Orion SynScan GoTo User manual

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SynScan GoTo
Hand Controller
IN 484 Rev. B 06/13
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

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WARNING:
• NeverlookdirectlyattheSunwiththenaked
eyeorwithatelescope–unlessyouhave
apropersolarfilterinstalledoverthefront
ofthetelescope!Otherwise,permanent,
irreversibleeyedamagemayresult.
• Neveruseyourtelescopetoprojectanimage
oftheSunontoanysurface.Internalheat
build-upcandamagethetelescopeandany
accessoriesattachedtoit.
• Neveruseaneyepiecesolarfilterora
Herschelwedge.Internalheatbuild-upinside
thetelescopecancausethesedevicesto
crackorbreak,allowingunfilteredsunlightto
passthroughtotheeye.
• Neverleavethetelescopeunsupervised,
eitherwhenchildrenarepresentoradults
whomaynotbefamiliarwiththecorrect
operatingproceduresofyourtelescope.
Table of Contents
1. Overview and Operating Modes............... 3
1.1 Keypad Layout and Connection Ports....................3
1.2 Adjusting the Hand Controller Settings ...................4
1.3 Slewing with the Direction Keys.........................4
1.4 SynScan Operating Modes ............................4
2. Initialization .............................. 5
2.1 Setting the Mount’s Home Position ......................5
2.2 Initializing the Hand Controller..........................5
3. GoTo Star Alignment........................ 6
3.1 Choosing an Alignment Method ........................6
3.2 Choosing the Alignment Star(s) ........................6
3.3 Alignment Methods for Equatorial Mounts ................7
3.4 Alignment Methods for Alt-azimuth Mounts ...............7
3.5 Tips for Improving Alignment Accuracy...................9
3.6 Comparison of Alignment Methods (Equatorial Mount/Mode) 9
4. Locating Objects.......................... 10
4.1 Messier, NGC, IC, and Caldwell Objects.................10
4.2 Planets and the Moon ...............................11
4.3 Named Stars, Double Stars, and Variable Stars...........11
4.4 SAO Stars.........................................11
4.5 Deep Sky Tour .....................................11
4.6 User-Defined Objects................................11
5. Configuring Hand Controller and Mount Settings 12
5.1 Date, Time, Site, Time Zone, and Daylight Saving Time ....12
5.2 Hand Controller Display, Keypad, and Beeper ............12
5.3 Backlash Compensation .............................12
5.4 Tracking Rate ......................................12
5.5 Autoguide Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5.6 Altitude Axis Slew Limits .............................13
5.7 Enable/Disable Auxiliary Encoder......................13
5.8 Alignment Star Filter.................................13
5.9 Sorting Method of Alignment Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5.10 Show Position......................................13
5.11 Show Time and Local Sidereal Time....................14
5.12 Display Version Information...........................14
5.13 Display Temperature ................................14
5.14 Display Power Voltage ...............................14
5.15 Display Polaris Position ..............................14
5.16 Display Polar Alignment Error .........................14
5.17 Changing Polar Scope Illumination Level ................14
6. Advanced Functions ....................... 14
6.1 Identifying Objects ..................................14
6.2 Synchronizing Encoders .............................14
6.3 Parking the Telescope ...............................15
6.4 Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) .................15
6.5 Camera Control ....................................16
6.6 Periodic Error Correction (PEC) for EQ Mount ............16
6.7 Calibrating Auto-Home Offset .........................17
6.8 Iterative Polar Alignment without Polar Scope ............18
7. Connecting SynScan to a Computer .......... 18
7.1 Working with Astronomical Software Programs ...........18
7.2 PC Direct Mode ....................................18
8. Updating Firmware ........................ 19
8.1 Hardware Requirements .............................19
8.2 Preparation........................................19
8.3 Updating Firmware..................................19
8.4 Troubleshooting ....................................19
9. Using a SynScan GPS Module ............... 19
9.1 Initialization of Hand Controller with SynScan GPS Module . 19
9.2 Checking GPS Information ...........................20
Appendix A: Standard Time Zones of the World..... 21
Appendix B: SynScan Menu Tree................. 22
Appendix C: Eliminating Cone Error .............. 23
Appendix D: SynScan Self-Diagnosis ............. 24
Appendix E: Schematic of the Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Appendix F: Specifications ..................... 25
Appendix G: Star Charts........................ 26

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1. Overview and
Operating Modes
The SynScan GoTo hand controller provides easy, comput-
erized location of thousands of night sky objects – planets,
nebulas, star clusters, galaxies, and more for viewing through
your telescope. The SynScan hand controller, combined with
the optical encoders and electronic drive motors of your GoTo
mount, allow you to automatically point your telescope to a
specific object, or tour the skies with push-button simplic-
ity. The user-friendly menus allow automatic slewing to over
42,000 objects and stars. Even inexperienced astronomers will
quickly master SynScan’s intuitive features and functionality.
