Los Angeles is
“UTC -480 minutes”
Rome is
“UTC +60 minutes”
Beijing is
“UTC +480 minutes”
Sydney is
“UTC +600 minutes”
All the time zones in North America are
“UTC –“, as shown in the following table, so ensure the display
shows “
UTC -
” instead of “
UTC +
”.
Time Zone
Hawaii
Alaska
Pacific
Mountain
Central
Eastern
Hour behind UT
-10
-9
-8
-7
-6
-5
Enter UTC
-600
-540
-480
-420
-360
-300
To adjust minutes, move the cursor to each digit and use the number keys to input the number directly. Use
▲ or ▼ key to toggle between “
+
” and “
-
”. When the time one information entered is correct, press ENTER
and go back to the previous screen.
Note that fractional time zones can be entered.
Do not manually add or subtract an hour from displayed time to reflect Daylight Saving Time (DST). Only
select “
Y
” after DST begins.
For other parts of the world you can find your “time zone” information from internet.
Set Observation Site Coordinates
The fifth and sixth lines display the longitude and latitude coordinates, respectively. The longitude and
latitude coordinates will be automatically updated when the GPS picks up a
satellite signal. “W/E” means
Western/Eastern H
emisphere; “N/S” means Northern/Southern Hemisphere; “d” means degree; “m” means
minute; and “s” means second.
If, for any reason, your GPS does not pick up the satellite signal, you can manually enter your longitude and
latitude coordinates. Press the
◄ or ► key to move the cursor, use the ▲ or ▼ key to toggle between “W”
and “E”, and “N” and “S”, and use the number keys to change the numbers. It is always a good idea to do
your homework and get longitude and latitude coordinates before traveling to a new observation site.
The site coordinates information can be found from your smart phone, GPS receiver or via the internet. Site
information in decimal format can be converted into d:m:s format by multiplying the decimal numbers by 60.
For example, N47.5
3 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=47º31'48" or 47d31m48s.
Check the Hand Controller Battery
The hand controller has a real time clock (RTC) which should display the correct time every time the mount
is turned on. If the time is incorrect, please check the battery inside the hand controller and replace it if
required.
STEP 10. Set the Zero Position
Zero Position is the mount starting reference point which ensures the GOTO performance. Press
MENU
=>
“
Zero Position
” => “
Search Zero Position
” to let the mount search the Zero Position. Follow the instruction
on hand controller display to adjust the Zero Position if RA or DEC is not aligned. Or press
MENU
=> “
Zero
Position
” => “
Set Zero Position
”, to manually set the mount to Zero Position. Loosen the DEC and R.A.
Gear Switches in turn to adjust the mount to the Zero Position. Engage the clutches after each adjustment.
STEP 11. Perform Polar Alignment
Polar Alignment with iPolar Electronic Polar Scope
GEM45 are equipped with an iPolar
TM
electronic polar scope. To perform polar alignment, please refer to
Appendix C
. It is simple and fast, even the pole star or part of the sky is blocked. Steps are briefly outlined
below:
