Setup Menu.
Set Tracking:
Auto Guide Speed: When using an autoguider, this sets the guiding speed to 1.125x, 1.25X, 1.5X, 1.75X, or 2X sid real rate.
Using the User Defined Database
The GoTo hand controller allows you to save up to 25 objects in the User Defined database. You can save unidentifiable objects, current comet and/or asteroid positions, or make a custom list of your favorite objects to view.
Saving an Object to the Database
1.Press the USER button.You can also select “User Defined” in the Object Catalog menu and then press ENTER.
2.Use the scroll buttons to select “Input Coordi.” and press
ENTER.
3.You can ENTER the object’s location by its R.A. and Dec. coordinates, or its azimuth and altitude coordinates. Press 1
4.The default setting will display the R.A./Dec. or Az/Alt coor- dinates the telescope is currently pointed to. Therefore, if the telescope is pointing at the object you wish to save (i.e. the object is centered in the eyepiece), simply press ENTER. If the object you wish to save is at another location in the sky, enter its coordinates using the numeric keypad. When finished inputting the coordinates, press ENTER.
Note: If the coordinates entered do not exist, the hand con- troller will not respond when ENTER is pressed. Check the coordinates for data entry mistakes, and
5.The hand controller will then ask “Save?” If you do wish to save the entered object coordinates, press ENTER. Otherwise, press ESC.
The controller will now prompt you to choose a number between 1 and 25 for your chosen object. Using the scroll but- tons, select a number you wish to represent the object, then press ENTER. Keep in mind that if the object is assigned a User Object number that is already in use, the hand controller will overwrite the previously saved coordinates.
The hand controller will now display “View Object?” Press ENTER to slew the telescope to the object, or press ESC to exit.
Recalling a User Defined Object
1.Press the USER button.You can also select “User Defined” in the Object Catalog menu and then press ENTER.
2.Choose “Recall Object” and press ENTER.
3.Select the User Object number representing the object you wish to view using the scroll buttons. Press ENTER to display the object’s coordinate. Press ENTER again, and the hand controller will ask “View Object?” Press ENTER once more to have the telescope slew to the object. (If a vacant User Object number is selected, the hand control- ler will not respond.)
Note: If the recalled User Object is currently below the hori- zon, the controller will display “Below Horizon!! Try another obj.” and will automatically return to “Recall Object”.
Identifying an Unknown Object
The GoTo hand controller has the ability to identify celestial objects that are unknown to you. To identify an object the telescope is pointing at, simply press the ID button. You can also scroll to “Identify” in the Main Menu and press ENTER to identify the object. The hand controller will then show a list containing the close objects in the M, IC, NGC, and Named Star catalogs and their angular distance from the location where the telescope is pointed. Use the scroll buttons to view this list of objects. Press ESC when finished.
Linking with a Computer
The GoTo hand controller can be connected to a computer via the supplied computer interface cable. Many commer- cially available planetarium software programs can utilize this function and be used to control the SkyView Pro GoTo sys- tem. Look for software that is compatible with the Celestron NexStar 5i/8i or NexStar GPS, like Starry Night Pro. The description below will lead you through the procedure on how to connect and disconnect the SkyView Pro GoTo hand con- troller to a computer.
1.Align the mount as described previously (see “Alignment”).
2.Connect the supplied computer interface cable to the smaller modular jack
3.In the planetarium software of your choice, choose “Celestron NexStar 5i” or “Celestron 8/9/11 GPS” for the driver setup and follow the instructions provided by the program to connect the mount and computer through the hand controller. The mount will be under the full control of your computer once the connection is successfully estab- lished.
4.When finished observing, follow the software’s instructions to close the computer connection to the hand controller.
See Appendix C for more information on computer interfac- ing.
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