Automatic Tracking; Setting The Polar Home Position - Bresser Goto-Kit Instruction Manual

Instruction Manual
North
Point optical
tube to north
The tripod leg
is to be aligned
north under the
counterweight
rod
Point leg to
north
Fig. 3a: The polar home position,
side view.
Fig. 3b: The polar home position,
front view.
8

Automatic Tracking

As the Earth rotates under the night sky, the stars seem to move from east
to west. The speed at which the stars carry out this movement, is called
„Siderial Speed". You can now set up your telescope so that it moves in con-
junction with sidereal speed. By doing this, it tracks the objects and stars in
the night sky automatically. This tracking function is provided by the actuator
drive set, available as an accessory.

Setting the Polar Home Position

1. Level the mount, if necessary, by adjusting the length of the three tripod
legs.
2. Unlock the R.A. Lock (17, Fig. 1a). Rotate the Optical Tube Assembly until
the counterweight shaft is pointing straight down over the mount. See
Level
mount
Figs. 3a and 3b.
3. If you have not already done so, lift the telescope assembly and turn it
so that the tripod leg beneath the counterweight rod faces approximately
North (South in the Southern Hemisphere). Release the Dec. lock (1, Fig.
1a) of the tripod, so that the optical tube (10, Fig. 3a) may be rotated.
Rotate the optical tube until it points North (or South in the Southern
Hemisphere). Then re-tighten the lock. Locate Polaris, the North Star, if
necessary, to use as an accurate reference for due North (or Octantis in
the Southern Hemisphere).
4. If you have not already done so, determine the latitude of your observ-
ing location. See LATITUDE CHART for a list of latitudes of major cities
around the world. Use the latitude T-handle screws (10, Fig. 1a) to tilt the
telescope mount so that the pointer indicates the correct latitude of your
viewing location on the latitude dial (12, Fig. 1a).
5. If steps 1 through 4 above were performed with reasonable accuracy, your
telescope is now sufficiently well-aligned to Polaris, the North Star, for you
to begin making observations.
Once the mount has been placed in the polar home position as described
above, the latitude angle need not be adjusted again, unless you move to a
different geographical location (i.e., a different latitude).
IMPORTANT NOTE:
So that the Goto functionality is set in the most accurate way, the RA-Axis
should be precisely aligned, as much as possible, to the celestial pole using
the Scope Polefinder (13, fig 1a). See also the section „Improving the Pole
Alignment".