Croydon Astronomical Society - Telescope Instruction

Our Lx200 telescope is available for use by trained members at our Observatory at Kenley.

If you are a member and wish to be trained in the use of the telescope please email our Astronomer on the link on the Contacts Page.

To ensure that users know how to use the telescope efficiently and without damaging it we have developed our own user guide to assist you. You can download it below - you will need to download appendix 1 separately.

Latest updates & tips that have not yet been incorporated into the Users Guide are on the New Telescope Information Page located here. All authorised users are asked to check this page before using the telescope to ensure they have the latest information.

The guide is still changing as we find out more things so check back here for the latest version.

You may like to save the documents to your own computer - particularly if you only have a slow connection as some are quite large.

If you have any comments please send them to our Astronomer on the link on the Contacts Page.

The link above is to the Meade Manual for the Lx200GPS (in PDF Format). When you read this concentrate on the functions on the AutoStar controller and the parts of the telescope. You don't need to know all the sections about assembling and setting the telescope up as they have already been done for you. Also ignore the parts about how to align the telescope - the parts on the Alt-Az mounting do not apply as the Kenley Telescope is on a wedge. Also a lot of the appendix on aligning a telescope on a wedge is not required as the wedge is (or will be shortly !) correctly aligned.

I have been asked to provide a glossary to explain some of the terms used in the guide (and the Meade Manual) - The problem is deciding which terms are 'common knowledge' amongst astronomers and which need to be explained. If you have any (printable !) suggestions for words that should be included please email them to me at the 'Astronomer' address on the Contacts Page and I will put them on a separate web page.

The output of the telescope calculation spreadsheet is shown below if you just wish to look up the FOV of the eyepiece you are using.

Telescope Calculation Sheet

Parameters		Metric	Imperial
356 mm	Objective / Mirror Diameter	355.60 mm	14.00 in
f 10.00	f Ratio	f 10.00	f 10.00		M0 =	5.00
	Focal Length	3556.00 mm	140.00 in
50 �	Default Eye Piece angle of view	50 �	50 �		Seeing in Arcseconds (see Instructions)	5.00 arc sec

Maximum Resolution =		0.71 arc sec	- Airy Disc Diameter
		0.33 arc sec	- Dawes Limit

