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

11
“Target over slew limit” in this case.) See Section 5.6 for
more on altitude slew limits.
4.2 Planets and the Moon
• Press the “PLANET” shortcut key. The screen will display
“Solar System” in the top row.
• Use the scroll keys to browse through the list of entries,
which includes Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (Yes, we know, it’s no longer
officially a planet!), and the Moon. Choose one and press
ENTER.
• If the selected object is currently below the horizon, the
message “Below horizon” will display for 2 seconds;
otherwise, you will see the object’s current azimuth and
altitude.
• Using the scroll keys, you can browse the following
information of the object: J2000 celestial coordinates, rise
time (Rise: ), transit time (Transit: ), set time (Set: ). Press
ENTER to proceed to the next step.
• To slew to the object, follow the same process described for
the Messier, NGC, IC, and Caldwell Objects in Section 4.1
above.
4.3 Named Stars, Double Stars, and
Variable Stars
Press the “OBJECT” shortcut key. Use the two scroll keys to
browse the list until “Named Star,” “Double Stars,” or “Variable
Stars” is displayed, and then press the ENTER key to select
the desired option.
Once inside, use the two scroll keys to find the desired object
in the list of star names. Press the ENTER key to confirm the
selection.
To slew to an object you will use the same basic procedure as
for the other objects above (see Section 4.1).
Note:The data for the separation angle (Separation: ) and the
position angle (Position Angle: ) are provided for double stars,
and the maximum magnitude (Max.MAG= ), minimum magni-
tude (Min.MAG= ), and period of variation (Period= ) are pro-
vided for variable stars.
4.4 SAO Stars
• Press the “OBJECT” shortcut key and use the two scroll
keys to find “SAO Catalog,” then press ENTER.
• Enter the 4 left-most digits of the 6-digit SAO number (e.g.,
“SAO 0238xx”). Press ENTER, then the hand controller will
find the first SAO number in the database that matches the
four left-most digits entered (e.g., “SAO 023801”).
• Use the scroll keys to change the last two digits until the
screen displays the desired SAO index number. Press the
ENTER key to confirm the input. (e.g., “SAO 023825”).
Note: The SAO catalog in the SynScan hand controller is a
sub-set of the SAO catalog. It only contains stars brighter than
magnitude 8.
To slew to a star you will use the same procedure as for the
other objects above (see Section 4.1).
4.5 Deep Sky Tour
The SynScan hand controller enables you to take a tour of
the best deep-sky objects visible in the current sky from your
location. You can select them one by one and command the
SynScan hand controller to automatically point the telescope
to each object for viewing. This is the “Deep Sky Tour” function.
1. Choosing an Object: Press the “TOUR” shortcut key.
The screen will display “Deep Sky Tour” in the top row.
Use the two scroll keys to browse through a list of the
deep-sky objects and press ENTER to pick one.
2. Viewing Information on the Object:
• The screen will display the catalog to which the object
belongs as well as its catalog number in the top row. The
object’s current azimuth and altitude will be displayed in the
bottom row.
• Use the scroll keys to browse the object’s J2000 celestial
coordinates, magnitude (MAG= ), rise time (Rise: ), transit
time (Transit: ), set time (Set: ), size (Size= ), and asso-
ciated constellation (Constellation: ).
• Press ENTER to proceed to the next step.
3. Go To the Object: Slewing to an object involves the
same procedure as described for the other objects
above (see Section 4.1).
4.6 User-Defined Objects
The SynScan hand controller allows you to save up to 25
objects in the User-Defined database. You can save currently
unknown objects, unidentifiable objects, current comet and/or
asteroid positions, or you can make a custom list of your favor-
ite objects to view.
Definingandsavinganobjecttothedatabase
1. Press the “USER” shortcut key. The screen will display
“User Object”. Press the scroll keys until “New Object”
is displayed on the screen, then press the ENTER
key. The screen will display “Coord. Type 1) RA/Dec 2)
Axis.” Press “1” to enter R.A./Dec. coordinates; press
“2” to enter Alt-azimuth coordinates. If the “R.A./Dec.”
coordinates is chosen, the screen will display the
R.A. and Dec. coordinates to which the telescope is
currently pointing. If “Axis” coordinates is chosen, the
screen will display the current altitude and azimuth
coordinates of the mount.
2. Edit the coordinates using the numeric keys and scroll
keys. Press ENTER to save the chosen setting.
3. The screen will display “Save?”
• Press the ENTER key to start saving the
coordinates. (Or press the ESC key to proceed to
the next step without saving the coordinates.)
• The hand controller will prompt you to choose a
storage space index number between 1 to 25 for
your chosen object. Select the number you wish to
represent the coordinates, using the scroll buttons.
Press ENTER to confirm.
• Once the object coordinates are represented by
a number, the hand controller will display “View

12
Object?” Press ENTER to slew the telescope to the
coordinates. Press ESC to exit.
Selectingauserdefinedobject
1. Press the USER shortcut key. The screen will display
“User Object / Recall Object”. Press ENTER.
