Orion SynScan V5 Hand Control User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
SynScanTM
Copyright © Sky-Watcher
SSHCV5-F-170808V2-EN

2
PART I : INTRODUCTION
PART II : INITIALIZATION
PART III : ALIGNMENT
PART IV : SYNSCAN MENU TREE
PART V : LOCATING OBJECTS
PART VI : CONFIGURE THE TELESCOPE MOUNT
CONTENT
1.1 Outline and Interface .......................................................................................... 4
1.2 Connecting to a Telescope Mount ...................................................................... 4
1.3 Slew the Mount with the Direction Keys ............................................................. 4
1.4 SynScan Hand control’s Operating Modes ......................................................... 5
2.1 Setup the Home Position of the Telescope Mount ............................................. 7
2.2 Initialize the Hand Control ................................................................................... 7
3.1 Choosing an Alignment Method .........................................................................11
3.2 Aligning to Alignment Stars ...............................................................................11
3.3 Alignment Method for Equatorial Mounts ..........................................................11
3.4 Alt-Azimuth Mounts using Brightest Star Alignment Method ............................12
3.5 Alt-Azimuth Mounts using 2-Star Alignment Method ........................................15
3.6 Alt-Azimuth Mounts using Daytime Alignment Method .............................16
3.7 Tips for Improving Alignment Accuracy .............................................................17
3.8 Comparison of Alignment Methods ....................................................................17
4.1 Menu Structure ................................................................................................. 19
4.2 Accessing Menus ..............................................................................................20
4.3 Short-cut Keys ...................................................................................................20
5.1 Locating Messier Objects ................................................................................. 21
5.2 Locating NGC and IC Objects .......................................................................... 22
5.3 Locating Planets and the Moon ........................................................................ 22
5.4 Locating Caldwell Objects ................................................................................ 22
5.5 Locating SAO Stars .......................................................................................... 23
5.6 Locating Named Stars, Double Stars, and Variable Stars .............................. 23
5.7 Deep Sky Tour .................................................................................................. 24
5.8 User-Dened Objects ........................................................................................ 24
6.1 Choosing Tracking Speed ..............................................................................26
6.2 Backlash Compensation ..................................................................................26
6.3 Setting the Slewing Limits .............................................................................26
6.4 Enable/Disable Auxiliary Encoder ..................................................................27
6.5 Setting Autoguider Speed ...............................................................................27
6.6 Setting Flipping Mode ........................................................................................27
PART VII : CONFIGURE THE HAND CONTRL
7.1 Display, Keypad ................................................................................................. 28
7.2 Alignment Star Filter ........................................................................................... 28
7.3 Sorting Method of the Alignment Star List ........................................................ 28
7.4 Naming of Stars ................................................................................................ 28
Basic Operations
Intermediate Operations

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PART VIII : AUXILIARY FUNCTIONS
PART IX : CONNECTING TO A COMPUTER
PART X : UPDATING FIRMWARE
PART XI : ADVANCED FUNCTIONS
PART XII : USING A SYNSCAN GPS MODULE
APPENDIX I : ELIMINATING CONE ERROR ....................................................... 45
APPENDIX II : SYNSCAN SELF-DIAGNOSIS ....................................................... 46
APPENDIX III : SCHEMATIC OF THE PORTS ..................................................... 47
APPENDIX IV : SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................. 47
9.1 Working withAstronomicalApplications ............................................................. 33
9.2 PC Direct Mode .................................................................................................33
12.1 Initialization of the Hand control with a SynScan GPS Module ...................... 44
12.2 CheckingGPSInformation..................................................................................44
10.1 Hardware Requirements ................................................................................... 34
10.2 Preparation ....................................................................................................... 34
10.3 UpdatingFirmware .............................................................................................34
10.4 Troubleshooting ................................................................................................ 35
8.1 Editing Date, Time, Coordinates, Time Zones, and Daylight Saving Time ......... 30
8.2 Re-aligning the Mount ........................................................................................ 30
8.3 Show Position ................................................................................................. 30
8.4 Show Time and Local Sidereal Time ............................................................ 30
8.5 Display Version Information ........................................................................... 30
8.6 Display Power Voltage ................................................................................... 31
8.7 Display Polaris Position ................................................................................. 31
8.8 Display Polar Alignment Error ....................................................................... 31
8.9 Changing Polar Scope Illumination Level ..................................................... 31
8.10 Identifying Objects ............................................................................................. 31
8.11 Synchronizing Encoders ................................................................................... 32
11.1 ParkingTelescope..............................................................................................36
11.2 Pointing AccuracyEnhancement .......................................................................36
11.3 Polar Alignment without Polar Scope ........................................................... 37
11.4 CameraControl..................................................................................................39
11.5 Periodic Error Correction (PEC) for EQ Mount ..................................................... 41
11.6 CalibratingAuto-Home Offset ............................................................................ 42
11.7 Setting Cone Error and Non-Perpendicular Error .............................................. 42
11.8 Astronomical Time-Lapse Photography ..........................................................43
11.9 Solar Tracking Mode .........................................................................................43
Advanced Operations
Appendix
7.5 Language Conguration ...............................................................................29

