THE LX200 KEYPAD HAND CONTROLLER
Designed to make you a better astronomer, the integration of optics, mechanics, electronics, and software in the LX200 Maksutov Cassegrain or Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope is easily mastered. So easy, in fact that the telescope becomes a natural extension of the observer.
The LX200 gives you virtually every telescope function possible with every control in a compact hand held console. The red LCD backlit keypad has tactile touch buttons (some of which are brighter than others), designed to have the right feel even if you wear gloves. Its red LCD backlit display, key arrangement, and easy to understand information allow you to focus the telescope and your mind on the subject at hand.
The LX200 keypad hand controller is a dual axis drive corrector with periodic error control; an information display center for the computerized library; a digital coordinate readout system; a pulsing, illuminated reticle eyepiece brightness controller; a two speed electric focuser controller, and a red LED flashlight!
You will find within a few minutes of powering up the LX200 that the keypad becomes warm, which is normal for the system. The electronics utilize a heat sink as a means to provide the correct operating environment temperature for the LCD display even in sub-zero weather. If you are in these colder conditions, the display may not be visible until the keypad has transferred enough heat. This process can take a few minutes upon powering up the telescope. While severe cold weather is not damaging to the electronics, it is advised to keep the keypad in a warmer area to allow immediate proper display performance.
The LX200 keypad buttons are described as follows:
1. ENTER Key
The ENTER key (1, Fig. 6) is used to select a menu file, a file option, or to edit a value. To select a file or an option, press and release the ENTER key. The LX200 will give a short beep tone and perform the action that you have requested. To edit a value, press and hold the ENTER key until a double beep tone is heard and a blinking cursor appears in the display. There are some other specific situations where the ENTER key is used. These are described in detail where necessary. From now on, the two types of presses will be called 'press' and 'press and hold."
2. MODE Key
The MODE key (2, Fig.6) cycles through the five modes of the LX200, and is used to exit from specific menu files.
3. GO TO Key
The GO TO key (3, Fig. 6) causes the LX200 to automatically slew to specific library entry coordinates. The GO TO key also produces a blinking cursor in the GO TO menu file of the COORDINATES/GO TO mode, to allow new Right Ascension and Declination coordinates to be entered.
4. Direction Keys
Labeled N, S, E, and W, (4, Fig. 6) these four keys make the LX200 move, or slew, in a specific direction, with an option of four different speeds, explained later. During entry to change a value, the E and W keys can be used to move the blinking cursor back and forth across the LCD display, so that if an error is made during entry, it can be erased and changed.
The remaining 12 keys have multiple functions, there are up and down arrow keys, and numbered keys from 0 through 9. Each one of these keys also has alternate functions listed above the arrow symbols and numbers. The ALT LED light is only visible when entering numerical data. A description of the individual keys follows:
5. Speed Keys (SLEW, FIND, CENTER, and GUIDE)
These keys (6, Fig. 6) allow you to set the rate of movement (slew) speed in the drives of the LX200, as activated by the N,
5.E, and W keys. The chosen rate is indicated by the speed indicator illuminated LED beside the rate key that you have pressed, the speed rates are SLEW (4 degrees per second), FIND (1 degrees per second), CNTR (16X sidereal rate), and GUIDE (2X sidereal rate).
NOTE: All of the slew speeds will drive the LX200 in all four directions, except for GUIDE. The 2X sidereal speed in GUIDE has one difference in that it will not interrupt the Right Ascension tracking direction to make Easterly (for Northern hemisphere) or Westerly (for Southern hemisphere) adjustments; it will merely slow down the tracking drive to one half its normal speed. You will find, however, that the slower drive will move the image opposite of the tracking direction, without disturbing the smooth drive action. This performance is absolutely essential when making astrophotographs.
SLEW, FIND, CENTER, and GUIDE keys also have numbers listed 7, 4, 1, and 0 respectively. When editing a value, the multiple function of each of these keys is realized. SLEW and FIND are also used to set the "fast" focus speed for the electric focuser accessory option, while CNTR and GUIDE set the "slow" focus speed. There are other special functions for the CNTR and GUIDE keys that are discussed in the RET KEY operations.
6. RET Key
Typically used for guiding the LX200 during an astrophotograph, the RET key (5, Fig. 6) is used to change the brightness and pulse rate of the optional corded style illuminated reticle eyepiece. Pressing either the PREV and NEXT (up and down arrow) keys while holding down the RET key, alters the reticle brightness level up or down.
When guiding on very faint stars, you may find it helpful to pulse the light from the LED so that the reticle crosshairs blink on and off. You will be able to adjust the reticle brightness as well as adjust the pulse rates. There are three pulse rates that can be used, all with a one second pulse interval. The continuous illumination control and pulse rates are set by holding down the RET key and pressing one of the following keys; GUIDE (100% on, no pulsing), CNTR (50% on, 50% off), MAP (25% on, 75% off), CNGC (10% on, 90% off).
