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SHARPSTAR Mark III Instruction Manual

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GREETINGS
Thank you for purchasing Mark III equatorial mount. The Mark III is
a symbol of vitality and modern technology. Meanwhile, it is a
lightweight and portable German equatorial mount with a delicate
harmonic gear system. Its outstanding payload capacity caters to
most desires in sky observation and astrophotography. Mark III
boasts quick dynamic response, precise tracking ability, accurate
data-transmission and processing. Mark III is easy to operate and
extensively compatible with existing astronomy software or
applications. It's a great option for astronomy activities, a handy
and functional helper along your journey to the universe
exploration.
This instruction manual is designed for anyone who use Mark III
equatorial mount. The instruction manual will introduce you the
proper steps and warn you about the potential improper thus
dangerous operations or situations. Please be sure to thoroughly
read the instruction manual before you assembly and use Mark III
equatorial mount, and strictly follow these steps illustrated in it.
Also, you should keep it in a place where you can easily refer to
when you operate Mark III equatorial mount. The operator himself
should be responsible for any damage to the equipment or personal
injury caused by improper operations.
I

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  • Page 1 GREETINGS Thank you for purchasing Mark III equatorial mount. The Mark III is a symbol of vitality and modern technology. Meanwhile, it is a lightweight and portable German equatorial mount with a delicate harmonic gear system. Its outstanding payload capacity caters to most desires in sky observation and astrophotography.

  • Page 2: Warning

    Or it can cause permanent and irreversible damage to your eyes. Observe the sun with a dedicated solar filter. 2. Do not place Mark III in places that is wet and damp. Or it may cause erosion to the parts of equatorial mount, which may result in...
  • Page 3 Or it may cause damage to the equipment or even personal injury. 7. Please be sure to place Mark III on flat ground before you observe or astrophotograph. Or the equatorial mount may fall over which may cause damage to the equipment or personal injury.

  • Page 4: Storage And Protection

    Mark III with strong corrosive detergent. Or it may poison the surface painting of Mark III equatorial mount. 6. If Mark III is not used for a long time or for long-distance transportation, please adjust the altitude angle to 30 degree and...

  • Page 5: Basic Operation Steps

    4. Power your Mark III mount (with proper voltage), upload your current time, longitude and latitude to Mark III equatorial mount. (See 4.3.1) 5. N-star alignment. (See 4.3.3) 6. Polar alignment. (See 4.3.4) 7. Reset the home position of Mark III equatorial mount. (See 4.3.2)

  • Page 6: Table Of Contents

    2.5 Power Connection ......................19 3 Mechanical adjustment ......................... 21 3.1 Find the North ........................21 3.2 How to Level Mark III ...................... 21 3.3 How to Adjust Altitude and Azimuth ................. 22 3.3.1 How to Adjust Altitude ....................22 3.3.2 How to Adjust Azimuth ....................
  • Page 7 4.3.10 Contrast Adjustment ....................48 4.3.11 Screen Dimming Setting ................... 49 4.3.12 Backlight Setting ......................51 4.3.14 Buzzer Setting ......................54 4.3.15 Limit Setting ........................ 55 5 Operate with Smartphone ......................57 5.1 Operate with Onstep App ....................57 5.2 How to Connect ....................... 58 5.3 Information Bar ........................

  • Page 8: Components And Specifications

    R.A. axis is pointing directly to the Polaris which is near the Northern Celestial Pole or NCP. Mark III will turn around its R.A. axis, tracking an object at a set and constant rate. Thus the object will be kept at the center of our filed of view, achieving long-time exposure.