1.1 Keypad Layout and Connection Ports
The hand controller’s two-line liquid crystal display (LCD) is
backlit for comfortable viewing. The contrast of the text and the
brightness of the red backlight are both adjustable.
There are four categories of control keys on the hand control-
ler (Figure 1a):
1. Mode keys
2. Direction keys
3. Scroll keys
4. Dual Purpose keys
ModeKeys
The three mode keys are ESC, ENTER, and SETUP.
ESC is used to escape from a certain command or go back a
level in the menu tree.
• SETUP is a quick hot key that takes you to the Setup
submenu.
• ENTER is used to select the functions and submenus in the
menu tree, and to confirm certain functional operations.
DirectionKeys
The direction keys (Up, Down, Left, Right) allow the user to
have complete control of the mount at almost any step in
operation. These controls are locked out when the telescope is
slewing to an object. The direction keys are very helpful when
initially aligning the mount, centering objects in the eyepiece
field of view, slewing, and manually guiding. The left and right
direction keys can also be used to move the text cursor when
entering data on the hand controller.
ScrollKeys
The Up and Down scroll keys allow you to scroll up and down
within the menu tree or selections displayed on the hand con-
troller screen.
DualPurpose(Shortcut)Keys
The dual purpose keys serve two distinct purposes. They are
used for data entry and as quick-reference (shortcut) keys.
• TOUR: Takes you on a preset tour of the best night sky
objects visible
• RATE: Changes the speed of the motors when the
directional buttons are pressed. There are 10 slew speeds
to choose from, with 0 being the slowest and 9 being the
fastest.
• UTILITY: Displays functions such as “Show Position”,
“Display Time”… etc.
• USER: Gives access to up to 25 user-defined coordinates
• ID: Identifies the object the mount is currently pointing to
• NGC, IC, M, Planet, and Object: Allows direct access to
database of thousands of objects
To connect the SynScan hand controller to your mount, plug
the 8-pin RJ-45 connector of the coil cable that came with
your SynScan into the corresponding port on the bottom of
the hand controller (Figure 1b), and plug the other end of the
cable into the port on the mount’s drive panel. The table below
lists the “Hand Control” ports on different Orion GoTo mounts.
Scroll keys
Dual purpose
(shortcut)
keys
Direction
keys
Mode keys
Display
screen
Figure 1. a) The SynScan GoTo hand controller.
b) Connection ports on bottom of controller.
Hand controller
port
Computer interface
(serial) port
12V DC
power jack
a.
b.

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Mount Model Hand Controller
Port
“Hand Control”
Port on Mount
Atlas EQ-G 8-pin RJ-45 DB-9 (F)
SkyView Pro GoTo, Sirius
EQ-G, Atlas Pro AZ/EQ-G,
HDX110 EQ-G
8-pin RJ-45
SkyQuest GoTo Dobsonians 6-pin RJ-12
Plug the coil cable’s RJ-45 connector into the mount. The
smaller modular jack on the bottom of the hand controller
is used for serial (RS-232) communications between the
SynScan and a computer equipped with astronomy software
such as Starry Night Pro (see Section 7: Connecting to a
Computer). A serial cable is included with your Orion GoTo
mount or telescope.
1.2 Adjusting the Hand Controller Settings
With the hand controller connected to the mount, turn the
power switch on the mount to ON. The hand controller’s key-
pad and display will illuminate.
Access the menu “Setup \ Handset Setting” and press the
ENTER key.
1. Use the scroll keys to select “LCD Contrast”; then use
the left/right direction keys to adjust the contrast of the
LCD screen.
2. Use the scroll keys to select “Beep Volume”; then use
the left/right direction keys to adjust the volume of the
beeper.
3. Use the scroll keys to select “LED Backlight”; then use
the left/right direction keys to adjust the brightness of
the keypad’s LED backlight.
4. Use the scroll keys to select “LCD Backlight”; then use
the left/right direction keys to adjust the brightness of
the LCD screen’s backlight.
5. Press ESC to exit the adjustment.
1.3 Slewing with the Direction Keys
The four large direction keys (Figure 1a) allow the mount to be
slewed electronically as follows:
• The Left and Right keys control the movements of the Right
Ascension (R.A.) axis (for an equatorial mount or mode) or
the azimuth axis (for an Alt-azimuth mount or mode).
• The Up and Down keys control the movements of the
Declination (Dec.) axis (for an equatorial mount or mode) or
altitude axis (for an Alt-azimuth mount or mode).
• Pressing the “RATE” key will enable the slewing speed to
be selected or changed:
• The LCD screen will display “Set Speed,” followed by
the current speed as “Rate = *X”’.
• Press a number between “0” and “9” to select a new
speed.
• Press the ENTER key to return to the previous display.
• If you do not press the ENTER button, you can continue
to change the speed while using the direction keys to
slew the mount.
