iOptron AstroBoy Instruction Manual
AstroBoy® Computerized Telescope
Instruction Manual
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Table of Content
Table of Content ............................................................................................................................. 2
1. AstroBoy® Overview.................................................................................................................. 4
1.1. AstroBoy® Features ............................................................................................................. 4
1.2. AstroBoy® Assembly Terms................................................................................................ 5
2. Telescope Assembly ................................................................................................................... 6
3. GoToNova® 8404 Hand Controller ............................................................................................ 7
3.1. Key Description................................................................................................................... 7
3.2. The LCD Screen .................................................................................................................. 7
4. Getting Started............................................................................................................................ 9
4.1. Set the Telescope to PARK POSITION .............................................................................. 9
4.2. Setting Up the Hand Controller ........................................................................................... 9
4.3. Using Your Telescope........................................................................................................ 11
4.3.1. Getting Familiar with Your Telescope ....................................................................... 11
4.3.2. Go to the Moon........................................................................................................... 12
4.3.3. Initial Star Alignment ................................................................................................. 12
4.4. Turn Off the Mount............................................................................................................ 12
5. More Functions of GoToNova Hand Controller....................................................................... 13
5.1. Manual Operation of the Telescope................................................................................... 13
5.2. Slew to an Object............................................................................................................... 13
5.2.1. Planets, Sun, Moon..................................................................................................... 13
5.2.2. Deep Sky Objects........................................................................................................ 13
5.2.3. Comets ........................................................................................................................ 13
5.2.4. Asteroids..................................................................................................................... 13
5.2.5. Stars............................................................................................................................. 13
5.2.6. User RA&DEC JD2000 Objects................................................................................. 14
5.2.7. Enter Position.............................................................................................................. 14
5.2.8. Watch List................................................................................................................... 14
5.2.9. Watch List Auto.......................................................................................................... 14
5.3. Land Objects...................................................................................................................... 14
5.4. Sync to Target.................................................................................................................... 15
5.5. Set Up Controller............................................................................................................... 15
5.5.1. Set Up Time and Site.................................................................................................. 15
5.5.2. Set Display Info .......................................................................................................... 15
5.5.3. Set Key Beep............................................................................................................... 16
5.5.4. Set Azi Work Mode.................................................................................................... 16
5.5.5. Reset All...................................................................................................................... 16
5.6. Align .................................................................................................................................. 16
5.6.1. Solarsys Align............................................................................................................. 16
5.6.2. One Star Align ............................................................................................................ 17
5.6.3. Two Star Alignment.................................................................................................... 17
5.7. Modify Star Catalog........................................................................................................... 17
5.7.1. User RA&DEC JD2000.............................................................................................. 17
5.7.2. Comets ........................................................................................................................ 19
5.7.3. Asteroids..................................................................................................................... 20
5.8. Watch List.......................................................................................................................... 21
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5.9. Set Telescope Coord.......................................................................................................... 21
5.10. Park Scope ....................................................................................................................... 21
6. Maintenance and Servicing....................................................................................................... 22
6.1. Maintenance....................................................................................................................... 22
6.2. Storage and Transport........................................................................................................ 22
6.3. Troubleshooting................................................................................................................. 23
6.4. iOptron Customer Service.................................................................................................. 24
Appendix A. Technical Specifications ......................................................................................... 25
Appendix B. GoToNova® 8404 HC MENU STRUCTURE ........................................................ 26
Appendix C. GoToNova® Star List .............................................................................................. 28
IOPTRON ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY....................................................................... 41
WARNING!
NEVER USE A TELESCOPE TO LOOK AT THE SUN!
Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye.
Children should always have adult supervision while observing.
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1. AstroBoy® Overview
1.1. AstroBoy® Features
iOptron’s Astroboy® portable telescope is easy to use and easy to carry! Just click and it
finds stars for you. Simply select a star or planet and the built-in computer moves the telescope
for you! Plus, it stays on target as the earth rotates. Functions in both celestial and land modes
for watching stars, birds, or landscapes. Take it with you camping, school, anywhere. It sits on a
desk or can be attached to a tripod.