  • Page 9: Specification Of Mark Iii

    1.2 Specification of Mark III ITEMS SPECIFICATION Weight main body (without 7.95KG counterweight and counterweight bar ) Weight of special carbon fiber tripod (with 4.45KG extension tube) Total weight (without counterweight and 12.4KG counterweight bar) A 5KG counterweight and a counterweight bar (304...
  • Page 10 Guiding Port ST-4 guiding port or through USB connection Controller CNC-machined controller with build-in celestial database MARK III is perfectly compatible with ASCOM & INDI platforms, various commonly-used astronomy software, Compatibility mobile phone apps, star atlas software, etc., the mount can be controlled via smartphones/laptops/tablets etc.
  • Page 11 ITEMS SPECIFICATION Extra port (FOC1\FOC2\ROT) Note: not available for standard mount Star alignment 9-star alignment Temperature and humidity sensor With temperature and humidity sensor Working temperature -25℃-40℃ platform for electronic polar alignment scope with Polar alignment scope quick-release system Tracking precision Refer to related guiding or tracking results Note: the specifications are subject to change without notice and all rights are reserved.

  • Page 12: Package Contents

    1.3 Package Contents NUMBER ITEM NOTE Hand controller to control and operate Mark III equatorial mount Boost converter 12-24V boost converter×1 Thumb screw for fixing the mount on the tripod×2; M1.3 Allen Tool package wrench×1; counterweight pin×1; altitude adjustment bar×1; M5 Allen wrench×1;...

  • Page 13: Components Of Main Body

    1.4 Components of Main Body NUMBER ITEM NOTE Dovetail saddle to accommodate a dovetail plate Safety screw to tighten and secure dovetail plate slid into the dovetail saddle Platform for polar for installing QHY polar scope scope...
  • Page 14 NUMBER ITEM NOTE Declination axis body R.A. axis body Altitude coarse-tune shuttle Bubble level Installing hole to install counterweight bar and counterweight Connecting cable to connect R.A. and Declination axis body Altitude fine-tun screw...
  • Page 15 NUMBER ITEM NOTE Heating vent Altitude fixing loosen before adjusting the altitude angle screw Azimuth adjustment screw Azimuth adjustment post Connecting cable to connect R.A. and Declination axis body Altitude adjustment to fix the altitude adjustment shuttle grub screw Fixing thumb screw to fix the main body on the platform of the tripod...

  • Page 16: Ports And Lights

    NOTE Connection port to connect the Mark III and the hand controller USB port to connect Mark III and computer with a USB cable Signal emitter to emit hotspot signal Power supply port to connect the power cable and Mark III...

  • Page 17: Components Of Tripod

    1.6 Components of Tripod NUMBER ITEM NOTE Tripod head for installing Mark III main body Leg brace support tripod; Stainless ferrule adjust the height of tripod Central column Tripod leg...

  • Page 18: Assembly Steps

    2 Assembly Steps 2.1 How to set up the Tripod The tripod of Mark III is made of high-quality carbon fiber material, so it’s durable and pretty-looking, with amazing supporting performance. Before you start observation or astrophotography, please be sure the ground is firm and level, in order to prevent the equatorial mount from falling over.
  • Page 19 STEP 3 Every tripod leg is supported by a stainless ferrule and they are also used to adjust the height of the tripod within a range of 25mm. STEP 4 There is a high-precision bubble level on the base of the main body. Observe the bubble in the bubble level to help you level your tripod.

  • Page 20: How To Assemble The Main Body

    STEP 2 Gently put the main body of Mark III onto the tripod head. The central metal protrusion on the tripod head should fit into the hollow on the bottom of the mount and the azimuth adjustment post should fit into the space between two azimuth adjustment knobs.
  • Page 21 STEP 3 Take out two fixing thumb screws (with plastic washers) from the tool package. Thread these two screws to fix the main body on the tripod head. There are holes tapped on the sides of the screws, users can further tighten these screws with the altitude adjustment bar (also in the tool package).

  • Page 22: How To Assemble Counterweight

    2.3 How to Assemble Counterweight STEP 1 Take out the counterweight and counterweight bar. Thread the counterweight bar into the hole tapped at the bottom of the Declination body. STEP 2 Take out the counterweight pin, put the pin into the hole inside of the counterweight.
  • Page 23 The counterweight and counterweight bar are heavy, please be careful when assembling. Be careful not to lose the counterweight pin when assembling the counterweight.

