TIPS FOR USING SKYALIGN
Remember the following alignment guidelines to make using SkyAlign as simple and
accurate as possible.
> Be sure to level the tripod before you begin alignment. The time/site information along with a level
tripod will help the telescope better predict the available bright stars and planets that are above
the horizon.
> Remember to select alignment stars that are as far apart in the sky as possible. For best results
make sure that the third alignment star does not lie in a straight line between the first two stars.
This may result in a failed alignment.
> Don't worry about confusing planets for stars when selecting alignment objects. SkyAlign works
with the four brightest planets (Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars) as well as the Moon. In addition
to the planets, the Hand Control has over 80 bright alignment stars to choose from
(down to 2.5 magnitude).
> Rarely SkyAlign will not be able to determine what three alignment objects were centreed.
This sometime happens when a bright planet or the Moon passes near one of the brighter stars.
In situations like these it is best to try to avoid aligning to either object if possible.
> Be sure to centre the objects with the same final movements as the direction of the Go To
Approach. For example, if the scope normally finishes a Go To with the front of the scope moving
right and up, you should centre all three alignment objects in the eyepiece using the right and up
arrow buttons (the up/down arrows reverse at slew rates of 6 or lower). Approaching the star from
this direction when looking through the eyepiece will eliminate much of the backlash between the
gears and assure the most accurate alignment possible.
AUTO TWO-STAR ALIGN
As with SKYALIGN, Auto Two-Star Align requires you to enter all the necessary time/site information
as before. Once this information is entered, NexStar will prompt you to select and point the telescope
at one known star in the sky. The NexStar now has all the information it needs to automatically choose a
second star that will assure the best possible alignment. Once selected the telescope will automatically
slew to that second alignment star to complete the alignment. With the NexStar set up outside with all
accessories attached and the tripod leveled, follow the steps below to align the telescope:
1. Once the NexStar is powered on, Press ENTER to begin alignment.
2. Use the Up and Down scroll keys (10) to select Auto Two-Star Align and press ENTER.
3. The Hand Control will display the last time and location information that was entered into the
Hand Control. Use the Up and Down buttons to scroll through the information. Press ENTER
to accept the current information or press UNDO to manually edit the information
(see SkyAlign section for detailed instruction on entering time/site information).
4. The display will now prompt you to select a bright star from the displayed list on the Hand
Control. Use Up and Down buttons (6 and 9 on the keypad) to scroll to the desired star and
then press ENTER.
5. Use the arrow buttons to slew the telescope to the star you selected. Centre the star in the
finderscope and press ENTER. Finally, centre the star in the eyepiece and press ALIGN.
COMPUTERIZED TELESCOPE
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