12 - Meade Autostar (ETX and LX90)

Summary

Introduction

In 1999, Meade Instruments made the sensible decision to use the same firmware, as far as possible, in all their computerized telescopes. The result was the Autostar system, used in a wide range of instruments.

The first popular Autostar telescope was the ETX-90 EC, the computerized version of a 9-cm Maksutov–Cassegrain that already had a reputation for excellent optics. The Autostar line quickly extended downward to the Meade Digital Electronic Series (DS) refractors and Newtonians, and upward to the LX90 Schmidt–Cassegrains, which are a lower-cost alternative to the LX200 for those who are not doing advanced astrophotography.

This chapter is based on my experience with an ETX-90 EC (Figure 12.1), but virtually everything in it applies to all models of Autostar. The menu system is mapped on p. 211.

Unlike some of its competitors, Autostar is relatively well documented, and I assume that you have Meade's manuals available for reference. In particular, the LX90 manual is worth reading even if you are using an ETX or one of the other lower Autostar models. By the time you read this, it should be online at http://www.meade.com. It is already online at http://www.astronomics.com.

Related products

The Autostar II system used in the LX200 GPS is an enhanced version of Autostar with periodic-error correction and a keypad that makes more of the menus available at a single keystroke.

There are several models of the original Autostar controller.