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Vixen Skypod Instruction Manual

Altazimuth mount
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Instruction Manual for
Altazimuth Mount

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  • Page 1 Instruction Manual for Altazimuth Mount...

  • Page 2: Preface

    We hope you will enjoy exploring celestial wonders anywhere with the SKYPOD. This manual is prepared in common with all the SKYPOD series telescopes. You may occasionally find descriptions in the text not relevant to your model, this depends on the model you purchased.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Balancing the Telescope - - - - - - - - - - 15 Connecting the STAR BOOK-S Cable to the SKYPOD- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 Connecting External Power Supply--16...

  • Page 4: Before Use

    Basic Operation The STAR BOOK-S automatic GoTo controller controls the motion of the SKYPOD. The SKY- POD functions smoothly and accurately when t h e w e i g h t o f e a c h c o m p o n e n t i s p r o p e r l y balanced.

  • Page 5: Parts Descriptions

    BEFORE USE Parts Descriptions : SKYPOD Mount and Tripod SKYPOD VMC110L and A80Mf telescopes shown here, your telescope may differ. Horizontal Rotation Axis E ye p i e c e S TA R B O O K - S E ye p i e c e S e t S c r ew...

  • Page 6: Star Book-S Hand Controller

    F u l l M i d d l e E m p t y Note: The SKYPOD battery level indicator may show “Empty” when the controller cable is not connected securely. 05. Upward Arrow / Downward Arrow Upward Arrow: A bunch of on-screen soft-keys corresponding to the upper buttons.

  • Page 7: Specifications

    BEFORE USE Legend on the Screen 13. Disp: On screen information changes each time pressed. <Soft-key legend> <RA and Dec> <No indication> SKYPOD Mount Specifications Mount Altazimuth GOTO Mount Altitude worm wheel Full circle 70-tooth gear Azimuth worm wheel Full circle 70-tooth gear Coordinates of object Shown on the STAR BOOK-S in 0.1’...

  • Page 8: How To Use

    HOW TO USE Flow of Operation Take the following steps to set up the SKYPOD. Pages 09 to 16 PREPARATION Assembling the SKYPOD and tripod. Setting Language (The first time only.) Pages 17 to 21 INITIAL SETTING Turn the powers of both the mount and controller to ON, and then choose your language in the STAR BOOK-S.

  • Page 9: Perparation

    (4) AA-size alkaline batteries (not included). The batteries can last about eight hours at 20 degrees C. The SKYPOD Mount runs on eight (8) AA-size alkaline batteries (not included) or optional external power supply. The batteries can last about eight hours at 20 degrees C.

  • Page 10: Setting Up The Telescope

    Hold the SKYPOD Mount over the Half Pillar so that the center shaft is above the matching hole. Place the SKYPOD Mount on the Half Pillar so that the two are flush. Tighten the locking knob on the underside of the tripod head firmly.

  • Page 11: Install Batteries Into The Battery

    Tighten the knob on the underside of the Locking Knob Locking Knob tripod head firmly. Install batteries into the battery pack on the SKYPOD Mount. Open the front cover to access the inner blue Compartment Compartment Slide Cover Slide Cover battery case as shown in the figure.

  • Page 12: Attaching The Counterweight

    Attaching the Optical Tube Slide the dovetail mounted scope into the dovetail mounting block of the SKYPOD, tighten the dovetail- plate lock screw (centered on the notch) onto the dovetail tube plate until snug. Dovet ail-P late...

  • Page 13: Attaching The Eyepiece Adapter

    PREPARATION ATTACHING THE EYEPIECE ADAPTER VMC110L Focuser Visual Configuration Right-angled Viewing Focus Knob Eyepiece 31.7mm / 1 ”(Supplied) Straight-through Viewing Flip Mirror Lever (Changes the light path.) R130Sf Focuser Visual Configuration A70Lf, A80Mf Focusers Visual Configuration Focus Knob Eyepiece Adapter (42mm to 31.7mm / 1 ”) A70Lf...
  • Page 14 PREPARATION Attaching the Finder Scope (A80Mf or R130Sf) Back out the adjust- Slide the rubber O-ring onto the eyepiece end Adjustment Adjustment Screw Screw m e n t s c r e w s o n t h e of the finder. There are two grooves on the finder bracket to allow finder tube.

  • Page 15: Balancing The Telescope

    Take great care in holding a telescope this way VMC110L as shown. as there is a much greater risk of dropping it. Attach it to the SKYPOD Normally you should hold the tube from under- with this point centered neath.

  • Page 16: Connecting The Star Book-S Cable

    PREPARATION CONNECTING THE STAR BOOK-S CABLE TO THE SKYPOD Open the compartment cover on the SKYPOD. Modular Plug Modular Plug Compartment Cover Compartment Cover The hand controller cable is wound around the blue battery case. Unwind it to take out the modular plug on one end of the cable.

