14
Sirius
06 45.1 -16 43
4"
-1.5
CMa
double star
Spica
13 25.2 -11 10
*
1
Vir
star
Suhail
09 08.0 -43 26
*
2.2
Vel
star
Vega
18 36.9 +38 47 *
0
Lur
star
7. troubleshooting your
sky Wizard
readouts do not change when you move the
scope.
1. Check to see if the encoder’s setscrews are tight. On Alt.-
AZ telescope, especially Dobsonians, make sure the
bottom Azimuth bolt does NOT rotate.
2. The cables are probably plugged in upside down. Unplug
the cable from the encoder, turn it 180° and plug it back in.
The correct orientation will have the wires coming out of
the plug going away from (opposite of) the encoder shaft.
“Encoder Error” readout on the sky Wizard dis-
play.
1. Check the battery; is it a new ALKALINE battery? If not,
this can be a big problem during colder winter weather. If
you are observing in sub-zero weather, you might have to
use two batteries, keeping one warm inside a coat pocket.
Never use regular “Heavy Duty” or rechargeable batteries.
2. Check to see if the cables are properly attached. Loose or
broken wires will cause this error message.
3. Are you moving to fast? The Sky Wizard can only move
100° per second. Turning the encoders with your fingers
when they are not on the telescope can easily exceed this
maximum rate.
4. Switch the cables from RA and DEC and from DEC to RA;
does the “Encoder Error” change sides? If the error changes
from RA to Dec. (or Alt. to Az.) then it is possible that one of the
encoders is bad. If it does not change sides, then it is possible
that the cable itself is bad. Contact Orion Technical Support for
help.
the sky Wizard cannot find anything!
(There are two possible scenarios)
A. The Sky Wizard is way off; the telescope points at the
ground or is more than 20° off of known targets. Warp
values are 20.0 or greater.
1. Do the ENCODER DIRECTION TEST. The encoder direc-
tion test is the only way to sort out this problem. The problem
is almost always encoder polarity or encoder ratios.
2. Look at the encoder ratios on the installation instructions.
Go into
INSTALL mode and check to see that the encoder
ratios are input correctly.
3. The encoder direction test also tells you if the encoders are
hooked up backwards. It is very common for the encoder
polarity (+ -) to be backwards. If the encoder test goes the
wrong way, simply go to INSTALL mode and change the
polarity of the axis in question. Be sure to turn the unit off,
then back on before doing the encoder test again.
4. If you have a German Equatorial mount, is the first star
you chose in SETUP mode in the Eastern half of the sky?
(It must be.)
5. Are you sure you entered the correct names of sighting
stars in Setup? Consult a star chart if there is ANY doubt!
B. The Sky Wizard is close, but the objects are not quite in the
field of view. Warp values are less than 5.0.
1. This is almost always the startup index mark. If your tele-
scope is not precisely polar-aligned, or you have an
Alt.-Az telescope, you must take care to get this index
mark exact. If you are one degree off, this could mean
pointing errors of up to two degrees. Go over the section
on Startup Index Mark (page 5) and double check your
work. If the Sky Wizard is still off, it is possible that your
mount is not square or is imprecise.
2. Double check the encoder setscrew for slight slippage. On
Alt.-Az. telescopes, especially Dobsonians, make sure the
bottom Azimuth bolt does NOT rotate.
8. Quick reference
Basic setup & use
Important: Before using your ORION Sky Wizard for the first
time you need to run the INSTALL program and enter the
characteristics of your telescope and encoder installation. The
Encoder Ratios are on the Installation Instructions that came
with the Install Kit for your specific telescope. See Chapter
1–Installation for detailed instructions.
setup
1. Turn on Sky Wizard. After displaying the startup message,
it will show one of the following messages depending on
the type of mount:
Equatorial mounts: DEC=0—set telescope declination to
exactly 0° (Aim scope at celestial equator, 90° from the pole.
Press ENTER. (German Equatorial mountings have two 0°
indexes. Use the one that results in the telescope looking into
the Eastern sky.)
Altazimuth mounts: (Display depends on INSTALL choice
made.)
LEVEL ME: Aim telescope tube horizontally to your index
mark (telescope aimed at the horizon if scope base is level).
Press ENTER.
VERTICAL: Aim telescope tube vertical to your index mark
(telescope aimed directly up if scope base is level). Press
ENTER.
2.
SETUP—Point telescope at a known bright star (not
Polaris).
3. Scroll UP or DOWN to display the correct star name.
4. Press ENTER to confirm the star sighting.
5. Point the telescope to a second bright star over 60° away.
