iOptron SmartStar Cube 8800G, Instruction Manual

Page 1: ...SmartStar CubeTM G Series Mount and Telescopes For 8800 8802 8803 and 8804 Instruction Manual ...

Page 2: ...gnment 15 4 3 Turn Off the Mount 16 5 Use SmartStar CubeTM G Telescopes 17 5 1 Manual Operation of a Telescope 17 5 2 Slew to an Object 17 5 2 1 Planets Sun Moon 17 5 2 2 Deep Sky Objects 17 5 2 3 Comets 17 5 2 4 Asteroids 18 5 2 5 Stars 18 5 2 6 User Objects 18 5 2 7 Enter Position 18 5 2 8 Watch List 18 5 2 9 Watch List Auto 18 5 3 Land Objects 18 5 4 Sync to Target 20 5 5 Electric Focuser 21 5 ...

Page 3: ...ical Specifications 31 Appendix B GoToNova 8402G HC MENU STRUCTURE 32 Appendix C GoToNova Star List 34 Appendix D Set Up USB PC Connection 40 Appendix E Firmware Upgrade 44 Appendix F Use a PC to Control an iOptron Mount 47 IOPTRON ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY 48 WARNING NEVER USE A TELESCOPE TO LOOK AT THE SUN Looking at or near the Sun will cause instant and irreversible damage to your eye Children...

Page 4: ... module will automatically synchronize your telescope location and time with the GoToNova computerized control system View celestial objects without having to manually punch in the date time latitude or longitude GoToNova Computerized Control System The revolutionary GoToNova computerized control system is by far the most technologically advanced automated tracking system available on the market t...

Page 5: ...ost ASCOM compatible software This enables you to utilize the CPU large screen and disk space of your PC laptop With a wide selection of software your star gazing experience will never be the same again Package Contents1 1 SmartStar CubeTM G Mount with built in GPS receiver Models 8800 8802 8803 and 8804 1 GoToNova Hand Controller Part No 8402G 1 Controller Cable 1 USB Cable 1 Tripod 1 Tripod bolt...

Page 6: ...6 1 2 Assembly Terms 1 Telescope tube 2 Dovetail lock 3 Hand controller 4 Altitude lock 5 Mount 6 Tripod 7 Tripod bolt 8 Tray 9 Tray lock ...

Page 7: ...ng the attached wires Step 3b Insert 8 AA batteries not included according to the diagrams on the holder Refer to the diagram on the holder to orient the batteries properly Replace the holder back into the batteries compartment and replace the cover For reference the battery pack fits in with wires on the bottom right See arrow in photo Use only fresh batteries Using mixing old or low batteries ma...

Page 8: ...to bring objects into focus You may need to turn the focus knob quite a few turns to focus your telescope for the first time Always start observing using a low power eyepiece such as a 25mm eyepiece to get a nice wide field of view Later you can change to high power if so desired Higher powered eyepieces have a much narrower field of view So it s more difficult to initially locate objects using hi...

Page 9: ...pe or on the side see next step Secure the eyepiece using the side screw Use the focus knob to adjust the focus This picture shows the eyepiece on the side Remove the protective cap to insert the eyepiece The diagonal is not used for side viewing Use the flip switch to flip the internal mirror to view from the side or the end of the scope Flip switch Eyepiece ...

Page 10: ... next menu select a choice slew the telescope to a selected object or stop start tracking Arrow Press buttons to move a telescope along the altitude direction to move a telescope along the azimuth direction Brows the menu or move the cursor in operating menu SPEED Key To select slew speed 2X 8X 64X 256X and MAX Light Key Turns on off the red LED reading light on the back of the controller HELP Key...

Page 11: ...shows GPS ON which means a GPS receiver is connected When the GPS receiver finds the satellite and receives GPS signal it shows GPS OK The GPS OK may turn off after few minutes 3 Slew speed It has 5 speeds 2X 8X 64X 256X 1º sec MAX 4º sec Press SPEED key to change it 4 Tracking speed display current operation mode of the mount Land the mount is operating at a land mode Cel Sol or Lun the mount is ...

Page 12: ... the mount so that the South mark facing south An additional compass is needed Unlock the altitude lock 4 and rotate the telescope to point straight up at the Zenith A torpedo level may help Make sure the mount is leveled Then turn the mount power on or 2 Turn the mount power on Press the SPEED button to select a slew speed MAX for fast slew and 2X for fine tuning Turn the SOUTH mark pointing to s...

