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StarSeeker
User Manual
34 pgs2.39 Mb0

Celestron StarSeeker User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
StarSeeker 70mm • StarSeeker 80mm •StarSeeker 114mm • StarSeeker 130mm
IN 264 Rev. B 4/06
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Warning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
ASSEMBLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Assembling the StarSeeker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Attaching the Telescope to the Tripod . . . . . . . . . . 6
The Star Diagonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Focusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Star Pointer Finderscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Star Pointer Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
HAND CONTROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Alignment Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sky Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Solar System Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
StarSeeker Re-Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Selecting an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Tour Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Direction Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
View Time-Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
User Defined Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Get RA/DEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Identify. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Setup Time-Site. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Slew Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Filter Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Direction Buttons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Select Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Utility Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Light Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Factory Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Get Alt-Az . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Goto Alt-Az . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Hibernate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Sun Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Scrolling Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
TELESCOPE BASICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Focusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Image Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Calculating Magnification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Determining Field of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
General Observing Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
CELESTIAL OBSERVING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Observing the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Lunar Observing Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Observing the Planets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Planetary Observing Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Observing the Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Solar Observing Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Observing Deep Sky Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Viewing Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Transparency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Sky Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Seeing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Care and Cleaning of the Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Collimation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
APPENDIX A -
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
APPENDIX B - GLOSSARY OF TERMS . . . . . . . . . 23
APPENDIX C - RS 232 CONNECTION . . . . . . . . . . 25
APPENDIX D - TIME ZONE MAPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
SKY MAPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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Objective Lens
Fork Arm
Accessory Tray w/ Hand Control Holder
Hand Control
Tripod
Tube Ring
Clamp
Star Pointer
Finderscope
Eyepiece
Star Diagonal
Focuser Knob
The Starseeker 70mm and 80mm Refractor Telescopes
(80mm model shown)
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Optical Tube
Fork Arm
Tripod
Star Pointer Finderscope
Eyepiece
Focuser Knob
Tube Ring
Collimation Adjustment
Knobs
Accessory Tray w/
Hand Control Holder
Hand Control
StarSeeker 114mm & 130mm Reflecting Telescopes
(114mm model shown)
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Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron StarSeeker! The StarSeeker ushers in a whole new genera­tion of computer automated technology. Simple and friendly to use, the StarSeeker is up and running after locating just three bright 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 StarSeeker’s built-in Sky Tour feature, which com­mands the StarSeeker to find the most interesting objects in the sky and automatically slews to each one. Or if you are an experienced amateur, you will appreciate the comprehensive database of over 4,000 objects, including customized lists of all the best deep-sky objects, bright double stars, and vari­able stars. No matter at what level you are starting out, the StarSeeker will unfold for you and your friends all the wonders of the Universe.
Some of the many standard features of the StarSeeker include:
• Incredible 4°/second slew speed.
• Fully enclosed motors and optical encoders for position location.
• Computerized hand controller with 4,000 object data base.
• Storage for programmable user defined objects; and
• Many other high performance features!
The StarSeeker’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 StarSeeker, so you should keep this manual handy until you have fully mastered your telescope’s operation. The StarSeeker 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 StarSeeker 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 filter 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, either when children are present or adults who may not be familiar with the correct operating procedures of your telescope.
Assembly
The StarSeeker comes partially assembled and can be oper­ational in a matter of minutes. The StarSeeker is conveniently packaged in one reusable shipping carton that contains the following accessories:
StarSeeker 70mm & 80mm
25mm, 10mm Eyepieces - 11/4"
11/4" Star Diagonal
Star Pointer Finderscope and Mounting Bracket
Deluxe Accessory Tray
Battery Pack
Starry Night™ SE Astronomy Software
StarSeeker Hand Control w/ Object Database
The StarSeeker reflectors (StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm) come attached to the mount in the shipping box. To make them fit, the tube and mount were packed very compactly at the factory. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPOSITION THE MOUNT TO ITS PROPER ORIENTATION BY HAND! Otherwise, the gears and motors may be damaged. After removing the assembly from the shipping box, reposition the tube and mount as follows:
1. Remove the tube from the mount by first removing the thumbscrew on the mount’s clamp. Open the clamp, and remove the tube.
