Overview Of The Intelliscope Computerized Object Locator - Orion STARBLAST 6/6I Manual

Use the arrow buttons to scroll through the names of the
alignment stars. The up arrow button scrolls through the stars
alphabetically from A to Z. The down arrow button scrolls
alphabetically backwards, from Z to A. When you arrive at the
name of the star you wish to align on, you can begin to move
the telescope so that it is pointing at that star (but don't press
the Enter button yet).
Note: The controller will not accept Polaris as the first align-
ment star. This helps prevent the pointing accuracy from
decreasing over time. It is OK to use Polaris as the second
alignment star, however.
Take hold of the "navigation knob" on the optical tube and
move the telescope so that it is pointing in the general area
of the alignment star. Aim the telescope so the alignment star
appears in finder scope. Be careful not to confuse the align-
ment star with other stars in the area when doing this. (It will
likely be the brightest star in the field of view.) Now, move the
telescope until you have centered the star on the crosshairs of
the finder scope. Look into the eyepiece of the telescope, and
you should see the alignment star in the field of view of the
eyepiece. If it isn't, then your finder scope is out of alignment
with your telescope and will need to be adjusted. Once the
alignment star is in the eyepiece's field of view, center it in the
eyepiece as best you can by making small movements to the
telescope. (If you have one, an illuminated reticle eyepiece is
great for centering alignment stars). Once this is done, press
the Enter button on the controller. You have now completed
one-half of the two-star alignment.
The LCD screen will now read "ALIGN STAR 2" on the first line
with an alignment star's name flashing on the second line. As
before, scroll through the names of the stars with the arrow
buttons until you reach your second chosen alignment star.
Repeat the procedure described above for your second align-
ment star. When you have aligned on the second star, press
the Enter button. The LCD will then display a number. It is the
alignment error factor, or "warp" (W) factor.
The Alignment Error (Warp) Factor
The "warp" alignment error factor essentially lets you know
if your alignment was accurate or not. Ideally, this number
should be as low as possible, but any "W" of 0.5 or smaller
is acceptable (regardless of + or - sign). Warp factors of ±0.3
and ±0.4 are the most common. Warp factors under ±0.2 are
typically not achievable (but kudos to you if you get one!). If
you complete an alignment and the warp factor is larger than
±0.5 (e.g., +0.6, -0.6, +0.7, -0.7, etc.), then you must turn the
controller off (by holding down the Power button) and begin the
alignment procedure again. Otherwise, there is no guarantee
that the controller will consistently place objects within the field
of view of a medium-low power eyepiece.
An unacceptable warp factor may indicate that you aligned on
the wrong star or did not have the telescope initially in a pre-
cisely vertical position. If you are having problems getting the
warp factor at or below ±0.5, see the troubleshooting section
in Appendix C.
Your IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator is now ready
to find objects. Replace the high-powered eyepiece you used
18
Figure 25. If you're positioned to the left of the telescope
and face the direction the optical tube is pointed, the guide
arrows on the Computerized Object Locator will correspond
exactly with the direction you should move the telescope to
pinpoint the selected object.
for centering the alignment stars with a low-power, wide-field
eyepiece, such as the 25mm Sirius Plössl.
B. Overview of the IntelliScope Computerized
Object locator
The IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator (controller) has
been specifically designed for ease of use. This section will
help familiarize you with the basic layout and operation of the
controller.
Pushbuttons
Besides the Power, Enter, ID, FCN, and up/down arrows, all
pushbuttons have letters on them with numbers above them
(Figure 21). The letters designate the function of the pushbut-
ton. The numbers above them are used for entering numerical
data only; the numbers are never active until a function is first
chosen. The numbers are arranged like a telephone keypad
for ease of number entry. None of the function buttons will
work properly until an initial alignment, as outlined previously,
is completed. If you press a function button be-fore the two-
star alignment is completed, the controller will display "MUST
STAR ALIGN." Turn the unit off, then on again (by using the
Power button), to begin the alignment routine again.