually confirming a faint objects existence!

P r e m i u m ED Gl a s s.
For unsurpassed color correction, brightness, clarity. Expensive FCD1 ED Glass. This Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass causes all three primary spectral colors to meet at the same focal point for textbookperfect views. Virtually eliminates chromatic aberration.
A. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i.
Tru e ED A p o c h rom at ic Tr i p l e t.
you should expect from a premium APO.
A true triplet optical design guarantees the textbook color correction

Fa s t fo c a l R at io.

At f/6 (80mm) and f 7.5 (127mm), the focal ratio of these scopes is tailor-made for
wide-field astrophotography.
A i r- Spac e d O bj e c t i v e Le n s.
The precision air-spaced triple element ED objective lens focuses red, green, and blue wave lengths to the same exact focal point.
Fu l ly-Mu lt ic oat e d Le n s e s.
Meade broadband multicoated lenses ensure maximum light transmission.
M ac h i n e d A lu m i n u m C r ay for d Fo c u s e r.

with no image shift.

Superior focuser means smooth and repeatable focusing
A dj u s ta b l e Le n s C e l l.
Allows collimation of lenses if necessary.
Fu l ly-Ex t e n da b l e D e w Sh i e l d/ Su n Sh a de. Mounting Bracket.
An essential accessory included for your convenience.
Allows nearly universal mounting on all Meade and non-Meade German equatorial Mounts.
Need a mount? See LXD75 German Equatorial Mount, pg. 32-35.
O v e r t h e y e a r s I h a v e done quite a bit of astrophotography of all types and cons ider

5000 ed apo

t h e n e w S e r i es A P O Refractor one of the f inest instruments of its type for imaging. T h e fo c u s i s s h a r p a s o n e would expect from a high-quality triplet and the image color is e x c e l l e n t. I f y o u r e l o o king for a world-class APO you can afford, you wont be sorry.
mike reynolds / third contact / series 5000 80mm ed apo
mark sibole / m100 / meade 80mm ed apo
mark sibole / ngc 6960 / meade 80mm ed apo
jack newton / sun / 7" apo
Th e p e o p l e o f M o n t s e r r a t h a d a l r e a d y s e e n hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. S o I showed them J u piter.

Tippy DAuria

A and DS -2000
Most avid astronomers trace their passion to a first look at Saturn through a small refractor.
Terry Fuller: mother of three, piano teacher, DS-2114 owner.

Absolute beginner.

I dont have a lot of money, but I still want to see the rings of Saturn, explore the lunar surface, stars and clusters, and discover what stargazing is all about.
Curiosity makes the world go round.
Price. A positive stargazing experience. A sturdy mount. Quality optics.
Stay on budget. Find a quality telescope I can learn and grow with.
Also used by: Recruit, Enthusiast

Performance: Design:

Amazingly crisp views of moon, planets, bright clusters and nebulas.

Refractor, Reflector.

Strength:
Mount and optics designed with passion by Meade engineers in Irvine, CA. Many features from higher priced Meade scopes find their way into the A and DS-2000 series.
A handful of dedicated amateurs use Meades DS-2000 series scopes with our Lunar Planetary and Deep Sky imagers to do astrophotography with impressive results.

ENTHUSIAST

Meade 70AZ-AR #04043

A-Series:

Manual
70mm (2.8") aperture Achromatic Refractor Altazimuth mount f/10 focal ratio (700mm)

Meade 114EQ-ASTR #04066

114mm (4.5") aperture Newtonian Reflector Equatorial mount f/8.8 focal ratio (1000mm)

DS-2000 Series:

COMPUTER GUIDED
Meade DS-2080AT-LNT #20085
80mm (3.1") aperture Achromatic Refractor Altazimuth mount f/10 focal ratio (800mm)
Deluxe AutoStar #494 1,400 object database
Meade DS-2114ATS-LNT #20123
114mm (4.5") aperture Newtonian Reflector Altazimuth mount

focal ratio (1000mm)

A AND DS -2000
Meade DS-2130ATS-LNT #20133
130mm (5.1") aperture Newtonian Reflector Altazimuth mount f/7.7 focal ratio (1000mm)
For a full list of specifications go to www.meade.com
The universe belongs to everyone.
Shou ld a person h av e $0 to spe n d befor e t h e y ca n see t h e r i ngs of Sat u r n? No. For mor e t h a n y ea rs, M ea de h as m a de t elescope s of a ll le v el s i n or der to sh a r e ou r passion w i t h as m a n y pe ople as possi ble. Ou r A a n d DS-0 ser i e s scope s m ay com pet e i n t h e $79-plus r a nge , bu t t h e y a r e M ea de-e ngi n eer ed t h rough a n d t h rough. Th e y a r e gr eat for fa m i li e s, k i ds a n d gi f ts. At t h is pr ice , t h e m a r k et is f i lled w i t h su bsta n da r d t ele scope s. Choose M ea de , a n d t h e qua li t y, custom er serv ice , a n d r epu tat ion of t h e wor lds n u m ber on e t ele scope m a n u fact u r er w i ll be t h er e to t u r n you r cu r iosi t y i n to a li f el ong passion.

