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ongratulations on your purchase of Space Navigator—a patent-protected, precision instrument from
Excalibur Electronics, Inc. This exciting learning tool allows you to unlock the secrets of the night sky
C
Space Navigator was invented and designed to guide anyone through the mysteries of the sky. If youʼve
tried other products that promised to help your night-sky observation but were disappointed by hard-to-read,
unlighted paper charts, youʼve got a lot in common with the inventor of Space Navigator. As an astronomy
teacher, he devised a unique system for observing the skies and put it to work. He found that even inexperenced students learned to find and identify objects in minutes.
Youʼll easily find your zodiacal birth sign, constellations, stars, even other galaxies in the night sky. Youʼll
quickly identify objects that interest you. And youʼll be doing this within just minutes of unpacking Space
Navigator!
Come on, letʼs explore the universe!
quickly and easily. Even if youʼve never tried before, youʼll be finding stars and planets right away.
QUICK START:
After reading and following the directions on pages 4-7,
press SELECT, referring to this manual as necessary.
Space Navigator will tell and show you how to complete the
necessary setup, and then how to find and identify objects
in the sky. Be sure to read the entire manual later.
Never look directly at the sun!
Doing so can injure your eyes.
The legendary King Arthur brandished a magic
sword, Excalibur, from which we take our company name. With this unique weapon in his hands,
he could not be vanquished.
Although Excalibur Electronics canʼt claim the
magical secrets of Merlin, King Arthurʼs court
wizard, sometimes our patented technology may
make it seem as if we could.
We make you think!
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Table of Contents
UNPACK SPACE NAVIGATOR ................................................................................................................ 4
BATTERY INSTALLATION ...................................................................................................................... 4
BUTTONS AND FUNCTIONS ................................................................................................................... 5
VOICE FEATURE .......� 7
LIGHTS ........................� 7
USING THE COLOR BUTTON ................................................................................................................. 7
USING THE STAR MAPS ......................................................................................................................... 7
SET-UP ..........................� 8
SETTING LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE ............................................................................................. 8
SETTING TIME AND DATE ..................................................................................................................... 9
ADJUSTING THE COMPASS ................................................................................................................... 9
COMPASS SCALE ADJUSTMENT USING THE NORTH STAR ...................................................... 12
GETTING READY TO FIND AND IDENTIFY OBJECTS IN THE SKY ..........................................13
FINDING OBJECTS IN THE SKY ..........................................................................................................14
IDENTIFYING OBJECTS IN THE SKY ................................................................................................15
TIPS FOR USING SPACE NAVIGATOR ................................................................................................16
FINDING REALLY COOL STUFF ..........................................................................................................17
GLOSSARY .................� 17
SET-UP MAPS ..............� 18
BATTERY SAFETY AND SPECIAL CARE ...........................................................................................20
WARRANTY ...............� 20
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UNPACK SPACE NAVIGATOR
Carefully unpack your Space Navigator from its box
and unwrap it. Gently place it on a table in front of
you—the buttons and “Your Sky Tonight” window
should be face up. Take a moment to familiarize
yourself with the unit and its parts by comparing it to
the illustration on the facing page.
BATTERY INSTALLATION
Place a towel or a folded newspaper to one side of
Space Navigator. Then carefully turn the unit upsidedown on this padding material to prevent scratching
or marring Space Navigator.
AAA Battery Compartment
Now you can see the two battery-compartment covers—a larger one over the heading “OBJECT MAP
NUMBERS” and a smaller one to the right. Remove
the larger cover by using a small Phillips
screwdriver to remove the screw and then pulling
down and out on the tab-lock at the top of the compartment. Install three AAA batteries in the large
compartment—these power the display lights and
the voice of Space Navigator. Make sure to follow
the diagram inside the battery compartment so that
the polarity (“+” and “-“) ends are properly aligned.
INSTALLING THE MAPS IN
THE MAP COMPARTMENT
After youʼve loaded the batteries, carefully remove
the circular maps from their plastic bag. Hold them
together and slide them into their compartment on
the back of the unit (see the diagram on page 6).
The numbered, transparent tabs should be visible,
and the numbers on them should be readable—not
backward. The maps will slide into their compartment easily if you line up the maps with the straight
edges on each side. Once youʼve slid all the maps
into the compartment, center the black, middle tabs
in their holder. It does not matter what map is front
or behind another.
