Meade’s new, larger 80mm diameter ETX delivers more light-gathering for increased
image brightness and greater detail. Moon craters by the hundreds, cloud belts on
Jupiter, and Saturn’s rings are just the beginning of what can be seen with this telescope.
Meade’s brainy AutoStar computer solves the stargazer’s two biggest challenges in
navigating the heavens with a computer telescope: aligning the telescope with the night
sky and finding celestial phenomenon in the vast starry firmament. Right out of the box
with a simple initialization, AutoStar makes finding the sky’s elusive jewels virtually as
easy as pushing a few buttons. Observe land or over 1400 sky objects in stunning high
resolution, and learn about the sky with Meade’s extensive astro-library.
The Meade ETX-80AT-TC has these new advanced features as standard-equipment:
- A built-in Barlow lens flips into position when needed. This highly desirable feature
provides more power when studying lunar and planetary surface features.
- An internal Time Chip (TC) keeps precise factory calibrated time and date.
- A Bubble-level/ Compass is provided to make initialization faster and easier.
- Now includes two premium 4-element 1.25" Super Plossl eyepieces (SP9.7mm,
SP26mm) offering comfortable long eye-relief and an expansive wide visual field.
- Bonus! AutoStar Suite Astronomer Software on DVD for PC, now with instructional
DVD.
"the
greatest happening in amateur astronomy yet."
The
Meade ETX-80AT-TC telescope brings the excitement of astronomy to users
of any age. Just place the telescope on any flat surface (or use the
standard-equipment field tripod), do a quick, easy alignment of the
telescope's computer to the sky, and start observing.
Included
as standard equipment with the ETX-80AT-TC, the #494 Autostar controller
permits the automatic location of over 1400 celestial objects. Just
enter the object you wish to observe on to the Autostar display, press
GO TO, and watch as the telescope moves rapidly in seconds to place
the object in the telescope's field of view. One observing session
validates the prediction made by Sky & Telescope that "The ETX/Autostar
concept will go down as the greatest happening in amateur astronomy
yet."
 Objects
stored in the #494 Autostar's database include the entire range of
celestial phenomena and are designed to keep the active observer busy
for many a starlit evening.
- The 8 major
planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune,
Uranus and Earth's Moon
- Deep Space: 66 Named
Objects, 74 Galaxies, 31 Diffuse Nebulae, 19 Planetary Nebulae, and 11 quasars
- 109 objects
from the Caldwell Catalog of the best objects for small telescopes
- 110 Messier
(M) objects (the complete Messier catalog of objects)
- 200 stars from
the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) catalog
- An
additional 79 named stars, 395 double stars, and 189 variable stars
- 26 asteroids
including all of the brightest asteroids, 15 periodic comets and
50 Earth-orbiting satellites
- Automatic GO
TO capability to any object of known RA and Declination.
The above database listing
has been specifically chosen as suitable for observing with the ETX-80AT-TC
and provides an excellent introduction to the diversity of astronomical
objects visible through the telescope.
Additional
Capabilities: Beyond the location of database
objects, Autostar allows for a wide range of important telescope
capabilities:
-
Automatic
GO TO capability to any astronomical object of known coordinates
(RA and Dec.).
Enter an object's coordinates to the Autostar display, press
GO TO, and Autostar moves the telescope to locate the object
and place it in the telescopic field.
-
Digital
Readouts of telescope position,
continuously in RA and Dec.
-
Precise
sidereal-rate tracking
Once Autostar locates an object, it directs the telescope to
track the object automatically on both telescope axes, simultaneously,
keeping the object centered in the field.
-
9-Speed
Dual-Axis Operation
Use Autostar's pushbuttons to move the telescope on either or
both axes, simultaneously, at any of nine drive speeds, from
very slow 2x sidereal to fast 4.5°/second.
-
GO
TO capability to any of 200 user-defined objects
The ETX-80AT-TC Refractor's optical tube uses
a multi-coated, achromatic objective lens of exclusive Meade design
and manufactured of Grade-A crown and flint optical glass components.
The lens yields razor-sharp images of astronomical and terrestrial
subjects.
Fork Mount with Dual-Axis Drive System:
In conjunction with the telescope's Autostar hand controller, precision
worm gears on each axis permit smooth pushbutton motions of the
telescope. Integrated to one of the fork arms, the telescope's control
panel serves as a central connection point for the hand controller
(the HBX port), as well as for the RS-232 serial interface adapter
(the AUX port), an adapter included with the optional #506 AstroFinder
Software and Cable Connector Kit. Using the RS-232 interface, new
or revised software may be downloaded through your PC to the telescope
and the positions of Earth satellites may be updated for their observation.
Flip the internal, optical-flat mirror "up" for observing in the
standard 90° position; flip the mirror "down" for terrestrial observing
with the optional #933 45° Erecting Prism or for photography with
the optional #64 T-Adapter.
The drive base of the ETX-80AT-TC telescope accepts six AA-batteries
that power the telescope for about 20 hours of normal usage. Alternately,
the telescope may also be powered from a 12 volt automobile cigarette
lighter plug, using the optional #607 Power Cord.
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