I l l u m i n at e d 9 m m S e r i e s P l s s l.
The worlds finest commercially available illuminated reticle. We outfitted a quality 4-element, fully-coated Plssl with a fully illuminated doublecrossline and two concentric circles plus x-y positioning controls that make locking onto a guide star noticeably easier. Variable brightness. Available w/wire or wireless.
I l l u m i n at e d m m M o d i f i e d A c h r o m at i c.
An excellent lower cost alternative to the 9mm illuminated reticle. Its a 3-element, fully-coated eyepiece with an illuminated doublecrossline. Variable brightness. Available with wire or wireless.
I l l u m i n at e d m m A s t r o m e t r i c E y e p i e c e.
A high precision eyepiece with four different illuminated scales for making astronomical measurements. Measure double star separations and position angles, planetary diameters, lunar crater diameters, and more. Also includes a double-crossline scale for guiding during astrophotography. This one does it all. Variable brightness. Wireless only.

12mm Astrometric

I l l u m i n at e d m m P l s s l C C D F r a m i n g O c u l a r.
Helps you compose astronomical images to fit the dimensions of Meades Deep Sky Imager CCD chips. Includes illuminated frames for DSI and DSI II CCD chip sizes. A lockable spacer allows eyepiece to be parfocal with your imager. Variable brightness. Wireless only.

25mm CCD

SERIES 4000 eyepieces
Series 4000 FILTERS. Awe-inspiring contrast and detail.
Col or f i lt ers a r e e sse n t i a l for observ i ng a n d i m agi ng t h e moon a n d pl a n e ts i n ta n ta li zi ng de ta i l. Th e r igh t f i lt er ca n m ea n qu i t e li t er a lly t h e di f f er e nce be t w ee n seei ng se v er a l sm a ll cr at ers i n t h e f l oor of Cl av i us on t h e moon or not; seei ng f i v e or si x sw i r l s i n Ju pi t ers nort h e quator i a l belt or not; seei ng t h e i n n er cr pe r i ng of Sat u r n or not. Depending on atmospheric conditions on Earth and the planet being observed (or photographed), the advantages of color filters can be anywhere from subtle to dramatic. Meade Series 4000 filters offer 26mm of clear aperture and are manufactured from the purest optical glass, dyed-in-the-mass (not color coated). There are no finer filters available for telescopic applications. They thread into the barrels of virtually any brand of 1.25" eyepiece as well as the 1.25" Meade Basic Camera adapter. They may also be stacked to achieve selective filtration of the visual color spectrum. Each Series 4000 filter is packed in a foam-fitted plastic case for safe longterm storage. The color filters come in four economically priced sets.
rodney berryman / jupiter noel carboni / mars / lx200gps thierry legault / satrun / lx200 12"

Piggyback photography is a popular and easy way to get started in astrophotography. This bracket lets you attach your camera (with lens) atop any Meade LX90 or LX200. Polar align your scope in equatorial mode, use your scope to guide, and take beautiful wide-field photos of the Milky Way and other regions. Please specify 8, 10, 12, 14 or 16 inch.

K B L E

Miscellaneous Essentials. All the right tools for the job.
Power your telescope with your car battery, keep dew off your lens, link your telescope to your PC and more with these useful accessories. Break or lose an item not shown here? Its probably available as a replacement part. Visit meade.com or call 800-626-3233.
Adapters save on batteries.
AC Adapter for ETX 80 and DS 2000. #546 AC Adapter
plugs into any standard outlet and connects to the scopes battery pack connector via a 25-foot cord.
AutoStar Connecting Cables. Link your scope to your PC.
RS-232 Connector Cable Set #506 w/software. For ETX 80 and DS series. Allows you to connect any AutoStar
Universal AC Adapter. For ETX90, 125, or any LX series scope up to 14". Plugs into any standard outlet and
#494 telescope to a PC. Operate your computer from your PC or Macintosh, download updates, create custom tours, and more.
includes 25-foot cord that connects to the control panel of any ETX PE, LXD75, LX90, LX200, or LX400 scope up to 16". Output: 5 amps 12 volts.
RS-232 Connector Cable Set #505. For all AutoStar #497 Telescopes. Allows you to connect any ETX PE,
LXD75, or LX90 Telescope to a PC. Operate your computer from your PC, download updates, create custom tours, and more.
DC Power Cord w/Cigarette Lighter Adapter.
#607 DC Power Cord lets you power any ETX PE, LX or LX400 series scope at home or away from home with your car battery. Includes 25' cord.
USB to RS-232 Bridge Cable. Allows you to use #505
or #506 cables above to connect to a USB port. Driver software included. Windows 98, ME, 2000, and XP compatible.