INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Meade 114ST EQ-D
4.5" Equatorial Reflecting Telescope
Meade Instruments Corporation
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Telescope Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Unpacking and Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1. Balancing the Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2. Alignment of the Viewfinder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Understanding Celestial Movements and Coordinates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Lining Up with the Celestial Pole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Using the Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Using Setting Circles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Calculating Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Mount and Tripod Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Collimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
a. Correct Collimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
b. Diagonal Holder Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
c. Primary Mirror Adjustments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
d. Star Testing the Collimation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Specifications: Model 114ST EQ-D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
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Key to Figs. 1a - 1g
1. Eyepiece
21. Focus knobs
2. Equatorial mount
22. R.A. lock
3. Right Ascension (R.A.) flexible cable
control
23. Dec. lock
24. 5 x 24 viewfinder
4. Declination (Dec.) flexible cable control
5. Counterweights
25. Viewfinder focuser
26. Viewfinder adjustment thumbscrews
27. R.A. setting circle
28. Dec. setting circle
29. Latitude dial
6. Counterweight shaft
7. Counterweight lock
8. Safety washer/thumbscrew
9. Viewfinder Dustcover
10. Polar axis
30. Azimuth lock
31. Declination axis
11. Latitude lock knob
32. Tripod leg brace
12. Optical tube assembly
13. Optical tube saddle plate
14. Optical tube mounting thumbscrews
15. Equatorial mount base
16. Viewfinder bracket mounting bolts
17. Focuser drawtube and eyepiece holder
18. Eyepiece holder thumbscrew
19. Focuser
33. Tripod leg brace support
34. Tripod legs
35. Tripod-to-mount wingnuts
36. Accessory tray
37. Eyepiece holder slots
38. Mounting bolt hole
39. Telescope front dust cover
40. Collimating Screws
41. Counterweight shaft attachment location
20. Viewfinder bracket
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26
24 25
9
18
1
16
20
12
19
17
39
21
13
40
41
11
4
6
7
3
2
5
8
30
Fig. 1a: Model 114ST EQ-D: Optical tube assembly.
10
23
31
13
38
28
23
29
22
27
14
14
Fig. 1b: Bolt hole for tray assembly.
Fig. 1c: Mount features.
Fig. 1d: Optical tube attachment
(underside view).
34
36
33
37
11
3
15
30
35
32
Fig. 1e: More mount features.
Fig. 1f: Leg brace and tray assembly.
Fig. 1g: Attaching tripod leg to mount.
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INTRODUCTION
The Meade 114ST EQ-D is an easy-to-operate, high performance 4.5" (114mm) reflecting telescope,
intended for astronomical observing. Equipped with a deluxe equatorial mount and aluminum tripod, the
telescope’s motion is continuously adjustable for tracking celestial objects. Your telescope comes to you
ready for adventure; it will be your companion in a universe of planets, galaxies, and stars. Please note
that the Meade 114ST EQ-D is a Newtonian reflecting telescope optimized for astronomical observing
performance, and is not intended for terrestrial observing.
We recommend that you take a few minutes to read all of this manual before making first observations
through the telescope. As you read this manual, the technical terms associated with telescopes will be
made clear.
Standard Equipment
•
Complete optical tube assembly with a 4.5" (114mm) diameter primary mirror, viewfinder mounting
bolts with mounting nuts and rack-and-pinion focuser. Mirror focal length = 1000mm; f/8.8
•
•
Equatorial mount with aluminum tripod and leg braces.
Accessories: MA 25mm (40x) eyepiece (1.25"O.D.), MA 12mm (83x) eyepiece (1.25"O.D.)
2x Barlow lens
5 x 24 viewfinder and bracket
Counterweight with counterweight shaft
Flexible cable controls for both telescope axes
Accessory tray with mounting knob
Astronomy software (separate instructions supplied in software package
UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLY (Numbers in brackets below refer to Fig. 1)
1. Remove and identify the telescope’s components, using the listing above.
2. Attach the 3 aluminum tripod legs (6, Fig. 1f) to the base of the equatorial mount (15, Fig. 1g) with the
3 leg braces supports (32, Fig. 1f) facing inward. Three bolts each about
32
2.5"" long, with washers and wing nuts (35, Fig. 1g), are provided for this
purpose in a hardware package. Stand the telescope upright, spreading
the tripod legs evenly apart so that the accessory tray can be positioned
to attach to the 3 leg braces.
