Meade Instruments LX600 - Manual (Page 32)

AutoStar #497 HANDBOX
AutoStar II Operation
32
Utilities Menu
The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features
within Autostar II, including a countdown timer and an alarm.
The Utilities functions include:
StarLock: Provides the ability to control the StarLock system
• Turn StarLock guiding on and off. Enable and
disable StarLock High Precision Pointing
• Monitor StarLock guiding corrections
• Set Guide Aggresiveness
• Train SmartDrive with StarLock
RA PEC: Allows you to turn on or off RA Periodic Error Correction.
Timer: Selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful for
functions such as astrophotography and tracking satellites. To
use the Timer, press ENTER, then choose “Set” or “Start/Stop.”
• Set: Enter the time to be counted down, in hours,
minutes, and seconds, then press ENTER.
• Start/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 to sound as a reminder.
To use the Alarm, press ENTER, then choose “Set” or “Start/
Stop.”
• Set: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound,
in hours, minutes, and seconds, then press
ENTER.
• Start/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,
Autostar II beeps. Press ENTER to deactivate the
alarm.
Eyepiece Calc: Calculates information about an eyepiece for the
specifi c telescope to which Autostar II is connected.
• Field of View: Scroll through a list of available
eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the
fi eld of view is calculated.
• Magnifi cation: Scroll through a list of available
eyepieces. When an eyepiece is selected, the
magnifi cation is calculated.
• Suggest: Autostar II calculates and suggests
the best eyepiece for viewing, based on the
telescope and the object being viewed.
Brightest Star: Gives you a choice of Autostar displaying “CTR
Bright Star” or identifying the star by name during alignment.
Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contrast of the display using the Scroll
keys. When complete, press ENTER.
Panel Light: Allows you to turn off LED panel light.
Aux Port Power: Allows you turn off and on the 12v DC OUT
power port.
Beep: Turns the beep alerts on or off.
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 p 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
There are numerous other features available within the Setup
menu, including:
Align: Lets you choose a method of alignment.
Align on Home: If Calibrate Home has been performed and the
telescope has not been moved since last used, power up your
telescope and select this menu to return the previously calibrated
home position. In other words, the telescope is fully aligned
according to the setting that were stored in Autostar II’s memory
during the Calibrate Home procedure. See Calibrate Home,
page 33, for more information.
Drift Align: Use this to fi ne tune your polar alignment. See page
43, Polar Drift Alignment.
Telescope: Accesses several options, including:
• Mount: Choose between alt-az and polar modes
of operation.
• Telescope Model: Allows you to select the type
of OTA mounted on LX600.
• Focal Length: Displays the focal length of the
selected telescope.
• Max Slew Rate: Sets the upper limit for the slew