iOptron 8600 manual

SmartStar ® Cube TM -A Series Mount and Telescopes (For 8600, 8602, 8603 and 8604) Instruction Manual ®[...]

2 Table of Content Table of Conten t ........... .............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. .............. ...... ............ .. 2 1. SmarStar ® Cube TM -A Series Overview ........... ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. .......... 4 1.1. SmartStar ® Cube TM -A Series F[...]

3 6.6.1. One Star Align ............... ............. .............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ........... .. 23 6.6.2. Two Star Alignm ent .......... ............. ........... ............. ............. .............. ............. ............. 23 6.6.3. Thre e-Star Align ........ ............. ............. ......[...]

4 1. SmarSt ar ® Cube TM -A Series Overview 1.1. SmartStar ® Cube TM -A Series Features Alt-Azi mut h Mo unt – The Cu be ™ , with Alt Az i/E Q dual appl icati on The SmartStar ® Cube tm -A series come with our patented Alt-Azimuth (AltAzi) mount, a.k.a . The Cube™. This c ompact mount design is probabl y the most functional and flexible un[...]

5 Most light weight (<7l bs) Optical Tube Ass embles (OTAs) with dovetail conn ection should be c ompatible with the SmartStar ® Cube TM -A GOTO AltAzi mount. If you do not have a dovetail connection -- attach your OTA using mounting rings and dovetail availab le at your local telescope store or the OTA manufacturer. Co ntact iOptron for expert[...]

6 1.2. Assembly Terms 1. Telescope tube 2. Dovetail lock 3. Hand controller 4. Altitude lock 5. Mount 6. Tripod 7. Tripod shaft 8. Tray 9. Tray lock 10. Azimuth lock screw 11. Wedge tilt screw 12. Tilt locks 13. Counterweight and shaft 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 11 12 Polaris Zenith Figure 1. Assembly Terms[...]

7 2. Telescope Assembly Step 1. Preparing the Tripod 1. Extend tripod legs to full extension. 2. Slide t ray on bot tom of sha ft (#7). Then scre w on round black knob (#9). Step 2. Attaching the Mount 1. Raise wedge plate on th e tripod by turning two tilt locks (12) ; 2. Attach mount to wedge plate using supplied azimuth lock screw (10). 3. lower[...]

8 Step 5. Plug in hand controller and AC adapt or. Plug hand controller into ei ther one of the two HB X ports on the mount. Next plug in AC adaptor. (Or use batte ries—see step 3). Turn on power (the red lig ht should go on). At this point you can beg in observing manually. U se the 4 Arrow keys ( ▲▼◄► ) to rotate the s cope Up, Down, Le[...]

9 For 90mm Maksutov-Cass egrain (#8504) ………………… ………………. Install Diagonal by screwing it onto the back end of the scope. You can adjus t the position of the diagonal by loosening the free-spinning threader on the diagonal. Install the Finderscope b y sliding the dovetail plate onto the sleeve (see arrow) and tightenin g the[...]

10 3. GoToNova ® 8401 Hand Contr oller Figure 1. GoToNova 8401 Hand Controller GoToNova ® 8401 hand c ontroller (HC) is the standard co ntroller for a SmartStar ® Cube TM -A series mount and telescope, as shown in Figure 1. (The earlier version equipped with a 8402 hand controller . Contact iOptron for instruction.) 3.1. Key Description • MENU[...]

11 • Light Key( ☼ ): Turns on/off the red L ED reading light on the back of the controller. • ? Key: For help or extra information. • STOP/0 Key: Stop/S tart tracking. • HBX (Handbox) port: conne ct the HC to Min iTower mount using a 6-wire RJ 11 cable. • USB port: connect the HC to a Computer via a USB c able. 3.2. The LCD Scr een The [...]

12 4. Getting Started In order to experience the full GOTO capability of GoToNova techn ology, it is very important to se t up the mount corre ctly before observ ation. 4.1. Level and Align the M ount 4.1.1. Level the M ount. Leveling is critical for a good GO TO and tracking accuracy. Level the mount by observin g the bubble (shown) on the base of[...]

