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Time changes the time entered into Autostar. Setting the correct time is critical for
Autostar to properly calculate locations and events. Time may be set to 24-hour mode
(military time) by selecting the "blank" option (i.e., no option is displayed) which fol-
lows the "AM" and "PM" options.
Daylight Saving is used to enable or disable Daylight Savings time.
Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by different names in vari-
ous areas of the world. Check local time to verify.
Telescope accesses several options, including:
■ Model: Allows you to select the telescope model connected to Autostar.
■ Focal Length: Displays the focal length of the selected telescope.
■ Az/R.A. Ratio and Alt/Dec. Ratio: The Az (Azimuth) or the R.A. (Right
Ascension) ratio and Alt (Altitude) or Dec. (Declination) ratio refers to the gears of
the telescope's motors. Do not alter these numbers.
■ Az/R.A. Percent: This option allows you to change the AZ (azimuth) or R.A. (right
ascension) backlash, i.e., the way the Arrow keys move the telescope along the
azimuth or R.A. axes. If you enter a value near 100, the telescope tube responds
more quickly (it responds immediately at 100%) as you hold down an Arrow key
and also slews (moves) the tube more quickly. If you enter a value near 0, it takes
longer for the tube to respond as you hold down an Arrow key and also slews the
tube more slowly. Experiment with this option. Try changing the percent value
until you get a "feel" for the Arrow keys that is comfortable for you.
■ Alt/Dec. Percent: The option operates identical to the Az/R.A. Percent option
(see above), but allows you to change the altitude or declination backlash, i.e.,
the way the telescope responds to the Arrow keys when moving along the altitude
or declination axes.
■ Train Drive: Trains the Altitude/Declination and Azimuth/R.A. motors to locate
objects with more precision.
If you are experiencing any problems with pointing accuracy, follow the procedure
described in
TRAINING THE DRIVE, page 20, to insure accurate pointing and track-
ing.
■ Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in the
sky.
a. Sidereal: The default tracking setting for Autostar; sidereal rate is the stan-
dard rate at which stars move from East to West across the sky due to the
rotation of the Earth.
LXD55 TIPS
Observing Considerations
• Try to pick an observing site away from street and house lights and car head-
lights. 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. Experienced observers use red LED flash-
lights, the red utility light on the Autostar handbox, or tape red cellophane over
their flashlights to use for setup and map reading so they don’t have to con-
tinually readjust their eyes to the darkness. Be careful not to shine bright lights
if there are other observers in the area. Do not shine a flashlight into the tele-
scope while someone is observing!
• Dress warmly. It gets chilly when you’re sitting for prolonged periods.
• 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 26mm eyepiece to view terrestrial objects and wider areas of space,
such as open star clusters. Use an optional 9mm eyepiece 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 possible obstructions and pitfalls.