Meade StarNavigator 90mm Instruction Manual - Page 26

Glossary Menu The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descriptions for common astronomical terms and Audiostar functions. Access directly through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in Audiostar. A hypertext word is any word in [brackets], usually found when using the Audiostar Help function or when reading a scrolling message such as a description of a planet or star. Press ENTER whenever a hypertext word is on screen and Audiostar goes to the glossary entry for that word. To access directly from the Glossary menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll through the alphabet. Press ENTER on the desired letter. Scroll to the desired entry and then press ENTER to read the description. Utilities Menu The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features within Audiostar, including language selection and countdown timer and an alarm. The Utilities functions include: Timer selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful for functions such as astrophotography and tracking satellites. See OBSERVING SATELLITES, page 40. To use the Timer, press ENTER, then choose "Set" or "Start/Stop." ‫ ܖ‬Set: Enter the time to be counted down, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then press ENTER. ‫ ܖ‬Start/Stop: Activates the timer set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the timer. When the timer runs out, four beeps sound and the timer is deactivated. Alarm selects a time for an alarm signal as a reminder. To use the Alarm, press ENTER, then choose "Set" or "Start/Stop." ‫ ܖ‬Set: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then press ENTER. ‫ ܖ‬Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the alarm. When the alarm time arrives, Audiostar beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate the alarm. Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific telescope to which Audiostar is connected. ‫ ܖ‬Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the field of view is calculated. ‫ ܖ‬Magnification: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the magnification is calculated. ‫ ܖ‬Suggest: Audiostar calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for viewing, based on the telescope and the object being viewed. Observing Considerations • Try to pick an observing site away from street and house lights, and car headlights. While this is not always possible, the darker the site, the better. • Give your eyes about ten minutes to adjust to the darkness before observing. Give your eyes a rest from observing every ten or fifteen minutes to relieve eyestrain. • Try not to use a standard flashlight. Seasoned observers use red LED flashlights or tape red cellophane over their flashlights for setup and map reading so they don't have to continually readjust their eyes to the darkness. Be careful not to shine bright lights if there are other observers in the area. Never shine a flashlight into a telescope while someone is observing! • Dress warmly. It gets chilly when you're sitting for prolonged periods, even on some summer nights. • Practice setting up your equipment during the day or in a lighted area to become familiar with it before going to a dark site. • Use your 25 mm eyepiece to view terrestrial objects and wider areas of space, such as open star clusters. Use your higher power eyepieces when you wish to view something up close, such as craters on the Moon or the rings of Saturn. • Know your observing site. If you're going to try out an unfamiliar site, check it out in the daylight for obstructions and pitfalls. Looking at or near the Sun will cause irreversible damage to your eye. Do not point this telescope at or near the Sun. Do not look through the telescope as it is moving. 24