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PART I : INTRODUCTION
Multi-Purpose Port: Connects to an external device such as a com-
puter, a GPS module, a camera, etc.
LCD Display Screen: It can display two lines of text with18 characters
per line. The contrast and the brightness of the red backlight are
adjustable.
Buttons: ESC, MENU, ENTER, direction, number/shortcut keys,
and scroll keys.
A SynScan hand control and its interfaces are shown in Fig. 1.1
1.1 Outline and Interface
1.2 Connecting to a Telescope Mount
Fig. 1.1
Connect the 8-pin (RJ-45) “Mount” port of the hand control to the “Hand Control” port on a
Sky-Watcher mount using an appropriate cable. The table below lists the “Hand Control” ports
on different Sky-Watcher mounts.
Mount Model Hand control Port “Hand Control” Port on Mount
EQ6 Pro
8-pin RJ-45
D-sub 9 Male
HEQ5 Pro, EQ5 Pro, EQ3 Pro,
AZ-EQ5 Pro, AZ-EQ6 Pro, EQ8 8-pin RJ-45
All Alt-azimuth mounts 6-pin RJ-12
1.3 Slew the Mount with the Direction Keys
In many situations, users need to slew the mount at different speeds with the direction keys.
Here are the guides for this operation:
Mount Port: Connects to the “Hand Control” port on a Sky-Watcher
telescope mount. The hand control can get power from the mount via
this port.
USB Port: Communicates with a PC via USB interface. Power the
SynScan hand control for updating rmware.

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PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Full Feature Mode:
The ow chart of the “Full Feature” operation is shown in Fig. 1.4a.
• The left and right keys are used to control the movement of the Right Ascension (R.A.) axis
(for an equatorial mount) or the azimuth axis (for an Alt-azimuth mount).
• The up and down keys are used to control the movement of the Declination (Dec.) axis (for
an equatorial mount) or altitude axis (for an Alt-azimuth mount).
• In most cases, pressing the “RATE/2” key will invoke the operation of choosing a slewing
speed:
»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 the user does not press the ENTER button, he/she 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 the previous one.
• The following table lists the available speeds:
• Rate 7/8/9 is primarily used to quickly slew a mount.
• Rate 5/6 is primarily used to move a target in the eld of view of a nder scope.
• Rate 2/3/4 is primarily used to move a target in the eld of view of an eyepiece.
• Rate 0/1 is used to move a target in the eld of view in high magnication observations,
or manual-guiding.
Note:
*1: Speed is represented as multiples of the Earth’s rotation speed.
*2, *3: For Equatorial mounts, the speed is the drift speed of an object in FOV while the mount’s
tracking is turned on; it is not the axis’s rotation speed.
*4: Maximum speed varies on mounts. For most Sky-Watcher mounts, it is higher than 800X
(3.4 degrees/sec).
Rate 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Speed *1 0.5X*2 1X*3 8X 16X 32X 64X 128X 400X 600X Max*4
1.4 SynScan Hand control’s Operating Mode
The SynScan hand control has 2 operating modes: Full Feature Mode and Easy Tracking
Mode.
Initialization Alignment Observing or other
operations
Fig. 1.4a
Locate a celestial
object automatically

