Local Time And Date; Setting Up The Telescope - Meade LX200 Instruction Manual

g . Use the number keys to enter your longitude as above. When
complete, the display will look like Display 7.
Display 7
h. Press ENTER to complete the site information input. The display
returns to Display 3.
i. Press MODE to return to Display 2.
j. Press MODE again to return to Display 1.
The longitude standard used in the LX
Greenwich, England, and increases toward the West to 359° 59
minutes. Many maps show Easterly longitudes that cannot be
entered directly into the keypad display. If your map indicates that
you are at an Easterly longitude of 18° 27 minutes, you would enter
341° 33 minutes.
Do not be concerned with differences in latitude and longitude as
they pertain to different map spheroid projections. T h o s e
differences are too small to harm the latitude and longitude data
input.
3.

Local Time and Date

NOTE: A standard quartz clock controls the Time function on the
200
16" LX telescope. Like any timepiece, the internal clock of the
telescope should be checked periodically and updated to keep it as
accurate as possible.
Set the local time as accurately as possible, using the 24-hour
format. The local time and date determine sidereal time (star time).
The pointing accuracy of the telescope depends on the accuracy of
the time entered. Choose a reliable source, such as your local
airport or telephone company, as a reference for accurate time. In
the USA you can double-check the accuracy of the exact minutes
by dialing WWV for the universal coordinated time at (303) 499-
7111 (be sure to enter your local time hour information, not the U.T.
hour). For the example, we will use 2:40:00 P.M. on August 5, 2000.
a. The display should look like Display 1. If it does not, press the
MODE key until it does.
b. Press the MODE key twice. The display will look like Display 8,
but with a random LOCALand SIDE times.
Display 8
c. Press and hold the ENTER key until the keypad hand controller
beeps (display like Display 9).
Display 9
d. Using the number keys, enter the current local time to within 5
seconds. (Remember, 2:40:00 P.M. is 14:40:00 in the 24-hour
format.) Corrections can be made by moving the flashing cursor
using the W and E keys. The display should look like Display 10.
(NOTE: The time should be checked and reset about once a
month.)
Display 10
e. Press the ENTER key when the time is correct. The display
changes to Display 11.
Display 11
Enter the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) time-zone shift by looking
up your time zone in the following table:
LAT = +33° 35'
LONG = 117° 42'
2 0 0 starts at 0° in
LOCAL = 11:24:30
SIDE = 21:38:02
LOCAL = 11:24:30
SIDE = 21:38:02
LOCAL = 14:40:00
SIDE = 21:38:02
Hours from GMT:
+ 0 8
- 11 -
U.S.A.TIME-ZONE SHIFT
TIME
ZONE
HAWAII
PACIFIC
MOUNTAIN
CENTRAL
EASTERN
ATLANTIC
For example: If you live in the Pacific Time Zone and you are on
Daylight Time, the GMT time shift is +7 hours.
f. Use the number keys to enter the GMT time-zone shift
determined from the table above. Press ENTER when done; the
display will go back to Display 8. If you are using the LX
East of Greenwich,England, you must enter a minus (–) GMT
time-zone shift by moving the blinking cursor backwards in the
display with the W key and then pressing the NEXT key. The
(plus) sign will change to – (minus). Use the number keys to
+
enter the Westerly (
table above or your calculated Easterly (–) time-zone shift.
g. Press the ENTER key. This selects the DATE display (Display
12), with a random date showing.
Display 12
h. Press and hold the ENTER key until the keypad hand controller
beeps. The display will look like Display 13, with the blinking
cursor over the first number.
Display 13
i. Use the number keys to enter the current date. The display
should look like Display 14. Use the W and E keys to move the
blinking cursor left and right to correct any mistakes.
Display 14
j. Press the ENTER key when the date is correct.
After you press the ENTER key, the keypad hand controller display
Updating planetary data. The position of the planets depends on
the date, so any time the date is changed, the planet positions are
recalculated.
This is all the information the LX
next steps align the telescope with the night sky.
4.

Setting Up the Telescope

After the basic information has been entered into the telescope, the
telescope is ready to set up and use. Follow TELESCOPEASSEMBLY
(page 7) to set up the telescope outside, and follow these steps:
a. Using the bubble level (14, Fig. 1) located on the telescope's
drive base, level the telescope. The telescope's pointing
ability depends on the telescope being level. Make sure that
the bubble is precisely centered by adjusting the length of the
three tripod legs.
b. Loosen the Dec. lock-knob (18, Fig. 1) and position the optical
tube assembly approximately level (so that the Dec. setting
circle (3, Fig. 1) reads
STANDARD DAYLIGHT
TIME TIME
+10 hours +9 hours
+8 hours +7 hours
+7 hours +6 hours
+6 hours +5 hours
+5 hours + 4 hours
+4 hours +3 hours
) GMTtime-zone shift determined from the
DATE = 0 7 / 11 / 9 1
DATE = 0 7 / 11 / 9 1
DATE = 0 8 / 0 5 / 0 0
200
needs to use all features. The
0° . Retighten the Dec. lock-knob.
200
+