JMI Telescopes Personal Computer MAX Computer User Manual

MAX Computer  
Operator's Guide  
Copyright 2005  
JMI Telescopes  
Jim's Mobile, Incorporated  
8550 West 14th Avenue  
Lakewood, CO 80215  
U.S.A.  
Phone (303) 233-5353  
Fax (303) 233-5359  
Order Line (800) 247-0304  
Web Site jmitelescopes.com  
 
Table of Contents  
INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 4  
What is Does................................................................................................... 4  
What it Doesn't Do .......................................................................................... 4  
GETTING STARTED ...................................................................................................... 4  
Encoder Test........................................................................................................... 4  
Troubleshooting ...................................................................................................... 5  
USING YOUR COMPUTER............................................................................................ 7  
ALIGN STAR or STAR FIX...................................................................................... 7  
RA DEC................................................................................................................... 8  
CATALOG............................................................................................................... 8  
NEW Catalog .................................................................................................. 8  
PLANETS........................................................................................................ 9  
GUIDE..................................................................................................................... 9  
IDENTIFY................................................................................................................ 9  
ALIGN ................................................................................................................... 10  
Subsequent Alignments ................................................................................ 10  
TIMER................................................................................................................... 10  
ENCODER ............................................................................................................ 11  
POLAR.................................................................................................................. 11  
SETUP or INSTALL .............................................................................................. 11  
About SET DEC=0, LEVEL ME, and VERTICAL .......................................... 12  
Appendices  
A. Specifications ....................................................................................................... 13  
B. NS/DS Catalog Abbreviations.............................................................................. 14  
C. RS-232 Cable Assembly....................................................................................... 14  
D. Sample BASIC Program Listing .......................................................................... 15  
E. Quick-Start Guide ..................................................................................Back Cover  
 
accomplish this task. (Some "Go To" telescopes can be  
software controlled using the SGT-MAX system.)  
INTRODUCTION  
This manual covers the NGC-MAX, NGC-miniMAX and  
NGC-microMAX computer units. Sections which cover  
material not common to all of these units are labeled with  
the models they apply to.  
GETTING STARTED  
The first step in preparing to use your MAX computer is to  
install the optical encoders onto the axes of your telescope.  
If purchased with one or more sets of encoder mountings  
from JMI, will find a separate Encoder Installation sheet  
which covers the installation process required for your  
specific mount. Most of these installations require no  
drilling or tapping and can be installed in approximately 15-  
20 minutes.  
The MAX family of computers are revolutionary,  
computerized digital setting circle units with an internal  
database of hundreds to thousands of astronomical objects.  
After a simple alignment process (pointing your telescope at  
any two celestial objects, such as bright stars), the  
computer will operate as a high-resolution, real-time display  
of the Right Ascension and Declination of your telescope.  
Due to the internal database of galaxies, clusters, nebulae,  
stars, quasars, black holes and planets, the computer can  
quickly guide both the novice and expert viewer alike to  
almost any object desired. Instead of spending the majority  
of your viewing session attempting to locate objects, you  
can now be guided from object to object in seconds!  
After the encoders have been mounted, a test should be  
performed to confirm proper installation and function of  
each of the two encoders, as well as the setup information  
within the MAX computer. (When purchased with a set of  
encoder mountings, the MAX computer is pre-programmed  
with the necessary information to work with your specific  
mount, so you should not need to concern yourself with this  
aspect yet. For further information on this topic, see  
SETUP on page 11.)  
The MAX computer utilizes an 8-character (16 on the NGC-  
MAX) dot-matrix LED display with brightness control and  
four large push-buttons for the user-interface. All functions,  
including selection of any one of the internal objects, can be  
accomplished easily in a matter of seconds with very little  
practice. After a brief familiarization period, most users will  
be able to perform all operations by touch.  
Encoder Test  
Plug the common end of the encoder cable into the MAX  
computer and each of the opposite two ends into its  
appropriate encoder (the Encoder Installation sheet  
indicates which end is for each encoder). Place the MAX  
computer unit in its holding tray or on a stable surface out of  
the way of the telescope's motion. The unit should be  
turned off at this time.  
