iOptron SmartEQ Pro Plus Instruction Manual

iOptron SmartEQ

Portable German Equatorial GOTO Mount

Instruction Manual

Product 3200

Pro+

Table of Content

Table of Content ............................................................................................................................... 2

1. SmartEQTM Mount Overview ......................................................................................................... 4

2. SmartEQTM Pro+ Terms ................................................................................................................ 5

2.1. Parts List ................................................................................................................................ 5

2.2. Go2Nova® 8408 Hand Controller ........................................................................................... 6

2.2.1. Key Description ................................................................................................................ 6

2.2.2. The LCD Screen .............................................................................................................. 7

2.2.3. Check the Battery ............................................................................................................ 8

3. SmartEQTM Pro+ Mount Assembly ................................................................................................ 9

4. Getting Started ............................................................................................................................ 16

4.1. Setup the Mount and Polar Alignment .................................................................................. 16

4.2. Manual Operation of the Mount ............................................................................................ 16

4.3. Initial Star Alignment ............................................................................................................ 16

4.4. Go to the Moon and Other Stars .......................................................................................... 1 6

4.5. Star Identifying Function ....................................................................................................... 16

4.6. GOTO and Tracking Position Memorization ......................................................................... 17

4.7. Turn Off the Mount ............................................................................................................... 17

5. Complete Functions of Go2Nova® 8408 Hand Controller ........................................................... 18

5.1. Slew to an Object ................................................................................................................. 18

5.1.1. Solar System ................................................................................................................. 18

5.1.2. Deep Sky Objects .......................................................................................................... 18

5.1.3. Stars: ............................................................................................................................. 18

5.1.4. Comets .......................................................................................................................... 18

5.1.5. Asteroids ........................................................................................................................ 18

5.1.6. Constellations ................................................................................................................ 18

5.1.7. Customer Objects .......................................................................................................... 19

5.1.8. Customer R.A. DEC ....................................................................................................... 19

5.2. Sync to Target ...................................................................................................................... 19

5.3. Alignment ............................................................................................................................. 19

5.3.1. Pole Star Position .......................................................................................................... 19

5.3.2. One Star Alignment ....................................................................................................... 19

5.3.3. Two Star Polar Align ...................................................................................................... 19

5.3.4. Three Star Align ............................................................................................................. 20

5.3.5. Polar Iterate Align .......................................................................................................... 20

5.3.6. Solar System Align ........................................................................................................ 20

5.3.7. Display Model Error ....................................................................................................... 20

5.3.8. Clear Alignment Data ..................................................................................................... 20

5.4. Settings ................................................................................................................................ 21

5.4.1. Set Time and Site .......................................................................................................... 21

5.4.2. Set Beep ........................................................................................................................ 21

5.4.3. Set Display..................................................................................................................... 21

5.4.4. Set Guiding Rate ........................................................................................................... 21

5.4.5. Set Tracking Rate .......................................................................................................... 22

5.4.6. Meridian Treatment ........................................................................................................ 22

5.4.7. Set Altitude Limit ............................................................................................................ 22

5.4.8. Set Eyepiece Light ......................................................................................................... 22

5.4.9. Language ....................................................................................................................... 22

5.5. Edit User Objects ................................................................................................................. 22

5.5.1. Enter a New Comet ....................................................................................................... 22

5.5.2. Enter Other Objects or Observation List ........................................................................ 23

5.6. Firmware Information ........................................................................................................... 24

5.7. Zero Position ........................................................................................................................ 24

5.7.1. Goto Zero Position ......................................................................................................... 24

5.7.2. Set Zero Position ........................................................................................................... 24

6. Maintenance and Servicing ......................................................................................................... 25

6.1. Maintenance ......................................................................................................................... 25

6.2. iOptron Customer Service .................................................................................................... 25

6.3. Product End of Life Disposal Instructions ............................................................................. 25

6.4. Battery Replacement and Disposal Instructions ................................................................... 25

Appendix A. Technical Specifications ............................................................................................. 26

Appendix B. Go2Nova® 8408 HC MENU STRUCTURE ................................................................. 27

Appendix C. Firmware Upgrade ...................................................................................................... 29

Appendix D. Computer Control an SmartEQ Pro+ Mount ............................................................... 30

Appendix E. Go2Nova® Star List .................................................................................................... 31

Appendix D. Polar Scope Adjustment ............................................................................................. 37

IOPTRON ONE YEAR TELESCOPE, MOUNT, AND CONTROLLER WARRANTY ..................... 38

WARNING!

