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 HEM27 mount according to Section 3. Mount an OTA and accessories, and balance
the mount in DEC. Turn the mount power switch on. Check the date and site info. Perform polar alignment.
Always check if the mount is at the Zero Position when the mount is powered on, i.e. with the
counterweight shaft mounting hole or CW shaft pointing to ground, OTA at the highest position with its axis
parallel to the RA axis and the telescope pointing to the Celestial Pole. Check the hand controller diplay to
see if the Zero Position is displayed. If not, press MENU => “Zero Position” => “Set Zero Position” to
register the Zero position in hand controller. Or perform Searching Zero Position to set the Zero position.
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 0 button
to start tracking. Press 0 button again to stop the 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=>“Alignment”=>“One Star Align”=>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 MENU=>“Select and Slew”=>ENTER.
Browse over the catalogs and select an object. Press ENTER. After the mount slews to the star, press
MENU=>“Sync. To Target”, follow the on-screen instruction to center the star 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 an Object
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 an Object, such as Moon, press MENU=>“Select and Slew”=>“Solar
System”=>Moon=>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. You may use “Sync to Target” to improve the tracking.
You may also select other bright celestial objects to start with, such as Jupiter or Saturn.
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