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1#) in the unlocked position. Set the R.A. Lock to a "partially locked" position to create
a comf
ortable drag for the R.A. Slow Motion Control.
Caution: Do not oper
ate the R.A. Slow Motion Control with the R.A. Lock
in the fully locked position, as such operation may result in damage to the
internal gear system and also cause you to lose alignment.
j Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) Computer Control Panel (also see e):
H. USB Port: Provides 3 connections for USB 2.0 devices. This port is
typically used to connect to CCD cameras, such as Meade’s LPI or
Deep Sky Imager
. See
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.Y
our
PC can control your
RCX400 telescope using serial commands. Go to
the Meade website (www.meade.com) to download the latest serial
commands and de
vice pinouts.
J. Serial Port: Provides connection with a PC and for current and future
Meade accessories.Your PC can control your
RCX400 telescope using
serial commands. Go to the Meade website (www.meade.com) to
do
wnload the latest serial commands and device pinouts.
Important Note: Although both the Base Computer Control Panel and
the OTA Computer Control Panel include a serial port, only one may be
used at a time; you cannot plug into both ports at the same time.
K. Autoguider Port: Plug the optional autoguider into this port. See the
instruction sheet that came with your autoguider for more information.
Also see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.
L. Reticle Port: Plug the optional reticle eyepiece into this port. Control
the reticle through the AutoStar II menus. See
HOT BUTTON MENUS
page 36. Also see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, pages 48 - 50.
Note: See the instruction sheets that are included with the reticle and
the autoguider for more details.
M. Handbox (HBX) Port: Plug the AutoStar II coil cord into this port.
Important Note: Although both the Base Computer Control Panel and
the OTA Computer Control Panel include an HBX port, only one hand-
box maybe be plugged in at a time; you cannot plug handboxes into
both ports at the same time.
N. Smart Accessory Port: Provides connection for future Meade acces-
sories.
1) GPS Receiver: Receives information transmitted from Global Positioning System
satellites. See page 25 for more information.
1! Declination (Dec.) Setting Circle (on left fork arm): See APPENDIX A, page 57,
for detailed information.
1@ Mounting Base: Attach to the tripod base (see 2&). See page 16 for mounting
instructions.
1# Right Ascension (R.A.) Lock: Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the
telescope.Turning the R.A.lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope, enabling
it to be freely rotated b
y hand about the horizontal axis. Turning the R.A. lock
cloc
kwise loc
ks the telescope
, prevents the telescope from being rotated manu-
ally, and engages the horizontal motor drive for AutoStar II operation.
1$ A
utoStar II Handbo
x and
Tiltab
le Holder:
Controls all the electronic functions
of the telescope. See pages 13 - 15 for detailed information. You may have
noticed that there is no manual focus knob; all focus is achieved by
using the
A
utoStar handbo
x.
Attach the holder to one of the handles (see
f).
Holds y
our
handbox in a convenient location.
1% Right Fork Arm: The r
ight side of the hea
vy-duty mount that holds the optical
tube securely in place (see
g).
1^ Dec
lination (Dec.) Slo
w-Motion Contr
ol:
Mak
e fine adjustments in
Declination(altitude) by turning this control with the Dec. Lock (see
1& below) in
the loc
k
ed position. In order for this control to operate properly, power must be off.
1& Dec. Lock: Controls the manual vertical movement of the telescope. Turning the
Dec.
loc
k countercloc
kwise unloc
ks the telescope enabling it to be freely rotated
by hand about the vertical axis. Turning the Dec. lock clockwise (to a firm feel
Definitions
Throughout this manual,
you will notice the terms
"
Alt/Az," "Right
Ascension
," and
"
Declination." Alt/Az or
more properly, altitude-
azimuth (or altazimuth), is
frequently used to refer to
altitude or Declination (the
up-and-down vertical move-
ment of the telescope) and
azimuth or Right Ascension
(the side-to-side horizontal
movement of the tele-
scope). Right Ascension is
abbreviated as "R.A." and
Declination as "
Dec."
Caution:
When loosening the Dec.
lock, be sure to support the
optical tube (19,
Fig.
1a
).
The weight of the tube
could cause the tube to
swing suddenly.