2. Plug the hand controller and battery pack (with batteries installed, requires 8x AA batteries) into the base of the mount.
3. Use the hand controller to select your telescope model (see chart on page 10).
4. Now use the hand controller direction buttons to reposition the mount until it is roughly in the position shown on page 4 of the instruction manual.
5. Replace the optical tube in the cradle and secure it with the thumbscrew.
StarSeeker 114mm & 130mm
25mm, 10mm Eyepieces - 11/4"
Collimating Cap
Star Pointer Finderscope and Mounting Bracket
Deluxe Accessory Tray
Battery Pack
Starry Night™ SE Astronomy Software
StarSeeker Hand Control w/ Object Database
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Assembling the StarSeeker
Your StarSeeker comes in three major sections: the optical tube, fork arm and the tripod. These sections can be attached in seconds using the quick release coupling screw located under the tripod mounting platform. 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 should be mounted to its 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 figure 2-2).
3. Insert the locking bolt from underneath the tripod support brace and thread it into the hole in the center of the acces­sory tray. Do not over tighten.
The accessory tray has a built-on hand control holder protrud­ing from the side. The back of the hand control has an opening that slides over the clip on the inside of the holder.
It is a good idea to adjust the height of the tripod before attach­ing the fork arm and tube. Minor adjustments can be made later. To adjust the height of the tripod legs:
1. Loosen the tripod leg locking bolt located on the side of each leg.
2. Slide the inner portion of each leg down 6" to 8" inches.
3. Tighten the tripod locking bolts to hold each leg in place.
Attaching the Telescope to the Tripod
With the tripod properly assembled, the telescope tube and fork arm can easily be attached using the quick release cou­pling screw located underneath the tripod mounting platform:
1. Hold the telescope tube assembly by the fork arm and place the fork arm base inside the tripod mounting plat­form. See Figure 2-1.
Optical Tube
(StarSeeker 70mm Shown)
2. Thread the coupling screw into the hole at the bottom of the fork arm base and hand tighten.
Your StarSeeker is fully assembled and is ready to attach the accessories.
Locking bolt (underneath
Accessory tray
Figure 2-2. The accessory tray/hand control holder
The Star Diagonal
(For StarSeeker 70mm & 80mm Models Only)
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 eye­piece adapter.
3. Tighten the thumbscrew on the eyepiece adapter 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.
accessory tray)
Fork Arm Base
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Figure 2-1.
Tripod Mounting
Platform
Coupling Screw
The Eyepiece
The eyepiece, or ocular, is the optical element that magnifies the image focused by the telescope. The eyepiece fits either directly into the focuser (114mm and 130mm models) or into the star diagonal (70mm and 80mm models). To install the eyepiece:
For StarSeeker 70mm and 80mm models:
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 25mm eyepiece into the star diagonal.
3. Tighten the thumbscrew to hold the eyepiece in place.
To remove the eyepiece, loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal and slide the eyepiece out.
For StarSeeker 114mm and 130mm models:
1. Loosen the thumb screw on the eyepiece adapter at the end of the focuser barrel and remove the protective dust cap from the focuser barrel.
2. Slide the chrome portion of the low power 25mm eyepiece into the eyepiece adapter.
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 magnification; and the shorter the focal length (i.e., the smaller the num­ber), the higher the magnification. Generally, you will use low-to-moderate power when viewing. For more information on how to determine power, see the section on “Calculating Magnification.”
Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the star diagonal or focuser. The StarSeeker 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 (see figures 2-3 and
2.4). 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.
Eyepiece
Star pointer
Star pointer
Eyepiece
Focus knob
Figure 2-4.
