EQ6 SkyScan TM. Dec. Lock Level. Mounting Plate Lock Knob. Dec. Setting Circle. R.A. Setting Circle. Counterweight Rod Lock Knob

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1 ESC SETUP ENTER TOUR RATE EVENT M NGC IC PLANET OBJECT USER ID 0 EQ6 SkyScan TM Mounting Plate Lock Knob Dec. Lock Level Dec. Setting Circle R.A. Setting Circle Polarscope Holder (not shown) Altitude Adjustment T-bolts EQ-6 Counterweight Rod Lock Knob Counterweight Thumb Screw Counterweight Rod Altitude Adjustment T-bolts Azimuth Adjustment Knob Accessory Tray Hand Control Tripod Leg Height Adjustment Clamp Power DC 12V ON OFF Power Switch Battery Box R.A. Lock Level Latitude Scale V3W

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Assembling the EQ6 MOUNT Tripod Set Up Mount Assembly Hand Control Holder Installation Balancing the Telescope Operating the EQ6 Mount Manually Polar Aligning the EQ6 6 The EQ6 SkyScan TM Introduction to the EQ6 SkyScan TM Powering the EQ6 SkyScan TM SkyScan TM Hand Control Hand Control Operation Initial Setup Star Alignment Object Catalogue 13 Object database in the EQ6 SkyScan TM Selecting an Object Other Features Utility Functions Setup Functions Using the User Defined Database Identifying an Unknown Object Linking with a Computer Auto Guiding EQ6 SkyScan Menu Tree Technical Specifications 17 Astronomy Basics 18 Appendix A - Enhancing the precision I Appendix B - Standard Time Zones of the World Appendix C - RS-232 Connection VI VII Appendix D - Periodic Error Correction VIII NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE WILL RESULT. USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER FIRMLY MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE TELESCOPE FOR VIEWING THE SUN. WHEN OBSERVING THE SUN, PLACE A DUST CAP OVER YOUR FINDERSCOPE OR REMOVE IT TO PROTECT YOU FROM ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE. NEVER USE AN EYEPIECE-TYPE SOLAR FILTER AND NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO PROJECT SUNLIGHT ONTO ANOTHER SURFACE, THE INTERNAL HEAT BUILD-UP WILL DAMAGE THE TELESCOPE OPTICAL ELEMENTS.

3 TRIPOD SET UP Fig. 1 Fig. 3 ASSEMBLING TRIPOD LEGS (Fig.1) 1) Slowly loosen the height adjustment clamp and gently pull out the lower section of each tripod leg. Tighten the clamps to hold the legs in place. 2) Pull the tripod legs away from the tripod head to stand the tripod upright. 3) Adjust the height of each tripod leg until the tripod head is properly leveled. Note that the tripod legs may not be at same length when the tripod head is level. ATTACHING MOUNT TO TRIPOD LEGS (Fig. 2) 1) Loosen the azimuth adjustment knobs. Align metal dowel on the tripod head with the gap between the azimuth adjustment knobs underneath the mount. Retighten knobs to secure. 2) Push the primary locking shaft up against the mount and turn the knurled knob underneath to secure mount to tripod. ATTACHING THE ACCESSORY TRAY (Fig. 3) 1) Slide the accessory tray along the primary locking shaft until it pushes against the tripod legs. 2) Secure with the washer and locking knob. Fig. Loosen the azimuth adjustment knobs to allow more space for the metal dowel if mount does not fit into tripod head completely. MOUNT ASSEMBLY Fig. 4 INSTALLING COUNTERWEIGHTS (Fig. 4, 5) Fig. 5 EQ-6 1) Loosen the counterweight rod lock knob and gently pull out the counterweight rod. Re-tighten the lock knob to secure the counterweight rod in place. 2) Unscrew the threaded cap from the end of the counterweight rod. 3) Locate counterweights and slide them halfway along the counterweight rod. Tighten counterweight thumb screws to secure. 5) Replace cap on the end of counterweight rod. 3

4 HAND CONTROL HOLDER INSTALLATION INSTALLING THE HAND CONTROL HOLDER (Fig. 6) Fig. 6 1) Locate the hand control holder. Slide the holder onto the accessory tray as shown in Fig.6. A Telescope should be balanced before each observing session. Balancing reduces stress on the telescope mount and allows for precise control of micro-adjustment. A balanced telescope is specially critical when doing astrophotography. The telescope should be balanced after all accessories (eyepiece, camera, etc.) have been attached. Before balancing your telescope, make sure that your tripod is level and on a stable surface. For photography, point the telescope in the direction you will be taking photos before performing the balancing steps. R.A. Balancing 1) 2) 3) Slowly unlock the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs. Rotate the telescope until both the optical tube and the counterweight rod are horizontal to the ground, and the telescope tube is to the side of the mount (Fig.a). Tighten the Dec. lock knob. Move the counterweights along the counterweight rod until the telescope is balanced and remains stationary when released. Fig.a N 4) Tighten the counterweight thumb screws to hold the counterweights in their new position. Dec. Balancing The R.A. balancing should be done before proceeding with Dec. balancing. 1) 2) 3) 4) Release the R.A. lock knob and rotate around the R.A. axis so that the counterweight rod is in a horizontal position. Tighten the R.A. lock knob. Unlock the Dec. lock knob and rotate the telescope tube until it is parallel to the ground. Slowly release the telescope and determine in which direction it rotates. Loosen the telescope tube rings and slide the telescope tube forward or backward in the rings until it is balanced. Once the telescope no longer rotates from its parallel starting position, re-tighten the tube rings and the Dec. lock knob. Reset the altitude axis to your local latitude. 4

