iOptron IEQ75-GTTM manual

SmartStar ® iEQ75-GT TM Instruction Manual[...]

2 Table of Content Table of Content ................................................................................................................................................. 2 1. iEQ75-GT TM Overview ...................................................................................................................... ............ 4 2. iEQ75[...]

3 5.5. Align ..................................................................................................................... ................................. 25 5.5.1. One-Star Align................................................................................................................................ 25 5.5.2. Two-Star Align .......[...]

4 1. iEQ75-GT TM Overview The iEQ75-GT™ is a one-of-a-kind premium CNC-ma chined astro-imaging mount from iOptron. The iEQ75-GT™ offers the next generation GoTo technology fr om iOptron. With a Renishaw high resolution encoder-enabled double closed-loop tracking, the system is able to tra cking the target with a tracking error less that ±1 arc[...]

5 2. iEQ75-GT TM Assembly 2.1. Parts List 1 The parts comes with the iEQ75-GT TM order include an EQ mount (Figure 1), one mounting plate (Figure 2), 2 counterweights and an CW shaft (Figure 1). Other parts are, as show n in Figure 4, an 8406 hand controller, coiled hand contro ller cable, a Vixen dovetail saddle, R.A. and DEC cables, a dark field [...]

6 Figure 3. Counterweights and CW shaft Figure 4. Included accessories[...]

7 2.2. Assembly terms Mounting plat e DEC U nit DEC DI N ca bl e Polar Axis Cover Main cont rol bo x Polar Scope Co ver Lat. Locking Screw Azi. Adjust. Knob 8406 Hand Control ler Azi. Locking Screw CW Shaf t Counterwei ght (CW) CW Safety Scre w R.A. Unit Alignment Peg Tripod Head Tripod Lock Tripod Spreader Tripod Leg Leg Lock Screw Figure 5. iEQ75[...]

8 2.3. iEQ75-GT TM Ports Figure 6. Ports on iEQ75-GT TM control box • R.A. and DEC motor: For connecting to R.A. and DEC driver unit • Power: Power switch • DC 12V: 12 volts DC power plug (center positive) • HBX (Hand Box): For connecting to the 8406 Hand Controller • iOptron port: For connecting to other iOptron acce ssorie s, such as an[...]

9 and short exposure photos, but not good enough for serious astrophotography. Alt-Az mounts require star alignments for the OTA to track stars and t hey do not have adjustment components on the mount. Equatorial mounts require alignment of the mount components as well as star a lignments for accurate OTA tracking. In order to provide the required [...]

10 Figure 7. Tripod Figure 8. Attaching the mount STEP 3. Connect Cables Figure 9. Cable connections There are two DIN 6 cables that have C091 connectors on both ends of the cable. Insert one end of the DIN 6 cable into the R.A. socket on the control box, and the other end into the socket located on R.A. driver unit, as shown in Figure 9. Secure bo[...]

11 Latitude Adjustment Knob Lat. Adjust. Lever Azi. Adjust. Knob Figure 10. Adjust latitude Unscrew the Latitude Adjustment Lever from the Latitude Adjustment Knob as sho wn in Figure 10. Turn the Latitude Adjustment Knob to set your current latitude, using the Latitude Adjustment Lever for a fine adjustment, if needed. At this point, with the moun[...]

12 the locking screws to secure the mount. Loose n four Latitude Locking Screws on t he side of the mount, turning the Latitude Adjustment Knob to adjust the latitude (altitude). Use the Lever for a fine latitude adjustment. Re-tighten the lock screws. Initializing the polar scope During initial setup of the iEQ mount, it is likely that the viewing[...]

13 Polar Scope Dial as indicated on the HC LCD. In this case, the Polaris will be located at a radius of 41.5’ and an angle of 1 hour 26.8 minute, as shown in Figure 13 (b). (a) (b) Figure 13. Polaris displayed on 8406 hand controller (a) and Polaris located on Polar scope dial STEP 4. Attach Dovetail Adapter Install the Mounting Plate onto the i[...]

14 Figure 15. Zero position Remove the CW Safety Screw on the end of the CW shaft. Loosen the CW Locking Screw on the side of the CW (there is a CW pin inside) and slide the CW into the shaft. Tighten the CW Locking Screw to hold the CW in place. Tighten the CW Safety Screw. CAUTION: For safety reasons, the CW Safety Screw must be installed and tig[...]