Alt-Azimuth Mount
The AstroBoy® refractor telescope comes with our Alt-Azimuth Mount. This compact
mount design is probably the most functional and flexible unit on the market. Both axis motors
are built into a small single unit with optical encoders which provides accurate GOTO and
tracking. The proprietary GoToNova
can point your telescope to ANYWHERE above the horizon. With an optional DC adaptor, you
can plug your telescope mount into your car if you’re camping or at any remote location.
The easy to understand controller on the market
®
technology ensures there are no “dead spots” – so you
The GoToNova® hand controller is much easier to use than other similar products. The
hand controller is more intuitive with menu categories well organized. It also has a larger LCD
screen with more lines of content compared with the competition. Using the easy-to-use hand
controller and its large LCD screen, you can easily set up your telescope and select where you
want to go.
More precise speed control for viewing objects
The control system also allows you to slew the telescope at 5 different drive speeds,
keeping the object within the telescope’s viewfinder for as long as you wish.
GoToNova® Computerized Control System
The revolutionary GoToNova® computerized control system is by far the most
technologically advanced automated tracking system available on the market today. With a
database of more than 4,000 celestial objects, including all of the most famous galaxies,
nebulae, star clusters, not to mention the planets, you’ll be able to enjoy star gazing with the
simple push of a button.
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FEATURES
• Alt-Azimuth Mount with GoToNova® computer control technology
• Real-time GOTO and tracking features
• 4,000+ object database with 256 user-definable objects.
• 4 line, 20-character LCD hand controller with backlit LED buttons for easy operation
• Dual-axis servomotor with optical encoders
• Drive motor with 5-speed setting for precise tracking
• Push-to alignment
• 60mm or 70mm achromatic refractor telescope for land and celestial objects observation
• Also exchangeable to photo tripods with ¼” camera screw
1.2. AstroBoy® Assembly Terms
1. Telescope
2. Dovetail Lock
3. Hand Controller
4. Altitude Lock
5. Mount
6. Focuser
7. Diagonal
8. Eyepiece
9. Tabletop Base
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2
4
6
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7
5
3
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2. Telescope Assembly
Step 1. (two options)
A. Attach to tabletop base. Take the mount and the tabletop base
out of the carrying box. Attach mount to base by securing the ¼”
screw onto the base.
B. Attach to tripod. Attach mount to tripod by hand tightening onto
the tripod. Tripod can be purchased separately.
#2 k
Step 2.
Lift the battery cover. Carefully pull out the battery holder from the
compartment. Be sure not to accidentally disconnect the wires.
Step 2a.
Insert 6 AA batteries (not included) in the holder. Refer to the diagram
on the holder to orient the batteries properly. Replace the holder back
into the battery compartment and replace the lid.
Use only fresh batteries. Using old or low batteries may cause error
messages.
An optional AC adapter and 12V car plug cable are also available
for purchase at www.iOptron.com.
Step 3.
Slide the telescope into the dovetail slot on mount and secure the
telescope using dovetail lock knob (#2). Note that the dovetail is tapered
and slides in one direction only (see arrow in photo).
Step 4.
Plug hand controller into the HBX port on the mount. The hand controller
can attach magnetically to the mount arm.
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3. GoToNova® 8404 Hand Controller
Figure 1. GoToNova 8404 Hand Controller
GoToNova 8404 hand controller (HC) is the standard controller for an AstroBoy
telescope, as shown in Figure 1.
3.1. Key Description
• MENU: Press “MENU” to enter the Main Menu.
• BACK: Move back to the previous screen, or end/cancel current operation, such as
slewing.
• ENTER: Confirm an input, go to the next menu, select a choice, slew the telescope to
a selected object, or stop/start tracking.
• Arrow (▲▼►◄): Press ▲▼ buttons to move a telescope along the altitude direction,
►◄ to move a telescope along the azimuth direction. Brows the menu or move the
cursor in operating menu.
• SPEED Key: To select slew speed (2X, 8X, 64X, 256X, and MAX)
• HELP Key: For help and display more information on an object.
3.2. The LCD Screen
The 8404 HC consists of a large 4-line LCD screen, which displays all the information as
shown in Figure 2. The user interface is simple and easy to learn.