2. 2. Use the scroll keys to browse through the list of
pre-defined objects indexed from 1 to 25. Select the
number representing the object you wish to view,
then press ENTER to display the object’s coordinates.
Press the ENTER key again to proceed.
3. The screen will now display “View Object?”
• Press ENTER to slew the telescope to the selected
object.
• Press ESC to exit.
5. Configuring Hand
Controller and
Mount Settings
The SETUP shortcut key is the entry point for configuring
many aspects of the mount and hand controller. The different
types of functions available are listed below, along with their
respective purposes. Press the SETUP key to access them.
5.1 Date, Time, Site, Time Zone, and Daylight
Saving Time
1. Date – Allows you to change the date entered at the
initial setup.
2. Time – Allows you to change the current time.
3. Observing Site – Allows you to change the current
location settings.
4. Daylight Saving – Allows you to change the Daylight
Saving option.
5. Alignment – Allows you to re-perform the 1-star,
2-star, or 3-star alignment for GoTo operation without
restarting the mount.
5.2 Hand Controller Display, Keypad, and Beeper
1. Access the menu “Setup \ Handset Setting” and press
the ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to select “LCD Contrast,” then use
the left/right direction keys to adjust the contrast of the
LCD text characters.
3. Use the scroll keys to select “Beep Volume,” then use
the left/right direction keys to adjust the volume of the
beeper.
4. Use the scroll keys to select “LED Backlight,” then
use the left/right direction keys to adjust the LED
brightness of the hand controller keys (buttons).
5. 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.
6. Press ESC to exit the adjustment.
5.3 Backlash Compensation
Backlash is a delay in motorized motion of the mount due to
slack between gears. This delay, or hesitation, is experienced
when the slewing direction is reversed on one or both axes
of motion using the direction keys on the hand controller. So
when you’re looking at an object in the eyepiece, it will not
move immediately upon pressing a direction key – there will
be a lag time.
The SynScan hand controller can compensate for backlash by
commanding the mount to slew at a higher speed for a specific
amount of distance when the user reverses direction with the
direction keys. With such backlash compensation you’ll get a
faster response from the mount.
This function allows you to insert a value for each axis to com-
pensate for slewing backlash experienced on that axis. For
improved pointing accuracy, it is important that the backlash
value is set to be equal or greater than the actual amount of
backlash between the gears. If the actual amount of backlash
is unknown, we recommend that you set the value to 5000
(approximately equivalent to 0.2°). First set the value for R.A.
backlash, then press ENTER to set the value for DEC.
• Access the menu “SETUP / Backlash” and press the
ENTER key.
• The screen will display “Azm = XoXX’XX” ” or “RA =
XoXX’XX” ”. Use the Left/Right keys to move the cursor
and use the numeric keys to fill in a number at the cursor
position to input the amount of backlash in the azimuth
or R.A. axis. Press the ENTER key to finish the input and
proceed to the next step.
• The screen will display “Alt = XoXX’XX” ” or “Dec =
XoXX’XX” ”. Fill in the amount of backlash in the altitude
axis or Dec. axis and then press the ENTER key.
Notes:
• Set the backlash value to 0 for an axis to disable
backlash compensation for that axis.
• Backlash compensation is only active for computerized
GoTo slewing, not for manual slewing with the direction
buttons.
5.4 Tracking Rate
The mount can track at several different rates, which you
select depending on the type of object(s) you’ll be observing
or photographing.
1. Access the menu “SETUP \ Tracking” and press the
ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to browse the various options, and
press the ENTER key to pick one.
• Sidereal Rate: Thisisthedefaulttrackingrate.Activates
tracking at sidereal rate (R.A. tracking) for observing/
photographing stars, deep-sky objects, and planets.
• Lunar Rate: Activates tracking at lunar rate (R.A. tracking)
for observing/photographing the Moon.
• Solar Rate: Activates tracking at solar rate (R.A. tracking)
for observing/photographing the Sun.

13
• PEC + Sidereal Rate: Activates sidereal rate tracking
and turns on Periodic Error Correction (PEC). Applies to
equatorial mounts/mode only.
• Stop Tracking: Turns off the tracking function.
Note: You can turn on the tracking without performing a star
alignment procedure. In this case, the polar alignment should
be rather accurate for an equatorial mount; and the mount
must be set up to the proper home position before turning on
the power (refer to Section 2.1).
5.5 Autoguide Speed
For astronomical imaging, some Orion equatorial mounts or
dual equatorial/alt-azimuth mounts have a designated autogu-
ider interface. The pin-outs on the 6 pin modular connector are
ST-4 compatible and can be used with most autoguiding cam-
eras currently available. The guiding speed can be adjusted
using the Auto Guide Speed function in the Setup Menu.
1. Access the menu “SETUP \ Auto Guide Speed” and
press the ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to choose one of the following
guiding speeds: 0.125X, 0.25X, 0.5X, 0.75X, or
1X, and then press the ENTER key. The default
autoguiding speed is 0.5X.
5.6 Altitude Axis Slew Limits
Some alt-azimuth mounts have limited slewing range on their
altitude axis. Users can set the upper and lower altitude limits
for such mounts.