Page 13: ...inutes ahead of or behind UT universal time New York City is 300 minutes behind UT Los Angeles is 480 minutes behind UT Rome is 60 minutes ahead of UT Beijing is 480 minutes ahead of UT Sydney is 600 minutes ahead of UT All the time zones in North America are behind UT universal time as shown in the following table So make sure it shows behind instead of ahead of UT Time Zone Hawaii Alaska Pacific...

Page 14: ...coordinates information can be found from internet such as GPSVisualizer http www gpsvisualizer com geocode by entering the city name or address In case you only find the site information in decimal format you can convert them into d m s format by multiplying the decimal numbers by 60 For example N47 53 can be changed to N47º31 48 47 53º 47º 0 53º 0 53º 0 53x60 31 8 0 8 0 8x60 48 Therefore 47 53º ...

Page 15: ... automatically slew to the Moon and lock on It will automatically begin to track once it locks on to it Use the arrow keys to center the Moon in your eyepiece if it is not centered Press BACK key to stop GOTO during the slew Press ENTER key to stop the tracking 4 2 4 Initial Star Alignment A simple alignment synchronization can be performed to improve the GOTO and tracking accuracy To do so press ...

Page 16: ...ishing observing always move the mount to Park Position If the mount is not moved no initial set up is needed when powered on the next time To do so press the MENU button scroll down to Park Telescope and press ENTER Turn the power off ...

Page 17: ... the horizon can be observed In some catalogs those stars below the horizon may not display 5 2 1 Planets Sun Moon There are 9 objects in Solar system 5 2 2 Deep Sky Objects This menu includes objects outside our Solar system such as galaxies star clusters quasars nebulae Named Deepsky Objects It consists of 60 deep sky objects with their common names More information will be available by pressing...

Page 18: ...fore they can be selected for slewing Refer to 5 8 1 R A and DEC 5 2 7 Enter Position Go to a target by entering its R A and DEC numbers 5 2 8 Watch List A watch list is a list of your favorite celestial objects in the database It can be selected for slewing User can add delete and browse the watch list Refer to 5 9 Watch List 5 2 9 Watch List Auto This function will set the mount automatically sl...

Page 19: ...button to change the slew speed if needed Then press ENTER to save the target Enter the Name using or to select form A Z 0 9 and space such as Z0 The object No will be assigned by the system in order Press ENTER to record your landmark Add a new Landmark Use or button to move the cursor to Add a new Landmark line and press ENTER Enter the Name using or to select form A Z 0 9 and space such as Z0 A...

Page 20: ... or button to move the cursor to Delete All Data line and press ENTER Press ENTER to confirm the deletion Press BACK to back to main menu 5 4 Sync to Target This operation will match the telescope s current coordinates to Target Right Ascension and Declination After slew to an object move the cursor to Sync to Target and press ENTER Follow the screen to do the sync Using this function can improve ...

Page 21: ...w keys to adjust LCD display contrast Press ENTER LCD Back Light Use arrow keys to adjust LCD screen back light intensity Press ENTER Keypad Backlight Use arrow keys to adjust keypad backlight Press ENTER 5 6 3 Set Key Beep Turn the key beep on off 5 6 4 Reset All Reset all settings to factory default data LCD Back Light LCD Back Light Adjust LCD Contrast ...

Page 22: ...the object in your eyepiece using or key Press SPEED button to adjust the slew speed Then press ENTER to complete the alignment Or press the BACK key to cancel the process If you have a very good initial setup one star alignment should be sufficient for good GOTO accuracy To increase the accuracy you may choose to do two star alignment 5 7 3 Two Star Alignment Two star alignment will increase the ...

Page 23: ...utton to move the cursor to Add a new object line and press ENTER Enter the name of your object by using or key to change the display from 1 to 9 space and A to Z and or key to move the cursor Press ENTER when you are done A screen will display to ask you to enter R A and DEC numbers Use or key to move the cursor and or key to change the numbers of your object RA ranges from 0 hour to 24 hour and ...

Page 24: ...s current RA and DEC coordinates Use or move the cursor position and or key change the number and press ENTER to select the object you want to edit Follow the same procedure as Add a new object to edit it Delete one data Use or button to move the cursor to Delete one data line and press ENTER A user object screen will show Use or button to move the cursor and or button to change the number Press E...

Page 25: ...Z and or key to move the cursor It will then ask the following information Year Month Day e q w Omega and i After entering all these parameters a confirmation screen will show Press ENTER to confirm The user object will be stored in next available or previous deleted comet position It can be selected and slewed from Comets menu Edit one data Use or button to move the cursor to Edit one data line a...

