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8" ULTIMA® 2000
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Page 2
WARNING
Removal of the Optical Tube Assembly, the Fork Tines or the
Drive Base will disable precise alignment calibrations and void
the warranty of the telescope.
This manual is dedicated to the memory of Mark J. Coco.
Mark will be remembered by many people for his love of Astronomy and his
talent for writing. He made many contributions to Celestron as our Staff
Astronomer and Technical Writer for which we will be forever grateful. He
will be missed as a great friend and co-worker.
In sadness there is peace .... Mark is where he always loved to be..... under
the stars
.
2
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................7
ARNING
W
E CAREFUL WITH SOLAR OBSERVING
: B
...................................................................................................................7
CHAPTER 2 - QUICK SETUP.........................................................................................................................................8
ETTING FAMILIAR
G
NDOOR USE
- I
..........................................................................................................................................8
How to scroll through the Main Menu List........................................................................................................................8
How to Enter into a Menu Item and Return to the Main Menu List...................................................................................9
How to Slew the Telescope.................................................................................................................................................9
SING THE TELESCOPE UNDER THE NIGHT SKY
U
...................................................................................................................10
Two Star Alignment..........................................................................................................................................................10
Turning Tracking On .......................................................................................................................................................11
Finding Objects................................................................................................................................................................11
CHAPTER 3 - ASSEMBLING YOUR ULTIMA 2000................................................................................................13
ETTING UP THE TRIPOD
S
DJUSTING THE TRIPOD HEIGHT
A
TTACHING THE TELESCOPE TO THE TRIPOD
A
NSTALLING THE FINDER
I
.......................................................................................................................................................13
...........................................................................................................................................14
........................................................................................................................15
.......................................................................................................................................................16
Attaching the Finderscope Bracket to the Telescope.......................................................................................................16
Attaching the Finder to the Bracket.................................................................................................................................17
OCUSING THE FINDERSCOPE AND RETICLE
F
LIGNING THE FINDERSCOPE
A
TTACHING THE VISUAL BACK
A
TTACHING THE STAR DIAGONAL
A
TTACHING THE EYEPIECE
A
ALANCING THE TELESCOPE
B
DJUSTING THE CLUTCHES
A
...................................................................................................................................................19
...................................................................................................................................................22
................................................................................................................................................18
.............................................................................................................................................19
.........................................................................................................................................19
.................................................................................................................................................20
..........................................................................................................................18
Altitude clutch..................................................................................................................................................................22
Azimuth clutch..................................................................................................................................................................23
TTACHING AN EQUATORIAL WEDGE TO THE TRIPOD
A
TTACHING THE ULTIMA
A
NSERTING THE BATTERIES
I
TORING YOUR ULTIMA
S
TO A WEDGE
2000
........................................................................................................................25
...................................................................................................................................................25
2000...............................................................................................................................................26
..........................................................................................................24
CHAPTER 4 - HAND CONTROL AND DRIVE BASE..............................................................................................27
UTTONS FOR THE HAND CONTROL
B
......................................................................................................................................27
Control Buttons................................................................................................................................................................28
Diamond Buttons .............................................................................................................................................................28
AIN MENU
M
COMMAND TREE
AVIGATING THROU GH THE MENU
N
.........................................................................................................................................................................28
..............................................................................................................................................................27
.......................................................................................................................................30
Scrolling Through the Menu............................................................................................................................................30
Entering and Exiting a Menu...........................................................................................................................................30
Looking Up a Messier Object ..........................................................................................................................................31
ESCRIPTION OF EACH MENU
D
...............................................................................................................................................32
Menu ALIGN....................................................................................................................................................................32
Menu GO TO...................................................................................................................................................................33
Menu CATALOG..............................................................................................................................................................33
Menu POSITION..............................................................................................................................................................37
Menu IDENTIFY..............................................................................................................................................................38
Menu TIMER....................................................................................................................................................................38
Menu SETUP ...................................................................................................................................................................38
Menu TOUR.....................................................................................................................................................................44
RIGHTNESS SETTING
B
...........................................................................................................................................................45
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LEWING SPEED SETTING
S
......................................................................................................................................................45
DRIVE BASE......................................................................................................................................................................46
CHAPTER 5 - TELESCOPE BASICS...........................................................................................................................47
HE SCHMIDT-CASSEGRAIN SYSTEM
T
MAGE ORIENTATION
I
OUR FIRST LOOK
Y
............................................................................................................................................................48
................................................................................................................................................................49
....................................................................................................................................47
Daytime Observing ..........................................................................................................................................................50
ALCULATING MAGNIFICATION
C
ETERMINING FIELD OF VIEW
D
ENERAL OBSERVING HINTS
G
ENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY HINTS
G
............................................................................................................................................50
...............................................................................................................................................50
................................................................................................................................................51
...........................................................................................................................................51
CHAPTER 6 - ASTRONOMY BASICS........................................................................................................................52
HE CELESTIAL COORDINATE SYSTEM
T
OTION OF THE STARS
M
OLAR ALIGNMENT (WITH WEDGE
P
.........................................................................................................................................................53
.................................................................................................................................52
)......................................................................................................................................54
Finding the Pole...............................................................................................................................................................55
Latitude Scales.................................................................................................................................................................56
Pointing at Polaris...........................................................................................................................................................57
Declination Drift..............................................................................................................................................................58
The 7x50mm Finder.........................................................................................................................................................58
CHAPTER 7 - PROCEDURES ......................................................................................................................................60
RIVE SYSTEM
D
.....................................................................................................................................................................60
Turning the Tracking On and Off ....................................................................................................................................60
Changing Slewing Speeds (Button Speed ON).................................................................................................................61
Changing Slewing Speeds (Button Speed OFF)............................................................................................................... 61
Saving Power...................................................................................................................................................................62
Determining the Altitude Backlash Compensation ..........................................................................................................63
Finding 90º Declination for Polar Alignment..................................................................................................................63
LIGNMENT
A
..........................................................................................................................................................................65
SKY - Two Star Alignment ...............................................................................................................................................65
EQ North - Polar Aligned, one star alignment................................................................................................................65
SKY - Updating Alignment...............................................................................................................................................66
CHANGE - Changing Alignment Stars............................................................................................................................66
SKY - One Star Alignment................................................................................................................................................67
EARTH - Terrestrial Alignment....................................................................................................................................... 69
EARTH - Terrestrial Alignment to User Defined NEW Objects.......................................................................................70
Finding 90º Declination for Polar Alignment..................................................................................................................71
OINTING
P
..............................................................................................................................................................................72
GO TO Command ............................................................................................................................................................72
Increasing Pointing Accuracy using Enhanced Encoder Resolution - EER....................................................................72
Precise Pointing - Relative Command............................................................................................................................. 73
CHAPTER 8 - CELESTIAL OBSERVING ..................................................................................................................74
BSERVING THE MOON
O
.........................................................................................................................................................74
Lunar Observing Hints.....................................................................................................................................................74
BSERVING THE PLANETS
O
.....................................................................................................................................................74
Planetary Observing Hints...............................................................................................................................................74
BSERVING THE SUN
O
............................................................................................................................................................74
Solar Observing Hints......................................................................................................................................................75
BSERVING DEEP SKY OBJECTS
O
EEING CONDITIONS
S
.............................................................................................................................................................75
...........................................................................................................................................75
Transparency ...................................................................................................................................................................75
Sky Illumination...............................................................................................................................................................75
Seeing............................................................................................................................................................................... 76
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CHAPTER 9 - PHOTOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................................77
ELESTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY
C
HORT EXPOSURE PRIME FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY
S
IGGYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY
P
YEPIECE PROJECTION
E
...................................................................................................................................................77
..................................................................................................................77
..................................................................................................................................................79
..........................................................................................................................................................80
Effective Focal Length.....................................................................................................................................................81
Effective Magnification....................................................................................................................................................81
Effective f# or f-ratio........................................................................................................................................................ 82
ONG EXPOSURE PRIME FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY
L
...................................................................................................................82
CCD IMAGING...................................................................................................................................................................84
Fastar Lens Assembly Option -- Using your Ultima 2000 telescope at f/1.95 with optional PixCel CCD Camera........84
Description of F-numbers................................................................................................................................................85
ASTAR CONFIGURATIONS
F
....................................................................................................................................................86
Imaging at f/1.95..............................................................................................................................................................86
Imaging at f/6.3 (Medium size to small galaxies)............................................................................................................86
Imaging at f/10 (Lunar or small planetary nebulae)........................................................................................................87
Imaging at f/20 (Planetary or lunar)...............................................................................................................................87
CHAPTER 10 - TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE.........................................................................................................90
ARE AND CLEANING OF THE OPTICS
C
OLLIMATION
C
.......................................................................................................................................................................90
....................................................................................................................................90
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES...........................................................................................................................................92
APPENDIX A - DATA BASE STAR INFORMATION...............................................................................................96
LIGNMENT STAR LIST
A
ONSTELLATION ABBREVIATIONS
C
IST OF NAMED OBJECT CATALOG
L
.........................................................................................................................................................96
........................................................................................................................................97
.......................................................................................................................................98
APPENDIX B - ULTIMA 2000 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL.........................................................................99
APPENDIX C - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS...................................................................................................102
APPENDIX D - CCD AUTOGUIDE PIN OUT..........................................................................................................105
APPENDIX E - OPERATION TIPS............................................................................................................................106
Setting the backlash compensations for an auto guider.................................................................................................106
Viewing near the zenith in Alt-Az...................................................................................................................................106
The effects of a star diagonal on pointing accuracy......................................................................................................106
Viewing objects below the horizon.................................................................................................................................107
Using Cord Wrap...........................................................................................................................................................107
Slewing Autostop............................................................................................................................................................107
GLOSSARY......................................................................................................................................................................108
THE SKY MAPS..............................................................................................................................................................112
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Tube Downstop
Finderscope
Altitude Clutch
Adjustment
knob
Counterweight
Tripod
Eyepiece
Star Diagonal
Azimuth
Clutch
Adjustment
Rod
Scope-to-tripod
bolt
Focus Knob
Hand Control
Altitude
Downstop
Azimuth Downstop
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CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on your purchase of a Celestron Ultima 2000! The Ultima 2000 ushers in a whole new generation of
computer automated technology. Simple and friendly to use, the Ultima 2000 is up and running after locati ng just two
alignment stars. And then the fun begins. Start off with our built-in Sky Tour package or begin to observe any of the over
10,000 objects in the standard data base. The Ultima 2000 will unfold for you and your friends the wonders of the
planets, stars and galaxies. You may even discover and track your own comet!
Many of the standard features of the Ultima 2000 have never been available previously:
• Incredible 10°/second (or faster) slewing speed;
• Fully enclosed optical encoders for position location - you can manually move the telescope and it will still know its
location;
• Precision worm drive on both axes;
• Radical and innovative new fork mount;
• Extremely low power consumpt ion - runs off 8 AA batteries for 20 hours under normal usage;
• CCD compatible, auto-guider ready;
• RS-232 port allows use of PC’s; and
• Many other high performance feature s !
The Ultima 2000’s deluxe features combine with Celestron’s legendary Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system to give
amateur astronomers the most sophisticated visual and photographic telescope available on the market today.
Take time to read through this manual before embar king on your journey thr ough the universe. It may take a few
observing sessions to become familiar with your Ultima 2000. The laminated summary sheet has a very useful diagram
that will demonstrate access to the different menus of operation. Also, you should keep this manual handy until you have
fully mastered your telescope’s operation.
Your Ultima 2000 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: Be careful with solar observing
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 bre ak, 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.
Never point your telescope at the sun unless you have the proper solar filter. When using your telescope with the correct
solar filter, always cover the find erscope. Although small in apertur e, the finderscope has enough light gathering power to
cause permanent and irreversible eye damage. In addition, the image pr ojected by the finderscope is hot enough to burn
skin or clothing.
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CHAPTER 2 - QUICK SETUP
This section is intended to help the new user get the Ultima 2000 up and running, in the altazimuth configuration,
immediately after assembly. To assemble the telescope, refer to the chapter entitled “Assembling your Ultima 2000”.
There are two steps required to become familiar with the Ultima 2000’s operations. First, use the telescope indoors to get
acquainted with all the controls and second, use the telescope under the night sky to find objects. This section covers
both.
Getting Familiar - Indoor Use
This section will show you how to navigate through the user interface of the Ultima 2000. The interface has four buttons
that allow you to run the Ultima 2000 hand control software. One is the MENU button which will bring you back to the
main menu. The other three are the control buttons named ENTER, UP, and DOWN. The control buttons can act on any
item that is blinking on the display screen. When you turn the telescope on, the first screen that appears is MENU
ALIGN. You will notice the “A” in ALIGN is blinking. This indicates that you can use the control buttons on this item
(Note : In this document, bold text represents a blinking character on the display). This section will also show you how to
Slew the telescope.
How to scroll through the Main Menu List.
Here is an example that illustrates how to scroll through the different items of the main menu. There ar e eight items in all.
A detailed description of each item is discussed later.
ACTION
Turn on the telescope The telescope always starts off at the
Press the button labeled DOWN Scrolling to different items in the
Press the button labeled DOWN Scrolling to different items in the
Press the button labeled DOWN 4 times Scrolling to different items in the
Press the button labeled UP 6 times Scrolling back to the original item MENU
NOTES DISPLAY
MENU
ALIGN menu.
main menu.
main menu.
main menu.
LIGN
A
MENU
O TO
G
MENU
ATALOG
C
MENU
ETUP
S
LIGN
A
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How to Enter into a Menu Item and Return to the Main Menu List
The blinking letter indicates that the item can be “acted on” by any of the three control buttons (ENTER, UP, DOWN). In
this section we will illustrate how to enter into a menu item and how to get back out to the main menu.
ACTION
Turn on the telescope and scroll to
MENU CATALOG
Press the button labeled ENTER Entered into the CATALOG menu.
NOTES DISPLAY
MENU
ATALOG
C
NAMED
The “S” is blinking so we can press
TAR
S
ENTER or UP/DOWN
Press the button labeled ENTER Entered into a list of named stars.
Scroll UP or DOWN to find other
0138-572
CHERNAR
A
stars.
Press the button labeled DOWN 12 times Scrolled to a star named Betelgeuse. 0555+074
ETELGEU
B
Press the button labeled ENTER A list of information on the star
scrolls by and an option to go to the
object appears. Wait 5 seconds and
O TO
G
(scrolling list of
information)
the screen returns to the previous
screen.
Press the button labeled MENU Returned to the main menu. MENU
ATALOG
C
How to Slew the Telescope
This section uses the direction buttons that control the motors. These are the four buttons laid out in a diamond pattern
underneath the control buttons. They will be referred to as the Diamond buttons. It is nice to see the telescope slew when
getting familiar with the operation of the telescope. It turns out, that when observing, the slew function is almost never
used because it is more convenient to move the telescope by hand. This is true for first time users as well as established
amateurs. Here is how to slew the telescope:
ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Turn the Telescope ON
(For simplicity, if the telescope is already
on, cycle power{turn off then on}.)
Press the right Diamond button. The telescope moves at center speed
in the westerly or clockwise
direction.
While holding the right Diamond button
Press the UP button once
Now the default speed is set to finder
rate (2º per second)
Let go of the Diamond button The telescope stops moving and the
display returns to its last Menu
location.
Press any Diamond button The telescope moves at finder rate.
You will need to balance the
telescope to get it to move in Altitude
(Up/Down) smoothly.
Press the right Diamond button then while
holding down the right button, press t he left
The telescope moves at slew speed
(>10º per second)
diamond button.
MENU
LIGN (if you just
A
turned the scope on.)
SPEED
ENTER
C
SPEED
INDER
F
MENU
LIGN
A
SPEED
INDER
F
SPEED
INDER
F
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To get the telescope to slew, set the SPEED to FINDER using the above procedure. Hold down the Diamond button
corresponding to the direction you want the telescope to slew, then press the opposite button to reach the slew rate.
Using the Telescope Under the Night Sky
The purpose of this section is to get the telescope aligned and tracking under the stars as soon as possible. You need to
have the telescope assembled and on the tripod to utilize this quick setup section. You also need to balance the telescope.
See the section Balancing the Telescope in the Chapter 3.
Two Star Alignment
ACTION NOTES DISPLAY
Turn the telescope ON
Turn the hand control ON
Press ENTER Entered into the ALIGN menu and
Move the telescope to its downstop
positions in both Alt and Az.
Chapter on the Hand Control, Menu Setup
Press ENTER
Press ENTER Initialized the encoder downstop
Press ENTER Entered into the star list catalog. NEW OBJ
Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll
through the list of al i gnment stars.
(example: ALTAIR - p ress DOWN nine
times)
Move and center telescope on alignment
star and press ENTER
Press ENTER Entered back in star list NEW OBJ
Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll to a
second alignment star.
(example Deneb - Press DOWN 7 times)
Move and center telescope on alignment
star and press ENTER
A few seconds pass Display returns to the SKY screen
Press MENU Returns you to the ALIGN Menu. MENU
(See the
The telescope always starts off at the
ALIGN menu.
the message “INITIALIZING”
scrolls across followed by the prompt
to set the azimuth downstop.
Initialized the encoder downstop
position for azimuth.
position for altitude.
Scrolled to first alignment star. NEW OBJ
Aligned the Ultima 2000 to first
alignment star.
NOTE: Move the scope by hand and
center with the diamond buttons)
Scrolled to second alignment star. NEW OBJ
Aligned to second star and the warp
error message displays briefly. An
error of less than 0.5 is desirable.
after a few seconds.
MENU
LIGN
A
ET FORK
S
TO ZERO
UBE TO
T
DOWNSTOP
KY
S
ACHERNAR
CHERNAR
A
LTAIR
A
KY
S
ALTAIR
LTAIR
A
ENEB
D
NEW OBJ
W=(<.5)
KY
S
DENEB
LIGN
A
Note: Even with the tracking motors off, the telescope still keeps track of the passage of sidereal time.
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Turning Tracking On
To turn tracking on or off, start at the SETUP menu. The instructions below will start there. Here is how to do it:
ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Get to the SETUP menu. MENU
ETUP
S
Press ENTER Speed could be at FINDER, PHOTO,
or 2 X SDRL. It defaults to the last
setting used.
SPEED
CENTER
(will be at the last
setting)
Press DOWN Scrolls thro ugh the different setup
functions.
Press ENTER Moves the cursor to “O” of OFF.
This makes it possible to change the
RACKING
T
OFF
TRACKING
FF
O
tracking state of the telescope.
Press DOWN Set the telescope motors to track in
Alt-Az rates. If the scope is on a
TRACKING
LT AZM
A
wedge, then set tracking to EQ
NORTH or EQ SOUTH.
Press MENU Returns to main menu. MENU
ETUP
S
Finding Objects
To use this section, the telescope has to be aligned to the sky. See the previous reference section. This quick reference
will show you how to find stars, Messier objects and Planets. For more information, see the Section “Menu Catalog” in
Chapter 5.
ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Go to the CATALOG Menu MENU
ATALOG
C
Press ENTER Enter the Named star list in the
Catalog menu.
Press ENTER and UP/DOWN to find a
star that is up.
example, Arcturus
Press Down 11 times
Press ENTER, wait 1/2 second and press
The telescope will slew to the object. 1416+191
ENTER again.
NAMED
TAR
S
1416+191
RCTURUS
A
(example star)
RCTURUS
A
(example star)
Find Messier Objects
Press MENU, press EN TER,
times
press UP four
Returned to the Menu Catalog, enter
the Menu Catalog, and scroll through
M
001
the different catalogs until the
Messier catalog comes up.
Choose a Messier object that is up.
Consult a star atlas.
example: M13
The second zero is blinking. Use the
UP/DOWN arrows to change it.
M 001
Press ENTER two times
Press UP M 011
Press ENTER and then UP two times M 013
Press ENTER, wait 1/2 second and press
ENTER again.
The telescope slews to the chosen
Messier object
GO TO
LEWING
S
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Find Planets
Press MENU, press EN TER, press the UP
or DOWN buttons until the display reads...
Press ENTER The last date entered shows in the
Scroll though the different
CATALOGS
SOLAR
YSTEM
S
2-17-97
0
display.
for the example date of 3-18-97
Press ENTER and press the UP Arrow
Change the month from Feb. t o
March.
03-17-97
once
Press ENTER twice and press UP once. Change the date.
03-18-97
Press ENTER three times 2320-066
ERCURY
M
Use the UP/DOWN arrows to chose the
desired planet.
example VENUS
Venus is selected from the database 0240+178
ENUS
V
Press UP once
Press ENTER, wait 1/2 second and press
ENTER again.
The telescope slews to Venus GO TO
LEWING
S
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CHAPTER 3 - ASSEMBLING YOUR ULTIMA 2000
The Ultima 2000 is a sophisticated computerized telescope with the GO TO function. The Ultima 2000 can be used in
either Altazimuth mode or Equatorial mode (optional wedge #93655 is required). In addition, the Ultima comes standard
with Starbright
Also, the corrector plate is fully coated to allow maximum light transmission. The Ultima 2000 is shipped in three boxes.
One contains the telescope, one contains the tripod and the third contains the standard accessories, which are:
• 26mm Plössl Ocular 1-1/4"
• Visual Back 1-1/4"
• Star Diagonal, Prism 1-1/4"
• 7x50mm Finderscope with Bracket
• Lens Cap
• Standard co unt erweights (1 sliding weight, four small weights)
• no tool bolts for attaching the telescope to the tripod
• bolts for attaching the telescope to the optional wedge
• diameter rod for azimuth clutch adjustment
The Ultima telescope should be set up indoors the first time so that it is easy to identify the various parts and familiarize
yourself with the correct assemb ly procedure before attempting it outdoors.
Remove the tripod and telescope from their respective boxes. Remove all the accessories as well. Save the boxes since
you may want to ship your telescope at some time in the future.
®
coatings, an enhanced multi-layer coating on the primary and secondary mirrors for increased reflectivity.
Setting Up the Tripod
For maximum rigidity, the Celestron field tripod has a leg support bracket. This bracket fits snugly against the tripod legs,
increasing stability while reducing vibration and flexure. However, the tripod is shipped with each arm of the leg support
bracket in between the legs so the tripod legs can collapse. To set up the tripod:
1. Hold the tripod with the head up and the legs pointed toward the ground.
2. Pull the legs away from the central column until they will not separate any further. A small stop on the top of each
tripod leg presses against the tripod head to indicate maximum separation.
3. Rotate the tension knob (located underneath the support bracket on the central column) clockwise until it is close to
the bottom of the central column.
4. Turn the leg support bracket until the cups on the end of each bracket are directly underneath each leg.
Rotate the tension knob clockwise until the bracket is secure against the tripod legs.
5.
Do not over tighten.
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The tripod will now stand by itself. Once the wedge and/or telescope are attached to the tripod, readjust the tension knob
to ensure that the leg support bracket is snug. Once again, do not over tighten!
Figure 3-1 The field tripod completely set up.
Adjusting the Tripod Height
The tripod that comes with your Ultima 2000 telescope is adjustable. To adjust the height at which the tripod stands:
1. Loosen the extension clamp on one of the tripod legs (see figure 3-2).
2. Extend the leg to the desired height.
3. Tighten the extension clamp to hold the leg in place.
4. Repeat this process for each of the remaining legs.
You can do this while the tripod legs are still folded together.
Remember that the higher the tripod legs are extended, the less stable it is. For casual observing, this may not pose a
problem. However, if you plan on doing photography, the tripod should be set low to ensure stability. A recommended
height is to set the tripod in such a manner that you can look directly into the eyepiece on the telescope with a diagonal
while seated.
To adjust the height, loosen the extension clamps and slide the tripod legs to the desired height.