AG-13 Battery Compartment
You do not need to remove the smaller battery cover
at this time. Your Space Navigator comes with two
AG-13 batteries already installed in this compartment.
They supply power to your LCD. In the future, when
you notice your LCD dimming or showing impartial
or incorrect letters, you should remove the smaller
battery compartment lid and replace the two AG-13
batteries according to the diagram at the top of the
next column.
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NOW YOU’RE READY TO SET UP!
Now find the ACL (“All Clear”) button near the bottom of Space Navigator, in the shoulder of the drawing of the dragon. (This button is recessed so that
you wonʼt later accidentally press it, wiping out your
personal info.) Using a ballpoint pen or paperclip,
press the ACL button. You will hear “Press select
to enter setup.” Turn your unit over. Youʼll see that
the LCD will display the same message. Turn to the
“Set Up” section on page 8.
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SPACE NAVIGATOR LAYOUT—FRONT
Swiveling Colored
Lights
Glow-in-the-dark
ON/OFF button
Glow-in-the-dark
COLOR button
BUTTONS FUNCTIONS
(Lower Left)
ON/OFF Press to turn Space Navigator on and off.
VOLUME Press to change volume and turn off sound.
DIMMER Press to change brightness.
COLOR Press to turn the swiveling lights on. Press repeatedly to change from red light,
to blue light, to red-and-blue light, and again to turn the light off.
TIME/DATE Press to display time and date.
SELECT Press to confirm an option.
Swiveling Colored
Lights
(Lower Right)
HELP Press to hear and display a helpful tip if you are having trouble finding an
object.
TONIGHT Press repeatedly to hear and display tonightʼs top five astronomical events.
INFO Press to get information about your selection.
REPEAT Press to repeat the previous voice instruction.
BACK Press to go back to the previous screen.
(Up Arrow) Press to move up through menu screens or options. Press and hold to fast scroll.
(Down Arrow) Press to move down through menu screens or options. Hold down to fast scroll.
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Install the
Star Maps in the
storage compartment
on the back of
Space Navigator.
SPACE NAVIGATOR LAYOUT—BACK
LEDs indicate the
correct map to
use.
All Clear Button
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VOICE FEATURE
The Space Navigatorʼs voice feature guides you through the
necessary steps to find and identify objects in the night sky.
The steps are also displayed on the LCD if you choose to
use the Space Navigator silently. Press the VOLUME button
repeatedly to set one of the three levels of volume or to mute
the Space Navigator. As you press the UP/DOWN keys to
step through the items on a menu, Space Navigator will say
the name of the underlined object or menu item. Press the
REPEAT key to have Space Navigator repeat the previous
statement.
LIGHTS
The two lights on the sides of the Space Navigator are used
to illuminate both the front and back of the unit. The lights
appear as two black arms at the side of the Space Navigator.
Gently lift the lights toward you so they stand vertically. Once
the lights are vertical, you can also swivel the lights from side
to side when for better illumination and to reduce glare. The
COLOR button turns the lights on and off, and also changes
the color of the light.
What the different colored lights reveal
Everything that is white on the maps is visible under both blue
and red lights. Everything that is red on the maps is visible
only under red light. Everything that is blue on the maps is visible only under blue lights.
The red light reveals the stars, the modern figures we use to
identify the constellations, the names of the contellations,
stars, and deep-sky objects—as well as the viewing circle
around them. The red light also shows the coordinates, a-x,
used to load the maps, and the names and map numbers of
adjacent constellations located around the edge of the map.
The blue light shows the stars, the names of the constellations, and the Greek mythological figures associated with the
constellations.
The coordinates and the names of the constellations that border
the map also appear on the edge of the maps when the blue is
illuminated.
USING THE COLOR BUTTON
Press the COLOR key repeatedly to set red, blue, or red and
blue light, and to turn the light off. Use only the red light when
you are trying to find or identify objects in the sky, since red
light will not spoil your night vision. The stars and the lines
between them, as well as the names of the constellations, stars,
and deep-sky objects will show up on the maps under red light.
Turn on the blue light to make the mythological figures and
their names appear. Turning both the red and blue lights on
allow you to read all markings on the maps at once. Do not
use the blue light for extended periods as it will decrease your
night vision. If this happens, turn off the blue light and rest
your eyes for approximately five minutes to fully restore your
night vision.
