iOptron SmartStar iEQ45 Instruction Manual
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iOptron SmartStar iEQ45 Instruction Manual

Astro-imaging equatorial mount with go2nova 8407 hand controller
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SmartStar
iEQ45
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With Go2Nova
8407 Hand Controller
Instruction Manual

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Summary of Contents for iOptron SmartStar iEQ45

  • Page 1 ® ® SmartStar iEQ45 With Go2Nova 8407 Hand Controller Instruction Manual...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Table of Content Table of Content ..............................2 1. iEQ45 Overview............................4 2. iEQ45 Assembly............................5 2.1. Parts List..............................5 2.2. Assembly terms ............................6 2.3. iEQ45 Ports ............................. 7 2.4. Introduction ............................. 7 2.5. iEQ45 Assembly............................8 3. Go2Nova 8407 Hand Controller ......................
  • Page 3 Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye. Children should always have adult supervision while observing. May 2012 Rev.3.0 iOptron reserves the rights to revise this instruction without notice. Actual color/contents/design may differ from those described in this instruction.

  • Page 4: Ieq45 Tm Overview

    The iEQ45 is one of the new breed of premium astro-imaging equatorial mounts from iOptron. The iEQ45 offers the next generation GOTO technology from iOptron. The mount is made of the highest quality materials to ensure stability and durability. With a payload of 45 lb (20 kg) balanced – it comes standard with a calibrated dark field illumination polar scope and a sturdy 2-inch stainless steel tripod.

  • Page 5: Parts List

    • RJ9 to RS232 serial cable for hand controller firmware upgrade • RS232 cable • 4 M6 hex head screws (for mounting Losmandy-D dovetail saddle) ONLINE CONTENTS (click under “Support” menu) www.iOptron.com • Quick Start Guide • This manual •...

  • Page 6: Assembly Terms

    2.2. Assembly Terms DEC Clutch Handle Dovetail Saddle DEC Unit R.A. Clutch Screw Polar Axis Cover R.A. unit DEC Axis Main Control Unit Polar Scope Cover CW Shaft Counterweight (CW) CW Locking Screw Lat. Locking Screw Lat. Adjust. Knob CW Safety Screw Azi.

  • Page 7: Ieq45 Ports

    • Dec: For connecting to DEC driver unit • iOptron port: For connecting to other iOptron accessories, such as an electronic focuser, a laser pointer, or a planetary dome control • HBX (Hand Box): For connecting to the 8407 Hand Controller •...

  • Page 8: Ieq45 Assembly

    mount. Equatorial mounts require alignment of the mount components as well as star alignments for accurate OTA tracking. In order to provide the required Polar Axis alignment, equatorial mounts use a combination of both mount types described above. The adjustable part of the mount moves in the Alt-Az mode in order to align the R.A.
  • Page 9 STEP 2. Set Latitude Adjustment Knob Carefully remove the mount from the shipping box and familiarize yourself with the components shown in Figure 2. Unlock the four (4) R.A. Clutch Screws and rotate the mount 180º around the R.A. axis to move the dovetail saddle face topside to the highest vertical position as shown in Figure 5.
  • Page 10 STEP 3. Attach the iEQ45 Mount Locate the Azimuth Adjustment Knobs (next to the Bubble Level Indicator) and retract them to allow enough clearance for the mount to fit on the tripod head. Unscrew the three (3) Azimuth Locking Screws shown in Figure 8 and be careful not to lose the plastic washers;...
  • Page 11 Figure 10 STEP 6. Attach Dovetail Adapter Both Vixen and Losmandy-D dovetail saddles are included for your convenience. Two (2) M6x20 hex head screws are used for the Vixen dovetail saddle. Additionally, four (4) M6x20 screws are provided for the Losmandy-D saddle installation. A customer-made large adapter can also be installed. The mounting-hole distribution on the mount is shown in Figure 11.
  • Page 12 As explained in the introduction, an equatorial mount must have an accurate polar axis alignment in order to track properly. With the iOptron innovative Polar Scope and Quick Polar Alignment procedure, you can do a fast and accurate polar axis alignment.
  • Page 13 (3) Use the ▲ or ▼ button to turn the DEC axle to unblock the Polar Scope view. (4) Adjust polar scope eyepiece shown in Figure 13 to bring the polar scope dial in focus. (5) To rotate the Polar Scope to align the 12 position of the dial on the top, as shown in Figure 12, release the four R.A.
  • Page 14 CW from dropping off the end of the CW shaft. This can cause serious personal injury. When the OTA load is over 22lb (10kg), an optional CW shaft extension, as shown in Figure 15(b) or extra counterweight(s) may be needed. They are available from iOptron. Figure 15 STEP 10.
  • Page 15 Balance the mount in DEC axis Release the four (4) R.A. Clutch Screws and rotate the R.A. axis to place the DEC axis in the horizontal position, as shown in Figure 16(a), and then tighten the R. A. Clutch Screws. The OTA can be on either side.
  • Page 16 Figure 17. Zero position You can also use the electronic Balance Test function to check the R.A. and DEC balance (please refer to Section 5.13 for more details).