3. Use the provided 3 short screws, washers and bolts to attach the
accessory tray (36, Fig. 1f) to the tripod. Line up one of the leg braces
(32, Fig. 1f) between the opening of one of the tripod leg brace supports
(33, Fig. 1f) on the tripod so that one of the short screws will be able to
pass through the holes of the leg brace support and the leg brace. Using
a Phillips-head screwdriver, thread one of the short screws through the
hole. Place a washer on the other end, followed by the matching nut.
33
Fig. 2: Tripod leg brace support
assembly.
Tighten to a firm feel. Repeat this procedure until all 3 leg braces are mounted on the 3 leg brace
supports. See Fig. 2.
4. To attach the accessory tray (36, Fig. 1f) to the leg braces (32, Fig. 1f), place the round accessory tray
over the over mounting bolt hole (38, Fig. 1b). Threading the attachment
knob into the the mounting hole on top of the tray and turning the knob
Leg lock
knob
clockwise. Tighten to a firm feel, but do not overtighten—you will need to
remove the tray if you wish to collapse the tripod. To remove the tray, just
rotate the knob counterclockwise and remove the knob. You can then lift
and remove the tray.
Sliding
inner leg
extension
5. Extend the sliding center portion of the adjustable height tripod leg to the
desired length for all 3 legs. Lock the tripod legs by tightening the leg lock
thumbscrew to a firm feel. See Fig. 3.
6. Holding the counterweight (5, Fig. 1a) firmly in one hand, slip the
counterweight onto the counterweight shaft (6, Fig. 1a). Attach the
counterweight and counterweight shaft, by supporting the unlocked
Fig. 3: Adjust the height of the
tripod.
counterweight firmly in one hand while threading the counterweight shaft into the base of the
Declination axis of the telescope’s equatorial mount (41, Fig. 1a). Once firmly attached, slide the
counterweight about 2 inches from the bottom of the counterweight shaft and secure it in place with
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the counterweight lock (7, Fig. 1a) of the counterweight. Note: If the counterweight ever slips, the
secured threaded safety washer/screw (8, Fig. 1a) will not let the weight slide entirely off the
counterweight shaft. Be certain that this safety washer/screw is always in place.
7. Attach the flexible cables (4, Fig. 1a) and (3, Fig. 1a and 1e), as shown. These cables are secured in
place with a firm tightening of the thumbscrews located at the attachment ends of each cable.
8. Tilt the polar axis (10, Fig. 1c) of the telescope to roughly a 45° angle with the horizon. This tilt is
accomplished by first loosening the latitude adjustment lock (11, Fig. 1a and 1e), adjusting the mount
and firmly re-tightening the latitude control lock.
9. Remove the optical tube attachment thumbscrews (14, Fig. 1d) from the optical tube mounting bolts
that are on the underside of the main optical tube (12, Fig. 1a). Then lay the telescope optical tube
assembly onto the saddle plate (13, Fig. 1a) passing the mounting bolts through the holes in the saddle
of the mount. Re-attach the attachment thumbscrews to the mounting bolts, and tighten to a firm feel.
See Fig. 1d.
10. Attach the viewfinder bracket (20, Fig. 1a) to the telescope using the 2 thumbscrews provided (16, Fig.
1a). The bracket fits over the two small bolts. Thread the thumbscrews over the bolts and tighten to a
firm feel. Slide the Viewfinder tube (24, Fig. 1a) into the bracket and loosely tighten the tube using the
Viewfinder adjustment screws. Remove the Viewfinder dustcover (9, Fig. 1a). See “Aligning the
Viewfinder” below.
11. Insert the 25mm eyepiece (13, Fig. 1) into the eyepiece holder (17, Fig. 1a). Secure the eyepiece in
place by tightening the eyepiece holder thumbscrews (18, Fig. 1a) to a firm feel.
The telescope is now completely assembled. Before it can be affectively used, however, the viewfinder (24,
Fig. 1a) must be aligned with the main telescope.
