Manual Meade Goto-Kit for equatorial EQ-5 Mounts (page 23 of 40) (English)

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Instruction Manual

Goto-Kit for equatorial EQ-5 Mounts

Art. No. 49-51700

Instruction Manual

Telescope assemblies

Fig. 1a: The LXD75-Series Mount; insert shows opposite side of Mount.

Fig. 1d: The LXD75-Series Computer Control Panel

Legend

1. Dec. Lock

2. Polar VF Cap

3. Dec. Setting Circle

4. Counterweight Shaft Base

5. Counterweight, Lock Knobs

6. Counterweight Shaft

7. Counterweight Safety Cap

8. Computer Control Panel

9. R.A. Motor Drive

10. Latitude Adjustment Handles

E F

11. Azimuth Control Knobs

12. Latitude Dial

13. Polar Alignment VF

14. Polar Alignment Reticle, LED

15. R.A. Setting Circle

16. R.A. Setting Circle Lock Knob

17. R.A. Lock

18. Dec. Motor Drive

Instruction Manual

Errors and technical changes reserved. Images may partially differ from the original.

Warranty

The period of warranty is 2 years, beginning on the day

of purchase. Please keep the cash receipt as evidence

of purchase. Devices which become defective during the

warranty period can be returned to the dealer where the

device was bought. The repaired device or a new one will

then be returned to you. In the case of defects which occur

after the end of the warranty period, the devices can also

be returned.

However, repairs which become necessary after the end of

the warranty period will be subject to a service fee.

Important:

Make sure to return the device carefully packed in the

original packaging in order to prevent transport damage.

Please also enclose the cash receipt (or a copy). This

warranty does not imply any restriction of your statutory

rights.

Your dealer:

Name: ..................................................................................

Postcode / Place: ................................................................

Street: ..................................................................................

Telephone: ...........................................................................

Date of purchase: ................................................................

Signature: ............................................................................

Installing the motors

Instruction Manual

CAUTION: Use care to install batteries in

the orientation indicated by illustration in the

battery slots of the battery holder. Follow

battery manufacturer‘s precautions. Do not

install batteries backwards or mix new and

used batteries. Do not mix battery types. If

these precautions are not followed, batteries

may explode, catch fire, or leak. Improperly

installed batteries void your warranty.

WARNING!

Never use the New to nian Telescope to

look at the Sun! Looking at or near the Sun

will cause instant and irreversible damage

to your eye. Eye damage is often painless,

so there is no warning to the observer that

damage has occurred until it is too late. Do

not point the telescope or its viewfinder at

or near the Sun. Do not look through the

telescope or its viewfinder as it is moving.

Children should always have adult supervi-

sion while observing.

Telescope assemblies .................................................... 2

Installing the motors ....................................................... 3

Warranty .......................................................................... 3

Parts overview .............................................................. 5

The handbox .................................................................. 6

Telescope setup ............................................................. 8

Balancing the Telescope ........................................... 8

Observing By Moving the Telescope Manually ......... 8

Activate the Arrow Keys ............................................ 9

Slew Speeds .............................................................. 9

Observe the Moon ................................................... 10

Tracking Objects ...................................................... 10

Setting the Polar Home Position ........................ 10

Observe a Star Using Automatic Tracking ........ 11

Using Handbox‘s GO TO Capabilities ............... 12

Moving Through Handbox’s Menus ................... 12

Initializing the handbox ...................................... 12

Training the Drive ............................................... 13

Easy Alignment ........................................................ 14

Go To Saturn ........................................................... 14

Using the Guided Tour ............................................ 15

Basic Handbox Operations ........................................... 16

Navigation Exercise ................................................. 16

Entering Data into the handbox ............................... 17

Navigating through the handbox ............................. 17

Handbox Menus ............................................................ 18

Object Menu ............................................................ 19

Event Menu .............................................................. 20

Glossary Menu ......................................................... 20

Utilities Menu ........................................................... 20

Setup Menu ............................................................. 22

For advanced users ...................................................... 25

Adding Observing Sites ........................................... 25

Using the handbox to Find Objects Not in the Libraries

Observing Satellites ................................................. 27

Landmarks ............................................................... 27

To Check on Available Memory .............................. 28

Appendix A: Celestial Coordinates ............................... 29

Locating the Celestial Pole ................................ 30

One- And Two-Star Polar Alignment ................. 30

Appendix B: Enhancing Pointing Precision .................. 31

The Polar Alignment Viewfinder ......................... 31

Three-Star Alignment Method #1 ....................... 31

Axis Alignment Method #2 ................................. 32

Axis Alignment Method #3 ................................. 34

Appendix C: Latitude Chart .......................................... 36

Star Locator................................................................... 37

Instruction Manual

Parts overview

b Declination (Dec.): Controls the manual movement of the telescope.

Turning the Dec. lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope enabling

it to be freely rotated by hand about the Dec. axis. Turning the Dec. lock

clockwise (to a firm feel only) tightens the lock and prevents the telescope

from being moved manually, but engages the Dec. motor drive (see

1* Fig.

1a) for Handbox operations.

C Polar Viewfinder Cap: Remove this cap when using the polar viewfinder

(see

1# Fig. 1a).

d Dec. Setting Circle: See APPENDIX A, page 34, for more information.

e Counterweight Shaft Base: Thread, along with the shaft, to the mount.

See page 11 for more information.

f 

Counterweight and Counterweight Lock Knob: Counterbalances the

weight of the optical tube, and adds stability to the mount. Tighten the lock

knob on the side of the counterweight to a firm feel to prevent the weight from

sliding on the shaft.

Counterweight Shaft: Slide the counterweight onto this shaft (see G Fig. 1a).

h Counterweight Safety Cap: Prevents the counterweight from accidentally

slipping off the end of the counterweight shaft.

i Computer Control Panel (see Fig. 1a):

Handbox (HBX) Port: Plug the handbox coil cord (7, Fig. 2) into this port.

12v DC Power Connector: optional power connector (Art. No. 49-30000).

C. LED: Illuminates when power is supplied to the handbox and the

telescope’s motor drive.

ON/OFF Switch: Turns the Computer Control Panel and handbox ON or OFF.

E. AUX Port:

Provides connection for future accessories.

F. Dec Port:

Plug the coil cord from the Dec. motor assembly into this

port for the handbox to control the motor drive.

j

Right Ascension (R.A.) Motor Drive Assembly: Controlled by the handbox.

Moves the optical tube along the R.A. axis. The R.A. Lock (see

1& Fig. 1a) must

be tightened to a firm feel in order for the R.A. motor to operate.

1) Latitude Adjustment T-Handles (2): Sets the latitude of your observing

location. The two T-handle screws work in a „push - pull“ operation—as

you tighten one, loosen the other.

1! Fine Azimuth Control Knobs: Fine tune the side-to-side movement of the

telescope when centering Polaris in the telescope eyepiece or when using

the polar alignment viewfinder (see

1# Fig. 1a).

1@ Latitude Dial: Set the latitude of the observing site on this dial using the

latitude T-handle screws. For more information see Step 4, page 10.

1# Polar Alignment Viewfinder: Allows you to precisely polar align the tele-

scope. Useful when performing astrophotography. See page 31.

1$ Polar Alignment Viewfinder Reticle and LED Knob: Rotate the knob to

switch on or off the LED that illuminates the reticle within the polar align-

ment finder. Be sure to turn off the LED when finished with the polar view-

finder. Powered by (factory-supplied) batteries contained within.

1% R.A. Setting Circle: See APPENDIX A, page 29, for more information.

1^ R.A. Setting Circle Lock Knob: Rotate the knob to lock the R.A. Setting

Circle (see

1% Fig. 1a) in place.

1& R.A. Lock: Controls the manual movement of the telescope. Turning the

R.A. lock counterclockwise unlocks the telescope enabling it to be freely

rotated by hand about the R.A. axis. Turning the R.A. lock clockwise (to

a firm feel only) tightens the lock and prevents the telescope from being

moved manually, but engages the R.A. motor drive (see

J Fig. 1a) for

Handbox operations.

1* Dec. Motor Drive Assembly: Controlled by the handbox. Moves the opti-

cal tube along the Dec. axis. The Dec. Lock (see

b Fig. 1a) must be tight-

ened to a firm feel in order for the Dec. motor to operate.

Attention:

Please handle this product

with care. Damages, which

resulted from inappropriate

use, may void the warranty.

Caution When loosening

the Dec. lock, be sure to

support the optical tube

(18, Fig. 1a). The weight of

the tube could cause the

tube to swing suddenly.

1@Want to learn more

about setting the lati-

tude dials?

See STEP 4, page 10.

1#Want to learn more

about the polar align-

ment viewfinder?

See the The Polar

Alignment Viewfinder,

page 31.

Instruction Manual

Fig. 2: The handbox.

Tour the Cosmos with Just the Push of a Button

Control of the telescope mount is through the operation of the handbox. Nearly

all functions of the telescope are accomplished with just a few pushes of the

buttons. Some of the major features of the handbox are:

• Automatic GO TO capability: Automatically move the telescope to any of the

more than 30,000 objects stored in the object library.

• Take a guided tour of the best celestial objects to view on any given night of

the year.

• Access a glossary of astronomical terms.

• Fully automatic tracking of celestial objects.

Features

The Computer Controller provides control of virtually every telescope function

within a compact handbox. The handbox has soft-touch keys designed to have

a positive feel. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is backlit with a red LED (Light

Emitting Diode) for easy viewing in the dark. The backlit display, key arrangement,

and sequential menu structure make the handbox extremely user friendly.

B 2-Line LCD Display: This screen displays the menu structure and other

information about the telescope.

• Top line: Lists the primary menu.

• Bottom line: Contains other menus that may be selected, menu options,

telescope status, or information about a function that is currently being per-

formed.

C ENTER Key: Press to go to the next menu level or to choose an option in

a menu. The ENTER key is similar to the RETURN or ENTER key on a com-

puter. See

MOVING THROUGH THE MENUS, page 12 and MENUS AND MENU

OPTIONS.

  Note: If ENTER is pressed for two seconds or more and then

released, the handbox emits a beep and “ENTER to Sync” is dis-

played. „ENTER to Sync“ may be used only after your telescope

has been aligned and is pointing at an object. See page 16 for more

details.

D MODE Key: Press to return to the previous menu level. The top menu level is

“Select Item.“ The MODE key is similar to the ESCAPE key on a computer.

The Handbox

Note: The handbox does

not require batteries; the

telescope’s batteries sup-

ply power to the handbox.

























Instruction Manual

Note: Pressing MODE repeatedly while in the “Select Item” level

moves the handbox to the topmost screen: “Select Item: Object.”

Note: If MODE is pressed and held for two seconds or more,

information about the telescope‘s status displays. When the status

displays, press the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to display the following

information and more:

•

Right Ascension and Declination (astronomical) coordinates

•Altitude (vertical) and Azimuth (horizontal) coordinates

• Local Time and Local Sidereal Time (LST)

• Timer and Alarm Status

Press MODE again to return to the previous menu.

E GO TO Key: Press to slew (move) the telescope to the coordinates of the

currently selected object. While the telescope is slewing, the operation may

be aborted at any time by pressing any key except GO TO. Pressing GO

TO again resumes the slew to the object. Also, press GO TO after a slew is

completed to activate a „spiral search.“

F

Arrow Keys: Press to slew the telescope in a specific direction (up, down, left,

and right), at any one of nine different speeds. See

SLEW SPEEDS, page 9.

G Number Keys: Press to input digits 0 to 9. When data is not being entered,

the Number keys can be used to change the slew speed. To operate, just

press a number key (1 is the slowest speed, 9 is the highest speed). Press

the Number key „0“ to turn on and off the red utility light on the top of the

handbox.

H Scroll Keys: Press to access options within a selected menu. The menu is

displayed on the first line of the screen. Options in that menu are displayed,

one at a time, on the second line. Press the Scroll keys to move through the

options. Press and hold a Scroll key to move quickly through the options.

I ? Key: Press to access the „Help“ function. Help provides on-screen infor-

mation on how to accomplish whatever task is currently active.

Hold down the ? key and then follow the prompts on the display to access

details of the handbox functions in the Help feature. The Help system is

essentially an on-screen instruction manual.

