Basic Autostar Operation; Autostar Navigation Exercise - Meade LXD 75 Instruction Manual

Important Note: Some
models are equipped with
an Electronic Controller
handbox, rather than the
Autostar Handbox. The
following sections (
BASIC
AUTOSTAR OPERATION,
AUTOSTAR MENUS, AND
USEFUL AUTOSTAR
, are rele-
PROCEDURES)
vant only to models
equipped with the
Autostar handbox and do
not apply to the EC mod-
els. For more information
about the EC handbox,
see
APPENDIX D: EC
HANDBOX , page 62.
Object
Event
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup
Fig. 19: Menus set in a
loop.
Setup
Align
Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope
Targets
etc.
Fig. 20: Menu options dis-
play on the second line.
Use the Scroll keys to
move up or down through
the list of options. Press
ENTER to select the
desired option.

BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION

SETUP MENU
Easy alignment
permits all telescope
operations with only
a quick setup.
Select Item:
Setup
UTILITIES MENU
Calculate eyepiece
magnifications;
set timer alerts;
create your own
landmark survey.
Select Item:
Utilities
GLOSSARY
What is an elliptical galaxy?
How far away is the Sun?
Expand your knowledge of
astronomy by displaying terms
and definitions, and other information.
Fig. 18: The Autostar Universe.The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of
Autostar.
It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 19). This means
that pressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the available
options within a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (7, Fig.
2) cycles up through the options in the opposite order. Note that this capability is a quick
way to get to an option that is near the bottom of the list. The following example demon-
strates this capability.
Example:
To navigate to the "Select Item: Setup" menu option when the "Select Item: Object"
menu is displayed:
1. Press the Scroll Down key five times or the Scroll Up key once.
The screen in Fig. 20 displays two lines of information. The top line shows the current
menu level. The second line displays an option which may be selected within that
menu level. Some options are choices that select the next menu level down. The Scroll
keys move up and down within the list of available options, showing one option at a
time.
When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to
choose that option and move down one menu level.
Press the MODE key to leave a level; e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.
Important Note: No matter how many levels into Autostar are traveled,
each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "Select
Item," is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to
the topmost level, "Select Item: Object."

Autostar Navigation Exercise

To demonstrate how the Autostar menu structure works, the following exercise calcu-
lates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.
Note: Before proceeding with this exercise, Autostar must be properly ini-
tialized and aligned (see pages 19 and 21).
To Calculate Sunset time:
1. Press the MODE key several times, until "Select Item: Object" is displayed.
2. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the "Event" option in the "Select Item"
menu.
OBJECT MENU
Select Item:
Want to see Mars? The Orion nebula?
Object
The Andromeda galaxy? Select from
over 30,000 database objects and press
GO TO to move the telescope
automatically to an object.
Select Item:
MEADE MEADE Event
EVENT MENU
Display the time of
The Universe of
past, present, and future
Autostar
astronomical events,
such as Moon phases
or meteor showers.
Select Item:
Guided Tour
GUIDED TOUR
Autostar escorts you
on a tour of tonight's
best celestial objects
Select Item:
at your viewing location.
Glossary
2 3