ALIGNING THE VIEWFINDER
The wide field of view provided by the 5 x 24mm viewfinder permits easy object sighting prior to
observation in the higher-power main telescope. The 5 x 24 Viewfinder (24, Fig. 1a) and viewfinder bracket
(20, Fig. 1a) attaches to the telescope tube assembly as described above. In order for the viewfinder to be
functional, however, it must be aligned to the main telescope, so that both the viewfinder and main
telescope point at the same position in the sky. With this simple alignment performed, finding objects is
greatly facilitated, since you will first locate an object in the wide-field viewfinder, then you will look in the
eyepiece of the main telescope for a detailed view. To align the viewfinder follow these steps:
1. Remove the telescope front dust cover (39, Fig. 1), and the dust cover of the viewfinder (9, Fig. 1a).
2. Place the low- power (MA 25mm) eyepiece into the focuser of the main telescope.
3. Unlock the Right Ascension (R.A.) lock (22, Fig. 1c) and the Declination (Dec.) lock (23, Fig. 1c) so
that the telescope turns freely on both axes. Then point the main telescope at some well-defined land
object (e.g. the top of a telephone pole) at least 200 yards distant, and re-lock the R.A and Dec. axes.
Turn the flexible cable controls, (4, Fig. 1a) and (3, Fig. 1a and 1e), to center the object in the
telescopic field.
4. With the front of the viewfinder already centered in the front bracket ring, look through the viewfinder
and loosen or tighten, as appropriate, one or more of the rear viewfinder bracket ring thumbscrews (26,
Fig. 1a) until the viewfinder’s crosshairs are likewise centered on the object previously centered in the
main telescope.
5. Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as a bright star or the Moon, and make any
refinements necessary, using the method outlined above.
With this alignment performed, objects first located in the wide-field viewfinder will also be centered in the
main telescope’s field of view. (Note: The viewfinder presents an image which is upside-down.)
BALANCING THE TELESCOPE
In order for the telescope to move smoothly on its mechanical axes, it must first be balanced as follows:
1. Loosen the R.A. lock (22, Fig. 1a). With the R.A. lock loosened, the telescope mount will turn freely
about the polar axis (10, Fig. 1c). Rotate the telescope about the polar axis so that the counterweight
shaft (6, Fig. 1a) is parallel to the ground (horizontal).
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2. Loosen the counterweight’s lock (7, Fig. 1a) and slide the counterweight (5, Fig. 1a) along the shaft
until the telescope remains in any given position without tending to drift up or down the polar axis. Then
retighten the counterweight lock.
The telescope is now balanced.
UNDERSTANDING CELESTIAL MOVEMENTS AND COORDINATES
Understanding where to locate celestial objects, and how those objects move across the sky is
fundamental to enjoying the hobby of astronomy. Most amateur astronomers adopt the simple practice of
“star-hopping” to locate celestial objects by using star charts or astronomical software which identify bright
stars and star patterns (constellations) that serve as “road maps” and “landmarks” in the sky. These visual
reference points guide amateur astronomers in their search for astronomical objects. And while star-
hopping is the preferred technique, a discussion of using setting circles for locating objects is desirable
since your telescope is provided with this feature. However, be advised, compared to star-hopping, object
location by use of setting circles requires a greater investment in time and patience to achieve a more
precise alignment of the telescope’s polar axis to the celestial pole. For this reason, in part, star-hopping
is popular because it is the faster, easier way to become initiated in the hobby.
Understanding how astronomical objects move: Due to the Earth’s rotation, celestial bodies appear to
move from East to West in a curved path through the skies. The path they follow is known as their line of
Right Ascension (R.A.). The angle of this path they follow is known as their line of Declination (Dec.).
A celestial coordinate system was created that maps an imaginary sphere surrounding the Earth upon
which all stars appear to be placed. This mapping system is similar to the system of latitude and longitude
on Earth surface maps.
In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines of longitude are drawn between the North and South Poles and
lines of latitude are drawn in an East-West direction, parallel to the Earth’s equator. Similarly, imaginary
lines have been drawn to form a latitude and longitude grid for the celestial sphere. These lines are known
as Right Ascension and Declination.
