Meade 16 inch Instruction Manual - Page 28

Want to learn more about using the new Smart Mount Feature? See Appendix I: Smart Mount pages 68 and 69. Want to learn more about using the Date menu? See the LX200GPS TIPS box, page 23. 28 Sleep Scope: A power saving option that shuts down Autostar II and the telescope without forgetting its alignment. With "Sleep Scope" selected, press ENTER to activate the Sleep function. Autostar II goes dark, but the internal clock keeps running. Press any key, except ENTER, to re-activate Autostar II and the telescope. Park 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. The next time it is powered up, pressing ENTER causes the telescope to move to its predetermined Park position. Once parked, the screen prompts to turn off power. 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. Setup Menu The Setup menu's primary function is used for manual telescope alignment (see MANUAL ALT/AZ ALIGNMENTS, pages 37 and 38). However, there are numerous other features available within the Setup menu, including: Align on Home: For permanently mounted telescopes only. If Calibrate Home has been performed, power up your telescope and select this menu to return the previously calibrated home position. In other words, the telescope is fuly aligned according to the setting that were stored in Autostar II's memory during the Calibrate Home procedure. See CALIBRATE HOME, page 29, for more information. Date: Changes the date used by Autostar II. This function is useful to check events in the past or future. For example: Set the Date menu for a day three months in the future. Then check the "Select Item: Event" menu for the Sunset time on that date. See EVENT MENU, page 26. Time: Changes the time entered into Autostar II. Setting the correct time is critical for Autostar II to properly calculate locations and events. Time may be set to "AM," "PM," or 24-hour mode (military time). To select the 24-hour mode, press ENTER when the the "blank" option displays (i.e., neither "AM" nor "PM" is displayed). Daylight Saving: Enables or disables the Daylight Savings time setting. Note: See TIMING IS EVERYTHING below. Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by different names in various areas of the world. Check local time to verify. Telescope: Accesses the several options, including: s Mount: Set this option to "Alt/Az" if using alt/az alignment and to "Polar" if using polar alignment. "Alt/Az" is the default value. s Model: Allows you to select the telescope model connected to Autostar II. s Focal Length: Displays the focal length of the selected telescope. s Max Slew Rate: Sets the upper limit for the slew rate. 8 degrees per second is the fastest setting. s Mount Upper Limit: Allows you enter a number from 0 to 90 that sets an upper limit as to how far the optical tube can swing upward during a programmed slew. LX200GPS TIPS Timing is Everything Your telescope receives the precise time when it synchs with the GPS. Precise time is important in aligning your telescope so that it can accurately locate celestial objects. Autostar II receives time data in the Universal Time format. However, if you wish to display the correct time in your local time zone, use the Daylight Saving menu (see above) to turn the Daylight Saving option on or off. Keep in mind that the telescope is receiving the correct time whether or not you set this option to display your local time.