Instruction Manual for Altazimuth Mount
PERFACE We thank you very much for your purchase of our product from a series of the Vixen SKYPOD Altazimuth Mount astronomical telescopes. The SKYPOD Altazimuth Mount features automatic slewing of celestial objects on the screen of its dedicated hand controller ‘STAR BOOK-S’ and a various convenient menus and functions that will help you in enjoying your observation in the night sky. We hope you will enjoy exploring celestial wonders anywhere with the SKYPOD.
CONTENTS PREFACE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 INITIAL SETTING- - - - - - - - - - - - - -17 Setting Up the STAR BOOK-S WARNING,CAUTION,HANDLING- - - 2 I. Turning the Power On and Off- - - - - - 17 II. Setting Language- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 III. Setting Local Time- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 19 CONTENTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3 IV. Setting Location - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 V.
BEFORE USE Checking Contents The SKYPOD Altazimuth Mount box contains the par ts listed below. Make sure that your box contains all these par ts. Contents of SKYPOD Altazimuth Mount SKYPOD Altazimuth Mount STAR BOOK-S Instruction Manual (This booklet) Serial Number Stickers STAR BOOK-S Hand Controller Note : Batteries are not included. For parts included in optical tube boxes and other instruments, please refer to that product manual.
BEFORE USE Parts Descriptions : SKYPOD Mount and Tripod SKYPOD VMC110L and A80Mf telescopes shown here, your telescope may differ. Horizontal Rotation Axis E ye p i e c e S TA R B O O K - S E ye p i e c e S e t S c r ew Vertical Rotation Axis F i n d e r B ra cke t L o ck S c r ew V M C 1 1 0 L O p t i c a l Tu b e C o m p a r t m e n t C ove r Powe r S w i t c h Dot Finder E x t e r n a l D C 1 2 V Powe r Te r m i n a l E ye p i e c e A d a p t e r ( 3 1 .
BEFORE USE STAR BOOK-S Hand Controller 03 04 05 01. TN 2.6-inch Monochrome LCD Screen 02. Power Switch 07 06 01 09 10 12 11 08 02 13 14 The upper buttons (Right side on-screen soft-key legend): Enter, Cursor Movement, Scroll 03. LEFT (Moves the cursor left. ) 04. UP (Moves the cursor up. ) 05. RIGHT (Moves the cursor right. ) 06. DOWN (Moves the cursor down. 07.
BEFORE USE Legend on the Screen 13. Disp: On screen information changes each time pressed.
HOW TO USE Flow of Operation Take the following steps to set up the SKYPOD. PREPARATION INITIAL SETTING Assembling the SKYPOD and tripod. Setting Language (The first time only.) Turn the powers of both the mount and controller to ON, and then choose your language in the STAR BOOK-S. Pages 09 to 16 Pages 17 to 21 Setting Date & Time (The first time only.) Enter date and your local time. Setting Longitude & Latitude (The first time only.) Enter longitude and latitude of your observation site.
PREPARATION About batteries for the SKYPOD The STAR BOOK-S controller of the SKYPOD runs on four (4) AA-size alkaline batteries (not included). The batteries can last about eight hours at 20 degrees C. The SKYPOD Mount runs on eight (8) AA-size alkaline batteries (not included) or optional external power supply. The batteries can last about eight hours at 20 degrees C. A total of twelve (12) AA-size alkaline batteries are needed optionally to run the product.
PREPARATION Setting up the telescope Setting up the Tripod Stand the tripod on even and sold ground. Adjust the height of the tripod as the occasion demands. To change the height, loosen the leg extension clamp of each tripod leg. Be sure to tighten all the leg extension clamps securely after adjusting the height of the tripod. Pull the tripod legs apart until the tripod leg spreader has been fully extended to let the tripod stand by itself.
Setting up the telescope PERPARATION Attaching to the Tabletop Tripod Hold the SKYPOD Mount over the tabletop tripod head so that the center shaft is above the SKYPOD Mount matching hole. Place the SKYPOD Mount on the tabletop tripod head so that Tabletop Tripod the two are flush. Tighten the knob on the underside of the Locking Knob tripod head firmly. Install batteries into the battery pack on the SKYPOD Mount. Open the front cover to access the inner blue battery case as shown in the figure.
PREPARATION Setting up the telescope Attaching the Counterweight (Optional) (Proceed to V when you don't need the Counterweight for your SKYPOD.) Use an optional counterweight with the SKYPOD when you install a telescope optical tube weighing over 2.5 kg (5.5lbs.). Remove the blue weight cap by unscrewing it and screw the counterweight onto the end of counter- Counterweight Shaft Counterweigh weight shaft inside.
