Multi-Purpose Computerized Mount Instruction Manual
Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Warning .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Assembly...............................................................................................
Updating the SynScan™ Firmware .................................................................................................................................................... 36 System Requirements .............................................................................................................................................. 36 Preparing for the Update ......................................................................................................................................
Introduction Congratulations on your purchase of a Sky-Watcher™ AllView™ mount. This multi-purpose mount was designed to be used as: • An alt-azimuth go-to computerized astronomical mount (using an optional telescope optical tube) • A motorized platform for taking panoramic photographs • A stable platform for panning while taking time lapse video or still images • A motorized base for smooth panning video Sky-Watcher mounts carry a two year limited warranty. For details see our website at www.
Assembly The AllView mount comes completely pre-assembled and can be operational in a matter of minutes.
4. Attach the accessory tray by sliding it along the primary locking shaft until it pushes against the tripod legs. Secure the locking knob, as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 5. Install the hand control holder by sliding it into the accessory tray notch as shown in Fig 4. Push until it locks in place. Fig.
The mounting bracket can be configured in two ways to hold a camera in landscape or portrait orientation. Landscape Orientation: 1. Attach the Dovetail Bar (a) to the Guiding Rail (b) using the 2. hand screw as shown in Fig. 6. Now attach the Landscape Mounting Plate (c) to the Guiding Rail (b) as shown in Fig. 7. c b b Fig. 6 3. a a Fig. 7 Slide the Landscape Mounting Plate (c) along the Guiding Rail (b) back and forth to find a suitable position for the camera you are attaching.
6. Use the ¼-20 mounting screw on the Landscape Mounting Plate to attach your camera, camcorder or telescope optical tube as shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11. WARNING Do not over tighten the ¼-20 mounting screw or it may cause damage to the screw or camera body Fig. 10 7. Fig. 11 The camera position may be adjusted in 3-dimensions on the mounting bracket, as shown in Fig. 12, by: a. Up and down (Z axis) – adjust the Dovetail Bar in the fork arm dovetail holder b.
Portrait Orientation: 1. The Portrait Mounting Plate Assembly (d) is made up of two pieces – the Mounting Plate (d1) and the Dovetail Bar Clamp (d2). To separate them, loosen the hand screw as shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. Fig. 13 2. Fig. 14 Slide the Mounting Plate (d1) and the Dovetail Bar Clamp (d1) (d2) apart as in Fig. 15. Mounting Plate Portrait (d1) Mounting Plate Assembly (d) Dovetail Bar Clamp (d2) (d2) Fig. 15 3.
4. Slide the short guiding rail on the Mounting Plate (d1) into the d1 guiding rail slot on the Dovetail Bar Clamp (d2) and secure it Fig. 17 in place using the hand knob as shown in Fig. 17. d2 5. Slide the Dovetail Bar (a) into the Portrait Mounting Plate (d) and secure using the hand screw as shown in Fig. 18 and Fig. 19. Fig. 18 d1 a Fig.
7. Loosen the dovetail holder’s hand screw on the fork arm and slide the Dovetail Bar (a) into the dovetail holder. Secure using the hand screw. The mount should now look like Fig. 20 and Fig. 21. Fig. 20 8. Fig. 21 The camera’s position may be adjusted in 3-dimensions on the Portrait Mounting Bracket, as shown in Fig. 22. a.Forward and backward (X axis)– adjust the Portrait Mounting Plate (d) along the Dovetail Bar (a) b.
There are two The inner fork arm for the Fork Arm which are useful for both astronomy and photography. as shown in Fig. 23, is designed to be used when attaching a camera to the AllView mount for panoramic photography. This allows the camera to be set up at a nodal point, where it is close to the intersection of the altitude and azimuth axes. A telescope optical tube may also be used in this but long telescope optical tubes may be limited in their altitude movement as they may strike the mount.
Changing the Fork Arm Configuration To change the fork arm configuration, loosen the hand screw, located near the base of the fork arm, rotate the fork arm 180˚ until it stops and tighten the set screw as shown in Fig 26 through Fig 29. Fig. 26 Fig. 27 Fig. 28 Fig. 29 Note: When a camera or telescope optical tube is attached with the fork arm on the incorrect side as described above, the camera or telescope’s UP and DOWN movement will be reversed and the mount will not function correctly.
Dual Encoders and Mount Axis Clutches The AllView mount is engineered with a patented Dual-Encoder design on both axes of the mount. This means that the mount will not lose its alignment or positional information on either axis, even if the scope is moved by hand. The mount has two large clutch knobs, one on each axis, which can be loosened in order to move the mount by hand. Once the mount is in the desired position, tighten the clutch knobs in order to engage the motors.
Using the AllView™ Mount for Panoramic Photography AllView Mount Panoramic Control The AllView mount is a multi-functional camera mount and tripod. Not only can it be used as a computer controlled telescope mount, it can also be used as a motorized tripod for photography or video recording as well. The AllView mount and the panoramic functionality of the SynScan AZ hand control will work as a panoramic controlled mount and head.