• When you select an object whose altitude exceeds the
altitude limits, the SynScan hand controller will display
“Target is over slew limits!!” and will not initiate slewing.
• When you use the Up or Down direction keys to slew the
altitude axis to exceed the altitude limits, the SynScan
hand controller will automatically stop the altitude axis and
display “Over slew limit. Slewing stop!” In this case you
have to press any key and the SynScan controller will bring
the altitude axis back.
Follow these steps to set the altitude slewing limits:
1. Access the menu “SETUP \ Elev. Limits”, and press
the ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to choose options “Enable” or
“Disable,” then press the ENTER key to confirm.
3. If “Disable” is chosen, the SynScan hand controller
will turn off the altitude limit.
4. If “Enable” is chosen, the SynScan hand controller will
turn on the altitude limit, and you can input the upper
and lower limits as follows:
• The screen will display “Set Alt Limits:” in the top
row, and “Upper=+XXX. Xo” in the bottom row. Use
the Left/Right keys to move the cursor and use the
numeric keys to fill the upper limits. The leading
sign can be changed with the scroll keys. Press the
ENTER key to end the input and proceed.
• The screen will display “Lower=+XXX. Xo” at the
bottom row; fill in the data in a similar way.
5.7 Enable/Disable Auxiliary Encoder
Some Orion telescopes and mounts are equipped with auxil-
iary encoders on their primary axes to support manually mov-
ing the scope without upsetting the mount’s GoTo alignment
status. Users may turn off the auxiliary encoder to obtain the
best pointing accuracy. The auxiliary encoder can be turned on
again at any time for manually moving the mount.
1. Access the “SETUP \ Aux. Encoder” menu and press
the ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to select between “Enable” or
“Disable” and press the ENTER key.
Note:After re-enabling the auxiliary encoders, it is recom-
mended to use the direction keys to move both axes a bit
before commanding the hand controller to locate an object.
5.8 Alignment Star Filter
Not all combinations of alignment stars are good for a 2-star
alignment or 3-star alignment. The SynScan hand controller
uses a built-in advanced alignment star filter to show only the
stars that are suitable to work with the 1st or 2nd alignment
star(s), when asking the user to choose the 2nd or 3rd alignment
star. This helps to improve the success rate of the alignment.
Some advanced users or those who have limited sky visibility
can turn on/off this advance filter with the following steps:
1. Access the menu “Setup \ Alignment Stars \ Adv.
Filter” and press the ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to choose “OFF” and then press
the ENTER key to disable the filter.
3. Use the scroll keys to choose “ON” and then press the
ENTER key to enable the filter.
Note:Even if the advanced filter function is turned off, the
SynScan hand controller will still apply the following rules to
generate the list of alignment stars:
• The alignment star’s altitude must be above 15 degrees.
• For an equatorial mount or mode, the alignment star’s
declination must be between -75 and +75 degrees.
• For an alt-azimuth mount or mode, the alignment star’s
altitude must be below 75 degrees or within the altitude
limits defined by the user (Section 5.6).
5.9 Sorting Method of Alignment Stars
1. Access the menu “Setup \ Alignment Stars \ Sort by”
and press the ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to select “Magnitude” or “Alphabet”
and the press the ENTER key to sort the list
accordingly.
5.10 Show Position
This function displays the coordinates of the point in the sky at
which the telescope is aimed. Access the menu “Ultilily Func. \
Show Position” and press the ENTER key.
Use the scroll keys to choose one of the following coordinate
types:
• Dec/RA: Displays the current equatorial coordinates of the
telescope.

14
• Alt/Azm: Displays the current altitude and azimuth
coordinates of the telescope.
• Ax1/Ax2: Displays the current coordinates of the mount.
Ax1 is the position of the declination or altitude axis, and
Ax2 is the position of the R.A. or azimuth axis.
Note:You can use the direction keys to slew the mount to
specific coordinates by referring to the real-time coordinates
display.
5.11 Show Time and Local Sidereal Time
To display the current local sidereal time (LST) and the local
time, access the menu “Utility Func. \ Show Information \ Time”
and press the ENTER key.
5.12 Display Version Information
Access the menu “Utility Func. \ Show Information \ Version”
and press the ENTER key, and then use the scroll keys to
browse through the following information. Press the ESC key
to exit.
• H.C. Firmware: The firmware version of the SynScan hand
controller.
• Database: The database version of the SynScan hand
controller
• H.C. Hardware: The hardware version of the SynScan hand
controller.
• Motor Controller: The firmware version of the mount’s
motor controller board.
• H.C. Serial #: The serial number of the SynScan hand
controller.
5.13 Display Temperature
To display the current ambient temperature, access the menu
“Utility Func. \ Show Information \ Temperature” and press
the ENTER key. The temperature is shown in both degrees
Celsius and Fahrenheit. Press the ESC key to exit.
5.14 Display Power Voltage
To display the voltage of the power supply used to power the
telescope or mount, go to “Utility Func. \ Show Information \
Power Voltage” and press the ENTER key.