  • Page 17: Initial Setting

    Turn off the power switch on the SKYPOD Mount. Caution Remember to turn the power switch on the SKYPOD to off as well as the power on the STAR BOOK-S. Otherwise, the batteries will be depleted. Turning one component off will Power Switch Power Switch not turn off the other.

  • Page 18: Setting Language

    INITIAL SETTING Setting Language The STAR BOOK-S can be operated with your choice of language with Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish to choose from. Japanese is the default language setting. Choose /Language with the keys and press the Select key to enter. Next the screen below is displayed.

  • Page 19: Setting Local Time

    INITIAL SETTING Setting Local Time Enter the date and local time of your observing site by using the upper five buttons on the STAR BOOK-S. This task is required only once the first time you use the STAR BOOK-S. However, you will need to reset the date and time if you travel from your regular observing site to a different time zone, or if you reset your clocks for Daylight Saving time.

  • Page 20: Setting Location

    INITIAL SETTING Setting Location Enter the longitude, latitude and time zone of your observing site. Once the settings for your location are entered and saved, you don’t need to change them unless you travel more than 15 miles to a different obser ving location. The longitude and latitude of your observing site can be checked on a map or with a GPS device.

  • Page 21: Saving The Settings

    INITIAL SETTING Saving the Settings Save your time, language and contrast settings for the next use. Failure to do so will result in having to re-enter these settings every time you turn on the power. Once you save the settings, they will be stored in the memory of the STAR BOOK-S and you can simply choose to advance the screen the next time you use it.

  • Page 22: Basic Operation

    BASIC OPERATION MOVING THE TELESCOPE A VMC110L telescope is used here as an example. Your telescope tube may differ. Please read the instruction manual that is appropriate to your model. In the initial screen, move the cursor to with the keys and press the Select key to enter.

  • Page 23: Viewing Terrestrial Landscape

    (The telescope may not move below the horizon.) Note: The SKYPOD starts driving at sidereal rate (the speed of Ear th’s rotation) as soon as the OK key is pressed in the home position setting screen.
  • Page 24 BASIC OPERATION Take off the objective lens Objective Lens Cap Objective Lens Cap Objective Lens Cap Objective Lens Cap (Catadioptrics) (Catadioptrics) c a p a n d eye p i e c e c a p. (Reflectors) (Reflectors) The location of the cap on your telescope may differ from model to model.
  • Page 25 BASIC OPERATION Press the keys (the H i n t 3 upper four buttons on the STAR BOOK-S) to point the telescope’s front end toward the target When you use the telescope for terrestrial object you choose. (Targets should be in excess viewing, leveling the telescope tube by pressing of 200m/660ft away: a building, antenna, tower, the keys...

  • Page 26: Changing The Magnification

    BASIC OPERATION Tr y the following when the telescope does not produce any image. * The telescope will not focus at short distances. Hint 5 It requires a distance of at least 200 meters to focus an object. Point the telescope as far into the distance as possible.

  • Page 27: Why You Need A Finder Scope

    BASIC OPERATION Ö¢WHY YOU NEED A FINDER SCOPE For the novice telescope user it is difficult to locate a selected object in the field of view at high magnification. Using a finder scope will make this easier. Be sure to align the finder scope with the telescope before you start observing. 1.
  • Page 28 BASIC OPERATION 2. Aligning the Finder scope (A70Lf) Choose a conspicuous target in the distance and place the target in the center of the field of view of the telescope in accordance with procedures I to III in Basic Operation. In the illustration, a distant tower is brought into the center of the field of view of the telescope.

  • Page 29: Observing The Moon

    OBSERVING CELESTIAL OBJECTS Look through the dot finder in a position where a red dot appears in the center. The dot finder works as long as the red dot is somewhere in the field of view. However if it is not centered, Hi nt 7 the dot may be harder to see clearly and your alignment may not be as accurate.
  • Page 30 OBSERVING CELESTIAL OBJECTS Try using different eyepieces to change the Eyepiece magnification depending on what type of Setscrew lunar features you wish to view. Eyepiece The Moon (as well as stars and other celestial objects) will move out of the field of view while looking through the telescope.

  • Page 31: Automatic Slewing

    Star t automatic slewing after you generally understand the basic operation of the telescope. Automatic slewing allows the SKYPOD to search for celestial objects based on the positions of each object stored in the memor y of the STAR BOOK-S.