If you have a question about an handbox operation, e.g., INITIALIZATION,

ALIGNMENT, etc., hold down the ? key and follow the directions that scroll

on the second line. When satisfied with the Help provided, press MODE to

return to the original screen and continue with the chosen procedure.

J Coil Cord Port: Plug one end of the coil cord (see 1) Fig. 1a) into this port

located at the bottom of the handbox and the other end into the HBX port

of the computer control panel (A, Fig. 1d).

1) Coil Cord: Plug one end of the coil cord into the HBX port (A, Fig. 1d) of the

computer control panel of the telescope and the other end into the handbox

coil cord port (See

J Fig. 1a).

1! RS232 Port: To connect a RS-232 cable to your computer to make data

transfer possible such as “Download” or “Clone”.

1@ Utility Light: Use this built-in red light to illuminate star charts and acces-

sories without disturbing your eye‘s adaptation to darkness. Press „0“ to

turn the light on and off.

EWant to learn more

about using the GO

TO function? See

page 16.

Want to learn how

to perform a spiral

search? See page 18.

Definitions:

„Slew“ means to move the

telescope‘s optical tube to

a selected object.

Tip:

If the „ENTER to Sync“

feature is accessed by

mistake, press MODE to

return to the previous

screen.

Instruction Manual

Telescope setup

Balancing the telescope

In order for the telescope to be stable on the tripod and also for it to move

smoothly, it must be balanced. To balance the telescope, unlock the Right

Ascension or R.A. lock (17, Fig. 1a). When this axis is unlocked, the telescope

pivots on the R.A. axis. Later in the procedure, you will also unlock the Declination

or Dec. lock (1, Fig. 1a). When unlocked, the telescope pivots on the Dec. axis.

Most of the motion of the telescope takes place by moving about these two

axes, separately or simultaneously. Try to become familiar with these locks and

observe how the telescope moves on each axis. To obtain a fine balance of the

telescope, follow the method below:

1. Firmly hold the optical tube secure so that it cannot accidentally swing

freely. Loosen the R.A. lock (17, Fig. 1a). The optical tube now moves freely

about the R.A. axis. Rotate the telescope so that the counterweight shaft (6,

Fig. 1a) is parallel (horizontal) to the ground.

REMARK!

The LXD-75 mount comes with a 4,5 kg counterweight. In case that you do

not suceed in balancing the mount., it could be necessary to use a second

or third counterweight . Those are available as an optional accessory. Make

sure however that a higher total weight affects stability of your complete

setup negatively.

2. Unlock the counterweight lock knob and slide the counterweight (5, Fig. 1a)

along the counterweight shaft until the telescope remains in one position

without tending to drift down in either direction. Then re-tighten the coun-

terweight lock knob, locking the counterweight in position.

3. Again, hold the optical tube so that it cannot accidentally swing freely. Lock

the R.A. lock (17, Fig. 1a), and unlock the Dec. lock (1, Fig. 1a). The tele-

scope now is able to move freely about the Dec. axis. Loosen the cradle ring

lock knobs so that the main tube slides easily back and forth in the cradle

rings. Move the main tube in the cradle rings until the telescope remains in

one position without tending to drift down in either direction. Re-lock the

Dec. lock (1, Fig. 1a).

The telescope is now properly balanced on both axes. Next, the viewfinder must

be aligned.

Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually

After the telescope is assembled and balanced as described previously, you

are ready to begin manual observations. View easy-to-find terrestrial objects

such as street signs or traffic lights to become accustomed to the functions and

operations of the telescope. For the best results during observations, follow the

suggestions below:

• When you wish to locate an object to observe, first loosen the telescope’s

R.A. lock (17, Fig. 1a) and Dec. lock (1, Fig. 1a). The telescope can now turn

freely on its axes. Unlock each axis separately and practice moving your

telescope. Then practice with two unlocked axes at the same time. It is very

important to practice this step to understand how your telescope moves,

as the movement of an equatorial mount is not intuitive.

•

Use the aligned viewfinder to sight-in on the object you wish to observe. When the

object is centered in the viewfinder’s crosshairs, re-tighten the R.A. and Dec. locks.

• A telescope’s eyepiece magnifies the image formed by the telescope’s main

optics. Each eyepiece has a focal length, expressed in millimeters, or “mm.”

The smaller the focal length, the higher the magnification. For example, an

eyepiece with a focal length of 9mm has a higher magnification than an eye-

piece with a focal length of 26mm.

Low-power magnification eyepieces offer a wide field of view, bright, high-

contrast images, and relief of eye strain during long observing sessions. To

observe an object with a telescope, always start with a low power eyepiece

such as the SP 26mm supplied with your telescope. When the object is

centered and focused in the eyepiece, switch to a higher power eyepiece to

enlarge the image as much as practical for prevailing viewing conditions.

• Once centered, an object can be focused by turning one of the knobs of the

focusing mechanism. Notice that when observing astronomical objects, the

Instruction Manual

field of view begins to slowly drift across the eyepiece field. This motion

is caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. Objects appear to move

through the field more rapidly at higher powers. See TRACKING OBJECTS,

page 10, for detailed information on how you can counteract the drift in the

field of view.

Activate the Arrow Keys

The arrow keys of the handbox allow you to slew (move) the telescope up,

down, right, or left. The following procedure describes how to activate the arrow

keys:

1. After the batteries are installed and the cord is plugged into the HBX port

of computer control panel (A, Fig 1d), a copyright message lights on the

handbox LCD display (1, Fig. 2).

2. A message warning not to look at the Sun scrolls across the display. Press

the key prompted by the handbox to acknowledge that the Sun warning has

been read and understood.

3. Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) repeatedly until „Country/State“ appears on the

display. (Ignore the prompts requesting Date and Time. See INITIALIZING

HANDBOX, page 16, for more information).

4. Use the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to cycle through the database of countries,

states, and provinces. Press ENTER when the correct location displays.

5. The handbox then prompts you to enter the nearest city (listed alphabeti-

cally) to the observing site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the data-

base of cities. Press ENTER when the correct city appears on the display.

6. The handbox then prompts you to enter the model number of your tele-

scope. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the list of telescope models.

Press ENTER when the correct model appears on the display.

7. The display then reads „Align: Easy.“ You now can use handbox‘s Arrow

keys to move the telescope to observe.

Note: If you go past the „Align: Easy“ (or any other menu display you

wish to select), press MODE to return to the previous display(s).

8. Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to move the telescope up, down, right, or

left. You can move the telescope at different speeds.

Slew Speeds

The handbox has nine slew speeds that move the optical tube at rates that are

directly proportional to the sidereal rate and have been calculated to accomplish

specific functions. Press a Number key (6, Fig. 2) to change the slew speed,

which is shown for about two seconds on handbox’s display.

The nine available speeds are:

Number Key 1 = Guide (0.25 arc-min/sec or 0.004°/sec)

Number Key 2 = 2x = 2 x sidereal (0.5 arc-min/sec or 0.008°/sec)

Number Key 3 = 8x = 8 x sidereal (2 arc-min/sec or 0.033°/sec)

Number Key 4 = 16x = 16 x sidereal (4 arc-min/sec or 0.067°/sec)

Number Key 5 = 64x = 64 x sidereal (16 arc-min/sec or 0.27°/sec)

Number Key 6 = 128x = 30 arc-min/sec or 0.5°/sec

Number Key 7 = 1.5° = 90 arc-min/sec or 1.5°/sec

Number Key 8 = 3° = 180 arc-min/sec or 3°/sec

Number Key 9 = Max = 270 arc-min/sec or 4.5°/sec

Speeds 1, 2, or 3: Best used for fine centering of an object in the field of view

of a higher power eyepiece, such as a 12mm or a 9mm eyepiece.

Speeds 4, 5, or 6: Enables centering an object in the field of a low-to-moderate

power eyepiece, such as the standard Super Plössl 26mm.

Speeds 7 or 8: Best used for rough centering of an object in the viewfinder.

Speed 9: Moves the telescope quickly from one point in the sky to another.

Note: The handbox only

prompts you to enter

Country (or State) and

City as described in

steps 3, 4, and 5, the first

time it is activated. These

prompts do not appear

again, unless you reset

the handbox (see RESET,

page 24).

However, if you need to

re-enter this information

(e.g., you change your

geographic location), you

can change the location

information by using the

Site option of the Setup

menu. See ADDING

OBSERVING SITES

, page

25, for detailed informa-

tion.

The Site option „Zip

code“ works for U.S. cit-

ies only. Users in Europe,

please enter the „City“

option.

Instruction Manual

Observe the Moon

Point your telescope at the Moon (note that the Moon is not visible every night).

Use the handbox to practice using the arrow keys and the slew speeds to view

different features. The Moon contains many interesting features, including cra-

ters, mountain ranges, and fault lines. The best time to view the Moon is during

its crescent or half phase. Sunlight strikes the Moon at an angle during these

periods and adds a depth to the view. No shadows are seen during a full Moon,

making the overly bright surface to appear flat and rather uninteresting. Consider

the use of a neutral density Moon filter when observing the Moon. Not only does

it cut down the Moon‘s bright glare, but it also enhances contrast, providing a

more dramatic image.

Tracking Objects

As the Earth rotates beneath the night sky, the stars appear to move from East

to West. The speed at which the stars move is called the sidereal rate. You can

setup your telescope to move at the sidereal rate so that it automatically tracks

the stars and other objects in the night sky. The tracking function automatically

keeps an object more or less centered in the telescope’s eyepiece.

To automatically track objects, you first need to learn how to set the polar home

position of your telescope and then how to select „Targets: Astronomical“ from the

Handbox Setup menu.

Setting the Polar Home Position

1. Level the mount, if necessary, by adjusting the length of the three tripod

legs.

2. Unlock the R.A. Lock (17, Fig. 1a). Rotate the Optical Tube Assembly until

the counterweight shaft is pointing straight down over the mount. See Figs.

16a and 16b.

3. If you have not already done so, lift the telescope assembly and turn it so the

tripod leg below the Fine Azimuth Control Knobs (11, Fig. 1a) approximately

faces North (or South in the Southern Hemisphere). Release the Dec. lock

(1, Fig. 1a) of the tripod, so that the optical tube may be rotated. Rotate the

optical tube until it points North (or South in the Southern Hemisphere). Then

re-tighten the lock. Locate Polaris, the North Star, if necessary, to use as an

accurate reference for due North (or Sigma Octantis in the Southern

Hemisphere). See LOCATING THE CELESTIAL POLE, page 30.

4. If you have not already done so, determine the latitude of your observing

location. See APPENDIX C: LATITUDE CHART, page 41, for a list of latitudes of

major cities around the world. Use the latitude T-handle screws (10, Fig. 1a)

to tilt the telescope mount so that the pointer indicates the correct latitude of

your viewing location on the latitude dial (12, Fig. 1a). See step 4, page 10

for more information.

5. If steps 1 through 4 above were performed with reasonable accuracy, your

telescope is now sufficiently well-aligned to Polaris, the North Star, for you

to begin making observations.

Once the mount has been placed in the polar home position as described above,

the latitude angle need not be adjusted again, unless you move to a different

geographical location (i.e., a different latitude).

Important Note: For almost all astronomical observing requirements,

approximate settings of the telescope’s latitude and other settings are

acceptable. Do not allow undue attention to precise settings of polar

home position of the telescope to interfere with your basic enjoyment

of the instrument.

Note: If you wish to

perform a more precise

polar alignment for the

purposes of astrophotog-

raphy, see „Appendix B,“

page 31.

Fig. 16a: The polar home position,

side view. Inset: Line up triangles

on the mount.

Fig. 16b: The polar home position,

front view.

Align the

tripod

adjust-

ment

OTA points

north

Counterweight

pointing

downwards

North

Instruction Manual

Observe a Star using the Automatic Tracking Feature

In this example, the arrow keys are used to find a star, and then the tracking

capability automatically keeps the star centered in your telescope‘s eyepiece.

1. If you have activated the arrow keys and completed setting the telescope

in the polar home position, the display now reads „Align: Easy.“ Go to Step

If you have not used the handbox yet or have just plugged it into the HBX

port, perform the procedures described in

ACTIVATE THE ARROW KEYS,

page 9 and

SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION, page 10. Then go to

Step 2 of this procedure.

If you have been using the handbox to perform other functions and the

display does not read „Align: Easy,“ follow these steps:

a. Press MODE (3, Fig. 2) repeatedly until „Select Item: Object“ displays.

b. Press the Scroll Up key (7, Fig. 2) once. „Select Item: Setup“ displays.

c. Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2). „Setup: Align“ displays. Go to Step 3.

