Celestron skyexpedition 60 Instruction Manual

by

SKYE

XPEDITION

60

COMPUTERIZE

TELESCOP

D

E

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

MODEL #22004

SkyExpedition 60

11

10

12

1

13

9

8

7

6

2

3

4

5

1. Objective Lens 6. Tripod Leg Extension Clamp 11. StarPointer Finderscope

2. Motorized Base 7. Hand Control 12. Altitude Clutch Knob

3. On/Off Switch 8. Focuser Knob 13. Telescope Mounting Bolt

4. Tripod 9. Star Diagonal

5. Accessory Tray 10. Eyepiece

1

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of the SkyExpedition telescope! The
SkyExpedition ushers in a whole new generation of computer automated
technology. Simple and friendly to use, the SkyExpedition telescope is
up and running after locating just three bright celestial objects. It’s the
perfect combination of power and portability. If you are new to astronomy,
you may wish to start off by using the SkyExpedition’s built-in Sky Tour
feature, which commands the SkyExpedition to find the most interesting
objects in the sky and automatically slews to each one. Or if you are more
experienced, you will appreciate the comprehensive database of over 4,000
objects, including customized lists of all the best deep-sky objects, planets,
and bright double stars. No matter at what level you are starting out, the
SkyExpedition will unfold for you and your friends all the wonders of the
Universe.

Some of the many standard features of the SkyExpedition
telescope include:

• Incredible 3°/second slew speed.

• Fully enclosed motors and optical encoders for
position location.

• Computerized hand controller with 4,000 object database.

• Storage for programmable user defined objects; and

• Many other high performance features!

The SkyExpedition’s deluxe features combined with Celestron’s legendary
optical standards give amateur astronomers one of 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 SkyExpedition
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 SkyExpedition 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

• Never use your telescope to project an image of the Sun onto any surface. Internal heat build-up can damage the telescope

• Never use an eyepiece solar filter or a Herschel wedge. Internal heat build-up inside the telescope can cause these devices

• Never leave the telescope unsupervised, either when children are present or adults who may not be familiar with the

solar filter). Permanent and irreversible eye damage may result.

and any accessories attached to it.

to crack or break, allowing unfiltered sunlight to pass through to the eye.

correct operating procedures of your telescope.

2

ASSEMBLY

The SkyExpedition comes partially assembled and can be
operational in a matter of minutes. The SkyExpedition is
conveniently packaged in one reusable shipping carton that
contains the following accessories:

• 25 mm and 9 mm Eyepieces

• Erect Image Diagonal

• StarPointer Finderscope

• Accessory Tray

• The SkyX Student Edition Astronomy Software

• SkyExpedition Hand Control with 4,000 Object Database

ASSEMBLING THE TELESCOPE

Your SkyExpedition comes in three major sections: the optical
tube, the motorized mount and the tripod. These sections can
be attached in seconds using the quick release coupling screw
located under the tripod mounting platform and the dovetail
mounting clamp located on the outside of the motorized base.
To begin, remove all of the accessories from their individual
boxes. Remember to save all of the containers so that they can
be used to transport the telescope. Before attaching the visual
accessories, the telescope tube and mount should be attached to
the tripod. First, install the accessory tray onto the tripod legs:

1. Remove the tripod from the box and spread the legs apart
until the center leg brace is fully extended.

2. Locate the accessory tray, and place it on top of the tripod
center support brace in between the tripod legs
(see fi gure 2-1).

3. Rotate the accessory tray so that the central hole in the
tray slides over the fl ange post in the center of the
support bracket.

4. Finally, rotate the tray so that the locking tabs slide under the
locking clips on center leg brace. You will feel the tray snap
into place.

Attaching the Hand Control Holder

The SkyExpedition comes with a snap-on hand control holder that
conveniently attaches to any of the tripod legs. To attach the hand
control holder simply position the holder with the square plastic
tab facing up and push against the tripod leg until it snaps in
to place.

FIGURE 2-3

Attaching the Motorized Base to the Tripod

With the tripod properly assembled, the motorized base can
easily be attached using the quick release coupling screw located
underneath the tripod mounting platform:

1. Place the motorized base on top of the tripod making sure
that the three round feet rest on the round fl at pads on the
inside of the tripod head.

