291104V3W

EQ-6

Dec. Lock LevelMounting Plate

Lock Knob

R.A. Setting Circle

Polarscope Holder(not shown)

Altitude AdjustmentT-bolts

Hand Control

Accessory Tray

Dec. Setting Circle

CounterweightRod Lock Knob

CounterweightThumb Screw

Counterweight Rod

Altitude AdjustmentT-boltsAzimuth AdjustmentKnob

Tripod Leg

Height AdjustmentClamp

ESCSETUP

ENTER

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

0

TOUR EVENTRATE

M ICNGC

PLANET USEROBJECT

ID

EQ6 SkyScanTM

Battery BoxR.A. Lock Level

Latitude Scale

Pow

er

DC 1

2V

Power Switch

ON

OFF

Assembling the EQ6 MOUNTTripod Set Up

Mount Assembly

Hand Control Holder Installation

3

3

3

4

Balancing the Telescope

Operating the EQ6 Mount Manually

4

5

Polar Aligning the EQ6 6

Introduction to the EQ6 SkyScanTM

Powering the EQ6 SkyScanTM

SkyScanTM Hand Control

The EQ6 SkyScanTM

Initial Setup

Star Alignment

Hand Control Operation

Object database in the EQ6 SkyScanTM

Selecting an Object

Object Catalogue 13

13

13

10

11

8

10

8

8

8

Utility Functions

Setup Functions

Using the User Defined Database

Identifying an Unknown Object

Linking with a Computer

Auto Guiding

Other Features

EQ6 SkyScan Menu Tree

14

16

Technical Specifications 17

Astronomy Basics 18

14

14

14

15

15

15

Appendix A - Enhancing the precision I

VI

VII

VIII

Appendix B - Standard Time Zones of the World

Appendix C - RS-232 Connection

Appendix D - Periodic Error Correction

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. PERMANENT

EYE DAMAGE WILL RESULT. USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER FIRMLY MOUNTED

ON THE FRONT OF THE TELESCOPE FOR VIEWING THE SUN. WHEN OBSERVING

THE SUN, PLACE A DUST CAP OVER YOUR FINDERSCOPE OR REMOVE IT TO

PROTECT YOU FROM ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE. NEVER USE AN EYEPIECE-TYPE

SOLAR FILTER AND NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO PROJECT SUNLIGHT ONTO

ANOTHER SURFACE, THE INTERNAL HEAT BUILD-UP WILL DAMAGE THE

TELESCOPE OPTICAL ELEMENTS.

3

MOUNT ASSEMBLY

Fig. 1 ASSEMBLING TRIPOD LEGS (Fig.1)1) Slowly loosen the height adjustment clamp and gently pull out the lower section of each tripod leg. Tighten the clamps to hold the legs in place. 2) Pull the tripod legs away from the tripod head to stand the tripod upright. 3) Adjust the height of each tripod leg until the tripod head is properly leveled. Note that the tripod legs may not be at same length when the tripod head is level.

ATTACHING THE ACCESSORY TRAY (Fig. 3)1) Slide the accessory tray along the primary locking shaft until it pushes against the tripod legs. 2) Secure with the washer and locking knob.

ATTACHING MOUNT TO TRIPOD LEGS (Fig. 2)1) Loosen the azimuth adjustment knobs. Align metal dowel on the tripod head with the gap between the azimuth adjustment knobs underneath the mount. Retighten knobs to secure.2) Push the primary locking shaft up against the mount and turn the knurled knob underneath to secure mount to tripod.

Fig. 3

Fig. 4Fig. 5

TRIPOD SET UP

Fig. 2.

INSTALLING COUNTERWEIGHTS (Fig. 4, 5)

1) Loosen the counterweight rod lock knob and gently pull out the counterweight rod. Re-tighten the lock knob to secure the counterweight rod in place. 2) Unscrew the threaded cap from the end of the counterweight rod.3) Locate counterweights and slide them halfway along the counterweight rod. Tighten counterweight thumb screws to secure.5) Replace cap on the end of counterweight rod. EQ-6

Loosen the azimuth adjustment knobs to allow more space for the metal dowel if mount does not fit into tripod head completely.

4

Fig.a

Slowly unlock the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs. Rotate the telescope until both the optical tube and the counterweight rod are horizontal to the ground, and the telescope tube is to the side of the mount (Fig.a).Tighten the Dec. lock knob.Move the counterweights along the counterweight rod until the telescope is balanced and remains stationary when released. Tighten the counterweight thumb screws to hold the counterweights in their new position.

A Telescope should be balanced before each observing session. Balancing reduces stress on the telescope mount and allows for precise control of micro-adjustment. A balanced telescope is specially critical when doing astrophotography. The telescope should be balanced after all accessories (eyepiece, camera, etc.) have been attached. Before balancing your telescope, make sure that your tripod is level and on a stable surface. For photography, point the telescope in the direction you will be taking photos before performing the balancing steps.

R.A. Balancing1)

2)3)

4) N

Fig. 6

1) Locate the hand control holder. Slide the holder onto the accessory tray as shown in Fig.6.

INSTALLING THE HAND CONTROL HOLDER (Fig. 6)

1)

2)3)

4)

Dec. Balancing

The R.A. balancing should be done before proceeding with Dec. balancing.

Release the R.A. lock knob and rotate around the R.A. axis so that the counterweight rod is in a horizontal position. Tighten the R.A. lock knob. Unlock the Dec. lock knob and rotate the telescope tube until it is parallel to the ground.Slowly release the telescope and determine in which direction it rotates. Loosen the telescope tube rings and slide the telescope tube forward or backward in the rings until it is balanced.Once the telescope no longer rotates from its parallel starting position, re-tighten the tube rings and the Dec. lock knob. Reset the altitude axis to your local latitude.

HAND CONTROL HOLDER INSTALLATION

5

Fig.c

Fig.d

Fig.b

Altitude adjustment

Azimuth adjustment

EQ-6

The EQ6 mount has controls for both conventional altitude (up-down) and azimuthal (left-right) directions of motion. Use the altitude adjustment T-bolts for altitude adjustments. These allow fine-adjustment for setting the mount to your local latitude. The azimuthal axis is changed by the two azimuth adjustment knobs located near the tripod head. These allow fine-adjustment of azimuth for polar aligning (Fig.b).

