Basic autostar ii, Autostar i i, Aautostar i utostar i ii – Meade Instruments RCX400TM User Manual

Page 26: Autostar ii navigation exercise

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26

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (

Fig. 28). This means

that pressing the Scroll Down key (

7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the available

options within a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (

7, Fig.

2) cycles up through the options in the opposite order. Note that this capability is a quick
way to get to an option that is near the bottom of the list. The following example demon-
strates this capability.

Example:
To navigate to the “Select Item: Setup” menu option when the “Select Item: Object”
menu is displayed:

1.

Press the Scroll Down key five times or the Scroll Up key once.

The screen in

Fig. 29 displays two lines of information. The top line shows the current

menu. The second line displays an option which may be selected within that menu.
Some options are choices that select the next menu level down. The Scroll keys move
up and down within the list of available options, showing one option at a time.

When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to
choose that option and move down one menu level.

Press the MODE key to leave a menu level; e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.

Important Note: No matter how many levels into Autostar II are traveled,
each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "Select
Item," is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press MODE to return to
the topmost level, "Select Item: Object."

Autostar II Navigation Exercise

To demonstrate how the Autostar II menu structure works, the following exercise cal-
culates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.

To Calculate Sunset time:
1.

Press the MODE key several times, until “Select Item: Object” is displayed.

2.

Press the Scroll Down key once to display the “Event” option in the “Select Item”
menu.

3.

Press the ENTER key to choose the "Event" option and move down a level.
"Event: Sunrise" is displayed.

BASIC AUTOSTAR II

Select Item:
Setup

Select Item:
Utilities

Select Item:
Glossary

Select Item:
Guided Tour

Select Item:
Event

SETUP MENU

Automatic alignment

permits all telescope
operations with only
minimal setup.

UTILITIES MENU
Calculate eyepiece
magnifications;
set timer alerts;
create your own
landmark survey.

GLOSSA RY
What is an elliptical galaxy?
How far away is the Sun?
Expand your knowledge of
astronomy by displaying terms
and definitions, and other information.

OBJECT MENU

Want to see Mars? The Orion nebula?

The Andromeda galaxy? Select from

over 180,000 objects and press

GO TO to move the telescope
automatically to an object.

EVENT MENU
Display the time of
past, present, and future
astronomical events,
such as Moon phases
or meteor showers.

GUIDED TOUR

Autostar II escorts you

on a tour of tonight's
best celestial objects
at your viewing location.

Select Item:
Object

Autostar I I

The Universe o f

AAutostar I

utostar I II

Fig. 27: The Autostar II Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu

of Autostar II.

Object
Event
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup

Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope
Targets
etc.

Setup
Align

Fig. 29: Menu options display on the
second line. Use the Scroll keys to
move up or down through the list of
options. Press ENTER to select the
desired option.

Fig. 28: Menus set in a loop.

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