Using The Intelliscope Computerized; Object Locator; Alignment - Orion STARBLAST 6/6I Manual

will help you locate the brightest and best deep-sky objects
for viewing with your StarBlast 6/6i. Of course, if you pur-
chased the StarBlast 6i IntelliScope, you will be able to easily
locate dozens of deep-sky objects in a given evening with the
IntelliScope Computerized Locator!
You can also try low-power scanning of the Milky Way. Use the
25mm eyepiece and just cruise through the "star clouds" of our
galaxy. You'll be amazed at the rich fields of stars and objects
you'll see! The Milky Way is best observed on summer and
winter evenings.
8. using the IntelliScope
Computerized Object
locator
This section applies only to the StarBlast 6i IntelliScope
(#27126), which comes with the Computerized Object
Locator.
The IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator (controller)
(Figure 21) will provide quick, easy access to thousands of
celestial objects for viewing with your telescope.
The controller's user-friendly keypad combined with its data-
base of more than 14,000 celestial objects put the night sky lit-
erally at your fingertips. You just select an object to view, press
Enter, then move the telescope manually following the guide
arrows on the liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. In seconds,
the IntelliScope's high-resolution, 9,216-step digital encoders
pinpoint the object, placing it smack-dab in the telescope's
field of view!
a. alignment
This section will familiarize you with the alignment procedure
for the IntelliScope system.
Powering the Controller
Install the included 9-volt alkaline battery in the battery com-
partment on the back of the controller. Make sure the positive
and negative terminals are oriented as indicated by the labels
next to the terminals in the battery compartment. To turn the
controller on, firmly press the Power button. The LED lights
will activate and the LCD screen will display its introduction
message. The intensity of the illumination can be adjusted by
repeatedly pressing the Power button. There are five levels of
LED brightness. Choose a brightness level that suits your con-
ditions and needs. (Dimmer settings will prolong battery life.)
To turn the controller off, press and hold the Power button for a
few seconds, then release it.
To conserve battery life, the controller is programmed to shut
itself off after being idle for 50 minutes. So, make sure to press
a button at least once every 50 minutes if you do not want
the controller to turn off. If the controller does turn off, you will
need to perform the initial alignment procedure again.
If the LCD screen and the buttons' backlighting automatically
begin to dim, it's time to change batteries.
16
Coil cable
jack
Illuminated
pushbuttons
Figure 21. The IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator
Initial Vertical Alignment
After powering up the controller, the top line of the LCD dis-
play will read: "POINT VERTICAL." If the top line reads "ALIGN
DEC MARK," simply press the up arrow button. The top line
will now read "POINT VERTICAL", and you are set to use the
object locator with your IntelliScope Dobsonian.
If the vertical stop you installed on the top baseplate during
assembly of the telescope is properly adjusted (see below),
rotate the optical tube upward until the rear end ring comes
in contact with the vertical stop knob, as shown in Figure 22.
You may have to raise or lower the tube in the tube rings to
achieve contact between the flat portion of the rear end ring
and the vertical stop knob. Once the optical tube is in the verti-
cal position, press the Enter button to start the two-star align-
ment procedure.
Setting the Vertical Stop
For the IntelliScope system to work accurately, the vertical
stop must be precisely set so that the optical tube is truly per-
pendicular to the azimuth axis of the base when the controller
says "POINT VERTICAL." For this you will need a carpenter's
level, which you can find at just about any hardware store.
First, make sure the base itself is level. Place the carpenter's
level on the top baseplate and rotate the base 180˚ in azimuth
(Figure 23). The level should indicate that the base is level
through the entire rotation. If not, then reposition the base on
the ground, or place shims underneath the feet until the base
stays level though a 180˚ rotation.
Next, rotate the optical tube upward until the rear end ring
comes in contact with the vertical stop knob. Place the car-
penter's level across the top of the optical tube (Figure 24). Is
RS-232
Backlit
jack
liquid-crystal
display
User-friendly
keypad