15 A “Testing R.A. Balance” screen will be displayed. Press the ENTER key to start t he test. After few swings, a test results will be displayed on the hand controller LCD screen: Figure 17. R.A. Balance Test Follow the arrow indicator to move the CW left or right. The more the arrow is shaded, the more the CW needs to be moved. Press the ENTER[...]

16 3. GoToNova ® 8406 Hand Controller Figure 19. GoToNova 8406 hand controller The GoToNova ® 8406 hand controller (HC) shown in Figure 19 is the standard controller for the iEQ75-GT mount. It has an integrated temperature controller that ensures it can be operated b elow 20ºC (- 4ºF). 3.1. Key Description • MENU Key: Press “MENU” to ente[...]

17 3.2. The LCD Screen The 8406 HC has a large 8-line, 21 character LCD screen, which displays all the information a s shown in Figure 20. The user interface is simple and easy to learn. Figure 20. 8406 HC LCD Information Screen 1. Target Name/Mount Position: displays the name of the target that telescope is currently pointed to or the current moun[...]

18 4. Getting Started In order to experience the full GOTO capability of GoToNova technology it is very important to set up the mount correctly before observation. 4.1. Setup the Mount and Polar Alignment Setup and polar alignment your iEQ75-GT mount according to Section 2.5. The default position for the mount is the Zero Position, as shown in Figu[...]

19 number keys to change the numbers. Use the ▲ or ▼ button to toggle between “Y” and “N” for Daylight Saving Time. Press ENTER to go back the previous screen. 4.3.2. Set Up Observation Site Scroll down and select “ Set up Observ. site ” Press ENTER. The longitude and latitude coordinates will be updated when the GPS picks up satell[...]

20 between “behind” and “ahead”. When the number is co rr ect, press ENTER and go back to the previous screen. For other parts of the world you can find your “time zone” information from iOptron website (http://www.ioptron.com/support.cfm?module=faq#). DO NOT COUNT DAYLIGH T SAVING TIME. The time and site information will be stored in s[...]

21 4.4. Turn Off the Mount When you have finished your observation, it is recommended that you return the mount to Zero Position before powering down. This will ensure that there is no need for you to perform the initial setup again when you power up the mount subsequently, if the mount is not moved. To return the mount to its Zero Position, press [...]

22 5. Complete Functions of GoToNova ® Hand Controller 5.1. Slew to an Object Press the MENU button. From the main menu select “ Select and Slew .” Select an object that you would like to observe and press the ENTER key. The GoToNova 8406 hand controller has a database of about 580,000 objects. Use the ► or ◄ buttons to move the cursor. Us[...]

23 5.1.6. Constellations This catalog consists of 88 modern constellations with their names. They are listed alphabetically. A list is attached in Appendix E. 5.1.7. Enter R.A. DEC Here you can go to a target by entering its R.A. and DEC numbers. 5.2. Sync to Target This operation will match the telescope's current coordinates to Target Right [...]

24 5.4.7. Set Backlash Value Set the backlash of R.A axis and DEC axis. Although both R.A. and DEC worms have gap-free structure, there still might be backlash or play between the reducing gears of a R.A. or DEC motor. To set the backlash value, scroll down and select “Set Backla sh Value” Press ENTER. A R.A. anti-backlash screen will display: [...]

25 If the Meridian Protection is turned on, the mount will stop tracking when it passes the meridian. If it is turned off, the mount will keeping tracking and the OTA could hit the tripod leg if the mount is not monitored. 5.4.11. Set Language Select hand controller language from English or French. 5.4.12. Heating Controller Turn on/off the control[...]

26 5.5.3. Dis R.A axis error This displays the celestial pole pointing error after two star or three star alignment. When the HC shows for example: 7.5" lower 4.3" east, it means the polar axis of the mount is pointing lo wer and to the east. Pointing error is zero when the mount is powered on (unless you “Park Telescope” before power[...]

27 5.9. Park Scope 5.9.1. Park Scope Park the mount to a preset parking position. 5.9.2. Set Park Position There are 6 park positions to be chosen from, namel y “Up north,” “Left zenith,” “Left horizontal,” “Right zenith,” “Right horizontal,” and “Position now.” Different OTA may have different requirement for parking. When [...]

28 6. Maintenance and Servicing 6.1. Maintenance The iEQ75-GT is designed to be maintenance free. Do not overload the mount. Do not drop the mount, this will damage the mount or degrade the GOTO tr acking accuracy permanently. Use a wet cloth to clean the mount and hand controller. Do not use solvent. If your mount is not to be used for an extended[...]