6
In Easy Tracking mode, the hand control also needs to be connected to a Sky-Watcher
telescope mount. The mount must be setup at a proper “Home Position” (refer to Section
2.1 for details) before turning on the power. After turning on the power to the mount, the
hand control must complete an “Initialization” routine. Then the user can choose to skip the
“Alignment” routine and start the tracking function directly (refer to Section 6.1 “Choosing
Tracking Speed”). Users will need to locate a celestial object in the sky, and then use the
hand control to manually point the telescope to the target. The object locating function may
still be used but it will only give a rough result.
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 observing terrestrial objects.
PART I: INTRODUCTION
The ow chart of the “Easy Tracking” operation is shown below:
2. Easy Tracking Mode:
In Full Feature mode, the hand control must be connected to a Sky-Watcher telescope
mount. After turning on the power to the mount, the hand control must complete an “Initial-
ization” routine, followed by an “Alignment” routine which establishes a model to transform
the coordinates of the mount and the coordinates of the sky. Only after the “Alignment” is
done can the SynScan hand control’s high precise “GOTO” function be used to locate a
celestial object.
The Full Feature mode is the most commonly used mode of operation.
Fig. 1.4b
Initialization Start Tracking Locate a celestial
object manually Observing or other
operations

7
PART II : INITIALIZATION
• Tripod head is leveled.
• R.A. axis points towards the Northern Celestial Pole (in Northern Hemisphere) or the
Southern Celestial Pole (in Southern Hemisphere).
• Counterweight rod is at its lowest position.
• The telescope points towards the Northern Celestial Pole (in Northern Hemisphere) or
the Southern Celestial Pole (in Southern Hemisphere).
The mount should be set up as close as possible to the following home position:
• Mount base is leveled.
• The telescope tube is leveled and points towards the true north (not magnetic north).
Once the mount has been setup to the home position, the user can turn on the power to the
mount and start the initialization process on the SynScan hand control. The following is the
steps:
1. Home Position of an Equatorial Mount:
2. Home Position of an Alt-azimuth Mount:
2.1 Setup the Home Position of the Telescope Mount
2.2 Initialize the Hand Control
Before powering on the telescope mount, it should be set up to a particular home position. The
home position differs between an equatorial mount and an Alt-azimuth mount.
A SynScan hand control with rmware version 3.32 or later supports both an equatorial
mount and an alt-azimuth mount. It can detect the model of the mount it is connected to
and select the appropriate operation mode.
For an equatorial/Alt-azimuth dual-mode mount, such as the AZ-EQ6 GT mount, the Syn-
Scan hand control will require the user to choose the mount’s operating mode.
• The LCD screen will display “Operating Mode” in the rst line.
• Use the scrolling keys located at the bottom left and right of the keypad to choose be-
tween Equatorial mode (EQ Mode) and Alt-azimuth mode (AZ Mode).
• Press ENTER to conrm the selection.
1. Select the Operation Mode of the Mount
The hand control will display the rmware version.
• Press ENTER to proceed to the next step. Press ESC to return to the previous step.
• Users can slew the mount with direction keys in this step.
2. Firmware Version Display
The hand control will display a warning message about the dangers of viewing the sun with
a telescope.
• Press ENTER to conrm you have read the warning messages and proceed to the next
step. Press ESC to return to the previous (rmware version display) step.
• Users can slew the mount with direction keys in this step.
3. Warning Message Conrmation

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PART II: INITIALIZATION
This step only applies to a mount with Auto-homing feature (such as the Sky-Watcher EQ8
Equatorial mount).
• The LCD screen will display “Auto-Home?” in the rst line, and display “1) YES 2) NO”
in the second line.
• Press “2” to skip this step and proceed to the next step.
• Press “1” to start the auto-homing routine on the mount. Once complete, the screen will
display “Home Position Established”. Press ENTER to proceed to the next step.
• During 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.
• After the home position is established, the LCD screen will display “Add DEC offset?” in
the rst line, and display “1)YES 2)NO” in the second line.
• Press “2” to skip this step and proceed to the next step.
• Press “1” and then use the numeric keys and the LEFT/RIGHT directional keys to enter
the offset (in degrees) of the declination axis and then press ENTER key to conrm. The
declination axis will start slewing to the designated offset position. This function is de-
signed for side-by-side dual telescopes setup.
Geographic Coordinates
The LCD screen will display “Set Longitude” or “Set Latitude“ on the rst line, and display
the longitude and latitude on the second line.
• Press the numeric keys at the cursor position to ll in the longitude or latitude digits.
• Use the scroll keys to change east/west longitude or north/south latitude when the cur-
sor blinks on the corresponding characters (E/W for longitude, N/S for latitude).
• Use the Left and Right direction keys to move the cursor.
• Press the ENTER key to conrm the input and proceed to the next step.
• Press the ESC key to return to the previous step.
4. Auto-homing
5. Set Information Regarding the Observing Site
Time Zone
The LCD screen will display “Set Time Zone” in the rst line, and display the current time
zone in the second line.
• Use the scroll keys to change the leading “+” or “-” sign when the cursor is on it. 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).
• Press the numeric keys at the cursor position to ll the time zone digits.
• Press the ENTER key to conrm the input and proceed to the next step.
• Press the ESC key to return to the previous step.

