Celestron 91519, 32062, 22020, 12079, 12026 Instruction Manual
...
Series Telescopes
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
For Models:
91519 32054 32062
22020 12079 12026
12046 12067 12031
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Advanced VX Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Computerized Hand Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Object Catalog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Slewing to an Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Advanced VX Main Menu Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Optical Tube Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting up the Refractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Setting up the Newtonian Reflector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Setting up the Edge HD & Schmidt-Cassegrain Optical Tubes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Aligning the Finderscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Polar Aligning the Mount. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Appendix A - Advanced VX Mount Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
I 5
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron Advanced
VX telescope mount. The Advanced VX German equatorial
mount has been designed with the highest quality materials to
ensure stability and durability. All this adds up to a telescope
that gives you a lifetime of enjoyment with a minimal amount
of maintenance.
Furthermore, the Advanced VX mount is versatile — it will
grow with you as your interest grows from astronomical
observing to astroimaging.
If you are new to astronomy, you may wish to start off by
using the built-in Sky Tour feature, which commands the
telescopes to find the most interesting objects in the sky and
automatically slews to each one. If you are an experienced
amateur, you will appreciate the comprehensive database of
over 40,000 objects, including customized lists of all the
best deep-sky objects, bright double stars and variable stars.
No matter your level of experience, Advanced VX will help
you and your friends explore the wonders of the universe.
Some of the features of the Advanced VX include:
• High-torque motors for helping to smoothly drive heavier
loads
• Permanently Programmable Periodic Error Correction
(PEC) to improve your tracking performance
• A dedicated autoguider port for making corrections when
astroimaging
• Large, easy to access polar alignment knobs for quick and
sure movements
• Ergonomic design that disassembles into compact and
portable pieces
• Database lter limits for creating custom object lists
• Storage for programmable user dened objects
• many other high performance features!
The Advanced VX mount provides amateur astronomers with
the most sophisticated and easy to use telescopes available
on the market today.
Take time to read through this manual before embarking
on your journey through the universe. It may take a few
observing sessions to become familiar with your telescope,
so you should keep this manual handy until you have fully
mastered your telescope’s operation. The hand control has
built-in instructions to guide you through all the alignment
procedures needed to have the telescope up and running in
minutes. Use this manual in conjunction with the on-screen
instructions provided by the hand control. The manual gives
detailed information regarding each step as well as needed
reference material and helpful hints guaranteed to make your
observing experience as simple and pleasurable as possible.
Your telescope is designed to give you years of fun and
rewarding observations. However, there are a few things to
consider before using your telescope that will ensure your
safety and protect your equipment.
Warning
• Never look directly at the Sun with the naked eye or
with a telescope (unless you have the proper solar filter).
Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.
• Never use your telescope to project an image of the Sun
onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the
telescope and any accessories attached to it.
• Never use an eyepiece solar lter or a Herschel wedge.
Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can cause these
devices to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sunlight to
pass through to the eye.
• Never leave the telescope unsupervised. Make sure an
adult who is familiar with the correct operating procedures
is with your telescope at all times, especially when children
are present.
6 I
Advanced VX Mount (Advanced VX with 8” Edge HD Optical Tube Shown)
1 Optical Tube
2 Advanced VX Equatorial Mount
3 Latitude Adjustment Scale
4 Tripod Center Leg Brace/Accessory Tray
5 Tripod
6 Counterweight
7 Counterweight Bar
8 Hand Control
9 Control Panel
10 R.A. Motor Housing
11 Dec Motor Housing
CONTROL PANEL
A Power Port
B DEC Motor Port
C Power Switch
D Auxiliary Ports
E Hand Control Port
F Auto Guider Port
B
1
11
10
7
6
4
5
2
9
3
8
D
C
E
F
A
I 7
Assembly
This section covers the assembly instructions for your
Celestron Advanced VX mount. Your mount should come
with all of the following:
• Equatorial head
• Tripod
• Accessory tray
• Counterweight bar with locking nut
• Azimuth adjustment screws (x2)
• Hand control
• Hand control holder (2 pieces)
• Declination motor cable
• Car battery adapter cable
• Counterweight
If you purchased the Advanced VX mount by itself, you
should receive one counterweight in the box. If you purchased
an Advanced VX telescope kit, you may receive one or two
additional counterweights, depending on the optical tube
included in the kit. These counterweights will be packed in
separate boxes. More information can be found in the section
of the manual concerning the use of your optical tube.
Remove all the pieces from their respective inner boxes and
place on a flat, clear work area. A large floor space is ideal.
