Meade Autostar User Manual download pdf (Page 8)

Tools of the Trade

These are some of the basic tools that you need to help set up the observation system efficiently:

The Flashlight

I use a small Maglight flashlight. I actually keep mine on a necklace that I can wear around my

neck. I never have to look for it when I’m in the dark. There are also some ultra-bright LED

flashlights that would probably work well, too. The important thing is to have a flashlight on or

near your body at all times. Some users have used a red filter on the flashlight so the irises of

your eyes do not close up, maintaining maximum eye sensitivity at all times. Bright white light

tends to cause you irises to close up. There is a built in flash like on the 497 Autostar which may

be toggle ON and OFF with the “0” key.

Bubble Levels

I have found that there is no single level that works for all leveling applications. The best idea is to

purchase several levels, one for each leveling application.

The long bubble level (8”)

I use the 8” bubble level to level the fork arms and the OTA on the rim. Bubble levels

shorter than 8” are not long enough for this application. On the other hand, longer bubble

levels are difficult to carry around and store.

The short bubble level (3”)

I use two short bubble levels for leveling my tripod. They are placed at right angles to

each other. One bubble level is for left-to-right leveling, the other bubble level is for front-

to-back leveling. I have found that using two short bubble levels for this application is

much easier and accurate than using a circular bubble level.

Figure 1 - Levels

Bubble levels

Dial level

The circular bubble level

I use the circular bubble level for leveling my DS-60EC telescope tripod. This application

is the only application that I use the circular bubble level for. From my experience, these

bubble levels are not very accurate. However, they are the only ones appropriate for this

application because there simply is not very much space for other types of bubble levels.

The dial level

I use the dial level for rough readings of Latitude settings. These are also not very

accurate, but they seem to be good enough for rough readings.

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Meade Autostar User Manual Page 8