Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product SmartStar G-MC90 iOptron
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SmartStar ® -G Series Mount and Telescopes (For 8800, 8802, 8803 and 8804) Instruction Manual.
2 Table of Content Table of Content .............................................................................................................. 2 1. SmarStar ® -G Series Ov erview ...................................................................
3 5.8.2. Co mets ......................................................................................................... 20 5.8.3. Aste roids ...................................................................................................... 21 5.
4 1. SmarStar ® -G Series Overview 1.1. SmartStar ® -G Series Features Alt-Azimuth Mount– The Cube™ The SmartStar ® -G series come with our patented Alt-Azimuth (AltAzi) mount, a.k.a . The Cube™. This compact mount design is probably the most functional and flexible unit on the market.
5 USB Port The 8402 hand controller comes with a USB port that tremendously expands the functionalities of the already powerful system. With the USB2COM driver installed, the USB port works as an RS232 serial port. It supports firmware upgrades and computer control.
6 1.2. Assembly Terms 1. Telescope tube 2. Dovetail lock 3. Hand controller 4. Altitude lock 5. Mount 6. Tripod 7. Tripod bolt 8. Tray 9. Tray lock.
7 2. Telescope Assembly Step 1. Preparing the Tripod Extend tripod legs to full extension. Step 2. Attaching the Mount Attach mount to tripod using the long bolt (#7).
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 Install the Finderscope by sliding the dovetail plate onto the sleeve (see arrow) and tightening the side screw. The eyep iece can be placed on the end of the scope or on t he side (see next step). Secure the eyepiece using the side screw. Use the focus knob to adjust the focus.
10 3. GOTONOVA TM 8402G Hand Controller Figure 1. GOTONOVA 8402 Hand Controller GOTONOVA TM 8402G hand controller (HC) is the standard controller for a SmartStar ® -G series mount and telescope, as shown in Figure 1. 3.1. Key Description • MENU: Press “MENU” to enter the Main Menu.
11 3.2. The LCD Screen The 8402 HC consists of a large 4-line LCD screen, which displays all the information as shown in Figure 2. The user interface is simple and easy to learn. Figure 2. 8402G HC LCD Information Screen 1. Target Name: display the name of the target that telescope is currently point to.
12 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. Level and Align the Mount 4.1.1. Level the Mount. Leveling is critical for a good GOTO and tracking accuracy.
13 Press ENTER. Select “Set Up Time and Site” Press ENTER. The “Set Local Time” screen will show: The local time will be updated when the GPS picks up satellite signals. If for any reason your GPS can’t pick up a signal you can manually enter the time.
14 If for any reason your GPS can’t pick up a signal you can manually enter the GPS coordinates. Press ◄ or ► key to move the cursor and using ▲ or ▼ key to toggle between “W” and “E”, “N” and “S”, or to change the numbers.
15 tracking accuracy. To do so, press MENU button, scroll down to “Align”, select “Easy 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. Select an object using ▲ or ▼ key.
16 and use the number button to select the object. • UGC Catalog: consists of 12939 objects. 5.2.3. Comets It contains up to 64 comets, with 16 pre- loaded comets. This database is customer upgradeable. 5.2.4. Asteroids It contains up to 64 asteroids, with 16 pre- loaded asteroids.
17 Record New Landmark Use ▼ or ▲ button to move the cursor to “Record New Landmark” line, and press ENTER. A landmark screen will show: Use ◄ ► ▲ and ▼ keys to slew the telescope to the target you want to observe. Press SPEED button to change the slew speed if needed.
18 the GOTO accuracy in nearby sky. Multiple syncs can be performed if needed. “Sync to Target” will only work after “Select and slew” was performed. You may need using SPEED key to change the slewing speed to make the centering procedure easier.
19 5.7.2. One Star Align From the main menu, select “Align”. Select “One Star Align” and press ENTER. A list of align stars that are above the horizon is computed based on your local time and location. Use ▲ or ▼ button to select an alignment star and press ENTER.
20 Use ◄ or ► key to move the cursor and ▲ or ▼ key to change the numbers of your object. RA ranges from 0 hour to 24 hour and DEC from -90 degree to +90 degree. Press ENTER when it is done. A confirmation screen will show: Press ENTER to confirm.
