INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Meade114 EQ-ASB

4.5" Equatorial Reflecting Telescope

Meade Instruments Corporation

– 2 –

WARNING!

NEVER USE A MEADE 114 EQ-ASB

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.

Meade Limited Warranty

Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and binocular is warranted by Meade Instruments Corp. (MIC) to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR from date of original retail purchase in the U.S.A.

MIC will repair or replace the product, or part thereof, found upon inspection by MIC to be defective, provided the defective part or product is returned to MIC, 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 to the return of any product or part, a Return Goods Authorization (RGA) number must be obtained by writing to MIC or 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, phone number, and a copy of the original sales invoice.

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. MIC 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 purchase by the original retail purchaser.

This warranty gives you specific rights. You may have other rights which vary from state to state.

MIC reserves the right to change product specifications or to discontinue products without prior notice.

This warranty supersedes all previous Meade product warranties.

– 3 –

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Standard Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Unpacking and Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Balancing the Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Alignment of the Viewfinder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Understanding Celestial Movements and Coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Lining Up with the Celestial Pole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Using the Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Using Setting Circles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Calculating Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Mount and Tripod Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Collimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 a. Correct Collimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 b. Diagonal Holder Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 c. Primary Mirror Adjustments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 d. Star Testing the Collimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

– 4 –

1. Tripod legs

2. Equatorial mount

3. R.A. flexible cable control

4. Dec. flexible cable control

5. Counterweight

6. Counterweight shaft

7. Counterweight lock

8. Safety washer/thumbscrew

9. Latitude lock (reverse side, see inset)

10. Polar axis

11. Latitude adjustment knob

12. Optical tube assembly

13. Optical tube saddle plate

14. Cradle rings

15. Cradle ring lock knobs

16. Viewfinder bracket mounting bolts

17. Focuser

18. Focuser thumbscrew

19. Eyepiece

20. Viewfinder bracket

21. Declination axis

22. R.A. lock (reverse side, see inset)

23. Dec. lock

24. 5 x 24 viewfinder

Key to Fig. 1

25. Telescope front dust cover

26. Viewfinder bracket thumbscrews

27. R.A. setting circle

28. Dec. setting circle

29. Latitude dial

30. Azimuth lock

31. Focus knobs

32. Optional motor drive gear (option not available with this model)

33. Azimuth base

34. Viewfinder focuser

35. Azimuth circle

36. Cradle ring attachment lock knob

37. Cradle ring attachment

38. Tripod leg Phillips-head fastener screws

39. Tripod-to-mount wingnuts

40. Accessory shelf

41. Eyepiece holder slots

42. Tripod leg brace supports

43. Tripod leg lock knobs

44. Optional motor clutch

45. Optional motor mount shaft (option not available with this model)

26 24

16

20

26 34

Fig. 1a: Model 114 EQB-1: Viewfinder assembly.

19 18

27

45

21

36

– 5 –

13

23

28

10

22

44

9

32

29

35

33

18

17

11

31

Fig. 1b: Model 114 EQ-ASB: Focuser.

19

30

Fig. 1c: Model 114 EQ-ASB: Equatorial mount.

24

38

25 15

14

12

6 5

Reverse side

7

8

Reverse Side

37

1

42

40

41

43

Fig. 1d: Model 114 EQ-ASB: Tripod and tray.

3

2

4

39

Fig. 1e: Model 114 EQ-ASB: Optical tube assembly.

– 6 –

INTRODUCTION

The Meade 114 EQ-ASB is an easy-to-operate, high performance 4.5" (114mm) reflecting telescope, intended for astronomical observing. Equipped with a deluxe equatorial mount and aluminum tripod, the telescope’s motion is continuously adjustable for tracking celestial objects. Your telescope comes to you ready for adventure; it will be your companion in a universe of planets, galaxies, and stars. Please note that the Meade 114 EQ-ASB is a Newtonian reflecting telescope optimized for astronomical observing performance, and is not intended for terrestrial observing.

This Manual

These instructions detail the set-up, operation, specifications, and optional accessories of your Jupiter

114 EQ-ASB. In order that you may achieve maximum enjoyment of the instrument, we urge that you take a few minutes to read all of this manual before making first observations through the telescope.