Do not loosen the leg clamps with the telescope on the tripod.
14
Figure 3-2
Page 15
Attaching the Telescope to the Tripod
The telescope is fully assembled and ready to attach directly to a tripod or to an optional equatorial wedge. To attach the
telescope to the tripod:
1. Align the center hole on the bottom of the telescope with the center post on the tripod. Lower the
telescope onto the tripod.
2. Rotate the drive base on the tripod in order to line up the three holes of the telescope drive base
with the three holes of the tripod head. The larger holes in the tripod head are for the extended
screws that attach the bolts to the tripod directly (see Figure 3-3b).
3. Insert the three extended screws into the bottom of the tripod head through the three holes.
4. Thread the three extended screws into the holes until tight (see Figure 3-3b).
5. Tighten the bolts until the telescope is secure.
Figure 3-3a
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Figure 3-3b: Top view of the tripod head. Place the Ultima 2000 on top of the tripod. Use the open holes to mount
the Ultima 2000 to the tripod.
Installing the Finder
The finderscope is used to help you locate and center objects in the main field of your telescope. To start, remove the
finder and hardware from the plastic wrapper. Included are the following:
• 7x50mm Finderscope
• Finder Bracket
• Rubber O-ring
• Three Nylon-Tipped Thumbscrews (10-24x1/2”)
• Two Phillips Head Screws (8-32x1/2”)
Mounting the finderscope and bracket is a two step process; first mount the bracket to the telescope, then mount the
finderscope in the bracket.
Attaching the Finderscope Bracket to the Telescope
1. Find the two holes in the rear cell of the telescope (see Figure 3-4).
2. Remove the tape covering the two holes. The tape is there to prevent dust and moisture from
entering the optical tube before installing the finder bracket.
3. Place the finder bracket over the holes. The bracket should be oriented so that the ring with the
holes for the adjustment screws is closer to the rear cell of the telescope .
4. Thread the screws in by hand and then tighten fully.
WARNING:
are long enough to obstruct the movement of, and possibly chip the primary mirror.
16
If you remove the finderscope, do not thread the screws back into the rear cell of the telescope. The screws
Page 17
Attaching the Finder to the Bracket
s
With the bracket firmly attached to the telescope, you are ready to attach the finder to the bracket. See Figure 3-4 for a
visual aide.
1. Thread the three nylon screws into the front ring of the finder bracket. Tighten the screws until the nylon heads are
flush with the inner diameter of the bracket ring. Do NOT thread them in completely or they will interfere with the
placement of the finder.
2. Slide the O-Ring over the back of the finder (it may need to be stretched a little).
3. Position the O-Ring on the main body of the finder so that it is toward the front (i.e., objective) end of the finder.
4. Slide the end of the finder where the eyepiece mounts into the front of the bracket. Push it back until the end of the
finder, where the eyepiece attaches, is past the back ring of the bracket , but NOT so far that the O-Ring is snug inside
the back ring.
5. Slide the O-Ring toward the back(i.e., eyepiece end) of the finder.
6. Push the finder back until the O-Ring is snug inside the back ring of the finde r bracket.
7. It may be necessary to push the O-ring into the bracket recess with the tip of one of the set screws.
8. Hand tighten the three nylon-tipped thumbscrews until snug.
Nylon Sc re w
Figure 3-4
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Focusing the Finderscope and Reticle
The finderscope can be focused by loosening the locking ring, on the front of the finder, then rotate the front cell. When
you have reached the desired focus, turn the locking ring so it pushes against the front cell. This locks the focus. See
Figure 3-5.
To focus the reticle, rotate the eyepiece
Figure 3-5
Aligning the Finderscope
The Ultima 2000 comes with a 7x50mm finderscope. The finderscope is designed to help you find alignment stars and for
terrestrial use of a wide field. The first number used to describe the finderscope is the power. The second number is the
diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. So the 7x50 finderscope is 7 power and has a 50mm objective lens.
Incidentally, power is always compared to the unaided human eye. So, a 7 power finderscope magnifies images seven
times more than the human eye.
To make things a little easier, you should align the finderscope during the day when it is easier to locate objects. To align
the finderscope:
1. There is no need to turn on the telescope for this procedure.
2. Choose a conspicuous object that is over 500 yards away. This will eliminate any possible parallax effect.
3. Point your telescope at the target and center it in the eyepiece of the telescope.
4. Check the finderscope to see where the object is located in the field of view.
5. Adjust the screws on the finder bracket, tightening one while loosening another, until the cross hairs are centered on
the target.
6. Tighten each screw an additional quarter of a turn until you are sure they will not come loose easily.
Accurate alignment of the finderscope will make it much easier to find objects in the main optical tube.
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Attaching the Visual Back
The visual back allows you to attach most visual accessories to the telescope (see Figure 3-7). To attach the visual back:
• Remove the rubber cover on the rear cell.
• Place the knurled slip ring on the visual back over the thread s on the rear cell.
• Tighten by rotating the slip ring clockwise until tight.
Once this is done you are ready to attach other accessories such as eyepieces, diagonal prisms, etc.
If you want to remove the visual back, rotate the slip ring counterclockwise until it is free of the rear cell.
Attaching the Star Diagonal
The star diagonal is a prism that diverts the light at a right angle from the light path of the telescope. For astronomical
observing, this allows you to obser ve in positions that are more co mfortable than if you were to look straight through. To
attach the star diagonal:
1. Turn the thumbscrew on the visual back until its tip no longer extends into or obstructs the inner diameter of the
visual back.
2. Slide the chrome portion of the star diagonal into the visual back.
3. Tighten the thumbscrew on the visual back to hold the star diagonal in place.
If you wish to change the orientation of the star diagonal, loosen the thumbscrew on the visual back until the diagonal
rotates freely. Rotate the diagonal to the desired position and tighten the thumbscrew. For best results, rotate the diagonal
in the same position as you had it when you did your star alignment. This will maintain pointing accuracy.
Attaching the Eyepiece
The eyepiece, or ocular, is the optical element that magnifies the image focused by the telescope. The eyepiece fits either
into the visual back directly or into the star diagonal. To install an eyepiece into a diagonal:
1. Loosen the thumbscrews on the star diagonal so that it does not obstruct the inner diameter of the eyepiece end of the
diagonal.
2. Slide the chrome portion of the eyepiece into the star diagonal.
3. Tighten the thumbscrew on the diagonal to hold the eyepiece in place.
To remove the eyepiece, loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal and slide the eyepiece out.
Barrel diameter is the diameter of the barrel that slides into the star diagonal. Standard barrel diameters are .96”, 1.25”,
and 2”. The Ultima 2000 comes standard for use with 1.25” barrel eyepieces.
In addition to barrel diameter, eyepieces are also referred to in terms of their focal length. 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 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.”
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Figure 3-6 Figure 3-7
Image will be upside down Image will be right side up but reversed
Balancing the Telescope
Balance is a necessity for proper use of any telescope
in all telescopes. The Ultima 2000 is a precision instrument and so it is assumed that the user will balance the system.
The clutches are designed to only tighten a certain amount. This protects the precision gears driving the telescope. Heavy
stresses on the worm block assembly can cause da mage.
The Ultima 2000 comes with a balance system that allows the telescope to be dynamically balanced (rotate the tube
anywhere and it remains balanced). Most balance systems so ld today only balance the telescope for a range of ±10-20º.
The Ultima 2000 balance system balances the telescope for all 360º.
To balance the telescope:
1. Put all the accessories on the telescope (i.e. visual back, diagonal, eyepiece, etc....). The finderscope must be
mounted on the telescope.
2. Put the telescope in the horizontal position. See figure 3-8.
3. Hold the telescope and loosen the altitude clutch so the telescope rotates freely. (The altitude clutch is adjusted by
turning the black knob located on the side of the larger fork arm, counter clockwise loosens and clockwise tightens).
Don’t let go of the telescope; it could rotate forward quickly and strike the downstop.
4. Slide the counterweight to a position such that the telescope does not rotate when you let go of it.
5. Tighten the nylon screw on the counterweight.
The Ultima 2000 is now dynamically balanced. If the counter weight is pushed all the way forward and the telescope still
rotates up (so the front of the tube points up), then additional weights are needed. There are 4 accessory weights provided
with the telescope and more optional weights are available through Celestron. The weights are small st eel disks with a
threaded hole on one side and a threaded rod on the other. This way the weights can be attached to each other. To add the
extra weights:
. Balancing maximizes tracking accuracy and lessens vibrations
1. Remove the screw on the top of the front cell of the telescope, near the Starbright Coatings Sticker.
2. Attach two of the weights to the front cell via the threads.
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3. Place the two other weights under the sliding counterweight on the bottom of the telescope. The sliding
counterweight has a threaded hole on its bottom face. To maintain a dynamic balance, equal weights must be added
to the top and the bottom of the telescope; i.e., two on top of the tube and two on the bottom of the tube.
4. Put the telescope in the horizontal position. See figure 3-8.
5. Hold the telescope and loosen the altitude clutch so the telescope rotates freely. Don’t let go of the telescope, it could
rotate forward quickly and strike the downstop.
6. Slide the counterweight to a position such that the telescope does not rotate when you release it.
To maintain a dynamic balance, any extra weights added must be added in pairs, one on the top of the tube and one on the
bottom. See Figure 3-8.
Horizontal Position Vertical Position
A telescope balances much like a scale. You need as much weight in the front as you have in the back. The sliding
weight allows for adj ust ability. If the sliding weight is adjusted all the way forward and more weight is needed,
use the extra counterweights provided with the telescope. Two weights should be placed on the top of the tube and
two placed under the sliding weight on the bottom. When the telescope is pointed in the vertical position, there
must be equal amounts of weight on the top and on the botto m (when the tube is pointed up, the top of the tube
becomes the left side of the scale and the bottom becomes the right side of the scale). Notice that when the sliding
weight is moved with the tube pointed straight up, t he weight on the right side of the scale does not chang e .
Figure 3-8
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Adjusting the clutches
The Ultima 2000 has a dual axis clutching system. A clutching system is a necessity for two reasons. First it is
convenient. You can move the telescope without unlocking any of the axis. Second, it protects the precision worm
assemblies that drive the telescope. If there is too much load placed on a telescope without a clutch, the worm assemblies
feel all the force. This can easily damage the telescope. The clutch is designed to slip when the telescope is too much outof-balance or if a force is being applied to the system.
There is an ideal clutch setting for the telescope. For normal visual observing, you want to set the clutch as loose as
possible. This makes it easy for you to move the telescope by hand and also extends the battery life by creating less
resistance when the telescope is slewing. If you are doing CCD imaging or astrophotography, then you will want to
tighten the clutches to about 75%. When the clutch is this tight it will be difficult to center objects by hand so the hand
control should be used. Here is how to adjust the Altitude and the Azimuth clutches.
Altitude clutch
Altitude clutch adjustment
knob
Figure 3-9 - The Altitude clutch adjustment knob
To tighten the altitude clutch, turn the Altitude Clutch Adjustment knob clockwise. To loosen, turn it counter-clockwise.
There are stops placed on the adjustment knob. The full range of the clutch knob is about 360º. This will prevent you
from over tightening the system.
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Azimuth clutch
To change the azimuth clutch tension, place the clutch rod into the RA clutch adjusting ring shown in Figure 3-10. To
tighten the clutch turn the rod counter-clockwise when looking down on the telescope. The clutch rod allows for about
110º of motion which is more than enough motion to adjust the range of clutch tensions needed. There ar e stops placed on
the RA clutch ring. This will prevent you from over tightening the system.
Clutch Rod RA Clutch Adjusting Ring
The azimuth clutch adjustment location shown in two views, side and from underneath the
Figure 3-10
drive base.
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Attaching an Equatorial Wedge to the Tripod
The Ultima 2000 attaches to an optional equatorial wedge, 93655, so it can be used for astrophotography or CCD
imaging. It is a good idea to purchase the Deluxe Latitude Adjuster kit (DLA), 93662, in addition to the wedge. T his aids
in getting an accurate polar alignment.
The tripod has six holes on its head for mounting equipment. Three of the holes are threaded with 5/16-18 threads and
three of the holes are open. The three open holes are for mounting the Ultima 2000 telescope to the tripod directly for
altazimuth use. This procedure is covered earlier in this chapter. To mount the wedge to the tripod, the through holes
need to have threads. This is accomplished with inserts provided with the wedge. The inserts are placed in the through
holes from the bottom side of the tripod head. With the inserts in place, all of the holes are threaded. Now you can attach
the wedge.
To attach the wedge to the tripod (Figure 3-11):
1. Place the black metallic inserts in the open holes from underneath the tripod head. The inserts fit into the tripod head
with the flange end down.
2. Hold the wedge over the center post on the tripod.
3. Rotate the wedge so the t hrough holes of the wedge line up with the t hreaded inserts in the t ripod head. Notice that
there is a pin on the bottom of the wedge which protrudes from the azimuth adjusting block. The pin fits into one of
the existing threaded holes. You may need to rotate the wedge slightly back-and-forth to get the azimuth block pin to
fall into the existing threaded hole on the head of the tripod.
4. Use the 5/16-18 bolts and the washers provided with the wedge to attach the wedge to the tripod.
Figure 3-11 - Front exploded view of the wedge and tripod head.
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Attaching the Ultima 2000 to a Wedge
Once the wedge is firmly attached to the tripod, you are ready to mount the telescope on the wedge. The telescope base
fits directly onto the tilt plate of the wedge. To mount the telescope on the wedge:
1. Lay the telescope on its side and locate the three feet underneath the drive base. Each foot has two threaded holes.
The holes furthest away from the center are the ones you need to use.
2. Partially insert one of the three (3/8-16x1.25") hand tightening knobs into one of the threaded holes.
3. Pick the telescope up by the fork tines and position it above the tripod. It should be oriented so that the telescope is
over the tripod with the base pointing toward the tilt plate (see Figure 3-12).
4. Slide the bolt, that is attached to the drive base, into the slot on the top of the tilt plate.
5. Tighten the bolt slightly so that the bottom of the drive base is flush to the tilt plate. Do not tighten it fully or you will
not be able to rotate the base enough to insert the two remaining bolts. ( If you do not tighten the bolt at all, the drive
base may be tilted slightly, preventing the remaining two bolts from threading straight in.)
6. Move the base of the telescope side-to-side until the two remaining holes in the drive base line up with the holes in
the tilt plate on the wedge.
7. Insert the screws and tighten all three completely. There is no need to loosen these until you are ready to remove the
telescope from the wedge.
Inserting the Batteries
Use only
1. Open the battery cover located on the base by pressing the recessed tab on the lid and lifting.
2. Remove old batteries (if necessary).
3. Insert 4 alkaline AA batteries into each battery compartment.
alkaline
batteries in your Ultima 2000. To insert the batteries:
Figure 3-12
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4. Close the battery compartment lid and press down until it snaps shut.
NOTE: The use of non-alkaline batteries may cause improper functioning of your Ultima 2000.
Storing Your Ultima 2000
When not in use, all lenses and eyepieces should be covered. This will reduce the amount of dust build-up on all optical
surfaces and reduce the number of times you need to clean the instrument. You may want to return everything to its
original shipping container and store it there. If this is the case, all optical surfaces should still be covered to prevent dust
accumulation. It is a good idea to remo ve the batteries when storing the telescope for long periods of time.
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CHAPTER 4 - HAND CONTROL AND DRIVE BASE
The Hand Control allows you to control the telescope and specify various parameters. To use, insert the batteries in the
telescope drive base (see the section, Inserting the Batteries, in the Assembly chapter). This section gives details on all the
different menus and sub-menus of the Ultima 2000 hand control.
Buttons for the Hand Control
Figure 4-1
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The hand control is quite simple. There are 4 buttons for the interface controls, 4 buttons for moving the telescope, and a
display screen. The interface is a list of 8 menus with each menu having several sub-menus.
Here is what each button on the hand control is for:
POWER
BRIGHTNESS
MENU
Control Buttons
ENTER
UP
DOWN
Diamond Buttons
These four buttons move the telescope. If in Slewing or Finder rates the telescope will mo ve in the direction the arrows
are pointing. If the speeds are set at Center, 2X Sidereal, or Photo, the buttons cause the object in the eyepiece to move in
the direction the buttons are pointed. (This is assuming you are using a diagonal.)
Turns the power of the hand control on and off. The “O” is the off position. When
the telescope is aligned and tracking the sky, the hand control can be turned off and on
and it will not affect the telescopes alignment. This feature can be used to save
battery life when leaving the telescope ON overnight.
There are 5 different brightness settings for the display screen. This button changes
the brightness of the display.
Returns the display to the main menu from anywhere in the software.
Used to enter into a menu or select an item from a list.
Used to scroll through the list of menus or through a sub menu.
Used to scroll through the list of menus or through a sub menu.
Main Menu
The user interface of the Ultima 2000 consists of eight main menu items. Each of these has sub menus.
• Menu ALIGN, for aligning the Ultima 2000 to catalog objects.
• Menu GO TO, for commanding the telescope to move to a selected catalog object.
• Menu CATALOG, for choosing objects out of a catalog.
• Menu POSITION, for finding the R.A. and DEC position, the relative position, or the constellation to which the
telescope is pointing.
• Menu IDENT IFY, for identifying unknown ob jects.
• Menu TIMER, for performing stopwatch functions.
• Menu SETUP, for setting up scroll rate, motor speeds, mode of operation and ot her user functions.
• Menu TOUR, for touring speci al objects for a given month of the year.
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ALIGN M E NU
GO TO MENU
CATALOG
POSIT ION
IDENTIFY
TIMER MENU
SETUP M ENU
TOUR
Sky
Earth
Change
EQ South
EQ North
Auto
Manual
Relative
Named Star
Named Object
Solar System
Star Catalog (ST)
Messier (M)
New General
Catalog (NGC)
In d e x Ca ta lo g (IC )
N o n-S tella r
Catalog (NS)
European Southern
O bservatory (E S O )
Up psala G en eral
Catalog (UGC)
User Defined
Catalog (NEW)
RA DEC
Tracking
Telescop
Constell
Find
Mag
Start
Stop
Reset
SPEED
SLEW
FINDER
CENTER
2X SDR L
PHOTO
TRACK
OFF
ALT AZ
EQ SOUTH
EQ NO RTH
RATE
SIDEREAL
KING
SOLAR
LUNAR
PEC
TRAIN
ON
OFF
VOL T S
Demo
Manual
Figure 4-2: Ultima 2000
Command Tree
The following figure is a
•
Command Tree of each of
the Menus and Sub-Menus
available in the Ultima 2000
software.
AZM GE AR
ALT GEAR
AZM B A C K
ALT BACK
CORD
ON
OFF
BTN SPE ED
ON
OFF
BNTN SLEW
ON
OFF
CHART
SA
UA
SCROLL
VERS ION
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Navigating through the Menu
The user interface is basically sets of menus and sub-menus. When you turn the telescope ON, you are in the main menu.
The first menu item that comes up in the display is,
MENU
LIGN
A
Notice that the “A” is blinking. (Note, a blinking item on the display will be shown as a bold letter in this manual). A
blinking item is a prompt to use any one of the control buttons (ENTER, UP, or DOWN). If you press ENTER, you will
enter into the ALIGN menu. If you press UP or DOWN, you will scroll through the other seven main menu items.
Here are some examples of how to use the interface.
Scrolling Through the Menu
BUTTON or ACTION NOTES DISPLAY
Turn On
(telescope and hand control)
DOWN Scrolling to different items in the
DOWN Scrolling to different items in the
DOWN 4 times Scrolling to different items in the
UP 6 times Scrolling back to the original item MENU
Entering and Exiting a Menu
BUTTON or ACTION NOTES DISPLAY
Turn the telescope ON and scroll to
MENU CATALOG
press ENTER Entered into the CATALOG menu.
press ENTER Entered into a list of named stars.
press DOWN 12 times Scrolled to a star named Betelgeuse. 0555+074
press MENU Puts you back to the main menu MENU
The telescope always starts off in the
ALIGN menu.
main menu.
main menu.
main menu.
The “S” is blinking so we can press
ENTER or UP/DOWN
Scroll UP or DOWN to find other
stars.
MENU
LIGN
A
MENU
O TO
G
MENU
ATALOG
C
MENU
ETUP
S
LIGN
A
MENU
ATALOG
C
NAMED
TAR
S
0138-572
CHERNAR
A
ETELGEU
B
ATALOG
C
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Looking Up a Messier Object
BUTTON or ACTION NOTES DISPLAY
Turn on the telescope
and scroll to
MENU CATALOG
press ENTER Entered into the CATALOG menu. The “S” is blinking so
we can press ENTER or UP/DOWN
press UP 4 times Scrolled to the Messier catalog. Let’s look at M42. The
“M” is blinking
press ENTER Enter into the Messier catalog. The leading “0” is blinking.
We want M 042 so press enter to except the leading zero.
press ENTER Now the second zero is blinking indicating that it can be
edited by using the UP/DOWN Buttons. M 001
press UP 4 times Adjusted the second number to 4.
press ENTER Accepted the value “4” and now we are able to adjust the
last digit via the UP/DOWN buttons
press UP Change “1” to “2”.
press ENTER Gives the position of M42 0535-055
press ENTER The display reads GO TO with the “G” blinking and scrolls
information about the object. When the scrolling is
complete, the screen returns to the previous screen.
(Note: if you hit enter while the display is scrolling, the
telescope will slew to the object.) Don’t do this now
because the telescope is not aligned.
press MENU Returned to the main me nu. MENU
MENU
ATALOG
C
NAMED
TAR
S
001
M
M 001
M 041
M 04
1
M 04
2
M 04
2
O TO
G
(scrolls object
info.)
ATALOG
C
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Description of each Menu
Menu ALIGN
This menu is the first menu to be displayed when the telescope is turned on. There are five sub menus under ALIGN.
Each of these is a different way to align the telescope. Here are the sub menus:
SKY
EARTH
CHANGE
EQ SOUTH
This is used for the initial Alt-Az two star alignment or updating your alignment during the
evening. If you are looking at a non-stellar object, you can center the object and update
your alignment in this mo de.
NOTE: The Ultima 2000 uses two stars to align to the sky. If you align to two stars then
later align to a third, the telescope overrides the closer of the two original alignment stars.
This maximizes the distance between your alignment objects, even if you update your
alignment with many objects in one par t o f the sky. Alignment stars should be more than
20º apart.
This is used to align to terrestrial objects that you have defined in the NEW Catalog
database ( example given in Chpt. 8). Terrestrial objec ts don’t move as the night
progresses, so in this mode the positions of the objects are not updated with time. In Earth
mode, the telescope assumes the objects are not moving. An example is given in Chapter
8.
This mode allow the user to choose which alignment star he/she wishes to replace with a
third star. The Ultima 2000 uses two stars for its alignment to the sky. These stars remain
in the memory until you update it with a new alignment star. This setting allows you to
view the names of the stars the Ultima 2000 is aligned to. You may have reason to replace
one alignment star over another. This mode gives you the choice. An example is given in
Chapter 8.
Use this setting in the Southern hemisphere with a polar aligned telescope. The polar
alignment accuracy is critical. The telescope implicitly uses the celestial pole for one of
the alignment objects. This way you only need one star to align the telescope. This setting
is useful for telescopes permanently mounted or being used remotely. A wedge is
necessary.
EQ NORTH
When you first attempt to align the telescope to the sky, you are prompted to set the telescope to its downstops. This sets
the position of the encoders. There is a downstop for each axis, azimuth and altitude.
The azimuth downstop is referenced by two stickers on the drive base. Rotate the fork arms until the stickers are lined up.
The altitude downstop position is with the telescope tube pointed down. In this position, the pin on the front of the tube
presses flush against the pin on the fork arm. Gently move the tube down until it hits its stop.
downstop pins together; this could damage the pins.