  • Page 24: How To Set Up A Telescope

    2.4 How to Set up a Telescope STEP 1 Attach the dovetail plate at the bottom of the tube rings. STEP 2 Assemble the tube ring and dovetail plate together with your telescope. Make sure that your telescope is secured by the tube ring.
  • Page 25 Telescope is heavy, please be careful when assembling When you don’t use Mark III equatorial mount, please do not leave the telescope leaning to one side for a long time. Or the equatorial mount may fall over due to shift of gravity...

  • Page 26: Power Connection

    2.5 Power Connection STEP 1 Connect R.A. and Declination body with the connecting cable. STEP 2 Take out and connect the power adapter and power cable. STEP 3 Plug the power cable with one end, and connect the other end to the external power supply port at the back of the main body with a label of [24V IN].
  • Page 27 STEP 4 Turn off the mount by the power switch, the red light is off. Please pay attention to electrical safety during operation. Do not plug or unplug the power cable by force, or it may cause electrical shock. Do not operate in a moist environment, do not operate with wet hands. Stop operating the equatorial mount and unplug the power cord immediately if there is smoke, strange smell or noise.

  • Page 28: Mechanical Adjustment

    3 Mechanical adjustment 3.1 Find the North Before using Mark III equatorial mount, place the mount on the ground that is firm and level. Point one of the tripod leg to the north (to south if in the southern hemisphere). The dovetail saddle on the mount head will be up and directly point to the north.

  • Page 29: How To Adjust Altitude And Azimuth

    3.3 How to Adjust Altitude and Azimuth When you first use Mark III or change your routine observing site, you should readjust its altitude and azimuth angle to ensure that you can carry out accurate polar alignment. 3.3.1 How to Adjust Altitude Before observation or astrophotography with Mark III, please be sure to adjust its altitude angle.
  • Page 30 degree, 20-30 degree, 26-35 degree, 32-40 degree, 38-46 degree, 44-53 degree, 51-58 degree, 56-65 degree, 63-72 degree and 69-77 degree. You should choose a proper range (and its default range is 26-35 degree). Take out the M1.3 Allen wrench, loosen two grub screws that fix the altitude coarse-tune shuttle, shift the shuttle to the proper range and fix it again by tightening these two grub screws.

  • Page 31: How To Adjust Azimuth

    Tighten two altitude lock screws. 3.3.2 How to Adjust Azimuth If the Polaris deviates to left or right, you have to adjust azimuth of Mark III equatorial mount. STEP 1 Loosen two fixing screws on the platform of the tripod.

  • Page 32: Operate With Hand Controller

    4 Operate with Hand Controller 4.1 Basic Information of Hand Controller NUMBER ITEM strap for hanging the controller on the main body direction, page up direction, cancel, return to the previous menu direction, page down slower guide speed screen...
  • Page 33 NUMBER ITEM main body long-press or double press to bring up different menus direction, confirm, enter the next menu faster guide speed connecting port...

  • Page 34: How To Connect Hand Controller

    4.2 How to Connect Hand Controller Standard Mark III is equipped with a hand controller. Take out the controller cable, plug one end to the controller’s connecting port and the other end to the [ST4 HAND] port which is on the back of the main body.
  • Page 35 ICON MEANING Guide speed (top left) Goto（top right） East of the Meridian (top right) West of the Meridian (top right) At the Home position and stop tracking (top right) R.A. coordinate (Home screen) Declination coordinate (Home screen) Azimuth coordinate (press [M] key once) Altitude coordinate (press [M] key once) Universal time (press [M] key twice) Local standard time (press [M] key twice)

  • Page 36: Basic Operation Of Hand Controller

    4.3 Basic Operation of Hand Controller 4.3.1 How to Upload Time, Longitude and Latitude Before using Mark III for any observation or astrophotography, please be sure to upload your current time, longitude and latitude to your mount. It’s critical for the equatorial mount to well behave.
  • Page 37 [▶ ] to change the date/time information. STEP 4 Press [▲] and [▼] to change the local date. Press and hold [▲] and [▼] to change the numerals in a quicker way. After adjust the date to match your current date, press [▶ ] to confirm. And the screen will display [Value Set!].