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Date, Time, Daylight Saving Time
• When “Date: mm/dd/yyyy” is displayed, enter the current date in the indicated mm/dd/
yyyy format (i.e. 10/24/2012 for Oct.24,2012); press the ENTER key to conrm and pro-
ceed to the next step. Press the ESC key to return to the “Geographic Coordinates” step.
• When “Enter Time” is displayed, enter the current local time in 24-hour format. (i.e.
18:30:00 for 6:30pm). Press the ENTER key to display the entered time in 12-hour for-
mat. Press the ENTER key again to conrm and proceed to the next step. Press the ESC
key to return to the previous 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” indi-
cates the time entered is in standard time. Press the ENTER key to conrm and proceed
to the next step. Press the ESC key to return to the previous step.
PART II: INITIALIZATION
6. Display Polaris Position
This step applies to an equatorial mount only.
• The LCD screen will display “Polaris Position in P.Scope = HH:MM”. It tells the orienta-
tion of Polaris in the polar-scope’s FOV. 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 Polaris at the “HH:MM”
position of the large circle when using a polar-scope to do the polar alignment. Press
the ENTER key to conrm and proceed to the next step. Press the ESC key to return to
the previous step.
• The LCD screen will display “Hour Angle of Polaris = HH:MM“. Press ENTER key to
conrm and proceed to the next step. Press ESC key to return to the previous step.
Press “1” to start the alignment process
The SynScan hand control will operate in Full Feature mode (refer to Section 1.4) after the
alignment.
This is the last step in the hand control’s initialization process. The screen will display “Be-
gin Alignment? 1) YES 2) NO” to ask the user to make a choice:
7. Starting the Mount Alignment
Elevation ( for atmospheric refraction compensation )
The LCD screen will display “Set Elevation:” in the rst line, and display the elevation in
meters in the second line.
• Use the scroll keys to change the leading “+” or “-” sign when the cursor is on it.
• Press the numeric keys at the cursor position to ll in the elevation (in metres).
• Press the ENTER key to conrm the input and proceed to the next step.
• Press the ESC key to return to the previous step.

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Press “2” to skip the alignment process.
The SynScan hand control will enter standby mode.
• Users may start the tracking functions (refer to Section 6.1), or use the GOTO function
(refer to PART V)to roughly locate celestial objects. Both operations will let the SynScan
hand control work in the Easy Tracking mode (refer to Section 1.4 Step 2).
• Users can also start an alignment process (refer to Section 8.2) to let the SynScan
hand control operate in Full Feature mode.
• Users may slew the mount with the direction keys to point the telescope to terrestrial
targets for observing. The “User-Dened Objects” function (refer to Section 5.8) of the
SynScan hand control is a useful tool for terrestrial observing.
PART II: INITIALIZATION

11
At the beginning of the alignment process, users are asked to choose an alignment method.
The available alignment methods differ between the mount types, as listed below:
• For an equatorial mount: 1-Start Alignment (1-Star Align.), 2-Star Alignment (2-Star
Align.) or 3-Star Alignment (3-Star Align.)
• For an alt-azimuth mount: Brightest Star Alignment (Brightest Star),2-Star Alignment
(2-Star Align.) or Daytime Alignment.
Note: For a detailed description and comparison of each alignment method, please refer to
Section 3.8.
Operation:
• The LCD screen displays “Alignment:” in the rst line.
• Use the two scrolling keys to select an alignment method in the second line of the LCD
screen.
• Press ENTER to conrm selection and proceed to the next step (Section 3.2).
• Press ESC to skip the alignment process and enter standby mode.
3.1 Choosing an Alignment Method
PART III : ALIGNMENT
In this step, the user will be asked to choose one or multiple alignment stars from a list provid-
ed by the SynScan hand control, and then control the mount to center the star(s) in the FOV
of the telescope’s eyepiece. The SynScan hand control will then use the data collected in this
process to transform between the mount coordinates and the sky coordinates.
The operating steps of aligning to alignment stars may differ depending on the type of mount
used, as well as the chosen alignment method. Users should read the following section which
meets your mount and alignment method:
• Section 3.3: Alignment Method for Equatorial mounts.
• Section 3.4: Alt-azimuth mounts using the Brightest Star Alignment method.
• Section 3.5: Alt-azimuth mounts using the 2-Star Alignment method.
3.2 Aligning to Alignment Stars
3.3 Alignment Method for Equatorial Mounts
Aligning the 1st Star:
1. The LCD screen displays “Choose 1st Star” in the rst line. Use the scrolling keys to browse
through a list of star names and Press ENTER key to pick the one on the screen as the 1st
alignment star. The mount will then automatically slew and point the telescope towards the
1st alignment star in the sky.
2. After the mount stops, the hand control will display “Use arrow buttons Ctr. to eyepiece..”.
Now the telescope should point rather closely to the 1st alignment star (generally, in the
FOV of the nder scope), and the mount’s tracking function is also turned on by the hand
control to prevent the objects drift in the FOV of the telescope.