5.15 Display Polaris Position
This function can aid in achieving an accurate polar alignment
when using the mount’s polar axis finder scope. Imagine the
large circle around the celestial pole (cross in center ) in the
polar scope’s field of view as a clock’s face, with 12:00 at the
top, and put Polaris at the “HH:MM” position of the large circle.
To do this, access the menu “Utility Func. \ Show Information \
Polaris Pos.” and press the ENTER key. The screen will display
“Polaris Position in P.Scope = HH:MM.” Use the scroll keys to
display “Hour Angle of Polaris = HH:MM”. Press the ESC key
to exit.
5.16 Display Polar Alignment Error
Checking the polar alignment error will tell you how accurate
your polar alignment is, which will allow you to decide if you
should perform the polar alignment procedure again or if it’s
“good enough” for your purpose.
Access the menu “Utility Func. \ Show Information \ P.A
Error” and press the ENTER key. The screen will display
“Mel=+DDDoMM’SS Maz=+DDDoMM’SS.” The “Mel” value is
the polar alignment offset in elevation, and the “Maz” value is
the polar alignment offset in azimuth. The data is valid only
after a 2-star or 3-star GoTo alignment.
5.17 Changing Polar Scope Illumination Level
This function applies only to certain Orion mounts that are
equipped with a variable-brightness polar scope illuminator.
1. Access the menu “Utility Func. \ Polar Scope LED”
and press the ENTER key.
2. Use the Left/Right direction keys to adjust the
illumination level. Press the ENTER key to confirm
and exit.
6. Advanced Functions
6.1 Identifying Objects
After aligning the mount for GoTo operation, the SynScan
hand controller can be used to identify any object at which the
telescope is pointing.
1. Center the object to be identified in the telescope’s
eyepiece.
2. Press the “ID” shortcut key. The screen will display
“Identify: Searching…”. The SynScan hand controller
will look up the named stars, planets, Messier objects,
NGC objects, and IC objects within a 5 degrees range
of the object centered in the eyepiece.
3. The screen will display “No object found” if the
SynScan hand controller cannot identify the object.
4. If an object is found within the 5-degree range, the
screen will display the object’s name in the top row,
and the deviation from the object in the center of the
eyepiece.
5. If multiple objects are found, use the scroll keys to
browse through the list of identified objects.
6. Press the ENTER key to select an identified object
and then use the scroll keys to read its data, such as
the J2000 celestial coordinates, magnitude (MAG= ),
rising time (Rise: ), transit time (Transit: ), setting time
(Set: ), size (Size= ) and associated constellation
(Constellation: ).
7. Press the ESC key to exit.
6.2 Synchronizing Encoders
For telescopes or mounts that are not equipped with auxiliary
encoders, if the mount loses the correct position of either of
its two axes – for example, if an axis is manually moved – the
pointing accuracy will be compromised when the SynScan
hand controller tries to locate an object.
Providing the base of the mount or its tripod was not moved,
you can recover the pointing accuracy with the “Synchronize
Encoder” operation.

15
1. Access the menu “Setup \ Sync. Encoder” and press
the ENTER key.
2. Use the scroll keys to select an alignment star and
press the ENTER key. The mount will point the
telescope toward the alignment star.
3. After the mount has stopped, use the direction keys to
center the alignment star in the eyepiece, then press
the ENTER key to confirm.
4. The SynScan hand controller will display “Sync
Encoder Completed.” Press any key to exit.
6.3 Parking the Telescope
If the mount has not been moved after an observing session,
you can “park” the telescope to keep the alignment data, PAE
data, and PEC data, and start your next observing session
without having to redo the GoTo alignment and calibration.
Parking
1. Access the menu “Utility Func. \ Park Scope” and
press the ENTER key.
2. The screen will display “Park to…” Use the scroll keys
to choose one of the following parking positions and
press the ENTER key.
• Home Position: Park the telescope in the Home
Position (refer to Section 2.1).
• Current Pos.: Park the telescope in its current
position.
• Customer Pos.: Park in the same position you used
after the previous observing session.
3. The mount will slew to the parking position (except
parking at the current position), and the SynScan
hand controller will give a long beep when the mount
stops. The screen will display “Position saved. Turn
off power”.
4. You may now turn off power to the mount, or press the
ESC key to cancel parking.
ResumingfromParkedPosition
1. Turn on power to the mount.
2. Pass through the initial steps.
3. When the screen displays “Start from park pos.? 1 Yes
2) No”:
• Press “1” to resume operation of the mount from
the parked status. After the regular initialization
steps, the SynScan hand controller will be ready for
full feature operation like in the previous observing
session.
• Press “2” to abandon the previous saved park
position and alignment data and start a regular
observing session.
6.4 Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE)
The pointing accuracy enhancement (PAE) function enables
the telescope mount to achieve enhanced pointing accuracy in
specific areas of the sky.
After a 1-star, 2-Star or 3-star alignment, the telescope mount
might still have a small pointing error due to many factors,
such as the flexure of the telescope, atmospheric refraction,
or other mechanical issues. The amount of pointing error may
vary in different portions of the sky.