Target Name
Right Ascension
Altitude
Local Date and Time
Figure 2. 8404 HC LCD Information Screen
1. Target Name: display the name of the target that telescope is currently point to.
Mount Status
Declination
Azimuth
Slew Speed
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• Park Position: A default position when the mount is turned on, i.e., the telescope is
point to zenith (altitude is 90º) and the mount is facing south (azimuth is 180º);
• An object name, such as “Mercury” or “Andromeda Galaxy”: Name of the Star or
celestial object currently that is currently slewing, gotoing or tracking;
• LandMark #: The telescope is working at Land Objects mode and the telescope does
not track;
• User Position: The mount has been manually slewed to an object; or an R.A and
DEC value of an object was manually entered; or a goto or tracking process has
been interrupted.
2. Mount Status: display current status of the mount. When the mount is turned on.
• Stop (Mount Status): the telescope is at a standby position;
• Slew (Mount Status): the telescope is manually slewing to the target;
• Goto (Mount Status): the telescope is going to the target;
• Track (Mount Status): the telescope is tracking a target;
• Align (Mount Status): the telescope is in align mode;
3. R: Right Ascension of the telescope, or R.A.
4. D: Declination of the telescope, or DEC.
5. A: Altitude of the telescope (zenith is 90º).
6. Z: Azimuth of the telescope (north is 0º, east 90º, south 180º, and west 270º).
7. Local Date and Time: display local time in a format of YY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.
8. Slew speed: It has 5 speeds: 2X, 8X, 64X, 256X (1º/sec), MAX (~ 4º/sec). Press SPEED key
to change it.
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4. Getting Started
You may start observing land and astronomical objects using GoToNova’s arrow keys.
After the telescope was assembled (referring to Section 2. Telescope Assembly), flip the
I/O switch on the telescope mount to turn on the mount. Use ►,◄,▼ or ▲ buttons to point the
telescope to the desired object. Use the SPEED key to change the slewing speed.
In order to experience the full GOTO capability of GoToNova technology, it is very
important to set up the mount correctly before observation.
4.1. Set the Telescope to PARK POSITION
Each time the mount is turned on, the default
position is Park Position, i.e., its altitude is 90º0.0’
and azimuth is 180º0.0’, which means the “SOUTH”
mark is pointing to south and the telescope is
pointing straight up at the zenith. To set the Park
Position, you can:
(1) Loosen the altitude clutch; point the
telescope tube directly up at the zenith, as shown in
Figure 3 left. Tighten the clutch.
(2) Position the mount so that the “N-S” mark
is aligned with the earth’s magnetic north and south
poles, as shown in Figure 3 right. A compass may
be needed.
(3) Level the mount using the bubble on the mount base by adjusting the height of the
mount base or tripod legs.
Figure 3
4.2. Setting Up the Hand Controller
Press the I/O power switch to turn the mount on (controller will light up). This section
provides a brief setting instruction. A complete setting instruction is located in Section 5.
Set local time:
Now “Set Local Time:” is displayed at the top. A blinking cursor is on the second line.
Set Local Time:
2009-06-01 11:55:09
Daylight Saving Time Y
Use ▲/▼ keys to change the numbers. Use ◄/► keys to scroll through the fields. The
last field of this screen is for setting Daylight Saving Time. Use ▲/▼ keys to switch between “Y”
(yes) and “N” (no). Press ENTER when finished.
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Now “Setup Site Info:” is displayed at the top. A blinking cursor is on the second line.
(“Longi” means longitude; “Lat” means latitude.)
Setup Site Info:
Longi: W071d27m47s
Lati : N42d15m40s
300 Min. behind
“W/E” means west/east hemisphere; “N/S” means north/south hemisphere; “d” means
degree; “m” means minute; and “s” means second. The site info is retained in the memory and
no need to be input unless the telescope is moved to significantly different site.
Set site coordinates:
Use the ◄ or ► key to move the cursor, and the ▲ or ▼ button to change the numbers
or toggle between “W” and “E”, “N” and “S”.