21 Press ENTER to confirm. The user object will be stored in next available or previous deleted comet position. It can be selected and slewed from Comets menu. Edit one data Use ▼ or ▲ button to move the cursor to “Edit one data” line, and press ENTER.
22 Select “Add a watch object” and press ENTER. Browse the celestial object list and select the one you want to watch by press ENTER. Follow the screen prompt to confirm the selection. After you are done, press BACK to back to Watch List menu. You also can delete one or all objects in your watching list.
23 instrument to excessive heat or moisture. It is best to store the tele scope in its original box with the altitude lock knob unlocked. If shipping the telescope, use the original box and packing material to protect the telescope during shipment.
24 1. Leveling (very important). 2. Site information (minutes ahead or behind UT, DST). 3. Check the power source. 6.4. iOptron Customer Service If you have a question concerning your telescope, contact the iOptron Customer Service Department. Customer Service hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Easter Time, Monday through Friday.
25 Appendix A. Technical Specifications SmartStar ® GOTO Mount Mount AltAzimuth Mount Body Materials Die-cast Aluminum Motor Dual-Axis DC Servo motor with encoders Gear Acetal worm wheel/Nylon 6 worm.
26 Appendix B. GOTONOVA TM 8402G HC MENU STRUCTURE MENU Select and Sl ew Select and Sl ew Planets, Su n, Moon Planets, Su n, Moon Comets Comets Asteroids Asteroids Stars Stars Mercury Venus Mars Jupit.
27 Align Align User Object List User Object List R.A. and DEC. R.A. and DEC. Comets Comets Asteroids Asteroids Watch List Watch List Add a Watch Object Add a Watch Object Dele te One Da ta Dele te One Da ta Del ete All Del ete All Browse the List Brow se the List Set Telescope Coord.
28 Appendix C. GOTONOVA TM Star List GOTONOVA Deep Sky Object List for 8402G ID No. OBJECT NGC # Messier # IC# A(Abell) U(UGC) 1 Andromeda Galaxy 224 31 2 Barnards Galaxy 6822 3 Beehive Cluster 2632 4.
29 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 .
30 Messier This table is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License . It uses material from the Wikipedia article List of Messier objects.
31 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.
32 GOTONOVA Named Star List for 8402G 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 .
33 GOTONOVA Double Star List for 8402G 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 1.
34 Appendix D. Set Up USB-PC Connection Before a computer being used to control the mount or update the firmware, a connection between PC and 8402G Hand Controller has to be established. There are two versions of 8402 HCs, namely 8402G and 8402A. The USB2COM chipsets used in these two HCs are different .
35 Click “Next”. When finished installation, click “Finish” 2. Plug the USB cable into a USB port on your PC, plug the other end of the USB cable to hand controller.
36 3. Install the Hardware The computer will find a new hardware and install the driver automatically. Now you computer should be ready for Firmware Upgrading, computer communication with the mount via ASCOM platform and planetarium software applications.
37 Double click on “Ports (COM & LPT)”, find out the COM number and write it down (in the following figure, it is COM4).
38 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-.
39 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.
40 Now the upgrade is finished. Typical Errors: 1. Invalid Port Number: in Device Manager, make sure you have the correct COM port number for “Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port.” 2. Wrong “.bin” file: make sure you have the correct “.bin” file for firmware upgrade.
41 Appendix F. Use a PC to Control an iOptron Mount In general you need the followings to use a PC to control a SmartStar-G mount, 1. Download USB2COM driver (PL-2303, zip file for 8402G) http://www.ioptron.com/support.aspx?catalog=28; 2. Install USB2COM and establish the connection between the mount and the PC (see instruction); 3.
42 IOPTRON ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY A. iOptron warrants your telescope, mount, or controller to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for one year. iOp tron will repair or replace such product or part which, upon inspection by iOptron, is found to be defective in materials or workman ship.
An important point after buying a device iOptron SmartStar G-MC90 (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 SmartStar G-MC90 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 SmartStar G-MC90 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, iOptron SmartStar G-MC90 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get iOptron SmartStar G-MC90 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of iOptron SmartStar G-MC90, 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 SmartStar G-MC90.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with iOptron SmartStar G-MC90. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device iOptron SmartStar G-MC90 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
