iOptron HEM27 User manual

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iOptron Corp. | 6E Gill Street | Woburn, MA01801USA | [phone] | [e-mail] | www.iOptron.com
Quick Start Guide
HEM™ Hybrid Strain Wave GoTo Equatorial Mount
Models: HEM27, HEM27EC, HEM44 and HEM44EC Series
PACKAGE CONTENTS1
Telescope mount HEM, with or without iPolarTM electronic polar scope
Hand controller (HC) –Go2Nova®8409 with built-in WiFi
6P6C hand controller cable
USB 2.0 cable
AC adapter –100-240V, 12V 5A DC output (for indoor use only)
Carrying case
Optional carbon fiber tripod (#8061)
Optional external iGuider for autoguiding (#3360-HEM)
Optional counterweight shaft (#8456SL) and counterweight (#3006-10)
Optional pier extension (#8040)
ONLINE RESOURCES (www.iOptron.com)
User’s Manual
Hand controller and mount firmware upgrades (check online for the latest version)
ASCOM drive, Commander, Commander Lite and other computer control
1Contents and design may change from time to time without notice.

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iOptron Corp. | 6E Gill Street | Woburn, MA01801USA | [phone] | [e-mail] | www.iOptron.com
HEM is operated under unbalanced condition and could be tipped over if tripod is not secured.
Please use “Search Zero Position” to set the mount before each session to avoid scope hit the tripod.
To avoid cable management system damage, there is a RA mechanical stopper designed to prevent the mount rotating over 360°.
Do not slew 20° past the meridian or the stopper may be deformed due to a large torque of the strain wave gear system.
1. Remove mount head from package:
HEM27
HEM44
2. Set up tripod: Setup and level the tripod. Adjust the
tripod height. Tighten tripod locking knob to secure
the tripod. Thread the Alignment Peg onto the tripod
head. It can be installed using a threaded hole on top
of a tripod leg or between two legs (as shown) for low
latitude.
3. Attach mount head: Retract the 2x Azimuth (Azi)
Adjustment Screws from both sides to leave ample
space for the alignment peg to be fitted in between
the 2x Azi Adjustment Screws.
Remove the 2x Azi Locking Screws from the mount base.
Secure the mount head by tightening the Azi Locking
Screws into the M6 holes on the tripod. There is an Allen
wrench stored on the mount base for tightening the
screws or adjusting the latitude.
Level the mount by adjusting the tripod legs. Use the
built-in Bubble Level Indicator or an external leveler
for this purpose.
4. Adjust latitude: Without any payload, slightly loosen
4X Latitude Locking Screws. Use the Latitude
Adjustment Knob to set the correct latitude value, as
displayed in the Latitude Mark Window.
Azi. Adj. Screw
Azi. Locking Screw
Allen wrench
For HEM27
For HEM44

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iOptron Corp. | 6E Gill Street | Woburn, MA01801USA | [phone] | [e-mail] | www.iOptron.com
Insert the Allen wrench into the Latitude Adjustment
Knob for more turning torque.
Two latitude ranges, 15~41° and 39~65°, can be set
up for the mount head. To change the latitude range
from one to the other, both the Latitude Position Bolt
and the Latitude Locking Screws need to be moved to
the correct locations.
To switch the latitude range:
Loosen the Latitude Locking Screws just enough
to adjust the latitude setting to between 39～
41°. Tighten Latitude Locking Screws.
Unthread and pull out the Position Bolt. Remove
and do not lose the two black tubes. Insert the
Position Bolt to a new latitude position with one
black tube on.
Adjust the Latitude Adjustment Knob while
holding the bottom brass eyebolt until it lines up
with the Position Bolt. Insert another black tube
and secure the Latitude Position Bolt.
Move the Latitude Locking Screws (one on each
side) to the new locations revealed.
5. Install telescope: An HEM mount accepts a Vixen or a
Losmandy-D dovetail mounting plate. The default is
Vixen-type one.
Release the dovetail Saddle Locking Lever and slide
the telescope dovetail plate into the saddle with Gear
Switch disengaged. Make sure that the arrow sign on
the saddle is pointing forward. Tighten the Saddle
Locking Lever. Pull the lever and turn it to the
position that the lever is parallel to the saddle to
prevent it interfering with the DEC unit during mount
GOTO and tracking.
To convert dovetail saddle from Vixen-type to
Losmandy-type.
(HEM44 has two locking blocks.)
(1) Loosen the two socket screws (in red circles), flip
and move the fixed block outward, then tighten
the screws.
(2) Remove two screws in blue circles and pull the
dovetail saddle locking block from the saddle.
(3) Release the four screws (in yellow circles) to
separate the saddle from the mount. Flip the
dovetail saddle locking block and secure it onto
the saddle from bottom of the dovetail saddle.
Lat. Lock Screw
Lat. Mark
Lat. Adj. Knob
Position Bolt
Eyebolt
Locking Lever