  • Page 38: How To Set And Return Home Position

    R.A. axis is directly pointing to the NCP (or SCP) and the telescope sitting on the dovetail saddle is parallel to the R.A. axis. Mark III is defaulted to be at its Home position.
  • Page 39 STEP 1 Press 4 arrow keys to adjust Mark III equatorial mount’s position. Make sure that the Declination axis is directly pointing down to the ground and the dovetail saddle and R.A. axis are directly pointing to the NCP (or SCP) without any obvious deviation.
  • Page 40 After your observation or astrophotography, you should return your mount to its Home position, and then cut off the power. STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu]. STEP 2 Press [▼] to page down and move the cursor to [Goto], press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Goto].

  • Page 41: N-Star Alignment

    N-star alignment can greatly enhance Mark III equatorial mount’s accuracy. Mark III supports 9-star alignment. Generally, the more star you choose to align, the more accurate the mount will be. Besides, it’s a good habit to choose stars that are little drifted apart with each other.
  • Page 42 STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu]. STEP 2 Press [▼] to page down and move the cursor to [Align]. Press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Alignment]. STEP 3 Press [▼] to page down and move the cursor to the alignment methods you prefer.
  • Page 43 The screen displays [Slew to Target?]. Press [▶ ] to confirm and Mark III will automatically slew to the star that you choose. And the screen shows [Slewing to Star 1]. STEP 5 After slewing to the chosen target, the left bottom area will display the name of the star that the mount is pointing and the screen also displays [Recenter Star 1].

  • Page 44: Polar Alignment

    During your N-star alignment, you can press [◀ ] to abort the alignment process. And you can redo STEP 1 and STEP 2 to resume the N-star alignment. If you find the targeted star is not at the center, you can adjust your mount by pressing 4 arrow keys.
  • Page 45 [▶ ] to confirm. STEP 5 Find a bright star near NCP (or SCP) and make sure that its Declination coordinate is between 50 and 80 degree. The Mark III equatorial mount will slew to the this chosen target.

  • Page 46: How To Goto

    Mark III is equipped with a quick-release system for attaching a QHY polar scope. It’s easy for users to install a QHY polar scope on the platform and polar align your mount.
  • Page 47 Press [▼] to page down and move the cursor to [Goto] and press [▶ ] to confirm. STEP 3 Press [▲] and [▼] to choose a desired target from the built-in star catalogues. Mark III comes with many useful star catalogues: FIRST LEVEL MENU SECOND LEVEL MENU Bright Stars...
  • Page 48 FIRST LEVEL MENU SECOND LEVEL MENU Messier Caldwell Herschel400 Deep Sky Collinder Mercury Venus Mars Solar System Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Moon User For example, move the cursor to [Stars] and press [▶ ] to confirm. Move the cursor again to choose [STF**] and press [▶ ] to enter the STF star catalogue.

  • Page 49: Tracking

    When Mark III is in the tracking state, the equatorial mount will follow and track a target at a set rate. Besides, you cannot manually adjust Mark III with 4 arrow keys unless it’s in the tracking state. STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu].
  • Page 50 [▶ ] to confirm. The screen will display [Tracking OFF]. The green light will be continuously lighting. STEP 5 You can alter the tracking rate of Mark III under different observing situations. Mark III offers three types of tracking rate: [Sidereal], [Solar] and [Lunar].

  • Page 51: Set Goto Speed

    4.3.7 Set Goto Speed Users can adjust the Goto speed of Mark III. Generally speaking, if your telescope is large and bulky, you should slower your Goto speed and your telescope is quite lightweight and compact, you can increase your Goto speed. And as a rule of thumb, if the total weight of your telescope and other accessories is not more than 8kg, the Goto speed can be 4 deg/s;...

  • Page 52: Set Guide Speed

    STEP 4 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Goto Speed] and press [▶ ] to adjust your mount’s Goto speed. There are 5 types of available speed: NAME SYMBOL ACTUAL SPEED Fastest 2× 3.8 deg/s Faster 1.5× 2.9 deg/s Default Speed 1×...
  • Page 53 not the same as Goto speed. It’s the speed at which your mount moves when you manually direct it with 4 arrow keys. Press [F1] and [F2] to alter the guide speed. Press [F1] and the screen displays [Guide Slower] which indicates that the guide speed has been slowed.

