Meade RCX400 Alternate Polar Alignments, Initialize Autostar, Two-StarPolar Alignment

Alternate Polar Alignments

If you would rather set up your telescope without using automatic alignment, Autostar

IIoffers alternative alignment methods for equatorial mounting. During the One-Star and Two-Star alt/az alignment procedures, you will (unlike the Automatic and Easy alignment procedures) manually place the telescope in the home position.

Important Note:

If you disable the automatic alignment/GPS function and then use the alternate align- ments described in this sec- tion, you will be prompted to enter the Time, Date, and Daylight Savings status.

Initialize Autostar II

First, you need to initialize Autostar II.

1.Connect Autostar II to the HBX port of the RA Control Panel (or Dec Control Panel).

2.Flip the power switch of the RA Control Panel to the ON position.

The Autostar II screen is activated and a copyright message displays briefly.

3."Press 0 to Align or Mode for Menu" displays. Press 0.

4.The telescope will seek the home position. Autostar II initializes the Smart Drive. The R.A. and Dec. motors operate briefly and "Initializing: Smart Drive" displays.

5."Automatic Alignment" displays.

You are now ready to align your telescope using one of the alternate polar alignment procedures.

Two-Star Polar Alignment

Note:

Autostar II locates align- ment 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.

Tip:

Try a Spiral Search

Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar II provides a library of bright stars and two stars from this library are chosen by the observer for alignment.

1.Alignment Option Screen. "Align: Automatic" displays.

2.Select Alignment. Press the Scroll keys until "Align: Two Star" displays. Press

ENTER.

3.Set Home Position. Place the telescope in the home position.

4 . Star Alignment. "Select Star" displays. Autostar II then displays a library of stars for the observer to choose from. Use the Scroll keys to scroll to a star on the list that you wish to align upon. Select a star that you can easily locate in the night sky. Press ENTER.

5.Center Star. The telescope slews to the star. Use the Arrow keys to move the tel- escope until the star is centered in the eyepiece. Press ENTER.

6.Center Star. Repeat procedure for the second alignment star. The telescope is aligned and you are now ready to use Autostar II's GO TO capabilities for a night of observing.

The GO TO 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 tele- scope finishes its search. (This sometimes occurs during an alignment proce- dure.) 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.

Easy Polar Alignment

Easy Alignment is similar to Two-Star Polar Alignment, except it requires no knowl- edge of the night sky. Autostar II, rather than the user, chooses two stars its library and merely asks the user to center them in the eyepiece.

One-Star Polar Alignment

One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. Autostar II provides a library of bright stars. One-Star Alignment is identical to Two-Star Polar: Alignment, except only one star from the database is chosen by the observer for alignment.

Align on Home

Allows recovery of alignment. Selecting this alignment slews telescope to sensor home position. It then performs an automatic alignment on the telescope based on a GPS fix and the home position sensor.

To Download the Latest Version of Autostar II Software

Included with your telescope is a CD ROM and a USB cable. You need to install the USB drivers, that are included on the CD ROM, BEFORE plugging in the cable:

1Select RCX Users (the fourth selection on the list) from the CD Rom.

2Follow on screen instructions (click “Next” and “Finish” buttons when asked to do so).

3Plug in the USB cable. Plug one end into one of the RCX400 USB ports on a

Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the	45
Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving.