Orion StarSeeker IV User manual

Orion©StarSeeker™IV
GoTo Telescopes
#13159 StarSeeker IV 114mm Reflector #13162 StarSeeker IV 102mm Mak-Cass
#13160 StarSeeker IV 130mm Reflector #13163 StarSeeker IV 127mm Mak-Cass
#13161 StarSeeker IV 150mm Reflector #13164 StarSeeker IV 80mm Refractor
#13165 StarSeeker IV Mount with GoTo Hand Controller
IN 542 Rev. A 06/15
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Customer Support:
www.OrionTelescopes.com/contactus
Corporate Offices:
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 – USA
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
#13161

2
Figure 1. Parts of the StarSeeker IV (127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain shown)
Eyepiece,
23mm
Eyepiece,
10mm
Battery
compartment
Optical tube
GoTo Hand
controller
Star diagonal
1.25" Accessory
collar
EZ Finder II
Accessory tray/
Spreader
Tripod
Mount arm
Focus knob
Compass
Dovetail
mounting bar
Altitude tensioning knob

3
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion
StarSeeker IV GoTo telescope! Simple and friendly
to use, the StarSeeker combines state-of-the-art
GoTo pointing technology with sharp optics in a por-
table package that makes observing the night sky
both remarkably easy and wonderfully rewarding.
This manual covers a variety of different
StarSeeker models. Some sections may be specif-
ic to a particular type of telescope, but most apply
generally to features and procedures common to
all of the telescopes.
Take time to read through this manual before embarking
on your journey through the heavens. It may take a cou-
ple of observing sessions to become familiar with all of the
StarSeeker’s features. The StarSeeker’s hand controller dis-
plays step-by-step instructions to guide you through the align-
ment procedures needed to get the telescope up and running
in minutes. Use this manual in conjunction with the on-screen
instructions provided by the hand controller. The manual gives
detailed information regarding each step as well as needed
reference material and helpful hints guaranteed to make your
observing experience as easy and pleasurable as possible.
Parts List
Qty. Description
1 Optical tube assembly
1 Mount arm
1 Tripod
1 Accessory tray
1 GoTo hand controller
1 Hand controller cable
1 Hand controller holder
1 EZ Finder II reflex sight (with bracket)
1 23mm widefield 60-degree eyepiece
1 10mm widefield 60-degree Eyepiece
1 Star diagonal, 1.25" (Mak-Cass and Refractor
models only)
1 Quick-collimation Cap (Reflector models only)
1 Objective Cover
1 2mm Allen wrench (Reflector models only)
1 Serial RS-232 cable
1 DC power cable
1 Compass
1 Starry Night Software digital download insert
1 L-bracket (#13165 mount only)
1 Camera shutter control (SNAP) cable (#13165 mount only)
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................3
Parts List .............................. 3
Assembly ..............................4
Learning to Use the EZ Finder, Eyepieces,
and Focuser ............................8
The EZ Finder II ................................8
Eyepieces and Magnification ......................8
Focusing......................................9
Image Orientation...............................9
Powering the StarSeeker IV Mount ........ 10
The SynScan GoTo Hand Controller ....... 10
Initial Setup ........................... 11
Moving the Mount ...................... 12
GoTo Star Alignment .................... 12
Brightest Star Alignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2-Star Alignment...............................13
Locating Objects ....................... 14
SynScan’s Object Database......................14
Selecting an Object ............................14
Take a Guided Tour! ............................14
Select Using the Object Type Shortcut Keys .........14
Select Using the Object or Menu Shortcut Keys ......14
Identifying an Unknown Object....................14
Other Features & Functions .............. 15
Utility Functions ...............................15
Setup Functions ...............................15
Updating Firmware.............................15
Collimation of StarSeeker IV Reflectors .... 15
Appendix A – SynScan Menu Tree ........ 17
Appendix B – Time Zone Map ............ 18
Appendix C – Sky Maps (for selection of
alignment stars)........................ 19
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.