The NGC-MAX's serial interface allows communication with  
external devices, opening the door to almost endless  
possibilities. One application of this technology is our  
popular SGT-MAX setup. This system allows users with a  
personal computer to install a real-time link between their  
telescope and desktop planetarium software, such as  
THESKY™ by Software Bisque.  
Point your telescope at the zenith (directly overhead). Now  
turn the MAX computer on. After the version number is  
briefly shown, use the brightness button (found to the right  
of the ON/OFF switch) to set the display brightness as  
desired.  
What it Does  
The MAX computer will guide the user to celestial objects  
by indicating the direction and angular separation for each  
axis of the telescope mount. When guiding to the Orion  
Nebula, the display might show the following:  
Press the DOWN button until ENCODERis displayed, then  
press ENTER. The display should now show one of the  
following:  
M042 5951↑  
To break this down, M042 represents Messier catalog  
number 42 (the designation for the Great Orion Nebula),  
59indicates the object is 59° to the right, and 51↑  
indicates the object is 51° up. As the telescope is moved in  
the directions indicated, these numbers will decrease  
toward zero, at which point the telescope is pointed at the  
desired object.  
NGC-MAX  
NGC-miniMAX/microMAX  
ER=000 ED=+000 000 +000  
ER=000 ED=+090 000 +090  
AZ=000 AL=+000  
What it Doesn't Do  
AZ=000 AL=+090  
The MAX computer cannot physically move the telescope.  
The user will normally need to move the telescope by hand,  
although some telescopes have slewing motors which can  
Note exactly where your telescope is pointed relative to  
your mount (mechanical setting circles make this easier), as  
Page 4  
 
you will want to be able to reliably return to this same  
position in a future step.  
Troubleshooting Guide  
Begin rotating your telescope in its Right Ascension or  
Azimuth axis (left-to-right) in a clockwise direction as seen  
from a vantage point directly above the telescope.  
(Southern Hemisphere users should rotate in the opposite  
direction.) The first set of displayed digits should increase  
as the telescope is moved (you will see something similar to  
000... 001... 002... 003, etc.). If the digits decrease  
instead, see the troubleshooting guide for help.  
Symptom  
Possible Cause(s)  
The unit does not come on. • Low battery (use only  
alkaline batteries)  
The display does not reflect • Mechanical slippage  
the motion of one or both  
encoders.  
• Incorrect encoder setup  
• Bad encoder/cable  
If possible, continue rotating the telescope through a full  
360° circle. Verify the accuracy of the display by comparing  
it with the number of degrees you have moved in Right  
Ascension or Azimuth. At 360° you will see 359 or 0.  
Return the telescope to its starting point by rotating counter-  
clockwise. At this point the digits should return to 000. If  
instead they vary from zero by more than plus or minus 1,  
see the troubleshooting guide for help.  
One or both encoders  
appear to run in the opposite • Incorrect encoder setup  
direction.  
• Reverse mounting  
• "Hung" German mount  
Moving telescope in one  
axis changes opposite  
encoder reading.  
• Swapped encoder cables  
• Not polar aligned  
Bad warp factors, inaccurate • Incorrect encoder setup  
Now rotate the telescope in Declination or Altitude (up-and -  
down) from the zenith toward the Southern horizon. The  
second set of digits should decrease (Note: an apparently  
increasing value is actually decreasing if the sign is  
negative). If the digits increase instead, then see the  
troubleshooting guide for help.  
operation.  
• Incorrect initialization  
• Not polar aligned  
• Slew rate exceeded  
• Bad encoder/cable  
• Low battery  
Display shows ENCODER  
ERRORat times.  
If possible, continue rotating the telescope through a full  
circle. Return the telescope to its starting point by rotating  
in the opposite direction. At this point the digits should  
return to their original 000 or 090. If instead they vary  
from the original value by more than plus or minus 1, then  
see the troubleshooting guide for help.  