PREPARATION ATTACHING THE EYEPIECE ADAPTER VMC110L Focuser Visual Configuration Right-angled Viewing Focus Knob Eyepiece 31.7mm / 1 1/4”(Supplied) Straight-through Viewing Flip Mirror Lever (Changes the light path.) R130Sf Focuser Visual Configuration A70Lf, A80Mf Focusers Visual Configuration Focus Knob A70Lf Eyepiece Adapter (42mm to 31.7mm / 1 1/4”) R130Sf Eyepiece Adapter (42mm to 31.7mm / 1 1/4”) Eyepiece 31.7mm / 1 1/4”(Supplied) Eyepiece 31.
PREPARATION Attaching the Finder Scope (A80Mf or R130Sf) Back out the adjust- Adjustment Screw ment screws on the Slide the rubber O-ring onto the eyepiece end of the finder. There are two grooves on the finder bracket to allow finder tube. Position the O-ring on the narrow passage of the finder groove at the middle of the finder scope. scope. (Make sure the Fonder Scope adjustment screws do not fall off the bracket.
PREPARATION Attaching the Finder Scope (ED80Sf) Proceed to step 5 if the finder scope is already installed in its bracket. Back out the adjustment screws on the finder bracket to allow passage of the finder scope. (Make sure the adjustment screws do not fall off the bracket.) Slide the rubber O-ring onto the eyepiece end of the finder. There are two grooves on the finder tube. Position the O-ring on the narrow groove at the middle of the finder scope.
PREPARATION CONNECTING THE STAR BOOK-S CABLE TO THE SKYPOD Open the compartment cover on the SKYPOD. Compartment Cover Modular Plug The hand controller cable is wound around the blue battery case. Unwind it to take out the modular plug on one end of the cable. Insert the modular plug into the female jack on the STAR BOOK-S as shown until it clicks. Hand Controller Cable Warning! STAR BOOK Type S Never connect the hand controller cable to other instr uments such as a PC.
INITIAL SETTING TURNING THE POWER ON AND OFF There are two power switches; one on the SKYPOD Mount and anther on the STAR BOOK-S hand controller. The power is supplied to both components independently so be sure to turn on both power switches. Caution Always turn on the STAR BOOK-S first, then tur n on the SKYPOD Mount in succession. Reversing this order may make it inoperative.
INITIAL SETTING Setting Language The STAR BOOK-S can be operated with your choice of language with Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish to choose from. Japanese is the default language setting. Choose /Language with the keys and press the Select key to enter. Next the screen below is displayed. Choose your language with the keys and press the Select key to enter. This will bring you back to the initial screen.
INITIAL SETTING Setting Local Time Enter the date and local time of your observing site by using the upper five buttons on the STAR BOOK-S. This task is required only once the first time you use the STAR BOOK-S. However, you will need to reset the date and time if you travel from your regular observing site to a different time zone, or if you reset your clocks for Daylight Saving time. The STAR BOOK-S keeps the stored memory while you replace the batteries.
INITIAL SETTING Setting Location Enter the longitude, latitude and time zone of your observing site. Once the settings for your location are entered and saved, you don’t need to change them unless you travel more than 15 miles to a different obser ving location. The longitude and latitude of your observing site can be checked on a map or with a GPS device. The initial location is set at Tokyo. Choose Location with the and press the Select key to enter.
INITIAL SETTING Saving the Settings Save your time, language and contrast settings for the next use. Failure to do so will result in having to re-enter these settings every time you turn on the power. Once you save the settings, they will be stored in the memory of the STAR BOOK-S and you can simply choose OK to advance the screen the next time you use it. Choose Save Setting with the keys and press the Select key to enter. Next the confirmation screen is displayed.
BASIC OPERATION MOVING THE TELESCOPE A VMC110L telescope is used here as an example. Your telescope tube may differ. Please read the instruction manual that is appropriate to your model. In the initial screen, move the cursor to OK with the keys and press the Select key to enter. T h e s c r e e n d i s p l ay s a wa r n i n g o n s o l a r o b s e r va t i o n . After reading the text, choose Confirm with the keys and press the Select key to enter.
BASIC OPERATION Press the keys to see in what direction the telescope tube moves. The keys move the telescope left and right, and the keys move it up and down. (The telescope may not move below the horizon.) Note: The SKYPOD starts driving at sidereal rate (the speed of Ear th’s rotation) as soon as the OK key is pressed in the home position setting screen. Hand Controller Vertical Rotational Axis Horizontal Rotational Axis VIEWING TERRESTRIAL LANDSCAPE Let’s have a look through the telescope.