Visual accessories for the StarSeeker 114mm & 130mm
The Star Pointer Finderscope
The Star Pointer 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 Star Pointer is a zero magnification 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 Star Pointer, simply move your telescope until the red dot, seen through the Star Pointer, 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 Star Pointer comes equipped with a variable brightness control, two axes alignment control and mounting brackets. Before the Star Pointer is ready to be used, it must be attached to the tele­scope tube and properly aligned:
Star Pointer Installation
For StarSeeker 80mm and 130mm models:
1. Slide the Star Pointer bracket into the dovetail mounting platform near the focuser assembly.
2. Orient the Star Pointer so that the sight tube is facing towards the front of the tube.
3. Secure the Star Pointer bracket by tightening the thumb screw on the mounting platform.
Focus knob
Star diagonal
Eyepiece adapter
Figure 2-3. Visual accessories for the StarSeeker 70mm & 80mm
For StarSeeker 70mm and 114mm models:
1. Remove the nuts from the studs where the Star Pointer will mount.
2. Mount the Star Pointer bracket by placing the bracket over the studs protruding from the tube and tightening it down with the supplied nuts. Orient the Star Pointer so that the sight tube is facing towards the front of the tube.
Star Pointer Operation
The star pointer is powered by a long life 3-volt lithium battery (#CR2032) located underneath the front portion of the Star Pointer. Like all finderscopes, the Star Pointer must be properly aligned with the main telescope before it can be used. This is a simple process using the azimuth and altitude control knobs located on the side and bottom of the Star Pointer. The align-
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ON/OFF
Brightness control
Sight tube
Azimuth adjustment control
Dovetail tightening screws
Attaching the Hand Control
The StarSeeker hand control has a phone jack type connector at the end of its cord. Plug the phone jack connector into the outlet at the base of the telescope’s fork arm. 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.
Powering the StarSeeker
The StarSeeker can be powered by the supplied battery pack or an optional 12v AC adapter. The power pack requires 8 user supplied AA size alkaline batteries. To power the StarSeeker, insert the batteries into the battery pack and insert the plug into the 12v jack located on the side of the fork arm. Once the battery pack is plugged in, the StarSeeker will power on and the hand control will display the message NexStar GT. To turn the StarSeeker off, simply disconnect the power supply from the jack on the mount.
The Hand Control
Altitude adjustment control
Figure 2-5. The Star Pointer finderscope with bracket
ment procedure is best done at night since the LED dot will be difficult to see during the day. Before using the StarPointer, you must first remove the protective plastic cover over the battery.
1. To turn on the Star Pointer, rotate the variable brightness control (see figure 2-5) clockwise until you here a “click”. To increase the brightness level of the red dot, continue rotat­ing the control knob about 180° until it stops.
Note: Remember to remove the plastic cover over the
battery, and always turn the power off after you have found an object. This will extend the life of both the battery and the LED.
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 Star Pointer is perfectly aligned, you will see the red LED dot overlap the alignment star. If the Star Pointer is not aligned, take notice of where the red dot is relative to the bright star.
4. Without moving the main telescope, turn the Star Pointer’s azimuth and altitude alignment controls until the red dot is directly over the alignment star.
If the LED dot is brighter than the alignment star, it may make it difficult to see the star. Turn the variable brightness control counterclockwise, until the red dot is the same brightness as the alignment star. This will make it easier to get an accurate alignment. The Star Pointer is now ready to be used.
Mounting holes
The StarSeeker’s hand controller is designed to give you instant access to all the functions the StarSeeker 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 StarSeeker 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 StarSeeker to use a selected star or object as an alignment position.
3. Direction Keys: Allows complete control of the StarSeeker in any direction. Use the direction keys to center objects in the StarPointer finderscope and eyepiece.
4. Catalog Keys: The StarSeeker has a key on the hand con­trol to allow direct access to each of the catalogs in its 4,000+ object database. The StarSeeker 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.
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 StarSeeker 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.
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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.
5. Info: Displays coordinates and useful information about objects selected from the StarSeeker database.
6. Tour: Activates the tour mode, which seeks out all the best objects for a given month and automatically slews the StarSeeker to those objects.
7. Enter: Pressing Enter allows you to select any of the StarSeeker 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 defined objects and many others.