R.A. adjustment

Dec. adjustment

Warning Tips Trouble Shooting

Do not adjust the mount manually when under the EQ6 SkyScanTM operation mode. The telescope will have to be returned to the Home Position and initial star alignment will have to be done again. (See Initial Setup under Hand Control Operation for information on the telescope Home Position. )

Make sure to loosen one altitude adjustment T-bolt before tightening the other. Over-tightening can cause the bolts to bend or break.

Pow

er

DC 1

2V

Dec. scale

R.A. scale

Latitude scale

Pow

er

DC 1

2V

In addition, this mount has direction controls for polar aligned astronomical observing. These directions use right ascension (east/west) and declination (north/south) axis. There are two options to move the telescope in these directions: For large and quick movement, loosen the R.A. lock level under the R.A. shaft or the Dec. lock level near the top of the mount (Fig.c). For fine adjustments, use the EQ6 SkyScanTM hand control (see "Hand Control Operation").

There are three numerical scales on this mount. The lower scale is used for polar alignment of the telescope to your local latitude. The R.A. (right ascension) scale is measures hour angle and is adjustable to your local meridian. The declination scale is located near the top of the mount (Fig.d).

ON

OFF

ON

OFF

6

The polarscope supplied with the EQ6 Mount can be used for simple or precise polar alignment. Simple method of polar alignment described here is sufficient for casual visual use of the telescope. See Appendix A-Enhancing the Precision for accurate polar alignment method.

Remove the caps from the upper and lower ends of the Right Ascension (R.A.) axis (Fig.e) so you can look into the polarscope. Rotate the mount in declination axis so that the hole in the shaft is in front of the polar scope. This allows you to see all the way through the Right Ascension shaft. If possible, this procedure should be carried out while the telescope and counterweights are on the mount. This prevents the mount from becoming misaligned when the load on the tripod is changed. Leveling the tripod will make it easier to use the Azimuth and Altitude adjustments on the mount when trying to center the stars in the polar scope. The tripod can be made level by using a bubble level or carpenter's level.

Looking through the polar scope, lines should be seen super-imposed on the sky. Figure e-1 shows the view through the pole finder. Line drawings representing the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia are used for the Northern Hemisphere. The third line drawing represents Octans and is used for the Southern Hemisphere. The circle in the center of the field indicates the path Polaris makes around the North Celestial Pole.

Before using the polarscope for the first time, it is recommended that you perform the following polarscope alignment. This only needs to be done once unless the polarscope has been removed from the mount.

Polarscope alignment

The optical axis of the polarscope is already aligned with the rotation axis of the mount. The optical axis of the polar scope can not be adjusted. This is set permanently at the factory. The reticule in the polar scope must be centered on the optical axis of the polar scope. When this is true, the reticule in the polar scope will be parallel to the rotation axis of the mount. If this is not the case, accurate polar alignment will not be possible.

Locate Polaris and place it in the center of the polarscope by adjusting the Altitude and Azimuth of the mount. Place Polaris directly under the cross in the center of the reticule (Fig.e-2). Rotate the mount one half turn about the R.A. axis. Polaris should remain under the cross in the center of the reticule. If it does not, the reticule is not centered on the R.A. axis of the mount.

To move the reticule, adjust the three small setscrews on the polarscope (Fig.e-3). Make small adjustments by moving only two of the screws at a time. You will have to alternately loosen one and then compensate for the slack by tightening the other screw. Adjust the screws slightly, less than one-quarter turn at a time, to move Polaris half the distance back to the center of the reticule (Fig.e-4). This is because Polaris started in the center of the reticule. By rotating the mount 180 degrees, Polaris moved

Fig.e

Fig.e-1

Fig.e-2Po

wer

on

off

PolarisNCP

Octans

Cas

siop

eia

BigDipper

Polaris NCP

Octans

Cas

siop

eia

BigDipper

Place Polaris hereFig.e-3

12

E W20 2010 10012

adjust thesescrews

7

Fig.e-4

Fig.e-5

Fig.e-6

exactly twice the distance between the center of the reticule and the center of rotation. The center of rotation lies midway between the center of the reticule and the new position of Polaris. Do not turn any of the setscrews more than one-quarter turn at a time or the reticule will disengage from the setscrews. Do not over-tighten these screws too much or the stress could fracture the reticule.

Now re-center Polaris under the cross in the middle of the reticule using the Azimuth and Altitude adjustments. Repeat the entire procedure until Polaris remains in the center of the reticule when the mount is rotated about the R.A. axis. With some practice, you should be able to align the reticule with the R.A. axis to within about 2 arc-minutes. You should never have to make this adjustment again, unless the polar scope has been dropped, disassembled, or if the polar scope is to be used on another mount.

If Polaris is not visible from your area, a distant object such as the top of a telephone pole or a mountaintop can be used. These objects are larger than the image of a star, so they will not provide as accurate an alignment, but they will not move during this alignment procedure.

Using the Polarscope

Northern Hemisphere

There is only one easily visible star near the North Celestial Pole. This star is Polaris. The rest of the stars in Ursa Minor are around Magnitude 5 and require very dark skies to become visible. Since Polaris is not exactly on the North Celestial Pole, the telescope's R.A. axis must be offset from Polaris by a small amount in the correct direction.

By using the line drawings of the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia, the RA shaft can be rotated so the view in the pole finder is similar to the view of the sky. This can be done by using one eye to look through the pole finder while using the other eye to look at the sky. This procedure takes some practice. Adjust the mount in Altitude and Azimuth, until Polaris is in the small circle on the line in the pole finder (Fig.e-5). The polar alignment is now complete. This should get the mount's R.A. axis within 5 arc-minutes of the celestial pole.

Southern Hemisphere

There is a 4-star pattern in the polar scope, which resembles the bucket of the Big Dipper. In the Southern Hemisphere, there is an Asterism in Octans, which has this shape. By rotating the R.A. axis and by adjusting the altitude and azimuth of the mount, the four stars in the Asterism can be placed in the circles in the Pole Finder (Fig.e-6). This procedure can be somewhat difficult in the city because all four of these stars are fainter than Magnitude 5.