NEVER USE A TELESCOPE TO LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT A PROPER FILTER!

Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye.

Children should always have adult supervision while observing.

Rev.2.0 iOptron reserves the rights to revise this instruction without notice. Actual color/contents/design may differ from those described in this instruction.

1. SmartEQTM Mount Overview

Born out of the popular iOptron CubeTM and iEQTM mounts, the SmartEQTM mount is the ultimate Grab N’ Go German equatorial GOTO mount fitting into almost everyone’s budget. It is ideal for visual observation and wide field astrophotography. The compact design and light weight make traveling with the mount easy.

SmartEQ next generation GOTO technology from iOptron. The Go2Nova LCD screen, with which you can easily set up your telescope and select where you want to navigate.

SmartEQ the mount performance. It also equipped with an ST-4 compatible guiding port for those who wants to autoguide the mount. An iOptron AccuAligning The mount can be controlled by most popular astronomical software.

SmartEQ connection, making it useful for beginners as well as hobbyists with multiple tubes.

Features:

 Specialized Grab N’ Go mount ideal for visual observer and wide field astro-photographer  Portable, compact, and sturdy German equatorial mount that is easy to travel with  Payload: 11 lbs (5 kg) (excluding counterweight)  Mount weight: 6.2 lbs (2.8 kg)  Dual-axis servomotor with optical encoder  Resolution: 0.5 arc second  Go2Nova  Over 150,000 celestial objects for easy surfing  Drive motor with 9-speed setting for precise slewing  AccuAlign  Low power consumption (8 AA batteries for 16 hours consecutive tracking)  Retractable counterweight shaft  Vixen-type dovetail saddle  Standard 1.25 inch heavy-duty stainless steel tripod  Serial port on hand controller for firmware upgrade and computer controller (optional #8412 serial

cable is needed)

 Metal worms and ring gears  ST-4 guiding port  BrightStar Polar Alignment procedure  Optional 1.5A AC/DC adapter (#8417-15)  Optional StarFi WI-FI adapter (#8434)

mount is a fully computerized mount with a database of 150,000 objects. It offers the

Pro+ mount has metal ring gears (aluminum alloy) and worm shafts (brass) to enhance

Polar Scope is also equipped for better polar alignment.

Pro+ mount is universally compatible with any tubes using a Vixen-style dovetail

8408 controller with Advanced GOTONOVA® GoTo Technology

bright field polar scope

Hand Controller is intuitive with a large

2. SmartEQTM Pro+ Terms

2.1. Parts List1

A SmartEQTM Pro+ mount contains:

 SmartEQ

 Go2Nova

 1.25-inch stainless steel tripod with accessory tray

 One 1 kg (2.2 lbs) counterweight

 One hand controller cable

 Installed polar scope

OPTIONAL PARTS

 AC/DC adapter (#8417-15, #8417)

 StarFi WI-FI adapter (#8434)

 RS232-RJ9 serial cable (#8412)

 Additional 1 kg (2.2 lbs) counterweight (#3106-02)

 Hard carrying case (#3280)

ONLINE CONTENTS (www.iOptron.com)

Pro+ telescope mount

8408 hand controller

 Quick Start Guide

 This manual

 Accessories

 Firmware upgrade (check online for latest version)

 ASCOM driver

 Reviews and feedback from other customers

US market only. Actual contents and accessories may change by time.