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4
5
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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 StarSeeker. These procedures are grouped into three categories: Alignment, Setup and Utilities. The alignment section deals with the initial telescope align­ment as well as finding objects in the sky; the setup section discusses changing parameters such as tracking mode and tracking rate; finally, the last section reviews all of the utility functions such as adjusting the telescopes slew limits and backlash compensation.
Alignment Procedure
In order for the StarSeeker to accurately point to objects in the sky, it must first 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 StarSeeker 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 first alignment star, then the StarSeeker 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 find 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.
Definition
"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
Figure 3-2. The StarSeeker hand control
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Important: The first time the StarSeeker is used, it will request information to help identify the model of telescope. Once powered on, the hand control will display the message Select Model. Use the Up and Down menu keys (10) to scroll through the different StarSeeker models. Press ENTER when your StarSeeker model is displayed on the hand control. This infor­mation will be retained for future use and will not be displayed again. If for some reason the incorrect model was selected or you wish to use your hand control on a different StarSeeker model, the Select Model utility feature allows you to re-select the proper StarSeeker model from the displayed list (see Select Model later in this section).
Sky Align
Sky Align is the easiest way to get your StarSeeker aligned and ready to observe. Even if you do not know a single star in the
If you have this model...
StarSeeker 70mm
StarSeeker 80mm
StarSeeker 114mm
StarSeeker 130mm
Select the following Model
NexStar 60mm
NexStar 80mm
NexStar 114mm
NexStar 130mm
sky, the StarSeeker 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 StarSeeker is then ready to start finding 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 finderscope) attached and lens cover removed as described in the Assembly section of the manual. To begin Sky Align:
1. Power on the StarSeeker by plugging the battery pack into the jack on the base of the fork arm.
2. 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.
3. The hand control display will then ask for the following time/ site information:
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 appendices of this manual.
HELPFUL HINTS
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 StarSeeker 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.
Location - The StarSeeker 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
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4. 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.
5. 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 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 StarSeeker automatically selects the best slew­ing rate for aligning objects in both the finderscope and the eyepiece).
6. 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.
7. 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, StarSeeker will prompt you to select and point the telescope at one known star in the sky. The StarSeeker 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 StarSeeker set up outside with all accessories attached and the tripod leveled, follow the steps below to align the telescope:
1. Once the StarSeeker is powered on , Press ENTER to begin alignment.
2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select Auto Two­Star Align and press ENTER.
3. The hand control will display the last time and location information that was entered into the hand control. Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll through the information. Press ENTER to accept the current information or press UNDO to manually edit the information (see Sky Align section for detailed instruction on entering time/site infor­mation).
4. The display will now prompt you to select a bright star from the displayed list on the hand control. Use Up and Down buttons (6 and 9 on the keypad) to scroll to the desired star and then press ENTER.
5. Use the arrow buttons to slew the telescope to the star you selected. Center the star in the finderscope and press ENTER. Finally, center the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN.
6. Based on this information, the StarSeeker will automati­cally display the most suitable second alignment star that is above the horizon. Press ENTER to automatically slew the telescope to the displayed star. If for some reason you do not wish to select this star (perhaps it is behind a tree or building), you can either:
• Press the UNDO button to display the next most suitable star for alignment.
• Use the UP and DOWN scroll buttons to manually select any star you wish from the entire list of available stars.
Once finished slewing, the display will ask you to use the arrow buttons to align the selected star with the red dot of the finderscope. Once centered in the finder, press ENTER. The display will then instruct you to center the star in the field of view of the eyepiece. When the star is centered, press ALIGN to accept this star as your second alignment star. When the telescope has been aligned to both stars the display will read Align Success, and you are now ready to find your first object.
Two Star Alignment
With the two-star alignment method, the StarSeeker requires the user to know the positions of two bright stars in order to accurately align the telescope with the sky and begin finding objects. Here is an overview of the two-star alignment proce­dure:
1. Once the StarSeeker is powered on, use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select Two-Star Align, and press ENTER.
2. Press ENTER to accept the time/site information displayed on the display, or press UNDO to enter new information.
3. The SELECT STAR 1 message will appear in the top row of the display. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select the star you wish to use for the first alignment star. Press ENTER.
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