USING THE STAR MAPS
Space Navigatorʼs star maps are your key to knowing the sky.
Each star map is illuminated and color-coded for easy viewing. So, even though they are packed with information, Space
Navigatorʼs star maps are easy to use and understand at night.
1. The maps show the 56 constellations visible from midnorthern latitudes, 66 of the brightest or most important stars
and 33 of the best deep-sky objects.
2. Each of the 20 star maps represents a circular view of the
night sky.
3. Constellations names, star names, and deep-sky object
names are located close to the objects and are visible under the
red light. Constellation names also appear under the blue light.
4. Constellation names are shown in all caps. Only the first letters of star names are capitalized. Deep sky objects are labeled
with an “M” or an “NGC” prefix followed by a number.
5. White dots designate the stars. The size of a white dot indicates the brightness of the star. The biggest dots indicate the
brightest stars.
6. Deep-sky objects are represented by a small circle of dots.
Some deep sky objects are faint and will require binoculars or
a telescope to see.
7. The names of adjacent constellations and their map numbers
are shown at the edges of the maps. These markings make it
easy to go from map to map to learn the entire night sky.
8. The large red circle marks off the sky view for each chart.
9. When removing the maps from the storage compartment on
the back, pull the map number tab lighted by the LED.
10. The mythological figures that the ancient Greeks imagined are visible under blue light. For example, Map 6 shows
Cygnus as a swan, flying south, as some birds do in the fall,
when Cygnus is readily visible. Or, in the case of Cassiopeia
on Map 9, the modern red “W” becomes the Ethiopian Queen,
facing her king, Cepheus.
11. The red lines between stars show the easily recognized,
modern shapes that youʼll use to quickly spot constellations.
For example, on Map 6, the red connecting lines show the
constellation Cygnus as an easily recognizable cross. (Indeed,
this constellation is sometimes called the “Northern Cross.”)
Another good example is Cassiopeia, on Map 9, which to
modern eyes looks like a big “W” or “M” that is easily spotted
in the sky.
12. The maps can be replaced in any order (as long as all the
odd-numbered maps face up) and the map number tabs will
still be over the appropriate LEDs.
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SETUP
Make sure to personalize your Space Navigator
before going outside by giving it necessary information to guide you through the night sky from
your location. The steps are quick and easy—but
extremely important. Carefully follow each step displayed on the LCD. Space Navigator even talks you
through the procedure! Youʼll be ready to go outside
in just a few minutes.
NOTES:
• You will need to repeat the setup and compass
adjustment when you change the site you are observing from.
• As long as you donʼt let both the AAA batteries
and thr AG-13 batteries go dead at the same time,
your personalized set-up info will be retained. To
retain your information, do not remove the batteriesin both compartments at the same time.
Install the batteries following instructions from the
“Battery Installation” section. Press the ACL button
on the back of the unit using a ballpoint pen. The
LCD will display: PRESS SELECT TO ENTER
SETUP.
SETTING LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
NOTE: See the Latitude and Longitude Maps
section at the back of this manual to estimate your
latitude and longitude. If you know your exact
latitude and longitude, or can easily look it up on
the internet, you can select your precise numbers.
Any setting to be changed will appear underlined on
the LCD.
STEP ACTION
1. Press SELECT to enter your setup.
The LCD displays:
CHOOSE YOUR LATITUDE 26 27 28
29.
2. Underline the appropriate latitude by
pressing the UP/DOWN keys, which can
reveal latitudes 20-56. Then press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
CHOOSE YOUR LONGITUDE 90 91
92 93.
3. Underline the appropriate longitude by
pressing the UP/DOWN keys. Then
press SELECT.
The longitude is set. Your are now ready
to set your date and time.
See the Latitude and Longitude Maps section at
the back of this manual to estimate your latitude
and longitude. If you know your exact latitude and
longitude, or can easily look it up on the internet,
you can select your precise numbers.
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SETTING TIME AND DATE
The following steps adjust the time and date.
STEP ACTION
1. The LCD displays:
CHOOSE YOUR TIME ZONE.
5-EST 6-CST.