Standard Equipment

• Complete optical tube assembly with a 4.5" (114mm) diameter primary mirror, viewfinder mounting bolts with mounting nuts and rack-and-pinion focuser. Mirror focal length = 1000mm; f/8.8

• Equatorial mount with pre-attached heavy duty, continuously adjustable, aluminum tripod and leg braces.

• Accessories: MA25mm eyepiece (1.25" O.D.), MH9mm eyepiece (1.25" O.D.),

2x Barlow lens

Cradle rings with lock knobs

5 x 24 viewfinder and bracket

Counterweight with counterweight shaft

Flexible cable controls for both telescope axes

Accessory tray

CD-Rom with Astronomy Software

UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLY

Your Meade 114 EQ-ASB comes to you packaged almost entirely pre-assembled. (References in this section—e.g. ( 6)—are to Fig.1a - 1e unless otherwise specified.)

• Remove and identify the telescope’s Standard Equipment listed above.

• The three tripod lock knobs ( 43) have been removed from the bottom section of each tripod leg to insure safe arrival of the tripod assembly. To install, thread in each tripod lock knob into the threaded hole located at the right side of each of the three castings (see Fig. 1f) at the bottom of each tripod leg. Tighten the tripod lock knob only to a “firm feel” to avoid damage to the tripod caused by overtightening.

• Spread the tripod legs ( 1) to full extension so that the leg braces

( 42) are taut (should one of the tripod leg braces slip out of the center triangle fastener, merely reposition the brace and slide it back into position). Adjust the tripod with the attached equatorial coulissante

Fig. 1f: Tripod lock knob assembly.

mount ( 2) to the desired height by loosening the tripod lock knobs and extend the sliding inner section of each tripod leg; then tighten each knob.

• Attach the flexible cable controls ( 3) and (4). These cable controls are secured in place with a firm tightening of the thumbscrew located at the end of each cable.

• Holding the counterweight ( 5) firmly in one hand, slip the counterweight onto the counterweight shaft

( 6). Attach the counterweight (5) and counterweight shaft (6), by supporting the unlocked (7) counterweight firmly in one hand, while threading the counterweight shaft into the base of the

Declination axis of the telescope’s equatorial mount with the other (see Fig. 1). Once firmly attached, slide the counterweight to the midpoint on the counterweight shaft and secure it in place with the lock knob ( 7) of the counterweight. Note: If the counterweight ever slips, the secured threaded safety washer/knob ( 8) will not let the weight slide entirely off the counterweight shaft. Be certain that this safety washer/knob is always in place.

• Release the latitude lock ( 9) of the equatorial mount, and tilt the polar axis (10) of the telescope to roughly a 45° angle by turning the latitude adjustment knob ( 11). With the polar axis thus tilted, firmly re-tighten the latitude lock.

– 7 –

• Remove the viewfinder bracket mounting nuts from the viewfinder bracket mounting bolts ( 16) that protrude from the optical tube ( 12), near the focuser (17). Place the viewfinder bracket’s mounting holes (located at the base of the bracket) over the mounting bolts, so that the bracket is oriented as shown in Fig. 1. Replace the viewfinder bracket mounting nuts, and tighten to a firm feel. Then center the viewfinder in both bracket rings by backing off the three thumbscrews ( 26) on each bracket ring.

Orient the viewfinder so its front objective lens is pointing in the same direction as the open end (front) of the optical tube ( 25).

• Position the cradle ring attachment ( 37) onto the optical tube saddle plate (13), with the mid-point lying roughly in the center of the saddle plate. Tighten the cradle ring lock knob ( 36) to a firm feel when the cradle ring attachment is positioned in the telescope’s saddle ( 13).

• If the cradle ring assmbly did not come already attached to the optical tube assembly ( 12), loosen the lock knobs ( 15) of the cradle rings (14) and open the cradle rings. Place the optical tube assembly roughly in the center of the cradle rings and close the rings over the tube. Then tighten the cradle ring lock knobs ( 15) to a firm feel; do not overtighten these knobs. Please note that you may want to change the rotational position of the optical tube to gain a more comfortable observing position of the focuser

( 17). This adjustment may be performed several times in one observing session, as desired.

• Insert the 25mm eyepiece ( 19) into the focuser, and tighten the focuser thumbscrew (18) to secure the eyepiece.