2. Press MODE (3, Fig. 2). „Setup: Align“ displays.

3. Press the Scroll Down key repeatedly until „Setup: Targets“ displays. Press

ENTER (2, Fig. 2).

4. „Targets: Terrestrial“ displays. Press one of the Scroll keys once (7, Fig. 2).

„Targets: Astronomical“ now displays.

5. Use the arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to locate a bright star in the night sky. Use the

viewfinder to help line up on the star. You may choose any unobstructed,

bright star for the purposes of this example. Use the arrow keys to center

the star in the eyepiece. Once the star is centered, press ENTER to select

„Astronomical.“ The telescope‘s tracking motors then engage. It may take

the tracking motors several seconds to begin tracking. When they do,

it may be necessary to once again center the star in the eyepiece. The

tracking motors will then keep any star you choose in the center of the

eyepiece.

6. Press and hold the ENTER key for a few seconds and then release to

stop tracking. You may also stop tracking by choosing „Terrestrial“ in the

Targets menu.

Important Note: While

performing the automatic

tracking procedure, you

may use the Arrow keys

to move the telescope or

you may also loosen the

telescope locks (1 and

17, Fig. 1a) and move

the optical tube manually

to locate another object

in the sky. The tracking

function will continue to

be operational and the

telescope will track the

new object.

Tip:

You can change the tele-

scope‘s slew rate while

centering an object in

the eyepiece. See SLEW

SPEEDS, page 9 for

more information.

Which One’s the Alignment Star?

If the handbox has chosen an alignment star with which you are unfamiliar, how

can you be sure if the star in your eyepiece is really the alignment star?

The rule of thumb is that an alignment star is usually the brightest star in that

area of the sky. When you view an alignment star in an eyepiece, it stands out

dramatically from the rest of the stars in that portion of the sky.

If you have an obstruction, such as a tree or a building blocking your view of

the alignment star, or if you have any doubts at all about the star that has been

chosen, no problem. Just press the Scroll Down key and the handbox will find

another star to align upon.

Instruction Manual

Using GO TO capabilities

Before you can use GO TO capabilities, you must first:

• Learnhowthekeysmovethroughthemenus

• Initializethecomputercontrol

• Placethetelescopeinthepolarhomeposition,ifyouhavenotalreadydone

so (see

SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION, page 10)

• Select„Align:Easy“fromthemenus

Moving through the menus

The menus are organized for quick and easy navigation.

• Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) to go deeper into menu levels.

• Press MODE (3, Fig. 2) to move back toward the top menu level.

• Press the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to move up and down through the options

available for each menu level.

• Press the arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to enter characters.

• Press the number keys (6, Fig. 2) to enter digits.

Initializing the handbox

This exercise describes how to initialize the handbox.

Note: Normally, you will enter the Time and Date at the beginning of

each observing session, but you will only perform the full Initialization

procedure (i.e., entering the Location information and selecting the

model number as well as entering the Time and Date) the first time

you use the handbox or after performing a Reset.

1. Make sure that the telescope is assembled correctly, and that the batteries

are installed as described previously.

2. Make sure the On/Off switch (D, Fig. 1d) is in the Off position. Plug the cord

of the handbox into the HBX port (A, Fig. 1d), as previously described. Push

the On/Off switch to the On position.

Press „0“ to enter the Alignment menu after the copyright message disappeared.

4. The Getting Started menu displays a scrolling message with two choices:

a. Press and hold down the ? key (8, Fig. 2) for about 2 seconds for infor-

mation on the handbox functions and controls. When finished, press

MODE (3, Fig. 2) to exit Help, or,

b. Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) to bypass the Help tutorial and continue with

Initialization.

5. The handbox prompts you to enter the current date:

a. Press the Numbers keys (6, Fig. 2) to enter numbers 0 through 9. After

the desired number is displayed, use the Right Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to

move the cursor from one number to the next in the day display (or use

the Left Arrow key to move in the other direction across the display, if

necessary).

b. Use the Right Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor to the month. Use

the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to cycle through the list of months. When the

current month is displayed, use the Right Arrow (5, Fig. 2) to move the

cursor to the year.

c. Use Number keys (6, Fig. 2) to enter all four digits of the current year.

Use the Right Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor from one number

to the next.

d. Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) when the entire date has been entered.

6. The handbox then prompts you to enter the current time. Use the Number

keys to enter digits. The Right and Left Arrow keys move the cursor across

the screen as described in the previous step. Enter the current time (use a

„0“ for the first digit if less than 10). Use the Up Arrow key (7, Fig. 2) to scroll

through „AM,“ „PM,‘“ or „blank.“ The „blank“ option (screen displays neither

AM nor PM) selects the 24-hour (i.e., military time) clock. Then press ENTER

to start the clock.

7. The handbox then prompts you to enter the status of Daylight Savings Time.

Press one of the Scroll keys to toggle between the YES/NO settings. Select

the desired setting by pressing ENTER.

Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by a different name

in various areas of the world.

Definition:

Initialization is a proce-

dure that ensures that the

ahndbox operates cor-

rectly. When you first use

the handbox, it doesn‘t yet

know where the observa-

tion location site is or the

time or date of the obser-

vation session.

You will enter information,

such as the current time

and date, and observation

location.

The handbox uses this

information to precisely

calculate the location of

celestial objects (such as

stars and planets) and to

automatically move your

telescope correctly for

various operations.

Tip:

When multiple choices are

available within a menu

option, the current option

is usually displayed first

and highlighted by a right

pointing arrow (>).

Instruction Manual

8. If you have previously entered the Country/State and City of your observing site

(as described in ACTIVATE THE ARROW KEYS, page 9), go to step 9. If you have

not entered this information, perform the following steps:

a. The handbox prompts you to enter the Country or State (listed alphabetical-

ly) of the observing site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the database

of countries, states, and provinces. Press ENTER when the correct location

displays.

b. The handbox then prompts you to enter the nearest city (listed alphabeti-

cally) to the observing site. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the data-

base of cities. Press ENTER when the correct city appears on screen.

9. The handbox then prompts you to enter the model number of your telescope.

Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the list of telescope models. Press ENTER

when the correct model appears on the display.

Note: The handbox only prompts you to enter Country/State and City and

model number the first time it is activated. These prompts do not appear

again, unless you reset the handbox (see

RESET, page 24). However, if

you need to enter this information (e.g., you change your geographic

location), you can do so by using the Site option of the Setup menu. See

ADDING OBSERVING SITES, page 25, for detailed information.

10. System Initialization is complete and the display reads „Align: Easy.“ After per-

forming the Initialization procedure, you MUST train your drive.

Training the Drive

Next, train the drive using the handbox. Perform this procedure the first time you

use the handbox with your telescope, after a Reset, or if you are experiencing any

pointing accuracy problems. Training the drive gives your telescope a higher degree

of pointing accuracy.

Note: Use a terrestrial object, such as a telephone pole or lamp post, to

train the drive. It is best to perform this procedure during the daytime.

1. If you have just performed INITIALIZING HANDBOX, go to step 2.

If you have not yet initialized the handbox, go to page 12 and follow the procedure

described in INITIALIZING HANDBOX.Then go to step 2 of this procedure.

2. Keep pressing MODE until „Select Item: Object“ displays.

3. Press the Scroll Up key once. „Select: Item: Setup“ displays.

4. Press ENTER to access the Setup menu. „Setup: Align“ displays.

5. Keep pressing the Scroll Up key until „Setup: Telescope“ displays.

6. Press ENTER to access the Telescope menu. „Telescope: Focal Length“ dis-

plays.

7. Keep pressing the Scroll Down key until „Telescope: Train Drive“ displays.

8. Press ENTER to choose the Train Drive option. „Train Drive: Az/RA Train“ dis-

plays.

9. Press ENTER to begin Az/R.A. (Right Ascension) training.

10. „Drive Setup: For this....“ begins to scroll across the display. This is a reminder

to point your telescope at a terrestrial object. Loosen the R.A. and Dec. locks (1

and 17, Fig. 1a) and point the telescope at an object. Then re-tighten the locks.

Press ENTER when the telescope is pointing at the desired terrestrial object.

11. „Center reference object“ displays. Center your target object using the Arrow

keys. When centered, press ENTER.

12. The telescope slews and „Press > until it is centered“ displays. Press the Right

Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER.

Note: If you pass the object when pressing the Arrow key, you cannot

slew the telescope back in the other direction. Press MODE until „Train

Drive: Az/RA Train“ displays and begin the procedure over again.

13. The telescope slews and „Press < until it is centered“ displays. Press the Left

Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER.

14. „Train Drive: Az/RA Train“ displays again. Press the Scroll Down key and „Train

Drive: Alt/Dec Train“ displays. Press ENTER to begin Alt/Dec. (Declination) train-

ing.

15. „Drive Setup: For this....“ begins to scroll across the display. This is another

reminder to point your telescope at a terrestrial object. Loosen the R.A. and Dec.

Instruction Manual

Tip:

The GO TO key also

allows you to perform a

„spiral search.“ A spiral

search is useful when the

telescope slews to an

object, but that object is

not visible in the eyepiece

after the telescope finishes

its search. (This some-

times occurs during an

alignment procedure.)

Press GO TO when the

telescope stops slewing.

The telescope begins to

move in a spiral pattern

at a very slow speed (you

may change the slew

speed if you wish—see

SLEW SPEEDS, page 9)

around the search area.

Look through the eyepiece

and when the object does

become visible, press

MODE to stop the spiral

search. Then use the

Arrow keys to center the

object.

Note: Three other align-

ment methods, One-Star,

Two-Star and Three-Star

Polar alignment, are

available as options in the

„Setup: Align“ menu. See

page 30 and page 31 for

more information.

locks (1 and 17, Fig. 1d) and point the telescope at an object. Then re-tighten

the locks. Press ENTER when the telescope is pointing at the desired ter-

restrial object.

16. „Center reference object“ displays. Center your target object using the Arrow

keys. When centered, press ENTER.

17. The telescope slews and „Press

until it is centered“ displays. Press the Up

Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER.

18. The telescope slews and „Press V until it is centered“ displays. Press the

Down Arrow key until the target is centered again. Then press ENTER. „Train

Drive: Alt/Dec Train“ displays again. You have now completed this proce-

dure. Continue onto the next procedure, EASY ALIGNMENT.

Easy Alignment

After completing the „Train the Drive“ procedure, align your telescope using the

handbox. The fastest and easiest way to start observing with Go To capabilities

is to align your telescope using the Easy Alignment.

1. Keep pressing MODE until „Select Item: Setup“ is displayed. Press ENTER.

2. „Setup: Align“ displays. Press ENTER. „Align: Easy“ displays. Press

ENTER.

3. „German North“ displays and a scrolling message prompts you to set

your telescope in the polar home position. See SETTING THE POLAR HOME

POSITION, page 10, for a description of this procedure. Press ENTER after

you finish the procedure.

4. The handbox then chooses two stars from its database to align upon. When

the telescope slews to the star for alignment, it may not appear in the field

of view in the eyepiece. Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope until the

star is visible and centered in the eyepiece. The alignment star should be

easily recognized and be the brightest star in the area of the sky where the

telescope is pointing. When the star is centered, press ENTER. Repeat the

procedure for the second alignment star.

Note: The handbox locates alignment stars based on the date, time,

and location entered. The alignment stars may change from night to

night. All that is required is for the observer to center the selected star

in the eyepiece when prompted.

Go To Saturn

After performing the Train the Drive and the Easy Alignment procedures, the

motor drive begins operating and the telescope is aligned for a night of viewing.

Objects in the eyepiece should maintain (i.e., track) their position even though the

Earth is rotating beneath the stars.

Important Note: Once aligned, only use the menus or Arrow keys to

move the telescope. Do not loosen the telescope locks, or move the

base manually, or alignment will be lost.

This exercise demonstrates how to select an object for viewing from the hand-

box’s database, i.e., Saturn. Note that Saturn is not visible all year long and it

may be necessary for you to choose another object from handbox‘s database.

However, the procedure will be identical to the one used for observing Saturn.

1. After the telescope is aligned, “Select Item: Object” displays. Press ENTER.

If “Select Item: Object” is not currently displayed, press MODE repeatedly

until it displays, then press ENTER.