When you first press ENTER at the ALIGN menu, the screen scrolls,
INITIALIZING.....
32
Use this setting in the Northern hemisphere with a polar aligned telescope. The polar
alignment accuracy is critical. The telescope implicitly uses the celestial pole for one of
the alignment stars. This way you only need one star to align the telescope. This setting is
useful for telescopes permanently mo unted or b eing used remotely. . A wedge is
necessary.
Don’t slam the two
Page 33
Then the display will read,
SET FORK
TO ZERO
This is your cue to rotate the telescope in azimuth until the two stickers on the drive base line up. Then press ENTER.
Next the display will read,
TUBE TO
DOWNSTOP
Now move the telescope tube to the downstop position (pointing down). Press ENTER. The display places you into the
SKY align menu. The display will look like this,
KY
S
ACHERNAR (this will show the catalog object last displayed in the CATALOG menu)
Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll through the different ALIGN menu settings (SKY, EARTH, ETC...). Press ENTER
when you decide which alignment method you wish to use. The display will now read,
SKY
CHERNAR
A
with the “A” blinking. You can use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll to different alignment objects until you have reached
the desired object. Center the telescope on the object and press ENTER. You have just aligned to your first alignment
star. Align the telescope to another star to complete the alignment procedure (an example is given in Chapter 8).
Menu GO TO
This menu tells the telescope to go to the last object displayed in the Catalog Menu. GO TO has three sub menus. Use
the UP or DOWN arrows to scroll to the different sub menus. Here is an explanation of each.
AUTO: Press ENTER here to have the telescope automatically slew to the last object accessed in the Catalog
menu.
MANUAL: Press ENTER here and the display will tell you how far and in what direction the telescope should move
to center the object. Press ENTER again and the information about the object will scroll across the
screen. If you press ENTER while the screen is scrolling, the telescope will slew to the object.
You can also move the telescope by hand to the object. The guide arrows that tell you how far away
you are from the object will guide you to the object.
RELATIVE: This GO TO feature is an even more precise way of finding non-stellar objects. This option is to ensure
that an object is in the field of view of a CCD chip or a medium power eyepiece. When you press
ENTER from this se t ting, the computer searches through a database of stars to find the brightest star
within 5º of the faint object. The display will prompt you to center the object. After you have centered
the object, using the Diamond Buttons, press ENTER. The telescope will slew to the original object
sought.
Menu CATALOG
This menu is very extensive. Y ou may scroll through the list of catalogs with the UP and DOWN buttons; pressing
ENTER selects a particular catalog for you to scan. Catalogs can be accessed in two ways. You may scroll through the
items or you may input a particular object. Once an object is selected, press ENTER to get a description of type, size,
magnitude, and chart number. Press ENTER twice and the Ultima 2000's built-in high speed motor drive system will
locate the object for you, typically in 10 seconds or less.
The CATALOG menu contains the following: a Star Catalog (ST) which is unique to the Ultima 2000, the Messier
Catalog (M), the Revised New General Catalog (RNGC), Non-Stellar Catalog (NS), portions of the Index Catalog (IC),
portions of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Catalog, portions of the Uppsala General Catalog (UGC), a user
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definable catalog (NEW), and the PLANETS listed in order by increasing distance from the Sun. When used in
conjunction with the GO TO function, the Ultima 2000 will guide you to any of the more than 10,000 objects in its
database. There is a description of each catalog in the following section.
The "S" blinks, indicating that the catalog selec t ion can be changed. Press the DOWN button to scroll t hrough the various
catalog and planet selections. The order and explanation is as follows:
DISPLAY DESCRIPTION
NAMED STAR List of Stars by Name, mainly for alignment
NEW01 User Definable Catalog (NEW)
U00148 Uppsala General Catalog (UGC)
E263-48 European Southern Observatory Catalog (ESO)
NS141 Non-Stellar Catalog (NS)
IC434 Index Catalog (IC)
NGC4565 Revised New General Catalog (RNGC)
M013 Messier Catalog (M)
ST055 Star Catalog (ST)
SOLAR
SYSTEM
NAMED
OBJECT
Planets Catalog
List of popular objects by name
Any time the catalog selection is changed, the first letter of each catalog abbreviation will blink.
As an example, if you want to select star 55 you will need to enter the number 055. Leading zeros in a catalog number
must be entered. Press ENTER and the catalog abbreviation will stop blinking and the first character of the catalog
number will start blinking. Once again, this indicates that this number can be changed. Press the ENTER button again
and now the second digit will blink. Press the UP button until the numb e r "5" displays, then press ENTER. The last digit
will blink. Press the DOWN button until the "5" displays. (The UP button could have been pressed 5 times to achieve the
same result.) Now press the ENTER button. The screen will display the catalog entry and the coordinates. Keep in mind
that you enter one digit at a time.
After you have selected an object, press ENTER and the display will scroll from left to right. For our example the display
will scroll:
ST055 MAG= 0.5 SIZE= * ACHERNAR
ERADINUS STAR SA= 24
The CATALOG menu provides the following information in this order:
ST Number: ST055
Coordinates: 0138 -57.2
Magnitude: +0.5
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Size or separation: (if applicable)
Name: Achernar
Constellation: Eradinus
Description: Star
Chart(SA or UA): SA=24
Once the scroll is finished, the screen will display the catalog designation and the coordinates. You can replay the
information by pressing the ENTER button again. While the information is scrolling, the top part of the display will read
GO TO. The leading “G” will be blinking. This indicates that you can press ENTER again and the telescope will slew to
the object. The screen will display the catalog designation and the coordinates.
So, from the CATALOG menu, you can press ENTER twice and the Ultima 2000 will slew to the object for you.
If the object displayed is not the one you want, you may press the UP button to display the next entry for this catalog. You
can scroll thro ugh t he entire catalog in se quential order by pressing the UP button. Pressing the DOWN button scrolls
through in reverse o rder. This only allows you to scroll items in the currently select ed catalog. For e xample, if ST055
displayed while you pressed the UP button, the readout will display ST056. If you scroll through the end of the catalog,
the readout will roll over and start with the first entry, ST001. If you scroll through the catalog backwards, once it reaches
zero, it will roll over to the last entry in the catalog.
If an erroneous catalog number is entered (like M505 or RNGC 9000) the readout will automatically default to the first
entry for that particular catalog (i.e., M001, ST001, RNGC0001, or NEW01). Also, each time you enter the catalog
menu, the readout will display the last object accessed in either CATALOG, GO TO, or ALIGN menus.
In the SETUP menu you can use the CHART sub-menu to select which catalog you want the readout to display; either Sky
Atlas 2000.0 or Uranometria.
STOO1 The Star Catalog (ST)
The Star Catalog contains many interesting stars, double stars and red stars, including all of the alignment stars.
M013 The Messier Catalog (M)
This catalog contains 110 objects, those cataloged by Messier himself and several added later which Messier was known
to have obse rved.
NGC4565 The Revised New General Catalog (RNGC)
The Revised New General Catalog (RNGC) contains 7840 non-stellar objects that came from the original catalog
compiled by J. L. E. Dreyer and updated descriptions compiled by Steve Gotleib.
IC434 The Index Catalog (IC)
The Index Catalog (IC) contains selections of objects that are not contained in the original New General Catalog.
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NS141 The Non-Stellar Catalog (NS)
The Non-Stellar Catalog (NS) contains objects not found in either the New General Catalog or the Index Catalog. In all,
there are a total of 661 interesting objects.
E263-48 The European Southern Observatory (ESO) and
U00148 Uppsala General Catalog (UGC)
The European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Uppsala General Catalog (UGC) contain still more objects not found
in either the New General Catalog or the Index Catalog.
NEW01 The User Catalog (NEW)
In addition to all the catalogs described thus far, the Ultima 2000 has a user definable catalog. Referred to as NEW, this
catalog will accept up to 27 objects - planetary, deep sky, or terrestrial. You define the catalog designation and enter the
coordinates. The user catalog is initially empty. You add the objects you want (i.e., favorite deep-sky objects, comets,
variable stars, etc.). All information is stored in the nonvolatile memory which is retained when you turn your telescope
off.
Once the NEW catalog designation displays, press the ENTER button. You may enter objects into the catalog in any
order you wish by scrolling and selecting any number from 1 to 27. Press ENTER again and the display will read,
ET TO
S
CUR POSITION
with the “S” blinking. If you press ENTER, the telescope will record the RA and DEC of the location the telescope is
pointing. This defines the NEW object position. The other option is to press the Down button where the display will
read,
EW
N
RA DEC
This allows you to put in an RA and DEC manually. Press ENTER and the default screen will read,
+00 00.0 (Declination in degrees and minutes)
24 00 00 (Right Ascension in Hours Minutes and Seconds)
You are now ready to enter the coordinates—both right ascension and declination—for your first catalog entry. Press the
ENTER button and the first character in the DEC coordinates will blink. Use the UP or DOWN button to change the
character, in this case + or -. Once the correct character displays, press ENTER. The next character will blink indicating
that it can be changed. Continue entering the coordinates one character at a time until all the coordinates have been
entered.
SOLAR SYSTEM
In addition to the thousands of deep-sky objects in the database, the Ultima 2000 contains the eight planets visible from
Earth and also has the Sun.
Ultima 2000 requires the date of your observing session. The date is entered one character at a time using the month-dayyear format. The first two characters are for the month, the next two are for the day of the month, and the last two are the
year. The readout will default to the last date entered. The date is stored in nonvolatile memory and does NOT have to be
entered more than once each day.
(Do not view the Sun without a So lar Filter placed over the front of the telescope!)
The
When scrolling through the list, the first character of each planet's name blinks, indicating the selection can b e changed.
Once the planet you want to observe is displayed, press ENTER. The Ultima 2000 will display the coordinates for that
planet based on the date entered. Coordinates are computed for Epoch 2000.0. The positions will be accurate through the
twenty-first century.
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Here is the Planetary Catalog under the SOLAR SYSTEM menu.
DATE Requires entering the current date
SUN Sun
MERCURY Mercury
VENUS Venus
MARS Mars
JUPITER Jupiter
SATURN Saturn
URANUS Uranus
NEPTUNE Neptune
PLUTO Pluto
Named Object
This is a list of popular objects by name. It is sometimes convenient to look up an object by its name rather than its
Messier or RNGC number. See Appendix A for the complete list of objects. To use this catalog, enter into the
CATALOG menu and scroll down to the NAMED OBJECT catalog by using the UP or DOWN button. Press ENTER, to
activate the cata log. Use the UP/DO WN buttons to scroll through the catalog. At any object, you can press ENTER and
the display will scroll information about the object. While the information is scrolling, the top part of the display will read
GO TO with the “G” blinking. This indicates that you can press ENTER again and the telescope will slew to the object.
After the scrolling message has finished, the display will return to the object name and list its coordinates.
Menu POSITION
There are four choices under the POSITION menu. Three give you the direction the Ultima 2000 is pointed and one gives
you information on the tracking motors. Here are the choices under POSITION.
RA DEC This gives the right-ascension and declination of the telescope. RA appears on the top of the display
and DEC is on the bottom. The telescope must be aligned for this to be valid.
TRACKING This mode monitors the tracking motors. This displays a number for each tracking motor between -
32768 and 32767. This can be used for setting the backlash compensation for each axis of the
telescope. See the section on SETUP in this chapter.
TELESCOP This gives the relative direction the telescope is pointing compared to its downstop positions. The
azimuth reads from 0 to 359º and the altitude reads from 0 to 90º. This does not give you the Alt-Az
position. You must turn the telescope ON at the downstop positions or set the downstops through the
alignment menu.
CONSTELL This gives the constellation toward which the telescope is pointing. The telescope must be aligned for
this to be valid.
Here is an example of how to use the POSITI ON menu.
ACTION
Start off at the POSITION menu MENU
Press ENTER Enter into the POSITION menu
Press DOWN Scroll down to the next item
Press DOWN Scroll down to the next item
Press DOWN Scroll to the next and last item
NOTES DISPLAY
OSITION
P
and view the first item in the list.
A DEC
R
RACKING
T
ELESCOP
T
ONSTELL
C
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Press ENTER The telescope tells you what
constellation it is pointed at. See
2226-249
PSA 946
the Appendix A for abbreviations.
Press ENT ER Returns you to the CONSTELL
mode.
ONSTELL
C
Press DOWN Scroll down to the RA DEC mode
A DEC
R
Press ENTER Displays the RA and DEC of the
direction the telescope is pointed
02 50 13
- 56 36.0
in. RA is on top.
Press ENTER Returns you to the RA DEC mode.
A DEC
R
Press DOWN Scroll down to the next menu item
RACKING
T
Press DOWN Scroll down to the next menu item
ELESCOP
T
Press ENTER Displays the direction the telescope
is pointed in Altitude and Azimuth.
216.34
-088.89
Azimuth is displayed on top.
Press MENU Returns you to the main menu. MENU
OSITION
P
Menu IDENTIFY
This menu has two functions. First, it can be used to identify an object that you do not recognize. For example, if while
sweeping the sky you stumble across an unknown object, you can use this menu to find its name. Second, it can be used t o
find another object close to the one you are currently observing. In either case the menu works the same.
You will need to enter two parameters when selecting an object. The first parameter is the object type or catalog, and the
second is the magnitude range. The following object types and catalogs are available:
• NS Object from Non-Stellar Catalog
• ST Star from catalog
• GC Globular cluster
• OC Open cluster
• GX Galaxy
• PN Planetary Nebula
• NB Nebula
• 2* Double star
• R* Red or colored star
Use the ENTER, UP and DOWN buttons to enter and change these parameters. The hand control will display the object
you have in view. W hen you move the telescope, the hand control displays the objects as they come into view.
Menu TIMER
Included in the Ultima 2000 software is a timer mode that allows you to time images, photographs, eclipses, occultations,
etc. Operated by pressing ENTER, the timer works like a stopwatch and elapsed time is not affected by accessing other
modes.
Menu SETUP
This menu allows you to check the battery power, set the scroll rate, pick chart preference, set slewing rate and customize
certain user features. It also allows you to set the type of tracking—altazimuth, equatorial or terrestrial. Use the ENTER,
UP and DOWN buttons to change and enter preferences.
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The scroll rate ranges from 0, the slowest, to 9, the fastest. The chart can be changed from SA, Wil Tirion's Sky Atlas
2000.0, to UA, the Uranometria catalog.
Here is a list of the sub-menus in the SETUP menu.
• SPEED • AZM GEAR • BTN SPD
• TRACK • ALT GEAR • BTN SLEW
• RATE • AZM BACK • CHART
• PEC • ALT BACK • SCROLL
• VOLTS • CORD • VERSION
Here is a description of each SETUP item.
SPEED
This allows you to adjust the speed the telescope is driven by the diamond buttons. The Ultima 2000 has five speed
settings:
SLEW 10 degrees per second, or faster. This depends on the power source.
FINDER 2 degrees per second.
CENTER 6 x sidereal rate
2 X SDRL 2 x sidereal rate
PHOTO .5 x sidereal rate
Here is how to change the SPEED setting.
ACTION
Start off at the
SETUP menu
press ENTER The telescope comes from the facto ry set so the speed
press ENTER Enter into the SPEED selection list. SPEED
press DOWN Scroll to the next SPEED setting. SPEED
press DOWN Scroll to the next SPEED setting. SPEED
press DOWN Scroll to the next SPEED setting. SPEED
NOTES DISPLAY
MENU
ETUP
S
PEED
S
should be at CENTER. Otherwise the speed will remain at
its last setting.
CENTER
ENTER
C
X SDRL
2
HOTO
P
INDER
F
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You may have noticed that you cannot get to the SLEW rate. This is because the SLEW option is disabled at the factory.
It is disabled as a safety feature. It is possible to slew the telescope into your head b ecause you thought you were in a
different speed rate.
There are two ways to SLEW the telescope.
• One is set the speed to FINDER rate, hold down the diamond button for the direction you want to slew, then press the
opposite diamond button simultaneously. The telescope will SLEW.
• The second way is to disable the safety, which we do not recommend for normal use. If there are circumstances that
require this, see the section on “SETUP-BTN SLEW”.
Here is another method for changing speeds, but be sure the BTN SPD is set to ON. See the description of BTN SPD,
later on in this section.
ACTION
Start anywhere You can be in the main menu or any sub menu and this method
hold down the right
DIAMOND button
while still holding the
DIAMOND button,
press UP once
You can change to any of the speeds this way except for SLEW. Again for SLEW, you need to leave the telescope in
FINDER speed and use one of the techniques described above.
NOTES DISPLAY
ENU
M
will work. Just be sure the BTN SPD is set to ON or this will
not work. For an example we will be at the TIMER menu
The screen changes to the SPEED screen with the speed setting
blinking. Let’s say it was last set to CENTER, so the “C” is
blinking.
The SPEED selection changes to... SPEED
TIMER
SPEED
ENTER
C
INDER
F
TRACK
There are four tracking rate settings:
• OFF
• ALT AZ
• EQ SOUTH
• EQ NORTH
The OFF setting is useful when aligning the telescope to the stars or when the telescope is being used terrestrially.
The most common use of the Ultima 2000 is in ALT-AZ mode. In this setting, the telescope will track the stars in the
altazimuth configuration. Just put the telescope on the tripod, align it to two stars and you are ready to go.
EQ NORTH and EQ SOUTH are for polar aligned scopes using the optional wedge. This makes the RA tracking motors
run at siderea l rate. The DEC motors do not r un unless you are running them manually.
RATE
The Ultima 2000 has four tracking rates for tracking the objects in the sky. Here is what each is for:
SIDEREAL Use this rate for tracking the stars.
KING Use this rate for tracking stars low on the horizon. Due to atmospheric refraction, stars
and objects near the horizon travel at a slightly slower rate.
SOLAR Thi s rate is used for tracking the Sun.
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LUNAR This rate is used for tracking the Moon.
PEC
This is only used on a telescope that is polar aligned on a wedge. Furthermore, you need to have the tracking rate set to
EQ NORTH or EQ SOUTH.
Periodic error correction, or PEC, is used for astrophotography or CCD work. PEC corrects for repeating errors caused
by the worm gear. The worm takes about 5.4 minutes to make one complete revolution. Any errors in the worm will
repeat every time the worm makes a revolution. These are called periodic errors. These errors can be corrected by using
the PEC TRAIN function.
Watch a star with an illuminated reticle eyepiece, like the Celestron Micro Guide Eyepiece. You will notice that the star
will slowly drift ahead or behind the illuminated cr osshairs. Using the diamond buttons, set to PHOTO speed, practice
keeping the star centered. Set PEC to TRAIN. Keep the star centered using the diamond buttons. The PEC is
remembering the corrections you make. After 5.4 minutes, it will play back the corrections you made and still keep
recording any new corrections. When you feel it is tracking well, switch PEC to ON. Now, the PEC will play back the
corrections and will not record any new corrections you make. Any resulting tracking errors are random in nature and
must be corrected manually.
VOLTS
This is a built-in voltmeter to give you an idea of the status of your batteries. 8.5 volts is about the minimum the telescope
needs to run. The maximum voltage is about 18 Volts. Any higher voltage is not recommended and can significantly
shorten the life of the SLEW motors.
AZM GEAR
The Azimuth Gear Ratio: This allows you to change the relative speed of the tracking motors. This can be useful for
tracking comets or asteroids. The factory setting is 1.0000. The range of settings is from 0.0000 to 2.9999. When set to
0.0000, the motors will not drive at all, and when set to 2.9999, the mo tors will run almost 3 times faster. The relationship
of drive speed to this number is linear. 1.5000 will run the motors at 1.5X.
Here is how to change the gear ratio.
ACTION
Start at SETUP menu If you want to do this under the sky you will be able to see the
press ENTER Enter into the list of SETUP items.
press DOWN 5 times Scroll down to the AZM GEAR item
press ENTER Enter into the AZM GEAR menu. The leading “1” will now
press DOWN Changes the one to zero. The tracking rate is now zero. AZM GEAR
press ENTER Accept the entry of zero and move the cursor to the next
press UP 5 times Change tracking speed to 1/2 normal speed AZM GEAR
press MENU Return to main menu. The new AZM GEAR ratio will remain
NOTES DISPLAY
MENU
effects in an eyepiece. Be sure tracking is ON and the
telescope is star aligned.
blink.
character.
.5 even after cycling power.
ETUP
S
PEED
S
CENTER
ZM GEAR
A
1.0000
AZM GEAR
.0000
1
.0000
O
AZM GEAR
0.0000
0.5000
MENU
ETUP
S
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ALT GEAR
Altitude Gear Ratio: This works the same as AZM GEAR.
AZM BACK - Azimuth Backlash Compensation
There is an enormous gear reduction between the tracking motor and the telescope. Highly accurate tracking is best
obtained by running the tracking motor at a relatively high spe ed. (If an electric motor is run too slowly, it runs at an
inconsistent speed, and can burn the brushes.) The high speed of the tracking motor requires a very large gear ratio, on
the order of 600,000 to 1. When the tracking motor changes direction, there is a slight delay before movement is visible
in the field of view due to the high gear ratio. This phenomenon is referred to as backlash. The Ultima 2000
automatically compensates for backlash, and this compensation is settable. The displayed number is the specified width of
the backlash deadzone (the time where the telescope is motionless) in eighths of a tracking motor revolution.
The backlash compensation is preset at the factory to zero. When the telescope is equatorially mounted (on a wedge), the
azimuth backlash does not matter. So the AZM BACK value can remain set at zero. The azimuth compensation is only
needed for Alt-Az tracking and for most people, it still won’t be needed. To change the setting see the next section, “ALT
BACK”.
ALT BACK
For astrophotography or CCD imaging, the altitude backlash compensation is critical. The azimuth compensation is only
needed for Alt-Az tracking.
It is easiest to set the backlash compensation in the daytime on a distant object with a high power eyepiece. For step-bystep instructions on how to determine the backlash compensation, see the chapter called Procedures. Here is how to set
the altitude backlash compensation value on the hand control.
ACTION
Go to the SETUP menu MENU
Press ENTER
Set SPEED to 2 X SDRL
Press DOWN 7 times
and note the setting
Press ENTER The cursor is at the first digit of the azimuth backlash value. ALT BACK
Press ENTER twice Place the cursor at the leading number. ALT BACK
Press UP Change the 3 to a 4. ALT BACK
Press ENTER Move the cursor to the next digit to the right. ALT BACK
Press DOWN 4 times Set the 4 to 0. ALT BACK
Press ENTER 2 times The compensation is set to 400.
Press MENU Return to the main menu. MENU
NOTES DISPLAY
Example: Set the ALT BACK to 400 from 340
ETUP
S
Enter into the SETUP menu and change the SPEED setting.
Scroll down to the ALT BACK mode.
PEED
S
2 X SDRL
LT BACK
A
00340
0340
0
00340
00440
00440
00400
LT BACK
A
00400
ETUP
S
For more information see the section “Determining the Altitude Backlash Compensation” in Chapter 8.
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CORD - Cord Wrap Control
This is the cord wrap mode. This keeps the telescope from wrapping the cord around itself. The mode can be ON or
OFF. It is useful to turn this OFF if you are not using an external power source and desire the telescope to slew through
the shortest distance to the object.