The celestial map also contains two poles and an equator just like a map of the Earth. The poles of this
coordinate system are defined as those two points where the Earth’s North and South poles (i.e., the
Earth's axis), if extended to infinity, would cross the celestial sphere. Thus, the North Celestial Pole (see
Fig. 4) is that point in the sky where an extension of the North Pole intersects the celestial sphere. The
North Star, Polaris, is located very near the North Celestial Pole. The celestial equator is a projection of
the Earth’s equator onto the celestial sphere.
So just as an object's position on the Earth’s surface can be located by its latitude and longitude, celestial
objects may also be located using Right Ascension and Declination. For example: You could locate Los
Angeles, California, by its latitude (+34°) and longitude (118°). Similarly, you could locate the Ring Nebula
(also known as “M57”) by its Right Ascension (18hr) and its Declination (+33°).
I
Right Ascension (R.A.): This celestial version of longitude is measured in units of hours (hr), minutes
(min), and seconds (sec) on a 24-hour "clock" (similar to how Earth's time zones are determined by
longitude lines). The "zero" line was arbitrarily chosen to pass through the constellation Pegasus, a
sort of cosmic Greenwich meridian. R.A. coordinates range from 0hr 0min 0sec to 23hr 59min 59sec.
There are 24 primary lines of R.A.,
North Celestial Pole
+90° Déc.
+90° Dec.
located at 15-degree intervals along
the celestial equator. Objects
located further and further East of
the zero R.A. grid line (0hr 0min
0sec) carry higher R.A. coordinates.
(Vicinity of Polaris)
E
Star
12
11
13
10
14
15
9
8
16
20
I
Declination (Dec.): This celestial
version of latitude is measured in
degrees, arc-minutes, and arc-
seconds (e.g., 15° 27' 33"). Dec.
locations North of the celestial
equator are indicated with a plus (+)
sign (e.g., the Dec. of the North
celestial pole is +90°). Dec.
locations South of the celestial
equator are indicated with a minus
17
18
19
7
6
Earth’s rotation
R
5
4
3
21
2
22
23
0° Déc.
1
0
Celestial
E
Equator
Ascnsin drie
Right Ascension
South
c
Déc.-90° Déc.
-90° Dec.
Celestial
Pole
Fig. 4: Celestial Sphere.
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(–) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the South celestial pole is –90°). Any point on the celestial equator (such as
the the constellations of Orion, Virgo, and Aquarius) is said to have a Declination of zero, shown as 0°
0' 0."
With all celestial objects therefore capable of being specified in position by their celestial coordinates of
Right Ascension and Declination, the task of finding objects (in particular, faint objects) in the telescope
can be simplified. The setting circles, R.A. (27, Fig. 1c) and Dec. (28, Fig. 1c) of the Meade 114ST EQ-D
telescope may be dialed, in effect, to read the object’s coordinates, positioning the object in the vicinity of
the telescope’s telescopic field of view. However, these setting circles may be used to advantage only if
the telescope is first properly aligned with the North Celestial Pole.
LINING UP WITH THE CELESTIAL POLE
Objects in the sky appear to revolve around the celestial pole. (Actually, celestial objects are essentially
“fixed,” and their apparent motion is caused by the Earth’s axial rotation). During any 24 hour period, stars
make one complete revolution about the pole, making concentric circles with the pole at the center. By
lining up the telescope’s polar axis with the North Celestial Pole (or for observers located in Earth’s
Southern Hemisphere with the South Celestial Pole), astronomical objects may be followed, or tracked, by
moving the telescope about one axis, the polar axis.
If the telescope is reasonably well aligned with the pole, therefore, very little use of the telescope’s
Declination flexible cable control is necessary and virtually all of the required telescope tracking will be in
Right Ascension. (If the telescope were perfectly aligned with the pole, no Declination tracking of stellar
objects would be required). For the purposes of casual visual telescopic observations, lining up the
telescope’s polar axis to within a degree or two of the pole is more than sufficient: with this level of pointing
accuracy, the telescope can track accurately by slowly turning the telescope’s R.A. flexible cable control
and keep objects in the telescopic field of view for perhaps 20 to 30 minutes.