2.2. Go2Nova® 8408 Hand Controller

DEC+

RA+

RA-

DEC-

Serial Port

HBX Port

Figure 1. Go2Nova 8408 hand controller

The Go2Nova the SmartEQ

Pro+ mount. It has a 4 line, 21 character large LCD screen, function keys, direction keys

8408 hand controller (HC) shown in Figure 1 is the standard controllers that used for

and number keys on the front; and a HBX port (6-pin) and a serial port (4-pin) at the bottom.

2.2.1. Key Description

 MENU Key: Press “MENU” to enter the Main Menu.  BACK Key: Move back to the previous screen, or end/cancel current operation, such as slewing.  ENTER Key: Confirm an input, go to the next menu, select a choice, or slew the telescope to a

selected object.

 Arrow (▲▼◄►) Keys: The arrow keys are used to control the movement of DEC and R.A. axes.

Press and hold ▲(DEC+),▼(DEC-) buttons to move a telescope along the DEC direction, ◄(R.A.+), ►(R.A.-) to move a telescope along the RA direction. They are also used to browse the menu or move the cursor while in the menu. Holding an arrow key for a fast scrolling.

 Number Keys: Input numerical values. Also used to adjust slewing speeds (1: 1X; 2: 2X; 3: 8X; 4:

16X; 5: 64X; 6: 128X; 7: 256X; 8: 512X; 9: MAX)

 ? Key: Identify and display nearby bright stars or objects where the telescope points to.  0 Key: Stop the mount during GOTO. Also toggling between start and stop tracking.  HBX (Handbox) port: connect the HC to the SmartEQ mount using 6 pin RJ11 plug.  Serial port: connect the HC to a Computer via a RS232 to 4 pin 4 wire (4P4C) RJ-9 cable (iOptron

item #8412). The pin out of the serial port is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Serial port pin out on an 8408 hand controller

2.2.2. The LCD Screen

ount Status

The 8408 HC has a large 4-line, 21-character per line LCD screen. The user interface is simple and easy to learn. When the mount first turned on, an initial information screen will be displayed as shown in Figure 3, after company logo and mount type are displayed. It will tell you if motors are at Zero Position, current date and time.

Figure 3. 8408 Initial Information Screen

The LCD screen will switch to the information screen, as indicated in Figure 4, during operation.

Target Name

Right Ascension

Azimuth

Slew Speed

Current Time

Magnitude Declination

Altitude N/S Hemis

here

Figure 4. 8408 HC LCD Information Screen

1. Target Name/Mount Position: displays the name of the target that telescope is currently pointed to or the current mount position.

 An object name, such as “Mercury” or “Andromeda Galaxy”: Name of the Star or celestial object

that the mount is currently slewing to, GOTO or tracking;

 User Position: The mount is point to a user defined position, which could be a real sky object or

just simply due to press an arrow key.

2. Magnitude: the magnitude of the current celestial object

3. Right Ascension: Right Ascension of the telescope, or R.A.

4. Declination: Declination of the telescope, or DEC.

5. Azimuth: Azimuth of the telescope (north is 0º, east 90º, south 180º, and west 270º).

6. Altitude: Altitude of the telescope (degrees vertical from the local horizon - zenith is 90º).

7. Mount Status: Display current operation status of the mount.

 Stop: mount is not moving;  Slew: mount is moving with an arrow key is pressed;  GoTo: mount is slewing to a celestial object using “Select and Slew”;

8. Slew speed: It has 9 speeds: 1X, 2X, 8X, 16X, 64X, 128X, 256X, 512X, MAX (~4º/sec, depends on power source).

9. Current Time: display local time in a format of HH:MM:SS.

2.2.3. Check the Battery

The hand controller has a real time clock (RTC) which should display the correct time every time the mount is turned on. If the time is incorrect, please check the battery inside the hand controller and replace it if needed. The battery is a 3V, CR1220 button battery.

3. SmartEQTM Pro+ Mount Assembly

)

NOTE: The SmartEQTM Pro+ mount is a precision astronomical instrument. It is highly recommended that you read the entire manual and become familiar with the nomenclature and function of all components before starting the assembly.