  • Page 17: Go2Nova Tm 8407 Hand Controller

    3. Go2Nova 8407 Hand Controller DEC+ DEC- Serial Port Port (RJ9) Figure 18. Go2Nova 8407 hand controller The Go2Nova 8407 hand controller (HC) shown in Figure 18 is one of the controllers that used for the iEQ45 mount. It has an integrated temperature controller that ensures it can be operated below 20ºC (-4ºF).

  • Page 18: The Lcd Screen

    • Serial port: connect the HC to a Computer via a RS232 to 4-wire RJ9 cable. The pin out of the serial port is shown in Figure 19. Figure 19. Serial port pin out on an 8407 hand controller 3.2. The LCD Screen The 8407 HC has a large 8-line, 21-character per line LCD screen, which displays all the information as shown in Figure 20.
  • Page 19 8. Local Date and Time: display local time in a format of YY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. 9. Mount Status: Display current operation status of the mount. • Stop: mount is not moving; • Slew: mount is moving with an arrow key is pressed; •...

  • Page 20: Getting Started

    4. Getting Started In order to experience the full GOTO capability of GOTONOVA technology it is very important to set up the mount correctly before observation. 4.1. Setup the Mount and Polar Alignment Assemble your iEQ45 mount according to Section 2.5, steps 1 ~ 7. Mount an OTA and accessories, and carefully balance the mount around the polar axis, as indicated in 2.5, step 8.
  • Page 21 “behind” and “ahead of”. When the number is correct, press ENTER and go back to the previous screen. For other parts of the world you can find your “time zone” information from iOptron website (http://www.ioptron.com/support.cfm?module=faq#). DO NOT COUNT DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME. Fraction time zone can be entered as well.

  • Page 22: Initial Star Alignment

    convert them into d:m:s format by multiplying the decimal numbers by 60. For example, N47.53 can be changed to N47º31'48”: 47.53º = 47º +0.53º, 0.53º=0.53x60'=31.8', 0.8'=0.8x60"=48". Therefore, 47.53º=47º31'48" or 47d31m48s. N/S Hemisphere Selection If the polar axis is aligned to North Celestial Pole, then set the mount to Northern Hemisphere. If the polar axis is pointing to South Celestial Pole, set the mount to Southern Hemisphere.
  • Page 23 not moved. To return the mount to its Zero Position, press the MENU button, scroll down to “To Zero Position” and press ENTER. Once the telescope returns to Zero Position turn the power off.

  • Page 24: Complete Functions Of Go2Nova Tm Hand Controller

    5. Complete Functions of Go2Nova Hand Controller 5.1. Slew to an Object Press the MENU button. From the main menu select “Select and Slew.” Select an object that you would like to observe and press the ENTER key. The Go2Nova 8407 hand controller has a database of about 358,000 objects.

  • Page 25: Asteroids

    5.1.6. Asteroids This catalog contains 116 asteroids. 5.1.7. User Objects It can store up to 60 used entered objects. 5.1.8. Enter R.A. DEC Here you can go to a target by entering its R.A. and DEC numbers. 5.2. Sync to Target This operation will match the telescope's current coordinates to Target Right Ascension and Declination.

  • Page 26: Set Anti-Backlash

    5.4.3. Set Anti-backlash All mechanical gears have a certain amount of backlash or play between the gears. This play is evident by how long it takes for a star to move in the eyepiece when the hand control arrow buttons are pressed (especially when changing directions).

  • Page 27: Set Eyepiece Light

    5.4.7. Upgrade RA & DEC Use this operation to upgrade 8407 hand controller R.A. and DEC motor controller firmware. It only needed under a very rare circumstance. Please refer to iOptron online announcement when the event happens. Please refer to iOptron online documents for iEQ45 main control board and 8407 hand controller firmware upgrade details.

  • Page 28: Three Star Alignment

    5.5.3. Three Star Alignment Three-star alignment procedure will reduce the so-called “corn error” of an EQ mount. Every mount’s accuracy of construction varies somewhat, so the optical axis of the telescope may not be perpendicular to the declination axis or, more rarely, the polar axis may not be at right angles to the declination axis. These small errors (known collectively as the cone error) can make a big difference to the GOTO performance of your mount, so it pays to understand the implications.

  • Page 29: Pole Star Position

    Follow the on-screen instruction to bring the object back to center again and press ENTER. The screen will show R.A. anti-backlash 0250 steps Save test value? If you want to save this anti-backlash number, press ENTER. Otherwise press BACK. This will bring the hand controller to DEC backlash testing screen.

  • Page 30: System Self-Test

    5.6.3. System Self-Test If system self-test function is turned on, the mount will swing back and forth about 2 seconds to check the PEC encoder condition. 5.7. Set Tracking Rate You can set up tracking in the main menu by selecting “Set Ttracking Rate”. Then the user can select “Sidereal speed”, “Solar speed”, “Lunar speed”, “King speed”...

