INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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TM
ntroduction to the SynScan
The
is a
instrument
that will allow you to easily find and enjoy viewing night
sky treasures, such as planets, nebulea, 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
Guider
switch
components of the
hand controller.
TM
to power supply
power indicator
the SynScan
The
should be powered by
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 the mount
(See
and b for
mount,
and
for
EQ6 mount). Flip the Power Switch to the "on" position
to turn on the power.
The power indicator will flash
power is low. Continue to use the
this point may damage the
the
The
power indicator will
rapidly when
the power is extremely low. Continue to
use the same battery may damage the
T
SynScan system.
"
TM
ynScan Hand Control
T
SynScan
"
hand control cable for the
has a
RJ-45 connector on both ends. Plug one end into the
hand control
mount
and the other into the outlet on the
Push the connector into the outlet until it
clicks into place. The
mount has a RJ 45 connector on one end and
the other. Plug the RJ
control
clicks into place. Plug the
on the mount. Tighten the screws to secure the
cable for the EQ6
-
on
-
45 connector into the hand
Push the connector into the outlet until it
connector into the outlet
The DC power port on the hand control is for
hand control stand alone applications only.
For telescope applicaions, use the 12V DC
-
connector in place
used for
The RJ
-11 6-pin port is
outleton the mount.
communications between the
and a computer or other devices. (See
"Linking with a Computei' for details.) The DC power
port allows independent use of the
control for users who wish to browse the database
without connectingto the telescope
hand
To connectthe
to PC, use only the
a
cable provided with the mount.
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The
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
Display screen
Mode keys
the many functions that the
has to offer,
there are
Control
4
main categories of control on the Hand
Directional keys
Mode keys
The mode keys are located near the top, close
to the LCD display. They include the
ENTER, and
S
ETUP
Dualpurpose 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 submenu.
Directional keys
The directional keys allow complete control of the telescope at almost any step in the
operation. These controls are locked out when the telescope is slewing to an object. They are
normally used to initially align, center objects in the eyepiece, and manual guiding. The left and right
directional keys can also be used to move the text curserwhen entering data to the hand control.
Keys
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
takes you on a preset tour across the sky you are currently under.
RATE key
changes the speed rate of the motors when the direction keys are pressed. There
are 10 speeds to choose from: (slowest) to
9
(fastest).
shows functions such as Show Position, DisplayTime...etc.
gives access to up to 25 user defined coordinates.
identifies the object the telescope is currently pointing to.
UTILITY key
USER key
ID key
-
T
NGC, IC, M, PLANET, and OBJECT keys
allow direct access to SynScan database of over
"
13,400 objects.
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This section provides a step
-by
-stepprocedure on how to operate your
hand control.
tial Setup
1. Perform the Polar alignment using
the polarscope.
2. Point the telescope roughly to the
North Celestial Pole (or Polaris) if
(Northern Hemisphere)
Zenith
North
Pole
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
This will be the
home position of the telescope.
3. Flip the Power Switch on the mount
to the "ON" position to turn on the
power.
4. The initial screen displayed on the
hand control is the Version Screen.
Press ENTER to proceed.
5. The hand control will display a
warning concerning pointing the
telescope at the sun without proper
equipment. If you have read the
message already, pressing ESC will
bypass the message and skip to the
next step.
Plane of local
Plane of
Equator
The hand control's red light will
and the key pads will
off if idle
for 30
Pressing any key turns it back on.
6. 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. The format you
enter should look like this: 123 04' W 49
7. Enter your current time zone in hours (see Appendix C), using the scroll keys and numeric
key pad (+ for East, for West). Press ENTER to confirm. The format you enter should look
-
like this if you are in Pacific StandardTime (PST):
8. Enter the date in the following format
to confirm.
-
08.
using the numeric keypad. Press ENTER
9. Enter your current local time using the 24 hr time mode
Press ENTER
to view the time you just 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.
10. If the date entered in step 8 falls between March and November, the
will prompt
"DAYLIGHT SAVING? . Use the scroll keys to make the selection and press ENTER to
"
confirm. If the date is out of the range between March and November, the
the daylight saving setting and proceed to the next step.
will'" skip
11. After setting the daylight saving,
will display "Begin alignment?". Press "1" or
ENTER to start the alignment procedure. Press "2" or ESC to skip the alignment and exit to
the Main Menu.
