The LX80
Successful” displays. If AudioStar does not display this message, perform this procedure again.
Note: AudioStar locates alignment stars based on the date, time and location entered. Using this information and the Polar Home Position as its starting point, the alignment stars should easily be placed within the viewfinder. 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 GoTo key 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 GoTo 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.
Go To Saturn
After performing the Easy Alignment procedure, the motor drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position even though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars.
Important Note: Once aligned, only use the GoTo or arrow keys to move the telescope. Do not move the telescope manually, or unlock the vertical or horizontal locks, or alignment will be lost.
Once the telescope is aligned, you may choose and “Go To” any object listed in AudioStar’s Object menu. This exercise demonstrates how to select one such celestial object, the planet Saturn, for viewing from the Object menu.
Note: Saturn is not visible the entire year and you may need to choose another object from AudioStar’s database; however, the procedure, as described below, remains the same.
1After the telescope is aligned, “Press 0 for Tour or Mode for Menu” displays. Press MODE.
2.“Select Item: Object” displays. Press ENTER.
3.“Object: Solar System” displays. Press ENTER.
4.“Solar System: Mercury” displays. Keep pressing the Scroll Down key until “Solar System:
Saturn” displays.
5.Press ENTER. “Calculating” displays. Then “Saturn” and a set of coordinates displays. Note that Saturn’s (and other planets’) coordinates change throughout the year.
6.Press GoTo. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until it finds Saturn. You may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn precisely in the eyepiece. AudioStar then automatically moves the telescope so that it “tracks” Saturn (or whatever other object you may have chosen); i.e., Saturn remains centered in the eyepiece.
For further direction how to use your aligned telescope please go to the AudioStar Operation section (Page 37) for details.
Using the Guided Tour
This example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour.
1.After observing Saturn, keep pressing mode until “Select Item: Object” displays again.
2.Press the Scroll Down key twice. “Select Item: Guided Tour” displays.
3.Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’s Best” displays. Press ENTER.
Note: If you wish to try out other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down key to scroll through other tour choices. When the tour you wish to select displays, press ENTER.
4.“Tonight’s Best: Searching...” displays. After
calculating, “Tonight’s Best: Jupiter” displays.
Note: Different objects may be displayed on a tour list on any given night.
Press ENTER to display information about the object. Press GoTo to move the telescope to the object.
5.Press MODE to return to the Tour list. Press the Scroll keys to scroll through the list. Press ENTER when you find the next object you wish to observe.
6.Press and hold down MODE for two seconds to leave the Guided Tour menu.
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