The site coordinates information can be found from iOptron’s website
(http://www.iOptron.com
Set time zone
) under Support->>FAQ ->>Controller Set-up.
Press ◄ or ► key, move the cursor to the bottom of the screen to set the time zone
information (add or subtract 60 minutes per time zone). Enter minutes “ahead of” or “behind”
UT (universal time). The minimum time difference is 15 minutes.
• New York City is 300 minutes “behind” UT
• Los Angeles is 480 minutes “behind” UT
• Rome is 60 minutes “ahead of” UT
• Beijing is 480 minutes “ahead of” UT
• Sydney is 600 minutes “ahead of” UT
All the time zones in North America are behind UT, as shown in the following table. So
make sure it shows “behind” instead of “ahead of” UT.
Time Zone Hawaii Alaska Pacific Mountain Central Eastern
Hour behind UT -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5
Enter Minutes 600 540 480 420 360 300
To adjust minutes, use the ◄ or ► key to move the cursor, and the ▲ or ▼ button to
change the numbers. To change the “behind” or “ahead of” UT, move the cursor to “ahead of”
and using ▲ or ▼ key to toggle between “behind” and “ahead of”. When the number is correct,
press ENTER and go back to the previous screen.
For other parts of the world, you can find out your “time zone” information from iOptron’s
website (http://www.iOptron.com
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME. i.e., if your local time is 5:00 pm, just enter 17:00, regardless DST.
Press ENTER when finished.
NOTE: If the time zone set is not correct, the telescope may think that the celestial object
you select is still below the horizon even though it is high in the night sky.
) under Support->>FAQ ->>Controller Set-up. DO NOT COUNT
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Every time you turn on the telescope, this initial setting up screen will be shown. You
need to enter date and local time; however, you may just press the ENTER key to skip site
setting if everything remains unchanged. The daylight saving, time zone and site info will be
stored in the hand controller memory.
You may also get into this setup procedure by pressing MENU button from the main
menu, scrolling down and selecting “Set Up Controller,” then selecting “Set Up Time and Site”.
4.3. Using Your Telescope
4.3.1. Getting Familiar with Your Telescope
Always practice your telescope during the daytime to get familiar with the operation.
Eyepiece and diagonal:
1. A 20 mm eyepiece is included with your AstroBoy telescope. If you have multiple
eyepieces, always begin viewing with the lowest power eyepiece. (A 25 mm focal length
eyepiece has a lower power than a 10 mm one.) A formula can be used to determine the power
of each eyepiece: Telescope focal length divided by eyepiece focal length equals magnification.
For example, if a 60mm diameter refractor telescope has a focal length of 360mm, when
a 10 mm eyepiece is used, the magnification will be:
360mm ÷ 10mm = 36X (magnification)
2. The AstroBoy telescope comes with a 45° Erecting Diagonal Prism. The Erecting
Diagonal Prism is used to erect the image you will see. Astronomical telescopes are designed in
such a way that the image you see may be UPSIDE DOWN and REVERSED. This is
acceptable for viewing celestial bodies. However, it will feel strange when observing a land
object or a bird.
Focusing Telescope:
1. After selecting the desired eyepiece aim the telescope tube at a land-based target at
least 200 yards away (e.g. A telephone pole or building). Fully extend focusing tube by turning
the focuser(6) clockwise.
2. While looking through selected eyepiece, slowly retract focusing tube by turning
focuser counterclockwise until object comes into focus.
Electronic Eyepiece:
If your telescope equipped with an electronic eyepiece, such as #8429 (an iOptron
iE1300 electronic eyepiece), refer to the electronic eyepiece manual for the operation. An
electronic eyepiece works just as a short focal length (few mm) eyepiece. Therefore, you need
to start the observation with the longer focal length eyepiece. In most cases, directly replace an
optical eyepiece with an electronic eyepiece will not bring an image onto the computer screen
immediately. Fine focusing is needed. You should practice in daytime to get familiar with your
setup.
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4.3.2. Go to the Moon
After performing these setups, the mount is ready to GOTO and track objects. The most
common object will be Moon.
