Orion SkyQuest XX12g Instruction Manual page 23

Recalling a user-defined object
1. See Step 1-2 of "Saving an object to the database" for
details on how to access to the User Objects menu.
Select Recall Object and press ENTER.
2. Use the scroll buttons to browse through the User Object
numbers until the number representing the object you
wish to view is displayed. Press ENTER to show its
coordinates. Press ENTER again and you'll see "View
object?" Press ENTER to slew the telescope to the
object. The hand control will not respond if an unassigned
User Object number is selected. Use the scroll buttons to
choose another number and try again.
Hint: If the recalled object is below the horizon, the hand con-
troller will display "Below Horizon! Try another obj." and auto-
matically return to the Recall Object menu.
Identifying an "Unknown" Object
The GoTo system has the ability to identify an unknown (to you)
celestial object that the telescope it pointing at. Here's how:
Press the ID button or scroll to IDENTIFY in the main menu
and press ENTER to identify the object.
3. The hand controller will display a list containing the clos-
est known object in different catalogs and its distance to
the exact location where the telescope is pointed. Use
the scroll buttons to view these objects.
4. Press ESC to exit this function.
Linking with a Computer
The SkyQuest XXg can be connected to a computer via the
supplied computer interface (serial) cable. Many commer-
cially available planetarium software programs can be used
to control the SkyQuest XXg. Look for software that is com-
patible with the Orion SkyQuest XXg Dobsonians, Celestron
NexStar5i/8i, or NexStar GPS series. Starry Night Pro is one
such astronomy software package. The description below will
lead you through the procedure on how to connect and dis-
connect the SkyQuest XXg to a computer.
1. Align the base as described previously (see "Alignment
for GoTo Operation").
2. Connect the supplied serial cable to the smaller of the
two modular jacks (RJ-12) on the bottom end of the hand
controller (Figure 29b). Connect the other end of the
cable to the serial port of your computer. (If your com-
puter uses USB ports instead of serial ports, as most
do these days, you will need the included USB-to-serial
adapter cable.)
3. In the planetarium software of your choice, choose "Orion
SkyQuest GoTo or Celestron NexStar5i/8i or Celestron
8/9/11 GPS (any of these will work) in the driver setup
and follow the instructions provided by the program to
connect the mount and computer. The SkyQuest XXg will
be under the full control of your computer once the con-
nection is successfully established.
Disconnecting from the Computer
Follow the instructions provided by the planetarium software
to close the connection to the hand controller.
On the hand controller, press ESC to resume normal hand
controller operations.
NOTE: Do NOT disengage the SkyQuest XXg unit before
you close the connection in the planetarium program.
Doing so may cause some programs to freeze.
Updating the GoTo Hand Controller's Firmware
From version 3.0 and up, the GoTo hand controller's firmware
can be updated over the internet. The firmware loader and
firmware updates are available for download on the Orion
website, OrionTelescopes.com
System Requirements
• SynScan AZ GoTo hand controller version 3.0 or later
• Windows95 or later
• An available RS-232 COM port on the PC
• Computer interface cable (supplied)
• DC power supply (7.5V to 15V @ 100mA or greater output
with 2.1mm tip positive plug)
Preparing the Computer for the Update
1. Create a folder where you will store the files necessary
for the update.
2. On the OrionTelescopes.com website, go to the product
page for your telescope. Look in the text description and
you'll see the Download Firmware Loader link. Click on it
and save the Firmware Loader program to the folder you
have created on your computer. You will need to download
this program only once; after it is saved on your computer,
only the firmware data file is needed for future updates.
3. On the same web page, find the Download Firmware
Files link and click on it. Download and save the firmware
update data file to the folder you created. The file will be
named OrionVxxxxAZ.ssf, where xxxx indicates the ver-
sion number of the firmware.
Updating the GoTo Hand Controller
1. Plug the modular plug end of the computer interface cable
into the middle jack in the hand controller. Plug the serial
connector end of the cable to the COM port on your PC.
2. Press and hold down the 0 and 8 numerical buttons simul-
taneously, then plug the power supply into the hand con-
troller's DC power jack. The hand controller will beep and
display "SynScan Update Ver. x.x" on the LCD screen.
3. Run the Firmware Loader program on your computer.
4. Click on the "Browse" box and select the OrionVxxxx.
ssf file location where it was saved previously on your
computer.
5. Click on the "Update" button, and the new firmware will
begin loading into the hand controller. The Firmware
Loader will show the progress of the update on your com-
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