Meade Instruments LX80 - Manual (Page 30)

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
viewfi nder. 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 fi nishes its
search (This sometimes occurs during an alignment
procedure). Press GoTo when the slew is fi nished 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.
1 After 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 fi nds 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 fi nd the next object you wish
to observe.
6. Press and hold down MODE for two seconds to
leave the Guided Tour menu.
AudioStar #497 HANDBO
X
The LX80 Multi-Mount System
30