13 4.2.1. Set Up Local Time and Site Info Press MENU button, from the main menu, scroll down and s elect “ Set up controller ” Press ENTER. Select “ Set Up Local Ti me ” Press ENTER. The “Set Local Time” screen wil l show: The local time will be u pdated when the GPS pi cks up satellite signals. If for any reason your GPS can’t pick u[...]

14 To adjust minutes, move the cursor to each digit and use ▲ or ▼ key to change the number. To change the “behind” or “ahead of” UT, move the c ursor to “ahead of” an d using ▲ or ▼ key to toggle between “behind” an d “ahead of”. For othe r parts of the world, you can find out your “time zone” informa tion from inte[...]

15 Press En ter. Select Alt/Azi mount and press ENTER to go back the previous screen. 4.2.3. Set Anti-backlash For an Alt/Azi operation, both R.A. and DEC anti-backlash should be set to 0 step. Scroll down and selec t “Set anti-backlash” Press ENTER. A R .A. anti-backlash will displa y: To adjust steps move th e cursor to e ach digit and use th[...]

16 4.2.4. Using your telescope Selecting an Eyep iece: 1. Always begin viewing w ith the lowest pow er eyepiece. (Note: a 25 mm focal length eyepiece has a lower po wer than a 10 mm one.) A formula can be used to de termine the power of each eyepiece: Telescope focal length divided b y eyepiece focal length equals magnification. Ex. 400mm ÷ 25mm =[...]

17 4.2.6. Initial Star Ali gnment A simple alignment/synch ronization can be performed to improve the GOTO and tracking accuracy. To do so , press MEN U button, scro ll down to “Align”, select “One Star Align” and press ENTER. A list of three bright objec t s, such as Moon, Venus, an d other stars, will be displayed for you to sele ct from.[...]

18 5. Operate SmartStar ® Cube TM -A mo unt in E Q Mode The SmartStar can precisely track a c elestial object while in the alt-az position. The integrated wedge of an A-series tel escope allows the telescope to be operated in an equatoria l mode, which is a great option for those who want get familiar with the EQ operatio n. Please Note: the Park [...]

19 5. Align the altitude axle (w ith or without counterweight) that is pointing straight down, in line with the north- facing tripod leg. This can be done by either loosen the azimuth lock (10) or turn the mount us ing left or ri ght arrow ke y. The altitude axle w ill served as the DEC ax is of the EQ mode. 6. Moun t the OTA onto the mount and ali[...]

20 6. Use SmartStar ® Cube TM -A Telescopes 6.1. Manual Operation of a Telescope You may observe land and astronomical objects using GoTo Nova’s arrow keys. After the telescope was assembled (referring to Section 2. Telescope Assembl y), flip the I/O switch on the telesc ope mount to turn on the mount. Us e ► , ◄ , ▼ or ▲ buttons to po i[...]

21 6.2.4. Asteroids I his catalog c ontains up to 4,096 asteroids. This database is c ustomer upgradeable. 6.2.5. Stars • Named Stars: It consists o f 191 stars with their co mmon names. They are listed alphabetically. A list is attac hed in Appendix C. • Double Stars: It consists of 40 doub le stars. A list is attached in Appendix C. • SAO B[...]

22 6.5. Set Up Controller 6.5.1. Set Up Local Time Refer t o 4.2.1. 6.5.2. Set Up Site Refer t o 4.2.1. 6.5.3. Set N/S Hemisphere Set northern or southern hemisphe re. 6.5.4. Set Display Contrast Use arrow ke ys to adjust LC D display contras t. 6.5.5. Set Eyepiece Light If you have an illuminated-reticule eyepiece or illuminated polar scope, and i[...]

23 6.5.13. Set Language Select hand controller display language in Englis h or French. 6.6. Align This function is used for align the telescope. Before s tar alignment, please make s ure the mount is well leveled. The system also prov ides “One Star Align” and “Two Star Align”. Any one can be selected for telescope alignment. 6.6.1. One Sta[...]

24 it means the polar axis of the mount is pointing 7.5” lower and 4.3” to the east to the North Pole. Pointing error is zero when you power on the mount (unless you “Park Telescope” before powering off). 6.6.5. Test Anti-backlash This command tests the backlashes in both R.A. and D EC. The saved numbers will show in “Set Anti-backlas h?[...]

