Meade StarNavigator Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually, Terrestrial Observing

Important Note: When you look through your telescope’s eyepiece, the image might look strange at first.

If you have a refracting telescope, objects will appear right-side-up, but reversed left-for-right. This will not make a difference when observing astronomical objects and, in fact, all astronomical telescopes present inverted images.

During terrestrial observing, when a corrected image (right- side up and correct left- for-right) is desirable, an optional Meade 45° Erecting Prism is available. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 32, or consult the Meade Telescope Catalog.

No means of correcting the image is available for reflecting telescopes— the image will appear

upside down and reversed left-for-right.

OBSERVING

Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually

If you wish to observe a distant land object, such as a mountain top or a bird, you can observe by merely pointing the telescope and looking through the eyepiece.

1.Loosen the telescope’s tripod base lock knob (26, Fig. 1) and Altitude lock (10F, Fig. 1b), so that the telescope can move freely.

2.Point your telescope at distant street signs, mountains, trees, and other structures. Use your red dot viewfinder to help site-in on an object.

3.Centre the object using the red dot viewfinder and then in the telescope eyepiece. When the object is centred in your eyepiece, re-tighten the base and Altitude locks.

4.Practice focusing objects with the focus knob (1, Fig. 1).

5.Once you get a feel for how your telescope moves and focuses, try to view something more challenging, like a bird or a distant moving train.

You can also observe stars and objects in the night sky using this method, but note that objects begin to slowly drift across the eyepiece field. This motion is caused by the rotation of the Earth. As you become familiar with the Audiostar handbox operation, you can counteract the drift using the automatic tracking feature in the Audiostar Setup menu (see TO TRACK AN OBJECT AUTOMATICALLY, page 16), or by using Audiostar's GO TO capabilities (see GO TO SATURN, page 19).

Terrestrial Observing

StarNavigator refracting telescopes are excellent high-resolution, terrestrial (land) telescopes (reflecting telescopes are designed primarily for astronomical observations). Viewing terrestrial objects requires looking along the Earth's surface through heat waves. These heat waves often cause degradation of image quality. Lower power eyepieces, such as a 25 mm eyepiece, magnify these heat waves less than higher power eyepieces. Therefore, lower power eyepieces provide a steadier, higher quality image. If the image is fuzzy or ill-defined, reduce to a lower power eyepiece, where the heat waves do not have such an effect on image quality. Observing in early morning hours, before the ground has built up internal heat, produces better viewing conditions than during late afternoon hours.

Observing Using Audiostar's Arrow Keys

You may observe land and astronomical objects using Audiostar's Arrow keys to move the telescope.

1.Tighten the Altitude lock (10F, Fig. 1b) and tripod base lock knob (26, Fig. 1).

2.Make sure the telescope power switch is in the OFF position. Plug Audiostar into the HBX port of the Control Panel.

3.Flip the telescope power switch to the ON position.

Audiostar is activated and a copyright message displays briefly, followed by a short beep. Then Audiostar takes a few moments to start up the system.

4.AudioStar displays “Press 0 to align or Mode for Menu.” The telescope motors are now activated and can be used to move the telescope using the arrow keys.

5.Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to slew (move) the telescope up, down, right, or left.

6.Press a NUMBER key (6, Fig. 2) to change the telescope’s slew speed. Each time you press a number from 1 through 9, the speed will change. See SLEW SPEEDS, page 15, for more information.

7.Use the red dot viewfinder (7, Fig. 1 or 1e) to locate an object and practice using the Audiostar’s Arrow keys to centre the object in the telescope eyepiece's field of view.

8.Use the telescope’s focus knob (1, Fig. 1) to bring the object into focus.

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.

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