  • Page 54: Display Adjustment

    4.3.9 Display Adjustment STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu]. STEP 2 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Settings], and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Settings]. STEP 3 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Display] and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Display].

  • Page 55: Contrast Adjustment

    4.3.10 Contrast Adjustment STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu]. STEP 2 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Settings], and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Settings]. STEP 3 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Display] and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Display].

  • Page 56: Screen Dimming Setting

    STEP 4 Move the cursor to [Contrast] and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Set Contrast]. There are 4 type of contrast: SYMBOL MEANING Minimum High High Maximum STEP 5 Move the cursor to choose a desired contract and press [▶ ] to confirm.
  • Page 57 STEP 2 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Settings], and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Settings]. STEP 3 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Display] and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Display]. STEP 4 Move the cursor to [Dim Timeout] and press [▶...

  • Page 58: Backlight Setting

    4.3.12 Backlight Setting STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu]. STEP 2 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Settings], and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Settings]. STEP 3 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Display] and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Display].
  • Page 59 So an equatorial mount should be capable of meridian flip. And Mark III is designed with 3 meridian flip mode:...
  • Page 60 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Meridian Flip], press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Meridian Flip]. Move the cursor to [Now!], for example, and press [▶ ] to confirm, Mark III will immediately perform a meridian flip if the target has already passed the...

  • Page 61: Buzzer Setting

    4.3.14 Buzzer Setting STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu]. STEP 2 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Settings], and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Settings]. STEP 3 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Buzzer] and press [▶ ] to confirm. The screen displays [Buzzer On?], you can press [▲] and [▼] to choose [Yes] or [No].

  • Page 62: Limit Setting

    4.3.15 Limit Setting STEP 1 Press and hold [M] to bring up the [Main Menu]. STEP 2 Press [▼] to move the cursor to [Settings], and press [▶ ] to enter the submenu of [Settings]. STEP 3 Press [▼] to page down and move the cursor to [Configuration], press [▶...
  • Page 63 The limit of meridian E and meridian W is 4 degree will affect your practical meridian flip. For example, if you set your limit of meridian east and west as 4 degree, Mark III will perform meridian flip only when the target passes 4 degrees away from the meridian line.

  • Page 64: Operate With Smartphone

    5 Operate with Smartphone 5.1 Operate with Onstep App Users can connect with and control Mark III equatorial mount with a dedicated Onstep App installed on smartphone or tablet. Compared with operating with a hand controller, users usually have an easier access to controlling their mounts.

  • Page 65: How To Connect

    Download and install OnStep (available on the official web of Sharpstar). STEP 2 Power up Mark III, turn on its power switch. The Red light is continuously lighting and the green light is flashing. STEP 3 Search hotspot signal of [ONSTEP] in your phone’s wireless and networks and connect it.
  • Page 66 STEP 5 enter [192.168.0.1:9999] in the blank at the bottom and press [Accept]. You can connect your phone with Mark III equatorial mount.
  • Page 67 And the home screen will display specific information about the mount if successfully connected.

  • Page 68: Information Bar

    5.3 Information Bar The home screen looks like this if successfully connected：...
  • Page 69 You can press the icon of [i] on the right of the information bar to browse different information about your Mark III equatorial mount:...

  • Page 70: Initial Settings Of Time And Location

    5.4 Initial Settings of Time and Location Like operating with a hand controller, you must first upload your time and geographic coordinates to Mark III equatorial mount. It’s a critical setting step before any observation or astrophotography activities. Or the mount will use the factory-set data and its practical performance may not live up to your expectation.
  • Page 71 STEP 3 Go back to the home screen, press [more options] and press [Observing Sites]. STEP 4 If the geographic information of Site 1 doesn’t match your current situation, press [Use Current Location] to demand the app to acquire your current geographic information from your phone’s GPS system.
  • Page 72 There are four sites for users to use. Users can name these sites in [Site Name]. Smartphones and tablets are usually designed with GPS positioning function, so they can automatically obtain user’s current time and geographic information. So please be sure that this function has been turned on before you try to obtain the information from your phone or tablet.

