Basic Autostar Operation; Autostar Navigation Exercise - Meade DSX Series Instruction Manual

BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 20). 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 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 demonstrates this capability.
Example:
Object
To navigate to the "Select Item: Setup" menu option when the "Select Item: Object" menu is
Event
Guided Tours displayed:
Glossary
1.
Utilities
Setup
Autostar 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
Fig. 20: Menus set in a
of available options, showing one option at a time.
loop.
When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to choose that
option and move down one menu level.
Select Item
Press the MODE key to leave a level (e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen).
Object
Select Item
Solar System
Fig. 21: Autostar levels.

Autostar Navigation Exercise

To demonstrate how the Autostar menu structure works, the following exercise calculates
Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.
SETUP
Quick, easy alignment
permits all telescope
operations with only
a 2-minute setup.
Select Item:
Setup
UTILITIES
Calculate eyepiece
magnifications; set the
timer for an observing
session; or change the
display brightnes.
Select Item:
Utilities
GLOSSARY
Discover the world of astronomy
by alphabetically accessing
astronomical terms.
Fig. 19: The Autostar Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of Autostar.
Press the Scroll Down key four times or the Scroll Up key once.
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."
NOTE: To perform an accurate calculation, Autostar must be properly initialized
with the current date, time, and location of the observing site. To enter the current
date, time, and location information of your observing site, see
, page 17, before proceeding with this exercise.
AUTOSTAR
OBJECT
Select from over 30, 220 database objects and
press GO TO to move the telescope automatically to the
object and place it in the telescopic field of view.
Select Item:
Object
The Universe of
Autostar
Select Item:
Glossary
21
Select Item:
Event
EVENT
Access the time of
an astronomical
event, such as the
rising or setting
times of the Moon.
Select Item:
Guided Tour
GUIDED TOUR
Journey through the
universe as Autostar
escorts you to the
best celestial objects
at your location.
INITIALIZING