 WARNING! Never observe the Sun through your Meade binocular! Observing the Sun, even for the shortest fraction of a second, will cause instant and irreversible eye damage. When using your binocular during the daytime, do not point it even close to the Sun. |
Instructions for Proper Use and Care of Your Meade Binocular
Congratulations on your selection of a Meade binocular,
designed to deliver optimal performance for maximum viewing enjoyment. Regardless
of your application bird watching, nature studies, spectator sports
or sightseeing you will appreciate the superior optics and durable
construction that make Meade binoculars an excellent investment.
To protect your investment and ensure that you can take full advantage of
the many features of your Meade binocular for many years to come, please
take a few moments to review these instructions for proper use and care.
ADJUSTING THE EYEPIECES
The folding action of the two halves of the binocular adjusts to compensate
for individual differences in the spacing between the user's eyes. This
distance is known as the interpupillary distance, or IPD. Adjustment of
your personal IPD is an important step in the proper use of your Meade binocular:
1. Hold the binocular up to your face in the normal viewing
position, using both hands to hold each barrel firmly.
2. Pull the barrels together or apart until you see a single circular field
with both of your eyes.
FOCUSING THE BINOCULAR
1. Set the Diopter Knob (see diagram)at zero.
2. Look through the binocular at an object that is at least 100 feet (30 meters) away.
3. With the lens cover or your hand, cover the right Objective Lens so
that you will be looking through your left eye only.
4. Rotate the Center Focus Knob until the object you are viewing
with your left eye is sharp and clear. At this point the object is in
focus.
5. Remove the lens cover (or hand) from the right Objective Lens and cover
the left Objective Lens so that you will be looking through your right
eye only.
6. While looking at the object, rotate the Diopter Knob until the
object you see through your right eye is sharp and clear. At this point
the object is in focus.
7. Now with a turn of the Center Focus Knob, only, both near and
far objects can be brought into focus.
FOCUS LOCK SYSTEM
Meade Safari Pro binoculars include a Focus Lock feature (see diagram), permitting the
locking of the Center Focus Knob to maintain precise focus of an
object at a specified distance. To set the Focus Lock, slide the
Center Focus Knob toward the objective lens. To release the Focus
Lock, slide the Center Focus Knob away from the objective lens.
FOCUSING ZOOM BINOCULARS
Certain Meade binoculars are designed to "zoom" to move closer to or farther away from an object.
To focus a zoom binocular, first set the power at its highest magnification,
by moving the zoom lever (see diagram). Then follow the same binocular focusing
instructions above. After the binocular is focused for your eyes at the
highest power, it will remain in focus at lower powers. Note: Zoom binoculars
typically provide higher quality images at lower powers.
WATERPROOF / FOGPROOF MODELS
Certain Meade binoculars (e.g., RainForest Pro models) offer
protection against internal moisture condensation, humidity, and dust. These
waterproof and fogproof binoculars have been nitrogen-purged to expel all
internal moisture and are "O-ring" sealed for protection in all
weather conditions.
OVERVIEW OF YOUR MEADE BINOCULAR
To enhance your viewing enjoyment, take a moment to familiarize yourself
with your new Meade binocular:
For best results while wearing eyeglasses, fold down the binocular's rubber
eyecups. Then place your glasses against the rubber eyecups while observing
through the binocular.
By following these guidelines your Meade binocular will provide optimal
performance for many years:
1. Keep binocular lenses clean and free of moisture and dirt.
2. When not in use, do not expose your binoculars to direct sunlight for
long periods of time (e.g., on the dashboard of your car).
3. Store your binocular in a cool, dry place. Always store your binocular
in its carrying case, with the rubber eyecups in the "up" position.
4. Binoculars are precision instruments: handle them with care.
Do not drop, shake, bump or rattle your binocular. Binocular optics
can become misaligned (out of collimation) as a result of rough treatment,
rendering the binocular virtually unusable. Collimation problems caused
by rough treatment require repair by a trained technician. Such collimation
adjustments are not covered by the Warranty.
1. Before attempting to clean any of the lenses, carefully remove,
with a soft lens brush or "canned air," all grit, sand, dirt,
dust, or other substances which may scratch the surfaces of the optics.
Then use soft lens cleaning tissues, a lint-free cotton cloth, or a clean
cotton swab.
2. For materials that remain on the lenses, use a lens cleaning solution
(e.g., a commercial optical lens cleaner, or household window cleaner)
to remove grease, etc. CAUTION: Do not apply liquid directly onto a lens, which may
result in the liquid seeping into the barrel of the binocular. Apply
the solution onto a cloth or swab. Then apply light pressure to remove the
foreign substance with soft circular motions of the cloth or swab. Note:
Excessive pressure used when cleaning dirty lenses (e.g., rubbing
gritty dirt into the lens surfaces) may damage coatings. Use a light
touch.
3. Once foreign substances have been removed from the lens surfaces, breathe
onto the lenses to apply vapor. Before the moisture evaporates, gently polish
the lens surfaces with a clean cotton cloth or lens cleaning cloth.
4. For more thorough cleaning: remove dirt or liquid from under the binocular
eyecup flange (next to the eyepiece lens surface) by removing the eyecup,
gently lifting it up and carefully cleaning the entire lens surface as described
above.