T
M
If a mistake was entered into the SynScan hand control, press the ESC key to go back
to the previous menu. and press ENTER to start again.
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Star
In order for the
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. the supplied information, the telescope can
replicate a model of the sky and the movements of astronomical objects. Star alignment can be done
anytime during the observing session by choosing Alignment under SETUP MODE, in the Main Menu.
There are three ways to align the
depending on your demand for accuracy. If you are using the
for the first time, we recommend that you begin with the Three Star Alignment. In most cases,
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. See the next
page for tips on how to choose the alignment stars. Below describes a step
perform the Three Star Alignment:
-by-step procedure on how to
Three-Star Alignment
1. In the alignment screen, select
using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm.
TM
2. The SynScan 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 an appropriate star from the list provided 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
number between (slowest) (fastest).
a
-
will
once when it has finished
to an object. Do not try to
will only respond to the
adjust the telescope before you hear the beep.
key while slewing.
3.
will provide a list of 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.
4.
will once again provide a list of objects 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.
5. If appropriate stars have been chosen and aligned to, the
Alignment Successful . Otherwise, the warning Alignment Failed
hand control will display
will show and the alignment
"
"
"
"
will have to be done again.
Two
-Star Alignment
Two
A), it may produce lesser pointing accuracy than the Three
step procedure on how to perform the Two Star Alignment:
1. In the alignment screen, select 2-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm.
2. The will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for you to choose as the first
-
Star Alignment requires only two alignment stars but, without Cone Error Calibration (see Appendix
-
Star Alignment. Below describes a step by
-
-
-
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.
3.
will provide a list of 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.
4. If appropriate stars have been chosen and aligned to, the
Alignment Successful . Otherwise, the warning Alignment Failed
will have to be done again.
hand control will display
will show and the alignment
"
"
"
"
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One-Star Alignment
It requires only one alignment star but, without accurate polar alignment and cone error calibration (see
Appendix A), it may produce lesser pointing accuracy than the other alignment methods. Refer to the
manual for information on how to perform accurate polar alignment. Below describes a step
step procedure on how to perform the One Star Alignment:
-
by
-
-
1. Make sure the telescope has been polar aligned.
2. In the alignment screen, select using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm.
3. The 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.
4. Once completed,
will display "Alignment
Following is some pointers on how to choose appropriate alignmentstars:
Star:
Choose a star closer to the Celstrial Equator (smaller declination absolute value).
Two Star: Choose two stars that are on the same side of the meridian. and at least hours apart in
and apart in
If ou suspect that the polaralignmentis off bylo and above, choose
two stars that are well more than 3 but less than apart in
Three Star For the first two alignment stars, follow the same guideline as choosing for the
Alignment. For the third alignment star, choose a star that is on the opposite side of the
meridian of the first two stars. Both first alignment star and third alignment should
have an absolute value of 30 70 If the first chosen star has a small
the of the third star should be at least The following formula can be used as a
3
"
Star
guideline when determining the correlation between the first and third stars in
Accuracy Enhancement (PAE)
three star alignment methods provide alignment adequate for any visual observing purpose. For
applications that require extra high precision in a particular part of the sky, the
Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) function to further improve the accuracy.
provides a
PAE can be
is located
performed in up to 85 zones to cover the whole sky. The
should be already mapped out accurately by the
where the chosen alignment
Further accuracy enhancement is not necessary.
The following provides a step-by-step procedure on how to perform PAE:
1. Choose a star as reference object from a star chart or planetarium software. This star should be a
known, bright object that is currently located in the same part of the sky with the object of your interest.
2. Find the reference object in the
hand control database and go-to the object. If the mount
is under the control of the planetariumsoftware, click on the object to slew to it.
3. Adjust the telescope so that the reference object is in the center of the eyepiece or CCD view.
4. Press and hold down the ESC key for
name of the reference object will appear in a blinking mode (3 times). If the go
from the software, instead of the name of the object, the hand control will display "Last
object".