Press MENU button, select “Select and Slew” by press ENTER button. Select “Planets,
Sun, Moon”, and using ▲ or ▼ button to select Moon. Press ENTER. The telescope will start
slew to the general direction where the Moon should be. After the mount stops slewing, it will
automatically begin to track. If the Moon is located inside the filed of view (FOV) of your
eyepiece but not centered, use the arrow keys to center the Moon in your eyepiece. Press the
SPEED button to change the adjusting speed.
If the Moon is not located in the FOV of the eyepiece once the telescope stops slewing,
you may push the telescope mount (not the base or tripod) in the azimuth direction and altitude
direction (by losing the altitude lock) to put the Moon in the FOV. Retighten the altitude lock and
using the arrow keys to center the Moon the eyepiece. In most cases, manual move is needed
only in the azimuth.
4.3.3. Initial Star Alignment
A simple alignment/synchronization can be performed to improve the GOTO and
tracking accuracy. To do so, press MENU button, scroll down to “Align”, select “Solarsys Align”
and press ENTER. The screen will list Moon, Sun and other planets for you to select from.
Select an object using ▲ or ▼ key. Then press ENTER. The mount will slew to the object. Use
◄ ► ▲ or ▼ key to center the object in your eyepiece. Press SPEED button to change the
slew speed if needed. Then press ENTER to complete the alignment. Or press the BACK key to
cancel the process.
An alternate way is performing “Sync to Target” which is equally good as one-star
alignment. To do so, press MENU button, select “Select and Slew” and press ENTER. Then
select a known sky object, such as Moon from “Planets, Sun, Moon” menu and press ENTER.
The mount will slew to the Moon. When the mount stopped slewing, the Moon could be just
inside your eyepiece or way off. Press MENU button and scroll down the menu to “Sync to
Target” and press ENTER. Follow the instruction, use ◄ ► ▲ and ▼ keys to move the Moon in
the center of your eyepiece and press ENTER. Now the system is aligned and ready to goto
other stars.
4.4. Turn Off the Mount
When finishing observing, always move the mount to Park Position. If the mount is not
moved afterwards, no initial set up is needed when powered on the next time. To do so, press
the MENU button, scroll down to “Park Telescope” and press ENTER. Turn the power off.
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5. More Functions of GoToNova Hand Controller
5.1. Manual Operation of the Telescope
You may observe land and astronomical objects using GoToNova’s arrow keys.
After the telescope was assembled (referring to Section 2. Telescope Assembly), flip the
ON/OFF switch on the telescope mount to the ON position. Use ►,◄,▼ or ▲ buttons to point
the telescope to desired object. You may need using SPEED key to change the slewing speed.
5.2. Slew to an Object
Press MENU button, from the main menu, select “Select and Slew.” Select an object you
would like to observe and press ENTER key.
The GoToNova
or ◄ button to move the cursor and ▼ or ▲ button to change the number. “
object is above the horizon, and “
the horizon can be observed. In some catalogs, those stars below the horizon may not display.
®
hand controller has a database consists of over 4,000 objects. Use ►
”indicates the
” means it is below the horizon. Only those objects above
5.2.1. Planets, Sun, Moon
There are 9 objects in Solar system.
5.2.2. Deep Sky Objects
• Named Deepsky Object: It consists of 137 deep sky objects with their common
names. More information will be available by pressing HELP key. A list of named
deep sky objects is also attached in Appendix C.
• Messier Catalog: It consists of all 110 objects in Messier catalog. More information
will be available by pressing HELP key.
• NGC Catalog: It consists a few thousand objects in NGC catalog. Use ► or ◄ button
to move the cursor and ▼ or ▲ button to change the number.
5.2.3. Comets
It contains up to 64 comets. This database is customer editable.
5.2.4. Asteroids
It contains up to 64 asteroids. This database is customer editable.
5.2.5. Stars
• Named Stars: It consists of 191 stars with their common names. They are listed
alphabetically. A list is attached in Appendix C.
• Constellations: It consists of 88 modern constellations with their names. They are
listed alphabetically. A list is attached in Appendix C.
• Double Stars: It consists of 211 double stars. A list is attached in Appendix C.
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