5 The EQ6 mount has controls for both conventional altitude (up-down) and azimuthal (left-right) directions of motion. Use the altitude adjustment T-bolts for altitude adjustments. These allow fine-adjustment for setting the mount to your local latitude. The azimuthal axis is changed by the two azimuth adjustment knobs located near the tripod head. These allow fine-adjustment of azimuth for polar aligning (Fig.b). Fig.b Altitude adjustment EQ-6 Make sure to loosen one altitude adjustment T-bolt before tightening the other. Over-tightening can cause the bolts to bend or break. Azimuth adjustment In addition, this mount has direction controls for polar aligned astronomical observing. These directions use right ascension (east/west) and declination (north/south) axis. There are two options to move the telescope in these directions: For large and quick movement, loosen the R.A. lock level under the R.A. shaft or the Dec. lock level near the top of the mount (Fig.c). For fine adjustments, use the EQ6 SkyScan TM hand control (see "Hand Control Operation"). Fig.c Power DC 12V ON OFF Dec. adjustment R.A. adjustment There are three numerical scales on this mount. The lower scale is used for polar alignment of the telescope to your local latitude. The R.A. (right ascension) scale is measures hour angle and is adjustable to your local meridian. The declination scale is located near the top of the mount (Fig.d). Fig.d Power DC 12V ON OFF Dec. scale R.A. scale Do not adjust the mount manually when under the EQ6 SkyScan TM operation mode. The telescope will have to be returned to the Home Position and initial star alignment will have to be done again. (See Initial Setup under Hand Control Operation for information on the telescope Home Position. ) Latitude scale Warning Tips Trouble Shooting 5

6 The polarscope supplied with the EQ6 Mount can be used for simple or precise polar alignment. Simple method of polar alignment described here is sufficient for casual visual use of the telescope. See Appendix A-Enhancing the Precision for accurate polar alignment method. Remove the caps from the upper and lower ends of the Right Ascension (R.A.) axis (Fig.e) so you can look into the polarscope. Rotate the mount in declination axis so that the hole in the shaft is in front of the polar scope. This allows you to see all the way through the Right Ascension shaft. If possible, this procedure should be carried out while the telescope and counterweights are on the mount. This prevents the mount from becoming misaligned when the load on the tripod is changed. Leveling the tripod will make it easier to use the Azimuth and Altitude adjustments on the mount when trying to center the stars in the polar scope. The tripod can be made level by using a bubble level or carpenter's level. Looking through the polar scope, lines should be seen superimposed on the sky. Figure e-1 shows the view through the pole finder. Line drawings representing the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia are used for the Northern Hemisphere. The third line drawing represents Octans and is used for the Southern Hemisphere. The circle in the center of the field indicates the path Polaris makes around the North Celestial Pole. Before using the polarscope for the first time, it is recommended that you perform the following polarscope alignment. This only needs to be done once unless the polarscope has been removed from the mount. Polarscope alignment The optical axis of the polarscope is already aligned with the rotation axis of the mount. The optical axis of the polar scope can not be adjusted. This is set permanently at the factory. The reticule in the polar scope must be centered on the optical axis of the polar scope. When this is true, the reticule in the polar scope will be parallel to the rotation axis of the mount. If this is not the case, accurate polar alignment will not be possible. Locate Polaris and place it in the center of the polarscope by adjusting the Altitude and Azimuth of the mount. Place Polaris directly under the cross in the center of the reticule (Fig.e-2). Rotate the mount one half turn about the R.A. axis. Polaris should remain under the cross in the center of the reticule. If it does not, the reticule is not centered on the R.A. axis of the mount. To move the reticule, adjust the three small setscrews on the polarscope (Fig.e-3). Make small adjustments by moving only two of the screws at a time. You will have to alternately loosen one and then compensate for the slack by tightening the other screw. Adjust the screws slightly, less than one-quarter turn at a time, to move Polaris half the distance back to the center of the reticule (Fig.e-4). This is because Polaris started in the center of the reticule. By rotating the mount 180 degrees, Polaris moved Fig.e Fig.e-1 Fig.e-2 Fig.e-3 Big Dipper Big Dipper Power Polaris Polaris E on off Octans Octans NCP NCP 1 20 W Cassiopeia Cassiopeia Place Polaris here 2 adjust these screws 6

7 exactly twice the distance between the center of the reticule and the center of rotation. The center of rotation lies midway between the center of the reticule and the new position of Polaris. Do not turn any of the setscrews more than one-quarter turn at a time or the reticule will disengage from the setscrews. Do not over-tighten these screws too much or the stress could fracture the reticule. Now re-center Polaris under the cross in the middle of the reticule using the Azimuth and Altitude adjustments. Repeat the entire procedure until Polaris remains in the center of the reticule when the mount is rotated about the R.A. axis. With some practice, you should be able to align the reticule with the R.A. axis to within about 2 arcminutes. You should never have to make this adjustment again, unless the polar scope has been dropped, disassembled, or if the polar scope is to be used on another mount. If Polaris is not visible from your area, a distant object such as the top of a telephone pole or a mountaintop can be used. These objects are larger than the image of a star, so they will not provide as accurate an alignment, but they will not move during this alignment procedure. Using the Polarscope Northern Hemisphere There is only one easily visible star near the North Celestial Pole. This star is Polaris. The rest of the stars in Ursa Minor are around Magnitude 5 and require very dark skies to become visible. Since Polaris is not exactly on the North Celestial Pole, the telescope's R.A. axis must be offset from Polaris by a small amount in the correct direction. By using the line drawings of the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia, the RA shaft can be rotated so the view in the pole finder is similar to the view of the sky. This can be done by using one eye to look through the pole finder while using the other eye to look at the sky. This procedure takes some practice. Adjust the mount in Altitude and Azimuth, until Polaris is in the small circle on the line in the pole finder (Fig.e-5). The polar alignment is now complete. This should get the mount's R.A. axis within 5 arc-minutes of the celestial pole. Southern Hemisphere There is a 4-star pattern in the polar scope, which resembles the bucket of the Big Dipper. In the Southern Hemisphere, there is an Asterism in Octans, which has this shape. By rotating the R.A. axis and by adjusting the altitude and azimuth of the mount, the four stars in the Asterism can be placed in the circles in the Pole Finder (Fig.e-6). This procedure can be somewhat difficult in the city because all four of these stars are fainter than Magnitude 5. Fig.e-4 Fig.e-5 Fig.e-6 Big Dipper Big Dipper Polaris Octans NCP If Polaris drifted to here Place Polaris here (half the distance) Cassiopeia Place Polaris here Northern Hemisphere Octans Polaris Place the four stars in the Asterism here NCP Cassiopeia Southern Hemisphere 7

