AUTOSTAR OPERATION
Object
Event
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup
22
Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope
Targets
etc.
Setup
Align
Fig. 26: 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. 25: Menus set in a loop.
It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 25
).
This means
that pressing the Scroll Down key cycles down through all the available options within
a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key 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 demonstrates 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 four times or the Scroll Up key once.
The screen in
Fig. 26 shows two lines of information in the Autostar display. The top
line shows the current menu level. The second line displays an option which may be
selected. Some options are submenus that offer more choices. The Scroll keys move
up and down within the list of available options, showing one option at a time.
When an option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to choose that
option.
Press the MODE key to return back to the last menu. This can be useful to exit a menu
or if the wrong menu option is chosen.
IMPORTANT NOTE: No matter how many levels into Autostar are trav-
eled, each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level,
"Select Item," is reached. Once Select Item displays, press MODE to
return to the topmost level, "Select Item: Object."
Autostar Navigation Exercise
To demonstrate how the Autostar menu structure works, the following exercise
calculates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.
NOTE: To perform an accurate calculation, Autostar MUST be properly
initialized with the current date, time and location of the observing site.To
enter the current date, time and location information, see
INITIALIZING
AUTOSTAR, page 18, before proceeding with this exercise.
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.
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.
GLOSSARY
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 30,000 objects and press
GOTO 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 escorts you
on a tour of tonight's
best celestial objects
at your viewing location.
Select Item:
Object
Autostar
The Universe of
AAutoutostar star
Fig. 24: The Autostar Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select menu.