Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product 8600 iOptron
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SmartStar ® Cube TM -A Series Mount and Telescopes (For 8600, 8602, 8603 and 8604) Instruction Manual ®.
2 Table of Content Table of Content ........................................................................................................................... 2 1. SmarStar ® Cube TM -A Series Overview ...............................................
3 6.6.1. One Star Align .......................................................................................................... . 23 6.6.2. Two Star Alignment .........................................................................................
4 1. SmarStar ® Cube TM -A Series Overview 1.1. SmartStar ® Cube TM -A Series Features Alt-Azimuth Mount– The Cube™, wi th AltAzi/EQ dual application The SmartStar ® Cube tm -A series come with our patented Alt-Azimuth (AltAzi) mount, a.k.a . The Cube™.
5 Most light weight (<7lbs) Optical Tube Assembles (OTAs) with dovetail connection should be compatible 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 available at your local telescope store or the OTA manufacturer.
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 ( not included ) 5 6 7 8 9 10 13 11 12 Polaris Zenith Figure 1.
7 2. Telescope Assembly Step 1. Preparing the Tripod 1. Extend tripod legs to full extension. 2. Slide tray on bottom of shaft (#7). Then screw on round black knob (#9). Step 2. Attaching the Mount 1. Raise wedge plate on the tripod by turning two tilt locks (12); 2.
8 Step 5. Plug in hand controller and AC adaptor. Plug hand controller into either one of the two HBX ports on the mount. Next plug in AC adaptor. (Or use batteries—see step 3). Turn on power (the red light should go on). At this point you can begin observing manually.
9 For 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain (#8504) ……………………………… …. Install Diagonal by screwing it onto the back end of the scope. You can adjust the position of the diagonal by loosening the free-spinning threader on the diagonal.
10 3. GoToNova ® 8401 Hand Controller Figure 1. GoToNova 8401 Hand Controller GoToNova ® 8401 hand controller (HC) is the standard controller for a SmartStar ® Cube TM -A series mount and telescope, as shown in Figure 1. (The earlier version equipped with a 8402 hand controller.
11 • Light Key( ☼ ): Turns on/off the red LED reading light on the back of the controller. • ? Key: For help or extra information. • STOP/0 Key: Stop/Start tracking. • HBX (Handbox) port: connect the HC to MiniTower mount using a 6-wire RJ11 cable.
12 4. Getting Started In order to experience the full GOTO capabilit y of GoToNova technology, it is very important to set up the mount correctly before observation. 4.1. Level and Align the Mount 4.1.1. Level the Mount. Leveling is critical for a good GOTO and tracking accuracy.
13 4.2.1. Set Up Local Time and Site Info Press MENU button, from the main menu, scroll down and select “ Set up controller ” Press ENTER. Select “ Set Up Local Time ” Press ENTER. The “Set Local Time” screen will show: The local time will be updated when the GPS picks up satel lite signals.
14 To adjust minutes, move the cursor to each d igit and use ▲ or ▼ key to change the number. To change the “behind” or “ahead of” UT, move the cursor to “ahead of” and using ▲ or ▼ key to toggle between “behind” and “ahead of”.
15 Press Enter. 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 select “Set anti-backlash” Press ENTER.
16 4.2.4. Using your telescope Selecting an Eyepiece: 1. Always begin viewing with the lowest power eyepiece. (Note: a 25 mm focal length eyepiece has a lower power than a 10 mm one.) A formula can be used to determine the power of each eyepiece: Telescope focal length divide d by eyepiece focal length equals magnification.
17 4.2.6. Initial Star Alignment A simple alignment/synchronization can be performed to improve the GOTO and tracking accuracy. To do so, press MENU button, scroll down to “Align”, select “One Star Align” and press ENTER. A list of three bright objects, such as Moon, Venus, and other stars, will be displayed for you to select from.
18 5. Operate SmartStar ® Cube TM -A mount in EQ Mode The SmartStar can precisely track a celestial object while in the alt-az position. The integrated wedge of an A-series telescope allo ws the telescope to be operated in an equatorial mode, which is a great option for those who want get familiar with the EQ operation.
19 5. Align the altitude axle (with or without count erweight) 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 using left or right arrow key. The altitude axle will served as the DEC axis of the EQ mode.
20 6. Use SmartStar ® Cube TM -A Telescopes 6.1. Manual Operation of a Telescope You may observe land and astronomical objects using GoToNova’s arrow keys. After the telescope was assembled (referring to Section 2. Telescope Assembly), flip the I/O switch on the telescope mount to turn on the mount.
21 6.2.4. Asteroids I his catalog contains up to 4,096 asteroids. This database is customer upgradeable. 6.2.5. Stars • Named Stars: It consists of 191 stars with their common names. They are listed alphabetically. A list is attached in Appendix C. • Double Stars: It consists of 40 double stars.
22 6.5. Set Up Controller 6.5.1. Set Up Local Time Refer to 4.2.1. 6.5.2. Set Up Site Refer to 4.2.1. 6.5.3. Set N/S Hemisphere Set northern or southern hemisphere.