2. “Object: Solar System” displays. Press ENTER.

3. “Solar System: Mercury” displays. Use the Scroll Down key until “Solar

System: Saturn” displays.

4. Press ENTER. “Calculating” displays. Then “Saturn” and a set of coordinates

displays. Saturn’s (and other planets’) coordinates change throughout the

year.

5. Press GO TO. “Saturn: Slewing...” displays and the telescope slews until

it finds Saturn. You may need to use the Arrow keys to center Saturn pre-

cisely in the eyepiece. The handbox then automatically slews (moves) the

telescope so that it tracks Saturn (or whatever other object you may have

chosen). Saturn remains centered in the eyepiece.

Instruction Manual

Using the Guided Tour

This example demonstrates using “Tonight’s Best” Guided Tour.

1. After observing Saturn, keep pressing MODE until “Select Item: Object” displays

again.

2. Press the Scroll Down key twice. “Select Item: Guided Tour” displays.

3. Press ENTER. “Guided Tour: Tonight’s Best” displays. Press ENTER.

Note: If you wish to try out other Guided Tours, press the Scroll Down

key to scroll through other tour choices. When the tour you wish to select

displays, press ENTER.

4. “Tonight’s Best: Searching...” displays. After calculating, “Tonight’s Best:

Jupiter” displays.

Note: Different objects may be displayed on a tour list on any given

night.

Press ENTER to display information about the object. Press GO TO to move the

telescope to the object.

5. Press MODE to return to the Tour list. Press the Scroll keys to scroll through the

list. Press ENTER when you find the next object you wish to observe.

6. Press and hold down MODE for two seconds to leave the Guided Tour menu.

Fig. 17: The planet Saturn

is over 800 million miles from

the Earth.

Instruction Manual

It is important to understand that menu selections are set in a loop (Fig. 19

This

means that pressing the Scroll Down key (7, Fig. 2) cycles down through all the

available options within a given category, then returns to the first option. The Scroll

Up key (7, Fig. 2) cycles up through the options in the opposite order. Note that

this capability is a quick way to get to an option that is near the bottom of the list.

The following example demonstrates this capability.

Example:

To navigate to the “Select Item: Setup” menu option when the “Select Item:

Object” menu is displayed:

1. Press the Scroll Down key five times or the Scroll Up key once.

The screen in Fig. 20 displays two lines of information. The top line shows the

current menu level. The second line displays an option which may be selected

within that menu level. Some options are choices that select the next menu level

down. The Scroll keys move up and down within the list of available options,

showing one option at a time.

When the desired option is displayed on the second line, press the ENTER key

to choose that option and move down one menu level.

Press the MODE key to leave a level; e.g., the wrong menu option is chosen.

Important Note: No matter how many levels into the handbox are

traveled, each press of the MODE key moves up a level, until the top

level, „Select Item,“ is reached. Once in the Select Item level, press

MODE to return to the topmost level, „Select Item: Object.“

Navigation Exercise

To demonstrate how the handbox menu structure works, the following exercise

calculates Sunset time so an evening observing session can be planned.

Note: Before proceeding with this exercise, the handbox must be

properly initialized and aligned (see pages 12 and 14).

To Calculate Sunset time:

1. Press the MODE key several times, until “Select Item: Object” is displayed.

2. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the “Event” option in the “Select

Item” menu.

3. Press the ENTER key to choose the „Event“ option and move down a level.

„Event: Sunrise“ is displayed.

4. Press the Scroll Down key once to display the „Sunset“ option in the Event

menu.

Fig. 18: The handbox main menus.The six primary categories listed in the Select Item

menu of the handbox.



Object

Event 

Guided Tours

Glossary

Utilities

Setup



Date

Time

Daylight Saving

Telescope

Targets

etc.

Setup

Align



Fig. 20: Menu options

display on the second

line. Use the Scroll keys

to move up or down

through the list of options.

Press ENTER to select the

desired option.

Fig. 19: Menus set in a

loop.

Basic Handbox operations

Instruction Manual

Tip:

When multiple choices are

available within a menu

option, the current option

is usually displayed first

and highlighted by a right

pointing arrow (>).

5. Press the ENTER key to choose the „Sunset“ option and move down

another level.

6. The handbox calculates the Sunset time based on the current date,

time, and location. The handbox then displays the results of the calcula-

tion.

7. Press MODE once to start moving back up through the handbox levels.

The first level up is the Event menu.

8. Press MODE again to move up another level. This is the top level,

„Select Item.“

9. Press MODE again to return to the starting point of „Select Item:

Object.“

Entering Data into the handbox

• Use the Number keys to enter digits.

• Use the Arrow keys to scroll through numbers 0 through 9 and the

alphabet. The Down Arrow key begins with the letter „A;“ the Up Arrow

key begins with digit „9.“

• To move the cursor across the display:

Use the Right or Left Arrow key (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor from one

number to the next in the display.

• Press ENTER when the desired information has been entered.

Navigating through the handbox

Handbox‘s menus are organized for quick and easy navigation:

• Press ENTER (2, Fig. 2) to go deeper into handbox‘s menu levels.

• Press MODE (3, Fig. 2) to move back toward the top menu level.

• Press the Scroll keys (7, Fig. 2) to move up and down through the

options or lists.

• Press the Arrow keys (5, Fig. 2) to move the cursor across the display.

• Press the Help (?) key (8, Fig. 2) to access on-line help.

Instruction Manual

Solar System

 Mercury

 Etc.

 Moon

 Asteroids

 Comets

Constellations

 Andromeda

 Etc.

Deep Sky

 Named Object

 Galaxies

 Nebulae

 Planetary Neb.

 Etc.

Star

 Named 

 SAO Catalog

 Double

 Variable

 Etc.

Satellite

 Select

 Add

 Delete

 Edit

User Objects

 Select

 Add

 Delete

 Edit

Landmarks

 Select

 Add

 Delete

Identify

Browse

 Start Search

 Edit Parameters



�

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

Moon Phases

 Next Full Moon

 Next New Moon

 Next 1st Qtr

 Next 3rd Qtr

Meteor Showers

 Quadrantids

 Lyrids

 Eta Aquarids

 Delta Aquarids

 Perseids

 Orionids

 Taurids

 Leonids

 Geminids

 Ursids

Solar Eclipses

Lunar Eclipses

Min. of Algol

Autumn Equinox

Vernal Equinox

Winter Solstice

Summer Solstice

Tour Objects

A...

 Accretion Disk

 Etc.

B...

C...

D...

E...

F...

G...

H...

I...

J...

K...

L...

M...

N...

O...

P...

Q...

R...

S...

T...

U...

V...

W...

X...

Y...

Z...

Timer

 Set

 Start & Stop

Alarm

 Set

 On & Off

Eyepiece Calc.

 Field of View

 Magnification

 Suggest

Display Options

 Sun Warning

 Getting Started

Brightness Adj.

Contrast Adj.

Beep

Battery Alarm

Landmark Survey

Sleep Scope

Park Scope

Cord Wrap

Align

 Easy

 One Star

 Two Star

 Three-Star

Date

Time

Daylight Saving

Telescope

 Telescope Model

 Focal Length

 Az/RA Ratio

 Alt/Dec Ratio

 Az/RA Percent

 Alt/Dec Percent



 Train Drive

 Tracking Rate

 Reverse L/R

 Reverse Up/Dn

 Quiet Slew

 Max Elevation

 Min AOS

 Calibrate Motor

 Smart Drive

 PEC Train 

 PEC Update

 PEC Erase 

 PEC On/Off

 High Precision

Targets

 Astronomical

 Terrestrial

Site

 Select

 Add

 Delete 

 Edit

Owner Info

Clone

Download

Statistics

Reset



Select Item:

Object

Select Item:

Event

Select Item:

Guided Tour

Select Item:

Glossary

Select Item:

Utilities

Select Item:

Setup



 Tonight's Best

 Star Groups

 Stars of the Night



Fig. 21 The Complete Handbox Menu Structure.

Handbox menus

Instruction Manual

Object Menu

Almost all observing with the handbox is performed using the Object menu category.

(Note: Exceptions include Guided Tour and Landmark Survey.

)

See GO TO SATURN,

page 18, for an example of observing using the Object menu. Also see USING THE

GUIDED TOUR, page 19.

The handbox contains many libraries of viewable objects, such as stars, planets,

comets, nebulae and so forth. When one of these objects is selected from a library,

the handbox moves your telescope (if properly aligned) and points it at the selected

object.

The Object Menu options include:

Solar System is a library of the eight planets (Earth is not included) in order out from

the Sun, followed by the Moon, asteroids, and comets.

Constellation is a library of all 88 Northern and Southern Hemisphere constellations.

When this menu option is chosen and a constellation name appears on the first

line of the screen, press GO TO once to change the second line to the name of the

brightest star in the constellation. Press GO TO a second time to slew the telescope

to that star. Use the Scroll keys to cycle through the list of stars in the constellation,

from brightest to dimmest.

Deep Sky is a library of objects outside our Solar System such as nebulae, star

clusters, galaxies, and quasars.

Star is a library of stars listed in different categories such as named, double, vari-

able, or nearby.

Satellite is a library of Earth-orbiting objects such as the International Space Station,

the Hubble Space Telescope, Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, and geo-

synchronous orbit satellites.

User Objects allows the user to define and store in memory deep-sky objects

of specific interest that are not currently in the handbox libraries. See Using the

Handbox to Find Objects Not in the Libraries, page 26 for more information.

Landmarks stores the location of terrestrial points of interest in the permanent

handbox database.

Important Note: To use the Landmark function, the telescope must be

located and aligned exactly as when the landmark was added to the

database.

• Select: To select a Landmark already in the database (see

ADD below),

choose the „Select“ option and scroll through the list. Press ENTER to select a

Landmark, then press GO TO and the telescope slews to the object.

• Add: To add a Landmark, choose the „Add“ option. Enter a name for the

Landmark. Locate and center the Landmark in the eyepiece, then press

ENTER.

Identify is an exciting feature for an observer who wants to scan the night sky and

start exploring. After the telescope has been properly aligned, use the handbox

Arrow keys to move about in the sky. Then follow this procedure:

Important Note: Only use the Arrow keys to move the telescope during

the Identify procedure. Do not loosen the telescope locks or move the

base or alignment is lost.

1. When a desired object is visible in the eyepiece, keep pressing MODE until the

“Select Item: Object” menu is displayed. Press ENTER to select this menu.

2. Scroll through the Object menu options until the “Object: Identify” screen

appears.

3. Press ENTER. The handbox searches the libraries for the identity of the object

being observed.

4. If the telescope is not directly on a handbox library object, the nearest library

object is located and displayed on the screen. Press GO TO and the telescope

slews to that object.

Browse allows you to search the library for objects with certain parameters, much

like a search engine. „Edit Parameters“ lets you set various parameters for the

Want to learn more about

Landmarks?

See page 27.

Want to learn more about

observing satellites?

See page 27.

Menus

Instruction Manual

search, such as: Object Type, Minimum Elevation, Largest, etc. Once you have

set the parameters of the search, select „Start Search“ and press ENTER. The

handbox will display the results of the search.

Event Menu

The Event menu provides access to dates and times of astronomical events. The

Event database includes:

Sunrise and Sunset calculates the time that the Sun rises or sets on the cur-

rent date. Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into the

“Setup: Date” menu.

Moonrise and Moonset calculates the time that the Moon rises or sets on the

current date. Find rise and set times for other dates by entering a new date into

the “Setup: Date” menu.

Moon Phases displays the date and time of the next Full, New, 1st Quarter, and

3rd Quarter Moon.

Meteor Showers provides information

on upcoming meteor showers, such as

the Perseids, the Leonids, etc. Also lists the dates of the showers and when they

reach maximum.

Note: Meteors are fast moving objects that cover large areas of the sky

and are usually best observed with the naked eye.

Solar Eclipse lists upcoming Solar Eclipses, including the date and type (total,

annular, or partial) of eclipse, and the location and time of the first and last

contacts of the Moon‘s shadow. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display

the available data. Remember, never use a telescope to look at the Sun! See

WARNING! to the left.

Lunar Eclipse lists upcoming Lunar Eclipses, including the date and type (total,

partial, penumbral) of eclipse. Use the Scroll Up and Down keys to display the

available data.

