Sky-Watcher Synscan Hand Control - Manual (Page 18)

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PART XI : ADVANCED FUNCTIONS
The SynScan hand control divides the sky into 85 small zones, and users can calibrate the
pointing error for each of these zones. The next time that the SynScan controller tries to
locate an object in the calibrated zone (or a zone nearby), it will automatically apply the re-
corded calibration data to compensate the pointing error.
This function is useful for locating faint deep sky objects, and it is also helpful for obtaining
consistent pointing accuracy for a permanent observatory.
Here are the instructions on using the PAE function:
1. Perform a 1-star alignment, 2-star alignment, or a 3-star alignment.
2. Choose a celestial object in a zone of interest as reference by referring to a sky map or
planetarium software. In general, it is a rather bright star, but users can also use other
objects. Use the SynScan hand control to control the mount to point the telescope to the
reference object.
3. Use one of the following operations to start the PAE calibration:
• Press the “ UTILITY ” shortcut key, access to sub-menu “ PAE\PAE Correction ”, and then
press the ENTER key.
• Press and hold the ESC key for two seconds.
4. The screen will display “ Re-centering Obj.: ” in the first row, and display the name of the
reference object in the bottom row. (If the last object is launched from a PC, then instead
of the name of the reference object, it will display “ The last target ”.) Now use the direction
keys of the hand control to center the object in the telescope’s FOV, and then press EN-
TER to confirm. Remember to end the centering operation by pressing the Right and Up
direction keys together.
5. Repeat Step 2 to 5 for viewing different portions of the sky.
Note:
• Whenever the SynScan hand control locates an object, it will automatically check whether
a PAE calibration data is available, and apply the compensation accordingly. No manual
intervention is required.
• If multiply PAE calibration is performed in the same zone, the previous calibration data
will be overwritten.
• Users can access the menu “ UTILITY FUNCTION > PAE > Clear PAE data ” to clear all PAE
calibration data.
• The PAE calibration data will be automatically cleared after a 1-star alignment, 2-star
alignment or 3-star alignment.
PART XI : ADVANCED FUNCTIONS
The polar alignment function can help users to polar align an equatorial mount accurately.
Here are the operating instructions:
11.3 Polar Alignment without Polar Scope
1. Complete a 2-star alignment or a 3-star alignment. At the end of the alignment, the Syn-
Scan hand control will display the polar alignment error (refer to Section 3.3) . Users can
use the data to determine whether it is necessary to adjust the polar alignment.
2. Press the “ MENU ” shortcut key, and then access to sub-menu “ Alignment\Polar Alignment
”, press the ENTER key to proceed to the next step.
3. The screen will display “ Select a Star ”.
• Use the scroll keys to browse through a list of star names and press the ENTER key to
pick one as the reference star for polar alignment.
• The mount will start slewing to point the telescope to the reference star.
4. Use the direction keys to center the reference star in the eyepiece of the telescope after
the mount stops slewing. Remember to end the centering operation with Up and Right
direction keys. Press the ENTER key to proceed to the next step.
5. The screen will now display the polar alignment error in altitude (Mel=dd°mm’ss”). Users
can then use the data to determine whether or not to adjust the altitude of the R.A. axis in
the next step. Press the ENTER key to proceed.
6. The mount will slew to a new position. When it stops, the screen will display “Adjust
Altitude:”. By using ONLY the altitude control of the mount (do not touch the azimuth
control), bring the reference star back to the closest point to the center of the FOV of the
telescope’s eyepiece. Remember the reference star’s current position in the eyepiece for
later adjustment. Press the ENTER key to confirm the centering operation.
7. The screen will now display the polar alignment error. Users can then use the data to
determine whether or not to adjust the azimuth of the mount in the next step. Press the
ENTER key again to proceed to the next step.
8. The mount will slew to a new position. When it stops, the screen will display “Adjust Azi-
muth:” By using ONLY the azimuth control of the mount (do not touch the altitude control),
bring the reference star back to the closest point to the previous position (at the end of
Step 6). Press the ENTER key to confirm the centering operation.
9. The screen will display the polar alignment error again, press the ENTER button to end
the polar alignment process.
10. Go back to the “ Alignment ” menu on the SynScan hand control and execute another
2-Star or 3-Star alignment, and then check the polar alignment error data reported at the
end of the 2-star alignment or 3-star alignment. Repeat Step 2 to Step 9 until the error
is small enough and acceptable. Generally, users can get up to 1 arc-minute polar align-
ment accuracy after repeating this polar alignment process 2 or 3 times.
Note:
• Users can press the
ESC key at any time during the polar alignment process to exit.