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Use the Utilities menu
to perform many of
Autostar's useful features,
such as setting an alarm,
adjust the display contrast,
calculate the best eyepiece
for viewing an object, set
up your own landmark
survey, and so forth.
Tip:
The Contrast Adjustment
feature is usually only
required in very cold
weather.
If you adjust the contrast
so that you can no longer
read the display, turn off
the power and turn it on
again. When Version
appears on the display (the
initial display screens are
not affected by the
Contrast control), press
MODE.
Tips:
To use the Landmark
function, the telescope
must be located and
aligned exactly as when
the landmark(s) was added
to the database.
To add objects to the
Landmark database, the
telescope must be located
and aligned exactly as
when the original objects
were added to the
database.
Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Autostar. A hypertext word is
any word in [brackets], usually found when using the Autostar Help function or when
reading a scrolling message such as a description of a planet or star. Press ENTER
whenever a hypertext word is on screen and Autostar goes to the glossary entry for
that word.
To access directly from the Glossary menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll through the
alphabet. Press ENTER on the desired letter. Scroll to the desired entry and then
press ENTER to read the description.
Utilities Menu
The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features within Autostar, including
a countdown timer and an alarm. The Utilities functions include:
Timer selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful for functions such as
astrophotography and tracking satellites. See
use the Timer, press ENTER, then choose "Set" or "Start/Stop."
Set: Enter the time to be counted down, in hours, minutes and seconds, then press
I
ENTER.
Start/Stop: Activates the timer set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle
I
between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the timer.
When the timer runs out, four beeps sound and the timer is deactivated.
Alarm selects a time for an alarm signal as a reminder. To use the Alarm, press
ENTER, then choose "Set" or "Start/Stop."
Set: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound, in hours, minutes and seconds,
I
then press ENTER.
Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle
I
between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the
alarm. When the alarm time arrives, Autostar beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate
the alarm.
Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope to
which Autostar is connected.
Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is
I
selected, the field of view is calculated.
Magnification: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is
I
selected, the magnification is calculated.
Suggest: Autostar calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing, based
I
on the telescope and the object being viewed.
Display Options enables or disables Autostar's two initial displays. If both displays
are disabled, Autostar begins with the Date display.
Sun Warning: Turns the
I
Getting Started: Turns the
I
Brightness Adj: Adjusts the brightness of the display using the Scroll keys. When
complete, press ENTER.
Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contrast of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete,
press ENTER.
NOTE: This feature is usually only required in very cold weather.
Beep: Turns the beep on or off.
Landmark Survey automatically slews the telescope to all user-defined landmarks
with a short pause at each location. Press ENTER to start the survey. While a slew is
in progress, press any key to skip that object and go to the next landmark on the list.
To observe a landmark for a longer period, press MODE when paused on the object
to stop the survey. Press ENTER to restart the survey at the first object on the list. See
, page 36, for information about creating a Landmark survey.
LANDMARKS
OBSERVING SATELLITES
message on or off.
SUN WARNING
message on or off.
GETTING STARTED
, page 32. To
27
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