• If there is no keypad operation in 5 seconds, the most
recent speed will be kept and the LCD display will
return to its previous content.
The following table lists the available slewing speeds:
Rate No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Speed *10.5X*21X*38X 16X 32X 64X 128X 400X 600X Max*4
• Rates 7, 8, and 9 are used for fast slewing of the mount.
• Rates 5 and 6 are primarily used to move a target within
the field of view of a finder scope.
• Rates 2, 3, and 4 are slower rates useful for moving a
target in the field of view of an eyepiece.
• Rates 0 and 1 are the slowest rates, ideal for centering an
object in a high-power eyepiece, or for manual guiding.
Note:
*1: Speed is represented as multiples of the sidereal rate
(Earth’s rotation speed)
*2, *3: For Equatorial mounts, the speed is the drift speed of
an object in the FOV with tracking turned on; it is not the axis’s
rotation speed.
*4: Maximum speed varies on different mounts. For most Orion
mounts, it is higher than 800X (3.4 degrees/sec).
1.4 SynScan Operating Modes
The SynScan hand controller has three operating modes to
choose from: Full Feature Mode, Easy Tracking Mode, and
Standalone Mode.
1.FullFeatureMode
Full Feature mode is the most commonly employed mode of
operation. In this mode the hand controller must be connected
to an Orion GoTo telescope mount. After turning on the power
to the mount, an “Initialization” routine for the hand controller
must be performed, followed by a GoTo “Alignment” routine,
which precisely orients the mount with the coordinate grid of
the sky. Only after the “Alignment” is done can the SynScan
hand controller’s GoTo function be used to accurately pinpoint
celestial objects.
A flowchart of the “Full Feature” operation is shown here:
Initialization Alignment Observing or
other operations
Locate a celestial
object automatically
2.EasyTrackingMode
The Easy Tracking mode is suitable for quick setup for visual
observing of brighter celestial objects, such as planets, the
Moon, or the Sun. If the user does not turn on the tracking
function, the Easy Tracking mode can also be used for observ-
ing terrestrial objects.
In Easy Tracking mode, the hand controller must be connected
to an Orion GoTo telescope mount. The mount must be set in a
proper “Home Position” (refer to Section 2.1 for details) before
turning on the power. After turning on the power to the mount,
you’ll complete an “Initialization” routine on the hand controller.
Then you can choose to skip the “Alignment” routine and start
the tracking function directly (refer to Section 5.4 for selecting

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the tracking rate). Users will need to locate a celestial object in
the sky, and then use the hand controller to manually point the
telescope to the target. The object locating function may still
be used but it will not yield a highly accurate result.
A flow chart of the “Easy Tracking” operation is shown here:
Initialization Start
Tracking
Observing or
other operations
Locate a celestial
object automatically
3.StandaloneMode
In Standalone mode, the hand controller does not need to be
connected to a mount. Once the hand controller is powered on
(with a 12V DC power source plugged into the DC power jack
on the bottom of the hand controller) and the “Initialization”
process is complete, you may begin using the SynScan hand
controller to look up data of celestial objects in the SynScan’s
database as well as other information, such as Sidereal time
or Polaris’s orientation relative to the North Celestial Pole.
The flow chart of the “Standalone” operation is shown below:
Initialization Other operations
2. Initialization
2.1 Setting the Mount’s Home Position
Before powering on the telescope mount, it should be set to
the “home position.” The home position is different for equato-
rial and alt-azimuth mounts.
1.HomePositionofanEquatorialMount
• Level the tripod head.
• Point the R.A. axis toward the North Celestial Pole (in
Northern Hemisphere) or the South Celestial Pole (in
Southern Hemisphere).
• Orient the counterweight shaft so it points downward.
• Point the telescope in the general direction of the North
Celestial Pole (in Northern Hemisphere) or the South
Celestial Pole (in Southern Hemisphere).
2.HomePositionofanAlt-azimuthMount
To operate the SynScan hand controller in “Full Feature”
mode, no particular home position is required.
To operate the SynScan in “Easy Tracking” mode:
• Level the mount base.
• Level the telescope’s tube (parallel to ground) and point it
toward true North (not magnetic North).
2.2 Initializing the Hand Controller
Once the mount has been set to the home position, turn the
mount’s power switch to ON and start the initialization pro-
cess via the SynScan hand controller.
1.SelectingtheOperatingModeoftheMount
A SynScan hand controller with firmware version 3.32 or later
supports both an equatorial mount and an alt-azimuth mount.
It automatically detects the model of the mount to which it con-
nects and selects the appropriate operation mode accordingly.
For an Equatorial/Alt-azimuth dual-mode mount, such as the
Orion Atlas Pro AZ/EQ-G, the SynScan hand controller will
request that the user select the operating mode you wish to use:
• The LCD screen will display “Operating Mode” in the first
line.
• Use the scrolling keys at the bottom left and right of the
keypad to choose Equatorial mode (EQ Mode) or Alt-
azimuth mode (AZ Mode).