1. Release the Azimuth lock (30, Fig. 1a and 1e) of
the Azimuth base, so that the entire telescope-
with-mounting may be rotated in a horizontal
Little Dipper
ili
Polaris
direction. Rotate the telescope until the polar axis
(10, Fig. 1c) points due North. Use a compass or
locate Polaris, the North Star (see Fig. 5), as an
accurate reference for due North.
2. Level the mount, if necessary, by adjusting the
heights of the three tripod legs.
Big Dipper
Big Dpper
Cassiopeia
3. Determine the latitude of your observing location
by checking a road map or atlas. Release the
Fig. 5: Locating Polaris.
latitude lock (11, Fig. 1a and 1e) and tilt the telescope mount so that the star “Polaris” is centered in
the telescope’s viewfinder eyepiece, then re-tighten the latitude lock.
4. If steps (1) - (3) above were performed with reasonable accuracy, your telescope is now sufficiently
well-aligned to the North Celestial Pole for visual observations.
Once the mount has been polar-aligned as described above, the latitude angle need not be adjusted again,
unless you move to a different geographical location (i.e. a different latitude). The only polar alignment
procedure that you need to perform each time you use the telescope is to point the polar axis due North,
as described in step 1 above.
USING THE TELESCOPE
With the telescope assembled, balanced and polar aligned as described above, you are ready to begin
observations. Decide on an easy-to-find object such as the Moon, if it is visible, or a bright star to become
accustomed to the functions and operations of the telescope. For the best results during observations,
follow the suggestions below:
•
To center an object in the main telescope, loosen the telescope’s R.A. lock (22, Fig. 1c) and Dec. lock
(23, Fig. 1c). The telescope can now turn freely on its axes. Use the aligned viewfinder to first sight-in
on the object you wish to observe; with the object centered on the viewfinder’s crosshairs, re-tighten the
R.A. and Dec. locks.
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•
Always start an observation with a low power eyepiece (the MA 25mm eyepiece); get the object well-
centered in the field of view and sharply focused. Next, insert the MA 12mm eyepiece to try the next step
up in magnification. If the image starts to become fuzzy as you work into higher magnifications, then back
down to a lower power; the atmospheric steadiness is not sufficient to support high powers at the time
you are observing. Keep in mind that a bright, clearly resolved but smaller image will show far more detail
than a dimmer, poorly resolved larger image. The MA 25mm eyepiece included with the Meade 114ST
EQ-D presents a wide field of view, ideal for general astronomical observing of star fields, clusters of
stars, nebulae, and galaxies; it is also probably the best eyepiece to use in the initial finding and
centering of any object.
•
Once centered, the object can be focused by turning one of the knobs of the focusing mechanism (21,
Fig. 1). You will notice that the astronomical object in the field of view will begin to slowly move across
the eyepiece field. This motion is caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. To keep astronomical
objects centered in the field of the polar aligned telescope, simply turn the R.A. flexible cable control (3,
Fig. 1e). These objects will appear to move through the field more rapidly at higher powers. Note that the
Declination flexible cable control (4, Fig. 1e) is used only for centering purposes, and not for tracking.
•
•
•
Avoid touching the eyepiece while observing through the telescope. Vibrations resulting from such
contact will cause the image to move. Likewise, avoid observing sites where ground-based vibrations
may resonate the tripod. Viewing from the upper floors of a building may also introduce vibration.
You should allow a few minutes to allow your eyes to become “dark adapted” before attempting any
serious astronomical observations. Use a red filtered flashlight to protect your night vision when reading
star maps or inspecting the components of the telescope.
Avoid setting up the telescope inside a room and observing through an open window (or worse yet, a
closed window). Images viewed in such a manner may appear blurred or distorted due to temperature
differences between inside and outside air. Also, it is a good idea to allow your telescope a chance to
reach the ambient (surrounding) outside temperature before starting an observing session.
•
Avoid viewing objects low on the horizon–objects will appear better resolved with far greater contrast
when viewed higher in the sky. Also, if images appear to “shimmer” in the eyepiece–reduce power until
the image steadies. This condition is caused by air turbulence in the upper atmosphere. We repeat the
warning stated at the outset of this manual:
Never point the telescope directly at or near the Sun at any time! Observing the Sun, even for the
smallest fraction of a second, will result in instant and irreversible eye damage, as well as physical
damage to the telescope itself.