8 TOUR M PLANET RATE NGC OBJECT ID 0 EVENT IC USER I ntroduction to the EQ6 SkyScan TM The EQ6 SkyScan TM is a precision-engineered instrument that will allow you to easily find and enjoy viewing night sky treasures, such as planets, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies and much more. The hand control allows you to point your telescope at a specific object or even tour the skies at the touch of a button. The user friendly menu system allows automatic slewing to over 13,400 objects. Even an inexperienced astronomer can master its variety of features in a few observing sessions. Below is a brief description of the individual components of the EQ6 SkyScan TM hand controller. Fig.f (to power supply) power indicator power switch Fig.g Auto Guider Power DC 12V ON OFF Auto Guider SETUP ESC ENTER Powering the EQ6 SkyScan TM Fig.h The EQ6 SkyScan TM should be powered by 11-15V DC power supply (tip-positive) capable of producing continuous current of minimum 2 amps. Correctly plug the power cord into the 12V DC outlet on the side of the mount. Flip the Power Switch to the "on" position to turn on the power. The power indicator will flash when the power is low (Fig.f). S kyscan TM Hand Control The EQ6 SkyScan TM has a RJ-45 connector on one end and DB9 on the other. Plug the RJ-45 connector into the hand control. Push the connector into the outlet until it clicks into place. Plug the DB9 connector into the outlet on the mount. Tighten the screws to secure the connector in place (Fig.g). The RJ-11 4-pin port is used for RS-232 communications between the EQ6 SkyScan TM and a computer (see "Linking with a Computer"). The DC power port allows independent use of the EQ6 SkyScan TM hand control for users who wish to browse the database without connecting to the telescope. Fig.i Display screen Mode keys Directional keys RJ-45 RJ- 11 DC power port The DC power port on the hand control is for hand control standalone applications only. For telescope applicaions, use the 12V DC outlet on the mount. ESC SETUP ENTER The EQ6 SkyScan TM Hand Control allows direct access to all the motion controls of the telescope and a database with a range of preset objects. The Hand Control comes with a dual-line, 16 character display screen that is backlit for comfortable viewing of the telescope information and scrolling text. To explore the many functions that the EQ6 SkyScan TM has to offer, there are 4 main categories of control on the Hand Control (Fig.i): Dual purpose keys Scroll keys TOUR RATE UTILITY M IC NGC PLANET USER 7 OBJECT 8 9 ID 0 8

9 Mode keys The mode keys are located near the top, close to the LCD display. They include the ESC, ENTER, and SETUP keys: ESC key is used to escape from a certain command or to go back a level in the menu tree. ENTER key is used to select the functions and submenus in the menu tree, and to confirm certain functional operations. SETUP key is a quick hot key that takes you to the Setup main submenu. Directional keys The directional keys allow complete control of the telescope at almost any step in the EQ6 SkyScan's operation. These controls are locked out when the telescope is slewing to an object. They are normally used to initially align, and center objects in the eyepiece. The left and right directional keys can also be used to move the text curser when entering data to the hand control. Scoll Keys (Fig.j) The up and down scroll keys allow you to scroll up and down within the menu tree or selections. Dual Purpose keys These Keys range from the middle to the bottom of the hand control. They serve two distinct purposes data entry and quick reference hot keys. TOUR key (Fig.k) takes you on a preset tour across the sky you are currently under. RATE key (Fig.k) changes the speed rate of the motors when the direction keys are pressed. There are 9 speeds to choose from: 1 (slowest) 9 (fastest). UTILITY key (Fig.k) shows functions such as Show Position, Display Time...etc. USER key (Fig.k) gives access to up to 25 user-defined coordinates. ID key (Fig.k) identifies the object the telescope is currently pointing to. NGC, IC, M, PLANET, and OBJECT keys (Fig.l) allow direct access to EQ6 SkyScan TM database of over 13,400 objects. Fig.j Fig.k Fig.l NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE WILL RESULT. USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER FIRMLY MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE TELESCOPE FOR VIEWING THE SUN. WHEN OBSERVING THE SUN, PLACE A DUST CAP OVER YOUR FINDERSCOPE OR REMOVE IT TO PROTECT YOU FROM ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE. NEVER USE AN EYEPIECE-TYPE SOLAR FILTER AND NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO PROJECT SUNLIGHT ONTO ANOTHER SURFACE, THE INTERNAL HEAT BUILD-UP WILL DAMAGE THE TELESCOPE OPTICAL ELEMENTS. 9