12
PART III : ALIGNMENT
3. Users can now use the direction keys to move the telescope to align with the 1st alignment
star. Center the 1st alignment star in the FOV of the nder scope, and then center it in the
FOV of the telescope’s eyepiece; press ENTER key to conrm centering of the star and pro-
ceed to the next step. Generally, users can use Rate 5 or 6 to center the star in the nder
scope and use Rate 2 or 3 to center the star in the telescope’s eyepiece.
4. If the user has chosen 1-Star Alignment method before, the SynScan hand control will now
display “Alignment Successful”. Press ENTER key to complete the alignment process and
skip extra messages.
5. If the user has chosen 2-Star Alignment or 3-Star Alignment before, the SynScan hand
control will then proceed to the next step.
The operation is the same as that of Aligning the 2nd Star.
1. While the mount is slewing during the alignment, users may press the ESC key to stop the
mount. The hand control screen will display “MOUNT STOPPED!!. Press any key…”
2. Press any key and the SynScan hand control will ask the user to select another alignment
star.
3. Press the ESC key again, the LCD screen will display “Exit Alignment? 1) YES 2) NO”. Press
key 1to exit the alignment process; press key 2to go back to choose an alignment star.
1. Find the brightest stars in the current sky with naked eyes, and estimate their horizontal
region (orientation).
2. The hand control displays “Select Region”. Use the scroll keys to pick one of the eight re-
gions shown in Fig 3.4a, which matches the horizontal region of the brightest stars. Press
ENTER to conrm the selection and proceed to the next step.
3.4 Alt-Azimuth Mounts using Brightest Star Alignment Method
Aligning the 2nd Star:
Selecting and Aligning the 3rd Star:
Cancelling the Alignment Process:
1. Again, the SynScan hand control asks the user to choose and align a 2nd alignment star.
The operation is the same as that of aligning the 1st alignment star.
2. If the user has chosen 2-Star Alignment before, the SynScan hand control will display
“Alignment Successful” after conrmation of centering the 2nd alignment star.
3. Two seconds later, the LCD screen will display the polar-alignment offset of the mount.
The “Mel” value is the offset in elevation, and the “Maz” value is the offset in azimuth. Press
ENTER key to skip extra messages.
4. If the user has chosen 3-Star Alignment before, the SynScan hand control will then pro-
ceed to the next step.
Aligning the 1st Star:

13
PART III : ALIGNMENT
3. The hand control will generate a list of the bright stars within the selected horizontal region.
The list is sorted by the brightness of the star, with the brightest stars at the top of the list.
Users can use the scroll keys to browse the list. An example of the screen display is shown
in Fig. 3.4b.
• Only stars brighter than magnitude 1.5 will appear in the list. If there are no stars bright-
er than magnitude 1.5 in the selected region, the hand control will display “No object
found in this region.”
• If multiple bright stars appear in the list, users can identify the names of the stars in
the real sky by matching the azimuth, altitude and magnitude provided by the SynScan
hand control.
• Pick one of the star(s) (generally the brightest one) as the 1st alignment star and press
the ENTER key to proceed to the next step. Press the ESC key to return to the previous
step (“Select Region”).
Fig. 3.4a
Fig. 3.4b
N
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T
H
E
A
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S
K
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H
W
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S
T
S
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N
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H
W
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S
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S
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A
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H
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W
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K
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N (0˚)
E (90˚)
S (180˚)
(225˚)
W (270˚)
(315˚)
(135˚)
(45˚)
1. Capella
NE 35.3 15.7 Altitude Angle
Star Name
Azimuth Angle
Orientation
Brightness Order

