AUTOSTAR INFORMATION Last updated: 31 March 2003

Autostar II 1.5 Startup

Sent:	Wednesday, March 26, 2003 19:32:14
From:	rseymour@wolfenet.com (Richard Seymour)
> With the new 1.5c update, the initial "Turn On Scope", "Initializing" etc,
> step by step, does not follow the manual, obviously with the new
> information.
> 
> We (I), are hearing many stories, every day, in the LX200GPS posts, on
> how their scope is performing, after this upgrade to 1.5c.
> 
> Can you post, step by step possibly, please, with the new 1.5c, the
> "new start-up procedure?"  I think there are alot of us in this situation,
> and are confused.

I may take a stab at it (it may take some days.. whoops..seconds), but
my -advice- is simply to try it and push [enter] when appropriate. And
there's always the chance it'll change with the next firmware.

You are evidently alreadya member of the LX200gps yahoo discussion
group...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LX200GPS/

they have updated step-by-steps in the "Files" section of that group.
If they're not up-to-date, please also nudge their authors.

Just from memory:
(a) Power up scope
(b) if you haven't surpressed it, answer the SUN WARNING message
(c) if you do not have PEC enabled, the system will arrive at:
  Alt/Az: "Align/AutoAlign" or  Polar: "Align/Easy"
 Otherwise it'll move a little, and THEN it'll get there.
(d) If you wish that style of alignment, tap [enter]
(e) If you chose Alt/Az Autoalign, the scope will dance around a lot.
(f) Eventually it will want to find a star.  At that point it will
 display (unless you've turned off GPS Alignment) "Trying for GPS FIx..."
 with a moving asterisks (***) display on the second line.
(g) it will try that for 10 minutes, or until it gets a Fix, or
 until you tap [enter].
(h) if you tap [enter] to abort the GPS Fix, it will ask for the
 current status of Daylight Savings Time (answer YES if you are -currently-
in your "Summer Time" advanced-clock situation, answer NO otherwise),
 then Date and time.
(i) If the GPS system determines you've moved more than a few miles
since the previous usage, it will prompt for a new City name.
(j) once happy with time and date, the scope will slew to (try to)
 point at the first alignment star (if you're Polar, in the Northern
 Hemi, that'll be Polaris). 
(k) After it beeps, slew the scope to center the star, (unless Polar,
 in which case, follow the scrolling instructions).
(l) tap enter when centered.
(m) it will slew to the second alignment star. 
(m footnote) If either star is unavailable, the scroll keys will ask
 the Autostar to choose another.  You have about 20 chances.
(n) Slew to Center and tap [enter]
(o) If it says "Alignment Failed", suspect that you [enter]ed at
 the wrong stars.
(p) If it says "Alignment Successful", proceed to observe.

If you wish a different alignment style than (d), the above instructions
expand to about 6 other versions, but they're all (except Align On Home)
basically the same.. only "who chooses the stars" and "how many stars"
 varies.

have fun
--dick

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