Place Polaris here(half the distance)

If Polaris drifted to here

PolarisNCP

Octans

Cas

sio

pei

a

BigDipper

Place Polarishere

Northern Hemisphere

Place the four stars in the Asterism here

PolarisNCP

Octans

Cas

siop

eia

Big

Dipper

Southern Hemisphere

I ntroduction to the EQ6 SkyScanTM

Powering the EQ6 SkyScanTM

The EQ6 SkyScanTM is a precision-engineered

instrument that will allow you to easily find and

enjoy viewing night sky treasures, such as

planets, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies and

much more. The hand control allows you to point

your telescope at a specific object or even tour

the skies at the touch of a button. The user

friendly menu system allows automatic slewing

to over 13,400 objects. Even an inexperienced

astronomer can master its variety of features in a

few observing sessions. Below is a brief

description of the individual components of the

EQ6 SkyScanTM hand controller.

The EQ6 SkyScanTM should be powered by 11-15V

DC power supply (tip-positive) capable of

producing continuous current of minimum 2 amps.

Correctly plug the power cord into the 12V DC

outlet on the side of the mount. Flip the Power

Switch to the "on" position to turn on the power.

The power indicator will flash when the power is

low (Fig.f).

SkyScanTM Hand Control

The EQ6 SkyScanTM has a RJ-45 connector on

one end and DB9 on the other. Plug the RJ-45

connector into the hand control. Push the

connector into the outlet until it clicks into place.

Plug the DB9 connector into the outlet on the

mount. Tighten the screws to secure the

connector in place (Fig.g). The RJ-11 4-pin port

is used for RS-232 communications between the

EQ6 SkyScanTM and a computer (see "Linking

with a Computer"). The DC power port allows

independent use of the EQ6 SkyScanTM hand

control for users who wish to browse the

database without connecting to the telescope.

The EQ6 SkyScanTM Hand Control allows direct

access to all the motion controls of the telescope

and a database with a range of preset objects.

The Hand Control comes with a dual-line, 16

character display screen that is backlit for

comfortable viewing of the telescope information

and scrolling text. To explore the many functions

that the EQ6 SkyScanTM has to offer, there are 4

main categories of control on the Hand Control

(Fig.i):

8

Fig.h

RJ-45 RJ- 11 DC power port

Fig.i

ESCSETUP

ENTER

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

0

TOUR UTILITYRATE

M ICNGC

PLANET USEROBJECT

ID

Display screen

Mode keys

Directional keys

Dual purpose keys

Scroll keys

The DC power port on the hand

control is for hand control stand-

alone applications only. For

telescope applicaions, use the 12V

DC outlet on the mount.

Fig.f Fig.g

Po

wer

DC

12V

Auto

Guid

er

ESCSETUP

ENTER

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

0

TOUR EVENTRATE

M ICNGC

PLANET USEROBJECT

ID

power indicator

power switch

(to power

supply)

ON

OFF

Auto Guider

9

Fig.k Fig.lFig.j

NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE WILL RESULT. USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER FIRMLY MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE TELESCOPE FOR VIEWING THE SUN. WHEN OBSERVING THE SUN, PLACE A DUST CAP OVER YOUR FINDERSCOPE OR REMOVE IT TO PROTECT YOU FROM ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE. NEVER USE AN EYEPIECE-TYPE SOLAR FILTER AND NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO PROJECT SUNLIGHT ONTO ANOTHER SURFACE, THE INTERNAL HEAT BUILD-UP WILL DAMAGE THE TELESCOPE OPTICAL ELEMENTS.

Mode keys

Directional keys

The mode keys are located near the top, close to the LCD display. They include the ESC, ENTER, and SETUP keys:

ESC key is used to escape from a certain command or to go back a level in the menu tree. ENTER key is used to select the functions and submenus in the menu tree, and to confirm certain functional operations. SETUP key is a quick hot key that takes you to the Setup main submenu.

These Keys range from the middle to the bottom of the hand control. They serve two distinct purposes data entry and quick reference hot keys.

TOUR key (Fig.k) takes you on a preset tour across the sky you are currently under.RATE key (Fig.k) changes the speed rate of the motors when the direction keys are pressed. There are 9 speeds to choose from: 1 (slowest) 9 (fastest).UTILITY key (Fig.k) shows functions such as Show Position, Display Time...etc.USER key (Fig.k) gives access to up to 25 user-defined coordinates.ID key (Fig.k) identifies the object the telescope is currently pointing to. NGC, IC, M, PLANET, and OBJECT keys (Fig.l) allow direct access to EQ6 SkyScanTM database of over 13,400 objects.

The up and down scroll keys allow you to scroll up and down within the menu tree or selections.

The directional keys allow complete control of the telescope at almost any step in the EQ6 SkyScan's operation. These controls are locked out when the telescope is slewing to an object. They are normally used to initially align, and center objects in the eyepiece. The left and right directional keys can also be used to move the text curser when entering data to the hand control.

Dual Purpose keys

Scoll Keys (Fig.j)

10

Fig.m

I nitial Setup

This section provides a step-by-step procedure on how to operate your EQ6 SkyScanTM hand control.

Perform the Polar alignment using the polarscope. Point the telescope roughly to the North Celestial Pole (or Polaris) if you are in the Northern Hemisphere. Point to the South Celestial Pole if in Southern Hemisphere. Make sure the counterweight rod is pointed down as seen in Fig.m. This will be the home position of the telescope. Flip the Power Switch on the side of the mount to the "ON" position to turn on the power.The initial screen displayed on the hand control is the Version Screen. Press ENTER to proceed.The hand control will display "Begin Alignment?" Press ENTER to proceed to the alignment procedure. Press ESC will exit to the main menu (see p.16 for EQ6 SkyScanTM Menu Tree).

The hand control's red light will become dimmer and the key pads will turn off if idle for 30 seconds. Pressing any key turns it back on.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Enter the telescope's current latitudinal and longitudinal position using the numeric keypad. First enter the longitudinal coordinate, followed by the latitudinal coordinate. Use the scroll keys to choose between W or E, and N or S. Pressing the left or right directional keys will move the cursor to the previous or next number. Press ENTER to confirm. Enter your current time zone in hours (see Appendix B), using the scroll keys and numeric key pad (+ for East, - for West). Press ENTER to confirm.Enter the date in the following format mm/dd/yyyy using the numeric keypad. Press ENTER to confirm.Enter your current local time using the 24 hr time mode (e.g. 2:00PM=14:00). Press ENTER to view the time you entered. If it is incorrect, press ESC to go back to the previous screen. If correct, press ENTER again to proceed to the daylight saving setting.Press ENTER if you are currently on Daylight Savings time. Using the scroll key to scroll down to "NO" and press ENTER if you are on regular time.After setting the daylight saving, EQ6 SkyScanTM will take you to the alignment menu.