14
4. Now the screen will display “Point scope to RR ZZ.Z’ TT.T’ ”, which means point the telescope
to RR region, the exact azimuth is ZZ.Z degrees and the exact altitude is TT.T degrees.
Users can use the direction keys on the SynScan hand control 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 nder scope or the red dot nder, then press the ENTER
key to proceed to the next step.
PART III : ALIGNMENT
5. Now the screen will display “Ctr. to eyepiece..” and the name of the selected 1st alignment
star. The star should have been in the FOV of the telescope. User can use the direction
keys to center it in the eyepiece and then press the ENTER key to proceed to the next step.
Aligning the 2nd Star:
Cancelling the Alignment Process:
1. If the 1st alignment star is not a planet, the LCD screen will display “Choose 2nd Star”; other-
wise, it will display “Choose 1st Star”.
2. Use the scrolling keys to browse through a list of star names and press ENTER key to pick
the one on the screen as the 2nd alignment star. The mount will then automatically slew and
point the telescope towards the 2nd alignment star in the sky.
3. After the mount stops, the hand control will display the name of the selected 1st star on line
1 and “Ctr. to eyepiece..“ on line 2. The telescope should now point rather closely to the 2nd
alignment star (generally, in the FOV of the nder scope).
4. Users can then use the direction keys to move the telescope to align with the 2nd alignment
star. That is, center the 2nd alignment star in the FOV of the nder scope, and then center
it in the FOV of the telescope’s eyepiece. Press the ENTER key to conrm the centering of
the star and proceed to the next step. Generally, users can use Rate 5 or 6 to center the
star in nder scope and use Rate 2 or 3 to center the star in the telescope’s eyepiece.
5. If the 1st alignment star is not a planet, the SynScan hand control will now display “Align-
ment Successful”. Press ENTER key to skip extra messages and complete the alignment
process.
6. If the 1st alignment star is a planet, the SynScan hand control will display “Choose 2nd Star”.
Repeat from Step 2 to complete the alignment process.
1. While the mount is slewing in alignment process, users may press the ESC key to stop the
mount. The hand control screen will display “MOUNT STOPPED. Press any key…”
2. Press any key and the SynScan hand control will ask the user to select another alignment
star.
3. Press the ESC key again; the LCD screen will display “Exit Alignment? 1) YES 2) NO”. Press
key 1to exit the alignment process; press key 2to go back to choose an alignment star.
If the telescope has clutches on its axes, user can loosen the clutches to move the mount
manually to point the telescope to the target.

15
PART III : ALIGNMENT
1. The LCD screen displays “Choose 1st Star” in the rst line. Use the scrolling keys to browse
through a list of star names and Press ENTER key to pick the one on the screen as the 1st
alignment star.
2. Now the screen will display “Point scope to ZZZ.Z’ TT.T’ ”, which means point the telescope
to the direction with an azimuth of ZZZ.Z degrees and an altitude of TT.T degrees. This is
also the direction of the selected 1st alignment star. Users can use the direction keys on the
SynScan hand control to move the mount to point the telescope to the star and center it in
the FOV of the nder scope or the red dot nder, and then press ENTER key to proceed to
the next step.
If the telescope has clutches on its axes, user can loosen the clutches to move the mount
manually to point the telescope to the target.
3. Now the screen will display “Ctr. to eyepiece..” and the name of the selected 1st alignment
star. The star should have been in the FOV of the telescope. User can use the direction
keys to center it in the eyepiece and then press the ENTER key to proceed to the next step.
3.5 Alt-Azimuth Mounts using 2-Star Alignment Method
Aligning the 1st Star:
Aligning the 2nd Star:
1. The LCD screen displays “Choose 2nd Star”. Use the scrolling keys to browse through a
list of star names and press ENTER to pick one on the screen as the 2nd alignment star. The
mount will then automatically slew and point the telescope towards the 2nd alignment star
in the sky.
2. After the mount stops, the hand control will display the name of the selected 2nd alignment
star and “Ctr. to eyepiece..”. The telescope should point rather closely to the 2nd alignment
star (generally, in the FOV of the nder scope.)
3. Now users can use the direction keys to move the telescope to align with the 2nd alignment
star. To align, center the 2nd alignment star in the FOV of the nder scope, and then center
it in the FOV of the telescope’s eyepiece. Press ENTER key to conrm centering of the star
and proceed to the next step. Generally, users can use Rate 5 or 6 to center the star in
nder scope and use Rate 2 or 3 to center the star in the telescope’s eyepiece.
4. The SynScan hand control will now display “Alignment Successful”. Press ENTER to skip
extra messages and complete the alignment process.
Cancelling the Alignment Process:
1. While the mount is slewing during alignment, users may press the ESC key to stop the
mount. The hand control screen will display “MOUNT STOPPED!! Press any key…”
2. Press any key and the SynScan hand control will ask the user to select another alignment
star.
3. Press the ESC key again; the LCD screen will display “Exit Alignment? 1) YES 2) NO”. Press
key 1to exit the alignment process; press key 2to go back to choose an alignment star.