Mechanical slippage. Verify that all appropriate  
setscrews and bolts are tight. Any gears or belts should not  
have slop (you should not be able to rotate the encoder  
shaft without turning the telescope — a belt does not need  
to be very tight to meet this criteria). You might want to  
mark the encoder shaft to determine if it rotates with the  
telescope as it should.  
If you encountered no problems, continue on to the next  
section, USING YOUR COMPUTER.  
Incorrect encoder setup. Since the computer can be  
used with various encoder resolutions and gearing ratios,  
the software allows the definition of the resolution for both  
axes. If this value is set improperly, the result can be  
slightly to grossly inaccurate performance, and if set to zero,  
can make an encoder appear to be non-functional.  
Troubleshooting  
Use the Troubleshooting Guide (below) to find possible  
causes then read the sections below for possible solutions.  
For a more in-depth troubleshooting guide, see the  
addendum Diagnosing MAX Computer System Problems.  
A separate sheet titled JMI Encoder Setup Sheet — Tics-  
Per-Revolution, included with your encoder mountings, lists  
the correct setup to use with your specific mount. Confirm  
that the MAX computer setup matches this sheet paying  
particular attention to the order and sign of each tics-per-  
revolution specification (see SETUP on page 11 for  
additional help).  
Low battery. The MAX computer can be powered from  
any 7-15 volt DC (direct current) source. When the power  
supply is below about 6.5 volts, the display will flash  
ENCODER ERROR.  
If using an internal 9 volt battery, be sure that it is alkaline  
("Alkaline" must appear on the battery casing). Due to  
potentially rapid voltage and current drops in other battery  
designs, they should not be used. This includes nickel-  
cadmium (NiCd) rechargeable batteries as well as carbon-  
zinc batteries).  
Reverse mounting. If an encoder is running the  
improper direction, the simplest solution is to change the  
sign of that encoder's resolution as found in the setup (see  
SETUP on page 11). This should only become necessary if  
the encoder has been mounted in a manner contrary to that  
which was intended by the Encoder Installation sheet, or if  
the encoder installation is custom designed by the user.  
Page 5  
 
Alternatively, the encoder can sometimes be re-mounted so  
that it turns the opposite direction.  
Swapped encoder cables. The Encoder Installation  
sheet included with the encoder mountings should detail  
exactly which encoder cable is for each axis. As a general  
rule, on equatorial mounts the Declination encoder cable is  
the longer of the two, and on Altitude/Azimuth mounts the  
Azimuth cable is longer.  
Bad encoder/cable. While the probability of an  
encoder or cable being bad is extremely small, it is a  
possibility. If the problem is isolated to either the cable or  
encoder, there are a few simple tests which can quickly  
determine the exact culprit. Follow each point as outlined  
below, checking the operation of the encoders after each  
until the problem disappears.  
Not polar aligned. This is not a true problem as the  
MAX computer works very well even if the mount is 90°  
from polar aligned. However, there are symptoms of which  
the user should be aware.  
1. Confirm that all three ends of the encoder cable are  
securely connected. If visible, inspect each of the four wires  
at the encoder pins to check for a loose or intermittent  
connection (it is normal for one of the second-to-outside  
pins to have no connection).  
First, do not use the EP or GP mount setting unless your  
mount is accurately polar aligned, or you intend to use the  
POLARmode to assist in polar alignment. Please note that  
the EP/GP settings assume a perfectly polar aligned mount  
— most pointing errors when using these settings are due  
to an inaccurate polar alignment.  
2. Swap the two encoder ends of the encoder cable so that  
the Right Ascension/Azimuth cable is plugged into the  
Declination/Altitude encoder and vice-versa.  
Second, a clock drive (Right Ascension motor) cannot  
properly track the stars if the telescope mount is not polar  
aligned — stars and other objects will appear to drift out of  
the eyepiece, requiring regular re-positioning. In other  
words, the closer your mount is to polar alignment the  
longer an object will stay in view without manual  
adjustments.  
3. If the symptom is still present on the same displayed axis  
after step 2, then the problem is in the encoder cable.  