To turn cord wrap ON and OFF:
ACTION
Start at SETUP menu MENU
press ENTER Enter into the list of SETUP items.
press UP 6 times
press ENTER CORD
press UP Turn the Cord Wrap mode OFF. CORD
press UP Turn the Cord Wrap mode ON CORD
press MENU Return to main menu MENU
NOTES DISPLAY
ETUP
S
PEED
S
CENTER
(For changing BTN SPD, press UP 5 times)
(For changing BTN SLEW, press UP 4 times)
ORD
C
ON
N
O
FF
O
N
O
ETUP
S
BTN SPD - Button Speed
This function, when turned ON, displays the SPEED menu whenever a diamond button is pressed. When the button is
released, the display returns to its original screen. The advantage is, you can change the SPEED just by holding down a
diamond button and then using the UP or DOWN buttons to scroll through the different speed s.
There are times you might want this function turned off. When you are looking at the RA and DEC of the telescope under
the POSITION menu, you might not want the screen to change when you press a diamond b ut t on.
Turning BTN SPEED ON and OFF is exactly the same as turning cord wrap ON and OFF (the previous example). The
only difference is on the third step, press the UP button 5 times instead of 6 times.
BTN SLEW - Button Slew
This is a safety mode for slewing. When this is turned OFF (as it comes from the factory), the SLEW setting cannot be
activated. The only way to activate SLEW speed is described in the SPEED section of this Chapter. When BTN SLEW
is set to ON, then SLEW can be activated like any of the other speeds.
Turning BTN SLEW ON and OFF is exactly the same as turning cord wrap ON and OFF. The only difference is on the
third step, press the UP button 4 times instead of 6 times. This places you at the BTN SLEW option.
CHART
This menu allows you to select the type of star atlas the Ultima 2000 is using. The two atlas choices are Uranometria or
W. Tirion’s Sky Atlas 2000. These are represented in the Ultima 2000 by UA and SA respectively. In CONSTELL menu
under POSITION, the displayed atlas page is keyed to the selected atlas.
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SCROLL
This mode sets the speed at which information is scrolled across the screen. The range goes from 1 to 9, slowest to
fastest.
VERSION
This tells the version of the software that is installed in the telescope. The display shows eight digits. The first four digits
show the version of the Hand Control software while the last four digits show the version of the telescope software.
Menu TOUR
This menu item has a list of interesting objects for each month of the year. In this mode, you choose either DEMO or
MANUAL. Then, you choose a month of the year. If you choose DEMO, the telescope automatically slews to each of the
objects on the list, pausing about 20 seconds at each object. This is useful for watching the scope move indoors for
demonstration purposes. This is not useful for observing because the telescope slews without any warning.
In MANUAL, the telescope does not initiate slew operations until you tell it to. The UP and DOWN buttons let you skip
forward in the list or backwards in the list. The down button is forward, as in reading down a list. Pressing the ENTER
button once, you get a scrolling message with information about the object. While the message is scrolling in the bottom
part of the display, the top part of the display reads GO TO with the “G” blinking. If you press ENTER while the display
says GO TO, the telescope will slew to the object. If you wait for the message to finish, the display will give the name of
the object and give directional arrows that will guide you to the object.
Here is an example of each.
DEMO mode indoors
1. Place the telescope to its downstops.
2. Turn the telescope ON.
3. Press the UP button to scroll to the TOUR menu.
4. Press ENTER and ignore the “STAR ALIGNMENT REQUIRED” message.
5. The display will read, “TOUR JAN”. Since you are not really looking at the star, the month does not matter.
6. Press ENTER. The telescope will start slewing.
7. To stop the telescope from slewing to objects, press the MENU.
Note: Continuous slewing will greatly decrease the life of the batteries. It is advisable to use an external power source
when using the TOUR option for any length of time. If you are using an external power source, be sure that the Cord
Wrap mode is enabled. Do this in the SETUP menu under the CORD sub-menu.
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MANUAL mode under the sky
Set up the telescope outside and align it to the night sky. Here is how to activate the tour option.
ACTION NOTES DISPLAY
Start at the TOUR menu MENU
OUR
T
Press ENTER Enter into the TOUR menu. DEMO
Press DOWN - to the
MANUAL option
Press ENTER Enter into MANUAL.
Use the UP/DOWN buttons to
scroll to the appropriate month.
Press ENTER The first object to come up in July is M92. It
Press ENTER Message scrolls and the display changes to
Press ENTER
while GO TO is still displayed
NA At the end of the slew the display reads. 0º0 0º0
Press DOWN Scroll to the next Tour object. 83 # 129 "
Press Enter twice Activate the GO TO function. GO TO
Choose the MANUAL option. MANUAL
TOUR JAN
For example, use July.
will be different for you depending on the
month you picked.
the GO TO menu. It stays at the GO TO
menu until the display stops.
The telescope slews to the object. GO TO
TOUR JUL
57 ! 94"
092
M
O TO
G
Message Scrolls
SLEWING
092
M
013
M
SLEWING
Brightness Setting
The brightness of the display can be varied by pressing the BRIGHTNESS button, which is above and to the right of the
readout. The hand control has five settings. T he lowest setting is bright e nough for night time use. Using the lowest
setting will increase battery life.
Slewing Speed Setting
You may change the slewing and positioning speed of your Ultima 2000. There are 5 different settings:
• SLEW
• FINDER
• CENTER
• 2 X SDRL
• PHOTO
To change the slewing rate, go to the SPEED sub-menu under the SETUP menu. When you press ENTER at the SPEED
sub-menu, the first letter of the current speed rate will blink. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to change the current setting.
10 degrees per second High Speed Slewing, default set ting. (Not shown on the display unless
BTN SLEW is turned to ON under the SETUP menu.)
2 degrees per second Slow Speed Slewing, used for fine positioning.
6 times sidereal Rate Speed used for centering an object in the eyepiece.
2 times sidereal Rate Guide speed, used for fine centering or astrophotography.
.5 times sidereal Rate Fine guide speed, used for Astrophotography.
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The SLEW setting might not appear as one of the choices. This depends on the SLEW SPEED sub-menu (under SETUP)
being set ON or OFF. To make the SLEW option available within the SPEED menu, set SLEW SPEED to ON.
WARNING: It is advisable to leave SLEW SPEED set to OFF. The telescope slews quickly and could possibly hit
you in the eye if you forget that you have the setting at the slew rate.
Another way to move the telescope at the SLEW rate is to set SPEED to FINDER. If you press the diamond button that
corresponds to the direction you want the telescope to slew, then simultaneously press the opposite diamond button, the
telescope will move at the SLEW rate. This same procedure works with PHOTO and 2XSDRL speeds; the telescope will
jump up to CENTER speed when the buttons are pressed simultaneously.
DRIVE BASE
Figure 4-3: The Drive base cover of the Ultima 2000
Here are the functions of the different drive base controls and interfaces.
LABEL PURPOSE
FOCUS This jack is for the optional focus motor, #94143. To use the focus motor, hold
down the MENU button then press the UP or the DOWN button while still holding
down the MENU button. The UP button turns the focus knob counter-clockwise.
AUX This jack is for a CCD Auto Guider.
HC Hand c ontroller p lug-in jack.
ON/OFF On/Off power switch.
EER Enhanced Encoder Resolution. When the light is blinking about once a second, the
standard resolution is operational. When the light blinks about twice a second, then
one of the axes is in enhanced resolution. When the light stays on, then both of the
axes are in enhanced encoder resolution. The way to activate EER on any one of
the axes is to run the motor at CENTER speed in one direction for a few seconds
until the light blinking changes. When centering on an alignment star, it is best to
move the telescope with the tracking motors (at center speed) until the star is
centered. This should activate the EER and give you a better alignment.
12V Used to run off of an external source like a car battery or a wall transformer - AC
Adapter (12V 500mA center tip positive).
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CHAPTER 5 - TELESCOPE BASICS
The Schmidt-Cassegrain System
A telescope is an instrument that collects and focuses light. The nature of the optical design determines how the light is
focused. Some telescopes, known as refractors, use lenses. Other telescopes, known as reflectors, use mirrors. The
Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system (or Schmidt-Cass for short) uses a combination of mirrors and lenses and is referred to
as a compound or catadioptric telescope. This unique design offers large-diameter optics while maintaining very short
tube lengths, making them extremely portable. The Schmidt-Cassegrain system consists of a zero power corrector plate, a
spherical primary mirror, and a secondary mirror. Once light rays enter the optical system, they travel the length of the
optical tube three times.
The optics of the Ultima 2000 has Starbright coatings - an enhanced multi-layer coating on the primary and secondary
mirrors for increased reflectivity and a fully coated corrector for the finest anti-reflection characteristics.
Inside the optical tube a black tube (not illustrated) extends out from the center hole in the primary mirror. This is the
primary baffle tube and it prevents stray light from passing through to the eyepiece or camera.
Figure 5-1
This cross-sectional diagram shows the light path of the Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system. Note that the light
rays travel the length of the telescope tube three times, making this a compact optical design. Note that the curve
of the corrector plate is greatly exaggerated.
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Image Orientation
It should be noted that the image orientation will change depending on the viewing configuration. When using the star
diagonal, the image is right-side-up, but reversed from left-to-right. If inserting the eyepiece into the visual back (i.e.,
without the star diagonal), the image is inverted (upside down and reversed from left-to-right). This holds true for the
7x50 finder as well as the telescop e. For corre ct orientation t hrough the telescope, which is important primarily for
terrestrial observing, use the optional 45° erect image diagonal 1-1/4” (#94112-A) or the 90º model (#94108)
Figure 5-2
These simplified drawings of the planet Jupiter illustrate the different image
orientations obtained when using various viewing configurations.
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Figure 5-3
The decal on the end of the focus knob
shows the correct rotational direction
for focusing your telescope.
The primary mirror is mounted on a ring which slides back
and forth on the primary baffle tube (see Figure 4-4). The
focusing knob, which moves the primary mirror, is on the
rear cell of the telescope. To focus, turn the focusing knob
until the image is sharp. If the knob will not turn, it has
reached the end of its travel on the focusing mechanism.
Turn the knob in the opposite direction until the image is
sharp. Once an image is in focus, turn the knob clockwise to
focus on a closer object and counterclockwise for a more
distant object. A single turn of the focusing knob moves the
primary mirror only slightly. Therefore, it will take many
turns (about 40) to go from close focus (approximately 25
feet) to infinity.
For astronomical viewing, out of focus star images are very
diffuse making them d ifficult, if not impossible, to see. If
you turn the focus knob too quickly, you can go right
through focus without see ing the image. To avo id this
problem, your first astronomical target should be a bright
object (like the Moon or a planet) so that the image is
visible even when out of focus.
Critical focusing is best accomplished when the focusing
knob is turned in such a manner that the mir r or moves
against the pull of gravity. In doing so, any mirror shift is
minimized. For astronomical usage, both visually and
photographically, this is done by turning the focus knob
counterclockwise.
Figure 5-4 This diagram shows the focusing mechanism
Your First Look
With the telescope fully assembled and all the accessories attached you are ready for your first look. Your first look
should be done in the daytime.
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Daytime Observing
Your Celestron telescope works well as a terrestrial spotting scope. When not used to examine objects in the night sky, it
can be used to study objects here on Earth.
WARNING ! NEVER POINT YOUR TELESCOPE AT THE SUN UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER SOLAR
FILTER. PERMANENT AND IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE MAY RESULT AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO
YOUR TELESCOPE. ALSO, NEVER LEAVE YOUR TELESCOPE UNATTENDED DURING A DAYTIME
OBSERVING SESSION, ESPECIALLY WHEN CHILDREN ARE PRESENT.
1. Begin by finding a distant object that is fairly bright.
2. Insert a low power eyepiece (one with a large focal length) into the telescope. The standard 26mm eyepiece is fine.
3. Point the telescope in the general direction of the object you selected.
4. Locate the object in your finderscope.
5. Center the object in the field of the findersco pe by using the hand control buttons or movi ng the tube manually very
slowly.
6. Once centered, look through the main optics and the object will be there (if you aligned the finder first).
Try using different optional eyepieces to see how the field changes with various magnifications. Casual terrestrial
observing can be done with the telescope and fork mount placed on a flat, sturdy surface.
Calculating Magnifi cation
You can change the power of your telescope just by changing the eyepiece (ocular). To determine the magnification for
the Ultima 2000 - 8", you would simply divide the focal length of the telescope (2032mm) by the focal length of the
eyepiece that you are using. In equation format, the formula looks like this:
Focal Length of Telescope (mm)
Magnification = ———————————————
Focal Length of Eyepiece (mm)
Let’s say, for example, that you are using a 10mm eyepiece. To determine the magnification, simply divide the focal
length of your 8” (2032mm) by the focal length of the eyepiece (lOmm). Dividing 2032 by 10 yields a magnification of
203 power.
Although the power is variable, each instrument has a limit to the highest useful magnification. The general rule is that 60
power can be used for every inch of aperture. For example, the Ultima 2000-8” is 8” in diameter. Multiplying 8 by 60
gives a maximum useful magnification of 480 power. Although this is the maximum useful magnification, most observing
is done in the range of 20 to 35 power for every inch of aperture which is 160 to 280 power for the 8”.
Determining Field of View
Determining the field of view is important if you want to get an idea of the size of the object you are observing. To
calculate the actual field of view, divide the apparent field of the eyepiece (supplied by the eyepiece manufacturer) by the
magnification. In equation format, the formula looks like this:
Apparent Field of Eyepiece (in degrees)
True Field = ———————————————
Magnification
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Using the example we started with above, we can determine the field of view using the same 10mm eyepiece. The 10mm
eyepiece has an apparent field of view of 46°. Divide the 46° by the magnification, which is 200 power. This yields an
actual field of .2°, or a little less than a quarter of a degree.
For terrestrial viewing, field size is often referred to as feet at a thousand yards. To convert this to feet at one thousand
yards, multiply the actual field of .2° by 52.5. This produces a field width of 10.5 feet at one thousand yards.
The apparent field of each eyepiece that Celestron manufacturers is found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog (#93685).
General Observing Hints
When working with any optical instrument, there are a few things to remember to ensure you get the best possible image.
• Never look thr ough window glass. Glass found in household windows is optical l y imperfect and, as a re sul t, may
vary in thickness from one part of a window to the next. This inconsistency can and will affect the ability to focus
your telescope. In most cases you will not be able to achieve a truly sharp image. In some cases, you may actually
see a double image.
• Never look across or over objects that are producing heat waves. This includes asphalt parking lots on hot summer
days or building rooftops.
• Hazy skies, fog, and mist can also make it difficult to focus when viewing terrestrially. The amount of detail seen
under these conditions is greatly reduced. Also, when photographing under these conditions, the processed film may
come out a little grainier than normal with lower contrast.
• When using your telescope as a telephoto lens, the split screen or microprism focuser of the 35mm SLR camera may
"black out." This is common with all long focal length lenses. If this happens, use the ground glass portion of your
focusing screen. To achieve a very sharp focus, consider using a focusing magnifier. These are readily available from
your local camera store.
• If you wear corrective lenses (specifically eyeglasses), you may want to remove them when observing with an
eyepiece attached to your telescope. When using a camera, however, you should always wear corrective lenses to
ensure the sharpest possible focus. If you have astigmatism, corrective lenses should be worn at all times.
General Photography Hints
Your Ultima 2000 can be used for both terrestrial and astronomical photography. It has a fixed aperture and, as a result, a
fixed f/ratio. To properly expose yo ur subjects photographically, you need to set your shutter speed accordingly. Most
35mm single lens reflex (SLR) cameras offer t hrough-the-lens metering tha t lets you know if your picture is under or
overexposed. This is important for terrestrial photography where exposure times are measured in fractions of a second. In
astrophotography, the exposures are much longer, requiring that you use the “B”
setting on your camera. The actual exposure time is determined by how long you
keep the shutter open. More on this in the section on “Celestial Photography.”
To reduce vibration when tripping the shutter, use a cable release. Releasing the
shutter manually can cause vibration, something that produces blurred photos. A
cable release allows you to keep your hands clear of the camera and telescope, thus
reducing the possibility of shaking the telescope. Mechanical shutter releases can be
used, though air type releases are best.
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CHAPTER 6 - ASTRONOMY BASICS
This section deals with observational astronomy in general. It includes information on the night sky, polar alignment and
using your telescope.
The Celestial Coordinate System
To help find objects in the sky, astronomers use a celestial coordinate system that is similar to our geographical coordinate
system here on Earth. The celestial coordinate system has poles, lines of longitude and latitude, and an equator. For the
most part, these remain fixed against the background stars.
The celestial equator runs 360 degrees around the Earth and separates the northern celestial hemisphere from the southern.
Like the Earth's equator, it bears a reading of zero degrees. On Earth this would be latitude. However, in the sky this is
referred to as declination, or DEC for short. Lines of declination are named for their angular distance above and belo w
the celestial equator. The lines are broken down into degrees, minutes of arc, and seconds of arc. Declination readings
south of the equator carry a minus sign (-) in front of the coordinate and those north of the celestial equator are either
blank (i.e., no designation) or preceded by a plus sign (+).
The celestial equivalent of longitude is called Right Ascension, or R.A. for short. Like the Earth's lines of longitude, they
run from pole to pole and are evenly spaced 15 de grees apart. Although the longitude lines are separated by an angular
distance, they are also a measure of time. Each line of longitude is one hour apart from the next. Since the Earth rotates
once every 24 hours, there are 24 lines total. As a result, the R.A. coordinates are marked off in units of time. It begins
with an arbitrary point in the constellation of Pisces designated as 0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds. All other points are
designated by how far (i.e., how long) they lag behind this coor dinate after it passes overhead moving t oward the West.
Your Ultima 2000 telescope is computer driven which translates the celestial coordinates into a precise location for the
telescope to point.
Figure 6-1
The celestial sphere seen from the outside showing R.A. and DEC.
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Motion of the Stars
Like the Sun, the stars also appear to move across the sky. This motion is caused by the Earth's rotation. For observers in
the northern hemisphere, all stars appear to move around the north celestial pole. For observers in the southern
hemisphere, all stars appear to mo ve around the south celestial pole. This means that over a 24-hour period, any given
star will scribe out a complete circle around its respective celestial pole. The farther you move away from the celestial
pole, the larger this circle becomes and is largest at the celestial equator. Stars near the celestial equator rise in the east
and set in the west. However, stars near the celestial poles are always above the horizon. They are said to be circumpolar
because they don't rise and set. You will never see the stars complete one circle because the sunlight during the day
washes out the starlight. However, part of this circular motion of stars in this region of the sky can be seen by setting up a
camera on a tripod and opening the shutter for a couple of hours. The processed film will reveal circular arcs that are
centered on the pole. This information will be useful for certain methods of polar alignment.
Figure 6-2 All stars appear to rotate around the celestial poles. However, the appeara nce o f t his motion
varies depending on where you are looking in the sky. Near the north celestial pole the stars scribe out
recognizable circles centered on the pole (1). Stars near the celestial equator also follow circular paths around
the pole. But, the complete path is interrupted by the horizon. These appear to rise in the East and set in the
West (2). Looking toward the opposite pole, stars curve or arc in the opposite direction scribing a circle
around the opposite pole (3).
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Polar Alignment (with Wedge)
In order to do astrophotography, your Ultima 2000 requires an optional equatorial wedge. Ultima 2000’s have built-in
drive motors designed specifically for tracking. Then you need to set the telescope’s axis of rotation so that it tracks in the
right direction. Since the motion of the stars across the sky is caused by the Earth's rotation about its axis, the telescope's
axis must be made parallel to the Earth's.
Polar alignment is the process by which the telescope's axis of rotation (called the polar axis) is aligned (made parallel)
with the Earth's axis of rotation. Once aligned, a telescope with a clock drive will track the stars as they move across the
sky. The result is that obje cts observed through the tele scope appear statio nary (i.e., they will not drift out of the field of
view). If you are not using the clock drive, all objects in the sky (day or night) will slowly drift out of the field. This
motion is caused by the Earth's rotation. Since the Ultima 2000 tracks the stars in the Alt-Az configuration, the only time
you will need to polar align the telescope is when you are doing astrophotography or CCD imaging. But, for any sort of
long exposure astrophotography, you must polar align the telescope on a wedge due to field rotation. There are several
methods of polar alignment, all work on a similar principle, but performed somewhat differently. Each method is
considered separately, beginning with the easier me thod s and working to the more difficult.
Although there are several methods mentioned here, you will never use all of them during one particular observing
session. Instead, you may use only one if it is a casual observing session. Or, you may use two methods; one for rough
alignment followed by a more accurate method.
Definition: The polar axis is the axis around which the telescope rotates when moved in right ascension. This axis
points the same direction even when the telescope moves in right ascension and declination.
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Figure 6-3
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Finding the Pole
In each hemisphere, there is a point in the sky around which all the other stars appear to rotate. These points are called the
celestial poles and are named for the hemisphere in which they reside. For example, in the northern hemisphere all stars
move around the north celestial pole. When the telescope's polar axis is pointed at the celestial pole, it is parallel to the
Earth's rotational axis.
Many methods of polar alignment require that you know how to find the celestial pole by
identifying stars in the area. For those in the northern hemisphere, finding the celestial pole
is not too difficult. Fortunately, we have a naked eye star less than a degree away. This
star, Polaris, is the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Since the Little Dipper
(technically called Ursa Minor) is not one of the brightest constellations in the sky, it may
be difficult to locate from urban areas. If this is the case, use the two end stars in the bowl
of the Big Dipper (the pointe r stars). Draw an imaginary line through them toward the
Little Dipper. They point to Polaris (see Figure 6-4). The position of the Big Dipper
changes during the year and throughout the course of the night (see Fi gure 6-4). When the
Big Dipper is low in the sky (i.e., near the horizon), it may be difficult to locate. During
these times, look for Cassiopeia (see Figure 6-5).
Figure 6-4
The position of the Big Dipper
changes throughout the year
and throughout the night.
Observers in the southern hemisphere ar e not as fortunate as those in the northern
hemisphere. The stars around the south celestial pole are not nearly as bright as those
around the North. The closest star that is relatively bright is Sigma Octantis. This star is
just within naked eye limit (magnitude 5.5) and lies about 59 arc minutes from the pole.
For more information about stars around the south celestial pole, please consult a star atlas.
The two stars in the front of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris which is less than one degree from the true
(north) celestial pole. Cassiopeia, the “W” shaped constellation, is on the opposite side of the pole from the Big
Dipper. The North Celestial Pole (N.C.P.) is marked by the “+” sign.
Figure 6-5
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Latitude Scales
The easiest way to polar align a telescope is with a latitude scale, which should be located on the wedge. Unlike other
methods that require finding the celestial pole by identifying certain stars near it, this method works off of the fact that you
know the latitude of the site you are observing from and you know which direction is North.
If you know your latitude, then you know how high the pole is above the Northern Horizon. The angular dista nc e from
the northern horizon to the north celestial pole is always equal to your latitude. To illustrate this, imagine that you are
standing on the north pole, latitude +90°. The north celestial pole, which has a declination of +90°, would be directly
overhead (i.e., 90° above the horizon). Now, let's say that you move one degree south - your latitude is now +89° and the
celestial pole is no longer directly overhead. It has moved one degree closer toward the northern horizon. This means the
pole is now 89° above the northe rn horizon. If you move one degree further south, the same thing hap pens again. As you
can see from this example, the distance from the northern horizon to the celestial pole is always equal to your latitude.
This relationship between the celestial pole and the horizon also works for the southern hemisphere. However, the angle
is then measured from the southern horizon.
If you are observing from Los Angeles, which has a latitude of 34°, then the celestial pole is 34° above the northern
horizon. A latitude scale points the polar axis of the telescope at the right elevation above the northern (or southern)
horizon.
To align your telescope:
1. Make sure the polar axis of the mount is pointing due north.
Use a landmark that you know faces north. The Polar
axis on the Ultima 2000 starts at the base and points up through the forks. If you rotate the forks, they will circle the
polar axis of the telescope.
So, point the forks due North.
2. Level the tripod by adjusting the length of the tripod legs. There is a bubble level built into the wedge for this
purpose.