Astronomical software, such as StarNavigator, or a good star atlas, will assist you in locating many interesting
celestial objects. These objects include:
•
•
Cloud belts across the surface of the planet Jupiter.
The 4 major moons of Jupiter, with the moons positions changing each night.
•
•
Saturn and its famous ring system, as well as several faint moons of Saturn.
The Moon: A veritable treasury of craters, mountain ranges and fault lines. The best time to view the
Moon is during its crescent phase. Image contrast during the full Moon phase is low and makes for
poor viewing due to the angle of illumination.
•
Deep-Space: Nebulae, galaxies, multiple star systems, star clusters–hundreds of such objects are
visible through the Meade 114ST EQ-D.
USING SETTING CIRCLES
Setting circles of the polar aligned equatorial mount can facilitate the location of faint celestial objects not
easily found by direct visual observation. To use the setting circles, follow this procedure:
•
Use a star chart or star atlas, and look up the celestial coordinates, Right Ascension and Declination
(R.A. and Dec.), of an easy-to-find bright star that is within the general vicinity of the faint object you
wish to locate.
•
•
Center the determined bright star in the telescope’s field of view.
Manually turn the R.A. setting circle (27, Fig. 1c) to read the R.A. of the object now in the telescope’s
eyepiece.
•
The setting circles are now calibrated (the Dec. setting circle (28, Fig. 1c) is factory calibrated). To
locate a nearby faint object using the setting circles determine the faint object’s celestial coordinates
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from a star chart, and move the telescope in R.A. and Declination until the setting circles read the R.A.
and Dec. of the object you are attempting to locate. If the above procedure has been carefully
performed, the faint object will now be in the field of a low power eyepiece.
•
The R.A. Setting Circle must be manually re-calibrated on the current Right Ascension of a star every
time the telescope is set up, and reset to the centered object’s R.A. coordinate before moving to a new
R.A. coordinate setting. The R.A. Setting Circle has two sets of numbers, the inner set is for Southern
hemisphere use while the outer set of numbers (the set closest to the R.A. gear), is for use by
observers located North of the Earth’s equator (e.g., in North America).
CALCULATING POWER
The power, or magnification of the telescope depends on two optical characteristics: the focal length of the
main telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece used during a particular observation. For example,
the focal length of the Meade 114ST EQ-D telescope is fixed at 1000mm. To calculate the power in use
with a particular eyepiece, divide the focal length of the eyepiece into the focal length of the main
telescope. For example, using the MA 25mm eyepiece supplied with the Meade 114ST EQ-D, the power
is calculated as follows:
Power = 1000mm ÷ 25mm = 40X
The supplied 2X Barlow lens doubles the power of each eyepiece. Insert the 2X Barlow lens into the the
diagonal prism, followed by the eyepiece, and secure by tightening the respective thumbscrews. For
example, the 25mm (40X) eyepiece, when used with the 2X Barlow Lens, yields 80X.
The letters “MA” refers to the “Modified Achromatic” optical design, which yields corrected images. The
optical design has no bearing on the power of the eyepiece.
Meade Instruments manufactures several types of eyepiece designs that are available for your telescope.
The type of eyepiece (“MA” Modified Achromatic, “SP” Super Plössl, etc.) has no bearing on magnifying
power but does affect such optical characteristics as field of view, flatness of field, eye relief, and color
correction.
The maximum practical magnification is determined by the nature of the object being observed and, most
importantly, by the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Under very steady atmospheric “seeing,” the Meade
114ST EQ-D may be used at powers up to about 228x on astronomical objects.
The maximum practical magnification is determined by the nature of the object being observed and, most
importantly, by the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Under very steady atmospheric “seeing,” the Meade
114ST EQ-D may be used at powers up to about 228x on astronomical objects. Generally, however, lower
powers of perhaps 75x to 175x will present the best images consistent with high image resolution. When
unsteady air conditions prevail (as witnessed by rapid “twinkling” of the stars), extremely high-power
eyepieces result in poor magnification, where the object detail observed is actually reduced by the
excessive power.
When unsteady air conditions prevail (as witnessed by rapid “twinkling” of the stars), extremely high-power
eyepieces result in poor magnification, where the object detail observed is actually reduced by the
excessive power.