16
PART III : ALIGNMENT
3.6 Alt-Azimuth Mounts using Daytime Alignment Method
Aligning the Sun, Moon or Brightest Star in Daytime:
In daytime, we usually use the Sun, the Moon, or the celestial object in the sky before
dawn or after dusk as an alignment target to do a quick alignment. This alignment re-
quires the telescope mount to be leveled before powering up and beginning the alignment.
1. The LCD screen displays a warning message to remind you that looking directly at the
Sun without proper protection is very dangeous and will result in permanent eye damage
or blindness. Alway use proper protection before aligning to the Sun. Please conrm that
you have checked everything is safe before before aligning to the Sun. Press ENTER to
go to the next step.
2. Now the screen will prompt the brightest object in the sky. If in daytime, the Sun will be the
rst target prompted in the alignment star list. You may also use the scroll keys to browse
to another alignment object, such as the Moon, a planet, or a bright star to use as a refer-
ence target. Press ENTER to conrm the selection.
3. The LCD screen displays “Point scope to ZZZ zz.z’ sTT tt.t’ ”, which means point the tele-
scope to the direction with an azimuth of ZZZ degrees, zz.z minutes and an altitude of sTT
degrees, tt.t minutes. This is also the direction of the selected 1st alignment target. Users
can then use the direction keys on the SynScan hand control to move the mount to point
the telescope to the star and center the star in the FOV of the nder scope or the red dot
nder, and then press ENTER key to proceed to the next step.
If the telescope has clutches on its axes, the user can loosen the clutches to move the
mount manually to point the telescope to the target.
4. Now the screen will display “Ctr. to eyepiece..” and the name of the selected alignment ob-
ject. The object should be in the FOV of the telescope. User can use the direction keys to
center it in the eyepiece and then press the ENTER key. The hand control will display “Align-
ment Successful” and then return to the Daytime alignment menu. The daytime alignment
is completed.

17
PART III : ALIGNMENT
Eyepiece
It is very important to put the alignment stars at the center (or the same spot) of the FOV of the
telescope’s eyepiece during the alignment process. Thus,
• It is recommended that a reticle eyepiece is used for alignment.
• If a reticle eyepiece is not available, try using an eyepiece with a shorter focal length to
yield a smaller FOV. Users can defocus the telescope to obtain a large star disk in the
FOV. Centering the star disk in the FOV is easier than centering a sharp star.
• During the alignment process, avoid changing or rotating the eyepiece and the diagonal
mirror.
Mechanical Backlash
All mounts have some mechanical backlash on both axes. To avoid introducing alignment
error from backlash, users should 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 an overshoot when centering alignment star in eyepiece with UP or RIGHT keys,
use the LEFT or DOWN keys to pull the star back to the edge of the FOV and then use the
RIGHT or UP keys to center the star again.
Alignment Stars Selection
The choice of alignment stars might also impact the alignment accuracy. Please refer to Sec-
tion 3.8 on the rules of choosing alignment stars for various mounts and alignment methods.
3.7 Tips for Improving Alignment Accuracy
Rules for choosing an alignment star:
• Choose an alignment star with smaller declination. It will help the user 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 users are not sure about it, it is
recommended to choose an alignment star that is close to the object(s) to be observed.
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 control locates an object that is:
1. Equatorial Mount with 1-Star Alignment:
3.8 Comparison of Alignment Methods
»On the other side of the meridian from the alignment star
»Deviated signicantly with the alignment star in declination.