Min. (Minimum) of Algol is the minimum brightness of the dramatic eclipsing

binary star system, Algol. It is relatively close at a distance of 100 light years.

Every 2.8 days during a 10-hour period, Algol undergoes a major change in

apparent magnitude as one of the two stars passes behind the other. The com-

bined magnitude of the two stars thus dips from +2.1 to a minimum of +3.4

halfway through the eclipse as the second star is hidden. The handbox calculates

minimum magnitude time at mid-eclipse.

Autumn and Vernal Equinox calculates the time and date of the fall or spring

equinox of the current year.

Winter and Summer Solstice calculates the time and date of the winter or sum-

mer solstice of the current year.

Glossary Menu

The Glossary menu provides an alphabetical listing of definitions and descrip-

tions for common astronomical terms and handbox functions. Access directly

through the Glossary menu or through hypertext words embedded in the hand-

box. A hypertext word is any word in [brackets], usually found when using the

handbox help function or when reading a scrolling message such as a descrip-

tion of a planet or star. Press ENTER whenever a hypertext word is on screen

and the handbox goes to the glossary entry for that word.

To access directly from the Glossary menu, use the Scroll keys to scroll through

the alphabet. Press ENTER on the desired letter. Scroll to the desired entry and

then press ENTER to read the description.

Utilities Menu

The Utilities menu provides access to several extra features within the handbox,

including a countdown timer and an alarm. The Utilities functions include:

Timer selects a countdown timer. This feature is useful for functions such as

astrophotography and tracking satellites. To use the Timer, press ENTER, then

choose “Set” or “Start/Stop.“

•

Set: Enter the time to be counted down, in hours, minutes, and seconds, then

press ENTER.

• Start/Stop: Activates the timer set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle

between ON and OFF. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the

WARNING!

Never use

a tele-

scope to

look at the Sun!

Looking at or near

the Sun will cause

instant and irrevers-

ible damage to your

eye. Eye damage is

often painless, so

there is no warn-

ing to the observer

that damage has

occurred until it

is too late. Do not

point the telescope

or its viewfinder at

or near the Sun. Do

not look through

the telescope or its

viewfinder as it is

moving.

Children

should always have

adult supervision

while observing.

Instruction Manual

timer. When the timer runs out, four beeps sound and the timer is deacti-

vated.

Alarm selects a time for an alarm signal as a reminder. To use the Alarm, press

ENTER, then choose „Set“ or „Start/Stop.“

•

Set: Enter the time of day for the alarm to sound, in hours, minutes, and sec-

onds, then press ENTER.

• Start/Stop: Activates the alarm set previously. Use the Scroll keys to toggle

between on and off. When ON is displayed, press ENTER to activate the

alarm. When the alarm time arrives, the handbox beeps. Press ENTER to

deactivate the alarm.

Eyepiece Calc calculates information about an eyepiece for the specific tele-

scope to which the handbox is connected.

• Field of View: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eye-

piece is selected, the field of view is calculated.

• Magnification: Scroll through a list of available eyepieces. When an eyepiece

is selected, the magnification is calculated.

• Suggest: The handbox calculates and suggests the best eyepiece for view-

ing, based on the telescope and the object being viewed.

Display Options enables or disables handbox’s two initial displays. If both dis-

plays are disabled, the handbox begins with the Date display.

• Sun Warning: Turns the “Sun Warning” message on or off.

• Getting Started: Turns the “Getting Started” message on or off.

Brightness Adj: Adjusts the brightness of the display using the Scroll keys. When

complete, press ENTER.

Contrast Adj: Adjusts the contrast of the display using the Scroll keys. When complete,

press ENTER.

The Contrast Adjustment feature is usually only required in very cold

weather.

Beep: Turns the beep on or off.

Landmark Survey automatically slews the telescope to all user-defined land-

marks with a short pause at each location. Press ENTER to start the survey.

While a slew is in progress, press any key to skip that object and go to the next

landmark on the list. To observe a landmark for a longer period, press MODE

when paused on the object to stop the survey. Press ENTER to restart the sur-

vey at the first object on the list.

Sleep Scope is a power saving option that shuts down the handbox and the

telescope without forgetting its alignment. With „Sleep Scope“ selected, press

ENTER to activate the Sleep function. The handbox goes dark, but the internal

clock keeps running. Press any key, except ENTER, to re-activate the handbox

and the telescope.

Park Scope is designed for a telescope that is not moved between observ-

ing sessions. Align the telescope one time, then use this function to park the

telescope. Next time it is powered up, enter the correct date and time – no

alignment is required. Pressing ENTER causes the telescope to move to its pre-

determined Park position. Once parked, the screen prompts to turn off power.

Important Note: When the „Park Scope“ option is chosen and the

display prompts you to turn off the telescope‘s power, the handbox

is unable to be returned to operation without turning the power off

and then back on.

Cord Wrap moves the telescope in such a way as to prevent the cords and

cables attached to your telescope assembly from getting wound around the

assembly and tangled as the telescope slews to objects. This menu is set to „On“

and cannot be changed by the user.

Want to learn more about

Landmarks?

See page 27.

Tip:

If you notice that the text is

„smearing“ on the handbox

display, use the contrast

adjustment menu.

Instruction Manual

Setup Menu

The Setup menu’s primary functions are for setting up telescope alignment.

However, there are numerous other features available within the Setup menu,

including:

Date changes the date used by the handbox. This function is useful to check

events in the past or future. For example, set the Date menu for a day three

months in the future. Then check the „Select Item: Event“ menu for the Sunset

time on that date. See

EVENT MENU, page 20.

Time changes the time entered into the handbox. Setting the correct time is criti-

cal for the handbox to properly calculate locations and events. Time may be set

to 24-hour mode (military time) by selecting the „blank“ option (i.e., no option is

displayed) which follows the „AM“ and „PM“ options.

Daylight Saving is used to enable or disable Daylight Savings time.

Note: Daylight Savings Time may be referred to by different names in

various areas of the world. Check local time to verify.

Telescope accesses several options, including:

• Telescope Model: Allows you to select the telescope model connected to

the handbox.

• Focal Length: Displays the focal length of the selected telescope.

• Az/R.A. Ratio and Alt/Dec. Ratio: The Az (Azimuth) or the R.A. (Right

Ascension) ratio and Alt (Altitude) or Dec. (Declination) ratio refers to the

gears of the telescope‘s motors. Do not alter these numbers.

• Az/R.A. Percent: This option allows you to change the AZ (azimuth) or R.A.

(right ascension) backlash, i.e., the way the Arrow keys move the telescope

along the azimuth or R.A. axes. If you enter a value near 100, the telescope

tube responds more quickly (it responds immediately at 100%) as you hold

down an Arrow key and also slews (moves) the tube more quickly. If you

enter a value near 0, it takes longer for the tube to respond as you hold down

an Arrow key and also slews the tube more slowly. Experiment with this

option. Try changing the percent value until you get a „feel“ for the Arrow

keys that is comfortable for you.

•

 Alt/Dec. Percent: The option operates identical to the Az/R.A. Percent

option (see above), but allows you to change the altitude or declination

backlash, i.e., the way the telescope responds to the Arrow keys when mov-

ing along the altitude or declination axes.

• Train Drive: Trains the Altitude/Declination and Azimuth/R.A. motors to

locate objects with more precision.

• Tracking Rate: Changes the speed at which the telescope tracks targets in

the sky.

a. Sidereal: The default tracking setting for the handbox; sidereal rate is

the standard rate at which stars move from East to West across the sky

due to the rotation of the Earth.

Observing Considerations

•Trytopickanobservingsiteawayfromstreetandhouselightsandcarhead-

lights. While this is not always possible, the darker the site, the better.

•Giveyoureyesabouttenminutestoadjusttothedarknessbeforeobserving.

Give your eyes a rest from observing every ten or fifteen minutes to relieve

eyestrain.

•Trynottouseastandardflashlight.AlotofobserversuseredLEDflashlights

or tape red cellophane over their flashlights to use for setup and map reading

so they don’t have to continually readjust their eyes to the darkness. Be careful

not to shine bright lights if there are other observers in the area. Do not shine

a flashlight into the telescope while someone is observing!

•Dresswarmly.Itgetschillywhenyou’resittingforprolongedperiods.

•Practice setting up your equipment during the day or in a lighted area to

become familiar with it before going to a dark site.

•

Know your observing site. If you’re going to try out an unfamiliar site, check it out

in the daylight for possible obstructions and pitfalls.

Instruction Manual

b. Lunar: Choose this option to properly track the Moon over long

observing sessions.

c. Custom: Allows entry of user-defined tracking rates.

• Reverse L/R: Reverses the functions of the Left and Right Arrow keys (i.e.,

the Right key moves the telescope to the left).

• Reverse U/D: Reverses the functions of the Up and Down Arrow keys (i.e.,

the Up key moves the telescope down).

• Quiet Slew: Sets the maximum slew rate to 1.5° for quieter operation.

• Max Elevation: Allows you to enter a value in degrees that sets a limit as

to how far the optical tube can swing upward during a programmed slew.

(Note that it does not prevent you from performing a manual slew past this

limit.) This is useful when you have a camera or other peripheral attached

to the telescope — you can prevent it from striking the telescope base.

• Min AOS (Acquisition of Signal): Allows you enter a value in degrees. This

value represents the altitude at which your telescope begins to slew when

acquiring a satellite track. This is useful when you are observing satel-

lites, but a tall tree or building is obstructing the telescope. For example,

you might begin to track the satellite at 15° altitude, instead of 5°. See

OBSEVING SATELLITES, page 34, for more information about satellites.

• Calibrate Motor: If the telescope motors appear to have a problem, use

this option to retest the motors before performing a Reset. This option is

also used if a handbox unit is moved between telescopes, to match the

handbox to the new telescope. To calibrate the motors, select this option

and press ENTER.

• Smart Drive: Allows you to perform periodic error correction (PEC) on the

R.A. drive worm gear. Must be performed with a high-power reticle (eg.,

9mm).

• High Precision: If High Precision is turned on, when looking for a faint

celestial object (i.e., a nebula or galaxy), handbox first slews to a nearby

bright star and displays „ENTER to Sync.“ Center the star in the eyepiece,

then press ENTER. At that point the telescope has a high precision align-

ment to that part of the sky and it then slews to the object that was origi-

nally requested.

Targets switches between Astronomical targets and Terrestrial targets. If

„Astronomical“ is selected, the telescope tracking motor is activated and

any object you observe will remain centered in the eyepiece. If „Terrestrial“

is selected, the tracking motor is turned off. To learn how to track an object

automatically, see page 16.

Site provides access to several options including:

• Select: Displays the currently selected observing site. Use the Scroll keys

to cycle through all available sites (see ADD below). Press ENTER when

the site you wish to select displays. Use this option when you move to a

different geographic location.

• Add: Allows you to add new observing sites to the database (up to six sites

may be stored). Scroll through the list of Countries/States. Press ENTER

when the site you wish to add displays. Then choose the desired city in the

same manner.

• Delete: Deletes a stored site from the database.

• Edit: Edits a selected site, including: the name, latitude, longitude, and

time zone. Time Zone refers to the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) time zone

shift. Users West of Greenwich, England use “-” hours, East of Greenwich

use “+” hours. For the United States, look up the time zone shift in Table

Note: The handbox compensates for daylight savings time,

if selected. See SETUP MENU: DAYLIGHT SAVING, page 22.

Owner Info accesses the owner information menu, including:

• Name: Users may enter both their first and last names using the Up and

Down Arrow keys to cycle through the alphabet. Use the Right and Left

Arrow keys to move through the text. Press ENTER when the entry is com-

plete.

Tip:

If the „ENTER to Sync“

feature is accessed by

mistake (holding the

ENTER key for more than

2 seconds), press MODE

to return to the previous

screen.

Want to learn more about

adding and editing

sites? See page 25.

Tip:

The Reverse L/R and U/D

functions are useful if

you are observing in the

Southern hemisphere.

Time Zone Shift

Universal-Time 0 Hours

Central European

Time +1 Hour

Eastern European

Time + 2

Hours

Table 1: Time Zone Shift.

Instruction Manual

• Address: Use the Up and Down Arrow keys to enter your street address,

city, state, and zip code. Press ENTER when the entry is complete.

Download & Clone: These are service menus for workshop purposes only.