• Press ENTER to confirm the selection.
2.FirmwareVersionDisplay
The hand controller will issue a long beep and display the firm-
ware version.
• Press ENTER to proceed to the next step. Press ESC to
return to the previous step.
• You can slew the mount with the direction keys at this step.
3.SolarWarningMessage
The hand controller will scroll a warning message about the
dangers of viewing the Sun with a telescope without a properly
fitted solar filter.
• Press ENTER to confirm you have read the warning
messages and proceed to the next step. Press ESC to
return to the previous (firmware version display) step.
• You can slew the mount with the direction keys at this step.
4.Auto-homing(HDX110EQ-GMountonly)
The “Auto-Homing” feature automatically establishes a home
position for the telescope. This capability applies only to
mounts equipped with the Auto-homing feature, such as the
Orion HDX110 EQ-G mount. Here’s the procedure:
• The LCD screen will display “Auto-Home?” in the first line,
and display “1) YES 2) NO” in the second line.
• Press “2” to skip this step and proceed to the next step,
or …
• Press “1” to start the auto-homing routine on the mount.
Once completed, the screen will display “Home Position
Established.” Press ENTER to proceed to the next step.
• During the auto-homing routine, pressing the ESC key will
stop the mount’s movement. The screen will display “Home
Position NOT Established.” Press ENTER to proceed to the
next step.
5.EnteringDataAbouttheObservingSite,Time,andDate
Geographic Coordinates
The LCD screen will display “Enter Location” on the first line,
and longitude and latitude values on the second line.
• Enter the telescope’s current latitudinal and longitudinal
location using the numeric keypad and scroll buttons. If you
do not know the latitude and longitude coordinates of your
viewing location, consult an atlas or look them up on the
internet (i.e., search “[your location] coordinates”).
• Use the scroll keys to change E/W (for longitude) and N/S
(for latitude).

6
• Press ENTER to confirm the entered coordinates and
proceed to the next step.
Note: Latitude and longitude coordinates must be entered
in degrees and arcminutes. If your atlas or other reference
source provides coordinates in decimal values (i.e., latitude =
36.95 N), you must convert that into degrees and arcminutes
(i.e., latitude 36.95 N = latitude 36°57 N). There are 60 arc-
minutes in 1 degree.
Time Zone
The LCD screen will display “Set Time Zone” on the first line
and the current time zone on the second line.
• Enter the time zone in which you are observing in hours
(see Appendix A), using the scroll keys and numeric
keypad. Use the scroll keys to change the “+” or “-”
sign. The “+” sign is used for time zones in the Eastern
Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania), while the “-”
sign is used for time zones in the Western Hemisphere
(North and South America). So for California the time zone
would be entered as -08:00.
• Press ENTER to confirm your choice and proceed to the
next step.
Date, Time, Daylight Saving Time
• Enter the date in the format mm/dd/yyyy using the numeric
keypad. Press ENTER to confirm your choice.
• Enter your current local time using the 24 hour time mode
(e.g., 2:00 p.m. = 14:00). Press ENTER to view the time
you entered. If the time is incorrect, press ESC to go back
to the previous screen. If the time is correct, press ENTER
again to proceed to the next step.
• When “Daylight Saving?” is displayed, use the scroll keys to
select “Yes” or “No”. “YES” indicates the time entered in the
previous step is Daylight Saving time, while “NO” indicates
the time entered is Standard time.
• Press the ENTER key to confirm and proceed to the next
step
6.DisplayPositionofPolarisRelativetoNCP
This step applies to an equatorial mount (or mode) only. It
specifies the orientation of the north star, Polaris, relative to
the north celestial pole (NCP) in the polar scope’s field of view.
• The LCD screen will display “Polaris Position in P.Scope =
HH:MM”. When using a polar-scope to do the polar
alignment, user can imagine the large circle in the FOV of
a polar-scope as a clock’s face with 12:00 at the top, and
put the Polaris at the “HH:MM” position of the large circle.
Press ENTER to confirm and proceed to the next step.
Press ESC to return to the previous step.
• The LCD screen will display “Hour Angle of Polaris =
HH:MM”. Press ENTER to confirm and proceed to the next
step. Press ESC to return to the previous step.
7.StartingGoToAlignment
For this, the last step in the hand controller’s initialization pro-
cess, the screen will display “Begin Alignment?” and ask you
to select 1) YES or 2) NO.
Press “1” to start the alignment process. The SynScan hand
controller will operate in Full Feature mode (refer to Section
1.4) after the alignment.
Press “2” to skip the alignment process. The SynScan hand
controller will enter standby mode.
• You can start the tracking functions (refer to Section 5.4),
or use the GoTo function (see Section 4) to roughly locate
celestial objects. For either operation the SynScan hand
controller will employ the Easy Tracking mode (refer to
Section 1.4 Step 2).