Page 26: ... to move the cursor and or button to change the number Press ENTER to delete selected object Reset comet data Use or button to move the cursor to Reset comet data line and press ENTER to restore all deleted or modified comets data to factory default setting 5 8 3 Asteroids Select Asteroids and press ENTER a menu like following will show Refer to 5 8 2 Comets to set the Asteroids 5 9 Watch List A w...

Page 27: ...one press BACK to back to Watch List menu You also can delete one or all objects in your watching list After the watch list is set it can be observed through Select and Slew operation either watching them manually or automatically using Watch List Auto 5 10 Set Telescope Coord Set the current Altitude and Azimuth of your telescope 5 11 Park Scope Park your telescope Return the telescope to its ini...

Page 28: ...lt to the optics 5 If your telescope is used outdoors on a humid night telescope surfaces may accumulate water condensation While such condensation does not normally cause any damage to the telescope it is recommended that wait the entire telescope be dried before being packed away Do not wipe any of the optical surfaces In addition the dust cap should not be placed back on to the optical tube unt...

Page 29: ...been removed from the telescope 2 Keep turning the focus knob Your telescope has a fine focusing mechanism which allows you to focus an image very precisely However this means that you may have to rotate the focus knob 20 to 40 complete turns to achieve focus particularly the first time you use your telescope After that fewer turns will be needed Images through the eyepiece appear unfocused or dis...

Page 30: ...es factory servicing or repairs write or call the iOptron Customer Service Department first before returning the telescope to the factory giving full particulars as to the nature of the problem as well as your name address and daytime telephone number The great majority of servicing issues can be resolved by telephone avoiding return of the telescope to the factory It is also strongly suggested th...

Page 31: ... Not Included Power Requirement DC 12V 2V 1 2A Operating Temperature 0 40ºC Weight with tripod 5 5 lbs without OTA Refractor Telescope Optical Design Achromatic Refractor Clear Aperture 80 mm Focal Length 400 mm Focal Ratio f 5 Resolving Power 1 4 arc secs Weight 2 2 lbs Newtonian Reflector Telescope Optical Design Reflector Clear Aperture 114 mm Focal Length 1000 mm Focal Ratio f 8 8 Resolving Po...

Page 32: ...us Neptune Sun Moon Deep Sky Objects Deep Sky Objects Named Deepsky Object Messier Catalog Named Stars Constellations Double Stars SAO Bright Stars User Objects User Objects Enter Position Enter Position Watch List Watch List Watch List Auto Watch List Auto Land Objects Land Objects NGC IC Catalog UGC Catalog Goto Landmark Record New Landmark Add a New Landmark Edit One Data Delete One Data Delete...

Page 33: ...y Info Set Key Beep Set Key Beep Reset All Reset All Upgrade Firmware Upgrade Firmware Easy One Star Align Easy One Star Align One Star Align One Star Align Two Star Align Two Star Align Sync To Target Sync To Target Electric Focuser Electric Focuser Add a new object Add a new object Edit one data Edit one data Delete one data Delete one data Delete all Delete all Add a new comet Add a new comet E...

Page 34: ...tterfly Cluster 6405 6 13 California Nebula 1499 14 Cat s Eye Nebula 6543 15 Cocoon Nebula 5146 16 Cone Nebula 2264 17 Cork Nebula 650 51 76 18 Crab Nebula 1952 1 19 Crescent Nebula 6888 20 Draco Dwarf 10822 21 Duck Nebula 2359 22 Dumbbell Nebula 6853 27 23 Eagle Nebula 16 24 Eight Burst Nebula 3132 25 Eskimo Nebula 2392 26 Flaming Star Nebula 405 27 Ghost of Jupiter 3242 28 Great Cluster 6205 13 ...

Page 35: ...Nebula 5070 45 Phantom Streak Nebula 6741 46 Pinwheel Galaxy 598 33 47 Pleiades 45 48 Ring Nebula 6720 57 49 Ring Tail Galaxy 4038 50 Rosette Nebula 2237 51 Saturn Nebula 7009 52 Sextans B Dwarf 5373 53 Small Magellanic Cloud 292 54 Sombrero Galaxy 4594 104 55 Spindle Galaxy 3115 56 Tank Track Nebula 2024 57 Trifid Nebula 6514 20 58 Ursa Minor Dwarf 9749 59 Whirlpool Galaxy 5194 51 60 Wild Duck Cl...

Page 36: ...36 Messier This table is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License It uses material from the Wikipedia article List of Messier objects ...