Remove the cable from the problem axis and check the wire  
for damage and the cable's plug to see that all four golden  
metal plates have been pressed down evenly. If necessary,  
compare it with the other encoder plug. If one or more of  
these plates is high, you may try to press it down carefully  
with a small flat-head screwdriver or similar tool. If this  
cannot be done, the cable should be replaced.  
Third (and the cause of misplaced concern among some  
new users of units such as the MAX computer), is the  
simultaneous change of both Right Ascension and  
Declination as seen under the RA DEC display when  
moving only one axis of the telescope. This is not an error  
as the MAX computer is simply reporting the telescope's  
true Right Ascension and Declination. What is commonly  
overlooked is the fact that a non-polar aligned mount is  
always moving through both Right Ascension and  
Declination when either of its two axes is rotated.  
4. If the symptom switches axes after step 2, then the  
problem is at the encoder. Remove the encoder cable  
connector and visually inspect the jack on the encoder. The  
four golden wires inside should be roughly even, although  
they might be staggered high-low-high-low. If any of the  
wires appears to be bent at an odd angle or pressed down  
too much, this could be the problem. The jack may need to  
be replaced.  
Incorrect initialization. A common problem is that of  
ignoring or misunderstanding the initial pointing instruction  
from the MAX computer at power up (e.g. SET DEC=0,  
LEVEL ME, and VERTICAL). If you have set up the  
MAX computer for a polar aligned telescope (EP or GP),  
then you do not need to concern yourself with this aspect,  
although it might be a good idea to be familiar with it. See  
SETUP on page 11 for more information.  
"Hung" German mount. (German equatorial mount  
users only). Because of the design of these mounts, it is  
possible to point the telescope at the same location from  
two quite different positions. To visualize this, point the  
telescope at 0° Declination. Now rotate the telescope 180°  
in each axis, avoiding the base as necessary. The  
telescope is on the opposite side of the mount head, yet  
pointing in the same direction.  
Slew rate exceeded. The MAX computer has a  
maximum rate at which the encoders can be rotated. Due  
to the frequency at which the computer samples the  
encoders, they can be rotated faster than the computer can  
accept the data. The maximum speed depends on the  
number of tics per telescope axis rotation and the sampling  
rate. While it is unlikely that you will spin your telescope  
through a large arc fast enough to exceed this speed, it can  
be jolted a small amount in a very short interval causing a  
loss of alignment. With smaller telescopes and higher total  
encoder resolutions you will be more susceptible, but under  
normal operation you should never exceed the limit.  
This feature of the German mount is nice when an object is  
located in a normally hard-to-view position, but it has the  
added affect of changing the polarity of the Declination  
encoder. For this reason, a unique stipulation is placed on  
users of German mounts — when performing the encoder  
test or an initial star alignment, the telescope tube must be  
on the West side of the mount. (Southern Hemisphere  
users should place the tube on the East side of their  
mount.) Refer to the addendum titled Star Alignments with  
a German Equatorial Mount for a complete description.  
Page 6  
 
alignment stars (chosen with the UP/DOWN buttons) and  
then center that star in your telescope's eyepiece.  
USING YOUR COMPUTER  
If you wish to start using your MAX computer immediately  
without reading through the manual, or you just want a  
quick refresher course, please refer to the Quick-Start  
Guide found in Appendix E.  
With the chosen star centered as well as possible in your  
telescope's eyepiece (not the finder scope), press the  
ENTER button to align the MAX computer on that star.  
Never use Polaris as an alignment star for an Equatorial  
mount and never use a star near Zenith for an Alt/Az mount.  
Any delay in pressing the ENTER button might allow the  
star to drift slightly from center, thereby decreasing the  
accuracy of your alignment — try to keep this delay as small  
as possible, with five seconds or less being about right. For  
increased accuracy during the alignment process, it is  
recommended that a short focal length (high power)  
eyepiece be used.  