The telescope is now fully assembled. Before it can be properly used, however, the telescope must be balanced and the viewfinder aligned.

Balancing the Telescope

In order for the telescope to move smoothly on its mechanical axes, it must first be balanced about the 2 telescope axes: the polar axis ( 10, Fig. 1c) and the Declination axis (21, Fig. 1c). All motions of the polar aligned telescope (more on this later) take place by moving about these two axes, separately or simultaneously. To obtain a fine balance of the telescope, follow the method below:

• Loosen the R.A. lock ( 22, Fig. 1c) and rotate the telescope so that the counterweight shaft (6, Fig. 1c) is parallel to the ground (horizontal).

• Slide the counterweight along the counterweight shaft until the telescope remains in one position without tending to drift down in either direction. Then tighten the counterweight lock knob ( 7, Fig. 1c), locking the counterweight in position.

• Lock the R.A. lock ( 22, Fig. 1c), and unlock the Declination lock (23, Fig. 1c). The telescope will now turn freely about the Declination axis. Loosen the cradle ring lock knobs ( 15, Fig. 1e) so that the main tube in the cradle rings slides easily up-or-down in the cradle rings. Move the main tube in the cradle rings until it is balanced rotationally about the Declination axis. Re-lock the knobs ( 15, Fig. 1e).

The telescope is now properly balanced on both axes.

Alignment of the Viewfinder

The wide field of view provided by the 5 x 24mm viewfinder permits easy object sighting prior to observation in the higher-power main telescope. The 5 x 24 Viewfinder ( 24, Fig. 1a) and viewfinder bracket

( 20, Fig. 1a) attaches to the telescope tube assembly as described above (see Fig. 1a). In order for the viewfinder to be functional, however, it must be aligned to the main telescope, so that both the viewfinder and main telescope point at the same position in the sky. With this simple alignment performed, finding objects is greatly facilitated, since you will first locate an object in the wide-field viewfinder, then you will look in the eyepiece of the main telescope for a detailed view. To align the viewfinder follow these steps:

• Remove the telescope front dust cover ( 25, Fig. 1e), and the dust covers of the viewfinder.

• Place the low- power (25mm) eyepiece into the focuser of the main telescope.

• Unlock the R.A. lock ( 22, Fig. 1c) and the Dec. lock (23, Fig. 1c) so that the telescope turns freely on both axes. Then point the main telescope at some well-defined land object (e.g. the top of a telephone pole) at least 200 yards distant, and re-lock the R.A and Dec. axes. Turn the flexible cable controls, ( 3,

Fig. 1e) and (4, Fig. 1e), to center the object in the telescopic field.

• With the front of the viewfinder already centered in the front bracket ring, look through the viewfinder and loosen or tighten, as appropriate, one or more of the rear viewfinder bracket ring thumbscrews

( 26, Fig. 1a) until the viewfinder’s crosshairs are likewise centered on the object previously centered in the main telescope.

– 8 –

• Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as a bright star or the Moon, and make any refinements necessary, using the method outlined above.

With this alignment performed, objects first located in the wide-field viewfinder will also be centered in the main telescope’s field of view. ( Note: The viewfinder presents an image which is upside-down.)

UNDERSTANDING CELESTIAL MOVEMENTS AND COORDINATES

Understanding where to locate celestial objects, and how those objects move across the sky is fundamental to enjoying the hobby of astronomy. Most amateur astronomers adopt the simple practice of

“star-hopping” to locate celestial objects by using star charts or astronomical software which identify bright stars and star patterns (constellations) that serve as “road maps” and “landmarks” in the sky. These visual reference points guide amateur astronomers in their search for astronomical objects. And while starhopping is the preferred technique, a discussion of using setting circles for locating objects is desirable since your telescope is provided with this feature. However, be advised, compared to star-hopping, object location by use of setting circles requires a greater investment in time and patience to achieve a more precise alignment of the telescope’s polar axis to the celestial pole. For this reason, in part, star-hopping is popular because it is the faster, easier way to become initiated in the hobby.

Understanding how astronomical objects move: Due to the Earth’s rotation, celestial bodies appear to move from East to West in a curved path through the skies. The path they follow is known as their line of

Right Ascension (R.A.). The angle of this path they follow is known as their line of Declination (Dec.).