If a mistake was entered into the EQ6 SkyScanTM hand control, press the ESC key to go back to the previous menu, and press ENTER to start again.

Plane of local horizonNadir

(Northern Hemisphere)

North Celestial Pole

Zenith

RightAscension

Apparent movement of stars

Declination

WS

E

N

Plane of Celestial Equator

Latitude

MeridianLine

11

EQ6 SkyScanTM will beep once when it has finished slewing to an object. Do not try to adjust the telescope before you hear the beep. EQ6 SkyScanTM will only respond to the ESC key while slewing.

Three-Star Alignment1.2.

In the alignment screen, select 3-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm.The EQ6 SkyScanTM will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for you to choose as the first alignment star. Using the scroll keys, choose a star you are most familiar with and press ENTER. The telescope will start slewing towards it. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its position with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finder scope. Now look through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centered in the field of view of the eyepiece. Press ENTER to confirm.

EQ6 SkyScanTM will provide a list of objects suitable for the second alignment star. Choose a star using the scoll keys and press ENTER. Repeat the centering procedure for the second star and press ENTER to confirm.EQ6 SkyScanTM will once again provide a list of objects suitable for the third alignment star. Choose a star from the list and press ENTER. Once again, repeat the centering procedure for the third alignment star. EQ6 SkyScanTM will display "Alignment Successful" if appropriate stars have been chosen. In the event that three stars have been improperly chosen, EQ6 SkyScanTM will take you back to the alignment screen and the alignment will have to be done again.

Star AlignmentIn order for the EQ6 SkyScanTM to correctly point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned to one to three known positions (stars) in the sky. As the Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours, astronomical objects appear to move through the sky following an arc. With the supplied information, the telescope can replicate a model of the sky and the movements of astronomical objects.

There are three ways to align the SkyScanTM depending on your demand for accuracy. If you are using the SkyScanTM for the first time, we recommend that you begin with the Three Star Alignment. This produces the most accurate alignment among the three methods. Before performing any of the alignment methods, be sure that your finderscope is well aligned with the telescope tube. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to perform the Three Star Alignment:

3.

4.

1.2.

3.

4.

In the alignment screen, select 2-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm.The EQ6 SkyScanTM will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for you to choose as the first alignment star. Using the scroll keys, choose a star you are most familiar with and press ENTER. The telescope will start slewing towards it. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its position with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finder scope. Now look through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centered in the field of view of the eyepiece. Press ENTER to confirm.EQ6 SkyScanTM will provide a list of suitable objects for the second alignment star. Choose a star using the scoll keys and press ENTER. Repeat the centering procedure for the second star and press ENTER to confirm.Once completed, EQ6 SkyScanTM will display "Alignment Successful".

Two-Star AlignmentTwo-Star Alignment requires only two alignment stars but may produce lesser pointing accuracy than the Three-Star Alignment. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to perform the Two-Star Alignment:

The slewing speed can be adjusted by pressing on the RATE button. Then choose a number between 1 (slowest) - 9 (fastest).

12

One-Star AlignmentOne-Star Alignment is the easiest and quickest alignment method. It requires only one alignment star. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to perform the One-Star Alignment:

1.2.

3.

4.

Make sure the telescope has been polar aligned.In the alignment screen, select 1-Star Align using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm.The EQ6 SkyScanTM will provide a list of stars available in your current sky for alignment. Using the scroll keys, choose a star you are most familiar with and press ENTER. When the telescope stops slewing, adjust its position with the directional keys until the star is centered on the crosshairs in the finderscope. Now look through the eyepiece and adjust the telescope so that the object is centred in the field of view of the eyepiece. Press ENTER to confirm.Once completed, EQ6 SkyScanTM will display "Alignment Successful".

13

Selecting an Object

Object database in the EQ6 SkyScanTM

Solar System - The other 8 planets of our solar system, plus the Moon.Named Star - A list of 100 best known stars from the SkyScanTM database.*NGC - 7,840 of the brightest deep sky objects from the Revised New General Catalogue.IC - 5,386 of standard stars and deep sky objects from the Indexed Catalogue.Messier - Complete list of 110 Messier objects.Single Stars - Select list of the brightest stars from the NGC.Others - There are also Double Stars, Globular Clusters, Uncertain Stars, Galaxies, Clusters, Nebulea, Reflection Nebulea, Planetary Nebulea, and Open Clusters.

Once the telescope has been aligned. You can now access and view the 13,400 different objects in the EQ6 SkyScanTM database. There are three methods of selecting a celestial object to view:

TOUR - Takes you on a preset tour across your current sky. It will automatically choose from the database the brightest and most beautiful deep-sky objects for your viewing pleasure. Use the down scroll key to view through the deep sky objects. Choose the desired object by pressing ENTER. It will show the coordinate of the chosen object. Pressing ENTER once more will cause the telescope to slew to the object.M, NGC, IC - These shortcut keys give you access to the most popular celestial catalogues to date. Each Catalogue has a set number of objects to choose from. Use the numeric keys to select an object by entering its number. Pressing ENTER will display its coordinate. Primary information such as size, magnitude, and constellation are obtained by pressing the scroll keys. Pressing ENTER once more will cause the telescope to slew to the object.PLANET - This shortcut key takes you straight to the Planets sub menu in the database. Use the scroll keys to scroll through the list of planets in our solar system. Press ENTER to view its coordinates, and ENTER once more to slew to the planet.USER - This will take you to the database that you have defined for yourself. You can enter a new location or recall the objects that have been previously saved (see Using the User Defined Database).

The OBJECT key takes you to the Objects Catalogue, where you have complete access to over 13,400 celestial objects in the database. (See Object database in the EQ6 SkyScanTM and the menu tree.)

In the Main Menu, scroll down to OBJECT CATALOGUE and press ENTER. Similar to the OBJECT key, this gives you the complete access to all 13,400 celestial objects in the database. (See Object database in the EQ6 SkyScanTM and the menu tree.)

OBJECT CATALOGUE

The EQ6 SkyScanTM comes with a vast database with over 13,400 objects coordinates and information all available in the palm of your hand. The database contains the following catalogues:

Fig.p

OBJECT CATALOGUE

*NGC 2000.0 database, edited by Roger W. Sinnott, copyright by Sky Publishing Corporation. Used with permission.

14

Using the User Defined Database

EQ6 SkyScanTM allows you to save up to 25 objects in the user defined database.