2
seconds. The hand control will display "Re-center" and the
-to command is sent
5. Make sure that the reference object is still in the center of the view and press ENTER. If you do not
wish to record the result, press ESC to abort the operation. After pressing ENTER, the
will record the amount of pointing inaccuracy and recalculatethe model of the sky. Now the pointing
accuracy of this particular part of the sky should be greatly improved.
The result for the star alignments and PAE is stored in the hand control even after the power has
been shut 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 (Park the telescope) before turning off the
power. 2. The telescope setup. including the mount, has not been moved. Accessory change is
acceptable as long as it is done with great caution. When
hand control is turned on for the
time. make sure that the time entered during initial setup is based on the same source as last time.
For example, if you enter the time on your watch during this observing session, the time you enter
next time should also be read from your watch.
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TM
bject database in the SynScan
The
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 catalogs:
Solar System
Named Star
-
The other 8 planets of our solar system, plus the Moon.
list of 21 best known stars from the database.
-
A
2
-
7,840 of the brightest deep sky objects from the Revised New General Catalog.
5,386 of standard stars and deep sky objects from the Indexed Catalog.
Messier Complete list of 110 Messier objects.
Caldwell Complete list of 109 Caldwell objects.
Double Stars Includes 55 well known double stars.
known variable stars.
-
-
-
-
Variable Stars Includes 20 will
an Object
Once the telescope has been aligned. You can now access and view the 13,400 different objects
in the
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,
-
These shortcut keys give you access to the most
popular celestial catalogues to date. Each Catalog 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
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
tree.)
and the menu
In the Main Menu, scroll down to OBJECT CATALOG 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
and the menu tree.)
2000.0 database, edited by Roger
W
copyright by Sky Publishing Corporation. Used with permission.
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Functions
Utility Functions are useful tools that provide simple, one-step processes to your
Show Position
currently pointed.
Display Time This displays the local time and local Sidereal time.
Park Scope This moves the telescope to the Home position.
-
This displays the coordinates of the location where the telescope is
-
-
Inquire Version This submenu displays the hardware, firmware, and database version of the
hand control. the hand control is connected to the mount, this menu will also display
the firmware version of motor control board. Use the scroll keys to view the version numbers.
PEC Training
-
See section Periodic Error Correction for information.
This submenu allows adjustments of the following: the brightness of the
Tuning
-
LCD backlit, the darkness of the LCD lettering, and the brightness of the LED backlit of the
keys. Use the scroll keys to select the desired tunning. Press the RIGHT or LEFT directional
key to increase or decrease value.
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.
Allows you to change the current time.
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.
Set Backlash This feature allows you to insert a value for each axis to compensate for its
Time
-
Observing site
-
-
-
-
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. The default setting of
the backlash is 10' 00
"
(10 arcmin. and
arcsec.). Use the numeric keys to enter the
desired value and press the RIGHT directional key to move the cursor to the next digit. First
set the value for R.A. Press ENTER to proceed to
Sid. Rate: This activatestracking in Sidereal rate (R.A. Tracking).
Lunar Rate: This activatestracking in Lunar rate (R.A. Tracking).
Solar Rate: This activatestracking 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
or
sidereal rate.
sing the User Defined Database
allows you to save up to 25 objects in the user defined database.
Saving an object to the database
1. In the Main Menu, use the scroll keys to scroll down the list until you
find Object Catalog. Press ENTER.
2. Select User Defined in the Object Catalog scroll list and press
ENTER.
The User Defined menu can also be accessed
reference hot key USER (number 9) Fig
pressing the quick
"
"
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4. The first available selection in the Object Catalog is Recall Object.
This is where you select previously
scroll keys to scroll down to Input
5. The stores the user
Press 1 for the
-
saved objects to view. Use the
"
and press ENTER.
-
defined objects in two
and
format and
2
for the
6. By default the
will display the
or
coordinates where the telescope is currently pointed. In the case
of
format, the coordinate readout will be similar to this:
which means 22 hours and 46.1 minutes in R.A. and
in
Change
the coordinates using the numeric keypad and scroll keys. Use the RIGHT or LEFT
directional keys to move the cursor to the next or previous digit. Press ENTER to save.