When setting up your Celestron mount, you must start with
the tripod and work up from there. These instructions are
laid out in the order each task must be performed.
Setting up the Tripod
The Advanced VX tripod comes with an all-metal center leg
brace/accessory tray to give rock solid support to the mount.
The tripod comes fully assembled with a metal plate, called
the tripod head that holds the legs together at the top. In
addition, there is a central rod that extends down from the
tripod head that attaches the equatorial mount to the tripod.
To set up the tripod:
1. Stand the tripod upright and pull the tripod legs apart
until each leg is fully extended. The tripod will now stand
by itself.
2. To adjust the height of the legs, loosen the lever found
at the bottom of each leg by rotating it counterclockwise.
3. Slide each leg out to the desired length and secure in
place by rotating the levers clockwise. Make sure the
levers are tight so the legs do not accidentally slide
inward when you add weight to the tripod.
Attaching the Azimuth Adjustment Knobs
To ensure safe shipment of your Advanced VX mount, the
azimuth adjustment knobs have been removed from the
mount and will need to be attached.
Before securing the mount to the tripod:
1. Locate the Azimuth Adjustment Knobs from the box
containing the Advanced VX equatorial head.
2. Thread one knob into each of the holes located on either
side of the mount.
3. Only thread the knobs about half way in, leaving enough
space for the tripod alignment peg which will need to fit
between the two screw tips.
Attaching the Equatorial Mount
The Advanced VX equatorial mount allows you to tilt the
telescope’s axis of rotation so that you can track the stars as
they move across the sky. On one side of the tripod head
is a metal alignment peg for aligning the mount. This side of
the tripod will face north when setting up for an astronomical
observing session. To attach the equatorial head:
1. Locate the azimuth adjustment screws on the equatorial
mount.
2. Retract the azimuth adjustment screws so they no longer
extend into the azimuth housing on the mount. Do NOT
remove the screws since they are needed later for
polar alignment.
3. Hold the equatorial mount over the tripod head so the
azimuth housing is above the metal peg.
4. Place the equatorial mount on the tripod head so that
the two are flush.
5. Push the knob located on the central rod on the
underside of the tripod head upward and turn it
clockwise to hold the equatorial mount firmly in place.
Azimuth Knobs
(on both sides of
mount)
Equatorial
Mount
Tripod Head
Mounting Knob
8 I
Your Advanced VX tripod comes with the alignment peg
installed so the polar axis and counterweight bar extends
between two tripod legs. If you wish, you can reposition the
alignment peg so the counterweight bar extends directly
over a tripod leg. This is a matter of personal preference and
does not affect the stability of the mount. Observers at lower
latitudes will prefer to leave the alignment peg between two
legs to avoid the counterweight from making contact with the
tripod leg when the counterweight is in the lowest part of its
swing. To change the position of the alignment peg:
1. Use a wrench to hold the alignment peg in place while
using another wrench to loosen the locking nut underneath the alignment peg.
2. Once the nut is loose, you can unthread the alignment
peg and move it to the threaded hole on the opposite
side of the tripod head.
3. Thread the peg in until it stops, and back it off until the
flat sides of the alignment peg are square to the tripod.
4. Hold the peg in this position with one wrench while
using another wrench to tighten the locking nut against
the tripod head.
5. Mount the equatorial head as described above.
Attaching the Accessory Tray
The Advanced VX mount comes with an accessory tray
that has holes specially designed for 1.25” and 2” eyepieces.
The accessory tray also acts as a tripod leg tensioner to add
stability to the mount. To install the tray:
1. Remove the nut and washer from the lower side of the
tripod’s central rod.
2. Slide the accessory tray over the central rod so that
each arm of the tray is pushing against the inside of
the tripod legs.
3. Thread the accessory tray knob onto the central rod
and tighten.
Installing the Counterweight Bar
To properly balance the telescope, the mount comes
with a counterweight bar and at least one counterweight
(depending on model). To install the counterweight bar:
1. Locate the counterweight bar and locking nut from the
box containing the equatorial head. The locking nut
should already be threaded onto the end of the counterweight bar.
2. Locate the opening in the equatorial mount on the
declination axis and thread the counterweight bar into
the opening until it is tight.
3. Tighten the counterweight bar lock nut fully.
Once the bar is securely in place, you are ready to attach
the counterweight.
Observing Tip: Since the fully assembled telescope can
be quite heavy, position the mount so that the polar axis is
pointing towards north before the optical tube assembly and
counterweights are attached. This will make the polar
alignment procedure much easier.
