Meade DSX Series instruction manual Which One’s Alignment Star?, How to Easy Align Your Telescope

How to Easy Align Your Telescope

If you have just applied power to Autostar, perform steps 1 through 5. If you have already performed the initialization procedure, go to step 6.

1.Sun Warning - Press the key prompted by Autostar to accept.

2.Getting Started - Press ENTER to continue.

3.Enter Date - Enter the current date as previously described, then press ENTER.

4.Enter Time - Enter the current time, as previously described. Select "AM," "PM," or 24-hour clock (blank). Then press ENTER.

5.Daylight Savings - Select “Yes” or “No,” then press ENTER.

6.Alignment Option Screen - “Setup: Align” displays. Press ENTER.

7.Select Alignment - “Align: Easy” displays. Press ENTER.

8.Set Alt/Az Home Position - Autostar then prompts you to set the telescope in the Alt/Az Alignment home position. To set your telescope in the "Alt/Az" home position (Fig. 16):

•Loosen the telescope’s Altitude lock ( 9, Fig. 1a).

•Level the tripod base (15, Fig.1a). Level the optical tube by lining up 0° on the Altitude setting circle (Fig. 17) with the triangular pointer.

•Tighten the Altitude lock (9, Fig. 1a) to a firm feel only.

•Loosen the tripod base lock knob (16, Fig. 1) and turn the telescope horizontally until it points North. See LOCATING THE CELESTIAL POLE, page 40 for more information.

•Tighten the tripod base lock knob (16, Fig. 1). Press ENTER.

9 . Star Alignment - Autostar then chooses two stars to align upon. When the telescope slews to the first star for alignment, it may not appear in the field of view in the eyepiece. The alignment star should be easily recognized and be the brightest star in the area of the sky where the telescope is pointing. Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope until the star is visible and centered in the eyepiece. Press ENTER. Repeat procedure for the second alignment star.

When the procedure is performed correctly, "Alignment Successful" displays. If Autostar does not display this message, perform this procedure again.

NOTE: Autostar locates alignment stars based on the date, time, and location entered. The alignment stars may change from night to night. All that is required is for the observer to center the selected stars in the eyepiece when prompted.

NOTE: The GO TO key (4, Fig. 2) also allows you to perform a "spiral search." A spiral search is useful when the telescope slews to an object, but that object is not visible in the eyepiece after the telescope finishes its search. (This sometimes occurs during an alignment procedure.) Press GO TO when the slew is finished and the telescope starts slewing in a spiral pattern at a very slow speed around the search area. Look through the eyepiece and when the object does become visible, press MODE to stop the spiral search. Then use the Arrow keys to center the object.

DSX TIPS

Which One’s the

Alignment Star?

If Autostar has chosen an alignment star with which you are unfamiliar, how can you be sure if the star in your eyepiece is really the alignment star?

The rule of thumb is that an alignment star is usually the brightest star in that area of the sky. When you view an alignment star in an eyepiece, it stands out dramatically from the rest of the stars in that portion of the sky.

If you have an obstruction, such as a tree or a building blocking your view of the alignment star, or if you have any doubts at all about the star that has been chosen, no problem. Just press the Scroll Down key and Autostar will find another star to align upon.

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