TM Argo Navis User Manual Edition 10, May 2008, for Argo NavisTM Model 102 & 102B, Firmware version 2.0.1 ™ Argo Navis Argo Navis™ User Manual Edition 10, May 2008, for Argo Navis™ Model 102/102B, Firmware Vers.2.0.1 1 Congratulations You have purchased one of the most catalogs can be accessed quickly and sophisticated devices for rapidly and easily by name. You can select a confidently locating celestial objects. The particular object and then Argo NavisTM Argo NavisTM Digital Telescope can provide you with “guiding” information Computer (DTC) brings not only accurate that will allow you to zero-in on it by positioning information to your telescope simply manually turning the scope. but also provides an enormous detailed Alternatively, objects of interest can be database of tens of thousands of objects. reported to you on the display in real-time Stars, galaxies, galaxy clusters, as you move your scope. Argo NavisTM globular clusters, open clusters, planetary has a powerful 32-bit CPU at its heart that nebulae, nebulae, planets, asteroids, will easily allow you to continuously track comets, earth-orbiting satellites and more. satellites. The sophisticated software Magnitudes, surface brightness, object even accounts for precession, nutation sizes, common names, stellar and atmospheric refraction. A battery classifications, stellar luminosity classes, backed real-time clock provides local double star separations, variable star time, UTC time, Julian date and sidereal periods, Hubble galaxy morphologies, time. constellation, detailed parameters of The versatile and powerful tour mode planets, comets, asteroids, satellites and allows you to tailor your searches of the a wealth of other information are available sky so that you may seek to find the types at your fingertips with a simple spin of the of objects that interest you the most, be dial. they easy or highly challenging. A large range of mounts can Though designed for standalone use, accommodate the Argo NavisTM Argo NavisTM can also be interfaced to including Dobsonians, Forks, German your PC or laptop, which brings about a Equatorials and Equatorial Tables. wealth of additional features. It can Handheld and powered by AA operate with many of the popular sky batteries, or an optional external DC charting packages to provide you with a tracking cursor display. Using the supplied source, Argo NavisTM operates ArgonautTM utility, it even lets you store completely standalone. into its FLASH memory over a thousand After fitting a pair of optical encoders to of your own user-defined objects including TM your mount, using the Argo Navis is magnitudes and descriptions. You can simple. Perform a quick star alignment erase them and store new ones as often and off you go. There is no need to level as you like. or accurately polar align your mount. It's This User Manual shows how the fast and easy. Argo NavisTM Digital Telescope Using the innovative, Intelligent Editing TM Computer can make your observing System , objects from the in-built sessions more enjoyable and rewarding. ™ Argo Navis Argo Navis™ User Manual Edition 10, May 2008, for Argo Navis™ Model 102/102B, Firmware Vers.2.0.1 2 Contents This manual ......................................................................................................................... 6 The Argo Navis interfaces ............................................................................................... 7 The user interface ........................................................................................................ 7 The encoder interface .................................................................................................. 8 The serial interface....................................................................................................... 9 Initial setup of the Argo Navis ........................................................................................ 11 Power sources ........................................................................................................... 11 Setting the initial mount type ...................................................................................... 13 Setting encoder steps (resolution).............................................................................. 13 Setting altitude steps.................................................................................................. 14 Setting azimuth steps................................................................................................. 14 Testing encoder communication................................................................................. 15 Determining encoder direction senses ....................................................................... 16 Setting the final mount type........................................................................................ 17 Setting the local time zone, date and time.................................................................. 19 Setting the location..................................................................................................... 21 Setting refraction modelling........................................................................................ 23 Alignment procedures........................................................................................................ 24 Purpose of alignment ................................................................................................. 24 Fork Exact Align and German Equatorial Exact Align Mounts .................................... 24 Alt/Az Dobsonian Mounts including on Equatorial Tables........................................... 25 Fork Rough Align Mounts........................................................................................... 27 GEM Rough Align ...................................................................................................... 28 An introductory run ............................................................................................................ 31 Operating modes ............................................................................................................... 36 MODE ALIGN ................................................................................................................ 37 MODE ALIGN STAR...................................................................................................... 39 MODE AZ ALT............................................................................................................... 43 MODE CATALOG.......................................................................................................... 44 MODE ENCODER ......................................................................................................... 50 MODE EQ TABLE.......................................................................................................... 54 MODE FIX ALT REF...................................................................................................... 57 MODE IDENTIFY........................................................................................................... 61 MODE RA DEC.............................................................................................................. 68 MODE SETUP ............................................................................................................... 70 MODE SIDEREAL ......................................................................................................... 72 MODE STATUS............................................................................................................. 73 MODE TIME .................................................................................................................. 74 MODE TIMER................................................................................................................ 75 MODE TOUR................................................................................................................. 76 SETUP ALIGN PICK...................................................................................................... 83 ™ Argo Navis Argo Navis™ User Manual Edition 10, May 2008, for Argo Navis™ Model 102/102B, Firmware Vers.2.0.1 3 SETUP ALT REF ........................................................................................................... 85 SETUP ALT STEPS....................................................................................................... 87 SETUP ATLAS .............................................................................................................. 88 SETUP AZ STEPS......................................................................................................... 90 SETUP BRIGHTNESS................................................................................................... 91 SETUP CONTRAST ...................................................................................................... 92 SETUP DATE/TIME....................................................................................................... 93 SETUP DEBUG ............................................................................................................. 96 SETUP DEFAULTS ....................................................................................................... 97 SETUP ENC TIMING..................................................................................................... 98 SETUP EQ TABLE .....................................................................................................