Eyepiece f/l	Eyepiece Field of View (Deg)	Magnification	Exit Pupil	Angle of View	Angle of View	Visual Limiting Magnitude
1.00 mm		3556.00	0.10 mm	0.01 �	00� 00'	17.8 mag
2.00 mm		1778.00	0.20 mm	0.03 �	00� 01'	17.0 mag
3.00 mm		1185.33	0.30 mm	0.04 �	00� 02'	16.6 mag
4.00 mm		889.00	0.40 mm	0.06 �	00� 03'	16.2 mag
5.00 mm		711.20	0.50 mm	0.07 �	00� 04'	16.0 mag
6.00 mm	45.00 �	592.67	0.60 mm	0.08 �	00� 04'	15.8 mag
7.00 mm		508.00	0.70 mm	0.10 �	00� 05'	15.6 mag
8.00 mm		444.50	0.80 mm	0.11 �	00� 06'	15.5 mag
9.00 mm	50.00 �	395.11	0.90 mm	0.13 �	00� 07'	15.4 mag
10.00 mm		355.60	1.00 mm	0.14 �	00� 08'	15.3 mag
11.00 mm		323.27	1.10 mm	0.15 �	00� 09'	15.2 mag
12.00 mm		296.33	1.20 mm	0.17 �	00� 10'	15.1 mag
12.40 mm	52.00 �	286.77	1.24 mm	0.18 �	00� 10'	15.0 mag
13.00 mm		273.54	1.30 mm	0.18 �	00� 10'	15.0 mag
14.00 mm		254.00	1.40 mm	0.20 �	00� 11'	14.9 mag
15.00 mm	80.00 �	237.07	1.50 mm	0.34 �	00� 20'	14.8 mag
16.00 mm		222.25	1.60 mm	0.22 �	00� 13'	14.7 mag
17.00 mm		209.18	1.70 mm	0.24 �	00� 14'	14.7 mag
18.00 mm		197.56	1.80 mm	0.25 �	00� 15'	14.6 mag
19.00 mm		187.16	1.90 mm	0.27 �	00� 16'	14.6 mag
20.00 mm		177.80	2.00 mm	0.28 �	00� 16'	14.5 mag
21.00 mm		169.33	2.10 mm	0.30 �	00� 17'	14.4 mag
22.00 mm		161.64	2.20 mm	0.31 �	00� 18'	14.4 mag
23.00 mm		154.61	2.30 mm	0.32 �	00� 19'	14.4 mag
24.00 mm		148.17	2.40 mm	0.34 �	00� 20'	14.3 mag
25.00 mm	52.00 �	142.24	2.50 mm	0.37 �	00� 21'	14.3 mag
26.00 mm	52.00 �	136.77	2.60 mm	0.38 �	00� 22'	14.2 mag
27.00 mm		131.70	2.70 mm	0.38 �	00� 22'	14.2 mag
28.00 mm		127.00	2.80 mm	0.39 �	00� 23'	14.1 mag
29.00 mm		122.62	2.90 mm	0.41 �	00� 24'	14.1 mag
30.00 mm	80.00 �	118.53	3.00 mm	0.67 �	00� 40'	14.1 mag
31.00 mm		114.71	3.10 mm	0.44 �	00� 26'	14.0 mag
32.00 mm		111.12	3.20 mm	0.45 �	00� 26'	14.0 mag
33.00 mm		107.76	3.30 mm	0.46 �	00� 27'	14.0 mag
34.00 mm		104.59	3.40 mm	0.48 �	00� 28'	13.9 mag
35.00 mm		101.60	3.50 mm	0.49 �	00� 29'	13.9 mag
36.00 mm		98.78	3.60 mm	0.51 �	00� 30'	13.9 mag
37.00 mm		96.11	3.70 mm	0.52 �	00� 31'	13.8 mag
38.00 mm		93.58	3.80 mm	0.53 �	00� 32'	13.8 mag
39.00 mm		91.18	3.90 mm	0.55 �	00� 32'	13.8 mag
40.00 mm		88.90	4.00 mm	0.56 �	00� 33'	13.7 mag
41.00 mm		86.73	4.10 mm	0.58 �	00� 34'	13.7 mag
42.00 mm		84.67	4.20 mm	0.59 �	00� 35'	13.7 mag
43.00 mm		82.70	4.30 mm	0.60 �	00� 36'	13.7 mag
44.00 mm		80.82	4.40 mm	0.62 �	00� 37'	13.6 mag
45.00 mm		79.02	4.50 mm	0.63 �	00� 37'	13.6 mag
46.00 mm		77.30	4.60 mm	0.65 �	00� 38'	13.6 mag
47.00 mm		75.66	4.70 mm	0.66 �	00� 39'	13.6 mag
48.00 mm		74.08	4.80 mm	0.67 �	00� 40'	13.6 mag
49.00 mm		72.57	4.90 mm	0.69 �	00� 41'	13.5 mag
50.00 mm		71.12	5.00 mm	0.70 �	00� 42'	13.5 mag
51.00 mm		69.73	5.10 mm	0.72 �	00� 43'	13.5 mag
52.00 mm		68.38	5.20 mm	0.73 �	00� 43'	13.5 mag
53.00 mm		67.09	5.30 mm	0.75 �	00� 44'	13.4 mag
54.00 mm		65.85	5.40 mm	0.76 �	00� 45'	13.4 mag
55.00 mm		64.65	5.50 mm	0.77 �	00� 46'	13.4 mag
56.00 mm		63.50	5.60 mm	0.79 �	00� 47'	13.4 mag
57.00 mm		62.39	5.70 mm	0.80 �	00� 48'	13.4 mag
58.00 mm		61.31	5.80 mm	0.82 �	00� 48'	13.3 mag
59.00 mm		60.27	5.90 mm	0.83 �	00� 49'	13.3 mag
60.00 mm		59.27	6.00 mm	0.84 �	00� 50'	13.3 mag
61.00 mm		58.30	6.10 mm	0.86 �	00� 51'	13.3 mag
62.00 mm		57.35	6.20 mm	0.87 �	00� 52'	13.3 mag
63.00 mm		56.44	6.30 mm	0.89 �	00� 53'	13.3 mag
64.00 mm		55.56	6.40 mm	0.90 �	00� 53'	13.2 mag
65.00 mm		54.71	6.50 mm	0.91 �	00� 54'	13.2 mag
66.00 mm		53.88	6.60 mm	0.93 �	00� 55'	13.2 mag
67.00 mm		53.07	6.70 mm	0.94 �	00� 56'	13.2 mag
68.00 mm		52.29	6.80 mm	0.96 �	00� 57'	13.2 mag
69.00 mm		51.54	6.90 mm	0.97 �	00� 58'	13.2 mag
70.00 mm		50.80	7.00 mm	0.98 �	00� 59'	13.1 mag
71.00 mm		50.08	7.10 mm	1.00 �	00� 59'	13.1 mag
72.00 mm		49.39	7.20 mm	1.01 �	01� 00'	13.1 mag
73.00 mm		48.71	7.30 mm	1.03 �	01� 01'	13.1 mag
74.00 mm		48.05	7.40 mm	1.04 �	01� 02'	13.1 mag
75.00 mm		47.41	7.50 mm	1.05 �	01� 03'	13.1 mag
76.00 mm		46.79	7.60 mm	1.07 �	01� 04'	13.1 mag
77.00 mm		46.18	7.70 mm	1.08 �	01� 04'	13.0 mag
78.00 mm		45.59	7.80 mm	1.10 �	01� 05'	13.0 mag
79.00 mm		45.01	7.90 mm	1.11 �	01� 06'	13.0 mag
80.00 mm		44.45	8.00 mm	1.12 �	01� 07'	13.0 mag
81.00 mm		43.90	8.10 mm	1.14 �	01� 08'	13.0 mag
82.00 mm		43.37	8.20 mm	1.15 �	01� 09'	13.0 mag
83.00 mm		42.84	8.30 mm	1.17 �	01� 10'	13.0 mag
84.00 mm		42.33	8.40 mm	1.18 �	01� 10'	12.9 mag
85.00 mm		41.84	8.50 mm	1.20 �	01� 11'	12.9 mag
86.00 mm		41.35	8.60 mm	1.21 �	01� 12'	12.9 mag
87.00 mm		40.87	8.70 mm	1.22 �	01� 13'	12.9 mag
88.00 mm		40.41	8.80 mm	1.24 �	01� 14'	12.9 mag
89.00 mm		39.96	8.90 mm	1.25 �	01� 15'	12.9 mag
90.00 mm		39.51	9.00 mm	1.27 �	01� 15'	12.9 mag
91.00 mm		39.08	9.10 mm	1.28 �	01� 16'	12.9 mag
92.00 mm		38.65	9.20 mm	1.29 �	01� 17'	12.8 mag
93.00 mm		38.24	9.30 mm	1.31 �	01� 18'	12.8 mag
94.00 mm		37.83	9.40 mm	1.32 �	01� 19'	12.8 mag
95.00 mm		37.43	9.50 mm	1.34 �	01� 20'	12.8 mag
96.00 mm		37.04	9.60 mm	1.35 �	01� 20'	12.8 mag
97.00 mm		36.66	9.70 mm	1.36 �	01� 21'	12.8 mag
98.00 mm		36.29	9.80 mm	1.38 �	01� 22'	12.8 mag
99.00 mm		35.92	9.90 mm	1.39 �	01� 23'	12.8 mag
100.00 mm		35.56	10.00 mm	1.41 �	01� 24'	12.8 mag