Press the USER key (Fig.q) or select USER DEFINED under the object catalogue. Press ENTER.Choose INPUT COORDINATE and press ENTER to confirm.You can choose to enter the location by its R.A. and Dec., or telescope altitude and azimuth coordinates. Press 1 (R.A. and Dec.) or 2 (Alt-Azimuth) to make your selection. Insert the coordinate using the numeric keypad and scroll keys. Press ENTER to save the coordinate.The EQ6 SkyScanTM will ask you to choose a number between 1 to 25. Select the number you wish to represent the coordinate, using the scroll keys. Press ENTER to confirm.Once a number is given to the coordinate, the hand control will display "View Object?". Pressing ENTER will cause the telescope to slew to the coordinate. Press ESC to exit.

1.

2.3.

4.

5.

Fig.q

Saving an object to the database

Utility FunctionsUtility Functions are useful tools that provide simple, one-step processes to your EQ6 SkyScanTM:

Show Position - This displays the coordinates of the location where the telescope is currently pointing.Display Time - This displays the local time and local Sidereal time.Park Scope - This moves the telescope to the Home position.RS-232 mode - This allows linking to a computer. (See "Linking with a Computer".)PEC Training - See Appendix D for information.

Setup Functions

Auto Guide Speed - When using an autoguider, this sets the guiding speed to 1X, 0.75X, 0.5X, or 0.25X sidereal rate.

Daylight Savings - Allows you to change the Daylight Savings option. Alignment - Allows you to perform the star alignment. (See "Alignment".)Set Backlash - This feature allows you to insert a value for each axis to compensate for its backlash. For better pointing accuracy, it is important that the backlash value is set to be equal or greater than the real amount of backlash between the gears. If the real amount of backlash is unknown, we recommend that you set the value to 5000 (equivalent to approx. 0.2°). First set the value for R.A. Press ENTER to proceed to Dec.Set Tracking

The Setup functions allow you to change any system variable or information regarding location, time, date, and alignment configurations. To access the Setup Functions, either press SETUP key on the key pad or scroll to SETUP under menu option using the scroll keys. Below lists the different types of functions available to you, and their purposes.

Date - Allows you to change the date entered at the initial setup. Time - Allows you to change the current time. Observing site - Allows you to change the current location.

Sid. Rate: This activates tracking in Sidereal rate (R.A. Tracking).Lunar Rate: This activates tracking in Lunar rate (R.A. Tracking).Solar Rate: This activates tracking in Solar rate (R.A. Tracking).PEC + Sidereal Rate: Sidereal rate with Periodic Error Compensation.Stop Tracking: This stops the tracking instantly.

15

Press the USER key or select USER DEFINED under the object catalogue. Press ENTER.Choose RECALL OBJECT and press ENTER to confirm.Select the number representing the object you wish to view, using the scroll keys. Pressing ENTER will show its coordinate. Press ENTER again to choose the object.The EQ6 SkyScanTM will display "View Object?". Pressing ENTER will cause the telescope to slew to the coordinate. Press ESC to exit.

1.2.3.

4.

Selecting an user defined object

Identifying an Unknown Object

EQ6 SkyScanTM has the ability to identify the unknown object the telescope is currently pointing at. To do so, simply:

Press the ID key (Fig.r) or scroll down to IDENTIFY in the main menu and press ENTER to identify the object.If it is a truly unknown object, the hand control will take you back to the IDENTIFY menu.Press ESC to exit from this function.

1.

2.

3.

Linking with A ComputerAnother feature of the EQ6 SkyScanTM is the ability to connect to a computer via a serial cable. Many commercially available planetarium softwares can be used to control the EQ6 SkyScanTM. Look for softwares compatible with NexStar5. Below describes the procedure on how to connect and disconnect the EQ6 SkyScanTM to a computer:

Make sure that the telescope has been aligned.Connect the RS-232 cable to the RJ-11 connector on the hand control and to the COM-port of your computer (Fig.s). On your EQ6 SkyScanTM hand control, select RS232 under the UTILITIES menu. Press ENTER to go to RS-232 mode.In the planetarium software of your choice, choose "Celestron NexStar5" in the driver setup and follow the instructions provided by your program to establish the connection to the telescope. The EQ6 SkyScanTM should be under the full control of your computer once the connection is successfully established.

1.2.

3.

4.

Fig.s

RJ- 11

Hand Control

Follow the instructions provided by your software to close the connection to the telescope.On the EQ6 SkyScanTM hand control, press ESC to resume normal hand control operations.

1.2.

Do not disengage the EQ6 SkyScanTM unit before you disengage the program. Doing so may cause some programs to freeze.

Disconnecting from the computer

Auto GuidingThe EQ6 SkyScanTM has a designated auto guiding port on the side of the mount for use with an auto guider (see Fig.f). The pin-outs on the 6 pin modular connector is fully compatible with most autoguiders on the market. Refer to Fig.t when connecting the autoguider cable to the EQ6 SkyScanTM and calibrating the autoguider. Relay box can be added for extra protection. Note that the four inputs are active-low, with internal pull-ups. Guiding speed can be adjusted using the Auto Guide Speed function in the Setup Menu.

Fig.t

See Appendix C for more information on RS-232 connection.

6 5 4 3 2 1

1= NC2= Ground3= +RA (right)4= +DEC (up)5= -DEC (down)6= -RA (left)

1= NC2= TD3= GND4= GND5= RD6= NC

RJ-11 Pin-outs

6 5 4 3 2 1

16

MAIN MENU

Date

Time

Observ. Site

Daylight Saving

Alignment

Set Backlash

Set Tracking

Auto Guide Speed

1-Star Align.2-Star Align.3-Star Align.