The MAX computer has several modes, or applications to  
enhance your observing time. Below is a list of the modes  
available:  
NGC-MAX, NGC-miniMAX and NGC-microMAX  
ALIGN STARor STAR FIX  
RA DEC  
CATALOG  
GUIDE  
ALIGN  
ENCODER  
If you should accidentally press the ENTER button and align  
the MAX computer before you had the star centered in your  
eyepiece, you will need to reset the unit by turning it off,  
waiting five seconds, and then turning it back on.  
SETUPor Install  
When you press ENTER for the first alignment, the MAX  
computer will briefly report a "warp" factor such as the  
following:  
NGC-MAX and NGC-miniMAX  
TIMER  
POLAR  
WARP=- 0.2  
NGC-MAX  
If you are using either of the EP or GP mount settings,  
which assume that the mount is perfectly polar aligned, the  
warp value will show zero and you will be ready to begin  
using the other features of the unit. If you are not using EP  
or GP (see SETUP on page 11) then you should finish this  
section before continuing.  
IDENTIFY  
Upon turning the unit on, you will see a brief message,  
followed by ALIGN STAR or STAR FIX. (If instead  
you see a message to point the telescope a particular  
direction, you should do so if you plan to align the computer  
with the sky.  
See SETUP on page 11 for further  
Since the telescope is not perfectly polar aligned (i.e. you  
are not using the EP or GP mode), you will need to align on  
one more star to complete the alignment procedure. For  
best results, the second star should be between 60° and  
120° distance from the first star. Simply repeat the initial  
procedure of selecting a star name, pointing the scope to  
that star, then pressing ENTER. (Note: for simplicity, the  
method of aligning on two stars is presented here. In  
reality, the user may choose to align on any two objects in  
the MAX computer database, including the user definable  
objects, via the ALIGNmode.)  
information. When operating the unit apart from the  
telescope, you may simply press ENTER at this point.)  
Use the UP and DOWN buttons to scroll through the various  
modes. Notice that either of these buttons pressed for more  
than an instant will cause the options to scroll faster until the  
button is released. Following is a detailed description of  
each of these modes and how to use them. For reference,  
the UP and DOWN buttons scroll through options (whether  
choosing a mode, star name, catalog number or other  
option), and the ENTER button selects the currently  
displayed option. The MODE button is solely for returning  
to the mode level to permit selection of a new mode.  
Once again you will see a warp factor displayed. This  
message is reporting how many degrees the telescope is  
from where the MAX computer expected it to be when  
pointing at your selected alignment object. This number  
should be within plus or minus one-half degree of zero  
(±0.5). Any value greater than this should be considered an  
error indication. (It is possible to have a perfect warp factor  
and still have very poor pointing accuracy if one or both of  
the encoders is appearing to run the opposite direction. If  
this is experienced, see the Troubleshooting Guide on page  
5.)  
It is recommended that the new user study each of the  
following mode descriptions with the MAX computer in  
hand.  
ALIGN STAR or STAR FIX  
Upon entering this mode, the display will read ALIGN  
ACHERNAR or similar.  
When connected to your  
telescope's encoders, you would need to select one of the  
If the warp factor is considerable, you should confirm that  
Page 7  
 
the star you are pointing at is indeed the one selected in the  
MAX computer.  
ST  
Unique compilation of most of the brighter and  
interesting stars (including many doubles)  
Messier catalog (deep-sky)  
M
For indoor familiarization, the alignment process may be  
simulated to allow access to additional modes (attempting  
to select some modes before the alignment process has  
been completed will result in a STAR SIGHTINGS ARE  
NGC  
IC  
Revised New General Catalog (deep-sky)  
Index Catalog (deep-sky)  
Planets Eight major planets and the Sun (alias "DATE")  
NEW User-definable list of object coordinates  
NS/DS Unique compilation of non-stellar, deep-sky  
REQUIREDmessage).  
objects.  
The user definable list contains the coordinates of any  
objects you wish, and can only be changed by writing new  
information over the old. In other words, even without a  
battery, the list is retained within the MAX computer until  
you want to change it.  