2. Press the UP/DOWN keys, which can reveal world time zone 0-23, until your time
zone is underlined. (Consult the time zone
map at the back of this manual if you are
not sure of your time zone.) Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
JAN 01, 2005 12:00 PM
DAYLIGHT SAVING YES NO
3. Press the UP/DOWN keys until you have
underlined the appropriate month. Press
SELECT.
The LCD displays:
MAY 01, 2006 12:00 PM
DAYLIGHT SAVING YES NO
4. Press the UP/DOWN keys until you have
underlined the appropriate date. Press
SELECT.
5. Press the UP/DOWN keys until you have
underlined the appropriate year. Press
SELECT.
6. Press the UP/DOWN keys until you have
underlined the appropriate hour. Press
SELECT.
7. Press the UP/DOWN keys until you have
underlined the appropriate minutes. Press
SELECT.
8. Press the UP/DOWN keys to underline AM
or PM. Press SELECT.
9. Press the UP and DOWN keys until the
current daylight saving time status is underlined. Press SELECT. The LCD displays:
TURN THE DISK
TO CURRENT TIME
AND DATE. THEN
PRESS SELECT.
SETTING TIME AND DATE, cont.
STEP ACTION
10. Rotate the center disk until the current
time and date line up. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
SUBTRACT 1 HOUR
IF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
IS IN EFFECT.
(Note: If DST is in effect, readjust the
center disk to one hour earlier than the
current time.
11. After a short pause, the LCD displays:
THE YOUR SKY TONIGHT
WINDOW SHOWS VISIBLE
CONTELLATIONS.
12. After another short pause, the LCD
displays:
CONSTELLATIONS
NEAR THE EDGE OF
THE WINDOW MAY BE
BELOW THE HORIZON.
13. After another short pause, the LCD
displays main menu:
FIND
IDENTIFY
SETUP
ADJUST COMPASS
ADJUSTING THE COMPASS
To align the Space Navigator compass precisely, you need
to use the North Star, also called Polaris. If you already
know how to find Polaris, jump down to the section entitled
“COMPASS SCALE ADJUSTMENT USING THE NORTH
STAR.” If you do not know how to find the North Star/Polaris,
Space Navigator will roughly adjust its compass so that
you can use Space Navigator to find the North Star. (If your
package contains the booklet “Navigating the Universe,”
you can also go to page 42 to see how to find the North Star
visually. Everyone should learn how to do this in order to
find directions at night.) The QUICK START COMPASS
ALIGNMENT section below will help you to adjust and align
the Compass using Magnetic North.
NOTE: When adjusting the compass using Magnetic North,
the letter A must always be placed at the top of the compass
dial.
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QUICK START COMPASS ALIGNMENT
STEP ACTION
1. Press the UP and DOWN keys until
ADJUST COMPASS is underlined.
Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
USING THE NORTH STAR
USING MAGNETIC NORTH
2. Press the UP and DOWN keys until
“USING MAGNETIC NORTH” is
underlined. Then press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
TURN COMPASS SCALE UNTIL
THE LETTER A IS UP. PRESS
SELECT.
3. Turn the compass scale (black ring
with the alphabet) until the letter “A” is
straight up.
ADJUSTING THE COMPASS USING
POLARIS, THE NORTH STAR
You need to be able to find Polaris to calibrate Space
Navigatorʼs compass accurately. To find Polaris, you
need a clear night and a dark location free of trees
and other obstructions. This site should offer a good
view to the north. Avoid light from street lamps, car
headlights, and houses. Give your eyes five to ten
minutes to adjust to the darkness. Then follow the
steps below to learn how to find Polaris.
STEP ACTION
1. Turn Space Navigator on.
The LCD lights up and the automated
voice welcomes you and instructs you to
adjust the center disk and press
SELECT.
2. After you press SELECT, three introductory screens are displayed, followed by
the main menu. Note: You can select the
appropriate voice volume by pressing
the VOLUME.
3. Press the UP/DOWN keys until FIND is
underlined. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
VISIBLE OBJECTS, ALL OBJECTS
Press SELECT.
The LCD displays the main menu:
FIND
IDENTIFY
SETUP
ADJUST COMPASS
The compass is now aligned with Magnetic North.
This is a good approximation until you learn how
to find the North Star, Polaris. The Space Navigator
can now be used, but will be more accurate if you
use the North Star to align the compass. Just follow
the directions in the “ADJUSTING THE COMPASS
USING POLARIS, THE NORTH STAR,” section.