SETUP MODE

Show Position

Display Time

Park Scope

RS-232

PEC Training

Sideal RateLunar RateSolar RatePEC + Sidereal RateStop Tracking

1X0.75X0.5X0.25X

UTILITY FUNC. IDENTIFY

Solar System

Named Star

IC Catalogue

NGC Catalogue

Single Star

Double StarGlobular StarUncertain StarGalaxiesCluster NebulaReflection NebulaPlanetary NebulaOpen ClustersUser Defined

Mercury VenusMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePlutoMoon

Input CoordinateRecall Object

OBJECT CATALOGUE

TOUR

German EquatorialTube RingsR.A. & Dec (motor controlled)2" Diameter Stainless Steel Pipe85cm-147cm7.5Kgs1.8cmStainless Steel16Kgs41cmTwo or three, 5.1Kgs each23.5Kgs (counterweight not included)

EQ6 MOUNT SPECIFICATIONS

Mount Type:Telescope mounting:Slow-motion Control:Tripod:Tripod Height:Tripod Weight:Counterweight Shaft Diameter:Counterweight Shaft Material:Mount Weight:Mount Height:Counterweight:Total Weight:

17

SkyScanTM SPECIFICATIONS

Power Supply:Motor type and resolution:

Slew speeds:

11 to 15 V DC 2Amp (Tip positive)Microstep driven 1.8° stepper motors. Resolution: 0.144 arc sec (or 9,024,000 steps/rev.)Rate 1 = 2XRate 2 = 8XRate 3 = 16XRate 4 = 32XRate 5 = 64XRate 6 = 400XRate 7 = 500XRate 8 = 600XRate 9 = 800X 705Sidereal, Lunar, SolarR.A. trackingOne Star Alignment, Two-Star Alignment, Three-Star Alignment 25 user defined objects. Complete M, NGC, and IC catalogues, Total 13,436 objectsUp to 1 arc min

Gear Ratio:Tracking Rates:Tracking Modes:Alignment Method:Database:

Pointing Accuracy:

18

To put this in perspective, the moon is about 0.5° or 30 arc-minutes in diameter, so this combination would be fine for viewing the whole moon with a little room to spare. Remember, too much magnification and too small a field of view can make it very hard to find things. It is usually best to start at a lower magnification with its wider field and then increase the magnification when you have found what you are looking for. First find the moon then look at the shadows in the craters!

Calculating the exit pupil

The Exit Pupil is the diameter (in mm) of the narrowest point of the cone of light leaving your telescope. Knowing this value for a telescope-eyepiece combination tells you whether your eye is receiving all of the light that your primary lens or mirror is providing. The average person has a fully dilated pupil diameter of about 7mm. This value, varies a bit from person to person, is less until your eyes become fully dark adapted and decreases as you get older. To determine an exit pupil, you divide the diameter of the primary of your telescope (in mm) by the magnification.

Exit Pupil = Diameter of Primary mirror in mm

Magnification

For example, a 200mm f/5 telescope with a 40mm eyepiece produces a magnification of 25x and an exit pupil of 8mm. This combination can probably be used by a young person but would not be of much value to a senior. The same telescope used with a 32mm eyepiece gives a magnification of about 31x and an exit pupil of 6.4mm which should be fine for most dark adapted eyes. In contrast, a 200mm f/10 telescope with the 40mm eyepiece gives a magnification of 50x and an exit pupil of 4mm, which is fine for everyone.

True Field of View =Apparent Field of View

Magnification= 0.65°

52°

80X=

Magnification = = = 80X Focal length of the telescope

Focal length of the eyepiece

800mm

10mm

Calculating the magnification (power)

The magnification produced by a telescope is determined by the focal length of the eyepiece that is used with it. To determine a magnification for your telescope, divide its focal length by the focal length of the eyepieces you are going to use. For example, a 10mm focal length eyepiece will give 80X magnification with an 800mm focal length telescope.

When you are looking at astronomical objects, you are looking through a column of air that reaches to the edge of space and that column seldom stays still. Similarly, when viewing over land you are often looking through heat waves radiating from the ground, house, buildings, etc. Your telescope may be able to give very high magnification but what you end up magnifying is all the turbulence between the telescope and the subject. A good rule of thumb is that the usable magnification of a telescope is about 2X per mm of aperture under good conditions.

Calculating the field of view

The size of the view that you see through your telescope is called the true (or actual) field of view and it is determined by the design of the eyepiece. Every eyepiece has a value, called the apparent field of view, which is supplied by the manufacturer. Field of view is usually measured in degrees and/or arc-minutes (there are 60 arc-minutes in a degree). The true field of view produced by your telescope is calculated by dividing the eyepiece's apparent field of view by the magnification that you previously calculated for the combination. Using the figures in the previous magnification example, if your 10mm eyepiece has an apparent field of view of 52 degrees, then the true field of view is 0.65 degrees or 39 arc-minutes.

I

Accurate Polar Alignment

Generally speaking the EQ6 SkyScanTM produces pointing and tracking accuracies edaquate for most visual applications. However, if higher precision is required, for example for astro-photography, accurate polarscope alignment and "cone" error calibration may be required.

Accurate polar alignment enhances both pointing and tracking precisions. For long exposure astro-photographer, it is important that the telescope mount be aligned with true North in order to precisely track celestial objects.

In order to achieve accurate polar alignment, the reticle in the polar scope must be centered on the optical axis of the polar scope (see p.6 Polarscope Alignment) and the index marker ring must be calibrated.

The Index Marker

The polarscope in combination with the RA setting circle constitutes a circular slide rule. This slide rule is used to calculate the hour angle of Polaris at your local time anywhere on the planet. On a given day of the year, eg March 30, at a given local time, eg 10:00pm, the hour angle of Polaris is the same, anywhere on the planet. This is an approximation, which is good to about 4 minutes of arc. The index marker represents a 'zero' for the slide rule. If the zero is not set correctly, the calculated hour angle will not be correct.

Unlock the RA locking knob. Rotate the telescope around the RA axis so the reticule is as shown in Fig u. Re-tighten the RA locking knob to lock the RA axis in this position. In this position, Polaris is in transit - it is at its highest point in the sky.

Unlock the RA setting circle by loosening the set screw. Rotate the RA Circle so the pointer indicates 'zero' and lock the RA Circle. This sets the first of two 'zeros' required for the slide rule. Now rotate the telescope around RA axis so the RA Circle indicates 1h 0m (Fig.u-1). Lock the RA axis. Rotate the Date circle so October 10 is indicated (see Fig.u-2). At 1:00 AM local time, on October 10, Polaris is in transit anywhere in the world. Rotate the telescope around the RA axis so the RA circle indicates 'zero' and lock the RA axis. The view through the Pole Finder should be the same as before.

Loosen the setscrew on the index marker ring. Adjust the index marker ring so the Date circle reads 'zero' on the longitude indication (Fig.u-3). Secure the ring by tightening the setscrew. This sets the second of the two zero points.

If the reticule has been re-aligned or the index ring has come loose, this procedure must be carried out again to ensure accurate polar alignment.

