Tip:
To easiest way to get satellite information is to go to the Meade website and click “Autostar Update” in the Customer Support sec- tion. Follow the
The optional #505 Astrofinder Software and Cable Connector Kit is required to use the Autostar Update Utility.
Tip:
To use the Landmark func- tion, the telescope must be located and aligned exactly as when the landmark(s) was added to the database.
Observing Satellites
In this procedure, you will prepare your telescope to observe a satellite pass.
1.Navigate to the "Object: Satellite" menu option and press ENTER.
2.Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of satellites.
3.Select a satellite from the list and press ENTER.
4."Calculating...." and then "Tracking..." displays. If the satellite is going to make a pass, "Located" displays.
5.Use the Scroll keys to display data about the pass: aos – acquisition of signal and los – loss of signal. If you subtract the aos from the los, you can calculate how long the satellite will be visible. Location information also displays.
6."Alarm" displays after the location information. Press ENTER and Autostar auto- matically sets the alarm to sound a minute before the satellite's scheduled appearance. You may return to regular observations until the alarm goes off.
7.When the alarm goes off, return to the Satellite menu and press a Scroll key until the desired satellite is on the top line of the display.
8.Press GO TO. Autostar slews the telescope to where the satellite should appear. The motor drive stops and a countdown is displayed.
Note: If the scheduled appearance position of the satellite is obstructed (i.e., by a building, tree, or hill), press ENTER and Autostar starts to move the telescope along the expected satellite track. When the track clears the obstruction, press ENTER again to pause the telescope, then continue with this procedure.
9.With about 20 seconds left on the countdown timer, start watching through the tel- escope viewfinder for the satellite to enter the field of view.
10.When the satellite enters the viewfinder field of view, press ENTER. The tele- scope starts to track with the satellite.
11.Use the Autostar Arrow keys to center the object in the viewfinder, then look through the eyepiece to view the object.
Satellite orbits change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are launched. Visit the Meade website (www.meade.com) approximately once a month to get updated information and instructions on how to download this data to Autostar. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass may not happen at the time predicted by Autostar. Downloading requires the optional #505 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit. See OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 38.
Note: Satellite observing is an exciting challenge. Most satellites are in low orbit, travelling at approximately 17,500 mph. When visible, they move quickly across the sky and are only in the field of view for a few minutes, requiring Autostar to slew the telescope rapidly. Best viewing is near Sunrise or Sunset when the sky is still dark. Viewing in the middle of the night can be problematic because the satellite may pass overhead, but not be visible as it is in the Earth's shadow.
Landmarks
This menu option allows you to define and store terrestrial objects in the Landmark database. First, a landmark needs to be stored in memory using the "Landmark: Add" option. To view a landmark, use the "Landmark: Select" option. Landmarks may also be viewed using the "Landmark Survey" option in the Utilities menu.
To Add a landmark to the database:
In this procedure, you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in Autostar's memory.
1.Note for future reference where the telescope is located. Select an easily recog- nizable reference object and center the object in the telescope eyepiece. Each time you wish to view landmarks you have added to the database, setup the telescope in this location and center the reference object in the eyepiece. If you do not use a consistent point of reference, the telescope will not be able to locate the objects you have added to the database.
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