• You can also start an alignment process to operate the
SynScan hand controller in Full Feature mode.
• You may slew the mount with the direction keys to point
the telescope to terrestrial targets for observing. The
“User-Defined Objects” function (refer to Section 4.6) of
the SynScan hand controller is a useful tool for terrestrial
observing.
3. GoTo Star Alignment
In order for your GoTo telescope to accurately locate and point
to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned on known positions
(stars) in the sky. With the supplied information, the mount can
replicate a model of the sky and the movements of astronomi-
cal objects. We’re not talking about polar alignment here; that
should be done prior to the GoTo alignment procedure (con-
sult the manual for your specific mount or telescope.)
Note:Consider using an illuminated reticle (crosshair) eye-
piece to aid in the precise centering of stars in the telescope’s
field of view (FOV) during the alignment process.
Note:Before performing any of the alignment methods, be
sure that your finder scope is precisely aligned with the tele-
scope tube.
3.1 Choosing an Alignment Method
At the beginning of the alignment process, you will use the
scroll keys to choose an alignment method. The available
alignment methods differ between the mount types:
• For an equatorial mount, the choices are 1-Star Alignment
(1-Star Align.), 2-Star Alignment (2-Star Align.) or 3-Star
Alignment (3-Star Align.).
• For an alt-azimuth mount, the choices are Brightest Star
Alignment (Brightest Star) or 2-Star Alignment (2-Star
Align.).
• Select one and press ENTER to proceed to the next step.
Note: For a detailed description and comparison of each align-
ment method, please refer to Section 3.6.
3.2 Choosing the Alignment Star(s)
In this step, you will be asked to choose one or multiple align-
ment stars from a list provided by the SynScan hand controller,
and then control the mount to center the star(s) in the field of
view of the telescope’s eyepiece. The SynScan hand controller
will then use the data collected in this process to calculate the
mount’s orientation relative to the sky coordinates.

7
The steps for aligning on alignment stars may differ depending
on the type of mount used, as well as the chosen alignment
method. Please refer to the relevant section for your mount:
• 3.3 Alignment Methods for Equatorial Mounts
• 3.4 Alignment Methods for Alt-azimuth Mounts
3.3 Alignment Methods for Equatorial Mounts
If you are using the GoTo controller for the first time, we rec-
ommend you begin with the 3-star alignment. In most cases, a
3-star alignment produces the most accurate alignment of the
three possible methods. A 1-star alignment is the least accu-
rate but may be sufficient for casual observing.
3-StarAlignment
1. At the prompt of “Choose 1st Star,” use the scroll keys
to browse through a list of star names and choose
one you’re familiar with. Press ENTER. The mount will
then automatically slew the telescope toward that star.
2. After the mount stops, the hand controller will beep
and display “Use dir. keys to center object.” The
mount’s tracking function is also automatically turned
on to prevent the target star from drifting in the FOV of
the telescope.
3. Now use the direction keys to move the telescope to
center the star in the FOV of the finder scope.
4. Then look in the eyepiece and move the telescope
(using the directional keys) so that the chosen star is
centered in the field of view of the telescope eyepiece.
5. Press ENTER to confirm the star is centered.
Note:Generally, a slew rate of 5 or 6 is best for centering the
star in the finder scope, and a rate of 2 or 3 works best for
centering the star in the telescope’s eyepiece. The slewing
speed can be adjusted by pressing the RATE/2 key. Choose a
desired rate between 0 (slowest) and 9 (fastest).
6. You will then be prompted to choose a 2nd alignment
star. Choose a star using the scroll buttons and press
ENTER to confirm your choice. Repeat the centering
procedure for the second alignment star using the
direction buttons and press ENTER to confirm
alignment.
7. The controller will provide a list of stars that can be
used as the third alignment star. Choose a star using
the scroll buttons and press ENTER to confirm your
choice. Once again, repeat the centering procedure
for the third alignment star and press ENTER to
confirm alignment.
8. Once the three alignment stars have been entered
and alignment is completed, the hand controller will
display “Alignment Successful.” Press ENTER to
access the Main Menu.
9. If “Alignment Failed” is displayed, the alignment
procedure must be performed again. To do this, turn
the mount’s power switch off, then on again.
2-StarAlignment
Two-star alignment requires only two alignment stars but may
produce lesser pointing accuracy than the three-star alignment.
1. From the alignment prompt, select “2-Star Align”
using the scroll buttons. Press ENTER to confirm your
choice.
2. The hand controller will provide a list of stars available
in your current sky for you to choose as the first
alignment star. Use the same procedure as described
for the 3-star alignment to center the first and second
star in the finder scope, then in the telescope’s
eyepiece. Once the two alignment stars have
been entered and alignment is complete, the hand
controller will display “Alignment Successful.”
3. If “Alignment Failed” is displayed, the alignment
procedure must be performed again. To do this, turn
the mount’s power switch off, then on again.