The SynScan hand controller divides the sky into 85 small
zones, and you can calibrate the pointing error for each of
these zones. The next time the SynScan controller tries to
locate an object in the calibrated zone (or a zone nearby), it
will automatically apply the recorded calibration data to com-
pensate for the pointing error. This function is useful for locat-
ing faint deep sky objects, and it is also helpful to obtain con-
sistent pointing accuracy for a permanent observatory.
Perform the following procedure to use the PAE function:
1. Perform a 1-star alignment, 2-star alignment, or a
3-star alignment.
2. Choose a bright star near the area of interest in the
night sky. Consult a star map or software program to
choose this bright star, if necessary.
3. Find this reference star in the hand controller’s object
database and press ENTER to select the star. Press
ENTER again, and the LCD will ask “View Object?”
Press ENTER to issue a command to the mount to
go to the star. If the mount is under the control of a
computer running planetarium software, click on the
star to slew the mount to it.
4. Use the direction keys to accurately center the star
in a high-powered eyepiece (10mm or less focal
length), or preferably, an illuminated reticle eyepiece.
Remember to end the centering operation by pressing
the Right and Up direction keys together.
5. Use one of the following operations to start the PAE
calibration:
• Press the “UTILITY” shortcut key, access the sub-
menu “PAE \ PAE Align,” then press the ENTER key.
• Press and hold the ESC key for 2 seconds.
6. The LCD screen will read “Center Object:,” and the
name of the reference star. (If the GoTo command
was sent by a computer running planetarium software,
the LCD will read “The last target” instead of the star’s
name.)
7. Make sure the chosen star is still centered in the
eyepiece (center it again if needed), and press the
ENTER key.
After the PAE function is performed, the hand controller will
recalculate its model of the sky. The pointing accuracy in the
area of sky around the chosen bright star should now be
improved. To improve pointing accuracy in another region of
the sky, perform the PAE function again, this time choosing a
bright star in the new region of interest.
Note: Whenever the SynScan hand controller locates an
object, it will automatically check whether PAE calibration data
is available, and apply the compensation accordingly. No man-
ual intervention is required. If more than one PAE calibration is

16
performed in the same zone, the previous calibration data will
be overwritten.
You can access the menu “Utility / PAE / Clear PAE data” to
clear all PAE calibration data. The PAE calibration data will be
automatically cleared after a 1-star alignment, 2-star align-
ment, or 3-star alignment.
Note:If the mount is “parked” before it is powered off, the star
alignments and PAE corrections will remain stored in the hand
controller. As long as the mount is not moved between usage,
the alignment will not need to be performed again when the
mount is subsequently powered on.
6.5 Camera Control
The SynScan hand controller can control a DSLR camera
to do astrophotography. It can accept eight different sets of
exposure parameters, and then control the camera to take the
exposure sets without manual intervention.
To use the camera control function, the camera must be
equipped with a shutter release control port and be set to the
“Bulb” exposure mode.
ConnectingtheCamera
1. Using the SNAP port on the telescope mount: Select
Orion equatorial mounts, such as the Atlas Pro AZ/
EQ-G and HDX110 EQ-G, are equipped with a SNAP
port on the drive panel.You’ll need an appropriate
shutter control cable to connect your DSLR camera to
the 2.5mm SNAP port.
2. Using the serial port on the SynScan hand controller:
The SynScan hand controller uses 2 pins (The
SHUTTER and COMMON pins in the diagram of
Appendix E of its serial port to control the shutter
release of a DSLR camera. Use a proper shutter
control cable to connect the SynScan hand controller
and a camera.
SetUpControlParameters
1. Press the “UTILITY” shortcut key, access the sub-
menu “Camera Control \ Configuration” and press the
ENTER key.
2. Edit the “interval” time; that is, the time between each
exposure (in MM:SS format) and press the ENTER
key.
3. Use the scroll keys to browse through the list of 8
groups of parameters. A sample screenshot is shown
here:
Select a Group
1. mm:ss X 000
The first number (“1”) is the index number of this set; the
“mm:ss” data is the exposure time in minutes and seconds;
and the last 3 digits are the number of frames to be shot, up
to 999. Press the ENTER key to pick a group and proceed to
the next step.
4. The first row of the screenshot below indicates the
index number of the set being edited. The second row
shows the exposure time of this group.
Edit Group#1
Exposure mm:ss
• Use the numeric keys to enter the exposure time,
then press the ENTER key.
• Now the screen is changed to set the number of
frames to be shot for this set, as shown below. Use
the numeric keys to enter the number of frames
after the word “Repeats” and press ENTER.
Edit Group#1
Repeats 000
• The SynScan hand controller will return to Step 2,
where you can enter another set of exposures, if
desired.
Note:To disable an exposure set, set either the “Exposure” or
the “Repeats” parameter to 0.
5. After setting the parameters for your exposure set(s),
press the ESC key to exit the configuration process.
BatchExposure
1. Set the camera to “Bulb” exposure mode.
2. Press the “UTILITY” shortcut key, access to the
sub-menu “Camera Control \ Shoot,” and press the
ENTER key.