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4. Press the UP/DOWN keys until
VISIBLE OBJECTS is underlined. Press
SELECT.
The LCD displays:
CONSTELLATIONS
STARS
DEEP SKY OBJECTS
PLANETS
5. Press the UP/DOWN keys until STARS
is underlined. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays a list of stars.
6. Press the UP/DOWN keys until
POLARIS is underlined.
The LCD displays:
REMOVE MAP 1. THEN PRESS
SELECT.
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STEP ACTION
7. Pull the tab labeled 1/2 to remove map
1. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
LOAD MAP 1 WITH ARROW AT
LETTER __. THEN PRESS SELECT.
8. Load map 1, so that the specific letter
called for rests directly on top of the
black arrow (located halfway between
the 6 AM and 5 AM time labels. Press
SELECT.
The LCD displays:
BE SURE MAP 1 IS LOADED FACE
UP. THEN PRESS SELECT.
STEP ACTION
10. Turn your body while holding Space
Navigator in front of you, level with the
ground, until the compass points to the
appropriate letter. Press SELECT.
9. Ensure that map 1 is face up. Press
SELECT.
The LCD displays:
TURN YOUR BODY UNTIL COMPASS
ARROW POINTS TO __. PRESS
SELECT.
The LCD advises you to look LOW,
MID, or HIGH in the sky.
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STEP ACTION
11. Look to the indicated height in the sky
in the direction you are facing. You no
longer need to hold Space Navigator
level with the ground. Slowly raise it
until it is directly below the level of the
sky you are looking to. Then tilt it to a
comfortable viewing position.
After a short pause, the LCD displays:
LOOK FOR THE BRIGHT STARS OF
THE BIG DIPPER FIRST.
12. The LCD displays a list of all named
objects on this map. You can press the
INFO key to briefly display information
about the underlined object as shown on
Map 1.
13. Compare the map with the sky. You
should be able to pick out the bright
stars of the Big Dipper easily.
Once you can find the Big Dipper, you
can use it to find Polaris by using the
two pointer stars, Dubhe and Merak,
which point to Polaris, as shown on Map
1.
NOTE: Polaris is not a particularly bright star, but it
is the only fairly bright star in the area.
Using Space Navigator is easy.
Its breakthrough electronics and
programming offer two unique and
amazing modes:
FIND and IDENTIFY!
COMPASS SCALE ADJUSTMENT USING THE
NORTH STAR
Once you have found Polaris (North Star), readjust
your compass. This will ensure more accurate compass reading. Follow the steps below.
STEP ACTION
1. Press the UP/DOWN keys until
ADJUST COMPASS is underlined.
Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
USING THE NORTH STAR.
USING MAGNETIC NORTH.
2. Press the UP and DOWN keys until
“USING THE NORTH STAR” is underlined. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
FACE THE NORTH STAR, POLARIS.
THEN PRESS SELECT.
3. Keep the Space Navigator level with
the ground and pointing straight ahead
in the direction you are facing. Turn to
face Polaris. When you are facing Polaris, press SELECT. The LCD displays:
TURN THE COMPASS SCALE UNTIL
THE ARROW POINTS TO A.
4. Maintaining your position, turn the
compass scale until the compass arrow
points to the letter A. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays the Main Menu:
FIND
IDENTIFY
SETUP
COMPASS ADJUST
NOTE: Do NOT change position of the
Space Navigator while you do this.
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Once the Main Menu displays, the compass adjustment is precise for your location, and Space Navigator is ready to use. Itʼs easy to get started right away.
NOTE: Be sure to follow the basic SETUP instructions in this next section to get the maximum benefit
and enjoyment from your Space Navigator. These
steps will soon become second nature to you.
STEP ACTION
4. Subtract 1 hour and adjust th center disc if
necessary.
With short pauses between each of the
three phrases below, the LCD displays the
following:
THE YOUR SKY TONIGHT WINDOW
SHOWS VISIBLE CONSTELLATIONS.
You will only need to repeat the compass
setup steps in the future if you change or
remove the AAA batteries, or move your
location significantly enough to change any
of your three map zones.
