Features:
- Includes AutoStar controller and deluxe field tripod
- UHTC coatings are on all optical surfaces for enhanced detail
- Cordless motor drive for fully automatic tracking
- Maksutov meniscus corrector lens of Grade-A BK7 optical glass
- Includes a Meade Series 4000 Super Plvssl 26 millimeter eyepiece for 48 times magnification
Description:
This telescope includes a free Autostar computer controller and deluxe field tripod with this ETX-90EC--a value of $349. And with the ETX-90EC, Meade brings a serious telescope into the price range of the casual consumer. The ETX-90EC Astro offers extraordinary optics at an affordable price. It combines a high-resolution optical design and diffraction-limited imaging with microprocessor-controlled, precise celestial-object tracking, all in a nicely styled, highly portable package. The Autostar controller turns the ETX-90EC into an automatic celestial-object locating system. Just plug the Autostar into the telescope's HBX port in place of the standard-equipment electronic controller, do a quick telescope alignment, and you're ready to observe any object in the Autostar's 30,000-object database. The UHTC Difference
 | | Each time light encounters a mirror (above) or lens (below), some light is lost. In the case of a lens, light is lost at both the entrance to and exit from the lens. UHTC dramatically decreases this light loss. | Image brightness in a telescope is crucially dependent on the reflectivity of the telescope's mirrors and on the transmission of its lenses. Neither of these processes, mirror-reflectivity or lens-transmission, is, however, perfect; light loss occurs in each instance where light is reflected or transmitted. Uncoated glass, for example, reflects about 4% of the light impacting it; in the case of an uncoated lens 4% of the light is lost at entrance to and at exit from the lens, for a total light loss of about 8%. Meade standard mirror and lens coatings equal or exceed the reflectivity and transmission, respectively, of virtually any optical coatings currently offered in the commercial telescope industry. Ultra-High Transmission coatings (UHTC), recently developed at the Meade Irvine coatings facility, however, have permitted the vacuum-deposition of a series of exotic optical coatings precisely tuned to optimize the visual, photographic, and CCD imaging performance of Meade telescopes. This telescope includes primary and secondary mirrors coated with aluminum enhanced with a complex stack of multi-layer coatings of titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide. The thickness of each coating layer is precisely controlled to within 1% of optimal thickness. The result is a dramatic increase in mirror reflectivity across the entire visible spectrum; at the important hydrogen-alpha wavelength of 656nm. - the predominant wavelength of emission nebulae -- reflectivity is increased from 89% to over 97%. This telescope presents dramatically brighter images on the full range of celestial objects — from emission and planetary nebulae such as M8, M20, and M57 to star clusters and galaxies such as M3, M13, and M101. Observations of the Moon and planets, since they are observed in reflected (white) sunlight, benefit in image brightness from the full spectrum of increased transmission. And more
|  | | The computer-driven Autostar controller makes it easy to find 30,000 celestial objects. | The ETX-90EC also includes high-torque DC motors on both telescope axes, permitting electronic operation from the handheld controller. This pushbutton electronic controller has four dual-axis drive speeds: slow, 8x for image centering at high power; medium, 32x for image centering at lower power or for pushbutton tracking in altazimuth mode; moderate, 0.75 degrees per second for image centering in the viewfinder or for terrestrial tracking; and fast, 5 degrees per second for fast scanning across the sky. The Meade ETX-90EC is specially designed to be portable and used in the field. It offers cordless operation, allowing you to use the telescope's dual-axis drive system for more than 40 hours on eight AA batteries. At approximately 8 pounds, and 15 inches in length, it packs a lot of power into a compact unit. The ETX-90EC uses a 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design. Meade also uses EMC super-multicoatings on all optical surfaces to maximize light transmission through the corrector lens and reflectance from the primary and secondary mirrors. The flip-mirror system allows for 90-degree observation of land and sky objects, straight-through observation using the optional 45-degree erecting prism, or photo-ready imaging using the optional T-adapter and your own 35mm camera. The Nuts and Bolts 1. Eyepiece
2. Viewfinder
3. Eyepiece Holder Thumbscrew - Tightens the eyepiece in place.
4. 90° Eyepiece Holder - Holds the eyepiece upright for easy viewing.
5. Optical Tube - The main optical component that gathers the light from distant objects and brings this light to a focus for examination with the eyepiece.
6. Vertical Lock - Controls the manual vertical movement of the telescope.
7. Fork Arms - Hold the optical tube in place.
8. Focus Knob - Moves the telescope’s optical tube in a finely-controlled motion to achieve precise image focus.
9. Horizontal Lock - Controls the manual horizontal rotation of the telescope.
10. Computer Control Panel - A. ON/OFF Switch.
- B. Auxiliary Ports - Provide connection for current and future Meade accessories.
- C. Handbox (HBX) Port - for the Electronic Controller or the optional Autostar handbox.
- D. The 12v connector, designed to accept an external power supply such as the optional AC Adapter or Power Cord.
- E. LED power indicator light.
11. Base Housing - Supports the telescope for placement on a flat, level surface, such as a tabletop or optional tripod.
12. Holes for Optional Tripod - See your tripod’s instruction sheet for mounting information.
13. Right Ascension (R.A.) Setting Circle.
14. Flip-Mirror and Flip-Mirror Control Knobs - ETX telescopes include an internal mirror. With the flipmirror control in the "up" position, light is diverted to the eyepiece. With the flipmirror control in the "down" position, as shown in Fig. 2b, light proceeds straight out the photo port for photography.
15. Photo Port - Attach any 35mm camera with a removable lens to this port using an optional adapter.
16. Declination Setting Circle (on left fork arm).
17. Viewfinder Alignment Screws - adjust these screws to align the viewfinder.
18. Viewfinder Alignment Bracket.
19. Dust Cap
20. Battery Compartment (not shown, underneath base). |  |
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