10 This section provides a step-by-step procedure on how to operate your EQ6 SkyScan TM hand control. I nitial Setup Perform the Polar alignment using the polarscope. Point the telescope roughly to the North Celestial Pole (or Polaris) if you are in the Northern Hemisphere. Point to the South Celestial Pole if in Southern Hemisphere. Make sure the counterweight rod is pointed down as seen in Fig.m. This will be the home position of the telescope. Flip the Power Switch on the side of the mount to the "ON" position to turn on the power. The initial screen displayed on the hand control is the Version Screen. Press ENTER to proceed. The hand control will display "Begin Alignment?" Press ENTER to proceed to the alignment procedure. Press ESC will exit to the main menu (see p.16 for EQ6 SkyScan TM Menu Tree). Right Ascension S Fig.m E Plane of local horizon (Northern Hemisphere) Declination Zenith Nadir North Celestial Pole Latitude W Plane of Celestial Equator Meridian Line N Apparent movement of stars The hand control's red light will become dimmer and the key pads will turn off if idle for 30 seconds. Pressing any key turns it back on. Enter the telescope's current latitudinal and longitudinal position using the numeric keypad. First enter the longitudinal coordinate, followed by the latitudinal coordinate. Use the scroll keys to choose between W or E, and N or S. Pressing the left or right directional keys will move the cursor to the previous or next number. Press ENTER to confirm. Enter your current time zone in hours (see Appendix B), using the scroll keys and numeric key pad (+ for East, - for West). Press ENTER to confirm. Enter the date in the following format mm/dd/yyyy using the numeric keypad. Press ENTER to confirm. Enter your current local time using the 24 hr time mode (e.g. 2:00PM=14:00). Press ENTER to view the time you entered. If it is incorrect, press ESC to go back to the previous screen. If correct, press ENTER again to proceed to the daylight saving setting. Press ENTER if you are currently on Daylight Savings time. Using the scroll key to scroll down to "NO" and press ENTER if you are on regular time. After setting the daylight saving, EQ6 SkyScan TM will take you to the alignment menu. If a mistake was entered into the EQ6 SkyScan TM hand control, press the ESC key to go back to the previous menu, and press ENTER to start again. 10

11 Star Alignment In order for the EQ6 SkyScan TM to correctly point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned to one to three known positions (stars) in the sky. As the Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours, astronomical objects appear to move through the sky following an arc. With the supplied information, the telescope can replicate a model of the sky and the movements of astronomical objects. There are three ways to align the SkyScan TM depending on your demand for accuracy. If you are using the SkyScan TM for the first time, we recommend that you begin with the Three Star Alignment. This produces the most accurate alignment among the three methods. Before performing any of the alignment methods, be sure that your finderscope is well aligned with the telescope tube. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to perform the Three Star Alignment: Three-Star Alignment In the alignment screen, select 3-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm. The EQ6 SkyScan TM will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for you to choose as the first alignment star. Using the scroll keys, choose a star you are most familiar with and press ENTER. The telescope will start slewing towards it. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its position with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finder scope. Now look through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centered in the field of view of the eyepiece. Press ENTER to confirm. The slewing speed can be adjusted by pressing on the RATE button. Then choose a number between 1 (slowest) - 9 (fastest) EQ6 SkyScan TM will beep once when it has finished slewing to an object. Do not try to adjust the telescope before you hear the beep. EQ6 SkyScan TM will only respond to the ESC key while slewing. EQ6 SkyScan TM will provide a list of objects suitable for the second alignment star. Choose a star using the scoll keys and press ENTER. Repeat the centering procedure for the second star and press ENTER to confirm. EQ6 SkyScan TM will once again provide a list of objects suitable for the third alignment star. Choose a star from the list and press ENTER. Once again, repeat the centering procedure for the third alignment star. EQ6 SkyScan TM will display "Alignment Successful" if appropriate stars have been chosen. In the event that three stars have been improperly chosen, EQ6 SkyScan TM will take you back to the alignment screen and the alignment will have to be done again. Two-Star Alignment Two-Star Alignment requires only two alignment stars but may produce lesser pointing accuracy than the Three-Star Alignment. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to perform the Two-Star Alignment: In the alignment screen, select 2-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm. The EQ6 SkyScan TM will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for you to choose as the first alignment star. Using the scroll keys, choose a star you are most familiar with and press ENTER. The telescope will start slewing towards it. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its position with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finder scope. Now look through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centered in the field of view of the eyepiece. Press ENTER to confirm. EQ6 SkyScan TM will provide a list of suitable objects for the second alignment star. Choose a star using the scoll keys and press ENTER. Repeat the centering procedure for the second star and press ENTER to confirm. Once completed, EQ6 SkyScan TM will display "Alignment Successful". 11

12 One-Star Alignment One-Star Alignment is the easiest and quickest alignment method. It requires only one alignment star. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to perform the One-Star Alignment: Make sure the telescope has been polar aligned. In the alignment screen, select 1-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm. The EQ6 SkyScan TM will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for alignment. Using the scroll keys, choose a star you are most familiar with and press ENTER. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its position with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finderscope. Now look through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centred in the field of view of the eyepiece. Press ENTER to confirm. Once completed, EQ6 SkyScan TM will display "Alignment Successful". 12