Statistics provides basic statistical data about the handbox, including:

• Characters Free: Shows how much room is available in user-defined object

memory.

• Version: Shows the current version of the handbox software.

Reset completely resets the handbox. Most values entered into the menus revert

to factory defaults. The handbox requires initialization after a Reset before pro-

ceeding with observations. See

INITIALIZING THE HANDBOX, page 22.

Instruction Manual

Before trying out the examples in this section, familiarize yourself with the basic

operations of the handbox described earlier in this manual. The following exam-

ples assume that you have a basic knowledge of the handbox and understand

how to scroll to a desired menu or menu option, and how to enter numbers and

text. It also assumes that you have initialized and aligned your telescope.

Adding Observing Sites

If you plan to observe using the handbox at different geographic locations, you

can store up to six observation sites in the handbox‘s memory to help simplify

your telescope setup. Perform these procedures using the Site options (Add,

Select, Delete, Edit) of the Setup menu.

To Add a Site to the user-defined site list:

In this example, you will choose a city and add it to the database list. You will

then select the site to enable it.

1. Navigate to the „Setup: Site“ menu. Press ENTER,

2. Scroll through the options until „Site: Add“ displays. Press ENTER.

3. Scroll through the list of countries/states. Press ENTER when the country/

state you wish to add displays.

4. Scroll through the list of cities. Press ENTER when the city you wish to add

displays. The Site is now added to the database. You may add 5 sites using

this method (the sixth site is the site you added during the manual initializa-

tion process).

5. To choose a site, navigate to „Setup: Select.“ Press ENTER. Scroll through

the list of sites. When the desired site displays, press ENTER.

To Edit a Site

In this procedure, you will enter a location that is not available in the handbox data-

base by editing data of a nearby site. You will edit the location‘s name, latitude.

longitude and the time zone shift. You will then select the site to enable it.

You will need to know the latitude and longitude of your location to perform this

procedure.

1. Using the Add option, choose a site on the list that is closest to your

observing site and press ENTER so that the site is added to your observ-

ing sites list. Choosing a site already on the list (as opposed to using the

„Custom“ feature) makes it easier to edit, as the „Time Zone“ value may not

need to be changed.

2. Scroll to „Site: Edit“ and press ENTER. „Edit: Name“ displays. Press

ENTER.

3. The name of the site you have just entered to your list displays; if it does

not, scroll to the site.

4. Using the Arrow keys, change the name of the site so that it now reads

the name of your observing location. Press ENTER. „Edit: Name“ displays

again.

5. Press the Scroll Down key and „Edit: Latitude“ displays. Press ENTER.

6. Using the Number Keys, enter the latitude of your observing site and then

press ENTER. „Edit: Latitude“ displays again.

7. Press the Scroll Down key and „Edit: Longitude“ displays. Press ENTER.

8. Using the Number Keys, enter the longitude of your observing site and then

press ENTER. „Edit: Longitude“ displays again.

9. Press the Scroll Down key and „Edit: Time Zone“ displays. Press ENTER. (If

the site you chose from the list in step 1 has the same Time Zone as the site

you are editing, just press ENTER again to go on to the next step.) „Time

Zone“ refers to the Greenwich Time Zone shift. Users West of Greenwich,

use „-“ hours (one hour per time zone) and users East of Greenwich use „+“

hours. For the United States, look up the shift in TABLE 1, at the left.

10. After entering the shift, press ENTER. „Edit Time Zone“ displays.

11. Press MODE. „Site: Edit“ displays.

Time Zone Shift

Universal-Time 0 Hours

Central European

Time +1 Hour

Eastern European

Time +2 Hours

Table 1: Time Zone Shift.

For advanced users

Instruction Manual

12. Using the Arrow keys, scroll to „Site: Select.“ The site you have just edited

displays. Press ENTER to select the site or press MODE to exit.

Finding objects not listed in the libraries

In this procedure, you will enter coordinates of celestial objects that do not

appear in any of the handbox libraries. You will enter the object‘s name and R.A.

and Dec. coordinates (required information). You may also enter the object‘s

magnitude and size (optional information).

Although the handbox contains an extensive database of celestial objects (stars,

nebulae, planets, etc.) that you can observe, you may eventually want to view

objects that are not part of a library. The handbox provides a feature that allows

you to enter an object‘s R.A and Dec. coordinates in the „User: Objects“ option

of the Object menu and allows automatic slewing of the telescope to the user-

entered coordinates.

In order to use this menu option, you first need to look up the R.A. and Dec.

coordinates of the object or objects you wish to observe. Check out your local

library, computer store, or bookstore for astronomy books, CD Roms, or maga-

zines (such as Sky & Telescope or Astronomy), to find coordinates of celestial

objects. The objects/coordinates you enter become part of your own permanent

database, called „User Objects.“

To enter coordinates of an object into the „User: Objects“ option of the

Object menu:

1. Make sure the handbox has been initialized and the telescope has been

aligned.

2. After the telescope is aligned, „Select Item: Object“ displays. (If necessary,

use the Scroll keys to scroll through the menus, as previously described, to

find this option.) Press ENTER.

3. „Object: Solar System“ displays. Keep pressing the Scroll Up key until

„Object: User Object“ displays and press ENTER.

4. „User Object: Select“ displays. Press the Scroll Down key once. „User

Object: Add“ displays. Press ENTER.

5. „Name“ displays on the top line and a blinking cursor on the second line.

Use the Arrow keys, as previously described, to enter the name of the object

you wish to add to the database. When you are finished, press ENTER.

6. „Right Asc.: 00.00.0“ displays. Use the Number keys to enter the digits for

the Right Ascension coordinate of your object. When you are finished, press

ENTER.

7. „Declination: +00°.00‘ „ displays. Use the Number keys to enter the digits for

the Declination coordinate of your object. If necessary, use the Scroll Keys

to change „+“ to „-.“ When you are finished, press ENTER.

8. The handbox then prompts you to enter the size of the object. This step

is optional. Use the Number keys to enter the size (in arc-minutes), if so

desired, and press ENTER to go to the next display. If you do not wish to

enter this information, simply press ENTER.

9. The handbox then prompts you to enter the magnitude of the object. This

step is also optional. Use the Number keys to enter this information, if so

desired, and press ENTER to go to the next display. „User Object: Add“

displays again.

To GO TO a user-entered object

In this procedure, you will choose an object from the User Object list and GO

TO the object.

1. With „User Object: Add“ displayed, press the Scroll Up key once. „User

Object: Select“ displays. Press ENTER.

2. Use the Scroll keys (if necessary) to scroll to the desired object. Press

ENTER.

3. The name of the object and the Right Ascension and Declination coordinates

display.

4. Press GO TO and the telescope slews to the object.

Tip:

Entering R.A. and Dec.

Coordinates of an object

without using the menus:

If you do not wish to navigate

through the menus, a more

direct way to enter coordi-

nates is to press and hold

MODE for two seconds or

more. R.A. and Dec. coordi-

nates display. Press GO TO.

„Object Position“ and a set

of coordinates displays. Enter

the R.A. and Dec. coordinates

of any celestial object using

Number keys, overwriting

the coordinates currently

displayed. As soon as the

coordinates are entered, the

handbox slews the telescope

to the coordinates. Note that

the telescope must be initial-

ized (see page 16), placed in

the Home position (see page

14), and aligned (see page 18)

for this procedure to operate

properly.

However, if you wish to store

the coordinates of an object

in memory, use the method

described at the right.

Instruction Manual

Observing Satellites

In this procedure, you will prepare your telescope to observe a satellite pass.

1. Navigate to the „Object: Satellite“ menu option and press ENTER.

2. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of satellites.

3. Select a satellite from the list and press ENTER.

4. „Calculating....“ and then „Tracking...“ displays. If the satellite is going to

make a pass, „Located“ displays.

5. Use the Scroll keys to display data about the pass: aos – acquisition of

signal and los – loss of signal. If you subtract the aos from the los, you can

calculate how long the satellite will be visible. Location information also

displays.

6. „Alarm“ displays after the location information. Press ENTER and the hand-

box automatically sets the alarm to sound a minute before the satellite‘s

scheduled appearance. You may return to regular observations until the

alarm goes off.

7. When the alarm goes off, return to the Satellite menu and press a Scroll key

until the desired satellite is on the top line of the display.

8. Press GO TO. The handbox slews the telescope to where the satellite

should appear. The motor drive stops and a countdown is displayed.

Note: If the scheduled appearance position of the satellite is

obstructed (i.e., by a building, tree, or hill), press ENTER and the

handbox starts to move the telescope along the expected satellite

track. When the track clears the obstruction, press ENTER again to

pause the telescope, then continue with this procedure.

9. With about 20 seconds left on the countdown timer, start watching through

the telescope viewfinder for the satellite to enter the field of view.

10. When the satellite enters the viewfinder field of view, press ENTER. The

telescope starts to track with the satellite.

11. Use the handbox Arrow keys to center the object in the viewfinder, then look

through the eyepiece to view the object.

Satellite orbits change and new satellites (including the Space Shuttle) are

launched. If orbital parameters are more than one month old, the satellite pass

may not happen at the time predicted by the handbox. Information about oribital

elements is provided e.g. at www.heavens-above.com

Note: Satellite observing is an exciting challenge. Most satellites are

in low orbit, travelling at approximately 17,500 mph. When visible,

they move quickly across the sky and are only in the field of view for

a few minutes, requiring the handbox to slew the telescope rapidly.

Best viewing is near Sunrise or Sunset when the sky is still dark.

Viewing in the middle of the night can be problematic because the

satellite may pass overhead, but not be visible as it is in the Earth‘s

shadow.

Landmarks

This menu option allows you to define and store terrestrial objects in the

Landmark database. First, a landmark needs to be stored in memory using

the „Landmark: Add“ option. To view a landmark, use the „Landmark: Select“

option. Landmarks may also be viewed using the „Landmark Survey“ option in

the Utilities menu.

To Add a landmark to the database:

In this procedure, you will store the location of terrestrial landmarks in hand-

box‘s memory.

1. Note for future reference where the telescope is located. Select an easily rec-

ognizable reference object and center the object in the telescope eyepiece.

Each time you wish to view landmarks you have added to the database, setup

the telescope in this location and center the reference object in the eyepiece.

If you do not use a consistent point of reference, the telescope will not be able

to locate the objects you have added to the database.

Another setup method is to select an object from the Landmark database.

See

TO SELECT A LANDMARK FROM THE DATABASE below. Then manually

Tip:

To use the Landmark func-

tion, the telescope must be

located and aligned exactly

as when the landmark(s)

was added to the database.

Instruction Manual

move the telescope‘s optical tube and center this object in the telescope

eyepiece.

2. Display the „Setup: Targets“ menu option. Choose „Terrestrial“ and press

ENTER. „Setup: Targets“ displays again. Choosing this option turns off

tracking for astronomical objects which is not useful for the viewing of ter-

restrial objects such as those in the Landmark database. Be sure to change

this option back to „Astronomical“ when you wish to view celestial objects

again.

3. Press MODE once. „Select Item: Setup“ displays.

4. Press the Scroll Down key once and „Select Item: Object“ displays. Press

ENTER. „Object: Solar System“ displays.

5. Press the Scroll Up key twice and „Object: Landmarks“ displays. Press

ENTER. „Landmark: Select“ displays.

6. Press the Scroll Down key once. „Landmark: Add“ displays. Press ENTER.

7. „Landmark Name“ displays. Using Arrow keys, enter a name for the land-

mark you wish to add to the database. When finished, press ENTER.

8. „Center Landmark. Press Enter“ displays. Using only the Arrow keys (do not

manually move the telescope), move the telescope to the desired landmark

and center the object in the eyepiece. Press ENTER. The object is now

stored in memory.

9. „Landmark: Add“ displays. If you wish to add more landmarks, repeat steps

5 through 7.

To Select a landmark from the database

1. Make sure the telescope is located and aligned exactly as when the desired

landmark was entered into memory.

2. Display the „Landmark: Select“ menu option. Press ENTER.

3. Use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of objects you have previ-

ously entered. When the desired object displays, press ENTER to select the

object.

Use the Scroll keys to scroll through location information about the object,

if desired. Press GO TO to slew the telescope to the landmark.

4. Press MODE to exit.

To perform a Landmark Survey

This procedure allows you to perform a tour of the objects entered in the „Object:

Landmark“ menu option — note that the Landmark Survey will function only if

you have previously entered objects in the Landmark menu.