A celestial coordinate system was created that maps an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth upon which all stars appear to be placed. This mapping system is similar to the system of latitude and longitude on Earth surface maps.

In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines of longitude are drawn between the North and South Poles and lines of latitude are drawn in an East-West direction, parallel to the Earth’s equator. Similarly, imaginary lines have been drawn to form a latitude and longitude grid for the celestial sphere. These lines are known as Right Ascension and Declination.

The celestial map also contains two poles and an equator just like a map of the Earth. The poles of this coordinate system are defined as those two points where the Earth’s North and South poles (i.e., the

Earth's axis), if extended to infinity, would cross the celestial sphere. Thus, the North Celestial Pole (see

Fig. 3) is that point in the sky where an extension of the North Pole intersects the celestial sphere. The

North Star, Polaris, is located very near the North Celestial Pole. The celestial equator is a projection of the

Earth’s equator onto the celestial sphere.

So just as an object's position on the Earth’s surface can be located by its latitude and longitude, celestial objects may also be located using Right Ascension and Declination. For example: You could locate Los

Angeles, California, by its latitude (+34°) and longitude (118°). Similarly, you could locate the Ring Nebula

(also known as “M57”) by its Right Ascension (18hr) and its Declination (+33°).

■ Right Ascension (R.A.): This celestial version of longitude is measured in units of hours (hr), minutes

■

(min), and seconds (sec) on a 24-hour "clock" (similar to how Earth's time zones are determined by longitude lines). The "zero" line was arbitrarily chosen to pass through the constellation Pegasus, a sort of cosmic Greenwich meridian. R.A.

coordinates range from 0hr 0min

0sec to 23hr 59min 59sec. There are

24 primary lines of R.A., located at

15-degree intervals along the celestial equator. Objects located further and further East of the zero

R.A. grid line (0hr 0min 0sec) carry higher R.A. coordinates.

Declination (Dec.): This celestial

(Vicinity of Polaris)

17

18

19

16

20

15

Rotation de la Terre

21

14

22

13

23

12

0

11

1

D

é c lin a o is n

10

2

9

8

4

3

0 ° Déc .

7

5

6

Ascension droite

Equateur céleste

Equator version of latitude is measured in degrees, arc-minutes, and arcseconds (e.g., 15° 27' 33"). Dec.

locations North of the celestial

South

Pôle céleste Sud.

Pole

-90° Dec.

.

equator are indicated with a plus (+) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the North celestial pole is +90°). Dec. locations

Fig. 2: Celestial Sphere.

– 9 –

South of the celestial equator are indicated with a minus (–) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the South celestial pole is –90°). Any point on the celestial equator (such as the the constellations of Orion, Virgo, and

Aquarius) is said to have a Declination of zero, shown as 0° 0' 0."

With all celestial objects therefore capable of being specified in position by their celestial coordinates of

Right Ascension and Declination, the task of finding objects (in particular, faint objects) in the telescope is vastly simplified. The setting circles, R.A ( 27, Fig. 1c) and Dec. (28, Fig. 1c) of the Polaris 114 EQ-ASB telescope may be dialed, in effect, to read the object coordinates and the object found without resorting to visual location techniques. However, these setting circles may be used to advantage only if the telescope is first properly aligned with the North Celestial Pole.

LINING UP WITH THE CELESTIAL POLE

Objects in the sky appear to revolve around the celestial pole. (Actually, celestial objects are essentially

“fixed,” and their apparent motion is caused by the Earth’s axial rotation). During any 24 hour period, stars make one complete revolution about the pole, making concentric circles with the pole at the center. By lining up the telescope’s polar axis with the North Celestial Pole (or for observers located in Earth’s

Southern Hemisphere with the South Celestial Pole), astronomical objects may be followed, or tracked, by moving the telescope about one axis, the polar axis.

If the telescope is reasonably well aligned with the pole, therefore, very little use of the telescope’s

Declination flexible cable control is necessary and virtually all of the required telescope tracking will be in

Right Ascension. (If the telescope were perfectly aligned with the pole, no Declination tracking of stellar objects would be required). For the purposes of casual visual telescopic observations, lining up the telescope’s polar axis to within a degree or two of the pole is more than sufficient: with this level of pointing accuracy, the telescope can track accurately by slowly turning the telescope’s R.A. flexible cable control and keep objects in the telescopic field of view for perhaps 20 to 30 minutes.