5. The hand control will display “Step 1: Set Camera FOV…” and “Already know the FOV?” • If you already know the field of view of the camera lens you are using, Press 1. The hand control will then ask you to use the numeric keypad to enter the field of view (in degrees) of the horizontal axis first. When you are done, press ENTER and edit the field of view of the vertical axis. • If the field of view is unknown, press 2.
9. The hand control will display “Step 4 Set Shooting” and “Set Time Halt.” Using the numeric keypad, enter the number of seconds you would like to halt the mount between shots and press ENTER. 10. The hand control will ask if you want to continue with Auto Shooting. • By pressing the 1 key, AllView will work in auto-shooting mode, which will send signals via the electronic shutter release cable to the camera to automatically release the shutter for each shot in the panorama.
Preset Pano Mode This method is for more advanced users that want to edit and preset user defined picture points. You will do this by creating a series of layers. Each layer will specify the altitude angle that you want to shoot and how many images you want the mount to take in a 360˚ panorama at that altitude setting. By adding additional layers at different altitudes, you have the ability to take a full 360˚ panorama from straight overhead to the base of the mount! 1.
5. The hand control will ask if you wish to exit the layer editor. Press 1 to exit the editor and press 2 to continue adding or deleting layers. 6. Once you exit the layer editor, the hand control will ask if you want to save your current layer configuration for use in the future, Press 1 to save the changes you made. Note: There are two layers called Zenith and Nadir. Zenith refers to the point straight overhead, while Nadir refers to the spot directly below the mount.
Time Lapse Mode This feature allows you to collect a series of still images over a long period of time while the mount slowly pans. You can then use your favorite image processing software to merge these frames into a time lapse video. 1. From the Panoramic Function menu, use the scroll keys to select Time Lapse Mode. Press ENTER to continue. 2. It is recommended that you use your camera’s “Live Preview” mode to use the LCD display as the viewfinder.
3. Press ENTER to bring up the letter choices on the top line of the display. Use the directional buttons to select the letter you want and press ENTER. Press ENTER again to select the second letter. Continue until you have finished. You can press the scroll buttons to change the case of the letters to choose from or select numbers or special characters. When you are done entering the name, press SETUP.
Using the AllView™ Mount for Astronomy The SynScan™ AZ System The AZ GOTO MODE provides extensive computerized GO-TO function to assist you in finding and enjoying the treasures of the night sky, such as planets, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies and much more. The hand control allows you to point your telescope to a specific object or even tour the skies at the touch of a button. The user-friendly menu system allows automatic slewing to over 42,900 objects.
The SynScan AZ hand control allows direct access to all the motion controls of the telescope and a database with a range of preset objects. The hand control comes with a dual-line, 16-character display that is backlit for comfortable viewing of telescope information and scrolling text. To explore the many functions the SynScan AZ has to offer, there are 4 main groups of keys on the hand control (Fig. 36). Fig. 36 Mode Keys: The mode keys are located near the top, close to the LCD display.
Dual Purpose Keys: These keys, pictured in Fig. 38 and Fig. 39, range from the middle to the bottom of the hand control. They serve two distinct purposes – data entry and quick reference hot keys: • TOUR key takes you on a preset tour across the sky you are currently under • RATE key changes the speed rate of the motors when the directional keys are pressed.
6. The hand control will prompt “SET LOCATION:” on the display. There are two methods of performing this function. Use the scrolling keys to select the method you wish to use and press ENTER. • Select City: The hand control will ask you to select a database of cities, either in the United States or an International city. In the United States database, you will first select your state and then the closest city to you in alphabetical order.
Star Alignment In order for the SynScan AZ to correctly point to objects in the sky, it must first be aligned to two or three known positions (stars) in the sky. As the Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours, astronomical objects appear to move through the sky following an arc. With the supplied information, the telescope can replicate a model of the sky and the movements of astronomical objects. Star alignment can be done anytime during the observing session by choosing Alignment under Setup Menu.
5. Use the directional buttons on the hand control to center the star in your finderscope and press ENTER. Now center the star in the telescope’s eyepiece and press ENTER. To make it easier to center the star in the eyepiece, you may change the slewing speed by pressing the RATE button and then choose a number between 0 (slowest) – 9 (fastest). Note: For the best accuracy, the SynScan AZ recommends that you align on a star and not a planet.
3. Center the star in your finderscope and then center in the eyepiece, adjusting the rate of the slew motors as needed. Press ENTER once the star has been centered in the eyepiece. 4. SynScan AZ will now provide a list of stars available for the second alignment star. Choose a star using the scroll keys and press ENTER. The telescope will start slewing towards the chosen object.
Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) Both the star alignment methods provide alignment adequate for any visual observing purpose. For applications that require extra high precision in a particular part of the sky, the SynScan AZ provides a Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) function to further improve accuracy. 1. Use a go-to command to slew the telescope to a target in the area of sky where you want increased accuracy. 2. Center the object in the eyepiece using the hand control directional keys. 3.