2. Thread the coupling screw into the hole at the bottom of the
motorized base and hand tighten.

Flange Post

Locking
Clips

Locking Tabs

FIGURE 2-1

It is a good idea to level the tripod by adjusting the height of the
tripod legs before attaching the motorized base and tube. Minor
adjustments can be made later. To adjust the height of the
tripod legs:

1. Lift the tripod leg locking lever located on the side of
each leg.

2. Slide the inner portion of each leg down 6” to 8” inches.

3. Adjust the tripod height until the base is visually level and
press down the locking levers to secure into place.

Motorized
Base

Coupling
Screw

Tripod
Mounting
Platform

FIGURE 2-4

3

Leveling the Telescope

Now that the base is attached to the tripod, it is a good idea to use the
included bubble level to more accurately level the telescope.

1. Place the bubble level on the top of the motorized base.

2. Adjust the tripod legs until the bubble level shows the base to be level.

Place Bubble
Level Here

FIGURE 2-5

Leveling the Base

Attaching the Telescope to the Base

Your telescope optical tube has a built on dovetail mounting bar used to
attach the tube to the base. To attach the telescope tube:

1. Loosen the altitude clutch knob a quarter turn and rotate the tube
clamp so that the mounting bolt is positioned on the top of the base.
Retighten the altitude knob by hand, but do not over tighten.

2. Loosen the tube clamp mounting bolt.

3. Slide the telescope tube’s dovetail mounting bar into the tube clamp.
Make sure that the fi nderscope is pointing up when the tube is attached
to the base.

4. Tighten the mounting bolt by hand to secure the tube to the base.

Your telescope is fully assembled and is ready to attach the accessories.

Mounting Bolt

Dovetail
Bar

Altitude Clutch
Knob

Focuser Barrel

Eyepiece

Star Diagonal

FIGURE 2-7

ACCESSORIES

The Eyepiece

The eyepiece is the optical element that magnifi es the image focused by the
telescope. The eyepiece fi ts directly into the star diagonal. To install
the eyepiece:

1. Loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal so it does not obstruct
the inner diameter of the eyepiece end of the diagonal. Remove the
protective dust cap from the star diagonal’s barrel.

2. Slide the chrome portion of the low power 25 mm eyepiece into the
star diagonal.

3. Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place.

To remove the eyepiece, loosen the thumbscrew on the eyepiece barrel and
slide the eyepiece out.

Eyepieces are commonly referred to by focal length and barrel diameter.
The focal length of each eyepiece is printed on the eyepiece barrel. The
longer the focal length (i.e., the larger the number) the lower the eyepiece
power or magnifi cation; and the shorter the focal length (i.e., the smaller
the number) the higher the magnifi cation. Generally, you will use low-to­moderate power when viewing. For more information on how to determine
power, see the section on “Calculating Magnifi cation” found on the
Celestron website at www.celestron.com/downloads.

Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the star
diagonal or focuser. The SkyExpedition uses eyepieces with a standard
1-1/4” barrel diameter.

Focusing

To focus your telescope, simply turn either of the focus knobs at the eyepiece
end of the optical tube. Turn the focus knob until the image is sharp. Once
sharp, turn the knob towards you to focus on an object that is closer than the
one you are currently observing. Turn the knob away from you to focus on a
more distant object than the one you are currently observing.

FIGURE 2-6

The Star Diagonal

The star diagonal diverts the light at a right angle from the light path of
the telescope. For astronomical observing, this allows you to observe
in positions that are more comfortable than if you were to look straight
through. To attach the star diagonal:

1. Turn the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter at the end of the
focuser barrel until it no longer extends into (i.e., obstructs) the inner
diameter of the focus barrel. Remove the protective dust cap from the
focuser barrel.

2. Slide the chrome portion of the star diagonal into the focuser barrel.

3. Tighten the thumbscrew on the focuser barrel to hold the star diagonal
in place.

If you wish to change the orientation of the star diagonal, loosen the
thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter until the star diagonal rotates freely.
Rotate the diagonal to the desired position and tighten the thumbscrew.

The StarPointer Finderscope

The StarPointer is the quickest and easiest way to point your telescope
exactly at a desired object in the sky. It’s like having a laser pointer
that you can shine directly onto the night sky. The StarPointer is a zero
magnifi cation pointing tool that uses a coated glass window to superimpose
the image of a small red dot onto the night sky. While keeping both eyes
open when looking through the StarPointer, simply move your telescope
until the red dot, seen through the StarPointer, merges with the object as
seen with your unaided eye. The red dot is produced by a light-emitting
diode (LED); it is not a laser beam and will not damage the glass window
or your eye. The StarPointer is powered by a long life 3-volt lithium battery
(#CR1620). Like all fi nderscopes, the StarPointer must be properly aligned
with the main telescope before it can be used. The alignment procedure is
best done at night since the LED dot will be diffi cult to see during the day.