  • Page 31: Guide Options

    A more useful application of this function is to store your favorite viewing objects before heading to the filed. When “Add a New Record” screen shows, press the MENU button, it brings up the star catalogs that you can select the star from. Follow the screen to add your favorite objects. Press BACK button to go back one level.

  • Page 32: To Zero Position

    5.12. To Zero Position This moves your telescope to its Zero Position (refer to Figure 17). When the power is turned on, the mount assumes the Zero Position. This is its reference point for all other objects being tracked. 5.13. Balance Test This function provides a visual indication and assistance balancing both the R.A.

  • Page 33: Maintenance And Servicing

    Customer Service hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. In the unlikely event that the iEQ45 requires factory servicing or repairing, write or call iOptron Customer Service Department first to receive an RMA# before returning the mount to the factory. Please provide details as to the nature of the problem as well as your name, address, e-mail address, purchase info and daytime telephone number.

  • Page 34: Appendix A. Technical Specifications

    Appendix A. Technical Specifications Mount German Equatorial Mount Payload 45 lb (20kg) Mount weight 20 lb (11.4kg) Payload/Mount weight 1.75 Right Ascension worm wheel Φ130mm, 216 teeth aluminum Declination worm wheel Φ115mm, 192 teeth aluminum Right Ascension axis shaft Φ50mm steel Declination axis shaft Φ40mm steel Right Ascension bearing...

  • Page 35: Appendix B. Go2Nova

    Appendix B. Go2Nova 8407 HC MENU STRUCTURE...

  • Page 37: Appendix C. Firmware Upgrade

    Appendix C. Firmware Upgrade The firmware in the 8407 hand controller and/or control boards can be upgraded by the customer. Please check iOptron’s website, www.iOptron.com, under Support Directory/iEQ45 with 8407 Hand Controller, for detail.

  • Page 38: Appendix D. Computer Control An Ieq45 Mount

    1. Download and install ASCOM Platform from http://www.ascom-standards.org/. Make sure you PC meet the software requirement. Refer to the ascom-standards website for details. 2. Download and install latest iOptron Telescope ASCOM.NET drive from iOptron website. 3. Planetarium software that supports ASCOM protocol. Follow software instructions to select the iOptron Telescope.

  • Page 39: Appendix E. Go2Nova Tm Star List

    Appendix E. Go2Nova Star List Messier Catalog This table is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article List of Messier objects...
  • Page 40 Named Star List 001 Acamar 050 Asellus Australis 099 Kaus Media 148 Rastaba 002 Achernar 051 Asellus Borealis 100 Keid 149 Regulus 003 Acrux 052 Aspidiske 101 Kitalpha 150 Rigel 004 Acubens 053 Atik 102 Kochab 151 Rigel Kentaurus 005 Adhafera 054 Atlas 103 Kornephoros 152 Ruchbah...
  • Page 41 Modern Constellations Constellation Abbreviation Constellation Abbreviation Andromeda Lacerta Antlia Apus Leo Minor Aquarius Lepus Aquila Libra Lupus Aries Lynx Auriga Lyra Boötes Mensa Caelum Microscopium Camelopardalis Monoceros Cancer Musca Canes Venatici Norma Canis Major Octans Canis Minor Ophiuchus Capricornus Orion Carina Pavo Cassiopeia...
  • Page 42 Deep Sky Object List ID No. OBJECT NGC # Messier# A(Abell) U(UGC) ID No. OBJECT NGC # Messier# A(Abell) U(UGC) Andromeda Galaxy Hind's Variable Nebula 1555 Barnards Galaxy 6822 Hubble's Variable Nebula 2261 Beehive Cluster 2632 Integral Sign Galaxy 3697 Blackeye Galaxy 4926 Jewel Box Cluster...
  • Page 43 Double Star List No. Object Const Sep. Magitude Comm. Name No. Object Const Sep. Magitude Comm. Name 2.3 / 5.1 37734 Almaak 36 Eta 12.9 3.5 / 7.5 21732 Achird 35.9 4.4 / 8.6 54033 37 Iot 4.7/7.0/8.2 12298 12.8 3.7 / 11 125235 Alshain...
  • Page 44 No. Object Const Sep. Magitude Comm. Name No. Object Const Sep. Magitude Comm. Name 71 Bet 34.4 3.1 / 5.1 87301 Albireo 106 Del 3.1 / 8.2 84951 Sarin 72 Omi 1 3.8 / 6.7 49337 107 Mu 3.4 / 9.8 85397 73 52 4.2 / 9.4...
  • Page 45 No. Object Const Sep. Magitude Comm. Name No. Object Const Sep. Magitude Comm. Name 141 Eps 2 5.2 / 5.5 67315 Double dbl2 176 Zet 5.6 / 6.5 109739 142 Alp 20.5 5.0 / 10 212472 177 Kap 4.5 / 4.7 174199 143 Zet 4.3 / 10...

  • Page 46: Ioptron Two Year Telescope, Mount, And Controller Warranty

    As a condition to the obligation of iOptron to repair or replace such product, the product must be returned to iOptron together with proof-of-purchase satisfactory to iOptron.

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