3. The SynScan hand controller will start the first
exposure set and display the progress data on the
screen. A sample screenshot is shown below:
Shooting#1: 003
Release mm:ss
• The top row shows the set index and the number of
frames pending.
• The bottom row shows the remaining exposure time
of the current frame.
• At the end of each frame, the SynScan hand
controller will give a beep and wait for 2 seconds
before the next exposure.
4. During the exposure, you can press the ESC key to
suspend the operation. The screen will display “Shoot
Suspended. 1) Resume 3) Exit.” Press the “1” key to
resume the exposures or press “3” to exit.
Shoot Suspended
1) Reseme 3) Exit
6.6 Periodic Error Correction (PEC) for EQ Mount
Almost all equatorial mounts that use worm gears have a
periodic tracking error, which is due to slight eccentricities
and misalignments in the gears. Periodic error is not critical
for visual observing but might lower the image quality in long-
exposure astrophotography if not minimized. The SynScan
hand controller has a periodic error correction (PEC) function
to improve the tracking performance for astrophotography.

17
The PEC training function provides a correction to reduce
the amplitude of the worm gear errors. By recording the guid-
ing actions over one full worm gear cycle, SynScan can then
“play back” those actions with each subsequent worm cycle to
compensate for drifting in the R.A. sidereal tracking caused by
periodic error.
Orion equatorial mounts feature two different types of PEC,
depending on the model of the mount. One type is software-
based PEC (SPEC), which applies to Orion’s SkyView Pro
GoTo, Sirius EQ-G, and Atlas EQ-G mounts. The other type is
permanent PEC (PPEC), which comes standard with the Atlas
Pro AZ/EQ-G and HDX110 EQ-G mounts. The SynScan hand
controller detects the mount model and chooses the appropri-
ate PEC algorithm.
Note:PEC training is recommended for advanced users with
interest in long-exposure astrophotography only. Careful guid-
ing is required. Standard sidereal tracking is sufficient for
casual visual applications, and PEC training is not required.
PECTraining
For mounts that support standard, or software-based PEC,
such as the Sirius EQ-G and Atlas EQ-G, you’ll need to manu-
ally (visually) guide for at least one full worm cycle using an
illuminated reticle eyepiece capable of producing at least 300X
magnification with your telescope. For best results, the true
field of view should not exceed 10 arcminutes.
For mounts that support PPEC, such as the Atlas Pro AZ/
EQ-G and HDX110 EQ-G mounts, an autoguiding camera can
be used instead of manual guiding for the PEC training pro-
cess. In such cases, it is recommended to turn on the autogu-
ider for at least one minute before starting the PEC training
process. The total time for the PEC training of these mounts
can be as long as two cycles of the period error.
The following step-by-step procedure below describes how to
perform the PEC training function manually, using an illumi-
nated reticle eyepiece.
1. Perform an accurate polar alignment, then perform a
GoTo star alignment.
2. Then choose a star close to the celestial equator, i.e.,
with a small Dec. value (Dec. between +10° and –10°).
This object will be used as the guide star. Point the
telescope toward it and start the mount tracking.
3. Rotate the reticle eyepiece in the focuser (or diagonal)
until the R.A. movement of the star (i.e., its movement
when you press the Left or Right direction button)
runs parallel to one set of the illuminated crosshairs.
Then center the star on the crosshairs of the
eyepiece’s reticle.
4. Access the menu “Utility Func.\.PEC Training” and
press the ENTER key. The screen will display “Select
Speed: 1) 0.125X 2) 0.25X.” This is the speed used to
move the star in the FOV of the telescope when you
press the Left or Right direction key on the SynScan
hand controller. Choosing a 0.125X sidereal rate is
recommended for a longer focal length telescope, and
a 0.25X sidereal rate is recommended for a shorter
focal length telescope. Press the “1” or “2” key to make
a selection and proceed to the next step.
5. The screen will display the elapsed time once the
guide speed has been selected, indicating that the
recording of the guiding actions has begun. Use the
Left and Right direction keys to control the mount and
keep the star centered in the reticle eyepiece until the
SynScan beeps and stops displaying the time. (If the
star drifts in declination, it doesn’t matter. PEC is only
concerned with corrections of movement in R.A.) The
total time for this training process depends on your
particular mount model, but it will be at least several
minutes. Pressing ESC will immediately stop the
recording and exit from the PEC training function.
PECReplay
Once PEC training is completed, PEC tracking can be turned
on by accessing the menu “Setup \ Tracking \ PEC+Sidereal,”
then press the ENTER key to start the PEC replay. The
SynScan will play back the guiding corrections you made dur-
ing the PEC training cycle to compensate for the periodic error.
Notes:
• The PEC + Sidereal tracking rate will be accurate only after
at least one full cycle of PEC training is performed.
• After turning on the PEC + Sidereal replay, wait for at least
one worm cycle before taking a picture.
• To re-use the PEC data on a mount that supports SPEC,
users should “park” the telescope before shutting off power
(refer to Section 6.3). This stipulation does not apply to
mounts that support PPEC.