Install the Battery

1. Unscrew the battery cover on the StarPointer fi nderscope.

2. Insert battery with “ + ” side facing out.

3. Replace battery cover.

4

Aligning the StarPointer

1. To turn on the StarPointer, turn the switch to the “on” position
– see Figure 2-9

2. Locate a bright star or planet and center it in a low power
eyepiece in the main telescope.

3. With both eyes open, look through the glass window at the
alignment star. If the StarPointer is perfectly aligned, you
will see the red LED dot overlap the alignment star. If the
StarPointer is not aligned, take notice of where the red dot
is relative to the bright star.

4. Without moving the main telescope, turn the StarPointer’s
two adjustment screws until the red dot is directly over the
alignment star. Experiment as to which way each screw
moves the red dot.

Adjustment
Screws

Powering the Telescope

The SkyExpedition can be powered by 8 user supplied AA size
alkaline batteries or an optional 12V AC adapter. To install
batteries into the SkyExpedition:

1. Press the tab on the front of the battery compartment and
remove the cover.

Battery
Compartment

Power
Switch

FIGURE 2-9

E STARPOINTER FINDERSCOPE

TH

The StarPointer is now ready for use.

Always turn the
power off after you have found an object. This will
extend the life of both the battery and the LED.

Attaching the Hand Control

The SkyExpedition hand control has a phone jack type
connector at the end of its cord. Plug the phone jack connector
into the outlet on the top of the motorized base. Push the
connector into the outlet until it clicks into place and place
the hand control into its holder as described previously in the
Assembly section of the manual.

Hand Control Jack

FIGURE 2-11A

EMOVING THE BATTERY COMP

R

2. Gently remove the battery holder from inside the
battery compartment.

3. Place 8-AA batteries (user supplied) inside the battery holder.

ART

MENT LID

FIGURE 2-11B

INSERT

4. Return the battery holder back inside the base and replace
the cover.

5. Flip the power switch to the “On” position. The light on the
power button and hand control should come on.

In case of a loss of power, the optical tube can be moved
by hand in altitude (up and down) only. However, when
powered on, the telescope should always be controlled via
the hand control. The telescope will lose its star alignment
if moved by hand when powered on.

ING THE BATTERIES

Battery
Compartment
Release Tab

TH

E

FIGURE 2-10

SkyExpEdition MOTORIZED BASE

Power Switch

12v Outlet

HAND CONTROL

The SkyExpedition’s hand controller is designed to give you
instant access to all the functions the telescope has to offer.
With automatic slewing to over 4,000 objects, and common
sense menu descriptions, even a beginner can master its variety
of features in just a few observing sessions. Below is a brief
description of the individual components of the SkyExpedition
hand controller:

1. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Window: Has a

dual-line, 16 character display screen that is backlit for
comfortable viewing of telescope information and
scrolling text.

2. Align: Instructs the SkyExpedition to use a selected star or

object as an alignment position.

5

3. Direction Keys: Allows complete control of the telescope in any

direction. Use the direction keys to center objects in the StarPointer
fi nderscope and eyepiece.

4. Catalog Keys: The hand control has a key on the hand control to

allow direct access to each of the catalogs in its 4,000+ object database.
The hand control contains the following catalogs in its database:

Messier – Complete list of all Messier objects.
NGC – Many of the brightest deep sky objects from the Revised

New General Catalog.

Caldwell – A combination of the best NGC and IC objects.
Planets - All 8 planets in our Solar System plus the Moon and Sun.
Stars – A compiled list of the brightest stars from the SAO catalog.
List – For quick access, all of the best and most popular objects

in the database have been broken down into lists based on their
type and/or common name:

Named Stars Common name listing of the brightest

stars in the sky.

Named Objects Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most

popular deep sky objects.

Double Stars Alphabetical listing of the most visually

stunning double, triple and quadruple stars
in the sky.

Variable Stars Select list of the brightest variable stars with

the shortest period of changing magnitude.

Asterisms A unique list of some of the most

recognizable star patterns in the sky.

selected from the database.

Tour: Activates the tour mode, which seeks out all the best objects for

6.
a given month and automatically slews the telescope to those objects.

7. Enter: Pressing Enter allows you to select any of the SkyExpedition
functions, accept entered parameters and slew the telescope to
displayed objects.

