General Maintenance - Meade Autostar 494 Instruction Manual

Statistics provides basic statistical data about Autostar,
including:
Characters Free: Shows how much room is available
in user-defined object memory.
Version: Shows the current version of the Autostar
software.
Reset completely resets Autostar. Autostar requires initial-
ization again after a Reset before proceeding with observa-
tions. See "INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR," page 8. You also
need to perform "TRAINING THE DRIVE," page 13.

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

Autostar is a precision electronic instrument designed to
yield a lifetime of rewarding observations. Given the care
and respect due any precision instrument, Autostar rarely, if
ever, requires factory servicing
Maintenance guidelines include:
Do not leave Autostar inside a sealed car on a warm
day; excessive ambient temperatures can damage the
electronic circuitry.
When not connected to a telescope, be sure to store
Autostar and the coil cord in a cool dry place, and in
such a way as to prevent damage (i.e., in its original
packing box).
The connectors on the end of the coil cord are fairly
rugged and should yield years of use under normal cir-
cumstances. Take care when storing the cord so that
the connectors do not become crushed or abraded.
TROUBLESHOOTING
NOTE: See the telescope instruction manual for
additional troubleshooting ideas.
The following suggestions may be helpful if there are diffi-
culties with the operation of the Autostar Computer
Controller:
The Autostar screen does not display any information:
Verify that the coil cord is firmly connected to the com-
puter control panel's HBX port (Fig. 1).
Verify that the telescope batteries are installed correct-
ly and that they have sufficient charge.
Autostar is beeping:
The Timer or Alarm function may have been activated
(see "Timer" and "Alarm").
or maintenance.
Autostar does not slew to the correct object:
The telescope mount may not be stable (if mounted
with Alt/Az One Star alignment) or the mount has been
moved after alignment. Verify the stability and orienta-
tion of the telescope and mount, then re-align the tele-
scope (see "ALIGNMENT," page 14).
The motors may not be properly calibrated. Re-cali-
brate the motors by choosing the "Select Item: Setup"
menu, then scroll to the Telescope option. Press
ENTER to choose "Telescope," then scroll to "Calibrate
Motors." Press ENTER again and the screen displays
"Testing Motors." Re-align the telescope and attempt to
observe. If the problem persists, a Reset may be nes-
sary.
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