IMPORTANT NOTE: While performing the automatic tracking pro- cedure, only use the Arrow keys to move the telescope. Once the telescope has been set in the Alt/Az home position, do not loosen the telescope locks (6 and 9, Fig. 1), or move the base manually, or alignment will be lost.
Time Zone | Shift |
Atlantic | |
Eastern | |
Central | |
Mountain | |
Pacific | |
Hawaii | |
|
|
Table 1: Time Zone Shift.
NOTE:
The Download function requires the optional #506 Astrofinder Software and Cable Connector Kit. See the instruction sheet included with the kit for more information on how to download. Also see “OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES,” page 25.
•Train Drive: Trains the altitude and azimuth motors to locate objects with more precision.
If you are experiencing any problems with pointing accuracy, follow the procedure described in “APPENDIX D: TRAINING THE DRIVE,” page 35, to insure accurate point- ing and tracking.
•Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in the sky.
a.Sidereal: The default setting for Autostar; sidereal rate is the standard rate at which stars move from East to West across the sky due to the rotation of the Earth.
b.Lunar: Choose this option to properly track the Moon over long observing sessions.
c.Custom: Allows entry of
•Reverse L/R: Reverses the functions of the Left and Right Arrow keys (i.e., the Right key moves the telescope to the left).
•Reverse UP/DOWN: Reverses the functions of the Up and Down Arrow keys (i.e., the Up key moves the telescope down).
•Calibrate Motor: If the telescope motors appear to have a problem, use this option to retest the motors before doing a Reset. This option is also used if an Autostar unit is moved between telescopes to match Autostar to the telescope.
•High Precision: If High Precision is turned on, when looking for a faint celestial object (i.e.,
anebula or galaxy), Autostar first slews to a nearby bright star and displays "ENTER to Sync." Center the star in the eyepiece, then press ENTER. At that point the telescope has
ahigh precision alignment to that part of the sky and it then slews to the object that was originally requested.
Targets switches between Astronomical targets and Terrestrial targets. If Astronomical targets are selected, the telescope tracking motor is activated and objects you're observing will remain centered in the eyepiece. If Terrestrial targets are selected, the tracking motor is turned off.
To track an object automatically, set the telescope in the Alt/Az home position (see "EASY
Site provides access to several options including:
•Select: Displays the currently selected observing site and and also allows you to select other sites you have entered into a
NOTE: Only the site that is entered during Initialization (see page 16) will be dis- played until other sites are entered with the "Add" option.
•Add: Allows you to add a new observing site to the database (up to six sites may be stored). Scroll through the list of Countries/States. Press ENTER when the site you wish to add displays. Then choose the desired city in the same manner.
•Delete: Deletes a stored site from the database.
•Edit: Edits a selected site, including: the name, latitude, longitude, and time zone. Time Zone refers to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) time zone shift. Users West of Greenwich, England use
NOTE: Autostar compensates for daylight savings time, if selected. See “Setup
Menu: Daylight Saving,” page 19.
Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including:
•Name: Users may enter both their first and last names using the Up and Down Arrow keys to cycle through the alphabet. Use the Right and Left Arrow keys to move through the text. Press ENTER when the entry is complete.
•Address: Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to enter your street address, city, state, and zip code. Press ENTER when the entry is complete.
Download transfers information from a personal computer or another Autostar. During the operation, the warning “Downloading Do Not Turn Off” appears.
Statistics provides basic statistical data about Autostar, including:
•Characters Free: Shows how much room is available in
•Version: Shows the current version of the Autostar software.
Reset completely resets Autostar. Autostar requires initialization again after a Reset before pro- ceeding with observations. See “INITIALIZING AUTOSTAR,” page 12. You also need to per- form “TRAINING THE DRIVE,” page 35.
20 Autostar Menus