GETTING READY TO FIND AND IDENTIFY
OBJECTS IN THE SKY
Your Space Navigator is ready to use. Get ready to
observe the sky by following these steps:
STEP ACTION
1. Go outside on a clear night to a dark location
free of obstructions. Avoid light from street
lamps, car headlights, and houses. Give your
eyes five to ten minutes to adjust to the darkness.
2. Press the ON/OFF button to find a constellation, star, deep sky object or planet.
The LCD displays:
TURN THE DISK TO CURRENT TIME AND
DATE. THEN PRESS SELECT.
CONSTELLATION NEAR EDGE OF
WINDOW MAY BE BELOW HORZON.
FIND
IDENTIFY
SETUP
COMPASS ADJUST
5. Raise and position the light arms. Press
the COLOR button until the red light
alone is lit.
6. Use the DIMMER button to adjust the
brightness. You are now ready to FIND
and IDENTIFY objects.
3. Rotate the center disk until the current time
and date line up. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
SUBTRACT 1 HOUR IF DAYLIGHT
SAVING TIME IS IN EFFECT.
Because of magnetic variations and
interference, you may need to
re-adjust the compass if you change
the location you are observing from.
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SELECTING THE OBJECT YOU WANT TO
FIND
QUICK START:
To FIND & IDENTIY objects, press ON
and SELECT. Space Navigator will
give you step-by-step directions.
In just a few minutes, finding and
identifying night-sky objects will
become second-nature.
Remember, you can simply listen to
Space Navigatorʼs directions.
It will tell you exactly what to do!
Turn the lights on by pushing
the color button.
1. Use the UP/DOWN arrow to underline
FIND. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
VISIBLE OBJECTS
ALL OBJECTS
2. Press UP/DOWN to underline VISIBLE
OBJECTS. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
CONSTELLATIONS
STARS
DEEP SKY OBJECTS
PLANETS
3. Press UP/DOWN to underline your object
type. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays a list of objects.
4. Press UP/DOWN to underline the object
you want to find. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
REMOVE MAP ___. THEN PRESS SELECT.
5. Turn Space navigator upside down. You
will see one lighted red LED marking the
tab of the map you need. Remove that map
and turn Space Navigator right side up
again. Press SELECT.
The LCD displays:
LOAD MAP WITH ARROW AT LETTER
__. PRESS SELECT.
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FINDING THE OBJECT: Now it takes just three
short steps to find the object!
1. Load the map so the black arrow (between the 6 AM and 5 AM time labels) is
directly under the letter indicated. Press
SELECT.
The LCD displays:
BE SURE MAP __ IS LOADED FACE UP.
THEN PRESS SELECT.
2. Keep Space Navigator level with the
ground and pointing straight ahead in the
direction you are facing. Turn your body
until the compass arrow points to the indicated letter. Press SELECT.
You are now facing in the proper direction. The LCD tells you how high in the
sky to look.
NOTES:
• Press the BACK key to repeat the height
if you miss it.
• If a planet is in or near a constellation on
this map, the LCD displays (for example):
VENUS IS NOT SHOWN ON MAP.
LOOK IN OR NEAR AQUARIUS.
3. Donʼt move your body or change the direction you are facing. Look LOW, MID,
or HIGH in the sky—as indicated by
Space Navigator.
After a short pause, the LCD displays a
Help Tip indicating which objects on the
map to look for first.
After another short pause, a list of objects
on the current map will be displayed.
IDENTIFYING OBJECTS IN THE SKY
When you see something in the sky you want to
identify, move the up and down keys until
IDENTIFY is underlined on the main menu. Then
press SELECT. Space Navigator will guide you
through the following steps:
NOTE: Pressing the BACK key is the only way to
exit the list and return to the IDENTIFY function.
STEP ACTION
1. The LCD displays:
FACE THE OBJECT THAT YOU WANT
TO IDENTIFY. PRESS SELECT.
Hold Space Navigator flat in front of you
and point it in the direction of the object(s)
you want to identify. Press SELECT.
2. The LCD displays:
THE COMPASS ARROW POINTS TO:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX
Note the letter that the compass arrow is
pointing to. Press the UP/DOWN keys
until that letter is underlined. Then press
SELECT.
3. The LCD displays:
THE HEIGHT OF THE OBJECT IN THE
SKY IS: LOW MID HIGH
Press the UP/DOWN keys until the underlined height in the sky matches the height
in the sky that the object(s) seems to be.
