6
Enc tEst
The Encoder Direction test must be done after installing the
Sky Wizard on the telescope, before going out at night for the
first time. This allows verification that the encoders are func-
tional and move in the correct direction and amount. The unit
of measure is whole degrees.
For equatorial mounts, the display shows RA on the left and
Dec. on the right. The display will show both 000 on the right
ascension axis, and +000 on the declination axis. The RA
increases from 000 to 090 as you move toward the West 90°.
The Dec. increases from +000 to +090 as you move the tele-
scope North 90°.
For an altitude/azimuth telescope mounting the display identi-
fies the first numbers 000 as the azimuth axis, and the second
n000 as the altitude axis. Azimuth should start at
000, and increase to 090 when rotated 1/4 turn clockwise.
Altitude is +000 when horizontal and +090 when vertical.
Motion of the telescope will change the encoder angles. For
more details, see Encoder Direction Test. (pg. 5)
ra DEc
Displays right ascension and declination, providing a continu-
ous display of telescope position. Example:
0742+281. This
example shows a right ascension of 7 hours and 42 minutes,
and a declination of north 28.1 degrees.
(Note that the final digit in the declination is in tenths of a
degree.)
cataloG
This mode retrieves information from one of Sky Wizard’s
six separate catalogs. Select this mode by pressing MODE,
then either UP or DOWN until
CATALOG is displayed, then
press ENTER. Press the UP or DOWN arrows to select one
of the catalogs, then press ENTER when the catalog you
prefer is displayed.
Catalogs available (and typical display):
Star catalog:
ST001
Messier catalog:
M001
Planets catalog:
PLANETS
The first time a catalog is used, the display will show its first
entry. For example, the Messier catalog displays
M001, which
happens to be the Crab Nebula. The “M” will be blinking.
The
ST (Star) Catalog contains the 28 alignment stars. The
complete list is included in the back of this manual. First look
up the object, select
CATALOG mode, choose ST, and enter
the index number using the arrow buttons to set the blinking
digit, pressing ENTER to advance to the next digit to be set.
Press ENTER after setting the last digit and the display will
show the coordinates.
Example
CATALOG display for selecting an object from the
star
(ST) list:
Enter number:
ST27
Coordinates:
0513+028
Description:
MAG=4.5
SIZE=7.0
RHO ORION COLORED DOUBLE STAR
The
MESSIER catalog contains the full historical list of 110
objects cataloged by the famous French astronomer Charles
Messier. These objects are the most popular objects observed
by amateur astronomers. (The catalog list includes objects
now known to be duplicates or asterisms, which are identified
in the description.) Select
CATALOG with the MODE button
and press ENTER. If you are already in
CATALOG, simply
press the arrow buttons to switch between the three groups
and press ENTER. The display will show
M001. Enter the
desired value of the blinking digit using the arrow buttons and
press ENTER to advance to the next digit. When the last digit
has been set, press ENTER and the display will show the M
number. Press ENTER again to show the coordinates for the
selected object. Press ENTER again for a scrolling descrip-
tion which includes magnitude, popular name, constellation
and description.
Example
CATALOG display for selecting an object from the
Messier (M) list:
Catalog number:
M027
Celestial coordinates:
2000+227
Description:
M027 MAG=8.0 SIZE=480
DUMBBELL NEBULA VULPECULA
PLANETARY NEBULA IRREGULAR
The
PLANETS Catalog consists of the major planets in the
solar system. The planetary positions are calculated accord-
ing to the date. While the date is not required for any other
type of celestial subject, it is necessary for calculating correct
planet positions. Sky Wizard will remind you to enter the date
the first time you choose the Planets catalog during an
observing session.
Press MODE, scroll to
CATALOG, press ENTER. Scroll to
PLANETS and press ENTER. When DATE appears, press
ENTER. The last calendar date entered will be displayed. This
date is used in the planetary orbit calculations. The range of
years is from 1950 to 2050. Press ENTER again. The display
order is Month, Date, and Year. The digits may be set sequen-
tially using the UP and DOWN buttons to set each digit. Press
ENTER when each digit is set to the desired value. After set-
ting all the digits of the date, press UP or DOWN to select a
planet.
The UP and DOWN buttons will allow you to scroll through
the list of planets. Press enter to display the current coordi-
nates of the planet.
Example
CATALOG display for selecting a planet:
MERCURY
VENUS
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
URANUS
NEPTUNE
PLUTO
