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It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 9
).
This means that
pressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 3) cycles down through all the available options within a
given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (6, Fig. 3) 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
Figure 10 displays two lines of information. The top line shows the current menu
level. The second line displays an option which may be selected within that menu level. Some
options are choices that select the next menu level down. The Scroll keys move up and down
within the list of available options, showing one option at a time.
When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key to choose that
option and move down one menu level.
Press the MODE key to leave a level;
e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.
IMPORTANT NOTE: No matter how many levels into Autostar are traveled, each
press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top level, "Select Item," is
reached. Once in the Select Item level, 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 of your observing site, see “INITIALIZING
AUTOSTAR,” page 12, before proceeding with this exercise.
AUTOSTAR OPERATION
The Universe of
Autostar
Select Item:
Setup
Select Item:
Utilities
Select Item:
Glossary
Select Item:
Guided Tour
Select Item:
Event
Select Item:
Object
SETUP
Quick, easy alignment
permits all telescope
operations with only
a 2-minute setup.
UTILITIES
Calculate eyepiece
magnifications; set the
timer for an observing
session; or survey user
landmarks in 30-second
intervals.
GLOSSARY
Discover the world of astronomy
by alphabetically accessing
astronomical terms.
OBJECT
Select from over 1400 database objects and
press GO TO to move the telescope automatically to the
object and place it in the telescopic field of view.
EVENT
Access the time of
an astronomical
event, such as the
rising or setting
times of the Moon.
GUIDED TOUR
Journey through the
universe as Autostar
escorts you to the
best celestial objects
at your location.
Fig. 8: The Autostar Universe: The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of Autostar.
Object
Event
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup
Fig. 9: Menus set in a
loop.
Select Item
Solar System
Select Item
Object
ENTER
Fig. 10: Autostar levels.
Autostar Operation 13