  • Page 32: Align The Telescope

    AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment Aligning the Telescope After moving the telescope to the home position, pressing the Select key will display the western sky on screen in the northern hemisphere (the easter n sky in the souther n hemisphere). Tracking at sidereal rate star ts at this time, but alignment of the telescope is needed to make the tracking more accurate.
  • Page 33 AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment SCOPE MODE appears on screen after initialization when the power on the STAR BOOK-S is turned on. Change it to CHART MODE by pressing the Chart key. CHART should now appear at the upper left of the screen as shown below.
  • Page 34 AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment Center the celestial object you wish to use as a reference point in the circle on the screen. Example: Center the chart on “Spica” in the constellation Virgo (The Maiden). When the Zoom+ key is pressed once, the star chart is zoomed in by one step.
  • Page 35 AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment Automatic slewing begins. Caution The telescope moves quickly when automatic slewing starts. Pay attention to its range of motion. The telescope stops immediately w h e n a ny o f t h e S TA R B O O K - S key s i s pressed during automatic slewing.
  • Page 36 AUTOMATIC SLEWING Alignment Press the Align key on the STAR BOOK-S after centering the reference star “Spica” in the field of view of the telescope. A dialog box pops up to let you confirm the alignment. Choose YES and press the Select key to enter.
  • Page 37 Choosing a reference point near the zenith will make pointing accuracy worse. Due to the nature of SKYPOD Altazimuth Mount, you won’t be able to improve the pointing accuracy near the zenith even if you complete a pair alignment perfectly. Use a low power eyepiece to search for a celestial object in this case.

  • Page 38: Starting Automatic Slewing

    AUTOMATIC SLEWING Starting Automatic Slewing Automatic slewing becomes available as soon as a two point alignment (the first pair alignment) is completed. Proceed to automatic slewing when you’ve finished them. Choose celestial objects Hint 15 Hint 19 that you are interested in obser ving one by one. Refer to The following is an example for slewing to the globular cluster M3 in the constellation Canes Venatici (The Hunting Dogs).
  • Page 39 AUTOMATIC SLEWING As soon as the GOTO key is pressed, CHART MODE changes to SCOPE MODE and the telescope starts automatic slewing. Completion of Automatic slewing automatic slewing Start viewing with a low power eyepiece. Insert a low power eyepiece and center M3 in the field of view of the telescope’s eyepiece with the keys.

  • Page 40: Menu

    AUTOMATIC SLEWING Choosing a Target from the Object Menu Use the Object Menu. When you are in CHART MODE to search for a celestial object, pressing the Object key will bring up the Object Menu list. Example 1: Search for Messier objects (Find a Messier object from the Messier Catalog, which includes many well-known objects.) Pressing the Chart key will change the screen to CHART MODE when you are in...
  • Page 41 AUTOMATIC SLEWING When the GOTO key is pressed, the telescope starts moving to point to the target object (M51). GOTO Note 1: The STAR BOOK-S Object menus will display only those celestial objects which are in the sky above the horizon at the current time and location. Note 2: The object label may appear twice next to the selected object.

  • Page 42: Completing Observing

    When the GOTO key is pressed, the telescope starts moving to point to the target object NGC 4594 (Sombrero galaxy M104) automatically. Completing Observing Tur n off the power to the SKYPOD. Refer Hint 22 Next, turn off the STAR BOOK-S using the following procedure.
  • Page 43 Home Position just before turning off the power to the SKYPOD and the STARBOOK-S. This helps you to restart quickly the next time you wish to observe. The telescope will return to the same position you initially set as Home Position. Correct the home position if necessary with the keys if the embossed home position marks are not lined up.

  • Page 44: Application

    APPLICATION Chart Setting For various system settings, press the Menu key to access them. The Menu key is available in both CHART MODE and SCOPE MODE Press the Menu key to display the System Menu on the screen. Choose Chart Setting with the keys and press the Select key to enter.

  • Page 45: Lcd Adjustment

    APPLICATION C. Const. (Constellation) Name Choose Short in order to show abbreviated const- ellation names and choose Long to show the const- ellation names by full Latin name. Choosing OFF will hide the constellation names. Constellation Name OFF Constellation Name Short Constellation Name long The default setting is OFF.

  • Page 46: Backlighting Duration Adjustment

    APPLICATION Backlighting Duration Adjustment It is possible to turn off the screen backlight when a certain period of time has passed after keys are pressed. You can set the backlighting duration to remain on between 5 seconds and 300 seconds in 5 second intervals.

  • Page 47: About Starbook-S

    The STAR BOOK-S works with its self-contained batteries so it may be used by itself. This is a convenient feature for downloading software for upgrade, downloading comet data or use as a star chart. You cannot activate functions relating to the SKYPOD Mount drive.
  • Page 48 Part of the software embedded in this product is eCos - Embedded Configurable Operating System, a trademark of Red Hat. Portions created by Red Hat are Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000 Red Hat, Inc. (http://www.redhat.com). All Rights Reserved. THE SOFTWARE IN THIS PRODUCT WAS IN PART PROVIDED BY RED HAT AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED.

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