STEP 1. Setup Tripod

Expand the tripod legs. Put the Accessory Tray onto the Tripod Support Bracket. Slightly push down Accessory Tray while turn it, until the tray is locked into the Tripod Support Bracket. (Figure 5). Adjust the tripod height by unlocking and re-locking the tripod leg screws (not shown) to a desired height. Position the tripod so that the Alignment Peg faces north, if you are in Northern Hemisphere (Figure 6).

Accessory tray

Alignment peg

Tripod support bracket

Lock point

Figure 5. Install tripod support bracket

Figure 6. Alignment peg position

The Alignment Peg may be moved to the opposite position if used at latitude lower than 20º to avoid counterweights hit the tripod leg.

STEP 2. Attach the Mount Head

Remove the Latitude Adjustment Screw from its Storage Position (the bottom threaded hole) by unscrewing it all the way out (Figure 7). Retract the Azimuth Adjustment Knobs to allow enough clearance for the Alignment Peg seating in the house. Tighten the Azimuth Lock to secure the mount (Figure 8).

Lat. adj. scre

Azimuth lock

Azi. adj. knob (X2

Figure 7. Remove Latitude Adjustment Screw

STEP 3. Adjust Latitude

This step requires you to know the latitude of your current location. It can be easily found on the Internet, with your GPS navigator or a GPS capable cell phone. You will have to change this latitude setting every time you significantly change your night sky viewing location. This setting directly affects the mount’s tracking and GOTO accuracy.

Figure 8. Install mount onto the tripod

Thread in the Latitude Adjustment Screw into the Adjustment Position (the upper threaded hole), a

threaded hole above the Storage Position (Figure 9). Loosen the Latitude Clutch Screw and tune the Latitude Adjustment Screw to raise the mount altitude (latitude) to your current latitude as indicated on the Latitude Dial, as shown in Figure 10.

Adjustment position

Storage position

Figure 9. Move latitude adjustment screw

Latitude dial

Latitude clutch

Figure 10. Adjust mount latitude

STEP 4. Install Counterweight (CW)

The mount comes with one 1 kg (2.2 lbs) counterweight. However, because of its unique design, no

CW is needed if the payload is less than 4 lbs. The mount and installed batteries will provide balancing weight needed. If a payload is greater than 8.8 lbs (4 kg, this value may vary depends on the scope

diameter), additional CW is needed. The Counterweight Shaft is stored inside the mount head. If a CW is needed, release the CW Shaft Locking Screw to pull out the shaft (Figure 11). Mount a CW onto the shaft and tighten the CW Locking Screw to hold the CW in place. Tighten the CW Safety Screw (Figure 12).

CW shaft

screw

lockin

Counterweight

CW locking scre

CW safety scre

Retractable CW shaft

Figure 11. Release CW shaft

STEP 5. Attach and Balance an OTA

After attaching an OTA and accessories to the mount, balance the mount in both R.A. and DEC to ensure minimum stress on the mount.

CAUTION: The telescope may swing when the R.A. or DEC clutch is released. Always hold on to the OTA before you release the clutch to prevent it from swinging. It can cause personal injury or damage to the equipment.

Figure 12. Install CW

DEC clutch screws

R.A. clutch screw

Figure 13. R.A. and DEC clutches

Balance the mount in R.A. axis

)

Release the R.A. Clutch and rotate the R.A. axis to place the DEC axis in the horizontal position. The OTA can be on either side. If the DEC axis stays in the horizontal position, it means the R.A. axis is balanced. Otherwise, you may adjust the length of CW shaft, or install and adjust CW position to balance the mount in R.A. axis. Remember to install the CW Safety Lock and tighten the CW Locking Screw, if a CW is installed.

Balance the mount in DEC. axis

While the mount is at horizontal position, release the DEC Clutch screws. If the OTA does not rotate along the DEC axis, it is OK. Otherwise move the scope back or forth to balance the OTA. Tighten the DEC Clutch again.

