Previous page  Page 30   Next page    Table of Contents 

provided with Guide, use the Fixed Levels option in the Extras menu,
described on page 53.)
                                                              
   The Telescope menu is useful if you have an LX-200,  Ultima 2000,
or Sky Commander connected via serial port to your computer,  or if
you are using the Mel Bartels stepper motor system.  This menu is
described in the Telescope Control chapter,  on page 37.

   The "Level" option brings up a dialog box with 20 buttons. Click on
one, and Guide will switch to that zoom level. You can also get to this
option by clicking on the Level shown in the legend area.

   The Language submenu lists (at present) ten languages:  English,  
French,  German,  Spanish, Italian,  Dutch,  Japanese,  Czech,  Russian,
and Chinese.  Click on one,  and Guide will switch to that language.

   In some cases,  the translation is not yet complete.  Much text has
been translated,  but some remains.  (You may find updated versions and
additional languages on the Web site from time to time.)
                                                             
   The software allows for the easy addition of further languages. If
you're interested in adding your own language,  please let me know.

   The Margins menu is described on page 41.
                                                               
   Clicking on the "RA/dec Format" option brings up a dialog box that
provides almost complete control over how coordinates are shown in Guide.
Choose among hours/degrees,  decimal minutes, or decimal seconds for
RA/dec;  decide if leading zeroes should be shown in positions;  and if
declinations should begin with "+/-" or "N/S". Also,  you select the
epoch in which positions are to be shown. In this "RA/dec Format"
dialog,  one also controls how latitude/longitude values are shown, and
switches between metric and "traditional" units (inches,  miles,  etc.)
The choices you make here will be used throughout Guide.
                                       
   The "TLE=" option lets you select a new file of orbital elements for
artificial satellites.  Artificial satellite elements are almost always
provided in files called "Two-Line Elements",  or "TLEs";  these files
usually have a .TLE extension.

   Guide comes with three element sets ("elsets"):  BRIGHT.TLE (data for
about 170 of the brightest satellites);  GEO.TLE (most geosynchronous
satellites);  and IRIDIUM.TLE (about 60 of the Iridium communication
satellites.)  By default, Guide uses the BRIGHT.TLE file when plotting
satellites on charts, animating them, and in the "Go to Satellite"
option.

   You will need to get updated files quite often.  Satellite motion
is not entirely predictable;  satellites maneuver (using thruster
rockets), new satellites are launched,  and the way in which
atmospheric drag works can't be predicted very far in advance.  In

 Previous page  Page 30   Next page    Table of Contents