M
If the
coordinate entered does not exist, the SynScan hand control will not
respond when the ENTER key is pressed. Check the entry for
correct coordinatc.
and re-enter the
7. To store an
in
format, first point the
telescope to the desired location to obtain the
press ENTER to save.
value, then
8. After the coordinates have been saved, the
will display
an User Object number as shown in
Use the scroll keys to
change to the number you wish to represent the coordinates and
press ENTER.
9. The
will display "View Object?" and the User Object
number you just entered. Press ENTER to go to the object or ESC
to return to the lnput Coordinate menu.
The User Object number displayed
not be a vacant one. If you are unsure which
numbers are vacant, it is recommended that you first check for the available numbers by
recalling the saved user objects.
Recalling an user defined object
See Step 1
-
4 of "Saving an object to the database" for details on how to access to the User
Defined menu. Select Recall Object and press ENTER.
2. Use the scroll keys to browse through the User Object number until the number
representing the object you wish to view is present. Press ENTER to show its coordinate.
Press ENTER again to slew to the object. The hand control will not respond if a vacant User
Object number is selected. Use the scroll keys to choose another number and try again.
If the recalled object is below horizon, the
hand control will display
!
Try another obj and automatically return to the Recall Object menu.
Identifying an Unknown Object
has the ability to identify the unknown object the telescope is
currently pointing at. To do so, simply:
Press the ID key
or scroll down to IDENTIFY in the main
menu and press ENTER to identify the object.
2. The hand control will display a list containing the closest known
object in each M, IC, NGC, and Named Star catalogs and its
distance to the exact location where the telescope is pointed.
Use the scroll keys to view these objects.
3. Press ESC to exit from this function.
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with
A
Computer
Another feature of
cable. Many commercially available planetarium softwares can be used to control
Version 3.00 and later is compatible with Celestron and NexStar GPS command
is the ability to connect to a computer via a serial communication
protocol.
1. Make sure that the telescope has been aligned.
2. Connect the RS
232 cable to the RJ 11 connector on the
hand control and to the COM port of your computer
Hand Control
-
-
-
Do not use RS-232 cable other than the one provided to
RJ 11
-
connect between the hand control and your computer. It
may damage your computer or the hand control. If you are
making your own cable based on the information provided
RJ-11 Pin-outs
in Appendix B, make sure that only pin 2, 3 and
to the connectoron your computer.
5
connect
GND
EXPD
RD
3. In the planetarium software of your choice, choose
"Celestron NexStar or "Celestron 8/9/11 GPS" in the
-
654321
driver setup menu and follow the instructions provided by
your program to establish the connection to the telescope.
The
should be under the full control of your
See Appendix
B
for
computer once the connection is successfully established.
4. When you are finished, follow the instructions provided by
your software to close the connection to the telescope.
RS-232 connection.
A u t o Guiding
The
an auto guider (see
ST 4 compatible and can be used for most autoguiders on the market. Refer to
has a designated autoguider interface on the mount for use with
NC
Ground
a
-
I). The pin outs on the pin modular connector is
-
6
-
(left)
(up)
(down)
RA (right)
TM
when
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
the autoguider cable to the SynScan and calibrating the
-
-
-
Auto Guide Speed function in the Setup Menu.
Periodic Error Correction
Periodic Errors are found in almost all worm gears due to slight eccentricities and misalignments. The
PEC (Periodic Error Correction) function provides a manual correcting method to reduce the amplitude of
the worm errors. By recording a full cycle of guiding actions versus motor shaft angle,
work to compensate for the drifting in the RA sidereal tracking caused by the periodic errors. Below
describes a step by step procedure on how to perform the PEC:
can
-
-
PEC Training function is recommended for advanced users interested in long
astrophotograhy only. Careful guiding is required. Regular sidereal tracking is adequate for
all casual visual use of the and PEC Training is not required.
-exposure
Required
producing at least 300X magnification in combination with your telescope. The true field of
view should not exceed 10 arc min. See Choosing the appropriate eyepiece in the
Illuminated reticle eycpiccc
double crossline pattern capable of
"
"
manual for more information on calculating the field of view.