6.7 Calibrating Auto-Home Offset
Some Orion equatorial mounts, such as the HDX110 EQ-G,
have an Auto-Home function that can automatically set the
mount to a standard home position after turning on the power.
The offset of the home position can be calibrated and compen-
sated with the following procedure:
1. Accurately polar-align the equatorial mount.
2. Turn off the power, then turn it on again, and then
initialize the hand controller.
3. When the SynScan hand controller displays “Auto-
Home?,” press the “1” key to execute the auto-home
process.
4. Finish the subsequent initialization steps.
5. At the end of the initialization, choose 1-star alignment
to align the mount.
6. At the end of the 1-star alignment, the hand controller
will ask “Update H.P.O? 1) No 2) Yes” (“H.P.O.” stands
for Home Position Offset).
• Press “1” to keep the original Home Position Offset.
• Press “2” to use the results obtained from the 1-star
alignment to calibrate the home position offset.

18
6.8 Iterative Polar Alignment without Polar Scope
Polar alignment of your mount by means of the polar-axis find-
er scope is covered in the instruction manual for the mount.
However, there is another, more accurate way to polar align.
This software-based polar alignment routine can be performed
without use of the polar-axis scope. You will need to use a ret-
icle eyepiece for this procedure to ensure precise centering of
the stars in the eyepiece field of view.
1. Complete a 2-star alignment or 3-star alignment. At
the end of the alignment, the SynScan hand controller
will display the polar alignment error (refer to Section
5.16). Based on the error given, you can decide
whether it is necessary to adjust the polar alignment.
2. Press the “SETUP” shortcut key, and then access
to sub-menu “Alignment\Polar Align. >”. Press the
ENTER key to proceed to the next step.
3. The screen will display “Select a Star”.
• Use the scroll keys to browse through a list of star
names and press the ENTER key to pick one as the
reference star for polar alignment.
• The mount will start slewing to point the telescope
to the reference star.
4. Use the direction keys to center the reference star in
the eyepiece of the telescope after the mount stops
slewing. Remember to end the centering operation
with Up and Right direction keys. Press the ENTER
key to proceed to the next step.
5. The screen will now display the polar alignment error
in altitude (Mel=dd’mm’ss”).You can then use the data
to determine whether or not to adjust the altitude of
the R.A. axis. Press the ENTER key again to proceed
to the next step.
6. The mount will slew to a new position. When it
stops, the screen will display “Adjust Altitude:”. By
using ONLY the altitude adjustment mechanism of
the mount (DO NOT touch the azimuth adjustment
mechanism, DO NOT use the direction keys on
the hand controller), bring the reference star back
to the closest point to the center of the FOV of the
telescope’s eyepiece. Remember the reference star’s
position in the eyepiece for later adjustment. Press the
ENTER key to confirm the centering operation.
7. The screen will now display the polar alignment error
in azimuth (Maz=dd’mm’ss”). You can then use the
data to determine whether or not to adjust the azimuth
of the mount. Press the ENTER key again to proceed
to the next step.
8. The mount will slew to a new position. When it
stops, the screen will display “Adjust Azimuth:” By
using ONLY the azimuth adjustment mechanism of
the mount (DO NOT touch the altitude adjustment
mechanism, DO NOT use the direction keys on
the hand controller), bring the reference star back
to the closest point to the previous position (at the
end of Step 6). Press the ENTER key to confirm the
centering operation.
9. The screen will display the polar alignment error
again, press the ENTER button to end the polar
alignment process. It should be an improvement over
what was given in Step 1.
10. Go back to the “Alignment” menu on the SynScan
hand controller and execute another 2-Star or 3-Star
alignment, and then check the polar alignment error
data reported at the end of the 2-star alignment or
3-star alignment. Repeat Step 2 to Step 8 until the
error is small enough to be acceptable. Generally, you
can expect to get up to 1 arc-minute polar alignment
accuracy after repeating this polar alignment process
2 or 3 times.
7. Connecting SynScan to
a Computer
7.1 Working with Astronomical Software
Programs
The SynScan hand controller can communicate with a com-
puter via the RS-232 port at the bottom of the controller
(Figure 1b). In this way you can use many commercially avail-
able planetarium software programs to control your GoTo tele-
scope or mount, essentially bypassing the hand controller’s
interface. The computer must have a RS-232C serial port; oth-
erwise, an optional USB-to-Serial adapter is required. Connect
the SynScan hand controller to the computer with the RJ-12 to
DB-9 serial cable supplied with your telescope or mount.
7.2 PC Direct Mode
PC Direct Mode is a special mode for the SynScan hand con-
troller to work with a PC. Under this mode, the hand controller
becomes a repeater between the PC and the motor control-
ler in the telescope mount. The application running on the PC
controls the motor controller directly.
Currently, the PC direct mode is mainly used to update the
motor controller’s firmware.
• Access the menu “Utility Func. \ PC Direct Mode” and press
the ENTER key. The screen will display “PC Direct Mode \
Press ESC to exit.”
Figure 4. Application window for SynScan firmware loader.

19
• Press and hold the ESC key for more than 1 second to exit
PC Direct Mode.