Selecting an Object Once the telescope has been aligned, you can now access and view the 42,900 different objects in the SynScan database. There are three method choices to select a celestial object to view: the shortcut keys (Fig 41), the object key (Fig. 42) or the menu system (Fig. 43). Shortcut Keys • TOUR: The hand control presents you with highlights of what is in the sky at that moment. It will show you the brightest and most beautiful objects for your viewing pleasure.
Menu System To access the Object Catalog menu without using the OBJECT key, simply go to the main menu and use the scroll keys until you find the Object Catalog menu. Press ENTER to see the list of catalogs to choose from. (See the SynScan AZ menu tree for details.) Fig. 43 Utility Functions Utility functions are useful tools that provide simple, one-step processes to your SynScan AZ. They include: • Show Position – This displays the coordinates of where the telescope is currently pointed.
Setup Functions The Setup functions allow you to change any system variable or information regarding location, time, date, and alignment configurations. To access the Setup Functions, either press SETUP key on the keypad or scroll to SETUP MODE under the menu option using the scroll keys. The different functions available for you to change are: • Date – Allows you to change the date entered at the initial setup • Time – Allows you to change the current time.
Using the User Defined Database SynScan AZ allows you to save up to 25 objects in the user-defined database. Saving an Object to the Database 1. Point the telescope at the object you want to save in your user database. 2. From the main menu use the scroll keys to find Object Catalog and Press ENTER. 3. Use the scroll keys to select User Objects in the list and press ENTER.
Recalling a User Defined Object 1. From the User Object menu, use the scroll keys to select Recall Object and press ENTER. 2. Use the scroll keys to browse through the User Object numbers until you locate the object you want to view. Press ENTER to show its coordinates. Pressing ENTER will prompt you with “View Object?” Press ENTER again to slew to the object. 3. If a vacant number is selected, the hand control will not respond. Choose another number and try again.
Connecting to a Computer Another feature of SynScan AZ is the ability to connect to a computer via a serial communication cable. Many commercially available planetarium software programs can be used to control the mount. Any SynScan AZ hand control version 3.00 and later is compatible with the Celestron® NexStar™ 5i/8i and NexStar™ GPS command protocol. Fig. 47 Fig. 48 1. Make sure your mount has been astronomically aligned. 2.
Updating the SynScan™ Firmware SynScan AZ hand control version 3.0 or later has firmware that is user upgradeable. Users can download the latest version of SynScan AZ firmware from the Sky-Watcher website and easily update their hand control. System Requirements • SynScan AZ hand control version 3.0 or later • Windows95 or later • Available RS-232C communication port on PC • PC link cable supplied with the SynScan AZ hand control • DC power supply with 7.5~15V/100mA output. Power plug should be 2.
Fig. 50 5. Click “Browse” to select the SynScanVnnnnAZ.ssf file in the SynScan folder. Click “Update” to start downloading the new firm ware into your SynScan AZ hand control. You will see the status of the update below the “Update” and “HC. Version” buttons. 6. When the download is complete, the status will show “Update Complete.” The SynScan hand control is now updated to the newest firmware. Generally it takes approximately 30 seconds to update the firmware.
SynScan™ AZ Menu Tree MAIN MENU Setup Mode Date Time Observe. Site Daylight Saving Alignment Brightest Star Align\\\\.
Continued from page 38 Utility Func Show Position Show Information Time Version Temperature Park Scope Power Voltage PAE Clear PAE Data GPS PC Direct Mode Object Catalog Named Star Solar System Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto NGC Catalog Moon IC Catalog Messier Catalog Caldwell Catalog SAO Catalog Double Star Variable Star User Objects Recall Object Edit Object 39
Appendix A – RS-232 Connection The SynScan AZ telescopes are designed to receive control commands set from a computer via the RS-232 port and RS-232 cable. Once connected, the SynScan AZ can be controlled by most popular planetarium software programs. The SynScan AZ will communicate with the personal computer at 9600 bits/sec, no parity and stop bit. All angles are communicated with 16-bit angle and communicated using ASCII hexadecimal.
Additional RS-232 Commands Sending a track rate through RS-232 to the hand control 1. Multiply the desired tracking rate (arc seconds / second) by 4. For example: if the desired track rate is 120 arc seconds/second (approximately 8 times of sidereal rate), then the TRACKRATE = 480. 2. Separate TRACKRATE into two bytes, such that ( TRACKRATE = TrackRateHighByte*256 + TrackRateLowByte). For example TRACKRATE = 480, then TrackRateHighByte = 1, TrackRateLowByte = 224. 3.
Appendix B – Standard Time Zones of the World 42
Appendix C – Technical Specifications AllView™ Mount and SynScan™ AZ SPECIFICATIONS Rated Instrument Weight: Power Supply: Motor Type and Resolution: Slew Speeds: Tracking Rates: Tracking Mode: Alignment Method: Database: Go-To Pointing Accuracy: 9 lbs (4 kg) 8V to 15V DC 1Amp (Tip positive) DC Servo Motors Rate 0 = 1.0x Rate 1 = 2.
www.sky-watcher.com Designed and intended for those 13 years of age and older. Made in China | Fabriqué en Chine | Hecho en China Gedruckt in China | Fabbricato in Cina This product contains a chemical(s) known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
