Orion SKYQUEST XTG - Manual (Page 15)

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object could be a bright named star, a planet, or an object
from the Messier, NGC, or IC catalogs, but not a star from
the SAO catalog.
Find the reference object in the hand controller database
2.
and command the telescope to “GoTo” the object.
Once the telescope has stopped slewing, press ESC to
3.
return to any submenu .
Press and hold down the ESC key for 2 seconds to enter
4.
the PAE mode. The hand control will display ìRe-center-
ing objî and the name of the reference object will appear
in a blinking mode (3 times). If the reference object is
selected from a planetarium software program, instead of
the name of the object, the hand control will display ìLast
goto objectî.
Use the directional buttons to center the reference object
5.
in the telescope eyepiece (the 12.5mm Illuminated Plossl
eyepiece is recommended). Then press ENTER, or if you
do not wish to record the result, press ESC to abort the
operation. After pressing ENTER, the SynScan will deter-
mine the amount of the displacement and automatically
correct the SynScan’s pointing error for this small region
of the sky. Now the pointing accuracy in this particular
part of the sky should be greatly improved.
NOTE: The PAE correction Is stored In the hand control-
ler even after the power has been turned off. You will only
need to perform the star alignment once as long as these
two criteria are met: 1. The telescope Is moved to Its Home
position, i.e., the telescope Is “parked” (Choose Menu >
Utility Func. > Park Scope > Home position) before turn-
ing off the power, and 2. The telescope setup, including
the mount, has not been moved. Changing accesso-
ries shouldn’t upset the alignment as long as It Is done
carefully. When the hand controller Is turned on for the
next session, make sure to choose YES when prompted
whether to start from the Home position. The time entered
during Initial setup should be based on the same source
as last time. For example, If you enter the time from your
watch for this observing session, the time you enter next
session should also be read from your watch.
Other Functions
The GoTo hand controller is equipped with a variety of addi-
tional functions that allow you to optimize performance and
access other features of the system. Some functions allow
you to re-enter portions of data to improve or correct opera-
tional flaws. Other functions give users the chance to identify
unknown objects, interface the mount with a computer, and
to use other equipment in conjunction with the SkyQuest
XTg. You can even customize your own catalog of celestial
objects.
Utility Functions
To access the utility functions, press the UTILITY (3) button
on the hand controller or scroll to Utility Func. on the Choose
Menu screen using the scroll keys.
Show Position: This displays the coordinates of the
location where the telescope is currently pointed. Use
the scroll keys to toggle between Right Ascension/
Declination, Altitude/Azimuth and Ax1/Ax2, where Ax1
and Ax2 stand for the +/- angular readings of the eleva-
tion and azimuth axes, respectively.
Show Information: This function displays setup information
input by the user:
Time: Displays the current time and local sidereal time
(LST).
Version: Displays the hardware, firmware, and database
version of the GoTo hand controller. If the hand controller
is connected to the mount, this will also display the
firmware version of the motor control board. Use the scroll
buttons to view the version numbers.
Temperature: Displays the temperature detected from the
thermal sensor in the hand control in both Celsius and
Fahrenheit degrees.
Power Voltage
: Displays the input voltage to the hand con-
troller. This can be used to check the status of your power
supply.
Park Scope: Moves the telescope to the Home position or
parks the telescope at the current or previously stored park
position. Allows user to use GoTo star alignment from previ-
ous viewing session. (Note: If the scope is moved after It has
been parked, the alignment procedure must be performed
again.) There are three possible parking positions:
HOME position – The HOME position is the initial position of
the scope when it is powered on. Typically, the HOME position
is defined as the position at which the telescope altitude and
azimuth angles are both 0 degrees; that is, the telescope tube
is positioned horizontally and north.
Current position – The Current position is where the telescope
is currently pointed.
Custom position – The Custom position is the previously set
parking position. The hand controller will remember the coor-
dinates of a park position that you have specified.
PAE: Allows user to fine-tune star alignment based on region
of the sky used during setup. Please see the information in
previous Pointing Acccuracy Enhancement (PAE) section.
Clear PAE data – This function clears all PAE data stored in
the hand controller. Doing the star alignment will also clear
the PAE data.
GPS – This allows you to obtain information from the optional
GPS receiver for Orion GoTo Mounts, if the GPS receiver is
connected.
PC Direct Mode – This allows you to send commands to the
GoTo base’s motor control board from your PC via the hand
controller. This is different from a PC link to the hand control-
ler to control the base, because all the communication com-
mands and data are sent to and received from the motor con-
trol board in the base directly. The PC Direct Mode is useful
for doing motor control board firmware updates and for some