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7.3. Troubleshooting
The following suggestions may be helpful with operation of the AstroBoy telescope.
The power indicator light on the mount does not come on or there is no response when
pressing hand controller’s arrow keys:
(1) Verify that the power switch on the mount is in the ON position.
(2) Verify that the hand controller cord is firmly connected to the HBX port on the mount.
(3) Press the SPEED button to change the slew speed to MAX.
(4) Check the power source, which include:
•
Using the battery? Are the batteries installed correctly? Are the batteries fresh?
How long have they been used? (frequent slew and GOTO will deplete battery
power very quickly)
•
Using AC or DC adapter? Check the plugs to the mount and to the power outlet.
•
Using extension cord? Make sure the cord is in good condition. Power drop along
the extension cord was known to cause the problem. Also check all the plugs and
connections.
(5) If the telescope does not respond to commands, set the power switch to OFF and
then back to ON.
(6) If the telescope does not slew after power is applied or if the motor quits or stalls,
verify that there are no physical obstructions that would impede telescope
movement.
The Moon (or Star) is high on the sky, why the hand controller says it will rise in certain
hours?
The site information setting, such as minutes behind UT (if you locate in North America),
or DST setting is wrong. Please go to “Set Up Controller” submenu to double check
them.
Cannot seem to focus (No image appears in the eyepiece):
(1) Confirm that the dust cap has been removed from the telescope.
(2) Fully extending the telescope tube by tuning the focuser clockwise first. Then turn
the focuser slowly counterclockwise to bring the object to focus.
Images through the eyepiece appear unfocused or distorted:
(1) The magnification used may be too high for the seeing conditions. Back off to a lower
power eyepiece.
(2) If inside a warm house or building, move outside. Interior air conditions may distort
terrestrial (land) or celestial images, making it difficult, if not impossible, to obtain a
sharp focus. For optimal viewing, use the telescope outside in the open air instead of
observing through an open or closed window or screen.
(3) If viewing a land object on a warm day, heat waves distort the image.
(4) The optics within the telescope need time to adjust to the outside ambient
temperature to provide the sharpest image. To "cool down" the optics, set the
telescope outside for 10 to 15 minutes before observing begins.
(5) A land object is too close.
The telescope does not GOTO the right object, or the alignment is always wrong:
(1) Check the mount leveling (very important).
(2) Site information setting may be wrong (minutes ahead of or behind UT, DST).
(3) Check the power source or change the batteries.