Then press SELECT.
4. The LCD displays:
REMOVE MAP __. THEN PRESS
SELECT.
NOTE: Press the HELP key at any time
to re-display the Help Tip for a moment.
Your illuminated map will match the sky. By comparing the
map to the sky, you will be able to find what you are looking
for.
You can press the INFO key to display information about an
object underlined on the LCD. When finished viewing an area
of the sky, replace the map in the storage compartment with the
odd-numbered side facing out. Remember to press the BACK
key to exit the list of map objects to return to the main list of
objects.
NOTE: From this point on, the operation will now
be familiar to you. Load the proper map correctly.
Once you can find the key objects on a map, you can
use them to locate the other labeled objects on the
map, including the object that you want to identify.
Planets are (usually) bright objects that
look like stars. Because the planets move
through the constellations, they are no
shown on your maps.
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TIPS FOR USING SPACE NAVIGATOR
• Whenever an objectʼs name is underlined on any
menu, you can press the INFO button to display
information on the object for a moment.
• Constellations around the top of the YOUR SKY
TONIGHT window may not actually be visible,
depending on your latitude. The farther north your
latitude is, the more you can see of the constellations near the top of the window.
• The TONIGHT button can be pressed at any time to
display five of todayʼs astronomical events, one at a
time.
• Once the help tip has been given, you can press the
HELP button to display the help tip again for a moment.
• If you change your location, you can re-enter the
SETUP mode from the main menu.
• If a constellation is not currently visible, the time
when the center of the constellationʼs map will rise
is displayed on the LCD. Some individual constellations on the map MAY rise slightly before or after
their map centers are visible on the horizon.
• On the maps, the names of constellations are in
capital letters and the names of stars are in lowercase letters. Around the edge of the maps are the
names and map numbers of adjacent constellations.
This allows you to jump from map to map to learn
the whole sky.
• Maps should be loaded into the storage compartment on the back of Space Navigator, with the
odd-numbered maps facing up. The maps do not
need to be in any particular order as long as the oddnumbered maps face up. The odd-numbered maps all
have black tabs for quick identification.
STORE YOUR MAPS WITH THE BLACK
TABS FACING UP!
• Use the red light when you are searching for stars
in the sky. The red light does not affect your night
vision. It makes it possible for you to see the fainter
stars. Use the blue lights to display the object names
and their mythological figures. Use the blue light
sparingly since it does affect your night vision.
• Choose an observing location away from lights,
power lines and large metal objects that could affect
the compass.
• Two important constellations, the Big Dipper and
the Little Dipper, are shown in their well-known
modern forms. For the record, the ancient Greeks
saw the Big Dipper as Ursa Major, the “Big Bear,”
and the Little Dipper as Ursa Minor, the “Little
Bear.”
If you have trouble locating an object, it
may be in a difficult spot for you to see—
behind a tree, building or a cloud, or it
may be directly overhead. Just wait one
hour and try again.
To find a planet, look for a bright point
that is NOT on your chart! Planets, from
the Greek word for “Wanderers,” travel
through the sky, from one Zodiacal
constellation to another. You can probably
pick them out fairly easily.
• Planets are not shown on the maps since they are
constantly moving from constellation to constellation. Planets are usually very bright and look much
like stars, although they may seem to twinkle less
than stars. When you see a “star” in the sky that is
not on your map, it is probably a planet!
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FINDING REALLY COOL STUFF—
5 RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Check out tonightʼs top five events by pressing the
TONIGHT key repeatedly. Each time you press
TONIGHT, Space Navigator will say and display
one of the top five EVENTS visible tonight.
2. You may want to use binoculars to look for some
deep-sky objects. Some can require a little work to
find, but theyʼre well worth the effort. Binoculars
will also allow you to see the individual stars in
double and multiple star systems.
3. Plan an observing session during the early morning hours. Planets and other interesting objects are
often visible just before sunrise.
4. Plan your observations in advance. Go into SETUP on the main menu, and reset the time and date for
the time and date of your planned observing session.
Then press the toTONIGHT button to display the top
five events for that night, one at a time. (Be sure to
reset the current date and time when you are done.)
Additionally, you can quickly adjust the time and
date rings so that the YOUR SKY TONIGHT window will show you the section of the sky that will be
visible at any date and time. You may want to visit
the library or scour the Internet to find out about the
objects you plan to observe.
