Meade LX200GPS instruction manual What you will need, Tour Modes, Comment Line, Command Line

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APPENDIX C: CREATE YOUR OWN GUIDED TOUR

Creating your own Guided Tour can be an extremely useful tool. You can preprogram a script of objects you wish to view and study on any given night. You can also create a viewing script for students or for a friend.

More commands will be added from time-to-time to the list below. Periodically visit Meade's website (www.meade.com) for future additions.

When a Guided Tour is selected, Autostar II slews your telescope to a predetermined list of objects and displays information about each object, such as type of object, con- stellation location, R.A. and Dec. coordinates, and so forth. Autostar II contains a few Guided Tours which are programmed at the factory. But it is also possible for an observ- er to create a custom Guided Tour.

A tour is basically an ASCII text file that contains a list of directions and descriptions. Each line of a tour is either a comment line, a command line, or a description.

What you will need:

■A PC with text editor or word processing software installed (the tour must be saved as a "text only" or as a "MS-DOS text" file).

■The optional Meade LX200 Interface Cable to download tour information to the Autostar II handbox.

Tour Modes

The objects chosen for a tour list are selected from Autostar II's database or by enter- ing the object's R.A. and Dec. coordinates. The tour is presented in one of two modes:

Automatic Mode: The title of an object appears on first line and descriptive text scrolls on line 2.

Interactive Mode: Tour name appears on the first line of the Autostar II display and the name of the object displays on line 2. To display descriptive text in this mode, the user must press ENTER.

Comment Line

Information in the Tour program that is not displayed, such as authorship, revision his- tory, copyrights, etc. All comments begin with a "/" character in column 1 of the line. For example:

/Extreme Objects

/(c) 2002 Meade Instruments Corporation

Command Line

This line contains programming commands, including: R.A. and Dec. coordinates, a title string, a description string, and a keyword.

R.A.: Enter the Right Ascension of an object in the following format: HH:MM:SS. Eg., 18:51:05

Dec.: Enter the Declination of an object in the following format: DDdMMmSSs. Eg., – 06d16m00s

Title String: Text within a title string is displayed as the title of the object. A title string can contain up to 16 characters and must be surrounded by quotation marks. For example: "M64" or "My Favorite Star."

In Interactive Mode, the title string appears on line 2 until it is selected with the ENTER key.

In Automatic Mode, or after Interactive Mode selection, the title string appears on line 1 while the description scrolls across line 2.

Keywords: Action to be performed during a tour. Autostar II recognizes the following keywords:

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Contents Meade Instruments Corporation Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical System Meade Maksutov-Cassegrain Optical SystemContents QUICK-START Guide Important Note Telescope Features AutostarSee Optional ACCESSORIES, pages 41, 42, Ascension Declination setting# Computer Control Panel see inset Telescope? See pages 17Shift Microfocuser? DefinitionsAscension, Library # of Objects Autostar II FeaturesTour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button Want to learn more about changing slew speeds? See LX200GPS Tips Getting Started Parts ListingHow to Attach the Tripod to the Telescope Assembly Tip How to Assemble Your TelescopeTo install batteries Attach Diagonal or accessories Choosing an EyepieceMounting and Adjusting the Viewfinder Too Much Power?Observing Using Autostar IIs Arrow Keys ObservingObserving by Moving the Telescope Manually Terrestrial ObservingFocusing the Eyepiece Using the Microfocuser Slew SpeedsTo use the microfocuser Key # SpeedObserve the Moon Astronomical ObservingTo Track an Object Automatically Moving Through Autostar II’s MenusWhich One’s the Alignment Star? Important NotesGo To Saturn Observe a Star using the Automatic Tracking FeatureUsing the Guided Tour Finding True North Global Positioning SystemDetecting True Level To Calculate Sunset time Basic AutostarAutostar II Navigation Exercise Navigating Autostar Look into the FutureMenus Select Item ObjectWant to learn more about Observing Satellites? See Object MenuTo slew the telescope to catalog objects Want to learn more about using the Browse menu? See Event MenuWant to learn more about Landmarks? See Glossary MenuUtilities Menu Setup Menu Timing is EverythingRECTION, Setup Menu Daylight SAVING, Adding and editing sites?Hot Button Menus Mirror, MirrorTo Edit a Site Adding Observing SitesTo Add a Site to the user-defined site list Creating User Objects To GO to a user-entered objectObserving Satellites LandmarksTo Add a landmark to the database TipsIdentify To Select a landmark from the databaseTo perform a Landmark Survey To check on the available amount of memory in AutostarBrowse Displayed information ExampleHow to perform the Easy Align Procedure Alternate Alt/Az AlignmentsInitialize Autostar Easy Two-Star AlignmentTip Try a Spiral Search One-Star Alt/Az AlignmentTo Set the Home Position Manually Periodic Error Correction Star ChartsPhotography Few tips on photography with the LX200GPS telescopesOptional Accessories Meade Series 4000 EyepiecesSeries 4000 8 24mm Zoom Eyepiece Illuminated Reticle Eyepiece Maintenance CollimationDefocused star images. Misaligned 1, 2, Aligned Meade Customer Service What is Smart Drive?Inspecting the Optics Gauging the Movement of the TelescopeMaksutov Fan Specifications15 LX200GPS Specifications 12 f/10 LX200GPS Specifications 10 LX200GPS Specifications10 f/10 LX200GPS Specifications Autostar II Handbox Specifications 16 f/10 LX200GPS SpecificationsAutostar II System Specifications Celestial Coordinates Setting CirclesEquatorial Alignment Declination Setting Circle Equatorial WedgeLining Up with the Celestial Pole Locating PolarisPrecise Polar Alignment LX200GPS mounted on an equatorial wedgeAutostar II Polar Alignment Easy Polar AlignmentOne-Star Polar Alignment Two-Star Polar AlignmentAppendix B Latitude Chart Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the WorldCity State/Prov./Country Latitude City Country LatitudeCommand Line What you will needTour Modes Comment LineWriting a Tour TitlePick ONE / Pick END Appendix D Training the Drive Further StudyTo observe the Apollo 15 landing site using the Moon option Appendix E the Moon MenuCommercial Shipping 16 LX200GPS Unique FeaturesControl Panel Features Telescope Assembly To Assemble the 16 Super Field TripodMounting the Optical Tube Assembly OTA Attaching the Power and Data CordsAttaching the 16 Drive Base Attaching the ForkTighten the fork arm assem- bly using the provided hex key Observing ConsiderationsAppendix G To attach the microfocuser to the de-rotaterBasic Astronomy Autostar II GlossaryObjects in Space MoonPlanets Deep-Sky ObjectsPage Meade Instruments Corporation
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