	The Croydon Astronomical Society	Updated
	Lx200 Telescope Instructions	27th March 2009

Title / Link	Description	Version / Issue Date
Kenley Meade Lx200 User Guide V5 - Part 1	Main guide .Tip: When reading the PDF file use the PDF bookmarks to jump to a particular section. The Autostar Menu is in the appendix which you have to download separately - see below.	Version 5 - revised September 2007 to include revised startup procedure using GPS and installation of electric Dew Heater.
User Guide Appendix 1 Version 2	Appendix 1 - Autostar Menu	Revised Version Issued 23/9/2007
Meade LX200 - 14 " Manual	As supplied with the telescope - see the guide for additional information	Current version from Meade Web Site
Optional Material
Meade Advanced Product Users Group	A useful link when you become more familiar with the telescope. There is a lot of good material here but you really need to understand the telescope before you delve to deeply into here. It is however useful for answering questions on items that the Meade manual is not clear on.
Field of View & Eyepiece Calculation	To help you with the magnification & field of view of the telescope this is a copy of the output from my telescope calculation spreadsheet set up for our 14" Meade at Kenley. This shows the eyepieces that we have that are of reasonable quality & condition to use on the telescope.
Field of View & Eyepiece Calculation Spreadsheet	This is a version of the spreadsheet used to produce the information above and the table lower down the page. you will need either Excel or Open Office to view and change it. You can also download an Excel Viewer from Microsoft but you are very restricted on what you can do.
Modified Meade Alignment Instructions (Draft Only)	For Telescope Support Staff Only: The instructions in the Meade Manual for aligning the telescope on a Polar Mount are confusing as they keep referring to parts of the instructions for aligning the telescope on an equatorial wedge. This document is the draft of my attempt to try to combine the Polar alignment instructions with the appropriate parts of the Equatorial alignment instructions. In draft one I have cut and pasted the equatorial instructions into the appropriate pages but have not attempted to edit out the parts that are not required as it is not clear (to me at least !) which bits of the equatorial procedure are not required when aligning the telescope on a polar mount. Subsequent versions of this document should have the surplus instructions removed.	Draft One - 24th November 2005

The Croydon Astronomical Society

Lx200 Telescope Instructions