Meade LXD55 Series, Instruction Manual

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 19). This means
that pressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the available
options within a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll Up key (7,
Fig. 2) 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 five times or the Scroll Up key once. 

The screen in Fig. 20 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 calcu-
lates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned. 

Note: Before proceeding with this exercise, Autostar must be properly ini-
tialized and aligned (see pages 19 and 21).

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. 

BASIC AUTOSTAR OPERATION

Select Item:
   Setup

Select Item:
   Glossary

Select Item:
   Guided Tour

Select Item:
   Event

                     SETUP MENU
                Easy alignment
    permits all telescope
operations with only
      a quick 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 database objects and press
                 GO TO 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

MEADE

MEADE

Autostar

The Universe of

Select Item:
   Utilities

Fig. 18: The Autostar Universe.The six primary categories listed in the Select Item menu of
Autostar.

Object
Event 
Guided Tours
Glossary
Utilities
Setup

23

Date
Time
Daylight Saving
Telescope
Targets
etc.

Setup

  Align

Fig. 20: Menu options dis-
play 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. 19: Menus set in a
loop.

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. The
following sections (

BASIC

AUTOSTAR OPERATION,
AUTOSTAR MENUS, AND
USEFUL AUTOSTAR
PROCEDURES)

, 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.