13 OBJECT CATALOGUE Object database in the EQ6 SkyScan TM The EQ6 SkyScan TM comes with a vast database with over 13,400 objects coordinates and information all available in the palm of your hand. The database contains the following catalogues: Solar System - The other 8 planets of our solar system, plus the Moon. Named Star - A list of 100 best known stars from the SkyScan TM database. *NGC - 7,840 of the brightest deep sky objects from the Revised New General Catalogue. IC - 5,386 of standard stars and deep sky objects from the Indexed Catalogue. Messier - Complete list of 110 Messier objects. Single Stars - Select list of the brightest stars from the NGC. Others - There are also Double Stars, Globular Clusters, Uncertain Stars, Galaxies, Clusters, Nebulea, Reflection Nebulea, Planetary Nebulea, and Open Clusters. Selecting an Object Once the telescope has been aligned. You can now access and view the 13,400 different objects in the EQ6 SkyScan TM database. There are three methods of selecting a celestial object to view: TOUR - Takes you on a preset tour across your current sky. It will automatically choose from the database the brightest and most beautiful deep-sky objects for your viewing pleasure. Use the down scroll key to view through the deep sky objects. Choose the desired object by pressing ENTER. It will show the coordinate of the chosen object. Pressing ENTER once more will cause the telescope to slew to the object. M, NGC, IC - These shortcut keys give you access to the most popular celestial catalogues to date. Each Catalogue has a set number of objects to choose from. Use the numeric keys to select an object by entering its number. Pressing ENTER will display its coordinate. Primary information such as size, magnitude, and constellation are obtained by pressing the scroll keys. Pressing ENTER once more will cause the telescope to slew to the object. PLANET - This shortcut key takes you straight to the Planets sub menu in the database. Use the scroll keys to scroll through the list of planets in our solar system. Press ENTER to view its coordinates, and ENTER once more to slew to the planet. USER - This will take you to the database that you have defined for yourself. You can enter a new location or recall the objects that have been previously saved (see Using the User Defined Database). The OBJECT key takes you to the Objects Catalogue, where you have complete access to over 13,400 celestial objects in the database. (See Object database in the EQ6 SkyScan TM and the menu tree.) Fig.p OBJECT CATALOGUE In the Main Menu, scroll down to OBJECT CATALOGUE and press ENTER. Similar to the OBJECT key, this gives you the complete access to all 13,400 celestial objects in the database. (See Object database in the EQ6 SkyScan TM and the menu tree.) *NGC database, edited by Roger W. Sinnott, copyright by Sky Publishing Corporation. Used with permission. 13

14 Utility Functions Utility Functions are useful tools that provide simple, one-step processes to your EQ6 SkyScan TM : Show Position - This displays the coordinates of the location where the telescope is currently pointing. Display Time - This displays the local time and local Sidereal time. Park Scope - This moves the telescope to the Home position. RS-232 mode - This allows linking to a computer. (See "Linking with a Computer".) PEC Training - See Appendix D for information. Setup Functions The Setup functions allow you to change any system variable or information regarding location, time, date, and alignment configurations. To access the Setup Functions, either press SETUP key on the key pad or scroll to SETUP under menu option using the scroll keys. Below lists the different types of functions available to you, and their purposes. Date - Allows you to change the date entered at the initial setup. Time - Allows you to change the current time. Observing site - Allows you to change the current location. Daylight Savings - Allows you to change the Daylight Savings option. Alignment - Allows you to perform the star alignment. (See "Alignment".) Set Backlash - This feature allows you to insert a value for each axis to compensate for its backlash. For better pointing accuracy, it is important that the backlash value is set to be equal or greater than the real amount of backlash between the gears. If the real amount of backlash is unknown, we recommend that you set the value to 5000 (equivalent to approx. 0.2 ). First set the value for R.A. Press ENTER to proceed to Dec. Set Tracking Sid. Rate: This activates tracking in Sidereal rate (R.A. Tracking). Lunar Rate: This activates tracking in Lunar rate (R.A. Tracking). Solar Rate: This activates tracking in Solar rate (R.A. Tracking). PEC + Sidereal Rate: Sidereal rate with Periodic Error Compensation. Stop Tracking: This stops the tracking instantly. Auto Guide Speed - When using an autoguider, this sets the guiding speed to 1X, 0.75X, 0.5X, or 0.25X sidereal rate. Using the User Defined Database EQ6 SkyScan TM allows you to save up to 25 objects in the user defined database. Saving an object to the database Press the USER key (Fig.q) or select USER DEFINED under the object catalogue. Press ENTER. Choose INPUT COORDINATE and press ENTER to confirm. You can choose to enter the location by its R.A. and Dec., or telescope altitude and azimuth coordinates. Press 1 (R.A. and Dec.) or 2 (Alt- Azimuth) to make your selection. Insert the coordinate using the numeric keypad and scroll keys. Press ENTER to save the coordinate. The EQ6 SkyScan TM will ask you to choose a number between 1 to 25. Select the number you wish to represent the coordinate, using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm. Once a number is given to the coordinate, the hand control will display "View Object?". Pressing ENTER will cause the telescope to slew to the coordinate. Press ESC to exit. Fig.q 14