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Open the shipping box and, referring to the above Parts List
and Figure 2, check that all the parts are present. Remove
all of the accessories from their individual boxes and bags.
Remember to save all of the original packaging in case the
scope needs to be returned to Orion for warranty repair, or
should you wish to return the scope under the 30-day return
policy. Especially in the latter case, the original packaging is
required. If anything is missing, contact Orion Customer Ser-
vice at [phone], or suppor[email protected].
Assembly
Setting Up the Tripod and Mount arm
1. Stand the tripod legs upright and spread the legs out as
wide as they will go.
2. Remove the knob and washer from the bottom of the
tripod’s center support shaft. Slide the tripod support
tray up onto the shaft; the flat side of the support tray
should be facing up. Make sure the “V” of each tray arm
is against a tripod leg. Place the washer on the center
support shaft against the tray, then thread the knob back
onto the shaft until tight (Figure 3). The tripod support
tray provides additional stability for the tripod, and has
holes for eyepieces and other accessories..
3. Place the base of the mount arm onto the tripod’s top
plate, lining up the three holes in the bottom of the arm
base with the three bolts in the top plate (Figure 4A).
Turn the three knobs under the tripod top plate clockwise
until tight (Figure 4B).
Figure 2. Included components of the StarSeeker IV GoTo telescope. (StarSeeker IV 127mm Mak-Cass shown)
Tripod
Optical tube
Diagonal
(Refractor and
Mak-Cass only)
Collimation cap
(Reflectors only)
DC power cable Accessory
tray/spreader Center support
knob Washer
Objective cap
SynScanHand
controller
Hand controller
cable
Hand controller
holder
Mount
arm
PC interface
(serial) cable
EZ Finder II
Compass
Eyepieces
Figure 3. Install the accessory tray/tripod spreader before
attaching the mount arm.

5
Figure 5. A) Wrap the strap around a tripod leg and pull tight
before fastening. B) The hand controller bracket installed.
Figure 4. The mount arm attaches to the tripod mounting
platform with three captive bolts. A) Line up the bolts with
the holes in the bottom of the arm base. B) Tighten the three
knobs.
A
A
B
B
4. Attach hand controller bracket to a tripod leg. If you
attach it above the accessory tray it will not be able to
slide down the leg. See Figure 5.
5. To adjust the height of the tripod legs, loosen the tripod
leg clamp knob located on the side of each leg (Figure
6). Extend the inner portion of each leg to the desired
length. Then tighten the tripod leg clamp knob to secure
each leg in place.
Attaching the Telescope Tube to the Mount Arm
6. Unthread the tube lock knob until the bolt tip is not
protruding into the saddle slot (Figure 7). Slide the
telescope’s dovetail bar into the saddle on the mount arm
as shown and secure it by tightening the tube lock knob.
Note that the tube lock knob can be positioned either

6
up or 180 degrees opposite in the down position, your
choice.
Also notice the altitude axis tensioning knob near the top of
the mount arm (refer to Figure 1). It is used to set the desired
tension for rotation of the telescope by hand in altitude. Turn
the knob clockwise to increase the tension; turn it counter-
clockwise to decrease the tension.There is no tensioning knob
for azimuth rotation
Inserting the Star Diagonal (Mak-Cass and Refractor)
and Eyepiece
A star diagonal is used with the Maksutov-Cassegrain and
refractor models to divert the light at a right angle from the light
path of the telescope. This allows you to observe in positions
that are more comfortable than if you were to look straight
through the telescope. A diagonal is not used with Newtonian
reflectors; none is included with the StarSeeker reflector mod-
els.
To attach the star diagonal:
1. Remove the protective dust cap from the 1.25" accessory
adapter or focuser.
2. Loosen the two thumbscrews on the 1.25" adapter or
focuser and slide the chrome portion of the star diagonal
into it (see Figure 8). Then retighten the thumbscrews to
hold the star diagonal in place.
The eyepiece is the optical element that magnifies the image
focused by the telescope. The eyepiece fits directly into the
1.25" focuser (on reflector models) or star diagonal. To install
one of the included eyepieces:
1. Loosen the two thumbscrews on the focuser’s 1.25"
accessory collar or the star diagonal, then slide the
chrome barrel of the eyepiece into it (Figure 9).
2. Tighten the thumbscrews to hold the eyepiece in place.
Installing the EZ Finder II
Before installing the EZ Finder II on the telescope, you will
need to insert the included CR2032 3V lithium button cell bat-
tery in the EZ Finder II. If there is a small plastic tab sticking
out from the battery compartment cover, you must remove it
for the battery to make contact with the EZ Finder’s electronic
circuitry. The tab can then be discarded.
1. Turn the EZ Finder II upside down as shown in Figure
10A.
2. Insert a small, flat-blade screwdriver into the notch in the
battery compartment cover and gently pry it off.
3. Slide the battery under the retaining clip with the positive
(+) side facing up (touching the clip) (10B).
4. Then press the battery compartment cover back on.
Should the battery die, replacement CR2032 batteries
are available at many stores where small batteries are
sold or online.
5. To attach the dovetail mounting bracket to the EZ Finder
II, loosen the two thumbscrews on the bottom rail of the
EZ Finder II. Slide the EZ Finder II onto the bracket and
tighten the two thumbscrews (See Figure 11). Then
Figure 7. The telescope tube can be attached and removed
easily via the dovetail saddle on the mount arm.
Figure 6. Loosen the leg clamp knob to adjust the length of
the tripod legs.
Dovetail
Mounting bar
Dovetail saddle
Leg lock
knob
Lock knob
Telescope tube
Leg
extension
simply slide the mounting bracket’s foot into the dovetail
mounting shoe as shown in Figure 12 and tighten the
thumbscrew on the shoe to secure the mounting bracket.
6. The EZ Finder II should be oriented so that the sight tube
is facing the front of the telescope, as shown. Tighten the
thumbscrew on the dovetail shoe to secure the EZ Finder
II in place.