BASIC OPERATION Take off the objective lens c ap and eye p i e c e c a p. The location of the cap on your telescope may differ from model to model. Objective Lens Cap (Catadioptrics) Objective Lens Cap (Reflectors) Objective Lens Cap (Refractors) Eyepiece Cap (Catadioptrics) Eyepiece Cap (Reflectors) Eyepiece Cap (Refractors) Do you know where on the telescope to look through? Do you know where the front of the telescope is? Refer to the figures shown on the right.
BASIC OPERATION Press the keys (the upper four buttons on the STAR BOOK-S) to point the telescope’s front end toward the target object you choose. (Targets should be in excess of 200m/660ft away: a building, antenna, tower, electric pole, etc.) Refer to Hint 4 and Hint 5 . Look into the eyepiece. The image will likely be out of focus at first. Turn the focus knob slowly clockwise or counterclockwise to find a point where the image in the field of view of the eyepiece becomes sharpest.
BASIC OPERATION Tr y the following when the telescope does not produce any image. * The telescope will not focus at short distances. It requires a distance of at least 200 meters to focus an object. Point the telescope as far into the distance as possible. Hint 5 Mirror reversed view with a flip mirror (Right-angled) * Your target object may be out of the field of view of the telescope. Aim the telescope again more carefully.
BASIC OPERATION Ⅳ WHY YOU NEED A FINDER SCOPE For the novice telescope user it is difficult to locate a selected object in the field of view at high magnification. Using a finder scope will make this easier. Be sure to align the finder scope with the telescope before you start observing. 1.
BASIC OPERATION 2. Aligning the Finder scope (A70Lf) Choose a conspicuous target in the distance and place the target in the center of the field of view of the telescope in accordance with procedures I to III in Basic Operation. In the illustration, a distant tower is brought into the center of the field of view of the telescope. Top Place the tower in the center of the telescope’s field of view. Next, look through the finder scope.
OBSERVING CELESTIAL OBJECTS Hint 7 Look through the dot finder in a position where a red dot appears in the center. The dot finder works as long as the red dot is somewhere in the field of view. However if it is not centered, the dot may be harder to see clearly and your alignment may not be as accurate. If you have trouble locating the red dot, look along the guideline (white line) on the dot finder.
OBSERVING CELESTIAL OBJECTS Try using different eyepieces to change the magnification depending on what type of lunar features you wish to view. Eyepiece Setscrew Eyepiece The Moon (as well as stars and other celestial objects) will move out of the field of view while looking through the telescope. This is due to the Ear th’s rotation. The higher the magnification, the faster the movement. Re-center the Moon in the field of view by using the direction keys.
Home Position AUTOMATIC SLEWING Automatic Slewing Star t automatic slewing after you generally understand the basic operation of the telescope. Automatic slewing allows the SKYPOD to search for celestial objects based on the positions of each object stored in the memor y of the STAR BOOK-S. Flow of Automatic Slewing Setting the telescope to Home Position Move the telescope to the home position (initial position of the telescope).
AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment Aligning the Telescope After moving the telescope to the home position, pressing the Select key will display the western sky on screen in the northern hemisphere (the easter n sky in the souther n hemisphere). Tracking at sidereal rate star ts at this time, but alignment of the telescope is needed to make the tracking more accurate.
Alignment AUTOMATIC SLEWING SCOPE MODE appears on screen after initialization when the power on the STAR BOOK-S is turned on. Change it to CHART MODE by pressing the Chart key. CHART should now appear at the upper left of the screen as shown below. Center the celestial object that you wish to use as a reference point on the screen with the keys. Using the Zoom+ or Zoom- keys to change the scale of the star chart on the screen will help you to center your reference object correctly.
AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment Center the celestial object you wish to use as a reference point in the circle on the screen. Example: Center the chart on “Spica” in the constellation Virgo (The Maiden). When the Zoom+ key is pressed once, the star chart is zoomed in by one step. It enables you to make finer adjustments. With each press of the Zoom+ key the star char t is zoomed in more. Enlarge the star chart until the outer of the two concentric circles goes off the screen. Refer to Hint 12 .
Alignment AUTOMATIC SLEWING Automatic slewing begins. Caution The telescope moves quickly when automatic slewing starts. Pay attention to its range of motion. The telescope stops immediately w h e n a ny o f t h e S TA R B O O K - S key s i s pressed during automatic slewing. Press any key to stop in an emergency. To restart automatic slewing, reselect a reference point to align the telescope.
AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment Press the Align key on the STAR BOOK-S after centering the reference star “Spica” in the field of view of the telescope. A dialog box pops up to let you confirm the alignment. Choose YES and press the Select key to enter. A one point alignment is completed. The reference star Spica comes to the center of the target on the screen of SCOPE MODE . Press the Chart key and change the screen to CHART MODE to make the second and additional alignments.