NOTE: Leveling the tripod is only necessary if using t his method of polar alignment. Perfect polar alignment is
still possible using other methods described later in this manual without leveling t he tripod.
3. Adjust the wedge in altitude until the latitude indicator points to your latitude.
This method ca n be done in daylight, thus eliminating the need to fumble around i n t he dark. Although this method does
put you directly on the pole, it will limit the number of corrections you will make when tracking an object. It is
NOT
accurate enough for short exposure p rime focus planetary photography (a couple of seconds) and shor t exposure
piggyback astrophotography (a couple of minutes).
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Pointing at Polaris
This method uses Polaris as a guidepost to the celestial pole. Since Polaris is less than a degree from the celestial pole,
you can simply point the polar axis of your telescope at Polaris. Although this is by no means per fect alignment, it does
get you within one degree. Unlike the previous method, this must be done in the dark when Polaris is visible.
1. Set the telescope up so that the polar axis is pointing north.
2. Move the telescope to its downstop position. Turn the telescope ON.
3. Go to the POSITION menu. Press ENTER and DOWN. The display should read,
TELESCOP. Press ENTER. The display reads azimuth on top and altitude on the
bottom. The bottom number is the one you are interested in.
4. Move the telescope so that the tube is parallel to the polar axis (see figure 7-6)..
When this is done, the bottom number should be very close to +90°. Get it as close
to 90º as possible.
5. Now adjust the wedge in altitude and/or azimuth until Polaris is in the field of view
of the finder.
6. Center Polaris in the field of the telescope using the altitude and azimuth adjustment
knobs of the wedge.
Remember, while polar aligning, do NOT move the telescope. You do not
want to move the telescope itself, but the polar axis. The telesco pe is used
Figure 6-6
simply to see where the polar axis is pointing. You adjust the telescope by
moving the wedge and/or tripod
.
Like the previous method, this gets you close to the pole but not directly on it. The following methods help improve your
accuracy for more serious observations and photography.
Figure 6-7
One might think that pointing at the pole produces a parallax effect, thus skewing the telescope’s axis of rotation
with that of the Earth’s. Polaris, however, is over 50 light years away, thus making any parallax effect negligible.
(One light year is 6.4 trillion miles. To find the distance t o Polaris in miles, multiply 6.4 trillion by 50!)
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Declination Drift
This method of polar alignment allows you to get the most accurate alignment on the celestial pole and is required if you
want to do long exposure deep-sky astrophotography through the telescope. The dec lination drift method requires that
you monitor the drift of selected stars. The drift of each star tells you how far away the polar axis is pointing from the true
celestial pole and in what direction. Although decl ination drift is simpl e and straight-forward, it require s a great deal o f
time and patience to complete when first attempted. The declination drift method should be done after any one of the
previously mentioned methods has been completed.
To perform the declination drift method you need to choose two bright stars. One should be near the eastern horizon and
one due south near the meridian. Both stars should be near the celestial equator (i.e., 0° declination). You will monitor
the drift of each star one at a time and in declination only. While monitoring a star on the meridian, any misalignment in
the east-west direction is revealed. While monitoring a star near the east/west horizon, any misalignment in the northsouth direction is revealed. As for hardware, you will need an illuminated reticle ocular to help you recognize any d r ift.
For very close alignment, a Barlow lens is also recommended since it increases the magnification and reveals any drift
faster.
When looking due south, insert the diagonal so the eyepiece points straight up. Insert the cross hair ocular and align the
cross hairs so that one is parallel to the declination axis and the other is parallel to the right ascension axis. Move your
telescope manually in R.A. and DEC to check parallelism.
First, choose your star near where the celestial equator and the meridian meet. The star should be approximately within
1/2 an hour of the meridian and within five degrees of the celestial equator. Center the star in the field of your telescope
and monitor the drift in declination.
• If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too far east.
• If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too far west.
Make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis to eliminate any drift. Once you have eliminated most of the drift,
move to the star near the eastern horizon. The star should be 20 degrees above the horizon and within five degrees of the
celestial equator.
• If the star drifts south, the polar axis is too low.
• If the star drifts north, the polar axis is too high.
Again, make the appropriate adjustments to the polar axis to eliminate any drift. Unfortunately, the latter adjustments
interact with the prior adjustments ever so slightly. So, repeat the process again to improve the accuracy checking both
axes for minimal drift. Once the drift has been eliminated, the telescope is very accurately aligned. You can now do
prime focus deep-sky astrophotography for long periods.
NOTE: If the eastern horizon is blocked, you may choose a star near the western horizon, but you must reverse the polar
high/low error directions. Also, if using this method in the southern hemisphere, the direction of drift is reversed for both
R.A. and DEC.
The 7x50mm Finder
Another general method of polar alignment is by using the Polaris finderscope. Built into the Polaris finder is a reticle
with a single cross hair and two circles which will be used for polar alignment. The inner circle is approximately 4/5 of a
degree in radius, roughly the distance between Polaris and the celestial pole. In order to use the 7x50 Polaris finder, you
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will need two optional parts. The first is the illuminator (#60001) which, among other things, illuminates the cross hairs
of the finder. The second thing yo u are going to need is a Polaris Setting Plate (#60121). This accessory indicates the
position of Polaris relative to the celestial pole. Prior to using the finder for polar alignment, it must be aligned with the
telescope. To polar align:
• Wait until it is dark enough to see Polaris with the naked eye. Remember, Polaris is the last star in the handle of the
Little Dipper.
• Move the telescope, with the tripod attached, until its polar axis is pointing in the general direction of Polaris. (The
forks should be pointed toward Polaris.)
• Move the telescope tube to Polaris.
• Hold the Polaris Setting Plate alongside the telescope. The edge with the arrow should point up, away from the
northern hor i zon.
• Rotate the inner circle, which is a graduated hour circle, until your current local time corresponds to the proper date
on the outer circle. If this is done during daylight savings time, subtract one hour. The time is listed as a 24 hour
clock (i.e., 6:00 PM is 1800 hours, etc.). The date circle lists the months numerically (i.e., January is 1, February is 2,
etc.) and there is an indicator for every fifth day. Once this is done, the position of Polaris relative to the celestial
pole is indicated by the slanted tab that extends out into the month circle. The numbers 1990 and 2000 show the
position of Polaris in 1990 and 2000, respectively.
Figure 6-8
The Polaris Setting Plate indicates the position of Polaris relative to the celestial pole as seen through the Polaris
finder. The center of the Polaris Setting Plate corresponds to the celestial pole while the dated tab
corresponds to the position of Polaris.
With the position provided by the Polaris Setting Plate, you are now ready to polar align your telescope. The outer portion
of the month circle (i.e., the two concentric circle s) looks exactly like the reticle in the finder. While lo oking through the
finder, move the telescope mount in altitude and azimuth (i.e., vertically and horizontally) until Polaris is in the same
position on the reticle as indicated on the Polaris Setting Plate.
Once this is done, your telescope is properly polar aligned and ready for use.
Figure 6-9
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CHAPTER 7 - PROCEDURES
This chapter is basically a list of procedures for operating the Ultima 2000. The procedures are grouped into three
sections, Drive System, Alignment, and Pointing. Each of these sections give examples of procedures applicable to the
section.
Drive System
Turning the Tracking On and Off
There are two basic ways a telescope can track the sky, Equatorial tracking and Altazimuth tracking. The Ultima 2000
can track both ways. If you are setting up the telescope to track in Alt-Az, it is easier to have tracking turned OFF during
the star alignment process. After you have aligned the telescope, then you would turn the tracking back on. For an
equatorially mounted telescope, it is easier to align the telescope to the sky with the tracking turned ON.
BUTTON or ACTION
Turn ON telescope
Turn ON hand control
If already ON, go to the ALIGN menu.
Press UP twice Scroll to the SETUP menu MENU
Press ENTER Enter into the SETUP menu.
Press DOWN Scroll down to the TRACK menu
Press ENTER Enter into the TRACK menu TRACK
Press DOWN Change TRACK setting Altazimuth TRACK
Press DOWN twice Change TRACK setting to Equatorial
Press DOWN once Turn TRACK to OFF TRACK
Press MENU Return to main menu MENU
For aligning the telescope to the sky in Alt-Az mode, you will want to turn TRACK to OFF. Then when you are aligned,
you will need to turn TRACK to ALT AZM.
NOTES DISPLAY
MENU
LIGN
A
ETUP
S
PEED
S
CENTER
RACK
T
OFF
FF
O
LT AZM
A
TRACK
North.
Q NORTH
E
FF
O
ETUP
S
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Changing Slewing Speeds (Button Speed ON)
Here are some examples of how to change the slewing speeds when BTN SPD is turned ON. The BTN SPD option
allows the display to jump to the SPEED menu any time a diamond button is pressed. When the diamond button is
released, the display returns to its last location. This allows you to change SPEED easily. (For more on BTN SPD see the
chapter “Hand Control and Drive Base”) In order to follow this example, set SPEED to CENTER (this can be changed
under the SETUP menu).
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Start at ALIGN menu You can be at any menu for this to
work, but this example we will be at
the ALIGN menu.
Press the right Diamond button The telescope moves at CENTER
speed and the display changes to the
SPEED option under SETUP
Release the button The display returns to its last
location. This is the result of BTN
SPEED being in the ON position.
While holding down the right Diamond
button press the UP button
Hold down the right Diamond Button then
press the left button simultaneously.
This changes SPEED to FINDER
rate.
This leaves SPEED at FINDER but
temporarily causes the telescope to
move at SLEW speed.
While holding down the right Diamond
button press the UP button
Hold down the right Diamond Button and
then press the left button simultaneously.
This changes SPEED to PHOTO
rate.
This leaves SPEED at PHOTO but
temporarily causes the telescope to
move at CENTER speed.
While holding down the right Diamond
This changes SPEED to 2 X SDRL. SPEED
button press the UP button
While holding down the right Diamond
button press the UP button
This leaves SPEED at 2 X SDRL but
temporarily causes the telescope to
move at CENTER speed.
MENU
LIGN
A
SPEED
ENTER
C
MENU
LIGN
A
SPEED
INDER
F
SPEED
INDER
F
SPEED
HOTO
P
SPEED
HOTO
P
X SDRL
2
SPEED
ENTER
C
If you are at Photo or 2 X SDRL speed and press one Diamond button then simultaneously press the opposite diamond
button, the telescope will jump up to CENTER SPEED. If you are at FINDER speed and press one Diamond button then
simultaneously press the opposite diamond button, the telescope will jump up to SLEW SPEED. The display does not
change, only the telescope speed changes.
Changing Slewing Speeds (Button Speed OFF)
With BTN SPD set to OFF, the slew rates need to be changed in SETUP under the option called SPEED. Here are a few
examples.
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Start at SETUP menu MENU
ETUP
S
Press ENTER Enter into the SETUP menu.
PEED
S
CENTER
Press ENTER Enter into SPEED in order to edit the
current setting. The “C” is now
SPEED
ENTER
C
blinking, so it can be edited with the
UP/DOWN buttons.
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Press UP Change SPEED to FINDER rate. SPEED
INDER
F
Press the right Diamond button. The telescope moves at 2 degrees per
second.
Hold down the right Diamond Button and
then press the left button simultaneously.
This leaves SPEED at FINDER but
temporarily causes the telescope to
SPEED
INDER
F
SPEED
INDER
F
move at SLEW speed.
Press UP Change SPEED to PHOTO. SPEED
HOTO
P
Press UP Change SPEED to 2 X SDRL. SPEED
X SDRL
2
Hold down the right Diamond Button and
then press the left button simultaneously.
This leaves SPEED at 2 X SDRL but
temporarily causes the telescope to
SPEED
X SDRL
2
move at CENTER speed.
Press UP Change SPEED to CENTER. SPEED
ENTER
C
Press the right Diamond button. The telescope moves at center speed.
You should be able to hear the motor
SPEED
ENTER
C
running.
Saving Power
You may want to leave your aligned Ultima 2000 running for extended periods. One example is to leave the aligned
telescope ON all night so you can do some daytime observing. There are many stars that can be seen in the day as well as
some planets. Jupit er is easily seen through a tel escope in the day. But t o do this you need to le ave the telescope on all
night. There are some steps you can take to minimize battery consumption. You need to turn off the tracking motors.
There is no reason to have the motors running if you are not looking through t he telescope. Also you can turn off the hand
control. This will save battery power because the LED is off. Doing this does not upset the telescope’s alignment. Here
is how to do it.
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Scroll to SETUP menu. MENU
ETUP
S
Press ENTER Enter into the SETUP menu.
PEED
S
CENTER
Press DOWN Scro ll down to the TRACK option of
the SETUP menu. We will assume
RACK
T
LT AZM
A
you are in Alt-Az for this example.
Press ENTER Select the TRACK option. TRACK
LT AZM
A
Use UP/DOWN buttons to scroll to OFF. Edit the TRACK option by setting
tracking to OFF. The telescope does
TRACK
FF
O
not lose track of the sky, even with
tracking OFF.
Press Menu Returns you to the main menu. MENU
ETUP
S
Turn hand control to OFF. This t urns off the hand contr ol
operation and turns off the LED
display. The telescope will not lose
track of its alignment.
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Determining the Altitude Backlash Compensation
All drive systems using gears have some amount of backlash. For astrophotography or CCD imaging, this backlash can be
a problem. Backlash appears to the user as the time period for which an object in the eyepiece does not move even though
the motor is driving. At CENTER speed (which is the fastest speed the tracking motors run) it takes about 1-2 seconds to
traverse the backlash dead zone. At 2 X SDRL speed it would take 3-6 seconds to traverse the dead zone. 1-2 seconds is
acceptable, but greater than 3 seconds would ruin an astrophoto. By setting the backlash compensation, the deadzone will
be traversed at CENTER speed. As the edge of the zone is reached, the speed will drop down to the pre-selected guiding
rate; either PHOTO or 2 X SDRL. When the motor is not activated, the compensation sets the drive system in the center
of the dead zone. This cuts the time it takes the motors to traverse the dead zone in half.
For a properly set backlash compensation, it should take about half to one second for the object to move in the eyepiece
when the rate is set at PHOTO or 2 X SDRL. The star should move smoothly without jumping. If the compensation is set
too high, the star will jump suddenly as it overshoots the deadzone, then slow down to the pre-selected guide rate. If it is
set too low, the motor will run at CENTER speed then drop down to the guide rate and it will still take a second or more
for the object to begin to move.
Here is a procedure for testing the backlash compensation.
1. Set SPEED (under SETUP menu) to 2 X SDRL.
2. Point the telescope at a stationary distant object (in the day) or at Polaris (in the night) and center it in the eyepiece.
3. Press the up DIAMOND button while SPEED is set at 2 X SDRL. The motor will run at full speed for a brief
moment then slow down to 2 X SDRL. You know the motor is moving at full speed because you can hear it. When it
slows down to 2 X SDRL, you probably won’t be abl e to hear the motor . During the time the motor is running at full
speed, you should not see any movement of the object. Only when the motor slows down should the object start to
move.
4. Release the button and the object will stop moving and the motor will run at full speed again (too center itself in the
dead zone) for a brief moment. The object should not move.
5. If the object moves while the motor is running at ful l speed, then the b acklash compensation is set too high.
6. If the object doesn’t start to move after the motors stop running at full speed, then the backlash is set too low.
If the backlash compensation is set incorrectly, lower or raise the value (under the ALT BACK menu under the SETUP
menu) in increments of 50. When you get close to the correct value, use increments of 10. You do not need to get the
value more accurate then increments of 10.
Finding 90º Declination for Polar Alignment
For polar alignment, it is essential to know when the telescope is pointed straight up, relative to the forks. When the
telescope is on a wedge, this is 90º declination. You know when the telescope is pointed straight up, parallel to the forks
by using the POSITION menu. Here is how to do it!
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Set the telescope to its downstops.
Turn telescope and hand control ON. Turning the telescope ON at the
altitude downstop, references the
MENU
LIGN
A
encoder so it knows where it is.
Press DOWN three times. Go down to the POSITION menu. MENU
OSITION
P
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Press ENTER Enter into the POSITION menu.
A DEC
R
Press DOWN Scro ll down to the TELESCOP
setting.
Press ENTER Relative telescope positions are
displayed. The bottom number is the
ELESCOP
T
174.96
-088.85
altitude axis.
Point the tube upward until the altitude
display reaches a maximum value.
About +090 is straight up relative to
the forks. The actual number will be
189.83
+089.47
+089.???.
The value will not actually be +90º. This is because the telescope has some mechanical characteristics which are unique
to each telescope. All telescopes have mechanical characteristics like non-perpendicularity of the two axes, nonparallelism of the optical axis with the mechanical axis, and encoder errors. The Ultima 2000 software accounts for these
errors and makes corrections for them. Because of these corrections, the altitude reading will not read 90º. It will reach a
maximum value before 90º then start counting down again. The maximum value is the position you should use for polar
aligning. You will also notice that when you move the telescope in altitude, the azimuth display will change slightly. This
is also due to the computer compensating for the mechanical characteristics of the telescope.
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Alignment
There are several different ways to align the Ultima 2000 to the sky. The most popular way is a two star alignment with
the telescope in the Alt-Az configuration. Here are some methods of aligning the Ultima 2000.
SKY - Two Star Alignment
This is the most popular and the quickest method. It is easiest if you
turn the tracking back on. Do this under the SETUP menu. This method is described in the laminated sheets and is also
described in the QUICK SETUP chapter. For the best results, you should pick alignment stars that are at least 20º apart.
ACTION
Move the telescope to its downstop
positions in both Alt and Az.
(See the Chapter on the Hand Control, Menu Setup)
Turn the telescope and hand control ON.
Press ENTER Entered into the ALIGN menu and the
Press ENTER Initialized the encoder downstop
Press ENTER Initialized the encoder downstop
Press ENTER Select the SKY option for alignment. NEW OBJ
Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll
through the list of al i gnment stars.
(example: ALTAIR - p ress DOWN nine
times).
Move and center telescope on alignment
star and press ENTER
Press ENTER Select the SKY option for alignment. NEW OBJ
Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll to a
second alignment star.
(Ex: POLARIS - Press DOWN 14 times)
Move and center telescope on alignment
star and press ENTER.
A few seconds pass. Display returns to the SKY screen after a
Press MENU Returns you to the ALIGN Menu. MENU
NOTES DISPLAY
The telescope starts at the ALIGN menu. MENU
message “INITIALIZING” scrolls across
followed by the prompt to set the
azimuth downstop.
position for azimuth.
position for altitude.
Scrolled to first alignment star. NEW OBJ
Aligned the Ultima 2000 to first
alignment star.
NOTE: Move the scope by hand and
center with the diamond button.
Scrolled to second alignment star. NEW OBJ
Aligned to second star and the warp
error message displays briefly. An error
of less than 0.5 is desirable.
few seconds.
turn the tracking to OFF
then after the alignment,
LIGN
A
ET FORK
S
TO ZERO
UBE TO
T
DOWNSTOP
KY
S
ACHERNAR
CHERNAR
A
LTAIR
A
KY
S
ALTAIR
LTAIR
A
OLARIS
P
NEW OBJ
W=(<.5)
KY
S
POLARIS
LIGN
A
Now turn the tracking on.
EQ North - Polar Aligned, one star alignment
To do a one star alignment, the EQ NORTH setting is available. The only time this is really practical is on a permanent
pier mount. This is because it requires an almost perfect polar alignment. Here is how to use a one star EQ NORTH
alignment.
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BUTTON or ACTION NOTES DISPLAY
Polar align the telescope using declination
drift method. (see chapter, Astro Basics)
See the Polar Alignment section of
the chapter Astronomy Basics.
NA
Start at the ALIGN menu. MENU
LIGN
A
Press ENTER Entered into the ALIGN menu and
the message “INITIALIZING”
ET FORK
S
TO ZERO
scrolls across followed by the prompt
to set the azimuth downstop.
Press ENTER Initialized the encoder downstop
position for azimuth.
Press ENTER Enter into the ALIGN menu.
UBE TO
T
DOWNSTOP
KY
S
ACHERNAR
Press UP Scroll to the EQ NORTH menu.
Q NORTH
E
ACHERNAR
Press ENTER Select the EQ NORTH alignment
mode.
Scroll to a name of an alignment star.
(ex. ARCTURUS)
Move and center telescope to alignment
star.
Alignment star should be at least 20º
away from Polaris.
Use the Diamond buttons to center.
Be sure the light , EER is not flashing.
Press ENTER NEW OBJ
W=(<.5)
NEW OBJ
CHERNAR
A
NEW OBJ
RCTURUS
A
NEW OBJ
RCTURUS
A
NEW OBJ
W=0.1
Press MENU Back to the main menu. MENU
LIGN
A
Turn tracking to EQ North setting. See the first section in this chapter.
SKY - Updating Alignment
Sometimes you may find it useful to updat e your alignment during an obs erving session. Let’s say you just sle wed to
M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy. You decide it would be nice to do an alignment here to increase your accuracy in this part of
the sky. You can align to M51. Here is how to do this.
BUTTON or ACTION NOTES DISPLAY
Center M51 with the Diamond buttons Your display should be in the GO TO
menu, with the Messier catalog
0º0 0º0
051
M
displaying M51.
Press Menu Back to the main menu. MENU
O TO
G
Press UP Scroll to the ALIGN menu. MENU
LIGN
A
Press ENTER Enter into the ALIGN menu.
S
KY
M 051
Press ENTER Enter into the SKY type of
alignment.
NEW OBJ
M 05
1
Press ENTER Align to the object on display NEW OBJ
W=0.0
CHANGE - Changing Alignment Stars
The Ultima 2000 uses two alignment objects to align itself to the sky. If you align to a third object, the telescope replaces
the alignment information of one of the previous two alignment objects. The software automatically replaces the
alignment information of the nearest object to the new object. This ensures that the alignment stars are not too close to
each other.
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In some cases you may want to override this procedure. If so, here is how to use the CHANGE option in the ALIGN
menu. For this example, let’s assume the telescope is aligned to Spica and Regulus and you want to replace Regulus with
Arcturus.
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Start at the ALIGN menu. MENU
LIGN
A
Press DOWN twice. Make sure we are in the NAMED
STAR CATALOG.
Press ENTER and use the UP/DOWN
Scroll to NAMED STAR NAMED
buttons to find NAMED STAR
MENU
ATALOG
C
TAR
S
CATALOG.
Press MENU and UP twice. Scr oll to the ALIGN menu. MENU
LIGN
A
Press ENTER Enter into the ALIGN menu.
S
KY
REGULUS
Press DOWN twice Scroll to the CHANGE option of the
ALIGN menu.
Press ENTER, then scroll to Arcturus. Select the CHANGE option and
scroll to the desired alignment object.
Press ENTER Select Arcturus as the new alignment
object. The first of the two previous
HANGE
C
REGULUS
NEW OBJ
RCTURUS
A
OLD OBJ
PICA
S
alignment objects is displayed.
Press DOWN Switch to the other alignment star. OLD OBJ
EGULUS
R
If you want to abort the change and new alignment or just check to see what the alignment stars are, press
MENU. Pressing MENU puts you back to the main menu without changing anything. Don’t press MENU
to continue with this example.
Press ENTER Replace REGULUS with
ARCTURUS as the second alignment
OLD OBJ
W=-0.1
object.
A few seconds pass Display returns to the CHANGE
option.
HANGE
C
ARCTURUS
Press MENU Return to the main menu. MENU
LIGN
A
SKY - One Star Alignment
A one star alignment is a rough way to align the telescope to the sky so it will track in the Alt-Az configur a tion. The idea
is to align to an object, wait for 5 to 10 minutes, then align to the object again. This is useful for situations when few stars
are visible, like just after sunset. This is also useful if you want to do some Alt-Az solar observing. The only object to
align to would be t he Sun. This method gives you a rough sky alignment. This alignment is g ood enough to track in AltAz, but may not be very good for pointing accuracy.