7
Figure 8. Attaching the star diagonal (refractor and
Maksutov-Cassegrain models only).
Figure 10. A) To install the CR2032 battery in the EZ
Finder II, first turn it upside-down and remove the battery
compartment cover. B) Install the battery with positive (+)
side facing up, as shown.
Figure 11. The EZ Finder II’s On/Off and adjustment
knobs.
Figure 9. Inserting an eyepiece into the diagonal of a
Maksutov-Cassegrain. For reflector models the eyepiece is
installed directly in the focuser’s accessory collar.
A
B
ON/OFF
Brightness control
Altitude
adjustment
control
Dovetail
tightening
thumb screws
Azimuth
adjustment
control
Battery
compartment
cover
Battery
compartment
cover
Notch
Sight tube

8
Learning to Use the
EZ Finder, Eyepieces,
and Focuser
The EZ Finder II
The EZ Finder II works by projecting a tiny red dot (it is not
a laser beam) onto a lens mounted in the front of the unit.
When you look through the EZ Finder II, the red dot will appear
to float in space, helping you to pinpoint your target object
(Figure 13). The red dot is produced by a light-emitting diode
(LED) near the rear of the sight. The 3V lithium battery pro-
vides the power for the diode.
For the EZ Finder II to work properly, it has to be aligned with
the telescope. When the two are aligned, a celestial object that
is centered on the EZ Finder II’s red dot should also appear
in the center of the telescope’s eyepiece. Alignment of the EZ
Finder II is easiest during daylight, before observing at night.
Aim the telescope at a distant object such as a telephone pole
or roof chimney and center it in the telescope’s eyepiece. The
object should be at least 1/4 mile away. Now turn on the EZ
Finder II and look through it. Without moving the main tele-
scope, use the EZ Finder II’s azimuth (left/right) and altitude
(up/down) adjustment knobs (see Figure 11) to position the
red dot on the object in the eyepiece. When the red dot is
centered on the distant object, check to make sure that the
object is still centered in the telescope eyepiece. If it isn’t, re-
center it and adjust the EZ Finder II’s alignment again. When
the object is centered in the eyepiece and on the EZ Finder’s
red dot, the EZ Finder II is properly aligned with the telescope.
Once aligned, EZ Finder II will usually hold its alignment even
after being removed and remounted. Otherwise, only minimal
realignment will be needed.
Figure 13. The EZ Finder II superimposes a tiny red dot on
the sky, showing right where the telescope is aimed..
Figure 14. StarSeeker IV telescopes come with 23mm and
10mm wide-field eyepieces.
Figure 12. Insert the EZ Finder II into its dovetail shoe in
the orientation shown and secure it with the thumbscrew.
Red dot
Sight tube
Dovetail
mounting shoe
Turn the ON/OFF knob (see Figure 11) clockwise until you
hear the “click” indicating that power has been turned on. Look
through the back of the reflex sight with both eyes open to
see the red dot. Position your eye at a comfortable distance
from the back of the sight. In daylight you may need to cover
the front of the sight with your hand to be able to see the dot,
which is purposefully quite dim. The intensity of the dot is
adjusted by turning the ON/OFF knob. For best results when
stargazing, use the dimmest possible setting that allows you to
see the dot without difficulty. Typically a dimmer setting is used
under dark skies and a brighter setting is needed under light-
polluted skies or in daylight.
At the end of your observing session, be sure to turn off the
ON/OFF knob on the EZ Finder II
Eyepieces and Magnification
Your StarSeeker IV telescope comes with two special wide-
field eyepieces, which have a 60-degree field of view (Figure
14). Eyepieces are commonly referred to by their focal length