1. Navigate to the „Utilities: Landmark Survey“ menu and press ENTER.

2. „Landmark Survey: Slewing...“ displays. The telescope moves to the first

object on the Survey list and displays the name of the object.

3. Press MODE to pause the Survey. Press ENTER to restart the survey at the

first object of the survey.

To Check on the Available Memory

The handbox has a limited amount of memory. Once you begin to store

Landmarks, user objects and other bits of information in the handbox, you will

begin to use up memory. This procedure allows you to check on how much

memory is still available.

1. Navigate to the „Setup: Statistics“ menu option and press ENTER.

2. „Statistics: 37.2K Char. Free“ displays. This is the amount of memory that is

still available to the user.

Instruction Manual

A celestial coordinate system was created that maps an imaginary sphere sur-

rounding the Earth upon which all stars appear to be placed. This mapping sys-

tem is similar to the system of latitude and longitude on Earth surface maps.

In mapping the surface of the Earth, lines of longitude are drawn between the

North and South Poles and lines of latitude are drawn in an East-West direction,

parallel to the Earth’s equator. Similarly, imaginary lines have been drawn to form

a latitude and longitude grid for the celestial sphere. These lines are known as

Right Ascension and Declination.

The celestial map also contains two poles and an equator just like a map of

the Earth. The poles of this coordinate system are defined as those two points

where the Earth’s north and south poles (i.e., the Earth‘s axis), if extended to

infinity, would cross the celestial sphere. Thus, the North Celestial Pole (1, Fig.

41) is that point in the sky where an extension of the North Pole intersects the

celestial sphere. The North Star, Polaris is located very near the North Celestial

Pole. The celestial equator (2, Fig. 41) is a projection of the Earth’s equator onto

the celestial sphere.

Just as an object‘s position on the Earth’s surface can be located by its latitude

and longitude, celestial objects may also be located using Right Ascension and

Declination. For example, you could locate Los Angeles, California, by its latitude

(+34°) and longitude (118°). Similarly, you could locate the Ring Nebula (M57) by

its Right Ascension (18hr) and its Declination (+33°).

• Right Ascension (R.A.): This celestial version of longitude is measured in

units of hours (hr), minutes (min), and seconds (sec) on a 24-hour „clock“

(similar to how Earth‘s time zones are determined by longitude lines). The

„zero“ line was arbitrarily chosen to pass through the constellation Pegasus

— a sort of cosmic Greenwich meridian. R.A. coordinates range from 0hr

0min 0sec to 23hr 59min 59sec. There are 24 primary lines of R.A., located

at 15-degree intervals along the celestial equator. Objects located further

and further East of the zero R.A. grid line (0hr 0min 0sec) carry higher R.A.

coordinates.

• Declination (Dec.): This celestial version of latitude is measured in degrees,

arc-minutes, and arc-seconds (e.g., 15° 27‘ 33“). Dec. locations north of

the celestial equator are indicated with a plus (+) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the

North celestial pole is +90°). Dec. locations south of the celestial equator

are indicated with a minus (–) sign (e.g., the Dec. of the South celestial pole

is –90°). Any point on the celestial equator (such as the the constellations of

Orion, Virgo, and Aquarius) is

said to have a Declination of zero, shown as

0° 0‘ 0.“

Setting Circles

Setting circles included with the LXD™75 Newtonians permit the location of faint

celestial objects not easily found by direct visual observation. With the telescope

pointed at the North Celestial Pole, the Dec. circle (3, Fig. 1a) should read 90°

(understood to mean +90°). Each division of the Dec. circle represents a 1° incre-

ment. The R.A. circle (15, Fig. 1a) runs from 0

to (but not including) 24

, and

reads in increments of 5

min

Using setting circles requires a developed technique. When using the circles for

the first time, try hopping from one bright star (the calibration star) to another

bright star of known coordinates. Practice moving the telescope from one easy-

to-find object to another. In this way, the precision required for accurate object

location becomes evident.

Note You may also enter an object‘s R.A. and Dec. coordinates using

the „User: Objects“ option of handbox‘s Object menu. The handbox

then automatically slews the telescope to the entered coordinates.

To use the setting circles to locate an object not easily found by direct

visual observation:

Insert a low-power eyepiece, such as a 26mm, into the focuser assembly. Pick

out a bright star with which you are familiar (or is easily located) that is in the area

of the sky in which your target object is located. Look up the R.A. coordinate of

the bright star, and also of the object you wish to locate, in a star atlas. Point

Rotazione

Terrestre

0 Dec.

Polo Sud

Celeste

Ascensione retta

Stella

Equatore

Celeste

-90 Dec.

+90 Dec.

Polo Nord Celeste

(vicino alla Polare)

Fig. 41: Celestial Sphere.

Appendix A:

Celestial coordinates

Instruction Manual

Polarstern

Kleiner Wagen

Großer Wagen

Cassiopeia

Fig. 42 Locating Polaris.

the object at the bright star. Then loosen the R.A. setting circle lock knob (16,

Fig. 1a) and turn the R.A. setting circle to read the correct R.A. coordinate of the

bright star; lock the R.A. setting circle lock knob onto the object. Next, loosen

the R.A. lock (17, Fig. 1a) and turn the telescope in R.A. to read the correct R.A.

coordinate of the object. Tighten the R.A. lock (17, Fig. 1a). If the procedure has

been followed carefully, the desired object should now be in the telescopic field

of a low-power eyepiece.

If you do not immediately see the object you are seeking, try searching the adja-

cent sky area. Keep in mind that, with the 26mm eyepiece, the field of view of is

about 0.5°. Because of its much wider field, the viewfinder may be of significant

assistance in locating and centering objects, after the setting circles have been

used to locate the approximate position of the object.

See

FIND OBJECTS NOT LISTED IN THE LIBARIES, page 26, for information on

how to manually enter coordinates into the handbox.

Locating the Celestial Pole

To get basic bearings at an observing location, take note of where the Sun rises

(East) and sets (West) each day. After the site is dark, face North by pointing your

left shoulder toward where the Sun set. To precisely point at the pole, find the

North Star (Polaris) by using the Big Dipper as a guide (Fig. 42).

Polar Alignment

The handbox provides several different methods of Polar Alignment: Easy, One-

Star, Two-Star and Three-Star. See EASY ALIGNMENT, page 14, and THREE-

STAR ALIGNMENT USING THE HANDBOX, page 31, for those procedure.

One-Star Polar Alignment

Polar One-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. The hand-

box provides a library of bright stars and one star from this library is chosen by

the observer for alignment. Polaris is chosen by the handbox. The rest of the

procedure is almost identical to the EASY ALIGNMENT, page 14, except that

the handbox prompts you to point the telescope at Polaris and center it in the

telescope‘s eyepiece.

Two-Star Polar Alignment

Polar Two-Star Alignment requires some knowledge of the night sky. The hand-

box provides a library of bright stars and two stars from this library are chosen

by the observer for alignment. Polaris is chosen by the handbox. The rest of

the procedure is almost identical to the EASY ALIGNMENT, page 14, except that

the handbox prompts you to point the telescope at Polaris and center it in the

telescope‘s eyepiece.

Instruction Manual

The Polar Alignment Viewfinder

Typically handbox‘s pointing capabilities are sufficient for most telescope

observers, and the use of the polar alignment viewfinder is unnecessary for

them. However, for those observers who need to meet the more demanding

requirements of astrophotography, the polar alignment viewfinder allows the

telescope mount to be more precisely aligned with true North. The polar align-

ment viewfinder contains a reticle, lit by an LED (Figs. 43a and 43b).

To align your telescope to North using the polar alignment viewfinder:

1. Set your telescope in the home position (see page 15). Then loosen the Dec.

lock (1, Fig. 1a) and rotate the optical tube 90°. Re-tighten the Dec. Lock.

2. Loosen the R.A. Lock (17, Fig. 1a).

3. Remove the polar viewfinder cap (2, Fig. 1a).

4. If you have not already done so, remove the plastic separating the watch

batteries inside the polar alignment reticle. See step 11, page 11.

5. Turn the polar alignment reticle LED knob to turn on the LED and look

through the reticle.

6. Northern Hemisphere: Move the telescope mount until Polaris is superim-

posed on the graduated area of the reticle (between 40‘ and 60‘). The center

crosshair denotes the North celestial pole. Southern Hemisphere: The four-

sided figure in the reticle represents a grouping of four stars in Octantis

(Sigma, Tau, Chi, and Upsilon) for use in the Southern Hemisphere. Move

the telescope mount on its R.A. axis until the four stars depicted in the reticle

are superimposed on the four star group that matches the reticle pattern.

7. Use the latitude T-handle screws (10, Fig. 1a) and the fine azimuth control

knobs (11, Fig. 1a) to fine tune the mount adjustment until the reticle pattern

is more precisely superimposed over the appropriate position as described

in step 6.

Note: Not all pointing positions are possible with the polar alignment

reticle, as the tripod is a limiting factor as to how far the optical tube and

mount can be moved.

8. Tighten the R.A. Lock (17, Fig. 1a). Return the optical tube to the home posi-

tion.

Note: Remember to turn off the polar alignment reticle LED.

Enhancement Methods

The handbox provides four methods of enhancing your telescope’s pointing

precision:

#1: Three-Star Alignment and

#2: Axis Alignment and #3 for Axis Alignment with the handbox.

Method #1 is recommended for all users, but especially for the beginner and

Methods #2 and #3 are recommended for the Advanced observer.

Method #1: Three-Star Alignment Using the handbox

Perform this procedure at night. This method is similar to Two-Star Alignment

(see page 35), but in this method, the handbox chooses three stars to align

upon: Two stars on one side of the sky and a third star on the opposite side of

the sky.

In order to get the most out of this procedure, make sure you perform the Train

the Drive procedure (see page 17). The combination of Training your Drive and

performing Three-Star Alignment will optimize your pointing accuracy.

To perform the Three-Star Alignment:

1. Keep pressing MODE until „Select Item: Setup“ is displayed. Press

ENTER.

2. „Setup: Align“ displays. Press ENTER. „Align: Easy“ displays. Press the

Scroll Down key until “Align: Three-Star” displays. Press ENTER.

3. „German North“ displays and a scrolling message prompts you to set your

telescope in the polar home position. See SETTING THE POLAR HOME POSITION,

page 14, for a description of this procedure. Press ENTER after you finish the

procedure.

Fig. 43a: The polar alignment view-

finder.

Fig. 43b: The view inside the polar

alignment viewfinder reticle.

Appendix B:

Enhancing Pointing Precision

Instruction Manual

4. The handbox then chooses three stars from its database to align upon. When the

telescope slews to a star for alignment, it may not appear in the field of view in the

eyepiece. Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope until the star is visible and

centered in the eyepiece. The alignment star should be easily recognized and be

the brightest star in the area of the sky where the telescope is pointing. See

WHICH

ONE‘S THE ALIGNMENT STAR

, page 13, for more information. When the star is

centered, press ENTER. Repeat the procedure for the second and third alignment

stars.

Note: The handbox locates alignment stars based on the date, time, and

location entered. The alignment stars may change from night to night.

All that is required is for the observer to center the selected star in the

eyepiece when prompted.

Method #2: Axis Alignment Procedures

In order for the equatorial mount to accurately point to astronomical objects using

the GO TO feature of the handbox, the optical axis of the optical tube must be

aligned with the R.A. axis of the mount. In most cases, the telescope will perform

adequately without making any adjustments, but performing one of the following

alignment methods before the initial use of the telescope, and periodically thereafter,

will increase the mount’s pointing accuracy.

When the optical axis is perfectly aligned to the R.A. axis and the declination set to 90°,

all objects will rotate about a point in the center of the eyepiece, as the mount is rotated

about the R.A. axis. A misalignment in elevation results in the center of rotation shifting

up or down. A misalignment in attitude results in the center shifting left or right.

The telescope is moved manually in Method #1 to correct for attitude misalignment

and then for elevation misalignment. The handbox moves the telescope in Method

#2.

Procedure #1: To correct for attitude misalignment

Important Note: Throughout the following procedures, the directional refer-

ences up/down/left/right are used. No matter which type of telescope model

you are using, these directions are to be interpreted relative to real-world

targets. For example, left/right moves the image along the horizon, and up/

down moves the image vertically.