1-StarAlignment
One-star alignment is the simplest and quickest alignment
method, as only one alignment star is required. Due to minimal
data input, however, a one-star alignment will not yield optimal
results unless polar alignment is very accurate, and any cone
error is minimized (see Appendix C).
1. Access the alignment screen and select “1-Star Align”
using the scroll buttons. Press ENTER to confirm your
choice.
2. The hand controller will provide a list of stars available
in your current sky for you to choose as the alignment
star. Use the same procedure as described for the
3-star alignment to center the first (and only) star in
the finder scope, then in the telescope’s eyepiece.
Once the alignment star has been entered and
alignment is complete, the hand controller will display
“Alignment Successful.”
3. If “Alignment Failed” is displayed, the alignment
procedure must be performed again. To do this, turn
the mount’s power switch off, then on again.
CancellationDuringAlignmentProcess
1. While the mount is slewing during the alignment, you
may press the ESC key to stop the mount. The hand
controller screen will display “Mount stopped. Press
any key…”
2. Press any key and the SynScan hand controller will
ask you to select another alignment star.
3. Press the ESC key again, the LCD screen will display
“Exit Alignment? 1) YES 2) NO.” Press key 1 to exit
the alignment process; press key 2 to go back to
choose an alignment star.
3.4 Alignment Methods for Alt-azimuth Mounts
There are two methods for aligning in Alt-azimuth mode, and
they are very similar: Brightest Star Alignment and 2-Star
Alignment. Both actually involve identifying and pointing the
telescope to two different bright stars in the night sky. Both
alignment methods provide the same level of precision. The

8
only difference is that for the Brightest Star alignment, the
hand controller will prompt you to select the first alignment star
from a directional region of the sky and will provide a short list
of the brightest stars in that region. With the 2-Star alignment
procedure the list of eligible stars is not grouped by region of
sky.
For the novice stargazer unfamiliar with the night sky or the
names of brighter stars, some might find the Brightest Star
Alignment to be the easier of the two methods. The 2-Star
method is for users who know the names of at least some
stars in the night sky. To assist you in performing the alignment
by either method, we have included in Appendix G a set of
star charts with the names of some bright stars indicated for
easy reference.
Rules for choosing alignment stars:
• It is recommended that the two alignment stars be 15-60
degrees above the horizon and their altitudes differ by
10-30 degrees.
• The two alignment stars should be separated by 45-135
degrees in azimuth, preferably around 90 degrees.
Note:Before performing either of the alignment methods, be
sure that the finder scope or reflex sight is precisely aligned
with the telescope tube.
BrightestStarAlignment
Aligning the 1st Star
1. Select “Brightest Star” as your Alignment Method.
Press ENTER.
2. The hand controller will prompt you to “Select
Region.” Referring to Figure 2, choose the region
that corresponds with where you see the brightest
star in the sky. It may be helpful to have a compass
for reference during this process. There are eight
overlapping regions to choose from, each covers a
90-degree span in azimuth. The direction you choose
will only affect your alignment star selection; you will
still be able to choose objects to view across the
entire sky once the alignment is complete.
3. After you have selected the region of the sky
containing the brightest star, the hand controller will
generate a list of the brightest stars in that region
sorted by the brightness of the star, with the brightest
stars at the top of the list. Only stars brighter than
magnitude 1.5 will appear in the list. If there is no star
brighter than magnitude 1.5 in the selected region,
the hand controller will display “No object found in
this region.” Press ENTER or ESC and select another
region of sky.
4. Now, use the Scroll keys to scroll through the list of
bright stars. There will only be a few stars, at most,
on the list, and sometimes only one star will be on
the list. The hand controller will display the name
and magnitude of the bright star on the first line,
and the approximate position of the star (based on
the time and date entered during the initial setup)
on the second line (Figure 3). The first coordinate
on the second line is an E-W coordinate, and the
second coordinate on the second line indicates
degrees above the horizon. These coordinates provide
a simple way to identify the bright star you have
chosen. When you are confident the hand controller
is displaying the name of the bright star you wish to
align on, press ENTER.
5. The mount will NOT slew to the selected bright star
automatically. Instead, the screen will display “Point
scope to RR ZZ.Z’ TT.T’ ,” where RR is the region
(e.g., NE, SW, etc.) ZZ.Z is the azimuth angle in
degrees, and TT.T is the altitude in degrees. Use
the direction keys to move the mount and point the
telescope to the 1st alignment star selected in the
previous step. Center the 1st alignment star in the
FOV of the finder scope or the red dot finder, and then
press ENTER to proceed to the next step.
If the mount has clutches on its axes, you can loosen the
clutches to move the mount manually to point the telescope
to the target.
Note:Generally, a slewing rate of 5 or 6 is best for centering
the star in the finder scope, and a rate of 2 or 3 works best
for centering the star in the telescope’s eyepiece. The slewing
speed can be adjusted by pressing the RATE/2 key. Choose a
desired rate between 0 (slowest) and 9 (fastest).