To line up the Meade 114 EQ-ASB with the pole, follow this procedure:

1. Release the Azimuth lock ( 30, Fig. 1c) of the Azimuth base (33, Fig. 1c), so that the entire telescopewith-mounting may be rotated in a horizontal direction. Rotate the telescope until the polar axis ( 10,

Fig. 1c) points due North. Locate Polaris, the North Star (see Fig. 3), as an accurate reference for due

North.

2. Level the mount, if necessary, by adjusting the heights of the three tripod legs. Set the Dec dial to 90°.

3. Determine the latitude of your observing location by checking a road map or atlas. Release the latitude lock ( 9, Fig. 1c) and tilt the telescope mount with the latitude adjustment knob ( 11, Fig.

1) so that the pointer indicates the correct latitude of your viewing location on the latitude scale ( 29,

Fig. 1c). Re-tighten the latitude lock (9, Fig. 1c).

Fig. 3: Locating Polaris.

4. Without moving the telescope on the Right Ascension and Declination axes, loosen the azimuth and latitude locks ( 9 and 30, Fig. 1c) and adjust the telescope until Polaris is centered in the telescope eyepiece. If steps 1 - 3 above were performed with reasonable accuracy, your telescope is now sufficiently well-aligned to the North Celestial Pole for visual observations.

Once the mount has been polar-aligned as described above, the latitude angle need not be adjusted again, unless you move to a different geographical location (i.e. a different latitude). The only polar alignment procedure that need be done each time you use the telescope is to point the polar axis due North, as described in step 1 above.

USING THE TELESCOPE

With the telescope assembled, balanced and polar aligned as described above, you are ready to begin observations. Decide on an easy-to-find object such as the Moon, if it is visible, or a bright star to become accustomed to the functions and operations of the telescope. For the best results during observations, follow the suggestions below:

– 10 –

• To center an object in the main telescope, loosen the telescope’s R.A. lock ( 22, Fig. 1c) and Dec. lock

( 23, Fig. 1c). The telescope can now turn freely on its axes. Use the aligned viewfinder to first sight-in on the object you wish to observe; with the object centered on the viewfinder’s crosshairs, re-tighten the

R.A. and Dec. locks.

• If you have purchased an assortment of eyepieces (see Section G on Calculating Power and Section J on Optional Accessories for higher and lower powers with the telescope), always start an observation with a low power eyepiece (e.g., the 25mm eyepiece); get the object well-centered in the field of view and sharply focused. Then try the next step up in magnification. If the image starts to become fuzzy as you work into higher magnifications, then back down to a lower power; the atmospheric steadiness is not sufficient to support high powers at the time you are observing. Keep in mind that a bright, clearly resolved but smaller image will show far more detail than a dimmer, poorly resolved larger image. The

25mm eyepiece included with the Meade 114 EQ-ASB presents a wide field of view, ideal for general astronomical observing of star fields, clusters of stars, nebulae, and galaxies; it is also probably the best eyepiece to use in the initial finding and centering of any object.

• Once centered, the object can be focused by turning one of the knobs of the focusing mechanism ( 31,

Fig. 1b). You will notice that the astronomical object in the field of view will begin to slowly move across the eyepiece field. This motion is caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis, as described in Section

C, although the planets and stars, are, for practical purposes, fixed in their positions in the sky. The platform on which the telescope is sitting ( the Earth) rotates once every 24 hours under these objects.

To keep astronomical objects centered in the field of the polar aligned telescope, simply turn the

R.A. flexible cable control (3, Fig. 1e). These objects will appear to move through the field more rapidly at higher powers. Note that the Declination flexible cable control (4, Fig. 1e) is used only for centering purposes, and not for tracking.

• Avoid touching the eyepiece while observing through the telescope. Vibrations resulting from such contact will cause the image to move. Likewise, avoid observing sites where ground-based vibrations may resonate the tripod. Viewing from the upper floors of a building may also introduce image movement.

