Getting the most from your Meade telescope.

Take time to assemble your new telescope as described in the manual and familiarise yourself with it and how it fits together before you go outdoors. This will make getting started in the dark much easier and quicker.

With GOTO telescopes, familiarise yourself with the handset operation. The Meade Autostar system uses a simple menu with on screen instructions. You do not need to be outside to practice alignment and setup routines.

Ensure that you have a suitable power supply. Models from the ETX90 upwards (including LX90, LXD Series, LX200 and RCX400) require a 12v DC power supply. DS model telescopes and ETX70 / 80AT models require 9v DC. Ensure that if you are using an external power supply, it has the correct voltage and polarity (centre pin positive), failure to do so can result in damage to the instrument. When using batteries, ensure that they are of good quality, clean, and correctly inserted. Poor batteries can cause the telescope to behave erratically and possibly fail.

It is also important to calibrate and train the drives on GOTO MODELS. This simple procedure should be done in daylight and ensures your drives are operating as accurately as possible and is the easiest way to improve your telescopes pointing. Details of this can be found in your instruction manual.

When setting up for a nights observing, ensure that your tripod legs are evenly spread and locked. Take a moment to make sure that the top plate is level and stable before attaching the telescope. If a telescope is not mounted on a sturdy and level base, it will have great difficulty finding and tracking objects. Date, time and location are all important factors in setting up your GOTO telescope. For models without GPS, the date, time and location are essential for successful alignment. For example setting the clock 1 hour fast or slow will cause the telescope to point up to 15 degrees out.

Just by taking 10 minutes to learn about the telescope and how it works, and reading the manual will give you the best possible start into the world of astronomy.