15 Selecting an user defined object Press the USER key or select USER DEFINED under the object catalogue. Press ENTER. Choose RECALL OBJECT and press ENTER to confirm. Select the number representing the object you wish to view, using the scroll keys. Pressing ENTER will show its coordinate. Press ENTER again to choose the object. The EQ6 SkyScan TM will display "View Object?". Pressing ENTER will cause the telescope to slew to the coordinate. Press ESC to exit. Identifying an Unknown Object EQ6 SkyScan TM has the ability to identify the unknown object the telescope is currently pointing at. To do so, simply: Press the ID key (Fig.r) or scroll down to IDENTIFY in the main menu and press ENTER to identify the object. If it is a truly unknown object, the hand control will take you back to the IDENTIFY menu. 3. Press ESC to exit from this function. Linking with A Computer Another feature of the EQ6 SkyScan TM is the ability to connect to a computer via a serial cable. Many commercially available planetarium softwares can be used to control the EQ6 SkyScan TM. Look for softwares compatible with NexStar5. Below describes the procedure on how to connect and disconnect the EQ6 SkyScan TM to a computer: Make sure that the telescope has been aligned. Connect the RS-232 cable to the RJ-11 connector on the hand control and to the COM-port of your computer (Fig.s). On your EQ6 SkyScan TM hand control, select RS232 under the UTILITIES menu. Press ENTER to go to RS-232 mode. In the planetarium software of your choice, choose "Celestron NexStar5" in the driver setup and follow the instructions provided by your program to establish the connection to the telescope. The EQ6 SkyScan TM should be under the full control of your computer once the connection is successfully established. Disconnecting from the computer Fig.s Hand Control RJ- 11 RJ-11 Pin-outs = NC 2= TD 3= GND 4= GND 5= RD 6= NC Follow the instructions provided by your software to close the connection to the telescope. On the EQ6 SkyScan TM hand control, press ESC to resume normal hand control operations. See Appendix C for more information on RS-232 connection. Do not disengage the EQ6 SkyScan TM unit before you disengage the program. Doing so may cause some programs to freeze. Auto Guiding Fig.t The EQ6 SkyScan TM has a designated auto guiding port on the side of the mount for use with an auto guider (see Fig.f). The pin-outs on the 6 pin modular connector is fully compatible with most autoguiders on the market. Refer to Fig.t when connecting the autoguider cable to the EQ6 SkyScan TM and calibrating the autoguider. Relay box can be added for extra protection. Note that the four inputs are active-low, with internal pull-ups. Guiding speed can be adjusted using the Auto Guide Speed function in the Setup Menu = NC 2= Ground 3= +RA (right) 4= +DEC (up) 5= -DEC (down) 6= -RA (left) 15

16 MAIN MENU SETUP MODE Date Time Observ. Site Daylight Saving Alignment 1-Star Align. 2-Star Align. 3-Star Align. Set Backlash Set Tracking Sideal Rate Lunar Rate Solar Rate PEC + Sidereal Rate Stop Tracking Auto Guide Speed 1X 0.75X 0.5X 0.25X UTILITY FUNC. Show Position Display Time Park Scope RS-232 PEC Training TOUR OBJECT CATALOGUE Solar System Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Moon Named Star IC Catalogue NGC Catalogue Single Star Double Star Globular Star Uncertain Star Galaxies Cluster Nebula IDENTIFY Reflection Nebula Planetary Nebula Open Clusters User Defined Input Coordinate Recall Object 16

17 EQ6 MOUNT SPECIFICATIONS Mount Type: Telescope mounting: Slow-motion Control: Tripod: Tripod Height: Tripod Weight: Counterweight Shaft Diameter: Counterweight Shaft Material: Mount Weight: Mount Height: Counterweight: Total Weight: German Equatorial Tube Rings R.A. & Dec (motor controlled) 2" Diameter Stainless Steel Pipe 85cm-147cm 7.5Kgs 8cm Stainless Steel 16Kgs 41cm Two or three, 5.1Kgs each 23.5Kgs (counterweight not included) SkyScan TM SPECIFICATIONS Power Supply: Motor type and resolution: Slew speeds: Gear Ratio: Tracking Rates: Tracking Modes: Alignment Method: Database: Pointing Accuracy: 11 to 15 V DC 2Amp (Tip positive) Microstep driven 8 stepper motors. Resolution: arc sec (or 9,024,000 steps/rev.) Rate 1 = 2X Rate 2 = 8X Rate 3 = 16X Rate 4 = 32X Rate 5 = 64X Rate 6 = 400X Rate 7 = 500X Rate 8 = 600X Rate 9 = 800X 705 Sidereal, Lunar, Solar R.A. tracking One Star Alignment, Two-Star Alignment, Three-Star Alignment 25 user defined objects. Complete M, NGC, and IC catalogues, Total 13,436 objects Up to 1 arc min 17

18 Calculating the magnification (power) The magnification produced by a telescope is determined by the focal length of the eyepiece that is used with it. To determine a magnification for your telescope, divide its focal length by the focal length of the eyepieces you are going to use. For example, a 10mm focal length eyepiece will give 80X magnification with an 800mm focal length telescope. Magnification = Focal length of the telescope Focal length of the eyepiece = 800mm 10mm = 80X When you are looking at astronomical objects, you are looking through a column of air that reaches to the edge of space and that column seldom stays still. Similarly, when viewing over land you are often looking through heat waves radiating from the ground, house, buildings, etc. Your telescope may be able to give very high magnification but what you end up magnifying is all the turbulence between the telescope and the subject. A good rule of thumb is that the usable magnification of a telescope is about 2X per mm of aperture under good conditions. Calculating the field of view The size of the view that you see through your telescope is called the true (or actual) field of view and it is determined by the design of the eyepiece. Every eyepiece has a value, called the apparent field of view, which is supplied by the manufacturer. Field of view is usually measured in degrees and/or arc-minutes (there are 60 arc-minutes in a degree). The true field of view produced by your telescope is calculated by dividing the eyepiece's apparent field of view by the magnification that you previously calculated for the combination. Using the figures in the previous magnification example, if your 10mm eyepiece has an apparent field of view of 52 degrees, then the true field of view is 0.65 degrees or 39 arc-minutes. True Field of View = Apparent Field of View Magnification 52 = = X To put this in perspective, the moon is about 0.5 or 30 arc-minutes in diameter, so this combination would be fine for viewing the whole moon with a little room to spare. Remember, too much magnification and too small a field of view can make it very hard to find things. It is usually best to start at a lower magnification with its wider field and then increase the magnification when you have found what you are looking for. First find the moon then look at the shadows in the craters! Calculating the exit pupil The Exit Pupil is the diameter (in mm) of the narrowest point of the cone of light leaving your telescope. Knowing this value for a telescope-eyepiece combination tells you whether your eye is receiving all of the light that your primary lens or mirror is providing. The average person has a fully dilated pupil diameter of about 7mm. This value, varies a bit from person to person, is less until your eyes become fully dark adapted and decreases as you get older. To determine an exit pupil, you divide the diameter of the primary of your telescope (in mm) by the magnification. Exit Pupil = Diameter of Primary mirror in mm Magnification For example, a 200mm f/5 telescope with a 40mm eyepiece produces a magnification of 25x and an exit pupil of 8mm. This combination can probably be used by a young person but would not be of much value to a senior. The same telescope used with a 32mm eyepiece gives a magnification of about 31x and an exit pupil of 6.4mm which should be fine for most dark adapted eyes. In contrast, a 200mm f/10 telescope with the 40mm eyepiece gives a magnification of 50x and an exit pupil of 4mm, which is fine for everyone. 18