  • Page 73: Home Position

    R.A. axis is directly pointing to the NCP (or SCP) and the telescope sitting on the dovetail saddle is parallel to the R.A. axis. Mark III is defaulted to be at its Home position.
  • Page 74 And after you finish your observation or astrophotography, you must return your mount to its Home position and then cut off the power. STEP 1 Press [Initialize/Park]. STEP 2 Press [Return Home] and it will remind you “If you proceed the telescope will be moved to the home position and reset.
  • Page 75 If you forget to return your mount to its Home position and cut off the power, the equatorial mount will brake and stop you telescope from moving down. That’s why we recommend 24V power supply for the mount. If you forget to return your mount to Home position and cut off the power, due to safety concerns, please first take off your telescope and manually guide your mount to its Home position and reset its Home position.

  • Page 76: Other Functions

    The purpose of N-star alignment is to pick out a reference point, telling your mount about what’s exactly the direction it’s pointing. N-star alignment can greatly enhance Mark III equatorial mount’s accuracy. Mark III supports 9-star alignment. Generally, the more star you choose to align, the more accurate the mount will be.
  • Page 77 STEP 3 Press [Start Align] and it will remind you “If you proceed the telescope should be manually moved to the home position. Are you sure?]. If your mount is at its Home position, choose [OK] to start N-star alignment; and if not, please first return your mount to its Home position and then proceed this step.
  • Page 78 For example, select [γ Leo-Algieba ， 2.6Mv] and you can see the detailed information about the star you have selected. Press [GOTO] to confirm and demand your mount to point to this star. When your mount stops, observe through your telescope or the camera screen to see whether the target is staying at the center of your field of view.
  • Page 79 STEP 5 Go on to select the second star. Press [GOTO] to demand your mount to move and point to the star that you have selected. When your mount stops, observe through your telescope or the camera screen to see whether the target is staying at the center of your field of view.
  • Page 81 STEP 6 Go on to select the third star. Press [GOTO] to demand your mount to move and point to the star that you have selected. When your mount stops, observe through your telescope or the camera screen to see whether the target is staying at the center of your field of view.

  • Page 82: Polar Alignment

    Optionally align the mount again.” So find a bright star near NCP (or SCP) and make sure that its Declination coordinate is between 50 and 80 degree. The Mark III equatorial mount will slew to the this chosen target.
  • Page 83 Make the bright star move to the center of your field of view by manually adjusting the mount’s azimuth and altitude angle. STEP 4 You can repeat the above steps until Mark III can perfectly goto a bright star and the star stays exactly at the center of you field of view.

  • Page 84: How To Goto

    Mark III is equipped with a quick-release system for attaching a QHY polar scope. It’s easy for users to install a QHY polar scope on the platform and polar align your mount. 5.6.3 How to Goto STEP 1 Go back to the home screen.
  • Page 85 STEP 4 Press [GOTO] and the screen will display [Goto started]. Mark III equatorial mount will automatically move and point to this star.
  • Page 86 STEP 5 You can enter coordinates and directly demand your mount to the desired target. Press [Enter Coordinates]. Select epoch first and the default epoch is J2000. Enter your target’s coordinates in the blanks of RA and Dec. Press [Accept] and then press [GOTO] to confirm. Your mount will automatically point to the exact object.

  • Page 87: Tracking

    The number you enter should be integers. The format of RA axis is hhmm[ss] and the format of Declination axis is [-]ddmm[ss]. For example, if the RA and Declination coordinates of a target is 13h43.2m and +28°16’, you should enter 1343 and 2816 respectively.
  • Page 88 STEP 3 In tracking setting, you can select desired tracking rate for Mark III equatorial mount. Lunar rate is used to track the moon, solar rate is used to track the sun and the...