Installing the Counterweight
To install the counterweight(s) that were included with your
mount or telescope kit:
1. Orient the mount so the counterweight bar points toward
the ground.
Central
Column
Lock Nut
Declination Axis
Counterweight Bar
Counterweight
Lock Screw
Counterweight
Safety
Screw
Accessory
Tray
Mounting Knob
Alignment Peg
Lock Nut
Tripod Head
Tray Knob
I 9
2. Remove the counterweight safety screw on the bottom
end of the counterweight bar by turning it counterclockwise. This screw prevents the counterweight from falling
off the mount in the case the counterweight locking screw
comes loose.
3. Loosen the locking screw on the side of the counterweight.
4. Slide the counterweight over the counterweight bar and
move it about halfway up the bar.
5. Tighten the locking screw on the side of the counterweight to hold it in place.
6. Replace the counterweight safety screw.
Tip: The hole in the center of your counterweight is slightly
larger on one side. When you slide the counterweight
onto the counterweight bar, make sure that the smaller
hole is facing the equatorial head. This allows you to
slide the counterweight over the safety screw at the
bottom of the counterweight bar in case you need a
little bit more adjustment to balance additional accessories mounted on your optical tube. The smaller hole
prevents the counterweight from completely sliding
over the safety screw.
Attaching the Hand Control Holder
The Advanced VX telescope models come with a hand
control holder that attaches to a tripod leg. The hand control
holder comes in two pieces: the Leg Clamp that snaps
around the tripod leg and the holder which attaches to the
Leg Clamp. To attach the hand control holder:
1. Place the leg clamp up against one of the tripod legs
and press firmly until the clamp wraps around the leg.
2. Slide the back of the hand control holder downward into
the channel on the front of the legs clamp until it snaps
into place.
Attaching an Optical Tube to the Mount
The telescope attaches to the mount via a dovetail slide
bar which is mounted along the bottom of the telescope
tube. Before you attach the optical tube, make sure that the
declination and right ascension clutch knobs are tight and
the counterweight(s) are securely installed. This will ensure
that the mount does not move suddenly while attaching the
telescope. To mount the telescope tube:
1. Loosen the two mounting screws on the side of the
telescope mounting platform. This allows you to slide
the dovetail bar onto the mount.
2. If your telescope is equipped with one, remove the safety
screws located beneath the dovetail bar.
3. Slide the dovetail bar on the telescope tube into the
mounting platform of the mount. Slide the telescope so
that the back of the dovetail bar is close to the back of
the mounting platform.
4. Tighten the mounting screws on the side of the mounting
platform to hold the telescope in place.
Now that the optical tube is securely in place, the visual
accessories can now be attached to the telescope. This is
covered in detail in the section of this manual dealing with
the use of optical tubes.
Moving the Telescope Manually
In order to properly balance your telescope, you will need to
move your telescope manually at various portions of the sky
to observe different objects. To make rough adjustments,
loosen the R.A. and DEC clutch knobs slightly and move
the telescope in the desired direction.
Both the R.A. and DEC axis have lock levers to clutch down
each axis of the telescope. To loosen the clutches on the
telescope, rotate the lock levers counterclockwise.
Safety
Screw
Dovetail Bar
Telescope
Mounting
Screw
Hand Control Holder
Leg Clamp
Declination
Clutch Lever
RA Clutch
Lever
10 I
Balancing the Mount in R.A.
To eliminate undue stress on the mount, the telescope
should be properly balanced around the polar axis. Proper
balancing is crucial for accurate tracking. To balance the
mount:
1. Verify that the telescope is securely attached to the
telescope mounting platform.
2. Loosen the R.A. lock lever and position the telescope
off to one side of the mount. The counterweight bar will
extend horizontally on the opposite side of the mount.
3. Release the telescope — GRADUALLY — to see which
way the telescope “rolls.”
4. Loosen the set screws on the side of the counterweight,
so it can be moved the length of the counterweight bar.
5. Move the counterweight to a point where it balances the
telescope (i.e., the telescope remains stationary when
the R.A. clutch knobs are loose).
6. Tighten the screw on the counterweight to hold it in
place.
Tip: While the above instructions describe a perfect balance
arrangement, there should be a SLIGHT imbalance to
ensure the best possible tracking. When the scope is
on the west side of the mount the counterweight should
be slightly imbalanced to the counterweight bar side.