29 Appendix A. Technical Specifications Mount German Equatorial Mount Payload 75 lb (34kg) Mount weight 52 lb (23.6kg) Right Ascension worm wheel Φ 182mm, 228 teeth bronze Declination worm wheel Φ 154mm, 192 teeth bronze Right Ascension axis shaft Φ 60mm steel Declination axis shaft Φ 45mm steel Right Ascension bearing Φ 90mm angular contact b[...]

30 Appendix B. GoToNova ® 8406 HC MENU STRUCTURE[...]

31[...]

32 Appendix C. Firmware Upgrade The firmware in the 8406 hand controller and/or main control board can be upgraded by the customer. Please check iOptron’s website, www.iOptron.com , under Support Directory, for the most up to date firmware. To upgrade i8406 hand controller firmware: (1) Download the newest version of the 8406 hand controller firm[...]

33 Appendix D. Use a PC to Control an iEQ75-GT Mount The iEQ75-GT mount can be connected to a computer using supplied RS232 cable, if your PC is equipped with a serial port. A RS232 to USB adapter is needed if your computer do es not have a serial port, like most of the laptops on the market today. Follow the adapter instructions to install the ada[...]

Appendix E. GoToNova ® Star List Messier Catalog This table is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . It uses material from the Wikipedia article List of Messier objects[...]

35 001 Acamar 049 Ascella 097 Kaus Australis 145 Rassalas 002 Achernar 050 Asellus Australis 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 Atlas 102 Kochab 150 Rigel 007 Al Na’ir 055 Atria 103[...]

No. Constellation Abbreviation No. Constellation Abbreviation 1 A ndromeda A nd 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 Lyr 9 Boötes Boo 53 Mensa Men 10 Caelum Cae 54 Microscopium Mic 11[...]

ID No. OBJECT NGC # Messier# IC# A (A bell) U(UGC) ID No. OBJECT NGC # Messier# IC# A (A bell) U(UGC) 1 Andromeda Galaxy 224 31 31 Hind's Variable Nebula 1555 2 Barnards Galaxy 6822 32 Hubble's Variable Nebula 2261 3 Beehive Cluster 2632 44 33 Integral Sign Galaxy 3697 4 Blackeye Galaxy 4926 64 34 Jewel Box Cluster 4755 5 Blinking Planeta[...]

No. Ob j ect Const Sep. Ma g itude SAO Comm. Name No. Ob j ect Const Sep. Ma g itude SAO Comm. Name 1 Gam And 9.8 2.3 / 5.1 37734 Almaak 37 Iot Cas 2.3 4.7/7.0/8.2 12298 2 Pi And 35.9 4.4 / 8.6 54033 38 Psi Cas 25 4.7 / 8.9 11751 3 Bet Aql 12.8 3.7 / 11 125235 Alshain 39 Sig Cas 3.1 5.0 / 7.1 35947 4 11 Aql 17.5 5.2 / 8.7 104308 40 E3053 Cas 15.2 5[...]

No. Ob j ect Const Sep. Ma g itude SAO Comm. Name No. Ob j ect Const Sep. Ma g itude SAO Comm. Name 73 52 Cyg 6.1 4.2 / 9.4 70467 111 95 Her 6.3 5.0 / 5.2 85647 74 Ups Cyg 15.1 4.4 / 10 71173 112 Kap Her 27 5.0 / 6.2 101951 75 Mu Cyg 1.9 4.7 / 6.1 89940 113 E2063 Her 16.4 5.7 / 8.2 46147 76 Psi Cyg 3.2 4.9 / 7.4 32114 114 100 Her 14.3 5.9 / 5.9 857[...]

No. Ob j ect Const Sep. Ma g itude SAO Comm. Name No. Ob j ect Const Sep. Ma g itude SAO Comm. Name 149 67 Oph 55 4.0 / 8.6 123013 181 Bet Sco 13.6 2.6 / 4.9 159682 Graffias 150 Lam Oph 1.5 4.2 / 5.2 121658 Marfic 182 Sig Sco 20 2.9 / 8.5 184336 Alniyat 151 Xi Oph 3.7 4.4 / 9.0 185296 183 Nu Sco 41 4.2 / 6.1 159764 Jabbah 152 36 Oph 4.9 5.1 / 5.1 1[...]

IOPTRON TWO YEAR TELESCOPE, MO UNT, AND CONTROLLER WARRANTY A. iOptron warrants your telescope, mount, or cont roller to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for t wo years. iO ptron will repair or replace such product or part which, upon inspection by iOptron, is found to be defective in materials or workman ship. As a condition to th[...]