  • Page 89: Set Goto Speed

    5.6.5 Set Goto Speed STEP 1 Enter the home screen. STEP 2 Press [more options] and press [Goto Speed]. There are five types of Goto speed: NAME MEANING Fastest 3.8 deg/s Faster 2.9 deg/s Default 1.9 deg/s Slower 1.3 deg/s Slowest 1.0 deg/s...

  • Page 90: Set Guide Speed

    3 deg/s, and 2 deg/s is recommended. 5.6.6 Set Guide Speed You can set the guide speed of Mark III equatorial mount. It’s the speed at which your mount moves when you manually direct it with the direction keys.
  • Page 91 STEP 2 Press [more options] and choose the proper guide speed. There are 6 guide speed for you to choose: SYMBOL MEANING 1/2×- VSlow half of the tracking rate 1×- Slow equals to the tracking rate 8×- Center 8 times of the tracking rate 20×- Find 20 times of the tracking rate 48×- Fast...

  • Page 92: Meridian Flip

    5.6.7 Meridian Flip STEP 1 Enter the home screen and press [Initialize/Park]. STEP 2 Press [On] in [Automatic Meridian Flip], and turn on the automatic meridian flip function. When your mount follows and tracks an target that passes the meridian line, your mount will carry out an automatic meridian flip and keeps on tracking your target.

  • Page 93: Limit Settings

    The limit of meridian E and meridian W is 4 degree will affect your practical meridian flip. For example, if you set your limit of meridian east and west as 4 degree, Mark III will perform meridian flip only when the target passes 4 degrees away from the meridian line.

  • Page 94: Buzzer Setting

    STEP 4 Press [Upload] to set your desired limits. 5.6.9 Buzzer Setting STEP 1 Enter the home screen and press [Initialize/Park]. STEP 2 Press [On] in [Alert Buzzer] to turn the buzzer on and press [Off] to turn it off.

  • Page 95: How To Connect By Web

    5.7 How to Connect by Web 5.7.1 Connect by Web STEP 1 Power up Mark III, turn on its power switch. The Red light is continuously lighting and the green light is flashing. STEP 2 Search hotspot signal of [ONSTEP] in your phone’s wireless and networks and connect it.

  • Page 96: Some Icons

    5.7.2 Some Icons ICON MEANING Refresh Return to Home position Reset Home position Parking settings Stop moving Tracking on and tracking off Sidereal tracking rate Lunar tracking rate Solar tracking rate...
  • Page 97 ICON MEANING N-star alignment Refine polar alignment Direction keys Guide speed settings...

  • Page 98: Operate With Computers

    And many enthusiasts prefer to operate the mount with their computer. You can connect your PC computer with Mark III equatorial mount and make demands through lots of famous astronomy software. 6.1 How to Connect with Computer...
  • Page 99 STEP 3 Connect Mark III equatorial mount and your computer by using a USB cable. If your computer is running in Win7 operation system, you have to install an extra driver [MARK III USB DRIVER] (available on Sharpstar’s official website).

  • Page 100: Operate With Asiair

    Power up your mount and turn on its power switch. STEP 3 Connect Mark III equatorial mount and ASIAIR with a USB cable. Power up ASIAIR and turn on its power switch. Wait until the PWR and WIFI indication light are continuously lighting.
  • Page 101 STEP 4 Search the hotspot that ASIAIR is sending. STEP 5 Connect with this hotspot and the initial password is 12345678. STEP 6 Open the application on your smartphone or tablet, detect and choose your mount.
  • Page 102 STEP 7 Enter you longitude and latitude of your current observing site.
  • Page 103 STEP 8 Set other parameters and press [Enter], to control and operate your mount.

  • Page 104: Faq

    Q2 ： Sometimes the [N] and [S] direction keys behave in an unexpected and reversed way. A：It doesn’t stem from Mark III and it’s not even a problem per se. The mount behaves normally when it’s pointing to a target near the NCP.
  • Page 105 A: You have to strictly follow the steps detailed in this instruction manual. If you forget to upload your current time and geographic information to Mark III and skip the N-star alignment, it makes the mount to use the irrelevant data. Mark III cannot carry out a...

