Meade NGC-Series Telescope User Manual


 
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If inside a warm house or building, move outside. Interior air conditions may distort
terrestrial or celestial images, making it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a sharp
focus. For optimal viewing, use the telescope outside in the open air instead of
observing through an open or closed window or screen.
If viewing a land object on a warm day, heat waves distort the image. See
SIMPLE
OBSERVATIONS, page 10.
For clear viewing of objects, turn the focus knob (
10, Fig. 4) slowly since the "in-
focus" point of a telescope is precise. Turning the focus knob too quickly may cause
the focus point to pass without notice.
The optics within the telescope need time to adjust to the outside ambient temper-
ature to provide the sharpest image. To "cool down" the optics, set the telescope
outside for 10 to 15 minutes before observing begins.
A terrestrial object appears reversed left-for-right:
The 90° diagonal mirror yields this image orientation. To view a correctly oriented
image, the optional #928 45° Erecting Prism is required. See
OPTIONAL ACCES-
SORIES, page 19.
Meade Customer Service
If you have a question concerning your telescope, contact the Meade Instruments
Customer Service Department at:
Telephone: (949) 451-1450
Fax: (949) 451-1460
Customer Service hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
In the unlikely event that your telescope requires factory servicing or repairs, write or call
the Meade Customer Service Department first, before returning the telescope to the fac-
tory, 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.
NGC and NG Specifications
Optical design ....................................................Refractor
Clear aperture /NG60 ......................................60mm
Clear aperture NGC70/NG70 ............................70mm
Focal length ......................................................700mm
Focal ratio ........................................................f/11.7
Tripod ................................................................Aluminum, full-length; adjustable
w/accessory tray
Alignment (NGC models only) ..........................Altazimuth
Easy Alignment (U.S. Patent 6,392,799
)
Control knobs (2) (NGC models only) ..............Slow motion control on each axis
Control panel (NGC models only)......................Database of 1400+ objects
Batteries (1) (NGC models only) ......................9v, user-supplied
Accessories........................................................5 x 24 viewfinder with rubber eyecup,
90° diagonal mirror, dew shield
Star Charts
Star charts and planisphere are very useful tools. In particular, they are a
great aid in planning a night of celestial viewing, as well as assisting in locat-
ing celestial objects.
A wide variety of star charts are available in books, in magazines, on the inter-
net and on CD Roms. Meade offers AstroFinder
and other star locator soft-
ware. Contact your Meade dealer or Meade's Customer Service department
for more information.
Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines print star charts each month
for up-to-the-minute maps of the heavens.
The Norton Star
Atlas and Reference Handbook by A. Norton and Sky Atlas
2000 by W. Tirion and R. Sinnot are two of the most popular star charts on the
market.
TIPS for Beginners