7
FinD
The
FIND mode provides steering directions to a pre-selected
object in the catalog. Pick an object from any of the catalog
databases, then press MODE to return to the mode selector,
and press UP or DOWN until
FIND is displayed, then press
ENTER.
FIND takes the last object selected from the
CATALOG, compares the object’s coordinates with the cur-
rent telescope position, and displays steering directions. The
unit of measure is degrees from the current position. Suppose,
for example, we selected
M27, but the telescope got bumped
a few degrees before we could see it. Use the
FIND mode
and move the telescope as indicated to make the displayed
deviation zero. The indication shows 2.3° left and 1.5° up.
Press ENTER to obtain a scrolling description.
Guide display arrows:
2.3
1.5
Description:
M027 MAG=8.0 SIZE=480
DUMBBELL
NEBULA VULPECULA PLANETARY
NEBULA IRREGULAR SA=08
As you move the telescope the numbers will count down until
the object is recentered and the distance displayed is 0.0°. If
the distance back to the object is greater than 10° in either
direction, the steering will be in whole 1° increments. Once the
object is within 10° of center the instrument will display finer
resolution steering directions of 0.1°. The following sequence
of guiding displays shows how the guiding arrows and digits
change as the object is approached and then passed.
50
36
17
24
2.3
1.5
0•0 0•0 1.4
0.8
The
FIND mode displays guide directions based on each axis
of motion of the telescope mount. Motion in one axis will not
cause the other deviation display to change.
Scrolling UP or DOWN while in
FIND mode will tell Sky
Wizard to find the next object in the previously selected
catalog database.
If your telescope has a German-type equatorial mount, Sky
Wizard allows for the two possible ways to point at an object.
Sky Wizard will display the path from the current position that
involves the least turning. Should the observer want to “flop” the
telescope 180°, Sky Wizard will guide you to that position too.
sYnc
This function is usually used only when the objects are not
centered in the field of view. This can be used as an alignment
“fine tuning” since it allows any star or object in the database
to be used for alignment. For example, center the Messier
object
M37 in the eyepiece. Enter CATALOG mode and look-
up
M37 in the M list, then switch to SYNC mode. Press the
ENTER button to choose this as a new alignment fix. This
function is useful for obtaining a new alignment fix during the
middle of an observing session to correct small coordinate
errors that may accumulate due to slight misalignments of the
encoder installation. When you
SYNC, Sky Wizard will display
the object as a reminder. Example:
SYNC M037. If you SYNC
with the wrong subject, Sky Wizard may become disoriented
and you will need to run
SETUP again to re-orient accurately
to the sky.
3. sample observing session
Power on & setup alignment
Let’s pretend we are observing through our telescope with an
equatorial mount. We turn on the Sky Wizard. It will briefly
display the startup message
ORION SKY WIZARD V1.14
(1.14 is the software version number). Then it will display
DEC=0, this indicates that you need to point the telescope to
declination equal to 0° (using the mechanical setting circles),
where the optical axis is perpendicular to both the right ascen-
sion and declination axis. This step is critical to accuracy.
(German-type Equatorial mountings must have the encoder
initialized with the declination axis set at the east of the merid-
ian zero declination. Be sure to use the Dec. 0° mark which
coincides with the telescope aiming toward East.)
Press ENTER when the declination angle is set at 0°. The
display will then say
SETUP. Position the telescope so a
familiar bright star is centered in the eyepiece. Press ENTER
and use the arrow buttons to scroll through the list of 28 stars
until you find the name of the star that is in the eyepiece.
Press the ENTER button again. A second star must be sight-
ed in another region of the sky. You must sight on 2 stars for
all mount types. The first star sighting should be at least 60°
from the celestial pole, a second star should be between 60°
and 120° from the first star. It is best NOT to use Polaris for
the second star.
After a second star is centered in the telescope’s eyepiece,
again scroll through the list of alignment stars, and press
ENTER once the star name on the display matches the star
centered in the eyepiece. After the second alignment star is
entered, the Sky Wizard is aligned.
For example we will use Regulus, the bright star at the base
of the backward question mark of Leo as a first alignment
star. In the
SETUP mode the display will show the first star
name in the list of 28 bright stars. The first star in the list is
Achernar, and the display will read
ACHERNAR.
We want to use the star Regulus for our first star sighting, so
press and hold the UP arrow button to advance through the
list of star names. If you went past Regulus while scrolling,
simply press the DOWN arrow button to back up. Release the
button when the display reads
REGULUS.
Verify the star is centered in the telescope eyepiece and press
the ENTER button. For optimal coverage of the sky, pick a sec-
ond star that is between 60° and 120° away from the first star.
After the first star sighting, simply press one of the arrow but-
tons to advance to another star name. To find Mizar, for
example, press the UP arrow button until the display reads
MIZAR. Center Mizar in the eyepiece and press the ENTER
button. The second star sighting is now complete.The display
will show the warp factor which is a measure of the amount of
agreement between the catalog angles and the measured
angles between sighted stars. Example
WARP=-0.4
ra DEc Mode
Press the MODE button to exit
SETUP. Scroll the UP or
DOWN to select the
RA DEC mode for display, then press
