Basic Autostar Operation; Autostar Navigation Exercise - Meade LX-90 Instruction Manual

BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 9). This means that
Object
pressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the available options within a
Event
given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (7, Fig. 2) cycles up through the
Guided Tours
options in the opposite order. Note that this capability is a quick way to get to an option that is
Glossary
Utilities near the bottom of the list. The following example demonstrates this capability.
Setup
Example:
To navigate to the "Select Item: Setup" menu option when the "Select Item: Object" menu is displayed:
Fig. 10: Menus set in
1.
a loop.
The screen in Fig. 10 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
Select Item
within the list of available options, showing one option at a time.
Object
Select Item
Solar System
When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to choose that
option and move down one menu level.
Fig. 11: Autostar levels.
Press the MODE key to leave a level; e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.

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.
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.
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. 9: 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 "INITIALIZING
AUTOSTAR," page 17, before proceeding with this exercise.
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.