Alignment AUTOMATIC SLEWING Hint 17 In a pair of reference points for alignment (= a pair alignment), two reference points that are located opposite each other will make pointing accuracy worse. Avoid choosing reference points in succession that are more than 90 degrees apart from each other. Hint 18 If you wish to use reference points that are more than 90 degrees apart, first make a pair alignment with reference points that are located within 90 degrees of each other.
AUTOMATIC SLEWING Starting Automatic Slewing Automatic slewing becomes available as soon as a two point alignment (the first pair alignment) is completed. Proceed to automatic slewing when you’ve finished them. Choose celestial objects that you are interested in obser ving one by one. Refer to Hint 15 and Hint 19 . The following is an example for slewing to the globular cluster M3 in the constellation Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs).
AUTOMATIC SLEWING As soon as the GOTO key is pressed, CHART MODE changes to SCOPE MODE and the telescope starts automatic slewing. Automatic slewing Completion of automatic slewing Start viewing with a low power eyepiece. Insert a low power eyepiece and center M3 in the field of view of the telescope’s eyepiece with the keys. Change the magnification as desired by changing the eyepiece and enjoy the view.
AUTOMATIC SLEWING Choosing a Target from the Object Menu Use the Object Menu. When you are in CHART MODE to search for a celestial object, pressing the Object key will bring up the Object Menu list. Example 1: Search for Messier objects (Find a Messier object from the Messier Catalog, which includes many well-known objects.) Pressing the Chart key will change the screen to CHART MODE when you are in SCOPE MODE . Press the Object key to show the Object Menu list.
AUTOMATIC SLEWING When the GOTO key is pressed, the telescope starts moving to point to the target object (M51). GOTO Note 1: The STAR BOOK-S Object menus will display only those celestial objects which are in the sky above the horizon at the current time and location. Note 2: The object label may appear twice next to the selected object. Note 3: The Object Menu also includes the Sun, Moon, planets, constellations, NGC/IC objects and well-known celestial objects. You can search for them in the same way.
AUTOMATIC SLEWING ④ Some brief data on this celestial object is displayed. Choose OK and press the Select key to enter. If you decide you wish to select a different object, choose Cancel instead to go back to the NGC/IC catalog. ⑤ When the GOTO key is pressed, the telescope starts moving to point to the target object NGC 4594 (Sombrero galaxy M104) automatically. Completing Observing Tur n off the power to the SKYPOD. Refer to Hint 22 . Next, turn off the STAR BOOK-S using the following procedure.
AUTOMATIC SLEWING Hint 22 About Home Position You can return the telescope to the initial set position automatically at the end of your observing session when you choose Home Position just before turning off the power to the SKYPOD and the STARBOOK-S. This helps you to restart quickly the next time you wish to observe. The telescope will return to the same position you initially set as Home Position. Correct the home position if necessary with the keys if the embossed home position marks are not lined up.
APPLICATION Chart Setting For various system settings, press the Menu key to access them. The Menu key is available in both CHART MODE and SCOPE MODE . Press the Menu key to display the System Menu on the screen. Choose Chart Setting with the keys and press the Select key to enter. The Chart Setting screen is displayed. Move the cursor with the keys and select your setting preference with the Value+ , Valuekeys. Choose OK and press the Select key to enter. A.
APPLICATION C. Const. (Constellation) Name Choose Short in order to show abbreviated constellation names and choose Long to show the constellation names by full Latin name. Choosing OFF will hide the constellation names. Constellation Name OFF The default setting is OFF. D. Confirm GOTO When set to ON , a confirmation dialog for GOTO will be displayed on the screen before you proceed to SCOPE MODE for automatic slewing. Choose YES to start automatic slewing.
APPLICATION Backlighting Duration Adjustment It is possible to turn off the screen backlight when a certain period of time has passed after keys are pressed. You can set the backlighting duration to remain on between 5 seconds and 300 seconds in 5 second intervals. Choosing Always ON will keep the backlight on at all times. Press the Menu key to display the system menu. Choose Backlight with the and press the Select key to enter. keys The Backlight setting screen is displayed.
APPLICATION About STARBOOK-S Infor mation about the fir mware version, IP address, Subnet mask, MAC address is displayed. You may need this kind of infor mation for future upgrades of your STARBOOK-S. Press the Menu key to display the system menu. C h o o s e A b o u t S TA R B O O K - S w i t h t h e keys and press the Select key to enter. Press the Select key to return to the system menu.
Part of the software embedded in this product is eCos - Embedded Configurable Operating System, a trademark of Red Hat. Portions created by Red Hat are Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000 Red Hat, Inc. (http://www.redhat.com). All Rights Reserved. THE SOFTWARE IN THIS PRODUCT WAS IN PART PROVIDED BY RED HAT AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.