ACTION
Move the telescope to its downstop
positions in both Alt and Az.
(See the Chapter on the Hand Control, Menu Setup)
Turn the telescope ON
Turn the hand control ON
NOTES DISPLAY
The telescope always starts off at the
ALIGN menu.
MENU
LIGN
A
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Press ENTER Entered into the ALIGN menu and
the message “INITIALIZING”
ET FORK
S
TO ZERO
scrolls across followed by the prompt
to set the azimuth downstop.
Press ENTER Initialized the encoder downstop
position for azimuth.
Press ENTER Initialized the encoder downstop
position for altitude.
UBE TO
T
DOWNSTOP
KY
S
ACHERNAR
Press ENTER Select the SKY option for alignment. NEW OBJ
CHERNAR
A
Use the UP/DOWN buttons to scroll
through the list of al i gnment stars.
Scrolled to first alignment star. NEW OBJ
LTAIR
A
(example: ALTAIR - p ress DOWN nine
times)
Move and center telescope on alignment
star and press ENTER.
Align the Ultima 2000 to first
alignment star.
KY
S
ALTAIR
NOTE: Move the scope by hand and
center with the diamond buttons)
Press ENTER Selects the SKY option for
alignment. (Now the cursor is at the
NEW OBJ
LTAIR
A
“A” for Altair)
Press ENTER Aligned to Altair and a large warp
value was given (in most cases)
Wait 5 to 10 minutes During this time the star will mo ve
due to the Earth’s rotation.
Center the telescope on the same alignment
star and Press ENTER
Selects the SKY option for
alignment. (Now the cursor is at the
NEW OBJ
W=(??)
KY
S
ALTAIR
NEW OBJ
LTAIR
A
“A” for Altair)
Press Enter Aligns on the same star again. W= X.X (X<5)
A few seconds pass. Display returns to the SKY screen
after a few seconds.
KY
S
ALTAIR
The telescope is now aligned to the sky to a small degree of accuracy and will track in Alt-Az mode. The pointing
accuracy for this method will most likely be within the Finderscope but unlikely in the eyepiece. The longer the period
between alignments will increase the accuracy. This method is meant for someone who only knows one star. At this point
the telescope can be used to point to another alignment star. Align to the second star to gain better alignment.
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EARTH - Terrestrial Alignment
The Ultima 2000 can be used as a spotting scope on terrestrial objects. It is possible to align to objects of interest so you
can slew back and forth between them. Say you are looking at two different bird nests, you can align to them and
automatically slew back and forth between them. You can define terrestrial objects in the NEW Catalog and then slew
between them. Furthermore, if you set up the telescope the next day in the same location and align to two of the NEW
objects you programmed into the NEW database, you can slew around to all the objects again. To do this though, you
must set up in the same spot to avoid a parallax effect. Here is how to align to terrestrial objects.
BUTTON or ACTION
Turn the telescope and hand control ON
and turn tracking rate OFF. Return to the
NOTES DISPLAY
MENU
LIGN
A
ALIGN menu.
Place the telescope to its downstops and
press ENTER.
Press ENTER Aligns the azimuth downstop.
ET FORK
S
TO ZERO
UBE TO
T
DOWNSTOP
Press ENTER Aligns the altitude downstop.
S
KY
ACHERNAR
Press DOWN once. Scroll to the EARTH option under
the ALIGN menu.
ARTH
E
ACHERNAR
Press MENU Return to the main menu. MENU
LIGN
A
Find an object you would like to define as a
NEW object. Center the telescope on the
MENU
LIGN
A
object.
Press DOWN twice. Scroll to the CATALOG menu. MENU
ATALOG
C
Press ENTER Enter into the CATALOG menu. NAMED
TAR
S
Press DOWN once. Scroll to the NEW object catalog.
EW01
N
Press ENTER Enter the NEW catalog and place the
NEW01
cursor at the leading zero.
Press ENTER Place the cursor at the second digit.
NEW0
1
Press ENTER View the current coordinates stored
in the NEW catalog.
Press ENTER This allows you to set the coordinates
to the position the telescope is
0000+000
NEW0
1
ET TO
S
CUR POSN
pointed.
Press ENTER Set the coordinates to the NEW
position.
Press MENU, Press UP twice, Press
ENTER.
Go to the ALIGN menu and scroll to
EARTH mode. EARTH mode sets
0320+420(example)
NEW0
1
ARTH
E
NEW01
the passage of sidereal time to zero.
Press ENTER If you decide you d on’t want to name
the object NEW01, then use the UP
NEW OBJ
NEW0
1
DOWN arrows here to change the
name.
Press ENTER Align to the object.
ARTH
E
NEW01
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Press Menu, Press DOWN 2X, Press
ENTER.
Enter into the CATALOG menu.
EW01
N
Press ENTER, Press ENTER, Press UP. Change to a different NEW object,
for this example NEW02.
Press ENTER, Press ENTE R. This allows you to set the coordinates
to the position the telescope is
NEW0
2
ET TO
S
CUR POSN
pointed.
Find another object and center it in the
telescope.
Press ENTER Set the coordinates to the NEW
position.
Press the MENU button and go back to the
ALIGN menu.
Press ENTER Enter into the ALIGN menu.
ET TO
S
CUR POSN
1234+543(example)
NEW0
2
MENU
LIGN
A
ARTH
E
NEW02
Press ENTER Choose the EARTH option under the
ALIGN menu.
Press ENTER Align to object. A warp displays for
a few seconds, then the display
NEW OBJ
NEW0
2
ARTH
E
NEW02
returns to EARTH.
Now you are aligned to two terrestrial objects. You can slew back and forth between them and you can also define NEW
objects 3-27 as other terrestrial objects. But when you define other objects, you can skip the align operations because you
are already aligned. If you want to view these same terrestrial objects after turning off the telescope, you need to align to
any two NEW objects. It is important to make a note for yourself which terrestrial object is in what NEW memory
position if you plan on aligning to them again later. It is also important that the telescope is set up in the same location so
the relative positions of the terrestrial objects have not changed.
EARTH - Terrestrial Alignment to User Defined NEW Objects
Let’s say you have previously defined a few terrestrial objects of interest that you would like to align the Ultima 2000 to
again. Since the objects are already in the user defined NEW database, all you have to do is align the telescope to any
two of them. Here is how.
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Set the telescope up in the same location as
when you defined the objects.
Turn the scope ON and set it to the
downstops. (Turn tracking OFF)
Press ENTER This is to set the downstops.
MENU
LIGN
A
ET FORK
S
TO ZERO
Press ENTER Define the azimuth downstop.
UBE TO
T
DOWNSTOP
Press ENTER Define the altitude downstop.
S
KY
ACHERNAR
Press MENU, scroll to CATALOG. MENU
ATALOG
C
Press ENTER, press DOWN. Let’s assume you are going to align
to NEW01 first.
Press MENU, scroll back to ALIGN. Press
Enter into the ALIGN menu.
ENTER.
Press DOWN Scro ll down to the EARTH option
under the ALIGN menu.
EW01
N
KY
S
NEW01
ARTH
E
NEW01
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Move the telescope to the object you
previously defined as NEW01. Center it in
ARTH
E
NEW01
the eyepiece.
Press ENTER, Press ENTER Perform an align operation on
NEW01.
Move the telescope to another previously
defined NEW object. Let’s say NEW03.
ARTH
E
NEW01
ARTH
E
NEW01
Press ENTER Enter into the EARTH option. NEW OBJ
NEW0
1
Press UP 2X Choose the NEW object you want to
align to.
Press ENTER Perform an align operation on the
NEW object.
Press MENU Return to the main menu. Now you
can slew to any of the NEW objects
NEW OBJ
NEW0
3
EARTH
W= -0.1
MENU
LIGN
A
you have progra mmed int o the
database.
You are now aligned to the terrestrial objects you defined in your user definable NEW catalog. You can slew to any of
the objects now. You can only slew to the objects that you programmed into the database for a particular observing site.
Finding 90º Declination for Polar Alignment
For polar alignment, it is essential to know when the telescope is pointed straight up, relative to the forks. When the
telescope is on a wedge, this is 90º declination. You know when the telescope is pointed straight up, parallel to the forks
by using the POSITION menu. Here is how to do it!
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Set the telescope to its downstops.
Turn telescope and hand control ON. Turning the telescope ON at the
altitude downstop, references the
MENU
LIGN
A
encoder so it knows where it is.
Press DOWN three times. Go down to the POSITION menu. MENU
OSITION
P
Press ENTER Enter into the POSITION menu.
A DEC
R
Press DOWN Scro ll down to the TELESCOP
setting.
Press ENTER Relative telescope positions are
displayed. The bottom number is the
ELESCOP
T
174.96
-088.85
altitude axis.
Point the tube upward until the altitude
display reaches a maximum value.
About +090 is straight up relative to
the forks. The actual number will be
189.83
+089.47
+089.???.
The value will not actually be +90º. This is because the telescope has some mechanical characteristics which are unique
to each telescope. All telescopes have mechanical characteristics like non-perpendicularity of the two axes, nonparallelism of the optical axis with the mechanical axis, and encoder errors. The Ultima 2000 software accounts for these
errors and makes corrections for them. Because of these corrections, the altitude reading will not read 90º. It will reach a
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maximum value before 90º then start counting down again. The maximum value is the position you should use for polar
aligning. You will also notice that when you move the telescope in altitude, the azimuth display will change slightly. This
is also due to the computer compensating for the mechanical characteristics of the telescope.
Pointing
GO TO Command
This is the command that tells the telescope to slew to an object. To use this command, the telescope needs to be
previously aligned.
BUTTON or ACTION
Start at the ALIGN menu. MENU
Press DOWN twice. Scroll to the CATALOG menu. Here
Press ENTER Enter into the CATALOG menu. NAMED
Press UP Scroll up to the NAMED OBJECT
Press ENTER Enter into the NAMED OBJECT
Press ENTER While the message scrolls across the
Press ENTER while display reads GO TO. The telescope slews to Andromeda
Press MENU Return to the main menu. MENU
Press UP Scroll to the GO TO menu. MENU
Press ENTER Enter into the GO TO menu. Notice
Press DOWN Choose the MANUAL option.
Press ENTER Enter into the MANUAL option. 0º0 0º0
Press DOWN until you reach PINWHEEL. Scroll down the list of named objects. 12! 5$2
Press ENTER two times. The telescope will slew to the object. 0º0 0º0
NOTES DISPLAY
LIGN
A
MENU
you can find the object you want to
look at.
catalog.
catalog.
bottom, you are at GO TO.
Galaxy.
that you are still in the NAMED
OBJECT CATALOG and last object
is displayed.
ATALOG
C
TAR
S
NAMED
BJECT
O
0043+413
NDROMED
A
O TO
G
Scrolling Message
0043+413
NDROMED
A
ATALOG
C
O TO
G
UTO
A
ANDROMED
ANUAL
M
ANDROMED
NDROMED
A
INWHEEL
P
INWHEEL
P
Increasing Pointing Accuracy using Enhanced Encoder Resolution - EER
The Ultima 2000 has optical encoders on both axes. The resolution of each encoder is 2.5 arc minutes. Using the
enhanced encoder resolution gives the telescope eight times better resolution, approximately 19 arc seconds. This is the
maximum theoretical pointing accuracy. In order to use EER, you must center alignment objects with the tracking motors.
The blinking light on the drive base indicates what state the resolution is in. Blinking about once a second means the
telescope is in standard resolution mode, 2.5 arc minutes. Blinking twice a second means one of the axes is in EER When
both axes are in EER, the light stays on. This is the goal. Here is a demonstration you can try to get EER activated.
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• Turn the telescope and hand control ON.
• Turn Tracking OFF
• Set SPEED to CENTER.
• Press the right Diamond button until the blinking light changes to 2 times a second. Now the azimuth is in EER.
• Press the UP button until the light stops blinking. Now both axis are in EER.
• Move azimuth by hand. Notice the light starts blinking at two times a second again. Now azimuth has been taken out
of EER.
• Move the altitude by hand and the light will start blinking once per second. Now EER is not activated on either axis.
To center an alignment star, it is good practice to move the telescope by hand until the star is in the field of view. Then,
use the diamond buttons at CENTER speed to center the star. Check to be sure that the light is not blinking. Then press
ENTER to align.
You will notice, whenever the telescope slews to an object, it always finishes the slew in EER. But if you don’t align the
telescope in EER, the accuracy is diminished.
You should use a reticle eyepiece to center the alignment stars
.
Precise Pointing - Relative Command
This is a more accurate way of pointing the telescope, but takes a little bit longer. If you use the RELATIVE GO TO
command, the computer searches through it s database for t he brightest star within 5 º of the obj ect you are trying to go t o.
After the computer locates the star, it will slew to the star. Then you center the reference star. The computer uses this
new information to find the object. Here is how to use the RELATIVE command.
(The telescope must be aligned (on a wedge or Alt-Az) to use the RELATIVE command)
BUTTON or ACTION
NOTES DISPLAY
Start at the GO TO menu. MENU
O TO
G
press ENTER For this example we will use M81 as
the target.
press UP Scroll to RELATIVE
UTO
A
M 081
ELATIVE
R
M 081
press ENTE R Activate a search through the
database for a reference star. Then
RELATIVE
SLEWING
telescope slews to the star.
Telescope slews by itself.
Center the brightest star in the field by
using the Diamond buttons.
You should set diamond buttons to
CENTER speed or 2 X SDRL. A
ENTER
C
ENTER
C
reticle eyepiece should be used here.
press ENTER The telescope slews and centers the
object.
0º0 0º0
081
M
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CHAPTER 8 - CELESTIAL OBSERVING
With your telescope set up, you are ready to use it for observing. T hi s section covers visual observing for both solar
system and deep sky objects.
Observing the Moon
In the night sky, the Moon is a prime target for your first look because it is extremely bright and easy to find. Often, it is
tempting to look at the Moon when it is full. At this time, the face we see is fully illuminated and its light can be
overpowering. In addition, little or no contrast can be seen during this phase.
One of the best times to observe the Moon is during its partial phases (around the time of first or third quarter). Long
shadows reveal a great amount of detail on the lunar surface. At low power you will be able to see most of the lunar disk
at one time. The optional Reducer/Corrector lens allows for breathtaking views of the entire lunar disk when used with a
low power eyepiece. Change to higher power (magnification) to focus in on a smaller area. Keep in mind that if you are
not using the clock drive, the rotation of the Earth will cause the Moon to drift out of your field of view. You will have to
manually adjust the telescope to keep the Moon centered. This effect is more noticeable at higher power. If you are using
the clockdrive and have polar aligned, the Moon will remain centered if using the lunar tracking rate. Consult your local
newspaper or a current astronomy magazine to find out when the Moon is visible.
Lunar Observing Hints
• To ensure accurate tracking, be sure to select the lunar tracking rate.
• To increase contrast and bring out detail on the lunar surface, use filters. A yellow filter works we ll at improving
contrast.
Observing the Planets
Other easy targets include the five naked eye planets. You can see Venus go through it s lunar-like phases. Mars can
reveal a host of surface detail and one, if not both, of its polar caps. You will be able to see the cloud belts of Jupiter and
the great Red Spot (if it is visible at the time you are observing). In addition, you will also be able to see the moons of
Jupiter as they orbit the giant planet. Saturn, with its beautiful rings, is easily visible at moderate power. All you need to
know is where to look. Most astronomy publications indicate where the planets are in the sky each month.
Planetary Observing Hints
• King or sidereal rates work best for tracking the planets.
• To increase contrast and bring out detail on the planetary surface, try using Celestron eyepiece filters.
Observing the Sun
Although overlooked by many amateur astronomers, solar observation is both rewarding and fun. However, because the
Sun is so bright, special precautions must be taken when observing our star so as not to damage your eyes or your
telescope.
Never project an image of the Sun through the telescope. Because of the folded optical design, tremendous heat build-up
will result inside the optical tube. This can damage the telescope and/or any accessories attached to the telescope.
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For safe solar viewing, use a Celestron solar filter. This filter reduces the intensity of the Sun's light, making it safe to
view. With this filter you can see sunspots as they move across the solar disk and faculae, which are bright patches seen
near the Sun's edge. Be sure to cover the lens of the finder or completely remove the finderscope when observing the Sun.
This will ensure that the finderscope itself is not damaged and that no one looks through it inadvertently.
Solar Observing Hints
• The best time to observe the Sun is in the early morning or late afternoon when the air is cooler.
• To locate the Sun without a finder, watch the shadow of the telescope tube until it forms a circular shadow.
• To ensure accurate tracking, be sure to select the solar tracking rate.
Observing Deep Sky Objects
Deep-sky objects are simply those objects outside the boundaries of our solar system. They include star clusters, planetary
nebulae, diffuse nebulae, double stars and other galaxies outside our own Milky Way. Unlike the Sun, Moon, and five
major planets, most deep sky obj ects are not visible to the naked eye. The Ultima 2000 can find these objects for you.
The Celestron Sky Maps (#93722) can help you decide what objects are visible, or the TOUR feature can show you some
objects that are visible during your observing session.
Most deep-sky objects have a lar ge angular size. T herefore, low-to-moderate power is all you ne ed to see them. Visuall y,
they are too faint to reveal any of the color seen in long exposure photographs. Instead, they appear black and white.
And, because of their low surface brightness, they should be observed from a dark-sky location. Light pollution around
large urban areas washes out most nebulae making them difficult, if not impossible, to observe. Light Pollution Reduction
filters help reduce the background sky brightness, thus increasing contrast.
Seeing Conditions
Viewing conditions affect what you can see through your telescope during an o bserving session. Conditions inc l ude
transparency, sky illumination, and seeing. Understanding viewing conditions and the effect they have on observing will
help you get the most out of your telescope.
Transparency
Transparency is the clarity of the atmosphere which is affected by clouds, moisture, and other airborne particles. Thick
cumulus clouds are completely opaque while cirrus clouds can b e thin, allowing the light fro m the brightest stars through.
Hazy skies absorb more light than clear skies making fainter objects harder to see and reducing contrast on brighter
objects. Aerosols ejected into the upper atmosphere from volcanic eruptions also affect transparency. Ideal conditions are
when the night sky is inky black.
Sky Illumination
General sky brightening caused by the Moon, aurorae, natural airglow, and light pollution greatly affect transparency.
While not a problem for the brighter stars and planets, bright skies reduce the contrast of extended nebulae making them
difficult, if not impossible, to see. To maximize your observing, limit deep sky viewing to moonless nights far from the
light polluted skies found around major urban areas. LPR filters enhance deep sky viewing from light polluted areas by
blocking unwanted light while transmitting light from certain deep sky objects. You can, on the other hand, observe
planets and stars from light polluted areas or when the Moon is out.
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Seeing
Seeing conditions refer to the stability of the atmosphere and directly affects the amount of fine detail seen in extended
objects. The air in our atmosphere acts as a lens which bends and distorts incoming light rays. The amount of bending
depends on air density. Varying temperature layers have different densities and, therefore, bend light differently. Light
rays from the same object arrive slightly displaced creating an imperfect or smeared image. These atmospheric
disturbances vary from time-to-time and place-to-place. The size of atmospheric turbulent cells compared to your
aperture determines the "seeing" quality. Under good seeing conditions, fine detail is visible on the brighter planets like
Jupiter and Mars, and stars are pinpoint images. Under poor seeing conditions, images are blurred and stars appear as
blobs. Seeing conditions are rated on five-point scale where one is the worst and five is the best (see Figure 9-1). Seeing
conditions can be classified in one of three categories which are based on the cause.
Type 1 seeing cond itions are characterize d by rapid changes in the image seen through the telescope. Extended objects,
like the Moon, appear to shimmer while point sources (i.e., stars) appear double. Type 1 seeing is caused by currents
within or very close to the telescope tube. These currents could be caused by a telescope that has not reached thermal
equilibrium with the outdoor surroundings, heat waves from people standing near the telescope, or heated dew caps. To
avoid the problems associated with Type 1 seeing, allow your telescope approximately 45 minutes to reach thermal
equilibrium. Once adjusted to the outdoor temperature, don't touch the telescope tube with your hands. When pointing
the telescope, hold the Ultima by the handle on the rear cell. If observing with others, make sure no one stands in front of
or directly below the telescope tube.
The images produced by Type 2 seeing conditions don't move as quickly as those produced by Type 1 conditions, but the
images are quite blurry. Fine detail is lost and the contrast is low for extended objects. Stars are spread out and not sharp.
The source of Type 2 seeing is the lower atmosphere, most likely heat waves from the ground or buildings. To avoid the
problems associated with Type 2 seeing, select a good observing site. Look for broad hill tops or open grassy fields.
Stable thermal conditions found near lakes and atmospheric inversions also tend to produce good seeing. Avoid sites that
overlook asphalt parking lots or plowed fields. Stay away from valleys and shorelines. If you can't get a better location,
wait until the early morning hours when the surroundings are uniformly cool and the seeing is generally better.
Type 3 seeing conditions are characterized by fast ripples, but sharp images. In extended objects fine detail is visible, but
the images shift around the field. Stars are crisp points, but they shift small distances rapidly around the field. The cause
of Type 3 seeing is turbulence in the upper atmosphere which means the observer has less control over it. However, the
effects of Type 3 seeing are generally less pronounced than the other two types. You can never really avoid Type 3 seeing.
Your best bet is to wait until moments of steadiness. If the seeing is extremely bad, pack up and wait for a better night.
The conditions described here apply to both visual and photographic applications.
Figure 8-1 Seeing conditions directly affect image quality. These drawings represent a point source (i.e., star)
under bad seeing conditions (left) to excellent condition (right). Most ofte n, seeing conditions produce images that
lie somewhere between these two extremes.
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CHAPTER 9 - PHOTOGRAPHY
All the different types of photography described in this chapter will require the use of an optional wedge for polar
Note:
aligning the telescope.
Celestial Photography
After looking at the night sky for a while you may want to try photographing it. Several forms of celestial photography are
possible with your Celestron telescope. The most common forms of celestial photography, in order of difficulty are; short
exposure prime focus, piggyback, eyepiece projection, and long exposure deep sky. Each of these is discussed in
moderate detail with enough information to get you started. Topics include the accessories required and some simple
techniques.
In addition to the specific accessories required for each type of celestial photography, there is the need for a camera - but
not just any camera. The camera does not need many of the features offered on today's state-of-the-art equipment. For
example, you don't need auto focus capability or mirror lock up. Here are the mandatory features a camer a needs for
celestial photography. First, a 'B' setting which allows for time exposures. This excludes point and shoot cameras and
limits the selection to SLR cameras, the most common type of 35mm camera on the market today.
Second, the 'B' or manual setting should NOT run off the battery. Many new electronic cameras use the battery to keep
the shutter open during time exposures. Once the batteries are drained, usually after a few minutes, the shutter closes,
whether you were finished with the exposure or not. Look for a camera that has a manual shutter when operating in the
time exposure mode. Olympus, Nikon, Minolta, Pentax, Canon and others have made such camera bodies.
The camera must have interchangeable lenses so you can attach it to the telescope and so you can use a variety of lenses
for piggyback photography. If you can't find a new camera, you can purchase a used camera body that is not 100-percent
functional. The light meter, for example, does not have to be operational since you will be determining the exposure
length manually.
You also need a cable release with a locking function to hold the shutter open while you do other things. Mechanical and
air release models are available.