And when the tube is on the east side of the mount
there should be a slight imbalance toward the telescope
side. This is done so that the worm gear is pushing
against a slight load. The amount of the imbalance
is very slight. When taking astroimages, this balance
process can be done for the specific area at which
the telescope is pointing to further optimize tracking
accuracy.
Balancing the Mount in DEC
Although the mount does not track in declination, the telescope
should also be balanced in this axis to prevent any sudden
motions when the DEC lock lever is loose. To balance the
telescope in DEC:
1. Loosen the R.A. clutch lock lever and rotate the telescope
so that it is on one side of the mount (i.e., as described in
the previous section on “Balancing the Mount in R.A.”).
2. Tighten the R.A. lock lever to hold the telescope in place.
3. Loosen the DEC clutch lock lever and rotate the
telescope until the tube is parallel to the ground.
4. Release the tube — GRADUALLY — to see which way it
rotates around the declination axis. DO NOT LET GO OF
THE TELESCOPE TUB E COMPLETELY!
5. Slightly loosen the knobs that hold the telescope to
the mounting platform and slide the telescope either
forward or backward until it remains stationary when the
DEC clutch is loose. Do NOT let go of the telescope
tube while the knob on the mounting platform is loose.
It may be necessary to rotate the telescope so that the
counterweight bar is pointing down before loosening the
mounting platform screw.
6. Tighten the knobs on the telescope mounting platform
to hold the telescope in place.
Like R.A. balance, these are general balance instructions
and will reduce undue stress on the mount. When taking
astroimages, this balance process should be done for the
specific area at which the telescope is pointing.
Adjusting the Mount
In order for a motor drive to track accurately, the telescope’s
axis of rotation must be parallel to the Earth’s axis of rotation,
a process known as polar alignment. Polar alignment is
achieved NOT by moving the telescope in R.A. or DEC but
by adjusting the mount vertically, which is called altitude and
horizontally, which is called azimuth. This section simply covers the correct movement of the telescope during the polar
alignment process. The actual process of polar alignment, or
making the telescope’s axis of rotation parallel to the Earth’s,
is described later in this manual in the section on “Polar
Alignment.”
Adjusting the Mount in Altitude
• To increase the latitude of the polar axis, tighten the rear
latitude adjustment screw and loosen the front screw.
• To decrease the latitude of the polar axis, tighten the front
latitude adjustment screw (located below the counterweight bar and loosen the rear screw.
The latitude adjustment on the Advanced VX mount has a
range from approximately 7° to 77°.
Azimuth
Adjustment
Knobs
Latitude
Adjustment
Knobs
I 11
It is best to always make final adjustments in altitude by
moving the mount against gravity (i.e., using the rear latitude
adjustment screw to raise the mount). To do this you should
loosen both latitude adjustment screws and manually push
the front of the mount down as far as it will go. Tighten the
rear adjustment screw to raise the mount to the desired
latitude.
Adjusting the Mount in Azimuth
For rough adjustments in azimuth, simply pick up the
telescope and tripod and move it. For fine adjustments
in azimuth:
Turn the azimuth adjustment knobs located on either side of
the azimuth housing. While standing behind the telescope,
the knobs are on the front of the mount.
• Turning the right adjustment knob clockwise moves the
mount toward the right.
• Turning the left adjustment knob clockwise moves the
mount to the left.
Both screws push off of the alignment peg on the tripod
head, which means you may have to loosen one screw while
tightening the other. The screw that holds the equatorial
mount to the tripod may have to be loosened slightly.
Keep in mind that adjusting the mount is done during the
polar alignment process only. Once polar aligned, the mount
must NOT be moved. Pointing the telescope is done by
moving the mount in right ascension and declination, as
described earlier in this manual.
Attaching the Declination Cable
The Advanced VX mount comes with a cable that connects
the electronic control panel to the declination motor. To
attach the motor cables:
• Locate the Declination cable and plug one end of the cable
into the port on the electronics panel labeled DEC Port.
• Plug the other end of the cable into the port located on the
declination motor.
Powering the Telescope
The Advanced VX mount can be powered by the supplied
car battery adapter or optional 12V AC adapter. Use only
adapters supplied by Celestron. Using any other adapter
may damage the electronics and will void your manufacturer’s
warranty.
1. To power the telescope with the car battery adapter
(or 12V AC adapter), simply plug the round post into
the 12V outlet on the electronic panel and plug the other
end into your car’s cigarette lighter outlet or portable
power supply.
2. Turn on the power to the telescope by flipping the switch,
located on the electronics panel, to the “On” position.
Loading...