Perform this procedure during the daytime. You will need to have a clear line of

sight to a wide, distinct landmark with a clear, horizontal feature.

1. Plug in the handbox and turn on the power as described previously in this

manual. You will use handbox‘s Arrow keys in the course of this procedure.

2. Loosen the R.A. Lock (17, Fig. 1a) and the Dec. Lock (1, Fig. 1a). Point the

tube so that the tripod leg below the Fine Azimuth Control Knobs (11, Fig. 1a)

approximately faces North (or South in the Southern Hemisphere). Retighten the

Dec. Lock. Move the counterweight shaft and mount so that it is parallel to the

horizon. This is position A. See Fig. 45. Retighten the R.A. Lock.

3. Rotate the optical tube (you will need to loosen the cradle ring lock knobs to do

so) to make sure the focuser extends horizontally from the optical tube while in

position A and do not rotate the tube for the remainder of the alignment proce-

dure.

4. Adjust the tripod legs, polar axis altitude and/or polar axis azimuth so that the

wide, horizontal object you have chosen as a target is positioned across the

middle of the eyepiece.

Fig. 44: A. Elevation Alignment;

B. Attitude Alignment.

A

B

Procedure #1: Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7

Instruction Manual

Important Note: The image will appear upside-down, but correct left-for-

right, in the eyepiece of a Newtonian telescope, if the eyepiece extends

horizontally from the tube, as described in Step #3.

5. Loosen the R.A. Lock (Tip: Make sure you do not accidentally loosen the Dec.

Lock. If you do, restart the procedure beginning at Step #2). Rotate the tele-

scope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, until the optical tube is in position B. See Fig.

46. Note the position of your target in the eyepiece.

6. Using the the handbox Up and Down Arrow keys ONLY, move the optical tube

in Dec. axis until your target is HALFWAY back to the center of the eyepiece.

7. Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, to return the optical tube to

position A. Verify that your target is in the same location in the eyepiece verti-

cally as in the previous step (that is, it is not higher or lower or absent from the

eyepiece). Ignore side-to-side misalignment (that is, if it has moved to the right

or left).

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7, if necessary, alternating positions A and B, until the hori-

zontal object is in the same vertical location in the eyepiece in both positions.

9. The Dec. optical axis is now calibrated to be at 90 degrees. For Procedure #2,

DO NOT adjust the declination of the optical tube, either manually or with the

handbox.

Procedure #2: To correct for elevation misalignment

After performing the attitude correction, select an object that is at a very great

distance (at least a mile away) to approximate infinity. Ideally, the object should be

unique, with several identifiable objects to the left and right of it.

1. Rotate the mount about the R.A. axis only and move the optical tube to position

2. WITHOUT moving the declination axis from its position determined in the previ-

ous alignment, adjust the legs, latitude, and azimuth of the tripod to center the

object in the eyepiece.

3. Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, until optical tube is in position

4. Observe the position of the object in the eyepiece. Assuming that the declination

was properly set in the previous procedure, the object should have moved only

horizontally (that is, side-to-side) from its original position. It may be out of the

eyepiece altogether.

5. Using the adjustment mechanism on the bottom of the cradle (Fig. 47), move

the reference object approximately half the distance towards the center of the

eyepiece.

To adjust the cradle screws, use the supplied hex key to loosen the two outside

screws. Then adjust the position of the object by tightening or loosening the

center screw. Perform this adjustment on both sets of screws. When finished,

retighten the outer screws.

Before moving the optical tube, note the location that the telescope is centered

on relative to the reference object. Depending on the telescope type and acces-

sories in use, you may need to move the optical tube opposite to the direction

that appears in the eyepiece. The best way to be sure is to move the optical tube

(using the cradle screws) a little, and verify that the correct direction was moved

through the eyepiece.

6. WITHOUT moving the declination axis from its position determined in the previ-

ous alignment, and WITHOUT adjusting the cradle position further, adjust the

legs, latitude, and azimuth of the tripod to center the object in the eyepiece

again.

Fig. 47: Cradle adjustment screws.

Fig. 45: Position A.

Fig. 46: Position B.

Procedure #2: Step 2 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

Instruction Manual

7. Rotate the telescope 180° in the R.A. axis ONLY, to return the optical tube to

position A.

8. Repeat steps 5 through 8, if necessary, alternating between position A and posi-

tion B, and bringing the reference object halfway of the remaining distance to

center. Stop the procedure once the distance between the object in position A

and position B is less than one third the width of the eyepiece.

9. As a final check, select another object and place it into the center of the eye-

piece. Rotate the mount about the R.A. axis. Watch the motion of that object.

It is acceptable if it moves slightly, but should remain in the eyepiece the entire

time.

Tips

• WhenmovingtopositionAorB,itisusuallysufficienttomerelyleveltheDec.

axis by eye. Whether in position A or B, the counterweight shaft should appear

to be horizontal when looked at from several feet away.

• Ifyouarefindingitdifficulttolowerthealtitudeofthetripodheadwithoutthe

counterweight banging into the forward tripod leg, increase the length of the two

rear tripod legs to introduce a tilt into the whole mount.

• Beforestartingthealignmentprocedure,itishelpfultohavethetripodazimuth

adjustment knobs even, to allow an equal range of travel in either direction.

• Make sure the focuser lock is tightened once focus is achieved. Otherwise,

gravity may cause the focuser to move during rotation of the telescope and

introduce error into the procedure.

Method #3: Axis Alignment Using the handbox

Perform this procedure during the daytime. You will need to have an unobstructed

view of an easily sighted landmark, such as a light post. Use a low-power eye-

piece, such as the supplied 26mm. This procedure assumes that you have some

familiarity with teh handbox‘s menu structure (you will need to locate the „Setup:

Telescope“ menu). If necessary, refer to HANDBOX‘S MENUS, page 22.

Note: For best result, perform this procedure after you have trained the

drive. See page 17.

1. Adjust the latitude T-handle screws (10, Fig. 1a) so that the latitude is set to

45° or higher. See Step #6, page 10, for information about setting the latitude

controls.

2. Refer to Fig. 48 while performing this step. The Dec. motor (B) must be

positioned so that it is at the back of the mount. The optical tube (A) must be

approximately horizontal (i.e., parallel with the horizon) and the counterweight

shaft must be pointing straight down.

Loosen the cradle ring locks knobs (C) and move the optical tube until the

eyepiece (D) points downward as shown in the Fig. 48. Re-tighten the cradle

ring locks.

3. Make sure that both the R.A. and Dec. locks (1 and 17, Fig. 1a) are tightened

to a firm feel.

4. Turn on the handbox and go to „Setup: Telescope.“ Press ENTER.

5. Press one of the Scroll keys until „LXD75 Adjust“ displays and then press

ENTER. A message displays that tells you to center a landmark. If the land-

mark is not visible in your eyepiece, lift and move the entire telescope and

tripod assembly—try not to move the tube too far from the horizontal position

(no more than 5° up or down), as described in Step #2. You may also use the

fine azimuth controls (11, Fig. 1a) for side to side movement and the Up/Down

Arrows of the handbox for small adjustments to the declination axis.

6. Caution: Before pressing ENTER, step back from the telescope assembly,

as the telescope will begin to rotate about two axes. When the landmark is

centered (Step #5), press ENTER.

Fig. 48: Method #2 Setup. (A) Optical

Tube; (B) Dec. Motor; (C) Cradle Ring

Lock Knobs; (D) Eyepiece.

Motor at

back of

mount

Instruction Manual

The telescope first moves 180° on the Dec. axis and then rotates 180° on the

R.A. axis. The handbox displays „Slewing....“.

When the telescope has completed the 180° slew, the telescope will be under

the mount instead of over it. The counterweight shaft is now pointed upwards

and the cradle adjustment screws (Fig. 47) are easily accessible.

7. The handbox again prompts you to center the landmark you have chosen in

the eyepiece. Use the Arrow keys to center the object and then press ENTER.

8. The telescope moves again on the R.A. axis. Use the cradle screw adjustment

mechanism on the bottom of the cradle to center the landmark in the eye-

piece.

To adjust the cradle screws, use the supplied hex key to loosen the two out-

side screws. Then adjust the position of the landmark by tightening or loosen-

ing the center screw. Perform this adjustment on both sets of screws. When

finished, retighten the outer screws. The axis is now aligned.

Note: This procedure maximizes the pointing accuracy of the telescope pro-

vided the telescope is always placed on the mount in the same fashion. A

mark made on the mount under the saddle will ensure this alignment is main-

tained.

Instruction Manual

NORTH AMERICA

City State/Prov./Country Latitude

Albuquerque New Mexico 35° N

Anchorage Alaska 61° N

Atlanta Georgia 34° N

Boston Massachusetts 42° N

Calgary Alberta 51° N

Chicago Illinois 42° N

Cleveland Ohio 41° N

Dallas Texas 33° N

Denver Colorado 40° N

Detroit Michigan 42° N

Honolulu Hawaii 21° N

Jackson Mississippi 32° N

Kansas City Missouri 39° N

Kenosha Wisconsin 45° N

Las Vegas Nevada 36° N

Little Rock Arkansas 35° N

Los Angeles California 34° N

Mexico City Mexico 19° N

Miami Florida 26° N

Minneapolis Minnesota 45° N

Nashville Tennessee 36° N

New Orleans Louisiana 30° N

New York New York 41° N

Oklahoma City Oklahoma 35° N

Ottawa Ontario 45° N

Philadelphia Pennsylvania 40° N

Phoenix Arizona 33° N

Portland Oregon 46° N

Salt Lake City Utah 41° N

San Antonio Texas 29° N

San Diego California 33° N

San Francisco California 38° N

Seattle Washington 47° N

Washington District of Columbia 39° N

EUROPE

City Country Latitude

Amsterdam Netherlands 52° N

Athens Greece 38° N

Bern Switzerland 47° N

Copenhagen Denmark 56° N

Dublin Ireland 53° N

Frankfurt Germany 50° N

Glasgow Scotland 56° N

Helsinki Finland 60° N

Lisbon Portugal 39° N

London England 51° N

Madrid Spain 40° N

Oslo Norway 60° N

Paris France 49° N

Rome Italy 42° N

Stockholm Sweden 59° N

Vienna Austria 48° N

Warsaw Poland 52° N

SOUTH AMERICA

City Country Latitude

Bogotá Colombia 4° N

São Paulo Brazil 23° S

Buenos Aires Argentina 35° S

Montevideo Uruguay 35° S

Santiago Chile 34° S

Caracas Venezuela 10° N

ASIA

City Country Latitude

Beijing China 40° N

Hong Kong China 23° N

Seoul South Korea 37° N

Taipei Taiwan 25° N

Tokyo Japan 36° N

Sapporo Japan 43° N

Bombay India 19° N

Calcutta India 22° N

Hanoi Vietnam 21° N

Jedda Saudi Arabia 21° N

AFRICA

City Country Latitude

Cairo Egypt 30° N

Cape Town South Africa 34° S

Rabat Morocco 34° N

Tunis Tunisia 37° N

Windhoek Namibia 23° S

AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA

City State/Country Latitude

Adelaide South Australia 35° S

Brisbane Queensland 27° S

Canberra New South Wales 35° S

Alice Springs Northern Territory 24° S

Hobart Tasmania 43° S

Perth Western Australia 32° S

Sydney New South Wales 34° S

Melbourne Victoria 38° S

Auckland New Zealand 37° S

Appendix C:

Latitude Chart

Latitude Chart for Major Cities of the World

To aid in the polar alignment procedure (see pages 17-21), latitudes of major cities around the world are listed below. To determine the

latitude of an observing site not listed on the chart, locate the city closest to your site. Then follow the procedure below:

Northern hemisphere observers (N): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) north of the listed city, add one degree for every 70 miles. If

the site is over 70 miles South of the listed city, subtract one degree per 70 miles.

Southern Hemisphere observers (S): If the site is over 70 miles (110 km) north of the listed city, subtract one degree for every 70 miles.

If the site is over 70 miles South of the listed city, add one degree per 70 miles.

Instruction Manual

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Polaris

STAR LOCATOR

Instruction Manual

ANL4951700GB1211NN

Reservation of technical alterations!

Meade Instruments Europe

GmbH & Co. KG

Gutenbergstr. 2 · DE-46414 Rhede

www.meade.de · service.apd@meade.de

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