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(4) Put the dovetail saddle back and retighten the
four yellow circled screws.
Here is a Losmandy-type dovetail saddle after
converting (left HEM27, right HEM44).
6. Connect cables: Connect the Go2Nova®8409 Hand
Controller to the HBX port on the mount back. Plug in
a 12V DC power supply to the DC12V IN socket.
7. Balance payload: No RA balance is needed for an
HEM mount.
Turn the mount power on. Press number 9 to change
the slew speed to max. Press ◄or ►button to slew
the telescope to one side of the mount. Hold the
telescope and disengage DEC Gear Switch to check
the balance. Release dovetail saddle locking lever and
move the scope back and forth to adjust the position.
Tighten the dovetail saddle locking lever and engage
the gear switch after balancing completed.
Return the mount to Zero Position after balancing
and engage DEC gear switch.
8. Set Zero Position: The Zero Position is the mount
GOTO reference. Without setting the mount zero
position properly, it may cause large GOTO error or
even cause the scope to hit the tripod leg. The
simplest way to find the mount Zero Position is using
the zero position sensors. Press MENU=> Zero
Position => Search Zero Position, then press ENTER.
Follow the HC screen instruction to complete process.
9. Set controller: Press the MENU button; then
“Settings”=> “Set Time & Site”.
Enter the current date. Enter the time zone offset to
the UTC; for example:
Boston is “UTC -300 minutes”
Los Angeles is “UTC -480 minutes”
Rome is “UTC +060 minutes”
Sydney is “UTC +600 minutes”
Enter longitude and latitude coordinate of your
location in D:M:S format. Toggle the Daylight Saving
Time (DST) between N (No) and Y (Yes) using arrow
key.
10. Polar alignment: For an HEM mount without iPolar
(H272 and H442) or if the pole star is not in sight, you
may use planetarium software to perform the polar
alignment. You may also use two bright stars for
coarse polar alignment.
(1) Level the mount and set it to the Zero Position.
Align the telescope to the R.A. axis of the mount. An
2022-05-05 12:01:36
UTC -300 Minute(s)
W071d08m50s DST: Y
N42d30m32s Northern