• You should allow a few minutes to allow your eyes to become “dark adapted” before attempting any serious astronomical observations. Use a red filtered flashlight to protect your night vision when reading star maps or inspecting the components of the telescope.

• Avoid setting up the telescope inside a room and observing through an open window (or worse yet, a closed window). Images viewed in such a manner may appear blurred or distorted due to temperature differences between inside and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to allow your telescope a chance to reach the ambient (surrounding) outside temperature before starting an observing session.

• Avoid viewing objects low on the horizon–objects will appear better resolved with far greater contrast when viewed higher in the sky. Also, if images appear to “shimmer” in the eyepiece–reduce power until the image steadies. This condition is caused by air turbulence in the upper atmosphere. We repeat the warning stated at the outset of this manual:

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.

The Meade 114 EQ-ASB may be used for a lifetime of rewarding astronomical observing, but basic to your enjoyment of the telescope is a good understanding of the instrument. Read the above instructions carefully until you understand all of the telescope’s parts and functions. One or two observing sessions will serve to clarify these points forever in your mind.

The number of fascinating objects visible through your Jupiter reflector is limited only by your own motivation.

Astronomical software, such as Polaris’s AstroSearch, or a good star atlas, will assist you in locating many interesting celestial objects. These objects include:

• Cloud belts across the surface of the planet Jupiter.

• The 4 major satellites of Jupiter, visible in rotation about the planet, with the satellite positions changing each night.

• Saturn and its famous ring system, as well as several satellites of Saturn, much fainter than the major satellites of Jupiter.

– 11 –

• The Moon: A veritable treasury of craters, mountain ranges and fault lines. The best contrast for viewing the Moon is during its crescent phase. The contrast during the full Moon phase is low due to the angle of illumination.

• Deep-Space: Nebulae, galaxies, multiple star systems, star clusters–hundreds of such objects are visible through the Meade 114 EQ-ASB.

USING SETTING CIRCLES

Setting circles of the polar aligned equatorial mount can facilitate the location of faint celestial objects not easily found by direct visual observation. To use the setting circles, follow this procedure:

• Use a star chart or star atlas, and look up the celestial coordinates, Right Ascension and Declination

(R.A. and Dec.), of an easy-to-find bright star that is within the general vicinity of the faint object you wish to locate.

• Center the determined bright star in the telescope’s field of view.

• Manually turn the R.A. setting circle ( 27, Fig. 1c) to read the R.A. of the object now in the telescope’s eyepiece.

• The setting circles are now calibrated (the Dec. setting circle ( 28, Fig. 1c) is factory calibrated). To locate a nearby faint object using the setting circles determine the faint object’s celestial coordinates from a star chart, and move the telescope in R.A. and Declination until the setting circles read the R.A.

and Dec. of the object you are attempting to locate. If the above procedure has been carefully performed, the faint object will now be in the field of a low power eyepiece.

• The R.A. Setting Circle must be manually re-calibrated on the current Right Ascension of a star every time the telescope is set up, and reset to the centered object’s R.A. coordinate before moving to a new

R.A. coordinate setting. The R.A. Setting Circle has two sets of numbers, the inner set is for Southern hemisphere use while the outer set of numbers (the set closest to the R.A. gear), is for use by observers located North of the Earth’s equator (e.g., in North America).

CALCULATING POWER

The power, or magnification of the telescope depends on two optical characteristics: the focal length of the main telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece used during a particular observation. For example, the focal length of the Meade 114 EQ-ASB telescope is fixed at 1000mm. To calculate the power in use with a particular eyepiece, divide the focal length of the eyepiece into the focal length of the main telescope. For example, using the 25mm eyepiece supplied with the Meade 114 EQ-ASB, the power is calculated as follows:

Power = 1000mm ÷ 25mm = 40X

The supplied 2X Barlow lens doubles the power of each eyepiece. Insert the 2X Barlow lens into the the eyepiece holder ( 17, Fig. 1b), followed by the eyepiece, and secure by tightening the respective thumbscrews. For example, the 25mm (40X) eyepiece, when used with the 2X Barlow Lens, yields 80X.

The 9mm (1000 ÷ 9 = 111X) eyepiece, when used with the 2X Barlow Lens, yields 222X.

Meade Instruments manufactures several types of eyepiece designs that are available for your telescope.

