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4. Getting Started
In order to experience the full GOTO capability of GOTONOVA
®
technology it is very important to set
up the mount correctly before observation.
4.1. Setup the Mount and Polar Alignment
Assemble your ZEQ25 mount according to Section 3.2. Turn the mount power switch on. When the
GPS receiver is connected to satellites, LCD will display GPS OK. The mount will have correct time and site
information. You can also enter them manually as described before. Mount an OTA and accessories, and
carefully balance the mount around the polar axis. Polar align you mount using either Quick Polar
Alignment or BrightStar Polar Alignment Procedure.
The default position for the mount is the Zero Position, when the mount is powered on: the
counterweight shaft is pointing to ground, telescope is at the highest position with its axis parallel to the
polar axis and the telescope is pointing to the North Celestial Pole, if you are located in northern
hemisphere.
4.2. Manual Operation of the Mount
You may observe astronomical objects using the arrow keys of a Go2Nova
®
hand controller.
Flip the I/O switch on the telescope mount to turn on the mount. Use ►,◄,▼ or ▲ buttons to point
the telescope to the desired object. Use the number keys to change the slewing speed. Then press STOP/0
button to start tracking.
4.3. Initial Star Alignment
Perform a simple one star alignment/synchronization after set up the hand controller to correct any
pointing discrepancy of the Zero Position and to improve the GOTO accuracy.
To perform “One Star Align,” press MENU button, scroll down to “Align”, select “One Star Align”
and press ENTER. The screen will display a list of bright objects for you to select from. Select an object
using ▲ or ▼ key. Then press ENTER. After the mount slews to the target, use the arrow keys to center it
in your eyepiece. Then press ENTER. (More align details in 5.4)
An alternate way is to perform “Sync to Target.” Press the MENU button, select “Select and Slew”
and press ENTER. Browse over the catalogs and select an object, such as “Stars” Æ“Named stars” Æ140
(Polaris), and press ENTER. After the mount slews to Polaris, press the MENU button, scroll down to
“Sync. To Target”, follow the on-screen instruction to center Polaris and press ENTER. You may need to
use the number keys to change the slewing speed to make the centering procedure easier.
4.4. Go to the Moon and Other Stars
After performing these set-ups the mount is ready to GOTO and track objects. One of the most
common objects is the Moon.
To slew to the Moon press the MENU button. Select “Select and Slew” by pressing the ENTER
button. Select “Solar System”, and use the ▲ or ▼ buttons to select Moon. Press ENTER. The telescope
will automatically slew to the Moon and lock on it. It will automatically begin to track once it locks on. If the
Moon is not centered in your eyepiece, use the arrow keys to center the Moon. Or for better performance
use “Sync to Target.”
You may also select other bright celestial objects to start with, such as Jupiter or Saturn.