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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 HEM44 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. This include
the following two parts
1. The mount is physically at Zero Position,
i.e.,
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,
AND
2. The hand controller displays
Zero Position.
If not, press
MENU =>
“Zero Position” => “
Search Zero Position
”
to find and register the Zero
position. Or manually slew/adjust the mount t
o Zero Position, then use “
Set Zero Position
”
to register it.
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. 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 also select other bright celestial objects to start with.
4.4. Sync to Target
Use this function to correct the Zero Position discrepancy and to improve the GOTO accuracy.
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.