8. Undo: Undo will take you out of the current menu and display the
previous level of the menu path. Press Undo repeatedly to get back to a
main menu or use it to erase data entered by mistake.

9. Menu: Displays the many setup and utilities functions such as
tracking rate and user defi ned objects and many others.

10. Scroll Keys: Used to scroll up and down within any of the menu lists.

A double arrow symbol on the right side of the LCD indicates that the
scroll keys can be used to view additional information.

11. Rate: Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors when the

direction buttons are pressed.

12. RS-232 Jack: Allows use with a computer and software programs

for point and click slewing capability.

HAND CONTROL OPERATION

This section describes the basic hand control procedures needed to operate
the SkyExpedition. These procedures are grouped into three categories:
Alignment, Setup and Utilities. The alignment section deals with the initial
telescope alignment as well as fi nding objects in the sky; the setup section
discusses changing parameters such as tracking mode and tracking rate;
fi nally, the last section reviews all of the utility functions such as adjusting
the telescopes slew limits and backlash compensation.

5. Info: Displays coordinates and useful information about objects

1

7

2

8

3

4

9

10

11

5

6

12

Alignment Procedure

In order for the SkyExpedition to accurately point to objects in the sky,
it must fi rst be aligned to known positions (stars) in the sky. With this
information, the telescope can create a model of the sky, which it uses to
locate any object with known coordinates. There are many ways to align
the SkyExpedition with the sky depending on what information the user is

able to provide: SkyAlign uses your current date, time and city to create
an accurate model of the sky. Then the user can simply point the telescope
to any three bright celestial objects to accurately align the telescope with

the sky. Auto Two-Star Align will ask the user to choose and center the
fi rst alignment star, then the SkyExpedition will automatically select and

slew to a second star for alignment. Two-Star Alignment requires the
user to identify and manually slew the telescope to the two alignment stars.

One-Star Align is the same as Two-Star Align however only requires you

to align to one known star. Although not as accurate as the other alignment
methods, One-Star Align is the quickest way to fi nd and track bright

planets and objects in Altazimuth mode. Finally, Solar System Align
will display a list of visible daytime objects (planets and the moon) available
to align the telescope. Each alignment method is discussed in detail below.

“Altazimuth” or “Alt-Az” refers to a type of mounting that allows a
telescope to move in both altitude (up and down) and azimuth (left
and right) with respect to the ground. This is the simplest form of
mounting in which the telescope is attached directly to a tripod.

Sky Align

Sky Align is the easiest way to get your telescope aligned and ready to
observe. Even if you do not know a single star in the sky, the SkyExpedition
will have you aligned in minutes by asking for basic information like the
date, time and location. Then you simply need to aim the telescope to
any three bright celestial objects in the sky. Since Sky Align requires no
knowledge of the night sky, it is not necessary to know the name of the
stars at which you are aiming. You may even select a planet or the Moon.
The SkyExpedition is then ready to start fi nding and tracking any of the
objects in its 4,000+ object database. Before the telescope is ready to be
aligned, it should be set up in an outside location with all accessories
(eyepiece, diagonal and fi nderscope) attached and lens cover removed as
described in the Assembly section of the manual. To begin Sky Align:

FIGURE 3-1

THE

SkyExpEdition HAND CONTROL

6

1. Power on the SkyExpedition by flipping the switch located
on the side of the base, to the “on” position. Once turned
on the hand control display will say LCM Ready. Press
ENTER to choose Sky Align. Pressing the ALIGN key will
bypass the other alignment options and the scrolling text and
automatically begins Sky Align.

2. Once Sky Align has been selected, the hand control will
display “Enter if OK”, “Undo to edit” and “Saved Site.” The
bottom line of the LCD will display either the current time
or the time when you last used the telescope. Since this is
your first time using the SkyExpedition, press UNDO to enter
current time/site information.

The hand control display will then ask for the following information:

Location — The hand control will display a list of cities to

choose from. Choose the city from the database that is closest
to your current observing site. The city you choose will be
remembered in the hand controls memory so that it will be
automatically displayed the next time an alignment is done.
Alternatively, if you know the exact longitude and latitude of your
observing site, it can be entered directly into the hand control
and remembered for future use as well. To choose a location city:

• Use the Up and Down scroll keys to choose between City

Database and Custom Site. City Database will allow you to
select the closest city to your observing site from a list of
either international or U.S. location. Custom Site allows you to
enter the exact longitude and latitude of your observing site.
Select City Database and press ENTER.