6. Now the screen will display “Ctr. Star NNNN,” where
the NNNN is the name of the selected 1st alignment
Figure 2. Directional regions of the sky used in the
“Brightest Star” alignment method.
Figure 3. Alignment star information displayed on LCD.
N
O
R
T
H
E
A
S
T
S
K
Y
S
O
U
T
H
E
A
S
T
S
K
Y
S
O
U
T
H
W
E
S
T
S
K
Y
N
O
R
T
H
W
E
S
T
S
K
Y
N
O
R
T
H
E
R
N
S
K
Y
E
A
S
T
E
R
N
S
K
Y
S
O
U
T
H
E
R
N
S
K
Y
W
E
S
T
E
R
N
S
K
Y
N (0˚)
E (90˚)
S (180˚)
(225˚)
W (270˚)
(315˚)
(135˚)
(45˚)
1. Capella
NE 35.3
0.1
15.7
Magnitude
Altitude Angle
Star Name
Azimuth Angle
Orientation
Brightness Order

9
star. Now use the direction keys to center it in the
telescope’s eyepiece and then press ENTER.
Aligning the 2nd Star
1. If the first alignment star is not a planet, the LCD
screen will display “Choose 2nd Star”; otherwise, it will
display “Choose 1st Star.”
2. Scroll through the list using the Scroll keys and
refer to the appropriate star chart in the back of this
manual to choose a second alignment star. Ideally,
you want this star to be about 60 degrees (i.e., about
six fist-widths held at arm’s length) away from the first
alignment star in azimuth, and preferably at roughly
the same altitude. The more distance between the two
alignment stars, the better accuracy the alignment will
produce. Once you’ve selected a second alignment
star, press ENTER. The mount will now automatically
slew to the selected star, which should land in or near
the field of view of your finder scope.
3. After the mount stops, the hand controller will give a
long beep and display “Use dir. keys to center object.”
After you’ve centered it in the finder scope and then in
the telescope’s eyepiece, press ENTER.
• If the first alignment star was not a planet, the SynScan
hand controller will now display “Alignment Successful.”
Press ENTER to complete the alignment process.
• If the first alignment star was a planet, the SynScan hand
controller will display “Choose 2nd Star.” Repeat from Step
2 to complete the alignment process.
• If the message “Alignment Failed” displays, it usually
means the star positions do not correspond with the
location and date/time information input during setup.
Please check your user initialization settings before starting
again.
Cancellation During Alignment Process
1. While the mount is slewing during the alignment, you
may press the ESC key to stop the mount. The hand
controller screen will display “Mount stopped. Press
any key…”
2. Press any key and the SynScan hand controller will
ask you to select another alignment star.
3. Press the ESC key again, the LCD screen will display
“Exit Alignment? 1) YES 2) NO.” Press key 1 to exit
the alignment process; press key 2 to go back to
choose an alignment star.
2-StarAlignment
To perform the 2-star alignment, follow the same steps
described for the Brightest Star alignment, except that the
hand controller will not prompt you to select a directional
region for a bright star. Instead, you’ll be presented with a list
of stars available in your current sky to choose from, for each
of the two alignment stars.
3.5 Tips for Improving Alignment Accuracy
Eyepiece
• Use a reticle eyepiece to ensure accurate centering of your
alignment objects. If a reticle eyepiece is not available,
try to use an eyepiece with longer focal length to yield a
smaller FOV. You can also try de-focusing the star image to
obtain a large star disk in the FOV. Centering the star disk
in the FOV is easier than centering a pinpoint star, in the
absence of a reticle eyepiece.
• During the alignment process, avoid changing or rotating
the eyepiece and the diagonal (if one is used).
MechanicalBacklash
All mounts have some amount of mechanical backlash on both
axes. To avoid introducing alignment error from backlash, keep
the following rules in mind:
• When centering an alignment star in the eyepiece, the
operation should always end by using the UP and RIGHT
direction keys to move the axes.
• If there is overshoot when centering an alignment star in the
eyepiece with UP and RIGHT keys, use the LEFT or DOWN
keys to pull the star back to the edge of the FOV and then
use the RIGHT and UP keys to center the star again.
AlignmentStarSelection
The choice of alignment stars can also impact the alignment
accuracy. Please refer to earlier parts of Section 3 on sug-
gestions for choosing alignment stars for various mounts and
alignment methods.
3.6 Comparison of Alignment Methods
(Equatorial Mount/Mode)
1-StarAlignment
Advantage: Quickest alignment.
Preconditions:
• An accurate polar alignment for the mount.
• Small cone error in the telescope-mount setup.
• If the cone error is large, there will be noticeable offset
in the R.A. when the SynScan hand controller locates
an object that is:
• On the other side of the meridian from the
alignment star.
• Deviated significantly in declination from the
alignment star.