23 6.5.13. Set Language Select hand controller display language in English or French. 6.6. Align This function is used for align the telescope. Before star alignment, please make sure the mount is well leveled. The system also provides “One Star Align” and “Two Star Align”.
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 th e mount (u nless you “Park Telescope” before powering off). 6.6.5. Test Anti-backlash This command tests the backlashes in both R.
25 7. Maintenance and Servicing 7.1. Maintenance The SmartStar ® Cube-A mount or telescope is a precision instrument designed to yield a lifetime of rewarding applications. Given the care and respect due any precision instrument, your telescope will rarely require factory servicing or maintenance.
26 7.3. Troubleshooting The following suggestions may be helpful with operation of the SmartStar ® Cube-A mount or telescope. The power indicator light on the mount does not come on or there is no response when pressing hand controller’s arrow keys: (1) Verify that the power switch on the mount is in the ON position.
27 • Extension cord: Make sure the cord is in good condition. Power drop along the extension cord has been known to cause this error message. Also check all the plugs and connections. (4) Check the hand controller cord. Unplug it and re-plug into the other HBX port.
28 daytime telephone number. The great majority of servicing issues can be resolved by t elephone, avoiding return of the telescope to the factory. It is also strongly suggested that to send your technical questions to support@ioptron.
29 Appendix A. Technical Specifications SmartStar ® Cube TM -A GOTO Mount Mount AltAzimuth/Equatorial Dual Mount Body Materials Die-cast Aluminum Motor Dual-Axis DC Servo motor with encoders Gear Ace.
30 Appendix B. GoToNova ® 8401 HC MENU STRUCTURE MENU Select and Sl ew Select and Sl ew Plane ts, Sun, Mo on Plane ts, Sun, Mo on Comets Comets Asteroids Asteroids Stars Stars Mercury Venus Mars Jupi.
31 Set Up Controller Set Up Controller Set Up Local Time Set Up Site Set N/S Hemisphere Set Displa y Contrast Set Eyepiece Light Set Backlight Set Anti-backs lash Set Key Beep Set Mount Type Reset All.
32 Appendix C. GoToNova ® Star List GoToNova Deep Sky Object List for 8401 ID No. OBJECT NGC # Messier # IC# A(Abell) U(UGC) 1 Andromeda Galaxy 224 31 2 Barnards Galaxy 6822 3 Beehive Cluster 2632 44.
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 Nebula 6618 17 42 Orion Nebula 1976 42 43 Owl Nebula 3587 97 .
34 Messier This table is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . It uses material from the Wikipedia article List of Messier objects.
35 Modern Constellations 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 Lepu.
36 GoToNova Named Star List 001 Acamar 049 Ascella 097 Kaus Australis 145 Rassalas 002 Achernar 050 Asellus Austra lis 098 Kaus Borealis 146 Rasagethi 003 Acrux 051 Asellus Borealis 099 Kaus Media 147.
37 GoToNova Double Star List No. Object Const SAO Name 1 Eta Cas 21732 Achird 2 Alpha Psc 110291 Alrisha 3 Theta Per 38288 4 Alpha For 168373 Fornacis 5 Alpha Aur 40186 Capella 6 Sigma Ori 132406 7 Mu.
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 accept the terms of license agreement”, and click “Next” Using the default installation path, c:SiLabsMCUCP210x, or specify your own path by click “Change”.
40 When finished installation, click “Finish” 3. Plug the USB cable in to the USB port on your PC, plug the other end of the USB cable to hand controller. Turn on the power on the mount. 4. Install the Hardware The computer will find a new hardware and show the following screen Select “No, not this time” and click “Next”.
41 Select “Install from a list or specific location” and click “Next”. Select “Search for the best driver in these locations,” and che ck “Include this location in the search.” Click on “Browse” and select the CP210x driver from directory c:SiLabsMCUCP210xWin2K_XP, click OK.
42 Click “Next”. The computer will start to install the driver for the USB2COM. When the installa tion is done, click “Finish”. If the computer shows “find a new hardware” 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 software applications.
44 Double click on “Ports(COM & LPT)”, find 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 Downloader from iOptron Website 2. Double click and open “iOptron Downloader” On the interface, select appropriate port using pull-.
46 Click “Open Data File”, and select appropriate “.bin” file that matches your hand cont roller, and click “Open”. Select “Main Program” ONLY in Update Type.
47 Now the upgrade is finished. Typical Errors: 1. Invalid Port Number: in Device Manager, make sure you have the correct 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.
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 mount, 1. Download USB2COM driver (CP210x.zip file for 8401) http://www.ioptron.com/support.aspx?catalog=28; 2. Install USB2COM and establish the connection between the mount and the PC (see instruction); 3.
An important point after buying a device iOptron 8600 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought iOptron 8600 yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data iOptron 8600 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, iOptron 8600 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get iOptron 8600 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of iOptron 8600, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime iOptron 8600.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with iOptron 8600. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device iOptron 8600 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