19 Generally speaking the EQ6 SkyScan TM produces pointing and tracking accuracies edaquate for most visual applications. However, if higher precision is required, for example for astro-photography, accurate polarscope alignment and "cone" error calibration may be required. Accurate Polar Alignment Fig.u Accurate polar alignment enhances both pointing and tracking precisions. For long exposure astrophotographer, it is important that the telescope mount be aligned with true North in order to precisely track celestial objects. In order to achieve accurate polar alignment, the reticle in the polar scope must be centered on the optical axis of the polar scope (see p.6 Polarscope Alignment) and the index marker ring must be calibrated. The Index Marker The polarscope in combination with the RA setting circle constitutes a circular slide rule. This slide rule is used to calculate the hour angle of Polaris at your local time anywhere on the planet. On a given day of the year, eg March 30, at a given local time, eg 10:00pm, the hour angle of Polaris is the same, anywhere on the planet. This is an approximation, which is good to about 4 minutes of arc. The index marker represents a 'zero' for the slide rule. If the zero is not set correctly, the calculated hour angle will not be correct. Unlock the RA locking knob. Rotate the telescope around the RA axis so the reticule is as shown in Fig u. Re-tighten the RA locking knob to lock the RA axis in this position. In this position, Polaris is in transit - it is at its highest point in the sky. Unlock the RA setting circle by loosening the set screw. Rotate the RA Circle so the pointer indicates 'zero' and lock the RA Circle. This sets the first of two 'zeros' required for the slide rule. Now rotate the telescope around RA axis so the RA Circle indicates 1h 0m (Fig.u- 1). Lock the RA axis. Rotate the Date circle so October 10 is indicated (see Fig.u-2). At 1:00 AM local time, on October 10, Polaris is in transit anywhere in the world. Rotate the telescope around the RA axis so the RA circle indicates 'zero' and lock the RA axis. The view through the Pole Finder should be the same as before. Loosen the setscrew on the index marker ring. Adjust the index marker ring so the Date circle reads 'zero' on the longitude indication (Fig.u-3). Secure the ring by tightening the setscrew. This sets the second of the two zero points. If the reticule has been re-aligned or the index ring has come loose, this procedure must be carried out again to ensure accurate polar alignment. Fig.u-1 Fig u I

20 Loosen the setscrew on the index marker ring. Adjust the index marker ring so the Date circle reads 'zero' on the longitude indication (Fig.u-3). Secure the ring by tightening the setscrew. This sets the second of the two zero points. If the reticule has been re-aligned or the index ring has come loose, this procedure must be carried out again to ensure accurate polar alignment. Accurate Polar Alignment Method Rotate the Date Circle on the polarscope so the index mark is lined up with the 'zero' on the longitude indication (Fig.u-4). Now rotate the telescope in RA axis so the pointer at the lower end of the mount points to today's date on the Date Circle (March 4th in this case) (Fig.u-5). Tighten the RA lock knob to lock the RA axis in place. Loosen the thumb screw on the RA setting circle and rotate the RA Circle so the pointer points to the current time. The upper set of numbers apply to viewing in the Northern Hemisphere, while the numbers below them apply to viewing in the Southern Hemisphere. Tighten the thumb screw to lock the RA Circle in place and rotate the telescope around the RA axis so the pointer points to 0 hours, 0 minutes (see Fig.u-6). Now use the Altitude and Azimuth adjustments to align Polaris in the Polarscope (Fig.u-7). Fig.u-3 Fig.u-4 Fig.u-5 The EQ6 SkyScan TM available in the Northern Hemisphere may not have Octans in the polarscope. Fig.u-6 II

