Meade ETX Series - User Manual

Meade Instruments Corporation
Telescopes · Binoculars · Microscopes
ETX Astro Telescope Instruction Manual
INTRODUCTION
The Meade ETX is an extremely versatile, high-resolution telescope designed for
everyone. Unlike larger or more specialized telescopes that might appeal only to
the advanced amateur astronomer, the ETX is an easy-to-operate telescope with
fingertip controls, an internal motor drive for automatic tracking of astronomical
objects, and one of the finest optical systems ever manufactured for a
commercial telescope. As a first telescope, the ETX reveals nature in an
everexpanding level of detail: observe the feather structure of a bird from 50
yards or study the rings of the planet Saturn from a distance of 800 million miles. The Meade ETX is an instrument
fully capable of growing with the user's interests. For many, the ETX is all the telescope ever required. As a second
telescope for the amateur astronomer who may already own a larger instrument, the ETX represents extreme
portability without sacrificing the most demanding requirements for optical quality and field performance. The result
of more than five years in development by an elite team of Meade optical designers and engineers, the Meade ETX
is, without question, one of the most revolutionary telescopes to be developed in the past 25 years. We urge the
ETX user to read this manual thoroughly, in order that you might avail yourself of all the designed-in features at
your disposal with this amazing instrument.
Fig. 1: The ETX Astro Telescope
1. Eyepiece
2. Viewfinder Alignment Screws
3. Viewfinder
4. 90° Eyepiece Holder
5. Focus Knob
6. Photo Port
7. Flip-Mirror Control Knobs
8. 1/4-20 Photo Tripod Adapter Block
9. Fork Mount
10. R.A. Slow-Motion Control
11. R.A. Lock
12. Attachment Holes for Fixed Tripod Legs
13. Bottom Surface of Drive Base
14. Drive Base
15. R.A. (Right Ascension) Setting Circle
16. Dec Slow-Motion Control
17. Declination Pointer
18. Dec (Declination) Setting Circle
19. Screws for Attaching Optical Tube to Fork Mount
20. Declination Cover Plate
21. Declination Lock
IMPORTANT NOTICE! Never
use a telescope or spotting
scope to look at the Sun!
Observing the Sun, even for
the shortest fraction of a
second, will cause irreversible damage
to your eye as well as physical damage
to the telescope or spotting scope itself.

Summary

GETTING STARTED

Assembly Instructions

Step-by-step guide for assembling the telescope and installing batteries.

TELESCOPE USE

Telescope Controls

Explains the function and operation of key telescope controls like R.A. and Dec locks.

Magnification

Calculating Magnification

Details how to calculate telescope magnification using focal lengths.

First Observations

Alignment of the Viewfinder

Step-by-step guide to align the viewfinder with the main telescope.

OBSERVING OBJECTS

Astronomical Observing

Polar Alignment

Polar Alignment Procedure

Detailed steps for polar aligning the telescope for automatic tracking.

Alternate Polar Alignment Procedure

An alternative method for achieving precise polar alignment.

Locating and Tracking Objects

Locating Astronomical Objects

The Motor Drive

How to operate the telescope's automatic tracking motor drive.

Setting Circles

Photography Through the ETX Astro Telescope

TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING

General Maintenance

Guidelines for cleaning and maintaining the telescope's optical and physical components.

Troubleshooting

Meade ETX Series Specifications

General

Optical Design	Maksutov-Cassegrain
Mount Type	Altazimuth
Eyepiece	26mm
Finderscope	Red dot
Tripod	Included
GoTo	Yes
Motorized	Yes
Aperture	90mm / 105mm / 125mm