Meade Telescope 70AZ T User Manual

Instruction Manual  
Meade 70AZ-T  
70mm Compact Refractor Telescope  
Meade Instruments Corporation  
I
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618  
(949) 451-1450  
 
WARNING:  
RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN OVER THE AGE OF 5 WITH ADULT  
SUPERVISION ONLY  
NEVER USE A MEADE 70MM COMPACT REFRACTOR  
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 AT OR NEAR  
THE SUN. CHILDREN SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION WHILE  
OBSERVING.  
INTRODUCTION  
The Meade 70mm Compact Refractor is an easy to operate telescope,  
designed for both astronomical and terrestrial observing. Please take a  
few moments to read the instruction manual and familiarize yourself  
with its features.  
ASSEMBLING THE TELESCOPE:  
Numbers in parentheses refer to Fig. 1.  
1. To assemble the telescope, first unfold the tripod legs (16). Place  
the center hole on the bottom of the tripod attachment platform (17)  
over the bolt on the tripod attachment baser (12) and tighten the  
tripod attachment knob (13) to secure the optical tube to the tripod.  
2. Slide the erecting roof prism (3) into the eyepiece holder tube (2) and  
tighten the thumbscrew (2) to a firm feel.  
3. Slide an eyepiece (1) into the erecting roof prism (3) and tighten the  
eyepiece thumbscrew (1) to a firm feel.  
4. Place the viewfinder holder (6) over the two bolts (8) on the optical  
tube (9). See Fig. 1 for the orientation of the holder. Thread the  
viewfinder holder thumbscrews (8) over the bolts and tighten to a firm  
feel.  
5. Slide the viewfinder tube (5) into the viewfinder holder (6) and tighten  
the viewfinder attachment screws (7). Before using the viewfinder, you  
will need to align it. See “Aligning the Viewfinder,” page 4.  
6. Loosen the tripod lock ring (15) and lift or lower the telescope to a  
comfortable height. Relock the tripod lock ring.  
7. Loosen the Vertical Lock knob (18) and adjust the angle of the optical  
tube to a position that allows you to observe comfortably. Retighten  
the knob, but do not overtighten—you may want to adjust the tube’s  
position from time to time while you are observing.  
3
 
If using the instrument primarily for land observing, reverse the  
direction of the optical tube on the tripod attachment base (12) for  
better balance.  
TO SIGHT IN ON AN OBJECT AND ACHIEVE A SHARP FOCUS:  
1. Place the telescope on a stable surface.  
2. View objects that are at least 30 feet away.  
3. Rotate the altitude control knob (14) counterclockwise to move the  
optical tube (10) up and clockwise to move the tube down. If  
necessary, you may also loosen the vertical lock knob (18) and  
adjust the tube up or down. Remember to relock the knob to a firm  
feel when you are finished.  
4. Rotate the horizontal control knob counterclockwise (19) to move  
the optical tube to the right and clockwise to move the tube left.  
5. Look through the eyepiece (1) and rotate the focus knob (4). Turn  
the knob with a slow and gentle motion until the object is in sharp  
focus.  
ALIGN THE VIEWFINDER:  
Perform this procedure during the daytime.  
1. Pick out a well-defined land object, such as a light post or street sign.  
Focus and center it in your optical tube’s eyepiece (1).  
2. Adjust the viewfinder position by loosening or tightening one or more  
of the adjustment screws (7) until the crosshair in the viewfinder’s  
eyepiece is centered on the same object centered in the eyepiece.  
Now the viewfinder will point to the same position as the optical tube  
eyepiece. As the viewfinder has a wider field of view than the optical  
tube eyepiece, it is easier to first locate objects using the viewfinder  
than locating them in the telescope’s eyepiece.  
USING THE TELESCOPE  
When the telescope is assembled, you are ready to begin observations.  
1. Observing land objects during the daytime is a good way to become  
accustomed to the functions and operations of the telescope. At  
night, try observing the Moon first (if it is visible) or a bright star.  
2. Use the MA17.5mm eyepiece and center an object in the  
telescope’s field of view. The included MA17.5mm eyepiece is the  
best eyepiece to use for the initial finding and centering of an  
object. The low power MA17.5mm eyepiece presents a bright, wide  
field of view, ideal for terrestrial and general astronomical observing.  
4
 