25 7. Maintenance and Servicing 7.1. Maintenance The SmartStar ® Cube-A mount or telesc ope is a precision instrument des igned to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications. Given the care and respec t due any precision instrument, your telescope will rarely require factory serv icing or maintenance. Maintenanc e guidelines include: 1. Using wet [...]

26 7.3. Troubles hooting The following suggestions may be helpful with opera tion of the SmartS tar ® Cube-A mount or telescope. The power indicator light on the mount does not come on or there is no response when pressing hand contro ller’s arrow keys: (1) Verify tha t the power switch on the mount is in the ON position. (2) Verify tha t the ha[...]

27 • Extension cord: Make sure the cord is in goo d condition. Power drop along the extension cord has been kno wn to cause this error message. Also chec k all the plugs and connections . (4) C heck the hand controlle r cord. Unplug it and re-plug in to the other HBX port. Error Message “Warning! Can not commun icate with DEC motor controller.?[...]

28 daytime telephon e number. The great majo rity of servicing issues can be resolved by telephon e, avoiding return of the telescope to the fac tory. It is also strongly suggested that to send your technical questions to support@ioptron.com.[...]

29 Appendix A. Technical Specifications SmartStar ® Cube TM -A GOTO Mo unt Mount AltAzimuth/Equatorial D ual Mount Body Materials Die-cast Aluminum Motor Dual-Axis DC Servo motor w ith encoders Gear Acetal wo rm wheel/Nylon 6 worm gear Bearing 4 steel ball bearings Slew Speed Dual-Axis, 9-Gear, Electronic (1X,2X,8X,16X,64X,128 X,256X,512X,MAX) GOT[...]

30 Appendix B. GoToNova ® 8401 HC MENU STRUCTURE MENU Select and Slew Select and Slew Planets , Sun, Moon Planets , Sun, Moon Comets Comets Asteroids Asteroids Stars Stars Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Satur n Uranus Neptune Pluto Sun Moon Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Satur n Uranus Neptune Pluto Sun Moon Deep Sk y Objects Deep Sk y Objects Named De ep[...]

31 Set Up Controller Set Up Controller Set Up L ocal Tim e Set Up Site Set N/S Hemisp here Set Display Contrast Set Eyepiece Light Set Back light Set Anti -backslash Set Key Beep Set Mount Type Reset All Upgrade Fi rmwa re Set Gear Ratio Set Language Set Up L ocal Tim e Set Up Site Set N/S Hemisp here Set Display Contrast Set Eyepiece Light Set Bac[...]

32 Appendix C. GoToNova ® Star List GoToNova Deep Sk y Object List for 8401 ID No. OBJECT NGC # Messier # IC# A(Abell) U(UGC) 1 Andromeda Galax y 224 31 2 Barnards Galaxy 6822 3 Beehive Cluster 2632 44 4 Blackeye Galaxy 4926 64 5 Blinking Planetary Nebu la 6826 6 Blue Flash Nebula 6905 7 Blue Planetary 3918 8 Blue Snowball Nebula 7662 9 Box Nebula[...]

33 36 Lagoon Nebula 6523 8 37 Little Gem 6445 38 Little Gem Nebula 6818 39 Little Ghost Nebula 6369 40 North American Nebula 7000 41 Omega Nebu la 6618 17 42 Orion Nebula 1976 42 43 Owl Nebula 3587 97 44 Pelican Nebula 5070 45 Phantom Streak Nebula 6741 46 Pinwheel Galaxy 598 33 47 Pleiades 45 48 Ring Nebula 6720 57 49 Ring Tail Galaxy 4038 50 Rose[...]

34 Messier This table is licensed under the GN U Free Documentation Licen se . It uses material fro m the Wikipedia article List of Messier objects[...]

35 Mode rn Co nstellati ons No. Constellat ion Abbreviation No. Constellation Abbreviation 1 Andromeda And 45 Lacerta Lac 2 A ntlia A nt 46 Leo Leo 3 A pus A ps 47 Leo Minor LMi 4 A quarius A qr 48 Lepus Lep 5 A quila A ql 49 Libra Lib 6 A ra A ra 50 Lupus Lup 7 A ries A ri 51 Lynx Lyn 8 A uriga A ur 52 Lyra Ly r 9 Boötes Boo 53 Mensa Men 10 Caelu[...]

