Meade Instruments LX850 - Manual (Page 25)

too far and you need to turn in the opposite direction.
Always double check the image in the center of the
field of the eyepiece.
g. You may find after your initial adjustment that the
dark center is off in a new direction (e.g., instead of
being off side-to-side it is now off in an up-and-down
direction). In this case repeat steps b through f to
find the new adjustment screw.
h. Now try a higher power eyepiece (e.g., 9mm or less)
and repeat the above tests. Any lack of collimation at
this point will require only very slight adjustments of
the three set screws. You now have good collimation
of the optics.
i. As a final check of alignment, examine the star
image in focus with the higher power eyepiece as
suggested under good viewing conditions. The star
point should appear as a small central dot (commonly
referred to as an “Airy disc”) with a diffraction ring
surrounding it. To give a final precision collimation,
make extremely slight adjustments of the three set
screws, if necessary, to center the Airy disc in the
diffraction ring. You now have the best alignment of
the optics possible with this telescope.
Calibrate Home
After a precise polar alignment (drift alignment) you may
want to calibrate the Home Sensors on your mount.
This procedure sets the 90 degree declination position
and the zero hour angle of the RA axis very accurately.
When you perform future alignments, the system uses
these positions to aid in a precise alignment.
Parking the Scope
Designed for a telescope that is not moved between
observing sessions. Align the telescope one time, then
use this function to park the telescope. Once parked,
the screen prompts to turn off power.
The advantage of parking is that you do not need to
align the telescope the next time you turn on Autostar;
it remembers your alignment. Tip: When waking their
telescope, some users select a bright star from the
Objects menu and perform a GoTo on that star. If the
star is not in the exact center of the eyepiece, move the
star to the center using the arrow keys and then hold
ENTER down for more than two seconds. This activates
the Enter to Sync function and fine tunes and improves
the telescope’s alignment.
Important Note: When the “Park Scope” option
is chosen and the display prompts you to turn off
the telescope’s power, Autostar II is unable to be
returned to operation without turning the power off
and then back on.
Most users can use the default park position when
parking their LX850. The default park position is
identical to the home position; counterweight shaft
pointing downward and ota pointing forward toward the
celestial pole.
However, if you are storing your telescope in a location
where it cannot be stored in the home position, for
example, such as an observatory with a top that slides
back, just move your telescope to the position you
want to store it. Choose “Park Position” from the Setup:
Telescope menu. When “Park Position” displays, use
the down arrow key to scroll through the choices. Select
“Use Current” if your position is anything other than the
Home Position. If you are using the Home Position,
select “Use Default.”
StarLock Operation
Your LX850 Telescope incorporates the advanced
StarLock™ system that makes target acquisition and
accurate autoguiding during exposures completely
automatic. The StarLock system incorporates a narrow
field 80mm f/5 optic and a super wide-angle lens that
automatically finds your target with high precision, locks
on to a field star and automatically begins guiding.
StarLock Menu:
Press RET/GUIDE (Number key “7”) to select this
menu directly from Autostar II’s keypad. This “Hot Key”
provides the ability to control the StarLock system easily
and directly from any place within the Autostar menus.
From this key, you can:
• Turn StarLock guiding on and off. Enable and
disable StarLock High Precision Pointing
• Monitor StarLock corrections
• Set Different Guide Speeds
Key to StarLock Indicator Lamps
On the back surface of the StarLock assembly, between
the two (2) receptacles is a single red LED indicator
lamp. Below is a guide showing what the lamp blink
patterns are indicating:
• No illumination StarLock is turned off, does not
have power or is idle
awaiting commands.
• Blinking StarLock is searching for a
suitable guide star (either for
guiding or HPP centering).
• Solid StarLock has located and
locked onto a guide star.
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StarLock Operation