Page 37: ...ntaurus Cen 63 Perseus Per 20 Cepheus Cep 64 Phoenix Phe 21 Cetus Cet 65 Pictor Pic 22 Chamaeleon Cha 66 Pisces Psc 23 Circinus Cir 67 Piscis Austrinus PsA 24 Columba Col 68 Puppis Pup 25 Coma Berenices Com 69 Pyxis Pyx 26 Corona Australis CrA 70 Reticulum Ret 27 Corona Borealis CrB 71 Sagitta Sge 28 Corvus Crv 72 Sagittarius Sgr 29 Crater Crt 73 Scorpius Sco 30 Crux Cru 74 Sculptor Scl 31 Cygnus ...

Page 38: ...70 Chertan 118 Merak 166 Sheratan 023 Alkaid 071 Cor Caroli 119 Merope 167 Sirius 024 Alkalurops 072 Cursa 120 Mesartim 168 Skat 025 Alkes 073 Dabih 121 Miaplacidus 169 Spica 026 Almach 074 Deneb 122 Mintaka 170 Sterope 027 Alnasl 075 Deneb Algedi 123 Mira 171 Sulafat 028 Alnilam 076 Deneb Kaitos 124 Mirach 172 Syrma 029 Alnitak 077 Denebola 125 Mirfak 173 Talitha 030 Alphard 078 Dubhe 126 Mirzam ...

Page 39: ...2661 15 Psi Vel 221234 16 Gamma Leo 81298 Algieba 17 HR 4167 222199 18 Mu Vel 222321 19 Alpha UMa 15384 Dubhe 20 Zeta UMa 28737 Mizar 21 Iota Leo 99587 22 Gamma Cen 223603 23 Gamma Vir 138917 Porrima 24 Beta Mus 252019 25 HR 5089 204545 26 Alpha Cen 252838 27 Zeta Boo 101145 28 Gamma Lup 225938 29 Gamma CrA 83958 30 Xi Sco 159665 31 Alpha Sco 184415 Antares 32 Lambda Oph 121658 Marfic 33 Zeta Her ...

Page 40: ...hed If you have a 8402 HC refer to www iOptron com for more inforation For an 8402G Hand Controller the initial LCD screen shows following when it is turned on GoToNova 8402G V071022W www iOptron com 1 Install PL 2303 usb2com driver Download USB to COM driver for 8402G hand controller from iOptron website and double click on the compressed file Double click on it and you will see ...

Page 41: ...41 Click Next When finished installation click Finish 2 Plug the USB cable into a USB port on your PC plug the other end of the USB cable to hand controller Turn the mount power on ...

Page 42: ...ou computer should be ready for Firmware Upgrading computer communication with the mount via ASCOM platform and planetarium software applications However you need to find assigned COM port number for the USB connection To do so right click My Computer and click Properties Click Hardware click Device Manager ...

Page 43: ...43 Double click on Ports COM LPT find out the COM number and write it down in the following figure it is COM4 ...

Page 44: ...dix E Firmware Upgrade 1 Download and install Firmware Downloader from iOptron Website 2 Double click and open iOptron Downloader On the interface select appropriate port using pull down menu in this case COM4 ...

Page 45: ...nd click Open Select Main Program ONLY in Update Type Click Start Download It shows Please reset GoToNova GOTOSTAR waiting for connection On the hand controller press MENU and using scroll to select Set up controller press ENTER then select Upgrade firmware press ENTER and the upgrade starts ...

Page 46: ...mber for Prolific USB to Serial Com Port 2 Wrong bin file make sure you have the correct bin file for firmware upgrade 3 Wrong downloader you should use iOptron Downloader instead of the Flash Downloader 4 Use PL 2303 driver provided by iOptron The newest version from Prolific may not work properly for iOptron s hand controller ...

Page 47: ...latform download from http ascom standards org 4 iOptron ASCOM drive download it from iOptron website and 5 Planetarium software Some company has integrated iOptron s products into their planetarium software such as Voyage and The Sky X Pro Therefore an ASCOM plug in will not be needed Most planetarium software can be used to control iOptron s product via ASCOM Some other ASCOM drivers such as LX2...

Page 48: ...se misuse mishandling or unauthorized repair Further product malfunction or deterioration due to normal wear is not covered by this warranty IOPTRON DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WHETHER OF MERCHANTABILITY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HERE THE SOLE OBLIGATION OF IOPTRON UNDER THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL BE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE COVERED PRODUCT IN A...