• You can still use the direction keys to move the telescope
mount.
8. Updating Firmware
8.1 Hardware Requirements
• A SynScan hand controller with firmware version 3.0 or
later.
• A computer running Windows (Win 95 or later).
• An RS-232C serial port on the computer, or a USB-to-
Serial adapter.
• The PC interface cable (DB-9 to RJ-12), which is usually
included with a GoTo telescope or mount.
• A 7.5V -12V DC power supply that can output at least
100mA current.
8.2 Preparation
1. Create a new folder in the computer (for example, C:\
SynScan) to save relevant files.
2. Download the “SynScan Firmware Loader” application
package from www.OrionTelescopes.com and extract
the file “SynScanFirmwareLoader.exe” to the above
folder.
3. Download the latest firmware package and extract the
“.SSF” file to the above folder.
8.3 Updating Firmware
1. Connect the computer and the SynScan hand
controller with the PC interface cable.
2. Press and hold the “0” and “8” keys simultaneously,
and then power on the hand controller. The hand
controller will beep and display “SynScan Update” on
the screen. Release the “0” and “8” keys.
3. On the computer, run the SynScanFirmwareLoader.
exe file. An application window is shown in Figure 4.
• Use the “Browse” button to load the latest firmware
file (“.SSF” file).
• Check the “Enforce database update” to enforce
updating the hand controller’s database. Or uncheck
it to let the application determine whether an update
is needed.
• Check the “Auto-detect COM port” to let the
application detect the proper serial port that will
connect to the SynScan hand controller. Or uncheck
it to manually choose the COM port. Select one
from the “COM port” drop-down list.
• Click the “HC Version” button to check the versions
of the hardware, firmware, and database.
• Click the “Update” button to start loading the
firmware to the SynScan hand controller.
4. After the loading starts, the application will display a
percentage number at the bottom of the window to
show the progress.
5. Once update is complete, the application will display
a green bar with “Update Complete” at the bottom of
the window.
8.4 Troubleshooting
1. If a window pops up and displays the message:
“Cannot connect to a SynScan hand control” after
clicking the “Update” button or the “H.C. Version”
button, close the message window and click the
“Update” button or the “H.C. Version” button to try
again. If the application displays the message again,
check the cable connections and ensure the USB-to-
Serial port adapter is working, and that you have the
proper drivers installed for it on your computer.
2. If the firmware update fails, the SynScan Firmware
Loader will pop up a window with message “Firmware
update failed. Cycle power to SynScan and try again!”
Close the window and power off the hand controller.
Then repeat the firmware update process again.
3. If the update process failed in the middle of updating,
try to press the SETUP button on the SynScan hand
controller to use other communication speeds: “Mi”
(medium speed) or “Lo” (low speed).
9. Using a SynScan
GPS Module
The optional SynScan GPS module automatically acquires
accurate local geographical coordinates and local time, obvi-
ating the need for the user to input the data themselves. The
GPS data helps to improve the accuracy of the GoTo align-
ment and the polar alignment.
9.1 Initialization of Hand Controller with SynScan
GPS Module
The initialization process of the SynScan hand controller with
a SynScan GPS adapter differs from the standard initialization
process.
1. Plug the SynScan GPS module into the serial port
located at the bottom center of the SynScan hand
controller. Place the GPS module on a horizontal
surface and turn on the power of the mount.
2. If the SynScan hand controller detects the connection
of a GPS module, it will ask for the local time zone:
• Use the left and right direction keys to move the
cursor on the screen.
• Use the scroll keys to change the sign for the time
zone. Use “-” for the time zones in the Western
Hemisphere and “+” for the time zones in the
Eastern Hemisphere.
• Use the numeric keys to fill the time zone value in
±hh:mm format.

20
• Press ENTER to confirm and proceed.
3. The hand controller will then ask whether to use
Daylight Saving Time. Use the scroll keys to select
“YES” and “NO” and press the ENTER key.
4. The screen will now display “GPS fixing…” This
means that the GPS module is trying to fix on the
GPS satellites.
5. After the SynScan GPS module fixes on the satellites,
the SynScan hand controller will continue the
initialization process.
9.2 Checking GPS Information
1. Plug the SynScan GPS module into the RJ-12 serial
port located at the bottom center of the SynScan
hand controller. Place the GPS module on a
horizontal surface.
2. Access the menu “Utility Func. \ GPS” and press the
ENTER key.
3. The screen will now display “GPS fixing…” as the
GPS module is attempting to fix on the GPS satellites.
4. After the SynScan GPS module fixes on the
satellites, the screen will display “GPS Information:”
Use the scroll keys to browse through the following
information. Press the ESC key to exit.
• M.O.V: Local magnetic declination
• Lat: Local latitude
• Lo: Local longitude
• Date: Local date
• UT: Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time)
• LT: Local time
• TimeZone: Local time zone
• LST: Local sidereal time
• Elevation: Local elevation
• Quality: Quality of GPS fixing
• Number of SV: Number of GPS satellites in view
• # of SV(fix): Number of GPS satellites fixed on