MAINTENANCE
Cleaning
As with any quality instrument, lens or mirror surfaces should be cleaned as infrequently as possible. Front
surface aluminized mirrors, in particular, should be cleaned only when absolutely necessary. In all cases
avoid touching any mirror surface. A little dust on the surface of a mirror or lens causes negligible loss of
performance and should not be considered reason to clean the surface. When lens or mirror cleaning does
become necessary, use a camel’s hair brush or compressed air gently to remove dust. If the telescope’s
dust cover is replaced after each observing session, cleaning of the optics will rarely be required.
Mount and Tripod Adjustments
Every Meade 114ST EQ-D equatorial mount and tripod is factory inspected for proper fit and function prior
to shipment.
The tripod legs have wingnuts (35, Fig. 1g). They may be tightened to a firm feel for a more sturdy
performance of the telescope.
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– 12 –
Collimation (Alignment) of the Optics
All Meade 114ST EQ-D telescopes are optically aligned at the factory prior to shipment. It is unlikely that
you will need to align, or collimate, the optics after receipt of the instrument. However, if the telescope
received unusually rough handling in shipment, it is possible that the optics must be re aligned for best
optical performance. In any case this alignment procedure is simple, and requires only a few minutes the
very first time the telescope is used. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the following collimation
procedure, so that you will recognize a properly collimated instrument and can adjust the collimation
yourself, if necessary.
a. Correct collimation
The properly collimated (aligned) mirror system in the Meade 114ST EQ-D assures the sharpest images
possible. This occurs when the primary mirror and diagonal mirror are tilted so that the focused image (see
Fig. 6) falls directly through the center of the focuser drawtube (17, Fig. 1a). These mirror tilt adjustments
are made with the diagonal assembly (Fig. 7) and the primary mirror cell (Fig. 8), and will be discussed
later.
To inspect the view of the mirror collimation, look down the focuser drawtube with the eyepiece removed.
The edge of the focuser drawtube (1, Fig. 9), will frame the reflections of the primary mirror with the 3 mirror
clips (2, Fig. 9), the diagonal mirror (3, Fig. 9) , the spider vanes (4, Fig. 9), and your eye (5, Fig. 9).
Properly aligned, all of these reflections will appear concentric (i.e., centered) as illustrated in Fig. 9.
Any deviation from the concentric reflections will require adjustments to the diagonal assembly (Fig. 7),
and/or the primary mirror cell (Fig. 8).
b. Diagonal holder adjustments
If the diagonal mirror (1, Fig. 10) is centered in the drawtube (2, Fig. 10), but the primary mirror is only
partially visible in the reflection (3, Fig. 10), the 3 Phillips-head diagonal tilt screws (1, Fig. 7). Note: To
adjust these screws you must first remove an adhesive backing) must be unthreaded slightly to the point
of where you can tilt the diagonal holder (3, Fig. 7) from side-to-side by grasping the diagonal holder with
your hand and tilt until you see the primary mirror become as centered in the reflection of the diagonal
mirror as possible. Once you are at the best position, thread in the 3 Phillips-head diagonal tilt screws to
lock the rotational position. Then, if necessary, make adjustments to these 3 Phillips-head screws to refine
the tilt-angle of the diagonal mirror until the entire primary mirror can be seen centered within the diagonal
mirror reflection. When the diagonal mirror is correctly aligned, it will look like Fig. 10. (Note: The primary
mirror is shown out of alignment.)
c. Primary mirror adjustments
If the diagonal mirror (1, Fig. 11) and the reflection of the primary mirror (2, Fig. 11) appear centered within
the drawtube (3, Fig. 11), but the reflection of your eye and the reflection of the diagonal mirror (4, Fig. 11)
appear off-center, you will need to adjust the primary mirror tilt Phillips-head screws of the primary mirror
cell (3, Fig. 11). These primary tilt screws are located behind the primary mirror, at the lower end of the
main tube. See Fig. 6. To adjust the primary mirror tilt screws, first unscrew several turns, the 3 hex-head
primary mirror cell locking screws (2, Fig. 8) that are next to each primary mirror tilt Phillips-head screw.