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PEC Training
1. Perform the accurate
method (see the
manual).
2. Slew or manually point the telescope to a star with smaller DEC coordinate. This object will be
used as the guide star.
Activate Sidereal Tracking from the Setup Menu (see Setup Functions). Once the tracking has
started, press ESC to go back to the Setup Menu.
4. Rotate the reticle eyepiece until one set of the lines becomes parallel to (or matches) the R.A.
movement of the telescope (see step
how this is done.)
2
to
4
of the Cone Error Calibration for more information on
5. Move the guide star back at the center of the eyepiece view using the direction keys.
6. On the hand control, select PEC Trainingin the Utility Functions and press ENTER.
Utility Functions can be easily accessed by pressing the UTILITY quick reference
the keypad.
on
7. Select the R.A. guide speed for the PEC training.
8. The
indicating that the recording has begun.
9. Using the LEFT or RIGHT direction key only, move the telescope so the guide star remains at
hand control will display the current time once the guide speed is selected,
the center of the eyepiece view
s). Repeat whenever necessary.
Adjust the telescope to move the
guide star back to the center
The Guide star drifts
away from the center
For
8
minutes (10 minutes and 30 seconds for
the EQ6
hand control
records the manual guiding actions in order to characterize the periodic errors. Pressing ESC
will stop the recording immediately and exit from the PEC training function.
Guiding actions are recorded
the PEC training is stopped midway. this case, the
tracking will not be accurate until a full cycle of the PEC training is performed.
11. The
will beep and display "Record completed" when the training time is up. Press
any key to exit from the PEC training.
Play back the PEC record
PEC tracking can be activated under the Setup Menu or pressing the SETUP quick reference
on the
keypad when needed. In the Setup Menu, choose Set Tracking, then SynScan'
"
will play back
the corrections you made during the PEC training cycle and start tracking with periodic error compensated.
The
will continue to track in the
mode
another tracking
mode is selected. If the power is turned off while the
is under the
mode, the hand control loses synchronization with the R.A. worm gear and the PEC
Training will have to be performed again when the power is turned back on. To avoid this,
be sure to return the telescope to its home position by selecting PARK
before turning off the power.
under the
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the
Firmware
From version 3.0 onward, the
latest version of the
hand controls.
firmware is user upgradeable. Users can download the
firmware from the Sky-Watcher web site and easily update their
System requirements
Hand Control of version
Windows95 or later
later.
An available RS
PC link cable that comes with the SynScan hand control.
-
232C communication port on the PC.
r
M
DC power supply with
tip positive.
output. Power plug should be 2.1mm diameter,
Preparing your PC for the update
1. Create a folder for all SynScan'
"
related files on your computer and name it SynScan.
the
Support
Page of the Sky Watcher
-
at:
3. Download and save the
Loader to the SynScan'
"
folder on your
computer. You may create a shortcut on the desktop for quick access in the future. You
will only need to download this software once. Once it is saved on your computer, only
the firmware data file is needed for future updates.
4. Download and save the firmware data file named
to the SynScan
folder. (The XXXX indicates the version number of the firmware.)
Updating the
Plug the RJ
Hand Control
-
11 end of the PC link cable into the
jack in the middle socket on the hand control
Push the connector into the hand control
until it clicks into place. Plug the other end of the
cable, the
your PC.
2. Press and hold down the key
connector, to the RS
-
232 port on
and "8"
"
0
"
simutaniously, then plug the power cord into the
hand control, as shown in
3. The hand control will give a beep, indicating a
successful start up. The SynScan' will display:
"
Update Ver.
on the LCD screen,
as seen in
4. Run the
software on
your PC. Once the program is launched, you
should see a window as The
button provides the version number of the
hardware, firmware and database of your hand
control. It is for your reference only. You will not
need it for the update.
