Meade Instruments DS-2000 LNT - Manual (Page 19)

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NOTE: Autostar locates alignment stars based on the date, time, and location
entered. The alignment stars may change from night to night. All that is required is
for the observer to center the selected stars in the eyepiece when prompted.
NOTE: The GO TO key also allows you to perform a "spiral search." A spiral search
is useful when the telescope slews to an object, but that object is not visible in the
eyepiece after the telescope finishes its search. (This sometimes occurs during an
alignment procedure.) Press GO TO when the slew is finished and the telescope
starts slewing in a spiral pattern at a very slow speed around the search area. Look
through the eyepiece and when the object does become visible, press MODE to
stop the spiral search. Then use the Arrow keys to center the object.
Three other methods of alignment are available to the observer: Easy, Two-Star and One-Star.
These methods are included in case the observer prefers to pick out his or her own alignment
stars. See page 25 for more information.
Go To Saturn
After performing the Easy Align procedure, the motor drive begins operating and the telescope
is aligned for a night of viewing. Objects in the eyepiece should maintain their position even
though the Earth is rotating beneath the stars.
IMPORTANT NOTE : Once aligned, only use GO TO or the Arrow keys to move the
telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks ( 10 and 26, Fig. 1), or move the base
manually, or alignment will be lost.
This exercise shows how to select a celestial object (Saturn) for viewing from Autostar’s database.
NOTE: Saturn is not visible all the time and you may need to choose another object
from Autostar's Object database; however, the procedure, as described below,
remains the same; just choose a different object in step #3.
1 After the telescope is aligned, “Select Item: Object” displays. Press ENTER.
2.
“Object: Solar System” displays. Press ENTER.
3. “Solar System: Mercury” displays. Keep pressing the Scroll Down key until “Solar System:
Saturn” displays.
4. Press ENTER. “Calculating” displays. Then “Saturn” and a set of coordinates displays.
Note that Saturn’s (and other planets’) coordinates change throughout the year.
5. Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until it finds Saturn. You
may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn precisely in the eyepiece. Autostar then
automatically moves the telescope so that it "tracks" Saturn (or whatever other object you
may have chosen); i.e., Saturn remains centered in the eyepiece.
Take a Guided Tour
This example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour.
1. After observing Saturn, press MODE twice so that “Select Item: Object” displays again.
2. Press the Scroll Down key twice. “Select Item: Guided Tour” displays.
3. Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’s Best” displays. Press ENTER.
NOTE: If you wish to try out other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down key to scroll
through other tour choices. When the tour you wish to select displays, press
ENTER.
4. “Tonight’s Best: Searching...” displays. After calculating, “Tonight’s Best: Jupiter” displays.
NOTE: Different objects may be displayed on a tour list on any given night.
Press ENTER to display information about the object. Press GO TO to move the telescope
to the object.
5. Press MODE to return to the Tour list. Press the Scroll keys to scroll through the list. Press
ENTER when you find the next object you wish to observe.
6. Press and hold down MODE for two seconds to exit the Guided Tour menu.