Rules for choosing an alignment star:
• Choose an alignment star with smaller declination. It will
help to obtain higher resolution in R.A. movement in the
telescope’s eyepiece.
• If there is cone error in the telescope-mount setup or if you
are unsure about it, choose an alignment star that is close
to the object(s) to be observed.
2-StarAlignment
Advantage: For visual observing, the mount does not need to
be polar-aligned accurately.

10
Preconditions: Small cone error in the telescope-mount setup.
Rules for choosing alignment stars:
• The deviation in R.A. of the two alignment stars should not
be too small or too close to 12 hours; the recommended
deviation is between 3 and 9 hours.
• If there is cone error in the telescope-mount setup or if you
are unsure about it, choose two alignment stars that are on
the same side of the meridian. The absolute values of the
two alignment stars’ declination should be between 10 to
30 degrees.
Note: If the polar alignment of the mount is good, it is not nec-
essary to choose “2-Star alignment” to align the mount; use
“1-star alignment” instead.
3-StarAlignment
Advantages:
• Good pointing accuracy; even if the telescope-mount
system has cone error.
• For visual observing, the mount does not need to be
accurately polar-aligned.
Preconditions: The skies on both sides of the meridian are
clear of obstructions.
Rules for choosing alignment stars:
• The three alignment stars should be spread out on both
sides of the meridian.
• For the two alignment stars on the same side of the
meridian, they should differ in R.A. by greater than 3
hours, and the absolute value of the difference of the two
alignment stars’ declination should be between 10 and 30
degrees ( 10° < |Dec1 – Dec2| < 30°).
• If there is cone error in the telescope-mount setup or you
are unsure about it, don’t choose alignment stars that all
have small declinations (close to Dec. = 0).
Note: If you are sure that there is no (or very small) cone error
in the telescope-mount system, then it is not necessary to
choose the “3-star alignment” to align the mount. Use “1-star
alignment” or “2-star alignment” instead.
4. Locating Objects
Users can access several popular celestial object catalogs
stored in the SynScan hand controller and command the tele-
scope mount to locate a specific object in the catalogs. The
object location function is available for either “Full Feature”
mode (Section 1.4 Step 1) or “Easy Tracking” mode (Section
1.4 Step 2) of the mount.
The SynScan hand controller boasts a vast database of over
42,000 objects and stars. Once the telescope has been GoTo
aligned, you can access and view the thousands of objects in
the SynScan database. The database contains the following
catalogs:
Named Star: A list of 100 popular, known stars
Solar System: The other 8 planets of our solar system and
Earth’s Moon
NGC: 7,840 of the brightest deep-sky objects from the Revised
New General Catalog
IC: 5,386 of standard stars and deep sky objects from the
Indexed Catalog
Messier: Complete list of 110 Messier objects
Caldwell: Complete list of 109 Caldwell objects
SAO Catalog: The SAO star catalog in the SynScan hand
controller is a small sub-set of the 259,000-star SAO catalog,
containing only stars brighter than magnitude 8
Double Star: Includes 55 of the best double stars to view
Variable Star: Includes 20 of the most famous variable stars
User Object: Up to 25 objects can be saved in the User-
Defined database
Deep-Sky Tour: Takes you on a preset tour across the night
sky, stopping at the brightest and most beautiful objects visible
in your sky at the current time/date
4.1 Messier, NGC, IC, and Caldwell Objects
• Press the M, NGC, or IC shortcut key on the hand
controller, or press the OBJECT key. For Caldwell objects,
there is no shortcut key so press the OBJECT key and
scroll until “Caldwell Catalog” is displayed, then press
ENTER.
• Enter the 3-digit (for Messier or Caldwell) or 4-digit catalog
number of the object you wish to target.
• Messier objects are numbered from 1 through 110.
• NGC objects are numbered from 1 through 7840.
• IC objects are numbered from 1 through 5386.
• Caldwell objects are numbered from 1 through 109.
• If the selected object is below the horizon at this time, the
SynScan hand controller will display “Below horizon” for
2 seconds; otherwise, it will display the object’s current
azimuth and altitude.
• By using the scroll keys, you can browse the following
information of the object: J2000 celestial coordinates,
magnitude (MAG= ), rising time (Rise: ), transit time (Tran-
sit: ), setting time (Set: ), size (Size= ) and associated
constellation (Constellation: ).
• Press the ENTER key to proceed to the next step. The
screen will display “View Object?”
• Press the ENTER key to slew the mount toward the target
(or press the ESC key to return to the previous step). When
the mount stops, the SynScan hand controller will beep
and then return to the previous step. The mount will also
automatically start tracking the object.
• You can press the ESC key to stop the mount if needed.
The screen will display “Mount stopped. Press any key…”
Then press any key to return to the previous step.
Note:The mount will not slew if:
• The object is below the horizon.
• On an alt-azimuth mount, the object’s altitude exceeds the
limit set by the hand controller. (The screen will display