SynScan
V e r . 1.1
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5. Click
"
Browse
"
to select the
file in the SynScan folder. Click
"Update"
TM
lo start downloading the new firmware into your SynScan hand control. You will see the
status of the update below the
"
Update
"
and
"
HC. Version buttons
"
SynScan
Loader
TM
6. When the download is complete, the status will show
hand control is now updated to the newest firmware. Generally it takes about 30 seconds
to update the firmware. It may take longer if you are using an USB to RS232 converter.
"Update Complete". The SynScan
-
-
If
error message
"
Can not connect to a SynScan hand control
cable itself. Make sure it is all in good working condition. Close all
be occupying the RS 232 port and again.
"
is shown, check the cable
connection and the PC
applications
-
If you receive the error
the power plug and
"
Firmware update failed...
connectingit. Repeat the update
"
, reset the
control by
re
-
By default, the data
rate
hand control and the PC is set to
be
I
The
port on some
not support such high rate If
update
process
after a
tries, you can reduce the rate by pressing the
"
SETUP
"
key on the
hand control
the power supply is plugged in This
Lo in the
reduce the data rate to
6
kbps .
The LCD screen will show the
now in communication
now it takes longer to
"
"
right
comer to indicate that it is
the
The steps for updating the
(about 240 seconds).
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MENU
I
System
Show Position
Display Time
Park Scope
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Observ. Site
Daylight Saving
Alignment
Inquire Version
PEC Training
Tuning
t
-
Star Align.
Star Align.
-Star Align.
2
-
3
Moon
Backlash
Tracking
Named Star
Catalog
Sidereal Rate
Lunar Rate
Solar Rate
NGC
Catalog
Catalog
PEC + Sidereal Rate
Double Star
Variable Star
User Defined
Stop Tracking
Guide Speed
Input Coordinate
t
Recall Object
0.125
x
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SPECIFICATIONS
Power Supply:
11 to 15
Microstep driven 1.8
Resolution: 0.144 arc
V
DC
(Tip positive)
stepper motors.
(or 9,024,000
"
Motor type and resolution:
Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
705
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
Slew speeds:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
8X
16X
32X
64X
400X
500X
600X
800X
Gear Ratio:
Tracking Rates:
Tracking Modes:
Alignment Method:
Database:
Sidereal, Lunar, Solar
R.A. tracking
One-StarAlignment, Two
-
StarAlignment, Three
-
Star Alignment
25 user defined objects. Complete M, NGC, and
Total 13,436 objects
catalogues,
Pointing Accuracy:
Up to
1
arc
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T
M
Generally speaking the SynScan produces pointing and tracking accuracies adaquate for most applications.
However, if higher precision is required, for example for astro-photography, accurate polar alignment and
"cone" error calibration may be required. See the manual for
polar alignment using the polarscope.
mount for information on accurate
"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
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
star as the alignment star (see One
western sky from the object database and have the telescope slew to the star. If the optical axis
-
aligned using the polarscope. Perform the One-star Alignment using an eastern
-star Alignment). After the star alignment, choose a bright star on the
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
the center. Many factors determine the pointing accuracy of the
alignment, R.A. or lock knob being lose, or "cone" error. If your telescope puts the star outside the
-center as long as it is in the eyepeiece view and close to
for example incorrect star
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
telescope setup.
axis, it is likely that "cone" error exists in your
Calibration Procedure
1. 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.
Required accessory. Illuminated
reticle with double
Step
in the reticle eyepiece. If you are already familiar
with the you may skip to step 5.
2
to
4
is to
R.A.
movements
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.)
2. Find any bright star and place it in the center of the
eyepiece view.
3. 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.
4. 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
This set of lines will represent R.A. movement in the
course of this procedure, and the perpendicular lines
movement
will represent
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.
5. 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.
eyepiece view
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6. Loosen the R.A. lock knob and rotate the telescope around the R.A. axis until the
counterweight shaft is parallel to the ground.
7. Using the
on the R.A. lines of the reticle eyepiece
moving the R.A. axis, adjust the azimuth control knobs to bring Polaris to the center
of the eyepiece Adjustment in axis using the hand control may be necessary.
direction key on the hand control, adjust the telescope in
so Polaris sits
8.
Place Polaris on the R.A. line
Loosen the R.A. lock knob and carefully rotate
the telescope in R.A. axis This
should be done as accurate as possible using
the R.A. setting circle.
