User manual MEADE LX400-ACF MODELS

[. . . ] Instruction Manual 10", 12", 14" RCX400TM Advanced Ritchey-Chrétien Telescopes with AutoStar II® Hand Controller and Digital Front Focus MEADE. COM Focusing the Telescope As you look over your new RCX telescope, one of the first things you will notice is that it has no Focus Knob!Because this design is of key importance, we are presenting this information on how to focus your telescope on the inside front cover so that it is immediately accessible. The Focus Key All focusing of the RCX400 is performed digitally, using AutoStar II's Focus key (number key 4). The Focus key functions as a toggle key: Press the Focus key the first time to focus the telescope and to control the speed at which you focus. [. . . ] The following examples assume that you have a basic knowledge of Autostar II and understand how to scroll to a desired menu or menu option, and how to enter numbers and text. It also assumes that you have initialized and aligned your telescope. Adding Observing Sites If you plan to observe using Autostar II at different geographic locations, you can store observation sites in Autostar II's memory to help simplify your telescope setup. Perform these procedures using the Site options (Add, Select, Delete, Edit) of the Setup menu. To Add a Site to the user-defined site list: Important Note: The Site information is stored in the Site menu. If you move the telescope more than 5 miles of your initial observing location, Autostar II automatically determines your location when it gets a GPS Fix, and adds the new location to the Site menu. In this example, you will choose a city and add it to the database list. Press ENTER, Scroll through the options until "Site: Add" displays. When the desired site displays, press ENTER. 5. To Edit a Site: In this procedure, you will enter a location that is not available in the Autostar II database by editing data of a nearby site. You will edit the location's name, latitude, longitude, and the time zone shift. You will need to know the latitude and longitude of your location to perform this procedure. Using the Add option, choose a site on the list that is closest to your observing site and press ENTER so that the site is added to your observing sites list. Choosing a site already on the list (as opposed to using the "Custom" feature) makes it easier to edit, as the "Time Zone" value may not need to be changed. The name of the site you have just entered to your list displays; if it does not, scroll to the site. Using the Arrow keys, change the name of the site so that it now reads the name of your observing location. Using the Number Keys, enter the latitude of your observing site and then press ENTER. Using the Number Keys, enter the longitude of your observing site and then press ENTER. (If the site you chose from the list in step 1 has the same Time Zone as the site you are editing, just press ENTER again to go on to the next step. ) "Time Zone" refers to the Greenwich Time Zone shift. Users West of Greenwich, use "-" hours (one hour per time zone) and users East of Greenwich use "+" hours. Using the Arrow keys, scroll to "Site: Select. " The site you have just edited displays. Press ENTER to select the site. Creating User Objects In this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not appear in any of the Autostar II libraries. You will enter the object's name and R. A. You may also enter the object's magnitude and size (optional information). Although Autostar II contains an extensive database of celestial objects (stars, nebulae, planets, etc. ) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view objects that are not part of a library. Autostar II provides a feature that allows you to enter an object's R. A and Dec. [. . . ] Instead, he believed that Saturn had "ears. " Saturn's rings are composed of billions of ice particles ranging in size from a speck of dust to the size of a house. The major division in Saturn's rings, called the Cassini Division, is easily visible through the RCX400. Titan, the largest of Saturn's moons can also be seen as a bright, star-like object near the planet. Deep-Sky Objects Star charts can be used to locate constellations, individual stars and deep-sky objects. [. . . ]