18
PART III : ALIGNMENT
Advantage: For visual observing, the mount does not need to be polar-aligned accurately.
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 hours and 9 hours.
• If there is cone error in the telescope-mount setup or if users are not sure about it, it is
recommended to choose two alignment stars that are on the same side of the meridi-
an. The absolute values of the two alignment stars’ declination should should deviate
between 10 to 30 degrees.
Note: If the polar alignment of the mount is good, it is not necessary to choose “2-Star
alignment” to align the mount, use the “1-star alignment” instead.
Advantages:
• Good pointing accuracy; even when the telescope-mount system has cone error.
• For visual observation, the mount does not need to be accurately polar-aligned.
Preconditions: The skies of both sides of the meridian are clear of obstructions.
Rules for choosing alignment stars:
• The 3 alignment stars should be spread out on both sides of the meridian.
• For the two alignment star on the same side of the meridian, their R.A. deviation
should be greater than 3 hours, and the absolute value of the difference between the
two alignment stars’ declination should be between 10 to 30 degrees.
( 10° < |Dec1 – Dec2| < 30°)
• If there is cone error in the telescope-mount setup or users are not sure about it,
avoid the situation that all 3 alignment stars have small declination (close to the celes-
tial equator).
Note: If users 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.
The “Brightest Star Alignment” is designed for entry level users who cannot identify stars in
the night sky, and the “2-Star alignment” is for users who know the names of the stars in
the night sky. Both alignment methods provide the same level of precision.
Rules for choosing alignment stars:
• It is recommended that the altitude of the two alignment stars are between 15 and 60
degrees and the deviation in altitude is between 10 and 30 degrees.
• The azimuth deviation of the two alignment stars can be between 45 and 135 de-
grees, it is best to be close to 90 degrees.
2. Equatorial Mount with 2-Star Alignment:
3. Equatorial Mount with 3-Star Alignment:
4. Alt-azimuth Mount:

19
PART IV : SYNSCAN MENU TREE
Date
Time
Observ. Site
Daylight Saving
Alignment
Backlash
Tracking
Auto Guide Speed
#
Elevation Limits
^
Flipping Mode
#
Auxiliary. Encoder
+
Sync. Encoder
Handset Setting
Select Language
Factory Setting
Alignment Stars
1-Star Align. #
2-Star Align.
3-Star Align. #
Brightest Star ^
Daytime Align ^
Polar Align. #*
Cone Error
NP Error
SETUP MODE
Show Position
Show Information
Identify
Park Scope
PAE
GPS
PC Direct Mode
Polar Scope LED # +
PEC Training # +
Camera Control # +
Astro Time-Lapse # +
Solar Track Mode
Set Star Name
Adv. Filter
Sort By
Time
Version
Power Voltage
Polaris Positiuon
Polar Align. Error #
UTILITY FUNC. OBJECT LIST
NGC Catalog
IC Catalog
Messier Catalog
Caldwell Catalog
SAO Catalog
Double Stars
Variable Stars
User Object
Deep Sky Tour
Recall Object
New Object
PAE Correction
Clear PAE Data
Home Position
Current Pos.
Custom Pos.
Named Stars
Solar System
The SynScan hand control uses menu tree to organize its various functions. The following
table shows the menu tree:
4.1 Menu Structure
Note:
#Applicable to Equatorial mounts
^Applicable to Alt-azimuth mounts
* Only available after 2-star or 3-star alignment is performed
+ Applicable only to certain types of mounts and motor controllers.

20
PART IV: SYNSCAN MENU TREE
The SynScan hand control’s menu is only accessible after the initialization, or after the star
alignment routine is completed (If it is chosen to start). Users can use the ESC key, the ENTER
key, and the two scrolling keys to access the menu.
The functions of these keys are:
• ESC key: Used to return to the previous menu or to exit the current operation. Press the ESC
key for several times to go back to the top level of the menu structure.
• ENTER key: Used to enter a sub-menu or to start the operation of the end level menu.
• Scroll keys: Used to scroll within the same level sub-menu.
The SynScan hand control provides short-cut keys for accessing the most commonly used
sub-menu. The short-cut keys may only be used while the hand control is in stand-by mode,
that is, the SynScan hand control is not executing a specic operation. Users can always
press the ESC key to quit the current operation if the short-cut keys are not accessible.
Here is the list of the short-cut keys and their functions:
• MENU: Access to the “SETUP” sub-menu.
• TOUR: Access to the “Deep Sky Tour” function.
• UTILITY: Access to the “UTILITY FUNCTION” sub-menu.
• M: Access to the “Messier Catalog” sub-menu.
• NGC: Access to the “NGC Catalog” sub-menu.
• IC: Access to the “IC Catalog” sub-menu.
• PLANET: Access to “SOLAR SYSTEM”.
• OBJECT: Access to the “OBJECT LIST” menu and stay at the “Named Star” sub-menu.
• USER: Access to the “USER OBJECT” sub-menu.
• ID: Access to the “Identify” function.
4.2 Accessing Menus
4.3 Short-cut Keys