Once again, adjust the telescope in
so
Polaris sits on the R.A. lines of the reticle
eyepiece (see
Now take a closer look at the
plate
underneath the telescope tube. There should
be a set of screws on each end, next to the
tube ring
screws
(If your
mounting plate does not have these screws or
screw holes, you will need to make
modification to the plate.)
tube ringlocking screw
adjustment screws
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Carefully nudge the telescope in horizontal
motion using only one finger while observing
the movement of Polaris through the eyepiece
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 12. 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
and vise versa
Look into the eyepiece. Adjust the
screws just enough to place Polaris HALF the
distance back to the center
Place Polaris here
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
telescope tube and tube should be adjusted on the mounting plate.
how the
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T
The SynScan
the RS 232 port and RS
popular planetarium software program. The
"
telescopes are designed to receive control commands sent from a computer via
-
-
232 cable. Once connected, the
can be controlled by most
will communicate with the personal
computer at 9600
and communicated using
no parity and stop bit. All angles are communicated with 16 bit angle
hexadecimal.
Hand Control
Notes
Useful to check
PC Command ASCII
Description
10 characters sent.
comma,
Azm-Alt
If
conflicts with slew
limits; there will be no action.
Scope
be aligned
I
Ra-Dec
command conflicts with
limits, there will be no action
characters returned,
comma,
Get Azm-Alt
#
'7
Scope must be aligned
E
M
L
Get
Cancel
#
in
or
or
is
ASCII
(characterzero
Is Alignincnt Complete
V
tes representing V2.2
tracking requires
HC version
Tracking
Tx
0 (Tracking
1 (Alt Az on)
N)
ent
-
2 (EQ
3
-
#
The last two characters
always be zero.
The last two characters
s be zero
32-bit get
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Physical ConnectionDiagram
RJ-11 Connector
RJ-11
N
C
RD
GND
N
C
TD
N
C
I
I
I
The Back of the
Pinout
9
Additional
Commands
Sending a track rate through
1. Multiply the desired tracking rate (arc seconds /second) by 4. For example: if the
desired track rate is 120 arc (proximately times of sidereal rate),
to the hand control
8
then the 480.
2. Separate TRACKRATE into two bytes, such that (TRACKRATE
3. TrackRateLowByte). For example TRACKRATE
1, TrackRateLowByte 224.
To send a tracking rate, send the following 8 bytes:
=
=
480,
+
=
=
then TrackRateHighByte
=
a. Positive Azm tracking: 80, 3, 16, 6, TrackRateHighByte, TrackRateLowByte,
b. Negative Azm tracking: 80, 3, 16, 7, TrackRateHighByte, TrackRateLowByte,
c. Positive Alt tracking: 80, 3, 17, 6, TrackRateHighByte, TrackRateLowByte,
d. Negative Alt tracking: 80, 3, 17, 7, TrackRateHighByte, TrackRateLowByte,
4. The number 35 is returned from the hand control.
Sending a slow Gotocommand through to the hand control
1. Convert the angle position to a number. Example: if the desired position is
-
then
2. Separate
=
=
10,252,743
into three bytes such that
PosMedByte 256 PosLowByte). Example: PosHighByte
113, PosLowByte 199
3. Send the following 8 bytes:
PosHighByte
156, PosMedByte
*
65536
+
*
=
+
=
a. Azm Slow
b. Alt Slow
80, 4, 16, 23, PosHighByte, PosMedByte, PosLowByte,
80, 4, 17, 23, PosHighByte, PosMedByte, PosLowByte,
4. The number 35 is returned from the hand control.
Reseting the position of
or Alt
1. Convert the angle position to a
2. Send the following 8 bytes:
number, same as Slow-Goto example.\
a. Azm Set Position: 80, 4, 16, 4, PosHighByte, PosMedByte, PosLowByte,
b. Alt Set Position: 80, 4, 17, 4, PosHighByte, PosMedByte, PosLowByte,
3. The number 35 is returned from the hand control.
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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
TELESCOPE OPTICAL ELEMENTS.
-UP WILL DAMAGE THE
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