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eyepiece with an illuminated crosshair is highly
recommended.
(2) Use the Hand Controller (HC) (MENU =>
“Alignment” => “Polar Iterate Align”) to display the
azimuth and altitude position of several bright stars
near the meridian. Select one that is visible at a high
altitude as Alignment Star A. Follow the HC
instruction to move Alignment Star Ato the center of
the eyepiece using a combination of the Latitude
Adjustment Knob and the “◄” or “►” buttons. Press
ENTER to confirm when the star is centered. Next,
select a bright star that is close to the horizon as
Alignment Star B. Center it using the Azimuth
Adjustment Knob and the “◄” or “►” button. Press
ENTER to confirm the settings.
(3) The telescope will now slew back to Alignment
Star A. Repeat the steps above. The iteration can be
stopped when it is determined that the alignment
error has been minimized. Press the BACK button to
exit the alignment procedure.
For an HEM mount quipped with an iPolarTM
electronic polar scope, refer to the iPolar Operation
Manual from iOptron’s website to perform the polar
alignment, or steps briefly outlined below:
Download and install iPolar Software (first
time use);
Connect a miniUSB cable between the iPolar
port and a computer USB port;
Click Connect and start polar alignment by
following on screen instructions.
11. Manual operation: The mount can now be used to
observe astronomical objects with the HC. Use arrow
keys (►,◄,▼,and▲) to point the telescope to the
desired object. Use the number keys to change the
slewing speed. Press STOP/0 button to start/stop
tracking.
Do NOT slew the mount past the RA stopper, which
is about 20° below 0° altitude on either side!
12. Go to an object: The mount is now ready for GOTO
and tracking targets. Press MENU, select and ENTER
Select and Slew. Select a category (e.g., Solar
System), then select an object of interest (e.g.,
Moon). Press ENTER and the telescope will slew to
the object and automatically start tracking.
13. Sync to Target: If the object is not in the center of
the eyepiece, use this function to center and
synchronize the object to improve local GOTO
accuracy. Press MENU and select and ENTER Sync to
Target. Follow the on-screen instruction to perform
the sync.
14. Install hand controller battery: The hand controller
uses a CR2032 button battery to keep the Real Time
Clock running. The HC is shipped without battery
included/installed due to shipping restrictions. Open
the HC back cover. With the battery + sign facing up,
slide the battery under two small metal hooks on the
positive side first (circled in red). Then push the
battery down to make a good contact.
15. Mount control via a computer/SmartPhone/Tablet:
One can control the HEM mount via USB on the 8409
hand controller or built-in WiFi. It supports ASCOM
for Windows, third party INDI driver for MacOS or
Raspberry PI, iOptron Commander Lite or SkySafari
for iOS/Android. Some software also has iOptron
mount driver embedded.
16. Put the mount back into the package/carrying case:
It is recommended to return the mount to Zero
Position at the end of the observation session. Lay
the mount into the carrying case. Disengage the gear
system for transportation.
Use [e-mail] for technical supports.
Rev. 2.2 Dec. 2022

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iOptron Corp. | 6E Gill Street | Woburn, MA01801USA | [phone] | [e-mail] | www.iOptron.com
IOPTRON TWO YEAR TELESCOPE, MOUNT, AND CONTROLLER WARRANTY
A. iOptron warrants your telescope, mount, or controller to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for two years. iOptron will
repair or replace such product or part which, upon inspection by iOptron, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship. As a
condition to the obligation of iOptron to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned to iOptron together with proof-of-
purchase satisfactory to iOptron.
B. The Proper Return Merchant Authorization Number must be obtained from iOptron in advance of return. Call iOptron at
1.781.569.0200 to receive the RMA number to be displayed on the outside of your shipping container.
All returns must be accompanied by a written statement stating the name, address, and daytime telephone number of the owner,
together with a brief description of any claimed defects. Parts or product for which replacement is made shall become the property of
iOptron.
The customer shall be responsible for all costs of transportation and insurance, both to and from the factory of iOptron, and shall be
required to prepay such costs.
iOptron shall use reasonable efforts to repair or replace any telescope, mount, or controller covered by this warranty within thirty days of
receipt. In the event repair or replacement shall require more than thirty days, iOptron shall notify the customer accordingly. iOptron
reserves the right to replace any product which has been discontinued from its product line with a new product of comparable value and
function.
This warranty shall be void and of no force of effect in the event a covered product has been modified in design or function, or
subjected to abuse, misuse, mishandling or unauthorized repair. Further, product malfunction or deterioration due to normal wear is not
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PARTICULAR USE, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HERE. THE SOLE OBLIGATION OF IOPTRON UNDER THIS LIMITED
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IN DURATION TO A TERM OF TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF ORIGINAL RETAIL PURCHASE.
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warranty lasts, so the above limitations and exclusions may not apply to you.
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iOptron reserves the right to modify or discontinue, without prior notice to you, any model or style telescope.
If warranty problems arise, or if you need assistance in using your telescope, mount, or controller contact:
iOptron Corporation
Customer Service Department
6F Gill Street
Woburn, MA01801
www.ioptron.com
[email protected]
Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]
Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM EST
NOTE: This warranty is valid to U.S.A. and Canadian customers who have purchased this product from an authorized iOptron dealer in
the U.S.A. or Canada or directly from iOptron. Warranty outside the U.S.A. and Canada is valid only to customers whopurchased from
an iOptron Distributor or Authorized iOptron Dealer in the specific country. Please contact them for any warranty.