STEP 6. Install Batteries and Connect Cables

There are two battery compartments that each can hold 4 AA batteries (Figure 14). Lift the battery cover. Carefully pull out the battery holder from the compartment. Be sure not to accidentally disconnect the wires. Insert 4 AA batteries into each holder. Replace the holder back into the battery compartment and replace the lid. Plug hand controller into the HBX port on the mount (Figure 15). Turn on power and use four Arrow keys (▲▼◄►) to rotate the mount Up, Down, Left, and Right. Use the NUMBER key to change the slew rate from the slowest (1 for 1X) to the fastest (9 for MAX).

Battery holder (X2

Figure 14. Battery holder

STEP 7. Setup Hand Controller

You need manually enter the time and site information before the mount can precisely go to an

object. To set up the controller, turn the mount power ON. Press MENU=> “Settings”:

Select and Slew Sync. to Target Alignment Settings

Press ENTER and select “Set Time and Site”

Set Time and Site Set Beep Set Display Set Guiding Rate

Press ENTER. A time and site information screen will be displayed:

2013-04-01 12:01:36 UTC -300 Minute(s) W071d08m50s DST: N N42d30m32s Northern

Daylight Saving Time

Figure 15. Connect control cable

Set Local Time

Use the ◄ or ► key to move the cursor _ and use the number keys or ▲ or ▼ button to change the numbers of the date and time. The time is in 24 hour format.

In order to make the Hand Controller reflect your correct local time, time zone information, or UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), has to be entered. Press the ► key to move the cursor to the second line

“UTC -300 Minute(s)” . Add or subtract 60 minutes per time zone). For example:

 Boston is “UTC -300 minutes”

 Los Angeles is “UTC -480 minutes”

 Rome is “UTC +60 minutes”

 Beijing is “UTC +480 minutes”

 Sydney is “UTC +600 minutes”

Use the number keys or ▲ or ▼ button to change the numbers. Use the ▲ or ▼ button to toggle between “+” and “-“ for UTC offset.

All the time zones in North America are “UTC –”, as shown in the following table, so ensure the display shows “UTC -” instead of “UTC +” if in North or South America.

Time Zone Hawaii Alaska Pacific Mountain Central Eastern

Hour behind UT -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5

Enter UTC -600 -540 -480 -420 -360 -300

When the time information entered is correct, press ENTER and go back to the previous screen.

Note that fractional time zones can be entered.

Do not manually add or subtract an hour from displayed time to reflect Daylight Saving Time (DST). Only select “Y” after DST begins.

For other parts of the world you can find your “time zone” information from internet.

Set Observation Site Coordinate

The third and fourth lines display the longitude and latitude coordinates, respectively. “W/E” means western/eastern hemisphere; “N/S” means northern/southern hemisphere; “d” means degree; “m” means minute; and “s” means second.

Press ◄ or ► key to move the cursor and using ▲ or ▼ key to toggle between “W” and “E”, “N” and “S”, using number key to change the numbers. It is always a good idea to do your home work to get the GPS coordinates before traveling to a new observation site.

The site coordinates information can be found from your smart phone, GPS receiver or via the internet. Site information in decimal format can be converted into d:m:s format by multiplying the decimal numbers by 60. For example, N47.53 can be changed to N47º31'48”: 47.53º = 47º +0.53º,

0.53º=0.53x60'=31.8', 0.8'=0.8x60"=48". Therefore, 47.53º=47º31'48" or 47d31m48s.

Set Daylight Saving Time

Keep moving the cursor by pressing ► key after setting the coordinate until it moves on DST section. Change the DST to “N” or “Y” accordingly.

Check the Hand Controller Battery

The hand controller has a real time clock (RTC) which keeps the correct time every time the mount is turned on. If the time is off too much, please check the battery inside the hand controller and replace it if required. The battery is a 3V, CR1220 button battery.

+ 26 hidden pages

iOptron SmartEQ Pro Plus Instruction Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual