 IMPORTANT NOTICE! Never use a telescope or spotting scope to look at the Sun! Observing the Sun, even for the shortest fraction of a second, will cause irreversible damage to your eye as well as physical damage to the telescope or spotting scope itself. |
The Pictor 616A Color Filter System enables you to take tri-color images
with your Pictor CCD imager. This system provides you with a fully automated
imaging process; each exposure is timed and the filter is automatically
changed, eliminating the need for trial-and-error.
This document covers the installation of the Filter System. Use of the Filter
System is described in your Pictor User Guide.
The PictorView software (included with the Pictor) is used to operate the
Filter System.
| Required Hardware and Software |
The Filter System requires a Pictor model 216XT. It may be used with any telescope compatible with this Pictor model.
The Filter System comes pre-assembled. A single black cylindrical case houses the filter wheel assembly and electronics.
To replace filters, see Obtaining Additional Filters.
Unscrew the thumbscrews on the 616A to release the adapter plate. Place the adapter plate over the camera as shown and attach with two 8-32 x 5/16 button socket screws.
The filter wheel attaches to the adapter plate by way of the thumbscrews.
Be sure not to pinch the cable. Plug the 4-pin cable from the filter wheel
into the telephone jack marked "filter" on the 216XT body.
| Installation of the Filters |
Please refer to the diagram to install the four filters supplied with your Meade 616A Color Filter System.
The positions and colors shown below represent the default settings of the
"Pictorview" software that came with your Meade CCD Camera. If
you have changed these settings in your system, the following information
(except for how to identify position #1 does not apply.
Remove the Meade Pictor 616A Color Filter System from the telescope or camera.
Use the supplied hex wrench to remove the three screws from the telescope
side of the Meade Pictor 616A Color Filter System.
Position your Meade Pictor 616A Color Filter System to align with the diagram
below. Note that one leg of the outer body has been extended inward to form
a stop for the wheel. Note also the raised segment on the outside diameter
of the wheel.
When the wheel cannot turn any more in a counter-clockwise direction because
it is up against that extended leg, filter position #1 is in use. (The left
end of the raised portion of the filter wheel should be in contact withor
very closeto that extended leg.)
This is where your Meade Pictor 616A Color Filter System should be whenever
it is first powered-up. If it is not in the position shown, you can carefully
position it manually by turning the wheel.
Carefully screw each filter into the wheel, and re-assemble the Meade Pictor
616A Color Filter System. The filters should only be tightened by hand.
Do not use pliers or wrenches.
The Pictor 616A Color Filter System includes 4 filters, with space for two
more.
Graph of Percent Transmission veresus Wavelength
| Obtaining Additional Filters |
The Color Filter System's filter wheel will accommodate any 1.25" Meade
Series 4000 filter. You may wish to purchase the Meade Series 4000 Broadband
Nebular Filter. This filter includes more than 40 coating layers to reject
unwanted light from urban light pollution.
An Allen wrench is included with the Filter System. To change the filters,
unscrew the side opposite the pins and add or remove filters.
| Caring for the Filter System |
A little dust on any of the optical surfaces of the Filter System is of
little concern. However, if the optics accumulate a great amount of dust,
use a photographic grade camel hair brush with very gentle strokes. You
can also blow off dust with an ear syringe (available from a local pharmacy).
To clean optics, we suggest that you make your own lens cleaning solutions,
since it is impossible to know all of the ingredients used in commercial
lens cleaners. Pure isopropyl alcohol (90% or better) will clean most residual
film build-up on optical surfaces (as well as metal surfaces).
To remove grease, fingerprints, or most any oily residue, the following
recipe is advised: 1 part pure isopropyl alcohol, 2 parts distilled water,
and 1 drop biodegradable liquid dishwashing soap per pint of solution. This
formula is safe for multi-coated and non-coated optical surfaces. Sprayer
bottles make for convenient dispensing of the lens cleaning solutions.
It is best to avoid many of the so-called lens cleaning papers (many of which contain fiberglass), lens cloths, or chamois. Use a white "Kleenex"-type
tissue.
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