Fig.u-1

1010 111198

Fig u-2

Fig.u

II

Loosen the setscrew on the index marker ring. Adjust the index marker ring so the Date circle reads 'zero' on the longitude indication (Fig.u-3). Secure the ring by tightening the setscrew. This sets the second of the two zero points.

If the reticule has been re-aligned or the index ring has come loose, this procedure must be carried out again to ensure accurate polar alignment.

Accurate Polar Alignment Method

Rotate the Date Circle on the polarscope so the index mark is lined up with the 'zero' on the longitude indication (Fig.u-4). Now rotate the telescope in RA axis so the pointer at the lower end of the mount points to today's date on the Date Circle (March 4th in this case) (Fig.u-5). Tighten the RA lock knob to lock the RA axis in place. Loosen the thumb screw on the RA setting circle and rotate the RA Circle so the pointer points to the current time. The upper set of numbers apply to viewing in the Northern Hemisphere, while the numbers below them apply to viewing in the Southern Hemisphere. Tighten the thumb screw to lock the RA Circle in place and rotate the telescope around the RA axis so the pointer points to 0 hours, 0 minutes (see Fig.u-6). Now use the Altitude and Azimuth adjustments to align Polaris in the Polarscope (Fig.u-7).

Fig.u-4

Fig.u-5

Fig.u-6

The EQ6 SkyScanTM available in the Northern Hemisphere may not have Octans in the polarscope.

Fig.u-3

III

Cone Error Calibration

"Cone" error is a common inaccuracy found on all German equatorial mount. It is a result from the optical axis not being aligned to the R.A. axis of the mount. This affects the pointing accuracy of the EQ6 SkyScanTM. Three-Star Alignment automatically compensates for the "Cone" error. If you choose One-Star or Two-Star Alignment method, you will need to perform manual mount calibration to eliminate the "cone" error. The following calibration procedure should be performed before the initial use of the telescope and periodically thereafter to ensure the accuracy.

Testing for Cone Error

This test is done at night using two bright stars located on the opposite side of the sky. Make sure the telescope is properly polar-aligned using the polarscope. Perform the One-star Alignment using an eastern star as the alignment star (see p.12 for details on the One-star Alignment). After the star alignment, choose a bright star on the western sky from the SkyScanTM object database and have the telescope slew to the star. If the optical axis is perfectly aligned to the R.A. axis, the telescope will accurately put the star in the center of the eyepiece. In this case, there is no "cone" error in your telescope setup and you will not need to perform the calibration. It is acceptable if the star is slightly off-center as long as it is in the eyepeiece view and close to the center. Many factors determine the pointing accuracy of the SkyScanTM,, for example incorrect star alignment, R.A. or Dec lock knob being lose, or "cone" error. If your telescope puts the star outside the eyepiece view, you need to first determine whether it is "cone" error that causes the pointing inaccuracy. To find out, simply move the telescope in R.A. axis by pressing the Left or Right direction key. If the star can be moved into the eyepiece view without adjusting the Dec axis, it is likely that "cone" error exists in your telescope setup.

Insert the illuminated reticle eyepiece. Make sure that the telescope is properly set up and balanced, and the finderscope is perfectly aligned with the telescope tube.

Calibration Procedure

Required accessory: Illuminated reticle eyepiece with double crossline pattern. Depending on the design of your mounting plate (dovetail bar), modifications may be required. (See step 10 for the required mechanism on the mounting plate.)

Step 2 to 4 is to identify R.A. and Dec movements in the reticle eyepiece. If you are already familiar with the movements, you may skip to step 5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Find any bright star and place it in the center of the eyepiece view. Look into the eyepiece. Move the telescope in R.A. axis using the R.A. direction keys on the hand control while carefully observing the movement of the star.Keep moving the the telescope in R.A. axis back and forth to keep the star within the eyepiece view. Rotate the eyepiece until the movement of the star becomes parallel to (or matches) any set of the lines (Fig.v). This set of lines will represent R.A. movement in the course of this procedure, and the perpendicular lines will represent Dec movement. Tigthen the set screws to secure the eyepiece in place. Make sure that the eyepiece will remain stationary when the telescope is being rotated .

rotate eyepiece this way

eyepiece view

movementof the star

Fig.v

IV

Point the telescope to North and set the latitude scale to your local latitude using the altitude adjustment T-bolts, or place Polaris on the crosshair of the polarscope if your polarscope is perfectly aligned with the rotation axis of the mount.Loosen the R.A. lock knob and rotate the telescope around the R.A. axis until the counterweight shaft is parallel to the ground. (Fig.v-1)Using the Dec direction key on the hand control, adjust the telescope in Dec so Polaris sits on the R.A. lines of the reticle eyepiece (Fig.v-2).Without moving the R.A. axis, adjust the azimuth control knobs to bring Polaris to the center of the eyepiece (Fig.v-3). Adjustment in Dec axis using the hand control may be necessary.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Place Polaris on the R.A.

Polaris

R.A.

Dec

N

tube ring locking screw

adjustment screws

adjustment screws

Loosen the R.A. lock knob and carefully rotate the telescope 180° in R.A. axis. (Fig.v-4). This should be done as accurate as possible using the R.A. setting circle.Once again, adjust the telescope in Dec so Polaris sits on the R.A. lines of the reticle eyepiece (see Fig.v-2).Now take a closer look at the mounting plate underneath the telescope tube. There should be a set of screws on each end, next to the tube ring locking screws (Fig.v-5). (If your mounting plate does not have these screws or screw holes, you will need to make modification to the plate.)

9.

10.

11.

Fig.v-1 Fig.v-2 Fig.v-3

Fig.v-4

Fig.v-5

V

Carefully nudge the telescope in horizontal motion using only one finger while observing the movement of Polaris through the eyepiece (Fig.v-6). This is to determine which direction (left or right) moves Polaris closer to the center of the eyepiece.Next step is to adjust the adjustment screws on the mounting plate according to your finding from step 12. If Polaris moves toward the center when the telescope is nudged toward your right hand side, You will need to loosen the adjustment screws near the front of the tube and tighten the ones closer to the back of the tube (Fig.v-7), and vise versa (Fig.v-8). Look into the eyepiece. Adjust the screws just enough to place Polaris HALF the distance back to the center (Fig.v-9).

12.

13.

Repeat step 7 to 13 until Polaris remains in the center of the eyepiece, or moves slightly around the center, when the mount is rotate about the R.A. axis.

14.

