Setting Up The Starlab

Before Setting Up Starlab:

1. Check for the location of the electrical outlets in the room. It'll be
much easier if you can set up the equipment close to them. A power
strip and extension cord should be standard accessories.
2. Decide where you will want the entrance tube and the inflation
tube to be located. In making your decision, keep in mind the traffic
pattern that will be created in the room by students entering and
exiting the dome.
3. Carefully note how all of the Starlab parts fit in the packing boxes, before you take them out.
(Remember, you will have to repack everything the same way.)
4. Prepare the floor surface. Be sure that the floor is clean. Particles can make pinholes in the dome as
it is unpacked and repacked. If you are going to use a temporary rug or a tarp, place it on the floor,
where the dome will be set up.
5. Arrange extension cord(s) and multi-outlet power strips so that electric power is available both at the
center of the planned dome site and where the fan will be.

Setting Up the Dome:

1. Unbuckle the straps, and remove the dome from its bag.

2. Starting from the spot where you want the entrance/ exit tube to be, unroll the dome towards the
place where the inflation tube and fan will be. Keep on unrolling it until it is fully extended.

3. Unfold the dome and spread out the material so that the tubes are completely exposed. The dome
should be roughly circular in shape. The inner surface of the dome should not be visible after unfolding.
Make final adjustments so that the entrance/exit tube and the inflation tube are in your pre-selected
positions. To prolong the life of the dome, avoid dragging it across the floor.
Setting Up The Starlab

4. Locate the Inflation Tube. It is the smaller of the

two tubes and has snaps at the end. After arranging
the tubes as in the diagram (forming a 90 degree
angle), snap the inflation tube to the fan. Place the fan
on the bottom of the opening (no snaps) and then
start with the side snaps first, the two top snaps
second, and the "flap" snap last. The flap snap goes
on top of the center snap and takes up the extra
slack. Plug in the fan and turn it on high. (Change the
fan to medium when fully inflated.)

5. As the dome starts to fill with air, walk around it and adjust it into a circular shape. Make sure the
tubes are not twisted or folded and that the edge of the fabric inside the dome is completely against the
floor. Inflation is faster if you hold the entrance tube closed until the dome is completely inflated.

6. The projector and other supplies needed inside the dome can be carried in through the entrance
tube (using a flashlight) or slid under the dome by quickly lifting the dome edge. Ensure the trunk is
securely closed before sliding it inside the dome.

Setting Up the Projector

1. Unpack the projector and accessories. For the first two steps in setting up the projector, your only
light is your flashlight. It is handy to place the flashlight upright on the floor so that it shines upwards
and reflects off the dome for maximum general lighting. This also frees both of your hands to complete
these steps. Remove the lid from the trunk and put it aside. It can be left outside the dome. Carefully
take out the projector and all Starlab parts from the trunk. The bottom part of the trunk will be used as
the projector stand and storage shelves during the program. Turn the trunk on its side with the handle
either in the front or in the back (not on top).

2. Remove pieces that protect the projection lamp.

Place the projector on top of the trunk (now the "projector stand"). Carefully remove the pieces that
protect the projection lamp: the cardboard cylinder, plastic mesh tube, and plastic bulb cap. Put these
pieces away on one of the shelves of the projector stand. Move the stand so that the projector is
directly under the center of the dome.
3. Test all the lamps. Plug the projector into the power outlet.
Turn the projector lamp dimmer (left-most knob) clockwise to
power the projector and test the operation of the projection
lamp. After rotating fully clockwise (maximum projection
brightness), rotate back to minimum brightness, but not off.
(Note: the projector lamp dimmer also serves as the "on and
off' switch. It must be turned on in order to use the side
lamps.) Use the side lamp dimmer (the second knob) to test
the side lamps. You can rotate the side lamp covers to direct
the light anywhere in the dome to help you set up. The
flashlight can now be stored in the shelves inside the stand.

4. Adjust projection lamp only if necessary. Make sure the projection lamp is centered in its cradle. If it
needs centering do not touch the bulb with your fingers! Use a piece of tissue or cloth when
touching the bulb. The oils from your skin will discolor the bulb and shorten its life.

5. Install the projection cylinder. Select a projection cylinder and note the
position of the notch in its opening. Projection cylinders are quite fragile and
can be crushed if handled roughly. Place the cylinder support plate in a
horizontal position. It must always be in this position when putting on
or taking off a projection cylinder or damage may occur. Note the position of
the notch at the base of the projection lamp cradle. Carefully lower the
projection cylinder onto the cylinder support plate. Rotate the cylinder until the
notches match and it "clicks" into place as the magnets engage. The magnets
will securely hold the cylinder in place.

6. Center the projector. Double check that the projector is directly under the center of the dome by
position the projector so that Polaris is seen at the top center of the dome when the projector is
upright.

7. Adjusting the date and time. First find the chosen time of night on the
"Hour Scale." Rotate the cylinder support until the desired month of the
year appears beneath the hour you selected. The machine is now set for
standard time, for that month and that hour. For daylight savings time,
subtract one hour before setting the time scale. (For example, to
demonstrate 10 PM Daylight Saving Time for June, adjust the cylinder
until 9 PM is over the month of June on the cylinder support.) Never try
to rotate the cylinder by pushing or tugging on the cylinder itself, instead
always use the plastic support plate to rotate the cylinder.
8. Adjusting the Latitude. Find your selected location on the latitude
map. The latitude map is a "distorted" map of the US on its side with
latitude lines crossing at 15° intervals. Tilt the cylinder support until the
selected latitude or location in the map lines up with the "Alignment
Edge" marked on the frame of the projector. Do not try to tilt the
cylinder by pushing or tugging on the cylinder itself-only handle the
plastic cylinder support.

9. Organize your accessories. Set up all the other instruments you may want to use for your show. If
the Starlab projector is at one end of the stand, there is enough room at the other end for a slide
projector. Use the shelves in the stand to store away all other accessories: flashlight, light pointers,
Starlab accessory box, etc.

10. Maximize lamp life. When giving a planetarium lesson, dim the lights slowly to allow the students

to become adjusted to the dark. Switch the projection lamp on and bring up the brightness of
the stars slowly. To get fully adapted to the dark can take up to five minutes. The projection lamp
has a shortened life when operated continuously at its maximum brightness, so dim the projection
bulb down after your students adapt to the darkness of the dome. This will increase the lifetime of the
bulb.