Advanced Series Advanced Series GT INSTRUCTION MANUAL C80ED-R C100ED-R INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................ ............4 Warning ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 ASSEMBLY .................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Setting up the Tripod .................................................................................................................................. 6 Attaching the Equatorial Mount ................................................................................................................. 6 Attaching the Center Leg Brace ................................................................................................................. 7 Installing the Counterweight Bar................................................................................................................ 7 Installing the Counterweight ...................................................................................................................... 8 Attaching the Hand Control Holder............................................................................................................ 8 Attaching the Slow Motion Knobs ............................................................................................................. 8 Attaching the Telescope Tube to the Mount............................................................................................... 9 The Optical Tube...................................................................................................................................... 10 Balancing the Tube in R.A. ...................................................................................................................... 11 Adjusting the Mount................................................................................................................................. 12 Adjusting the Mount in Altitude ............................................................................................................... 13 Adjusting the Mount in Azimuth .............................................................................................................. 13 Attaching the Declination Cable (For GT Models Only) ......................................................................... 13 Powering the Telescope............................................................................................................................ 14 HAND CONTROL ....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Hand Control Operation ........................................................................................................................... 16 Alignment Procedures .............................................................................................................................. 17 Startup Procedure ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Auto Align................................................................................................................................................ 18 Auto Three-Star Align.............................................................................................................................. 18 Quick-Align.............................................................................................................................................. 19 Last Alignment ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Re-Alignment ........................................................................................................................................... 19 Object Catalog.......................................................................................................................................... 20 Selecting an Object ................................................................................................................................... 20 Slewing to an Object................................................................................................................................. 20 Finding Planets ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Tour Mode ................................................................................................................................................ 21 Constellation Tour .................................................................................................................................... 21 Direction Buttons...................................................................................................................................... 21 Rate Button ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Setup Procedures ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Tracking Mode ................................................................................................................................. 22 Tracking Rate ................................................................................................................................... 22 Date/Time ......................................................................................................................................... 22 User Defined Objects........................................................................................................................ 22 Get RA/DEC..................................................................................................................................... 23 Goto R.A/Dec ................................................................................................................................... 23 Identify ............................................................................................................................................. 23 Precise GoTo............................................................................................................................................. 24 Scope Setup Features ................................................................................................................................ 24 Setup Time-Site ................................................................................................................................ 24 Anti-backlash.................................................................................................................................... 24 Filter Limits ...................................................................................................................................... 24 Direction Buttons.............................................................................................................................. 25 Goto Approach ................................................................................................................................. 25 Autoguide Rates ............................................................................................................................... 25 Azimuth Limits................................................................................................................................. 25 East/West Filtering ........................................................................................................................... 26 Utility Features ......................................................................................................................................... 26 Calibrate Goto .................................................................................................................................. 26 Home Position .................................................................................................................................. 26 Polar Align ....................................................................................................................................... 26 2 Light Control .................................................................................................................................... 27 Factory Settings ................................................................................................................................ 27 Version ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Get Alt-Az ........................................................................................................................................ 27 Goto Alt-Az ...................................................................................................................................... 27 Hibernate .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Turn On/Off GPS ............................................................................................................................. 27 TELESCOPE BASICS ................................................................................................................................................. 29 Image Orientation ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Focusing ................................................................................................................................................... 30 Aligning the Finderscope ......................................................................................................................... 30 Calculating Magnification ........................................................................................................................ 30 Determining Field of View ....................................................................................................................... 31 General Observing Hints........................................................................................................................... 31 ASTRONOMY BASICS............................................................................................................................................... 32 The Celestial Coordinate System.............................................................................................................. 32 Motion of the Stars ................................................................................................................................... 33 Finding the North Celestial Pole............................................................................................................... 35 Declination Drift Method of Polar Alignment.......................................................................................... 36 CELESTIAL OBSERVING......................................................................................................................................... 37 Observing the Moon ................................................................................................................................. 37 Lunar Observing Hints.............................................................................................................................. 37 Observing the Planets ............................................................................................................................... 37 Observing the Sun..................................................................................................................................... 37 Solar Observing Hints............................................................................................................................... 38 Observing Deep Sky Objects .................................................................................................................... 38 Seeing Conditions ..................................................................................................................................... 38 Transparency............................................................................................................................................. 38 Sky Illumination .... ...