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To add an object to the NEW catalog, enter the
CATALOG
mode and use the UP/DOWN buttons until
NEW01 is
displayed. After pressing ENTER, select the object number
you wish to modify (01-28). Once you have ENTERed the
number, the current coordinates are displayed (if defining
for the first time,
2400-000 will appear). Press ENTER
once more and the first digit of the Right Ascension will
begin flashing. Define the new coordinates one digit at a
time, until the last is entered (if the Declination is three
digits, the last is tens
of arc minutes, not tenths of a
degree). The display will stop flashing, and at this point you
should review your coordinates to be sure they are correct.
If you need to change them, simply press ENTER and
repeat the process. When the coordinates are correct,
press the MODE button to have the MAX computer store
them in its memory.
PLANETS (NGC-miniMAX and NGC-MAX)
Upon ENTERing the PLANETS catalog,
DATE will flash on
the display. Before selecting a planet for the first time in a
viewing session, the current date should be set. For the
most accurate guiding, use the current date for Greenwich,
England (i.e. set the date based on Universal Time).
To set the date, press ENTER while
DATE is flashing.
(The coordinates shown are those of the Sun for the last
defined date. This may be useful for daytime alignments,
however, you should take proper precautions when pointing
your telescope near the Sun!) Press ENTER again, and
you will see a display similar to the following:
DATE 12-31-2000
You may use the UP/DOWN and ENTER buttons to define
the current date in the format MM-DD-YYYY. This setting is
stored in non-volatile RAM, so if the unit is turned off the
date will not be lost. The MAX computer does not update
this setting with the passage of time (whether on or off), so
it will be necessary to update it if the unit is used to locate
planets at a later date.
Once the date is defined, use the UP and DOWN buttons to
select a desired planet.
GUIDE
After selecting a desired object under
CATALOG, entering
GUIDE mode will show you how far to move the telescope
in each axis to find that object. Following is an example
display:
NGC4565 171← 29↓
This indicates that the telescope should be moved to the left
171° and down 29° to locate NGC4565. As the telescope is
moved, the display updates the angles and changes
directions if the object is passed. When an angle is less
than ten degrees, that angle will be displayed to tenths of a
degree. If the telescope in our example had been moved
down 21.7 degrees, the display would now read:
NGC4565 171← 6↓3
Notice that the direction-indicating arrow (↓) has moved
between the 6 and 3 to double as a decimal point.
While entirely up to the user, it is probably easiest to move
one axis of the telescope mount at a time, rather than both
simultaneously. When the telescope is at the correct
position, the display will show the following:
NGC4565 0♦0 0♦0
If the initial star sighting(s) were done properly, the object
should now appear in your telescope's eyepiece. A
moderate power eyepiece is recommended when using the
GUIDE mode, as the object is more likely to be within its
field of view than in that of a high power eyepiece.
Eyepieces yielding 1/4° to 1/2° field of view work best. (If
you don't know the field of view of your eyepieces, try
finding one which just fits the full moon into the field.)
IDENTIFY (NGC-MAX only)
If you are looking at an object you cannot identify, this mode
will let the NGC-MAX try to identify it for you. Additionally,
you might simply wish to point your telescope to an
unfamiliar part of the sky and have the computer find nearby
objects of interest.
In either case, the NGC-MAX will search its databases for
the object nearest the telescope's current position. The
search can be performed regardless of object type, or
limited to a specific type, such as planetary nebulae. A
limiting magnitude is also entered to eliminate objects from
the search which might be too faint for the observer's
circumstances.
Upon entering the
IDENTIFY mode, you are allowed to
specify which type of object you wish to find. This type can
be any of the following:
R (red star) GC (globular cluster)
2 (double star) ST (star)
NB (nebula) BK (black hole candidate)
PN (planetary nebula) QSR (quasar)
GX (galaxy) NS (any non-stellar)*
OC (open cluster) ANY (any of above)
* The NS type is used to find a non-stellar object from any
catalog, and should not be confused with the NS catalog.
After the type is ENTERed, use the UP/DOWN buttons to
set the limiting magnitude as desired. If you enter a value