Meade LXD55 Telescope User Manual


 
9
Fig. 2: The Autostar Handbox.
Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button
Control of most LXD55-Series telescope models (excluding the EC models; see mar-
gin note) is through the operation of Autostar. Nearly all functions of the telescope are
accomplished with just a few pushes of Autostar’s buttons. Some of the major fea-
tures of Autostar are:
Automatic GO TO capability: Automatically move the telescope to any of the
more than 30,000 objects stored in the object library.
Take a guided tour of the best celestial objects to view on any given night of the
year.
Download the latest satellite data and software revisions directly from the Meade
website (www.meade.com) and share software with other Autostar enthusiasts.
Requires optional #505 AstroFinder™ Software and Cable Connector Kit. See
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, page 38.
Access a glossary of astronomical terms.
Fully automatic tracking of celestial objects.
Features
The Autostar Computer Controller provides control of virtually every telescope func-
tion within a compact handbox. Autostar has soft-touch keys designed to have a pos-
itive feel. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is backlit with a red LED (Light Emitting
Diode) for easy viewing in the dark. The backlit display, key arrangement, and
sequential menu structure make Autostar extremely user friendly.
B 2-Line LCD Display: This screen displays Autostar's menus and other informa-
tion about the telescope.
Top line: Lists the primary menu.
Bottom line: Contains other menus that may be selected, menu options, tele-
scope status, or information about a function that is currently being performed.
C ENTER Key: Press to go to the next menu level or to choose an option in a
menu. The ENTER key is similar to the RETURN or ENTER key on a computer.
See
MOVING THROUGH AUTOSTAR'S MENUS, page 19 and AUTOSTAR’S MENUS,
page 25.
AUTOSTAR FEATURES
¹
·
¿
´
º
¾
µ
¸
»
²
Note: Autostar does not
require batteries; the tele-
scope’s batteries supply
power to Autostar.
Important Note: The
model SN-6EC, model
SN-8EC, and model AR-
5EC are equipped with an
Electronic Controller
handbox, rather than the
Autostar Handbox.
Several of the following
procedures, such as
Tracking Objects and
Initializing Autostar (to
name but a few), are rele-
vant only to models
equipped with the
Autostar handbox and do
not apply to the EC mod-
els. For more information
about the EC handbox,
see
APPENDIX D: EC
HANDBOX
, page 55.