Audiostar Handbox Features - Meade LX80 Instruction Manual

revisions directly from the Meade website (www.
meade.com) and share software with other
AudioStar enthusiasts.
• Control your LX80 with your PC using a serial
interface.
• Access a glossary of astronomical terms.
• Calculate which eyepiece to use for optimum
viewing of a celestial object.
• Mount the telescope in the alt/az or EQ modes
for fully automatic tracking of celestial objects.
The AudioStar Computer Controller provides control
of virtually every telescope function within a compact
handbox. AudioStar has soft-touch keys designed to
have a positive feel. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
is backlit with a red LED (Light Emitting Diode) for
easy viewing in the dark. The backlit display, key
arrangement, and sequential database make AudioStar
extremely user friendly.
2-Line LCD Display: Provides an interface
between AudioStar and the telescope.
• Top line:
menu item.
• Bottom line: Contains a menu option or information
about an object or subject, depending on which
function is being performed.
ENTER Key: Accesses, in a sequential manner,
the next menu or data level in the AudioStar
database. See MOVING THROUGH AudioStar's
MENUS, Page 22.
NOTE: If ENTER is pressed for two seconds or
more and then released, AudioStar emits a beep
and "ENTER to Sync" is displayed. "ENTER to
Sync" is relevant only after the telescope has
been aligned and is pointing at an object. If the
"ENTER to Sync" feature is accessed by mistake,
press MODE to return to the previous screen. See
High Precision, Page 42, for more details about
this feature.
MODE Key: Returns to the previous menu or data
level in the AudioStar database until the top level,
"Select Item" is reached. The MODE key is similar
to the ESCAPE key on a computer.
Note: Pressing MODE while in the "Select Item"
level moves AudioStar to the topmost screen:
34
Lists the primary category
"Select Item: Object".
If MODE is pressed and held for two seconds or
more, information about the telescope's status
displays. When the status displays, press one of
the Scroll keys (Page 33, Fig. 39, 7) to display the
following information:
• Right Ascension and Declination (astronomical)
coordinates
• Altitude (vertical)
coordinates
• Date
• Site coordinates
• Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST)
• Timer and Alarm Status
• Battery status
Press MODE again to return to the previous menu.
GoTo Key: Slews (moves) the telescope to the
coordinates of the currently selected object. While
the telescope is slewing, the operation may be
or
aborted at any time by pressing any key except
GoTo. Pressing GoTo again resumes the slew to
the object.
Arrow Keys: Slew the telescope in a specifi c
direction (up, down, left, and right), at any one
of nine different speeds. Speed selection is
explained in "SLEW SPEEDS", below. The
following functions are also available with the
arrow keys:
• Moves the telescope – Use the Up and
Down Arrow keys to move the telescope
vertically up and down. The Left Arrow key
rotates
counterclockwise, while the Right Arrow key
rotates it clockwise.
• Data entry – When the scope is prompting
for user entered data, use the Up and Down
Arrow keys to scroll through the letters of the
alphabet and numerical digits. The Down
Arrow key starts with the letter "A" and the
Up Arrow key starts with the digit "9." The
Left and Right Arrow keys are used to
move the blinking cursor left and right across
the LCD display.
and Azimuth (horizontal)
the telescope horizontally