• The hand control will allow you to choose from either U.S. or

international locations. For a listing of U.S. locations by state
and then by city, press ENTER while United States is
displayed. For international locations, use the Up or Down
scroll key to select International and press ENTER.

• Use the Up and Down Scroll buttons to choose your current

state (or country if International locations was selected) from
the alphabetical listing and press ENTER.

• Use the Up and Down Scroll buttons to choose the closest city

to your location from the displayed list and press ENTER.

Time — Enter the current time for your area. You can enter

either the local time (i.e. 8:00), or you can enter military time
(i.e. 20:00).

• Select PM or AM. If military time was entered, the hand

control will bypass this step.

• Choose between Standard time or Daylight Savings time.

Use the Up and Down scroll buttons (10) to toggle
between options.

• Select the time zone that you are observing from. Again, use

the Up and Down buttons (10) to scroll through the choices.
For time zone information, refer to the Time Zone map in the
appendix of this manual.

Date — Enter the month, day and year of your observing

session. The display will read: mm/dd/yy.

• If the wrong information has been input into the hand control,

the UNDO button will act as a backspace allowing the user to
re-enter information.

• The next time that your telescope is aligned, the hand control

will automatically display the last location (either a city or
longitude/latitude) that was entered. Press ENTER to accept
these parameters if they still apply. Pressing the UNDO button
will allow you to go back and select a new city location or
longitude/latitude.

3. Use the arrow buttons on the hand control to slew (move)
the telescope towards any bright celestial object in the sky.
Align the object with the red dot of the finderscope and
press ENTER.

4. If the finderscope has been properly aligned with the
telescope tube, the alignment star should now be visible
inside the field of view of the eyepiece. The hand control will

7

ask that you center the bright alignment star in the center of
the eyepiece and press the ALIGN button. This will accept the
star as the first alignment position. (There is no need to adjust
the slewing rate of the motors after each alignment step. The
SkyExpedition automatically selects the best slewing rate for
aligning objects in both the finderscope and the eyepiece).

5. For the second alignment object, choose a bright star or
planet as far as possible from the first alignment object.
Once again use the arrow button to center the object in the
finderscope and press ENTER. Then once centered in the
eyepiece press the ALIGN button.

6. Repeat the process for the third alignment star. When the
telescope has been aligned to the final stars, the display will
read “Match Confirmed.” Press UNDO to display the
names of the three bright objects you aligned to, or press
ENTER to accept these three objects for alignment. You are
now ready to find your first object.

Tips for Using Sky Align

Remember the following alignment guidelines to make
using Sky Align as simple and accurate as possible.

• Be sure to level the tripod before you begin alignment.

The time/site information along with a level tripod will
help the telescope better predict the available bright
stars and planets that are above the horizon.

• Remember to select alignment stars that are as far

apart in the sky as possible. For best results make sure
that the third alignment star does not lie in a straight
line between the first two stars. This may result in a
failed alignment.

• Don’t worry about confusing planets for stars when

selecting alignment objects. SkyAlign works with the
four brightest planets (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars)
as well as the Moon. In addition to the planets, the hand
control has over 80 bright alignment stars to choose
from (down to 2.5 magnitude).

• Rarely SkyAlign will not be able to determine what

three alignment objects were centered. This sometime

happens when a bright planet or the Moon passes near
one of the brighter stars. In situations like these, it is

best to try to avoid aligning to either object if possible.

• Be sure to center the objects with the same final

movements as the direction of the GoTo Approach. For
example, if the scope normally finishes a GoTo with the
front of the scope moving right and up, you should center
all three alignment objects in the eyepiece using the
right and up arrow buttons (the up/down arrows reverse
at slew rates of 6 or lower). Approaching the star from
this direction when looking through the eyepiece will
eliminate much of the backlash between the gears and
assure the most accurate alignment possible.

Auto Two-Star Align

As with Sky Align, Auto Two-Star Align requires you to enter
all the necessary time/site information as before. Once this
information is entered, the hand control will prompt you
to select and point the telescope at one known star in the
sky. The SkyExpedition now has all the information it needs
to automatically choose a second star that will assure the
best possible alignment. Once selected, the telescope will
automatically slew to that second alignment star to complete
the alignment. With the SkyExpedition set up outside with all
accessories attached and the tripod leveled, follow the steps
below to align the telescope:

1. Once the SkyExpedition is powered on, Press ENTER to
begin alignment.

2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select Auto Two-Star
Align and press ENTER.

3. The hand control will display the last time and location