The type of eyepiece (“MA”or “MH”) has no bearing on magnifying power but does affect such optical characteristics as field of view, flatness of field, eye relief and color correction.

The maximum practical magnification is determined by the nature of the object being observed and, most importantly, by the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Under very steady atmospheric “seeing,” the Meade

114 EQ-ASB may be used at powers up to about 225x on astronomical objects. Generally, however, lower powers of perhaps 75x to 175x will present the best images consistent with high image resolution. When unsteady air conditions prevail (as witnessed by rapid “twinkling” of the stars), extremely high-power eyepieces result in poor magnification, where the object detail observed is actually reduced by the excessive power.

– 12 –

MAINTENANCE

Cleaning

As with any quality instrument, lens or mirror surfaces should be cleaned as infrequently as possible. Front surface aluminized mirrors, in particular, should be cleaned only when absolutely necessary. In all cases avoid touching any mirror surface. A little dust on the surface of a mirror or lens causes negligible loss of performance and should not be considered reason to clean the surface. When lens or mirror cleaning does become necessary, use a camel’s hair brush or compressed air gently to remove dust. If the telescope’s dust cover is replaced after each observing session, cleaning of the optics will rarely be required.

Mount and Tripod Adjustments

Every Meade 114 EQ-ASB equatorial mount and tripod is factory inspected for proper fit and function prior to shipment.

The tripod legs have wingnuts ( 39, Fig. 1c), and Phillips-head screws (38, Fig. 1c) that may have backed off. They may be tightened to a firm feel for a more sturdy performance of the telescope.

Collimation (Alignment) of the Optics

All Meade 114 EQ-ASB telescopes are optically aligned at the factory prior to shipment. It is unlikely that you will need to align, or collimate, the optics after receipt of the instrument. However, if the telescope received unusually rough handling in shipment, it is possible that the optics must be re aligned for best optical performance. In any case this alignment procedure is simple, and requires only a few minutes the very first time the telescope is used. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the following collimation procedure, so that you will recognize a properly collimated instrument and can adjust the collimation yourself, if necessary.

a. Correct collimation

The properly collimated (aligned) mirror system in the Meade 114 EQ-ASB assures the sharpest images possible. This occurs when the primary mirror and diagonal mirror are tilted so that the focused image (see

Fig. 4) falls directly through the center of the focuser drawtube (17, Fig. 1b). These mirror tilt adjustments are made with the diagonal assembly ( Fig. 5) and the primary mirror cell (Fig. 6), and will be discussed later.

To inspect the view of the mirror collimation, look down the focuser drawtube with the eyepiece removed.

The edge of the focuser drawtube ( 1, Fig. 7), will frame the reflections of the primary mirror with the 3 mirror clips ( 2, Fig. 7), the diagonal mirror (3, Fig. 7) , the spider vanes (4, Fig. 7), and your eye (5, Fig. 7).

Properly aligned, all of these reflections will appear concentric (i.e., centered) as illustrated in Fig. 7.

Any deviation from the concentric reflections will require adjustments to the diagonal assembly ( Fig. 5), and/or the primary mirror cell ( Fig. 6).

b. Diagonal holder adjustments

If the diagonal mirror ( 1, Fig. 8) is centered in the drawtube (2, Fig. 8), but the primary mirror is only partially visible in the reflection ( 3, Fig. 8), the 3 Phillips-head diagonal tilt screws (1, Fig. 5). Note: To adjust these screws you must first remove an adhesive backing) must be unthreaded slightly to the point of where you can tilt the diagonal holder ( 3, Fig. 5) from side-to-side by grasping the diagonal holder with your hand and tilt until you see the primary mirror become as centered in the reflection of the diagonal mirror as possible.

Once you are at the best position, thread in the 3 Phillips-head diagonal tilt screws to lock the rotational

Fig. 4: The Newtonian Reflecting Telescope.

– 13 – position. Then, if necessary, make adjustments to these 3 Phillips-head screws to refine the tilt-angle of the diagonal mirror until the entire primary mirror can be seen centered within the diagonal mirror reflection. When the diagonal mirror is correctly aligned, it will look like Fig. 9. (Note: the primary mirror is shown out of alignment.)