Polaris

Place Polaris here

This calibration method can be applied on both refracting and reflecting telescopes. Optical path of different telescope designs does not affect how the telescope tube and tube rings should be adjusted on the mounting plate.

Fig.v-6

Fig.v-7 Fig.v-8

Fig.v-9

VI

The SkyScanTM hand control must be set to RS-232 mode in order to establish a RS-232 connection with a PC. Under the UTILITIES menu in the SkyScanTM hand control, select RS232 and press ENTER will launch the RS-232 mode. Once in the RS-232 mode, the SkyScanTM hand control will communicate with the PC at 9600 bits/sec, no parity and stop bit. All angles are communicated with 16 bit numbers.

GoTo R.A.-Dec positions

INITIALIZATION

PC sends one byte (63 = ASCII "?") to check whether the SkyScanTM is ready.SkyScanTM responds with one byte (35 = ASCII "#") when SkyScanTM is ready to respond.

INITIALIZATION PC sends (82 = ASCII "R")PC sends the R.A. high byte, RA low byte, Dec high byte, Dec low byte.When the scope is finished slewing, it will send back a "@"

GoTo Alt-Az positionsINITIALIZATION PC sends (65 = ASCII "A")PC sends the Azm high byte, Azm low byte, Alt high byte, Alt low byte.When the scope is finished slewing, it will send back a "@"

Get R.A.-Dec positionsINITIALIZATIONPC sends (69 = ASCII "E")SkyScanTM sends the R.A. high byte, RA low byte, Dec high byte, Dec low byte

Get Alt-Az positions

Physical Connection Diagram

INITIALIZATIONPC sends (90 = ASCII "Z")SkyScanTM sends the Azm high byte, Azm low byte, Alt high byte, Alt low byte.

1.2.

1.2.3.4.

1.2.3.

1.2.3.

1.2.3.4.

All INITIALIZATION steps are recommended but not necessary.

VII

RJ-11 Phone Jack

DB9 Pin 2 PC Receive

DB9 Pin 3 PC Transmit

DB9 Pin 5 Ground

12 3 4

5 6

1= NC2= DB9 Pin23= DB9 Pin54= NC5= DB9 Pin36= NC

Periodic Errors are found in almost all worm gears due to slight eccentricities and misalignments. The PEC (Periodic Error Correction) Training function provides a manual correcting method to reduce the amplitude of the worm errors. By recording a full cycle of guiding actions versus motor shaft angle, EQ6 SkyScanTM can work to compensate for the drifting in the RA sidereal tracking caused by the periodic errors. Below describes a step-by-step procedure on how to perform the PEC:

PEC Training

Perform the accurate Polar Alignment method (see Enhancing the Precision).Slew or manually point the telescope to a star with smaller DEC coordinate. This object will be used as the guide star.Activate Sidereal Tracking from the Setup Menu (see Setup Functions on page.14). Once the tracking has started, press ESC to go back to the Setup Menu. Rotate the reticle eyepiece until one set of the lines becomes parallel to (or matches) the R.A. movement of the telescope (see step 2 to 4 of the Cone Error Calibration for more information on how this is done.)Move the guide star back at the center of the eyepiece view using the direction keys.On the hand control, select PEC Training in the Utility Functions and press ENTER.

1.2.

3.

4.

5.6.

The hand control will ask you to select the R.A. guide speed for the PEC recording. See the following chart for details on the two settings.

7.

8.

9.

Required accessory: Illuminated reticle eyepiece with double crossline pattern capable of producing at least 300X magnification in combination with your telescope. The true field of view should not exceed 10 arc min. See Choosing the appropriate eyepiece for more information on calculating the field of view.

Utility Functions can be easily accessed by pressing the UTILITY quick reference hotkey on the keypad.

VIII

R.A.

The Guide star drifts away from the center

Fig.w

Adjust the telescope to move the guide star back to the center

R.A.

Fig.w-1

PEC Training function is recommended for advanced users interested in long-exposure astrophotograhy only. Careful guiding is required. Regular sidereal tracking is adequate for all casual visual use of the EQ6 SkyScanTM and PEC Training is not required.

Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere

RIGHT key1.25X Sidereal 1.5X Sidereal

LEFT key0.75X Sidereal 0.5X Sidereal

RIGHT key0.75X Sidereal 0.5X Sidereal

LEFT key1.25X Sidereal 1.5X Sidereal

0.25X Speed0.5X Speed

The EQ6 SkyScanTM hand control will display a timer once the guide speed is selected, indicating that the recording has begun.Using the LEFT or RIGHT direction key only, move the telescope so the guide star remains at the center of the eyepiece view (Fig.w, w-1). Repeat whenever necessary.

10.

11.

IX

For 8 minutes, the EQ6 SkyScanTM hand control records the manual guiding actions in order to characterize the periodic errors. Pressing ESC will stop the recording immediately and exit from the PEC training function.

Play back the PEC record

PEC tracking can be activated under the Setup Menu or pressing the SETUP quick reference hotkey on the keypad. In the Setup Menu, choose Set Tracking, then PEC+Sidereal. EQ6 SkyScanTM will play back the corrections you made during the PEC training cycle and start tracking with periodic error compensated.

The EQ6 SkyScanTM will display "Record completed" when 8 minutes is up. Press any key to exit from the PEC training.

Guiding actions are recorded even when the PEC training is stopped midway. In this case, the PEC+Sidereal tracking will not be accurate until a full cycle of the PEC training is performed.

The EQ6 SkyScanTM will continue to track in the PEC+Sidereal mode until another tracking mode is selected. If the power is turned off while the EQ6 SkyScanTM is under the PEC+Sidereal mode, the hand control loses synchronization with the R.A. worm gear and the PEC Training will have to be performed again when the power is turned back on. To avoid this, be sure to return the telescope to its home position by selecting PARK SCOPE under the UTILITY FUNCTIONS before turning off the power.

NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN. PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE WILL RESULT. USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER FIRMLY MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE TELESCOPE FOR VIEWING THE SUN. WHEN OBSERVING THE SUN, PLACE A DUST CAP OVER YOUR FINDERSCOPE OR REMOVE IT TO PROTECT YOU FROM ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE. NEVER USE AN EYEPIECE-TYPE SOLAR FILTER AND NEVER USE YOUR TELESCOPE TO PROJECT SUNLIGHT ONTO ANOTHER SURFACE, THE INTERNAL HEAT BUILD-UP WILL DAMAGE THE TELESCOPE OPTICAL ELEMENTS.