Short Exposure Prime Focus Photography
Short exposure prime focus photography is the best way to begin recording celestial objects. It is done with the camera
attached to the telescope without an eyepiece or camera lens in place. To attach your camera you need the Celestron TAdapter (#93633-A) and a T-Ring for your specific camera (i.e., Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, etc.). The T-Ring replaces the
35mm SLR camera's normal lens. Prime focus photography allows you to capture the majority of the lunar disk or solar
disk. To attach your camera to your Ultima Telescope:
1. Remove all visual accessories.
2. Thread the T-Ring onto the T-Adapter. (See Figure 9-1)
3. Mount your camera body onto the T-Ring the same as yo u would any other lens.
4. Thread the T-Adapter onto the back of the Celestron Telescope while holding the camera in the desired orientation
(either vertical or horizontal).
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Figure 9-1
With your camera attached to the telescope, you are ready for prime focus photography. Start with an easy object like the
Moon. Here's how to do it:
1. Load your camera with film that has a moderate-to-fast speed (i.e., ISO rating). Faster films are more desirable when
the Moon is a crescent. When the Moon is near full, and at its brightest, slower films are mo re desirable. Here are
some film recommendations:
• T-Max 100
• T-Max 400
• Any 100 to 400 ISO color slide film
• Fuji Super HG 400
• Ektar 25 or 100
2. Center the Moon in the field of your Ultima Telescope.
3. Focus the telescope by turning the focus knob until the image is sharp.
4. Set the shutter speed to the appropriate setting (see Table 9-1).
5. Trip the shutter using a cable release.
6. Advance the film and repeat the process.
Lunar Phase ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400
Crescent
Quarter
Full
Table 9-1 Above is a listing of recommended exposure times when photographing the Moon at the prime focus of
your Celestron Ultima Telescope.
78
1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15
1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125
1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250
Page 79
The exposure times listed in Table 9-1 should be used as a starting point. Always make exposures that are longer and
shorter than the recommended time. Also, take a few photos at each shutter speed. This will ensure that you will get a
good photo. If using black and white film, try a yellow filter to reduce the light intensity and to increase contrast.
Keep accurate records of your exposures. This information is useful if you want to repeat your results or if you want to
submit some of your photos to various astronomy magazines for possible publication!
This technique is also used for photographing the Sun with the proper Celestron solar filter.
Piggyback Photography
The easiest way to enter the realm of deep-sky, long exposure astrophotography is via the piggyback method. Piggyback
photography is done with a camera and its normal lens riding on top of the telescope. The telescope is mounted on a
wedge and is pola r aligned. Through piggyback photography you can capture entire constell ations and reco rd large scale
nebulae that are too big for prime focus photography. Because you are photographing with a low power lens and guiding
with a high power telescope, the margin for error is very large. Small mistakes made while guiding the telescope will not
show up on film. To attach the camera to the telescope, use the piggyback mount. This can be purchased as an optional
accessory.
As with any form of deep-sky photography, it should be done from a dark sky observing site. Light pollution around
major urban areas washes out the faint light of deep-sky objects.
1. Polar align the telescope (using one of the methods described earlier) and start the clock drive.
2. Load your camera with slide or print film, ISO 400 or faster!
3. Attach the camera with a normal or wide angle lens to the piggyback mount.
4. Set the f/ratio of your camera lens so that it is a half stop to one full stop down from completely open.
5. Set the shutter speed to the "B" setting and focus the lens to the infinity setting.
6. Locate the area of the sky that you want to photograph and move the telescope so that it points in that direction.
7. Find a suitable guide star in the telescope field. This is relatively easy since you can search a wide area without
affecting the area covered by your camera lens. If you do not have an illuminated cross hair eyepiece for guiding,
simply defocus your guide star until it fills most of the field of view. This makes it easy to detect any drift.
8. Release the shutter using a cable release.
9. Monitor your guide star for the duration of the exposure making all corrections using the ha nd controller.
10. Close the camera's shutter.
As for lenses, use only those that produce sharp images near the edge of the field. The lenses should have a resolving
power of at least 40 lines per millimeter. A good focal length range is 35 to 200mm for lenses designed for 35mm
cameras.
The exposure time depends on the film being used. However, five minutes is usually a good starting point. With slower
films, like ISO 100, you can expose as long as 45 minutes. With faster films, like ISO 1600, you really shouldn't expose
more than 5 to 10 minutes. When getting started, use fast films to record as much detail in the shortest possible time.
Here are proven recommendations:
• Ektar 1000 (color print) • T-Max 3200 (black and white print)
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• Konica 3200 (color print) • T-Max 400 (black and white print)\
• Fujichrome 1600D (color slide)
• 3M 1000 (color slide)
As you perfect your technique, try using specialized films that are designed or specially treated for celestial photography.
Here are some popular choices:
• Ektar 125 (color print) • Tech Pan, gas hypered (black and white print)
• Fujichrome 100D (color slide) • T-Max 400 (black and white print)
As with all forms of photography, keep accurate records of your wo rk. T his information can be used later if you want to
reproduce certain results or if you want to submit photos for possible publication.
Once you have mastered piggyback photography with wide angle and normal l enses, try longer foc al length lenses. T he
longer the focal length, the mo re accurate your guiding must be. You can continue to increase the focal length of the lens
until you are ready for prime focus photography with your Celestron Ultima Telescope.
Eyepiece Projection
This form of celes t i al photography is designed for objects with small angular sizes, primarily the Moon and p lanets.
Planets, although physically quite large, appear small in angular size because of their great distances. Moderate to high
magnification is, t herefore, re quired to make the image large enough to see any detail. Unfortunately, the
camera/telescope combination a lone does not p rovide enough magnification to prod uce a usable image size on film. In
order to get the image large enough, you must attach your camera to the telescope with the eyepiece in place. To do so,
you need two additional accessories; a deluxe tele-extender (#93643), which attaches to the visual back, and a T-ring for
your particular camera make (i.e., Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, etc.).
Because of the high magnifications during eyepiece proj ection, the field of view is quite small which makes it difficult to
find and center objects. To make the job a little easier, align the finder as accurately as possible. This allows you to get
the object in the telescope's field based on the finder's view alone.
Another problem introduced by the high magnification is vibration. Simply tripping the shutter even with a cable
release produces enough vibration to smear the image. To get around this, use the c amera's self-timer if the exposure
time is less than one second a common occurrence when photographing the Moon. For exposures over one second, use
the "hat trick." This technique incorporates a hand-held black card placed over the aperture of the telescope to act as a
shutter. The card prevents light from entering the telescope while the shutter is released. Once the shutter has been
released and the vibration has diminished (a few seconds), move the black card out of the way to expose the film. After
the exposure is complete, place the card over the front of the telescope and close the shutter. Advance the film and you're
ready for your next shot. Keep in mind that the card should be held a few inches in front of the telescope, and not
touching it. It is easier if you use two people for this process; one to release the camera shutter and one to hold the card.
Here's the process for making the exposure.
1. Find and center the desired target in the view finder of your camera.
2. Turn the focus knob until the image is as sharp as possible.
3. Place the black card over the front of the telescope.
4. Release the shutter using a cable release.
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5. Wait for the vibration caused by releasing the shutter to diminish. Also, wait for a moment of good seeing.
6. Remove the black card from in front of the telescope for the duration of the exposure (see accompanying table).
7. Replace the black card over the front of the telescope.
8. Close the camera's shutter.
Advance the film and you are ready for your next exposure. Don't forget to take photos of varying duration and keep
accurate records of what yo u have done. Record the date, telescope, exposure duration, eyepiece, f/ratio, film, and some
comments on the seeing conditions.
The following table lists exposures for eyepiece projection with a 10mm eyepiece. All exposure times are listed in
seconds or fractions of a second.
Planet ISO 50 ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400
Moon4211/2
Mercury16842
Venus 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/15
Mars16842
Jupiter8421
Saturn16842
Table 9-2
The exposure times listed here should be used as a starting point. Always make exposures that are longer and shorter than
the recommended time. Also, take a few photos at each shutter speed. This will ensure that you get a good photo. It is
not uncommon to go thr ough an entire rol l of 36 exposures and have only one good shot.
NOTE:
Don't expect to record more detail than yo u can see visually in the eyepiece at the time yo u are photographing.
Once you have mastered the technique, experiment with different films, different focal length eyepieces, and even
different filters.
Effective Focal Length
The effective focal length of the optical system for eyepiece projection is given by this formula:
=×
E F L Magnification DF
...
where DF is the distance from the center of the eyepiece to the film and magnification is the focal length of the telescope
divided by the focal length of the eyepiece.
Effective Magnification
To determine the magnification when using eyepiece projection, use the equation
EFL
=
...
50
EM
..
E.F.L
where
. is the effective focal length ,
in millimeters
and
E.M.
is the effective magnification.
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Effective f# or f-ratio
The effective f# can be found by this equation:
EF
..#
EFL
=
...
Dp
E.F.L.
where
sure you are consistent with units. Use millimeters or inches, not both.
is the effective focal length, Dp is the diameter of the primary mirror and
E.F.#
is the effective f-ratio. Make
Long Exposure Prime Focus Photography
This is the last form of celestial photography to be attempted after others have been mastered. The telescope must be
polar aligned on a wedge. It is intended primarily for deep sky objects, that is objects outside our solar system which
includes star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. While it may seem that high magnification is required for these objects, just
the opposite is true. Most of these objects cover large angular areas and fit nicely into the prime focus fiel d of your
Celestron Telescope. The brightness of these objects, however, requires long exposure times and, as a result, are rather
difficult.
There are several techniques for this type of photography, and the one chosen will determine the standard accessories
needed. If, for example, you use a separate guidescope, the camera attaches to the telescope with a T-Adapter (#93633-A)
and a T-Ring for your specific camera. However, the best method for long exposure deep sky astrophotography is with an
off-axis guider. This device all ows you to photograp h and guide through the t elescope simultaneously. Celestron offer s a
very special and advanced off-axis gui der, called the Radial Guider (#94176). In addition, you will need a T-Ring to
attach your camera to the Radial Guider.
Other equipment needs include a guiding eyepiece. Unlike piggyback photography which allows for fairly loose guiding,
prime focus requires meticulous guiding for long periods. To accomplish this you need a guiding ocular with an
illuminated reticle to monitor your guide star. For this purpose, Celestron offers the Micro Guide Eyepiece (#94171).
Here are the accessories needed to do long exposure, deep sky photography.
• Telescope • T-Ring (for your camera brand) • Wedge
• Radial Guider • 35mm Camera • Tripod
• Guiding Eyepiece • Cable Release
Here is a brief summary of the technique.
1. Polar align the telescope using the declination drift method.
2. Remove all visual accessories.
3. Thread the Radial Guider onto your Celestron Ultima 2000.
4. Thread the T-Ring onto the Radial Guider.
5. Mount your camera body onto the T-Ring the same as yo u would any other lens.
6. Set the shutter speed to the "B" setting.
7. Focus the telescope on a star.
8. Center your subject in the field of your camera.
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9. Insert an illuminated reticle eyepiece into the radial guider.
10. Find a suitable guide star in the telescope field. Do this by rotating the guider and adjusting the prism. This can be
the most time consuming process.
11. Open the shutter using a cable release.
12. Monitor your guide star for the duration of the exposure using the buttons on the hand controller to make the neede d
corrections. Don't forget to use the PEC function.
13. Close the camera's shutter.
When getting started, use fast films to record as much detail in the shortest possible time. Here are proven
recommendations:
• Ektar 1000 (color print) • T-Max 3200 (black and white print)
• Konica 3200 (color print) • T-Max 400 (black and white print)
• Fujichrome 1600D (color slide) • 3M 1000 (color slide)
As you perfect your technique, try specialized films, that is films that are designed or specially treated for celestial
photography. Here are some popular choices:
• Ektar 125 (color print) • Tech Pan, gas hypered (black and white print)
• Fujichrome 100D (color slide) • T-Max 400 (black and white print)
There is no exposure determination table to help you get started. The best way to determine exposure length is look at
previously publis hed photos to se e what film/exposure combinat i ons were used. Or take unguided sample photos of
various parts of the sky while the drive is running. Always take exp osures of various le ngths to determine the best
exposure time.
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CCD IMAGING
Fastar Lens Assembly Option --
Using your Ultima 2000 telescope at f/1.95 with optional PixCel
CCD Camera
Your Ultima 2000 telescope is equipped with a removable secondary mirror that allows you to convert
your f/10 telescope into an f/1.95 imaging system capable of exposure times 25 times shorter than those
needed with a f/10 system! Used with Celestron's PixCel CCD System, objects will be easily found due to
the ultra-wide 2/3• by 1/2• field of view p rovided. With the optional Fastar lens assembly you can easily
convert your Fastar compatible telescope to f/1.95 prime focus use in a matter of seconds. Your telescope
can now be used in many different f-number’s for CCD imaging. It ca n be used at f/1.95 ( with optional
Fastar Lens Assembly), f/6.3 (with the optional reducer corrector), f/10, and f/20 (with the optional 2x
barlow) making it one of the most versatile imaging systems available today. This makes the system ideal
for imaging deep sky obj ects as well as planetary detail. The key to the Fastar’s versatility is the variety of
different F-numbers in which it can be used. Described below is the significance of each F-number and the
type of object best suited to that kind of imaging.
Secondary
Mirror
Secondary
Mirror
Retaining Ring
Corrector Plate
Secondary
Mirror Mount
Handle
Figure 9-2
The above figure shows how the secondary mirror is removed when using the optional PixCel CCD camera
at f/1.95 and the Fastar lens assembly.
unless installing the optional Fastar lens assembly.
Warning: The secondary mirror should never be removed
Adjustments to collimation can easily be made by
turning the screws on the top of the secondary mirror mount without ever having to remove the secondary
mirror (see Telescope Maintenance section of this manual).
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y
Description of F-numbers
The F/# stands for the ratio between the focal length and the diameter of the light gathering element. A
standard C8 has a focal length of 80 inches and a diameter of 8 inches. This makes the system an f/10,
(focal length divided by diameter). When the secondary is removed and the CCD is placed at the Fastar
position, the system becomes f/1.95, this is unique to Celestron telescopes (see figures below).
Fastar Lens Assembl
PixCel 237 CCD Camera
•
Fig 9-3 -- Light path at f/10 focus
•
Fig 9-4 -- Light path at Fastar f/1.95 focus
The key factors for good CCD imaging are; exposure time, field-of-view, image size, and pixel resolution.
As the F/# goes down (or gets faster), the exposure times needed decreases, the field-of-view-increases, but
the image scale of the object gets smaller. What is the difference between f/1.95 and f/10? F/1.95 has 1/5
the focal length of f/10. That makes the exposure time needed about 25 times shorter than at f/10, the field
of view 5 times larger and the object size 1/5 compared to that of f/10. (see Table 9-3)
Standard Cassegrain With Reducer/corrector
Accessory
Focal Length & Speed 80" (2000mm) @f/10 50" (1250mm) @f/6.3
With Fastar lens
Accessory
16"(400mm) @
f/1.95
PixCel 237 F.O.V. 8.1 x 6.3 (arc min) 13 x 10 (arc min)
.69 x .53 (degrees)
PixCel Sampling (arc
.75 (arc sec) 1.2 (arc sec)
sec/pixel)
41 x 31 (arc min)
3.8 (arc sec)
Table 9-3
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Fastar Configurations
The following is a brief description of the advantages of imaging at each f-number configuration and the
proper equipment needed to use the telescope in any of its many settings. Refer to Figure 9-7 for a more
detailed description of the accessories offered for each configuration.
Imaging at f/1.95
As stated above, the exposure times are much shorter at f/1.95 then at f/6.3 or f/10. The field-of-view is
wider, so it is easier to find and center objects. Also with a wider field-of-view you can fit larger object
(such as M51, The Whirlpool Galaxy) in the frame. Typical exposure times can be 20-30 seconds for many
objects. With the Track and Accumulate function on the PixCel software (see the PixCel Operating Manual
for more details about its software features), the camera can shoot and stack several images automatically
without ever having to guide the exposure. Under dark skies you can get an excellent image of the
Dumbbell Nebula (M27) with only a few 30 second exposures (see figure 9-5 below). The spiral arms of the
Whirlpool galaxy (Figure 9-6) can be captured with a 30 second exposure and can be improved upon
dramatically if several 30-60 second exposures are added together using the Track and Accumulate feature.
Figure 9-5
4 exposures at 30 seconds each!
When imaging some objects like planetary nebula (for example M57, the Ring Nebula) and small galaxies
(M104, the Sombrero Galaxy), larger image scale is needed to resolve finer detail. These objects are better
shot at f/6.3 or even f/10.
Imaging at f/6.3 (Medium size to small galaxies)
M27 – The Dumbbell Nebula
Figure 9-6
9 exposures at 60 seconds each.
M51 – The Whirlpool Nebula
F/6.3 imaging gives you finer resolution then at f/1.95, but the slower f-number will usually
require you to guide the image while you are taking longer exposures. Guiding can be
accomplished by using an optional Radial Guider or a piggyback guidescope. The exposure
times are about 10 times longer but the results can be worth the extra effort. There are some
objects that are small enough and bright enough that they work great at f/6.3. M104 (the
Sombrero Galaxy) can be imaged under dark skies with a series of short exposures using Track
and Accumulate. Ten exposures at 15 seconds each will yield a nice image and is short enough
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that you may not need to guide the exposure at all. For f/6.3 imagining the optional f/6.3
Reducer/Corrector is needed. (see Optional Accessory section at the end of this manual).
Imaging at f/10 (Lunar or small planetary nebulae)
f/10 imaging is more challenging for long exposure, deep sky imaging. Guiding needs to be very accurate
and the exposure times need to be much longer, about 25 times longer than f/1.95. There are only a select
few objects that work well at f/10. The moon images fine because it is so bright, but planets are still a bit
small and should be shot at f/20. The Ring nebula is a good candidate because it is small and bright. The
Ring Nebula (M57) can be imaged in about 30-50 seconds at f/10. The longer the exposure the better.
Imaging at f/20 (Planetary or lunar)
f/20 is a great way to image the planets and features on the moon. With the PixCel CCD camera and
optional Color Filter Wheel, it is easy to take tri-color images of planets also. When imaging the planets,
very short exposures are needed. Many cameras have trouble taking images under .1 seconds. The PixCel
camera can image at .01 seconds exposures due to the design of the CCD array. The exposure lengths range
from .03 to .1 seconds on planetary images. Focus is critical as is good atmospheric conditions. Generally
you will take one image after another until one looks good (see AutoGrab feature in the PixCel Operating
Manual). This is do to the atmospheric "seeing" conditions. For every 10 exposures you might save 1. To
image at f/20 you need to purchase a 2x Barlow and a T-adapter or Radial Guider.
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Figure 9-7 - Accessory Configurations for Fastar Compatible Telescopes
p
y
y)
g
y
g
p
)
1O
2 Secondary Mirror 13 Illuminator (Microguide Eyepiece onl
3 Secondary Mirror Retaining Rin
4 Fastar Lens Assembl
5 Tricolor Spacer Rin
6T-1 ¼" Ada
7 IR Cutoff Filter (for use with Color Filter 18 Star Diagonal
8 Pi xCel C CD Camera 19 26mm Plossl Eyepiece
9 Rear Cell Counterweight 20 T-Ring (for 35mm SLR Camera
10 Radial Guider 21 35mm SLR Camera
11 Microguide Eyepiece 22 2X Barlow Lens
For more information about the above accessories refer to the Optional Accessories section at the end of
this manual
88
tical Tube Assembl
ter 17 Visual Back 1 ¼"
12 Pulstar I lluminator
14 Reducer/Corrector f/6.3
15 T-Adapter
16 Cross Hair Eyepiece
Page 89
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CHAPTER 10 - TELESCOPE MAINTENANCE
While your Ultima 2000 telescope requires little maintenance, there are a few things to remember that will
ensure your telescope performs optimally.
Care and Cleaning of the Optics
Occasionally, dust and/or moisture may build up on the corrector plate of your Ultima telescope. Special
care should be taken when cleaning any instrument so as not to damage the optics.
If dust builds up on the corrector plate, remove it with a brush (made of camel's hair) or a can of pressurized
air. When using pressurized air, spray at an angle to the corrector for approximately two to four seconds.
Then, use an optical cleaning solution and white, unscented (Kleenex type) tissue paper to remove any
remaining debris. Apply the solution to the tissue and then apply the tissue paper to the lens. Low pressure
strokes should go from the center of the corrector to the outer edge. Do NOT rub in circles!
You can use a commercially made lens cleaner or mix your own. A good cleaning solution is isopropyl
alcohol mixed with distilled water. The solution should be 60% isopropyl alcohol and 40% distilled water.
Or, liquid dish soap diluted with water (a couple of drops per one quart of water) can be used.
Occasionally, you may experience dew build-up on the corrector plate of your telescope during an
observing sessio n. If you want to continue ob s erving, the dew must be removed , either with a hair dr yer or
by pointing the telescope at the ground until the dew has evaporated.
If moisture condenses on the inside of the corrector, place the telescope in a dust-free environment. Remove
the accessories from the rear cell and point the telescope down. This will remove the moisture from the
telescope tube.
To minimize the need to clean your telescope, replace all lens covers once you have finished using it. Since
the rear cell is NOT sealed, the cover should be placed over the opening when not in use. This prevents
contaminants from entering the optical tube.
Internal adjustments and cleaning should be done only by the Celestron repair department. If your telescope
is in need of internal cleaning, please call the factory for a return authorization number and price quote.
Collimation
The optical performance of your Celestron telescope is directly related to its collimation, the alignment of
its optical system. Your Celestron Ultima 2000 was collimated at the factory after it was completely
assembled. However, if the telescope is dropped or jarred severely during transport, it may have to be
collimated. The only optical element that may need to be adjusted, or is possible, is the tilt of the secondary
mirror.
Collimation is the alignment of the optical elements. In the Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system used in the
Ultima, this is the alignment of the primary and secondary mirrors.
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Figure 10-1 A collimation pattern (left) of a slightly out of focus
star shows concentric rings. An example of an out of collimation
system (right) is shown by non symmetric rings that flare out to one
side.
To check the collimation of your telescope you will need a light source. A bright star near the zenith is
ideal since there is a minimal amount of atmospheric distortion. Turn your telescope drive on so that you
won't have to manually track the star. If you are not using the clock drive, use Polaris. It’s position relative
to the celestial pole means that it moves very little thus eliminating the need to manually track it.
Before you begin the collimation process, be sure that your telescope is in thermal equilibrium with the
surroundings. Allow 45 minutes for the telescope to reach equilibrium if you move it between large
temperature extremes.
To verify collimation, view a star near the zenith. Use a medium to high power ocular—12mm to 6mm
focal length. It is important to center a star in the center of the field to judge collimation. Slowly cross in
and out of focus and judge the symmetry of the star. If yo u see a systematic skewing of the star to one side,
then re-collimation is needed.
To accomplish this, you need to locate the secondary alignment screws which are located on the secondary
mirror housing. The secondary mirror housing is mounted in the center of the corrector plate. On most
models it will be necessary to remove the cap which covers the three secondary alignment screws. The cap
just snaps off. You need to tighten the secondary collimation screw(s) that move the star across the field
toward the direction of the skewed light. These screws are located in the secondary mirror holder. Make
only a small 1/6 to 1/8 field correction and re-center the star by moving the scope before making any
improvements or before making further adjustments.
When using higher power, 6mm and above, collimation is best accomplished with the telescope in focus. In
this instance, you are observing the Airy disk (see Figure 10-1), not the shadow of the secondary housing.
This (stellar) image will appear as a bright point of light with a diffraction ring around it. When the point of
light is perfectly centered within the diffraction ring, your telescope is in collimation. Keep in mind that to
use high power, the seeing conditions must be very good.