Remove adhesive backing

c. Primary mirror adjustments

If the diagonal mirror ( 1, Fig. 9) and the reflection of the primary mirror (2,

Fig. 9) appear centered within the drawtube (3, Fig. 9), but the reflection of your eye and the reflection of the diagonal mirror ( 4, Fig. 9) appear offcenter, you will need to adjust the primary mirror tilt Phillips-head screws of

Fig. 5: Diagonal Assembly.

the primary mirror cell ( 3, Fig. 6). These primary tilt screws are located behind the primary mirror, at the lower end of the main tube. See Fig. 4. To adjust the primary mirror tilt screws, first unscrew several turns, the 3 hex-head primary mirror cell locking screws ( 2, Fig.6) that are next to each primary mirror tilt Phillipshead screw. Then by trial-and-error, turn the primary mirror tilt Phillips-head screws ( 3, Fig. 6) until you develop a feel for which way to turn each screw to center the reflection of your eye. Once centered, as in

Fig. 7, turn the 3 hex-head primary mirror cell locking screws (2, Fig. 6) to relock the tilt-angle adjustment.

d. Star testing the collimation

With the collimation performed, you will want to test the accuracy of the alignment on a star. Use the 25mm eyepiece and point the telescope at a moderately bright (second or third magnitude) star, then center the star image in the telescope’s field-of-view. With the star centered follow the method below:

• Bring the star image slowly out of focus until one or more rings are visible around the central disc. If the collimation was performed correctly, the central star disk and rings will be concentric circles, with a dark spot dead center within the out-of-focus star disk (this is the shadow of the secondary mirror), as shown in Fig. 10C. (An improperly aligned telescope will reveal elongated circles (Fig. 10A), with an off-center dark shadow.)

• If the out-of-focus star disk appears elongated ( Fig. 10A), you will need to adjust the primary mirror

Phillips-head tilt screws of the primary mirror cell ( 3, Fig. 6).

• To adjust the primary mirror tilt screws ( 3, Fig. 6), first unscrew several turns the 3 hex-head primary mirror cell locking screws ( 2, Fig. 6), to allow free turning movement of the tilt knobs.

• Using the flexible cable controls ( 3 and 4, Fig. 1e), move the telescope until the star image is at the edge of the field-of-view in the eyepiece, as in Fig. 10B.

• As you make adjustments to the primary mirror tilt screws ( 3, Fig. 6), you will notice that the out-offocus star disk image will move across the eyepiece field. Choose one of the 3 primary mirror tilt screws and slightly move the shadow to the center of the disk. Then slightly move the telescope using the flexible cable controls to center the star disk image in the center of the eyepiece.

• If any further adjustments are necessary, repeat this process as many times as needed until the outof-focus star disk appears as in Fig. 10C, when the star disk image is in the center of the eyepiece field.

• With the star testing of the collimation complete, tighten the 3 hex-head primary mirror locking screws

( 2, Fig. 6).

3 2

Fig. 6: Primary Mirror Cell.

– 14 –

2 1

1

2

4

3

5

Fig. 7: Correct Collimation.

4

Fig. 9: Primary Mirror Misalignment.

3

1

2

2

Fig. 8: Diagonal Mirror Misalignment.

3

A

Fig. 10: Collimation.

B C

– 15 –

SPECIFICATIONS

Primary (main) mirror focal length: . . . . . .1000mm

Primary mirror diameter: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.5" (114mm)

Focal ratio: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .f/8

Mounting: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .German equatorial

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

See your Meade 114 EQ-ASB dealer for further details on any of these accessories.

Additional Eyepieces (1.25"): Meade offers a wide line of eyepieces for enhanced astronomical and/or terrestrial viewing, including:

• MA 40mm (1.25"): Offers the most dramatic, wide field of view for observing deep-space objects. This is also the eyepiece most recommended for viewing of objects on land (23x).

Basic Camera Adapter (1.25” O.D.): Permits direct attachment of 35mm SLR cameras to the telescope. (Requires T-Mount for your specific brand of camera). Suitable for lunar disk and land photography.

A D V A N C E D P R O D U C T S D I V I S I O N

Meade Instruments Corporation

World’s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur

6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 ■ (949) 451-1450

FAX: (949) 451-1460 ■ www.meade.com

© 2004

04057-00 ver 4/04