5. Keep a notebook of your observations. Take the
time to draw what you see. You will want to refer to
your notebook to compare and add to your observations.
GLOSSARY
Constellation A formation of stars perceived as a
figure or design, especially one of 88
recognized groups named after characters from classical mythology and
various common animals and objects.
Daylight
Saving Time
Deep-Sky
Objects
Latitude The angular distance north or south
Longitude The angular distance on the Earthʼs
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is observed in approximately 70 countries.
Daylight Saving Time begins for most
of the United States at 2 a.m. on the
first Sunday of April. Time reverts
to standard time at 2 a.m. on the last
Sunday of October 2006. In 2007
DST will be extended by one month
and will begin for most of the United
States at: 2 a.m. on the Second Sunday
in March and will continue to 2 a.m.
on the First Sunday of November.
Daylight Saving Time—for the U.S.
and its territories — is NOT observed
in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and by
most of Arizona (with the exception
of the Navajo Indian Reservation in
Arizona).
Be sure to go into SETUP and change
the daylight saving time status every
spring and fall when it changes.
A term used in astronomy to denote
objects such as galaxies and star clusters in the night sky.
of the earthʼs equator, measured in
degrees along a meridian, as on a map
or globe. A region of the earth considered in relation to its distance from the
equator.
surface, measured east or west from
the prime meridian at Greenwich,
England.
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SET-UP MAPS
Setting latitude, longitude, and time zone is easy! (See page 8.)
The maps on these pages will help you determine your approximate location.
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SET-UP MAPS, cont.
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BATTERY SAFETY
• Do not use rechargeable batteries.
• Do not mix old and new batteries.
• Do not mix alkaline, standard or rechargeable
batteries.
• Battery installation should be done by an adult.
• Non-rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged.
• Rechargeable batteries are only to be charged
under adult supervision (if removable).
• Only install batteries of the same type and polarity.
• Remove dead batteries to prevent leakage.
• Do not short-circuit the supply terminals.
SPECIAL CARE AND HANDLING
• Avoid rough handling such as bumping or
dropping.
• Avoid moisture and extreme temperatures. For
best results, use between the temperatures of 39
degrees F and 100 degrees F (4 degrees C and 38
degrees C).
• Clean using only a slightly damp cloth. Do not
use cleaners with chemical agents.
90-DAY LIMITED WARRANTY
EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS, INC., warrants to
the original customer that its products are free from
any electrical or mechanical defects for a period of
90 DAYS from the date of purchase. If any such
defect is discovered within the warranty period,
EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS, INC., will repair
or replace the unit free of charge upon receipt of
the unit, shipped postage prepaid and insured to the
factory address shown in this booklet.
The warranty covers normal consumer use and does
not cover damage that occurs in shipment or failure
that results from alterations, accident, misuse, abuse,
neglect, wear and tear, inadequate maintenance,
commercial use, or unreasonable use of the unit.
Removal of the top panel voids all warranties. This
warranty does not cover cost of repairs made or
attempted outside of the factory.
Any applicable implied warranties, including
warranties of merchantability and fitness, are hereby
limited to 90 DAYS from the date of purchase.
Consequential or incidental damages resulting
from a reach of any applicable express or implied
warranties are hereby excluded. Some states do
not allow limitation on the duration of implied
warranties and do not allow exclusion of incidental
or consequential damages, so the above limitation
and exclusions in these instances may not apply. The
only authorized service center in the United States is:
Excalibur Electronics, Inc.
13755 SW 119th Ave
Miami, Florida 33186 USA
Phone: 305.477.8080
Fax: 305.477.9516
www.ExcaliburElectronics.com
SHIPPING YOUR UNIT TO
EXCALIBUR ELECTRONICS, INC
• Ship the unit carefully packed, preferably in the
original carton, and send it prepaid and adequately
insured.
• Include a detailed letter with the following:
o the specific complaint
o your daytime telephone
number
o your address
EXPIRED WARRANTY
If your warranty has expired and you want an estimated fee for service, write to the above address,
specifying the model and the problem.
NOTE: Please do not send your unit without first receiving an estimate for servicing from EXCALIBUR
ELECTRONICS, INC,. Contact us before sending
your unit. We cannot store your unit!
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