9
and barrel diameter. The focal length of each eyepiece is
typically printed on the eyepiece body. The two eyepieces
included with your telescope have a 1.25" barrel diameter. One
has a focal length of 23mm and the other, 10mm. The longer
the focal length (i.e., the larger the number), the lower the eye-
piece power or magnification; and the shorter the focal length
(i.e., the smaller the number), the higher the magnification.
Generally, low or moderate power will produce the sharpest
images when viewing.
You can change the magnifying power of your telescope just
by changing the eyepiece (ocular). To determine the magnifi-
cation of your telescope, simply divide the focal length of the
telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece used.
Telescope Focal Length (mm) = Magnification
Eyepiece Focal Length (mm)
For example, the StarSeeker IV 114mm reflector has a focal
length of 500mm, which when used with the supplied 23mm
eyepiece yields 22x magnification:
500mm = 22x
23mm
The magnification provided by the 10mm eyepiece is:
500mm = 50x
10mm
Although the power can be varied, each instrument under
average skies has a limit to the highest useful magnification
that can be achieved. The general rule is 2x per millimeter of
aperture is as high as you can reasonably go (with optional
eyepiece and possibly a Barlow lens). For example, the
StarSeeker IV 114mm reflector has a primary mirror that’s
114mm in diameter. So 114mm times 2x per millimeter = 114
x 2 = 228. Thus, 228x is the highest useful magnification one
can normally achieve under ideal seeing conditions with this
telescope. (Trying to go higher would likely just result in dim,
blurry images.) Although this is the maximum useful magnifi-
cation, most observing will yield best results at lower powers.
Focusing
To focus, if you have a StarSeeker IV Newtonian reflector or
refractor telescope, simply turn either of the two focus wheels
on the focuser until the image looks sharp. For the Maksutov-
Cassegrain models, the focus knob resides to the right of the
visual back, or accessory adapter. Make sure you’re aimed at
something far off in the distance. If you don’t see an image at
first, keep turning the focus knob in one direction while looking
through the eyepiece; if you reach the end of the focuser travel
start turning the focus knob in the other direction. Eventually,
you should see the object you’re aimed at come into view. After
going just past the focus point in one direction, and then in
the other direction, you will then be able to home in on the
exact focus point using progressively smaller turns of the focus
knobs.
Image Orientation
For astronomical telescopes, the image orientation in the eye-
piece will usually be different from the orientation you would
see with the naked eye. Refractor and Maksutov-Cassegrain
telescopes used with a standard 90-degree "star diagonal" will
provide a right-side-up but backwards (mirror-reversed) image.
For reflector telescopes the image in the eyepiece will appear
Figure 15. The StarSeeker IV mount is powered by eight user-
supplied AA batteries, which are installed in the mount arm.
Figure 16 The electronic ports for the hand controller and
an optional 12V DC battery are located at the base of the
mount arm. The SNAP port allows control of a DSLR camera
when used with proper cable.

10
upside down or rotated to some degree. This is normal! For
astronomical viewing image orientation is not critical because,
after all, there’s no “right side up” in space. But if you’re plan-
ning to use your telescope also for terrestrial viewing, you
may want to purchase a “correct-image” diagonal, which will
produce a correctly oriented, right-side-up view. Reflector tele-
scopes are not recommended for terrestrial viewing.
Powering the StarSeeker IV
Mount
Your StarSeeker IV mount can be powered by 8 user-supplied
AA alkaline batteries inserted into the battery compartment
located in the mount arm (see Figure 15.) (Note that the bat-
tery holder must be removed from the compartment to install
four AA batteries on the back side). Alternatively, you can run
the mount with an optional AC-to-DC adapter or a 12V DC
field battery such as the Orion Dynamo Pro. A DC car-lighter
style cable is provided with your telescope to connect a 12V
field battery to your mount. Insert the plug of the DC cable into
the “Power” jack located on the mount arm (Figure 16).
Toggle the power switch to the ON ( — ) position. The LCD on
the StarSeeker’s hand controller will immediately light up and
display the opening message. To turn the StarSeeker IV mount
off, toggle the power switch to OFF ( O ).
The SynScan GoTo Hand
Controller
The “command center” of the StarSeeker telescope is the
SynScan V4 GoTo hand controller (Figure 17). In conjunc-
tion with the precision servo motors built into the mount, as
well as the two optical encoders in each axis, the user-friendly
SynScan controller allows automated, pinpoint slewing of the
telescope to any celestial object in its 42,900-object database,
saving you the trouble of manually searching for them.You can
even tour a pre-selected list of the finest showpiece objects
visible in tonight’s sky with just a few button pushes. Once your
target object has been acquired, the mount tracks its motion
across the sky to keep it in the field of view.
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 17A):
1) Mode keys
2) Directional keys
3) Scroll keys
4) Dual Purpose keys
Mode Keys
The three mode keys are ESC, ENTER, and MENU.
• ESC is used to escape from a certain command or go back
a level in the menu tree.
• MENU 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
Figure 17. A) The SynScan V4 GoTo hand controller,
B) Hand controller cable port and serial cable port on the
bottom end of the controller.
A.
Scroll keys
Dual purpose
(shortcut)
keys
Direction
keys
Mode keys
Display
screen
Serial
cable port
(RJ-12)
Hand controller
cable port
(RJ-45)
B.