Perfect collimation will yield a star or planetary image very symmetrical just inside and outside of focus. In
addition, perfect collimation delivers the optimal optical performance specifications that your telescope is
built to achieve.
If seeing (i.e., air steadiness) is turbulent, collimation is difficult to judge. Wait until a better night if it is
turbulent or aim to a steadier part of the sky. A steadier part of the sky is judged by steady versus twinkling
stars.
THE ADJUSTMENT SCREWS ON THE SECONDARY MIRROR ARE VERY SENSITIVE.
USUALLY A TENTH OF A TURN WILL COMPLETELY CHANGE THE COLLIMATION OF THE
TELESCOPE. DO NOT FORCE THESE SCREWS IF THEY WILL NOT TURN. IF TIGHT ENING
ONE SCREW IN THE DIRECTION YOU NEED TO GO IS DIFFICULT, SIMPLY LOOSEN THE
OTHER TWO SCREWS BY EQUAL AMOUNTS TO BRING ABOUT THE SAME CHANGE. DO
NOT BE INTIMIDATED TO TOUCH UP COLLIMATION AS NEEDED TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL
HIGH-RESOLUTION VIEWS. IT IS WORTH TH E TROUBLE!!!!
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OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
The following is a partial list of optional accessories that can be used with your Ultima 2000 telescope:
AC Adapter - 110V - 60Hz (#18770)
- The AC Adapter allows you to run your Ultima 2000 telescope off of AC
rather than the standard DC batteries.
Accessory Case (#93500)
- This rugged ABS plastic case is designed for carrying a few accessories. Inside is foam
padding that is die cut to l x l inch squares. These squares can be removed to accommodate accessories with a
custom fit.
Barlow Lenses
- A Barlow lens is a negative lens that increases the focal length of a telescope. Used with any
eyepiece, it doubles the magnification of that eyepiece. Celestron offers two Barlow lenses in the 1-1/4" size. The
2x Ultima Barlow (#93506) is a compact triplet design that is fully multicoated for maximum light transmission and
parfocal when used with the Ultima eyepieces. It works very well with all Celestron eyepieces. The latest Barlow to
be added to Celestron's product line (#93507) is a low profile achromatic design at an economical price. It weighs
just 4 oz. and it is under 3" in length.
Car Battery Adapter (#18769)
- To save the internal battery, Celestron offers the Car Battery Adapter which
allows you to run the Ultima 2000 off an external 12 VDC power source. The adapter attaches to the cigarette
lighter plug of your car.
Collimated Barlow Diagonal-90º-1
""""
/
(#94117)
4
- An ultra compact 90º barlow diagonal. It contains an integral
1
1.7X large aperture multi-coated achromatic Barlow lens. The diagonal is laser aligned for rotating centration. Ideal
for centering of CCD objects and critical setting circle use.
Counterweight Set (#94190)-
Using this counterweight set with the standard counterpoise system that comes with
the Ultima 2000 allows you to dynamically balance the telescope with heavier accessories.
Diagonal, Erect Image (#94112-A)
- For daytime terrestrial viewing the Erect Image Diagonal produces images
through your Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope that match what you see with the unaided eye. This accessory uses an
Amici prism arrangement that, in addition to producing correctly oriented images, allows you to look into the
telescope at a 45° angle, a desirable arrangement for terrestrial viewing.
Eyepiece Filters
- To enhance your visual observations of planetary objects, Celestron offers a wide range of
colored filters that thread into the 1-1/4" oculars. Available are: #12 Deep Yellow, #21 Orange, #25 Red, #58
Green, #80A Light Blue, #96 Neutral Density (25% T and 13% T) and Polarizing filters. These filters are also
available in sets.
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Eyepieces
- Like telescopes, eyepieces come in a variety of designs. And, with the advent of different eyepieces,
Celestron also has a variety of designs each with its own advantages and disadvantages. For the 1-1 /4" barrel
diameter there are four different eyepiece designs available.
• SMA - Super Modified Achromat. Good quality at an economical price. Models available are a 25mm, 12mm,
10mm and a 6mm.
• Plossl - Plossl eyepieces have a 4-element lens system designed for low-to-high power observing. The Plossls
offer razor sharp views across the entire field, even at the edges! In the 1-1 /4" barrel diameter, they are
available in the following focal lengths: 6.3mm, 7. 5mm, 10mm, 12.5mm, 17mm, 20mm, 26mm, 32mm, and
40mm.
• Ultima - Ultima is not really a design, but a trade name for our 5-element, wide field eyepieces. In the 1-1/4"
barrel diameter, they are available in the following focal lengths: 5mm, 7.5mm, 12.5mm, 18mm, 24mm, 30mm,
35mm, and 42mm. These eyepieces are all parfocal. The 35mm Ultima gives the widest possible field of view
with a 1-1 /4" diagonal and is ideal for use with or without the Reducer/Corrector.
• Lanthanum Eyepieces (LV Series) - Lanthanum is a unique rare earth glass used in one of the field lenses of this
new eyepiece. The Lanthanum glass reduces aberrations to a minimum. All are fully multicoated and have an
astounding 20mm of eye relief—perfect for eyeglass wearers! In the 1-1/4" barrel diameter, they are available in
the following focal lengths: 2.5mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 9mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm. and a 8-24 mm zoom.
In addition to the previously mentioned eyepieces, there is also a deluxe compact zoom ocular (#93306) that has a
variable focal length of 6.5 to 18mm. This provides 113 to 313 power on this telescope.
Fastar Lens Assembly –
Allows you to convert your f/10 Fastar compatible telescope into a f/1.95 imaging system
capable of exposure times 25 times shorter than at f/10.
Flashlight, Red Astro Lite (93590) -
A disposable red flashlight with a removable red filter. This can be used as a
red light for astronomy or as a regular flashlight. Just squeeze to operate. This includes a key chain for convenient
carrying.
Flashlight, Night Vision (93588) -
This is a premium red LED flashlight for astronomy. Double LED’s allow
brightness adjustment to suit your needs. This is bright eno ugh for evening walks or dim enough for map reading
with dark adapted eyes. It comes with a lanyard to carry around your neck or on your wrist.
Flashlight (#93592)
- The LED flashl ight uses a red LED to allow reading st ar maps without ruining your night
vision. The LED flashlight is small, only 6 inches long, and weighs in at a mere 3 ounces.
Focus Motor (#94143) -
For high power observations of planets and/or any objects, a focus motor is a necessity.
The focus motor allows for focusing an object without having to touch the telescope. This eliminates unwanted
vibrations.
Light Pollution Reduction (LPR) Filters
- These filters are designed to enhance your views of deep-sky
astronomical objects when viewed from urban areas. LPR Filters selectively reduce the transmission of certain
wavelengths of light, specifically those produced by artificial lights. This includes mercury and high and low
pressure sodium vapor lights. In addition, they also block unwanted natural light (sky glow) caused by neutral
oxygen emission in our atmosphere. Celestron offers a model for 1-l/4" eyepieces (#94126A) and a model that
attaches to the rear cell ahead of the star diagonal and visual back (#94127A)
Lens Shade (#94019) -
The Dew Cap/Lens shade is a tube that fits on the front end of the telescope to reduce the
amount of dew that builds up on the corrector plate when observing at night. For daytime observing, this accessory
works as a lens shade to prevent stray light from falling on the corrector, a situation which reduces contrast. Day or
night, the Dew Cap/Lens Shade will enhance all your views.
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Micro Guide Eyepiece(#94171)
- This multipurpose illuminated 12.5mm reticle can be used for guiding deep-sky
astrophotos, measuring position angles, angular separations, and more. The laser etc he d reticle provides razor sharp
lines and the variable brightness illuminator is completely cordless. The Micro Guide eyepiece produces 163 power
when used with this telescope.
Piggyback Mount (#93598)
- The best way to enter the realm of deep-sky photography is via the piggyback
method. Piggyback photography allows you to record constellations and large scale nebulae that don't fit in the field
of your telescope. The piggyback mount allows you to attach a camera to the top of the telescope. This way, the
camera can phot ograph with its normal or wide angle lens while you guide through the telescope. The piggyback
mount attaches to the rear cell of the telescope next to the finder.
Planisphere (#93720-30/40/50) -
A rotating star map which indicates when specific constellations are visible. It
also has removable markers for tracking the movements of solar system objects. There are models for three different
latitudes; 30º, 40º, and 50º.
Polarizing Filter Set (#93608)
- The polarizing filter set limits the transmission of light to a specific plane, thus
increasing contrast between various objects. This is used primarily for terrestrial, lunar, and planetary observing.
Quick Release Finder Bracket (#51149-A) -
This finder bracket allows yo u to remove and protect the finderscope
(50mm) from the telescope tube and yet maintain the alignment of the finder to the main telescope.
Radial Guider (#94176) -
The Celestron Radial Guider is specifically designed for use in prime focus, deep-sky
astrophotography as well as CCD imaging and takes the place of the T-Adapter. This device allows you to
photograph a nd guide simultaneously through the optical tube assembly of your telescope. This type of guiding
produces the best results since what you see through the guiding eyepiece is exactly reproduced on the processed
film. The Radial guider is a "T'-shaped assembly that attaches to the rear cell of the telescope. As light from the
telescope ent ers the guider, most passes straight through to t he camera. A small portio n, however, is diverte d by a
prism at an adjustable angle up to the guiding eyepiece. This guid er has two features not found on other off-axis
guiders; first, the prism and eyepiece housing rotate independently of the camera orientation making the acquisition
of a guide star quite easy. Second, the prism angle is tunable allowing you to look at guide stars on-axis. This
accessory works especially well with the Reducer/Corrector (#94175).
Reducer/Corrector (#94175) -
This lens reduces the focal length of the telescope by 37%, making your Ultima2000 a 1280mm f/6.3 instrument. In addition, this unique lens also corrects inherent aberrations to produce crisp
images all the way across the field. It also increases the field of view significantly and is ideal for wide-field, deepsky viewing. It is perfect for beginning prime focus long-exposure astrophotography. It makes guiding eas ier and
exposures shorter. It is also a necessity for CCD imaging.
Sky Maps (#93722)
- When learning the night sky, the Celestro n Sky Maps offer the ideal solution. The maps
include all the constellations and brighter deep-sky objects. The maps are printed on a heavy stock paper that is
moisture-resistant. On the front cover is a rotating planisphere which indicates when specific constellations are
visible.
Skylight Filter (#93621) -
The Skylight Filter is used on Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes as a dust seal.
The filter threads onto the rear cell of your telescope. All other accessories, both visual and photographic, thread
onto the Skylight Filter. Although it does cut down on a portion of the incoming light, it is a very small amount. It
should be noted, that most Barlow lenses can NOT be inserted into the visual back when the skylight filter is
attached.
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Solar Filter (#94162)
- The Celestron Solar Skreen
®
solar filter permits direct observation of the Sun in complete
safety. This filter, which transmits .001% of visible light, allows you to see sunspots as they move across the solar
disk. In addition to reducing the intensity of the Sun's visible light, it also blocks 99.999% of invisible infrared light.
The Celestron Solar Skreen solar filter is made of precision engineered Mylar polyester film. A layer of aluminum is
vacuum-deposited on one surface of the dual sheets of Mylar used to make each filter. The aluminum coating
produces a cool, comfortable pale blue image of the Sun. (A #21 orange eyepiece filter works well in conjunction
with this filter to produce a more natural color Sun). This filter can be used for visual observation and photography.
NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITH THE NAKED EYE OR WITH A TELESCOPE. NEVER
POINT YOUR TELESCOPE A T THE SUN UNLESS YOU HAVE THE PROPER FILTER.
Star Diagonal - 2”(#93519)
telescope. These larger eyepieces offer wider fields and better eye relief for greater viewing comfort.
- The 2" mirror Star Diagonal allows you to use 2" eyepieces with your Celestron
This
accessory is NOT recommended for use with the Reducer/Corrector Lens.
Star Pointer (#51630) -
This accessory is used to aim a telescope at a visible object very quickly. This projects a
point of light onto a clear screen which allows you to see the object and point simultaneously. To aim the telescope
at an object, just line up the object and the projected point of light. The Star Pointer is powered by a 3-volt lithium
battery (included). It is super compact and light weight - 4.5” long and only 1.5 oz. Mounts easily with double
sided adhesive to you telescope and has a quick release from its base. Extra mounting bases are available for use
with additional telescopes.
T-Adapter (#93633-A)
- A T-Adapter (with T-Ring) allows you to attach your camera to the prime focus of a
Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. This is used for terrestrial photography and short exposure lunar and
filtered solar photography. It can be used for long exposure deep-sky photography if you use a separate guidescope.
T-C Adapter (#93636)
- This adapter allows you to couple a video or movie camera to a telescope. The camera
must have a removable lens with a standard "C" thread. The T-C adapter threads into the camera and then onto the
T-Adapter.
T-Ring
- The T-Ring couples yo ur camera body to the T-Adapter, Radial Guider Body, or Tele-Extender. This
accessory is mandatory if you want to do astrophotography through the telescope. Each camera make (i.e., Minolta,
Nikon, etc.) has its own unique mount and therefore, its own T-Ring.
Tele-Extender, Deluxe (#93643)
- The tele-extender is a hollow tube that allows yo u to attach a camera to the
telescope when the eyepiece is installed. This accessory is used for eyepiece projection photography which allows
you to capture very high power views of the Sun, Moon, and planets on film. The tele-extender fits over the
eyepiece onto the visual back and works with eyepieces that have large housings, like the Celestron Ultima series.
Vibration Suppression Pads (#93503)
when shaken by the wind or an accidental bump. They rest between the ground and tripod feet of your telescope.
VSPs are recommended for all observing conditions.
Wedge (#93655) -
This heavy duty wedge is used to Polar Align the Ultima 2000 so it can be used for long exposure
CCD imaging or astrophotography.
Wedge Upgrade Kit (#93662) -
This kit upgrades the wedge so that no tools are necessary to attach the wedge to
the tripod and to attach the telescope to the wedge. This kit also allows you to fine adjust the latitude and azimuth of
the wedge for polar alignment purposes.
A full description of all Celestron accessories can be found in the Celestron Accessory Catalog (#93685).
- These pads reduce the amplitude and vibration time of your telescope
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Appendix A Data Base Star Information
APPENDIX A - DATA BASE STAR INFORMATION
Alignment Star List
Name Greek Constellation h m s deg min sec V Type
Achernar alpha Eri 1 37 42.9 -57 14 12 0.5 star
Albireo beta Cyg 19 30 43.1 27 57 35 3.1 dbl
Aldebaran alpha Tau 4 35 55.2 16 30 33 0.9 col
Alphard alpha Hya 9 27 35.2 -8 39 31 2.0 dbl red
Alpha Centauri alpha Cen 14 39 36.7 -60 50 02 0.0 star
Alpheratz alpha And 0 08 23.2 29 05 26 2.1 dbl
Altair alpha Aql 19 50 46.8 8 52 06 0.8 star
Antares alpha Sco 162924.3 -26 25 5 1.0 star
Arcturus alpha Boo 14 15 39.6 19 10 57 0.0 dbl red
Betelgeuse alpha Ori 5 55 10.2 7 24 26 0.1 star red
Canopus alpha Car 62357.1 -52 41 44 -0.7 star
Capella alpha Aur 5 16 41.3 45 59 53 0.1 star
Castor alpha Gem 7 34 35.9 31 53 18 1.6 dbl
Deneb alpha Cyg 20 41 25.8 45 16 49 1.3 star
Denebola beta Leo 11 49 03.5 14 34 19 2.1 dbl col
Fomalhaut alpha PsA 22 57 38.9 -29 37 20 1.2 star
Mirfak alpha Per 32419.3 49 51 40 1.8 star
Mizar zeta UMa 13 23 55.5 54 55 31 2.3 dbl
Navi amma Cas 0 56 42.4 60 43 00 2.5 dbl
Polaris alpha UMi 2 3150.4 89 15 51 2.0 dbl
Procyon alpha Cmi 7 39 18.1 5 13 30 0.4 star
Rasalhague alpha Oph 17 34 55.9 12 33 36 2.1 star
Regulus alpha Leo 10 08 22.2 11 58 02 1.4 dbl
Rigel beta Ori 5 14 32.2 -8 12 06 0.1 dbl
Sirius alpha CMa 6 45 08.9 -16 42 58 -1.5 dbl
Spica alpha vir 132511.5 -11 09 41 1.0 star
Suhail mbda Vel 9 07 59.7 -43 25 57 2.2 star
Vega alpha Lyr 18 36 56.2 38 47 01 0.0 mpl
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Appendix A Data Base Star Information
Constellation Abbreviations
Abbreviation Constellation Abbreviation Constellation Abbreviation Constellation
AND Andromeda CVN Canes Venatici OPH Ophiuc hus
ANT Antilia CYG Cygnus ORI Orion
APS Apus DEL Delphinus PAV Pavo
AOL Aquila DOR Dorado PEG Pegasus
AQR Aquarius DRA Draco PER Perseus
ARA Ara EQU Equuleus PHE Phoenix
ARI Aries ERI Eridanus PIC Pictor
AUR Auriga FOR Fomax PSC Pisces
BOO Bootes GEM Gemini PUP Puppis
CAE Caelum GRU Grus PYX Pyxis
CAM Camebpardalis HER Hercules RET Reticulum
CAP Capricomus HOR Horologium SCL Sculptor
CAR Carina HYA Hydra SCO Scorpius
CAS Cassiopeia HYI Hydrus SCT Scutum
CEN Centaurus IND Indus SER Serpens
CEP Cepheus LAC Lacerta SEX Sextans
CET Cetus LEO Leo SGE Sagitta
CHA Chamaeleon LEP Leprus SGR Sagittarius
CIR Circinus LIB Libra TAU Taurus
CMA Canis Major LMI Leo Minor TEL Telescopium
CMI Canis Minor LUP Lupus TRA Triangulum
CNC Cancer LYN Lynx TRI Triangulum
COL Columba LYR Lyra TUC Tucana
COM Coma Berenices MEN Mensa UMA Ursa Major
CRA Corona Australis MIC Microscopium VEL Vela
CRB Corona Borealis MON Monoceros VIR Virgo
CRT Crater MUS Musca VOL Volans
CRU Crux NOR Morma VUL Vulpecula
CRV Corvus OCT Octans
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Appendix A Data Base Star Information
List of Named Object Catalog
Here is the list of all the objects under the NAMED OBJECTS menu.
Display Common Na me Identification Type
ANDROMED Andromeda Galaxy M031 Galaxy
BEEHIVE Beehive Cluster M044 Open Cluster
BLACKEYE Blackeye Galaxy M064 Galaxy
BLINKING Blinking Planetary NGC6826 Planetary Nebula
BUTTERFL Butterfly Cluster M006 Open Cluster
CATS EYE Cats Eye NGC6543 Planetary Nebula
CRAB NEB Crab Nebula M001 Nebula
DOUBLE C Double Cluster NGC0869 Open Cluster
DUMBBELL Dumbbell Nebula M027 Nebula
EAGLE NE Eagle Nebula M016 Nebula
ESKIMO N Eskimo Nebula NGC2392 Nebula
GHOST OF Ghost of Jupiter NGC3242 Planetary Nebula
HELIX NE Helix Nebula NGC7293 Planetary Nebula
HERCULES Hercules Cluster M013 Globular Cluster
HUBBLES Hubbles Variable NGC2261 Nebula
LAGOON N Lagoon Nebula M008 Nebula
NORTH AM North American Nebula NGC7000 Nebula
OMEGA CE Omega Centaurus NGC5139 Globular Cluster
ORION NE Orion Nebula M042 Nebula
OWL NEBU Owl Nebula M097 Planetary Nebula
PINWHEEL Pinwheel Galaxy M033 Galaxy
PLEIADES Pleiades (The Seven Sisters) M045 Open Cluster
RING NEB Ring Nebula M057 Planetary Nebula
ROSETTE Rosette Nebula NGC2237 Nebula
SATURN N Saturn Nebula NGC7009 Planetary Nebula
SOMBRERO Sombrero Galaxy M104 Galaxy
SUNFLOWE Sunflower Galaxy M063 Galaxy
OMEGA NE Omega Nebula (Swan Nebula) M017 Nebula
TRIFID Trifid Nebula M020 Nebula
VEIL NEB Veil Nebula NGC6960 Nebula
WHIRLPOO Whirlpool Galaxy M051 Galaxy
WILD DUC Wild Duck Cluster M011 Open Cluster
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Appendix B Ultima 2000 Communication Protocol
APPENDIX B - ULTIMA 2000 COMMUNICATION
PROTOCOL
You can control the Ultima 2000 telescope with a PC. You use Terminal under the Accessories Menu in
Windows. The set t ings needed to allow your computer to communicate to the telescope through Terminal
are shown in the figure below. Communication with the telescope is via an RS-232 port running at 9600
baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, and no flow control.
The cable required to interface to the telescope has an RS-232 male plug at one end and a 6-pin telephone
jack at the other end. The wiring is as follows:
• Green wire to pin 2
• Yellow wire to pin 3
• Red wire to pin 7
• Black wire to pin 8.
Depending on the configuration of the serial interface on the PC, it may be necessary to get an RS-232
wiring box and attach male pin 4 to male pin 8 and male pin 6 to male pin 20. The telescope neither
monitors nor sets Data Terminal Ready or Data Set Ready. Similarly, for Ready to Send and Clear to Send.
What this means is, some computers send 5 volts over a line to tell the device it is trying to communicate
with that it is on. These computers would also expect to receive a 5 volt signal coming back to them so they
know the device they are trying to communicate with is on. The Ultima 2000 does not send or monitor 5
volt signals. If a PC requires these signals, it is necessary to feed the signals provided by the PC back to the
PC.
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Appendix B Ultima 2000 Communication Protocol
Commands
The commands all start with a capital letter indicating the type of request, and then any data necessary for
the request. All letters must be upper case.
To activate a command press return. To nullify a command, press the “delete” button on the computer
keyboard. So, if you partially type in a command and decide you made a mistake, press “delete” and a new
line will appear but the command will not be sent to the telescope.
Here are a list of the commands and their functions.
Note: All the numbers unless oth e rwise stated are written in hexadecimal.
Command Name Description PC Command Return Message
PCALIGN “F” is the command followed by the RA
F4321,8765 -23.1#
and DEC 16-bit angles written in
hexadecimal. Use this to perform a star
alignment operation. The return message is
a warp factor in decimal form.
PCCANSLEW Cancels a slew that is in progress M #
PCGETTRACK These are the current tracking rates for the
U 1234,5678#
alt and az axes. The values are in
hexadecimal. The displayed value “x”
indicates that the telescope is moving at a
rate of x/65536 tracking encoder ticks per
millisecond. There are eight tracking ticks
per tracking motor shaft revolution.
PCCSETTRACK Set tracking rate for azimuth axis and
T1234,5678 #
tracking for altitude axis. Sidereal tracking
rate is about hex 0800. “T” is the command
followed by the azimuth and the altitude
values.
PCLOOKUP Return database info on current object. D object name, constel,
description, MAG#
PCECHO This command causes the telescope to
Kx x#
return the character it was sent. This
command makes it possible for the PC to
know that communication between the PC
and the telescope is synchronized.
PCGOTOALTAZ “A” is the command, the relative
A12AB,4000 #
coordinates follow. Az is first; in this case
az is hex 12AB, alt is hex 4000. These are
16-bit angles. These are Alt-Az positions
relative to the downstops. They are not
actual Alt-Az coordinates.
PCGOTOCORRALTAZ “B” is the command, the relative
B12AB,4000 #
coordinates follow. Az is first; in this case
az is hex 12AB, alt is hex 4000. These are
16-bit angles. This command applies the
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