21 Cone Error Calibration "Cone" error is a common inaccuracy found on all German equatorial mount. It is a result from the optical axis not being aligned to the R.A. axis of the mount. This affects the pointing accuracy of the EQ6 SkyScan TM. Three-Star Alignment automatically compensates for the "Cone" error. If you choose One-Star or Two-Star Alignment method, you will need to perform manual mount calibration to eliminate the "cone" error. The following calibration procedure should be performed before the initial use of the telescope and periodically thereafter to ensure the accuracy. Testing for Cone Error This test is done at night using two bright stars located on the opposite side of the sky. Make sure the telescope is properly polar-aligned using the polarscope. Perform the One-star Alignment using an eastern star as the alignment star (see p.12 for details on the One-star Alignment). After the star alignment, choose a bright star on the western sky from the SkyScan TM object database and have the telescope slew to the star. If the optical axis is perfectly aligned to the R.A. axis, the telescope will accurately put the star in the center of the eyepiece. In this case, there is no "cone" error in your telescope setup and you will not need to perform the calibration. It is acceptable if the star is slightly off-center as long as it is in the eyepeiece view and close to the center. Many factors determine the pointing accuracy of the SkyScan TM,, for example incorrect star alignment, R.A. or Dec lock knob being lose, or "cone" error. If your telescope puts the star outside the eyepiece view, you need to first determine whether it is "cone" error that causes the pointing inaccuracy. To find out, simply move the telescope in R.A. axis by pressing the Left or Right direction key. If the star can be moved into the eyepiece view without adjusting the Dec axis, it is likely that "cone" error exists in your telescope setup. Calibration Procedure Insert the illuminated reticle eyepiece. Make sure that the telescope is properly set up and balanced, and the finderscope is perfectly aligned with the telescope tube. Step 2 to 4 is to identify R.A. and Dec movements in the reticle eyepiece. If you are already familiar with the movements, you may skip to step 5. Required accessory: Illuminated reticle eyepiece with double crossline pattern. Depending on the design of your mounting plate (dovetail bar), modifications may be required. (See step 10 for the required mechanism on the mounting plate.) Find any bright star and place it in the center of the eyepiece view. Look into the eyepiece. Move the telescope in R.A. axis using the R.A. direction keys on the hand control while carefully observing the movement of the star. Keep moving the the telescope in R.A. axis back and forth to keep the star within the eyepiece view. Rotate the eyepiece until the movement of the star becomes parallel to (or matches) any set of the lines (Fig.v). This set of lines will represent R.A. movement in the course of this procedure, and the perpendicular lines will represent Dec movement. Tigthen the set screws to secure the eyepiece in place. Make sure that the eyepiece will remain stationary when the telescope is being rotated. Fig.v movement of the star eyepiece view rotate eyepiece this way III

22 Point the telescope to North and set the latitude scale to your local latitude using the altitude adjustment T-bolts, or place Polaris on the crosshair of the polarscope if your polarscope is perfectly aligned with the rotation axis of the mount. Loosen the R.A. lock knob and rotate the telescope around the R.A. axis until the counterweight shaft is parallel to the ground. (Fig.v-1) Using the Dec direction key on the hand control, adjust the telescope in Dec so Polaris sits on the R.A. lines of the reticle eyepiece (Fig.v-2). Without moving the R.A. axis, adjust the azimuth control knobs to bring Polaris to the center of the eyepiece (Fig.v-3). Adjustment in Dec axis using the hand control may be necessary. Fig.v-1 Fig.v-2 Fig.v-3 Dec Polaris N R.A. Place Polaris on the R.A Loosen the R.A. lock knob and carefully rotate the telescope 180 in R.A. axis. (Fig.v-4). This should be done as accurate as possible using the R.A. setting circle. Once again, adjust the telescope in Dec so Polaris sits on the R.A. lines of the reticle eyepiece (see Fig.v-2). Now take a closer look at the mounting plate underneath the telescope tube. There should be a set of screws on each end, next to the tube ring locking screws (Fig.v-5). (If your mounting plate does not have these screws or screw holes, you will need to make modification to the plate.) Fig.v-4 Fig.v-5 tube ring locking screw adjustment screws adjustment screws IV

23 1 13. Carefully nudge the telescope in horizontal motion using only one finger while observing the movement of Polaris through the eyepiece (Fig.v-6). This is to determine which direction (left or right) moves Polaris closer to the center of the eyepiece. Next step is to adjust the adjustment screws on the mounting plate according to your finding from step 1 If Polaris moves toward the center when the telescope is nudged toward your right hand side, You will need to loosen the adjustment screws near the front of the tube and tighten the ones closer to the back of the tube (Fig.v-7), and vise versa (Fig.v-8). Look into the eyepiece. Adjust the screws just enough to place Polaris HALF the distance back to the center (Fig.v-9). Fig.v-6 Fig.v-7 Fig.v-8 Fig.v-9 Place Polaris here Polaris 14. Repeat step 7 to 13 until Polaris remains in the center of the eyepiece, or moves slightly around the center, when the mount is rotate about the R.A. axis. This calibration method can be applied on both refracting and reflecting telescopes. Optical path of different telescope designs does not affect how the telescope tube and tube rings should be adjusted on the mounting plate. V

24 VI

25 The SkyScan TM hand control must be set to RS-232 mode in order to establish a RS-232 connection with a PC. Under the UTILITIES menu in the SkyScan TM hand control, select RS232 and press ENTER will launch the RS-232 mode. Once in the RS-232 mode, the SkyScan TM hand control will communicate with the PC at 9600 bits/sec, no parity and stop bit. All angles are communicated with 16 bit numbers. INITIALIZATION PC sends one byte (63 = ASCII "?") to check whether the SkyScan TM is ready. SkyScan TM responds with one byte (35 = ASCII "#") when SkyScan TM is ready to respond. GoTo R.A.-Dec positions INITIALIZATION PC sends (82 = ASCII "R") PC sends the R.A. high byte, RA low byte, Dec high byte, Dec low byte. When the scope is finished slewing, it will send back a "@" GoTo Alt-Az positions INITIALIZATION PC sends (65 = ASCII "A") PC sends the Azm high byte, Azm low byte, Alt high byte, Alt low byte. When the scope is finished slewing, it will send back a "@" Get R.A.-Dec positions 3. Get Alt-Az positions 3. All INITIALIZATION steps are recommended but not necessary. INITIALIZATION PC sends (69 = ASCII "E") SkyScan TM sends the R.A. high byte, RA low byte, Dec high byte, Dec low byte INITIALIZATION PC sends (90 = ASCII "Z") SkyScan TM sends the Azm high byte, Azm low byte, Alt high byte, Alt low byte. Physical Connection Diagram RJ-11 Phone Jack = NC 2= DB9 Pin2 3= DB9 Pin5 4= NC 5= DB9 Pin3 6= NC DB9 Pin 2 PC Receive DB9 Pin 3 PC Transmit DB9 Pin 5 Ground VII