Orion SKYQUEST XTG User Manual download pdf (Page 12)

must convert into degrees and arcminutes. To do this

simply multiply the decimal value by 60. If your viewing

location is at latitude 36.95 N you would enter a latitude

of 36°57’ N [.95 x 60 = 57].

Enter the time zone in which you are observing in hours 6.

(see Appendix A), using the scroll keys and numeric

keypad (+ for east of Prime Meridian, - for west of Prime

Meridian). Press ENTER to confirm your choice. The for-

mat you enter should look like this if you are in Pacific

Standard Time (PST): -08:00.

Enter the date in the following format, mm/dd/yyyy, using 7.

the numeric keypad. Press ENTER.

Enter your current local time using the 24 hour time mode 8.

(example: 2:00PM = 14:00). Press ENTER to view the

time you entered. If the time is incorrect, press ESC to go

back to the previous screen. If the time is correct, press

ENTER again to proceed to the next step.

After entering the current time, the hand controller will 9.

prompt “DAYLIGHT SAVING?”. Use the scroll keys to

make the selection and press ENTER to confirm.

9a. [For AutoTracking Mode setup] The LCD will now dis-

play “Begin Alignment?” Press “2 NO” (to bypass GoTo

alignment) and follow the instructions in “Using the

Telescope in AutoTracking Mode” below to turn on the

automatic tracking.

9b. [For GoTo Mode setup] The LCD will now display “Begin

Alignment?” Press “1 YES” and follow the instructions in

Alignment for GoTo Operation to activate the computer-

ized GoTo functionality.

Note: If a mistake was entered into the hand controller

during the initial setup, press the ESC key to go back to

the previous menu, and press ENTER to start again.

Using the Telescope in 5.

AutoTracking Mode

To activate AutoTracking, at the Choose Menu > Setup Mode

prompt, press ENTER. At the Setup Menu prompt, scroll to

Auto Tracking and press ENTER to activate automatic track-

ing.

The telescope is now tracking at the sidereal rate. The hand

controller will display the coordinates corresponding to the

direction the telescope is pointed. Use the scroll keys to switch

between the following three coordinate formats: Celestial,

Terrestrial, and Telescope mount coordinates. You may press

ESC to exit from the AutoTracking mode at any time during

tracking to browse or choose other functions provided by the

hand controller. To return to the AutoTracking mode, choose

“Auto Tracking ” under SETUP menu and press ENTER.

Note: When the power is on, you may choose to adjust

the telescope electronically by using the hand control or

manually by pushing the tube with your hand. The tele-

scope will calculate the coordinates for Its position and

display the information correctly on the hand controller.

Note: The hand controllerís backlit display will become

dimmer and the button Illumination will turn off if left idle

for 30 seconds. Pressing any button will re-illuminate the

display.

Alignment for GoTo 6.

Operation

Once the initial setup is complete, if you wish to take advan-

tage of the GoTo functionality to accurately locate and point

the telescope to objects in the sky, then the GoTo system

must first be aligned on known positions (stars) in the sky. Use

the supplied 12.5mm Illuminated Plössl Eyepiece to ensure

accurate centering of the alignment stars. By performing the

star alignment procedure, the mount can replicate a model of

the sky to pinpoint and follow the movements of astronomical

objects.

There are two methods for aligning the GoTo system, and

they are very similar: Brightest Star Alignment and Two Star

Alignment. Both actually involve identifying and pointing the

telescope to two different bright stars in the night sky. The

only difference is that for the Brightest Star Alignment, the

hand controller will prompt you to select the first alignment

star from a directional region of the sky and will provide a

short list of the brightest stars in that region. With the Two Star

alignment procedure the list of eligible stars is not grouped by

region of sky.

For the novice stargazer unfamiliar with the night sky or the

names of brighter stars, some might find the Brightest Star

Alignment to be the easier of the two methods. To assist you

in performing the alignment by either method, we have includ-

ed in the back of this manual a set of star charts with the

names of some bright stars indicated for easy reference.

The descriptions below will lead you through step-by-step

procedures for both alignment methods.

NOTE: Before performing either of the alignment meth-

ods, be sure that the EZ Finder II is precisely aligned

with the telescope tube. See “Aligning the EZ Finder II”

in Section 2.

Brightest Star Alignment

This method helps you to find and identify the brightest star

within a selected region of the sky. Even if you are not famil-

iar with the names of stars in the sky, you simply choose the

direction of a visible bright star and the hand controller will

help you to identify it. This method can also be useful if your

visibility is limited due to obstructions such as trees, hills, or

buildings.

First, select “Brightest Star” as your Alignment Method. 1.

Press ENTER.

The hand controller will prompt you to “Select Region”. 2.

Choose the direction that corresponds with where you

see the brightest star in the night sky. It may be help-

ful to have a compass for reference during this process.

There are eight regions to choose from, each covers a

90-degree span in azimuth (Figure 24). The direction

1 2 ... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ... 36 37

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Orion SKYQUEST XTG User Manual Page 12

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