36 GoToNova Named Star List 001 Acamar 049 Ascella 097 Kaus Australis 145 Rassalas 002 Achernar 050 Asellus Aus tralis 098 Kaus Borealis 146 Rasagethi 003 Acrux 051 Asellus Borealis 099 Kaus Media 147 Rasalhague 004 Acubens 052 Aspidiske 100 Keid 148 Rastaba 005 Adhafera 053 Atik 101 Kitalpha 149 Regulus 006 Adhara 054 Atla s 102 Kochab 150 Rigel 0[...]

37 GoToNova Double Star List No. Object Const SAO Name 1 Eta Cas 21732 Ac hird 2 Alpha Psc 110291 Alrisha 3 Theta Per 38288 4 Alpha For 168 373 Fornacis 5 Alpha Aur 40186 Capella 6 Sigma Ori 132406 7 Mu Ori 113 389 8 Alpha CMa 151881 Sirius 9 Delta Gem 79294 Wasat 10 Alpha Gem 60198 Cast or 11 Alpha CMi 115756 12 Epsilon Hya 117112 13 HR 357 9 4264[...]

38 Appendix D. Set Up USB-PC Connection 1. Download USB2COM driver (cp2102.zip file for 8401) from iOptron Website 2. Install CP210x (usb2com) driver Choose the appropriate driver for your OS. In this case is a Windows XP operation system. Double click on it, and you will see: Click “Next”.[...]

39 Select “I acce pt the terms of lice nse agreemen t”, and click “Next ” Using the default installation path, c :SiLabsMCUCP210x, or specify your ow n path by click “Change”. C lick “Next”. Then c lick “Install”.[...]

40 When finished installation, c lick “Finish” 3. Plug the USB cable in to the U SB port on your PC, plug the other end of the USB cable to hand controller. Turn on the pow er on the mount. 4. Inst all t he Hard ware The computer will f ind a new hardwar e and show the following screen Select “No, not this tim e” and click “Next ”.[...]

41 Select “Install from a list or specific location” and click “Next”. Select “Search for the be st driver in these locations,” and che ck “Include this location in the search.” Click on “Browse” and select the CP210x driv er from directory c:SiLabsMCUCP210xWin2K_XP, click OK.[...]

42 Click “Next”. The computer will start to install th e driver for the USB2COM. When the installation is done, click “Finish”. If the computer shows “find a new hard ware” screen again, just repeat the steps in this section again .[...]

43 Now you computer should be ready for Firmware Upgrading, computer communication with the mount via ASCOM platform and planetarium so ftwa re applications. However, you ne ed to find assigned COM port nu mber for the USB c onnection. To do so, right click “My Computer”, and click “Properties” Click “Hardware”, click “Device Ma nager[...]

44 Double click on “Ports(COM & LPT)”, fin d out the COM number and write it down (in the following figure, it is COM3)[...]

45 Appendix E. Firmware Upgrade 1. Download and install Firmware Down loader from iOptron Website 2. Double click and open “iOptron Dow nloader” On the in terface, select appropriate port using p ull-down menu (in this c ase, COM3):[...]

46 Click “Open Data File”, and sele ct appropriate “.bi n” file that matches your hand controller, and click “Open”. Select “Main Program” ONLY in Update T ype. Click “Start Download”. iOptronDownload will display: “Please reset GoToNova [GOTOSTAR], waiting for conne ction…” On the han d controller, press “MENU”, and u[...]

47 Now the upgrade is finished. Typical Errors: 1. In valid Port Number: in Devi ce Manage r, make su re you have the cor rect COM port number for CP210x. 2. Wrong “.bin” file: make sure you have the correct “.bin” file for firmware upgrade. 3. Wrong downloader, you should use iOptron Downloader instead of the Flash Downloader. 4. Use CP210[...]

48 Appendix F. Use a PC to Control an iOptron Mount In general you need the followings to use a PC to control a SmartStar-A moun t, 1. Download USB2COM driver (CP210x .zip file for 8401) http://www.ioptron.com/s u pport.aspx?catalog=28; 2. Install USB2COM and establish the connection between the mount and the PC (see instr uction); 3. ASCOM platfor[...]