Then by trial-and-error, turn the primary mirror tilt Phillips-head screws (3, Fig. 8) until you develop a feel
for which way to turn each screw to center the reflection of your eye. Once centered, as in Fig. 9, turn the
3 hex-head primary mirror cell locking screws (2, Fig. 8) to relock the tilt-angle adjustment.
Diagonal
Assembly
Primary Mirror
Diagonal Mirror
Vis D'inclnaison
Primary Mirror-Tilt
Screws
Focused Image
I
Fig. 6: The Newtonian Reflecting Telescope.
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– 13 –
d. Star testing the collimation
Remove
adhesive
backing
With the collimation performed, you will want to test the accuracy of the
alignment on a star. Use the MA 25mm eyepiece and point the telescope at
a moderately bright (second or third magnitude) star, then center the star
image in the telescope’s field-of-view. With the star centered follow the
method below:
1
•
Bring the star image slowly out of focus until one or more rings are
visible around the central disc. If the collimation was performed correctly,
the central star disk and rings will be concentric circles, with a dark spot
dead center within the out-of-focus star disk (this is the shadow of the
secondary mirror), as shown in Fig. 12C. (An improperly aligned
Fig. 7: Diagonal Assembly.
telescope will reveal elongated circles (Fig. 12A), with an off-center dark shadow.)
•
•
•
•
If the out-of-focus star disk appears elongated (Fig. 12A), you will need to adjust the primary mirror
Phillips-head tilt screws of the primary mirror cell (3, Fig. 8).
To adjust the primary mirror tilt screws (3, Fig. 8), first unscrew several turns the 3 hex-head primary
mirror cell locking screws (2, Fig. 8), to allow free turning movement of the tilt knobs.
Using the flexible cable controls (3, Fig. 1e and 4, Fig. 1a), move the telescope until the star image is
at the edge of the field-of-view in the eyepiece, as in Fig. 12B.
As you make adjustments to the primary mirror tilt screws (3, Fig. 8), you will notice that the out-of-
focus star disk image will move across the eyepiece field. Choose one of the 3 primary mirror tilt
screws and slightly move the shadow to the center of the disk. Then slightly move the telescope using
the flexible cable controls to center the star disk image in the center of the eyepiece.
•
•
If any further adjustments are necessary, repeat this process as many times as needed until the out-
of-focus star disk appears as in Fig. 12C, when the star disk image is in the center of the eyepiece
field.
With the star testing of the collimation complete, tighten the 3 hex-head primary mirror locking screws
(2, Fig. 8).
2
3
Fig. 8: Primary Mirror Cell.
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– 14 –
1
1
2
3
2
3
4
2
5
Fig. 9: Correct Collimation.
Fig. 10: Diagonal Mirror Misalignment.
1
2
3
4
Fig. 11: Primary Mirror Misalignment.
A
B
C
Fig. 12: Collimation.
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– 15 –
SPECIFICATIONS
Primary (main) mirror focal length: . . . . . .1000mm
Primary mirror diameter: . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.5" (114mm)
Focal ratio: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .f/8.8
Mounting: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .German equatorial
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
See your Meade 114ST EQ-D dealer for further details on any of these accessories.
See your Meade 80 EQ1-b dealer for further details on any of these accessories.
Additional Eyepieces (1.25" barrel diameter): For higher or lower magnifications with the telescopes
that accommodate 1.25" eyepieces, Meade 3-element Modified Achromatic eyepieces, available in
focal lengths of 9 and 40mm, provide a high level of image resolution and color correction at an
economical price. Also, at slightly higher prices, Meade 4-element Series 3000 Plössl eyepieces yield
wider fields of view with excellent edge-of-field corrections and are available in a range of focal lengths
including 5, 6.7, 9.5, 16, 25, and 40mm.
Basic Camera Adapter: Permits direct attachment of 35mm SLR cameras to the telescope. (Requires
T-Mount for your specific brand of camera). Suitable for lunar disk and land photography.
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AMDeVaA dN CeE IDnstruments Corporation
World’s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur
6001 Oak Canyon, Irvine, California 92618 I (949) 451-1450
P R O D U C T S D I V I S I O N
ver 7/03
© 2003
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