For lunar and planetary viewing, switch to a higher power eyepiece  
such as the stamdard equipment MA9mm. Also consider using the  
provided 2X Barlow lens. If the image starts to become fuzzy as  
magnification is increased—back down to a lower power. See  
“Power” for more information about the Barlow.  
3. If you are observing an astronomical object, you will immediately  
notice that the object moves in a rather slow but continuous motion  
across the telescopic field of view. This motion is caused by the  
rotation of the Earth which results in the motion of the object in the  
telescope’s field of view.  
To keep astronomical objects centered, simply move the telescope  
using the altitude (14) or horizontal (19) control knobs. In the  
higher power MA9mm eyepiece, astronomical objects will seem to  
move through the field more rapidly. Place the object on the edge  
of the field of view and watch as it drifts to the opposite side, then  
reposition the telescope so the object can drift through the field  
again.  
4. Avoid touching the eyepiece while observing. Vibrations resulting  
from such contact will cause the image to move. Viewing from the  
upper floors of a building may also introduce image movement.  
5. Allow a few minutes for your eyes to become “dark adapted”  
before you begin any serious observations.  
6. Some atmospheric conditions can distort an observed image.  
Planets, in particular, viewed while low on the horizon, lack  
sharpness. When observed higher in the sky, a planet will often  
appear to be more steady and have greater contrast. Turbulent air  
in the upper atmosphere can cause the images to “shimmer” in the  
eyepiece. Use the MA17.5mm eyepiece until the image steadies.  
Keep in mind that a bright, clearly resolved, but smaller image will  
show far more interesting detail than a larger, dimmer, fuzzy  
image.  
7. A number of fascinating objects are visible through your Meade  
70mm compact refractor:  
Jupiter: Jupiter has cloud belts across its surface. It’s four major  
moons change position around the planet each night.  
Saturn: Saturn’s ring system is one of the best celestial sights.  
5
 
The Moon: Our Moon offers craters, mountain ranges and fault  
lines. The Moon is best observed during its crescent or half phase  
when sunlight strikes the Moon’s surface at an angle—resulting  
shadows add a sense of depth to the view. No shadows are visible  
during a full Moon, causing the Moon’s surface to appear flat and  
uninteresting.  
Deep-Space: Deep Space objects are best viewed at a dark site,  
away from city and other lights. Such objects include nebulae,  
galaxies, multiple star systems, and star clusters.  
Terrestrial objects: Your telescope may also be used for high  
resolution land viewing. Terrestrial observations should almost  
always be made using a low power eyepiece (such as the 17.5mm)  
for bright, sharp images. Land objects offer limited applications at  
higher powers because the telescope is being pointed through the  
thickest part of the Earth’s atmosphere, which typically distorts  
images in the eyepiece.  
The general rule regarding power: Only use as much magnification as  
supports a steady, well-defined image. The stability of the air varies  
and is one reason why having various eyepieces is highly desirable.  
Higher powers are no guaranty of better images; in fact, the opposite is  
often true. Keep in mind, that land viewing and wide-field, deep-space  
observation generally operate best with low-powered eyepieces.  
POWER  
The power, or magnification, of a telescope when used with a particular  
eyepiece is determined by two factors: the focal length of the  
telescope’s main (objective) lens and the focal length of the eyepiece  
being used. The Barlow lens doubles the power of an eyepiece. To use  
the 2X Barlow lens, place the Barlow into the roof prism (3), followed  
by the eyepiece. Use the thumbscrew to tighten in place.  
The magnification values available with your eyepieces are as follows:  
Eyepiece  
MA17.5mm  
MA9mm  
Power  
20X  
39X  
With 2X Barlow Lens  
40X  
78X  
MAINTENANCE  
The Meade 70mm Compact Refractor telescope should be stored in a  
dry and dust-free location. It should not be stored in direct sunlight.  
Avoid overcleaning the lens. A little dust on the the lens hardly affects  
image quality.  
6
 
SPECIFICATIONS  
Objective (main) lens focal length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350mm  
Objective lens diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70mm  
Mounting type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Table-top  
Altazimuth  
Eyepieces (1.25” Diameter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MA17.5mm  
MA9mm  
Barlow lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2X  
Erecting Prism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Included  
Soft carry case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Included  
Table top tripod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Included  
Limited Warranty  
Every Meade telescope, spotting scope, and telescope accessory is warranted by Meade Instruments  
Corporation (“Meade”) to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE YEAR  
from the date of original purchase in the U.S.A. Meade will repair or replace a product, or part thereof,  
found by Meade to be defective, provided the defective part is returned to Meade, freight-prepaid, with  
proof of purchase. This warranty applies to the original purchaser only and is non-transferable.  
Meade products purchased outside North America are not included in this warranty, but are  
covered under separate warranties issued by Meade international distributors.  
RGA Number Required: Prior to the return of any product or part, a Return Goods Authorization (RGA)  
number must be obtained from Meade by writing, or by calling (949) 451-1450. Each returned part or  
product must include a written statement detailing the nature of the claimed defect, as well as the  
owner’s name, address, and phone number.  
This warranty is not valid in cases where the product has been abused or mishandled, where  
unauthorized repairs have been attempted or performed, or where depreciation of the product is due to  
normal wear-and-tear. Meade specifically disclaims special, indirect, or consequential damages or lost  
profit which may result from a breach of this warranty. Any implied warranties which cannot be  
disclaimed are hereby limited to a term of one year from the date of original retail purchase.  
This warranty gives you specific rights. You may have other rights which vary from state to state.  
Meade reserves the right to change product specifications or to discontinue products without notice.  
This warranty supersedes all previous Meade product warranties.  
® The name “Meade,” and the Meade logo, are trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent Office and in principal  
countries throughout the world. All rights reserved.  
© 2004 Meade Instruments Corporation.  
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 Telescopes for the Serious Amateur  
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 I (949) 451-1450  
04/04  
 

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