  • Page 106: Appendix

    APPENDIX Menu of Onstep App FIRST LEVEL MENU SECOND LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FORTH LEVEL MENU Observing sites Goto Speed Limits More options Backlash Connection Lock Rotation Keep Screen On...
  • Page 107 FIRST LEVEL MENU SECOND LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FORTH LEVEL MENU Set Date/Time Start Align Refine PA At Home (Reset) Return Home Park Un-Park Set-Park Initialize/Park Dimmer Reticule Brighter Alert Buzzer Meridian Flip Pause Automatic...
  • Page 108 FIRST LEVEL MENU SECOND LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FORTH LEVEL MENU Start Tracking Control Stop Sidereal Rate Tracking Rate Lunar Rate Solar Rate Full Tracking Refr. Compensated Tracking Dual Axis Single Axis Slower Adjust Rate by Faster Reset Base Rate Play Stop PEC Idle...
  • Page 109 FIRST LEVEL MENU SECOND LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FORTH LEVEL MENU Direction keys Sync Lock 1/2×-VSlow 1×-Slow 8×-Center Guide/Focus 20×-Find More Options 48×-Fast 1/2Max-VFast Swap East/West Swap North/South Spiral Search Enter Coordination Sort by Name Sort by Constellation Solar System More Options Sort by Magnitude Sort by Class...
  • Page 110 FIRST LEVEL MENU SECOND LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FORTH LEVEL MENU Sort by Name Sort by Constellation Messier More Options Sort by Magnitude Sort by Class Sort by Name Sort by Constellation NGC/IC More Options Sort by Magnitude Sort by Class Sort by Name Sort by Constellation Herschel...

  • Page 111: Menu Of Hand Controller

    Menu of Hand Controller SECOND LEVEL FORTH LEVEL FIRST LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FIFTH LEVEL MENU MENU MENU Bright Stars STF** Stars STT** GCVS~* Main Menu Messier Goto (Press and Hold Caldwell [M]) Herschel400 Deep Sky Collinder...
  • Page 112 SECOND LEVEL FORTH LEVEL FIRST LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FIFTH LEVEL MENU MENU MENU Mercury Venus Mars Main Menu Goto Solar System Jupiter (Press and Hold [M]) Saturn Uranus Neptune Moon...
  • Page 113 SECOND LEVEL FORTH LEVEL FIRST LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FIFTH LEVEL MENU MENU MENU Users Filters ￥ Goto Coordinates Home Bright Stars STF** Stars Main Menu STT** (Press and Hold GCVS~* [M]) Messier Sync Caldwell Herschel400 Deep Sky Collinder...
  • Page 114 SECOND LEVEL FORTH LEVEL FIRST LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FIFTH LEVEL MENU MENU MENU Mercury Venus Mars Solar System Jupiter Sync Saturn Uranus Neptune Moon Main Menu Here (Press and Hold [M]) 1-Star Align 2-Star Align 3-Star Align 4-Star Align Align 5-Star Align 6-Star Align...
  • Page 115 SECOND LEVEL FORTH LEVEL FIRST LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FIFTH LEVEL MENU MENU MENU Show Model Clear Model Align Reset Home Refine PA Park Parking Un-Park Set-Park Stop/Start Sidereal Main Menu Solar (Press and Hold [M]) Lunar Comp Full Comp Refr Tracking Comp Off...
  • Page 116 SECOND LEVEL FORTH LEVEL FIRST LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FIFTH LEVEL MENU MENU MENU Date/Time Select Site Latitude Site Longitude UTC Offset Turn Off Main Menu Settings Contrast (Press and Hold Display [M]) Dim Timeout Blank Timeout Buzzer Now! Meridian Flip Automatic Pause at Home...
  • Page 117 SECOND LEVEL FORTH LEVEL FIRST LEVEL MENU THIRD LEVEL MENU FIFTH LEVEL MENU MENU MENU Fastest Faster Goto Speed Default Speed Slower Slowest Axis 1 RA/AZ Backlash Axis 2 Dec/Alt Main Menu Configuration Settings Horizon (Press and Hold [M]) Overhead Limits Meridian E Meridian W...

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