RA DEC  
This mode displays the Right Ascension and Declination  
(coordinates) of the direction the telescope is currently  
pointed. By use of an internal sidereal clock, the MAX  
computer will work properly with or without a clock drive  
running. This means that users not using a clock drive will  
be able to watch the Right Ascension slowly increase with  
time as the Earth rotates.  
Upon entering the CATALOG mode, use the UP/DOWN  
buttons to select which catalog you wish to use, and then  
press ENTER. You will now be permitted to define the  
specific catalog number (2-4 digits, depending on the  
catalog) one digit at a time, or planet name. This is  
accomplished through a process similar to setting a digital  
watch. Use the UP/DOWN buttons to define each digit,  
then ENTER to continue on to the next. If your desired  
number is of fewer digits than requested, you will need to  
use preceding zeros (e.g. - for M1 you would enter M001).  
After ENTERing the last digit, the coordinates for that object  
will be displayed, similar to the following:  
The Right Ascension is displayed in the format HHMM  
(hours and minutes) and the Declination is in the format  
±DDTT (plus or minus degrees and tens of arc minutes).  
Please note that the Declination is to tens of minutes, not  
tenths of a degree (thus the digits 6-9 never appear in the  
last column). With the telescope pointed at R.A. (Right  
Ascension) 12 hours 36 minutes and Dec. (Declination) +26  
degrees 42 minutes, the display would read:  
M001 0534+220  
NGC-MAX:  
R=12h36 D=+26°42  
With the exception of the planets and user defined (NEW)  
objects, you may now press ENTER once more to see a  
description of the object scroll across the screen. For our  
above example, this would appear as follows:  
miniMAX / microMAX: 1236+264  
The MAX computer uses epoch 2000.0 coordinates.  
Because the computer "sees" all stars and objects relative  
to each other, rather than to an Earth-based coordinate  
system, the Earth's precession is not a factor in the pointing  
accuracy of the MAX computer. Only the reported R.A. and  
Dec. are affected by precession, therefore any user defined  
objects should be entered with epoch 2000.0 coordinates.  
M001 MAG= 8.4 SIZE=5.8 CRAB  
NEBULA SUPERNOVA REMNANT TAURUS  
NEBULA SA=05  
The descriptions fit a common format which is normally self-  
explanatory. This format is: object catalog and number;  
magnitude; size (in minutes unless followed by "); common  
name (if applicable); constellation; object type; and Sky  
Atlas 2000.0 or Uranometria chart number. The smaller  
NGC-microMAX database does not include size,  
constellation or type information.  
The ENTER button can be pressed any time during the RA  
DECmode to display a star chart number for that region of  
sky. The NGC-MAX can display information for either the  
Sky Atlas 2000.0 or Uranometria charts. The NGC-  
miniMAX and NGC-microMAX units only display Sky Atlas  
2000.0 chart numbers.  
NEW Catalog  
The coordinates for up to 28 user defined objects may be  
entered into the MAX computer for later reference. This can  
be used to store the positions of objects not found in the  
other MAX computer catalogs (such as comets, asteroids  
and variable stars). While it is possible to plan an evening's  
viewing ahead of time and put the coordinates of each  
object in the NEW catalog, it is recommended that the built-  
in catalogs (M, NGC, etc.) be used whenever possible. This  
is because the built-in catalogs store coordinates more  
precisely than is allowable under the NEW catalog.  
CATALOG  
The MAX computers have several catalogs in memory:  
Model  
ST M NGC  
IC P NEW NS/DS  
NGC-microMAX 90 110  
NGC-miniMAX  
NGC-MAX  
28  
28  
28  
17  
86  
386  
80 110 2745 960 9  
928 110 7840 2852 9  
Page 8  
 
than ten degrees, that angle will be displayed to tenths of a  
degree. If the telescope in our example had been moved  
down 21.7 degrees, the display would now read:  
To add an object to the NEW catalog, enter the CATALOG  
mode and use the UP/DOWN buttons until NEW01 is  
displayed. After pressing ENTER, select the object number  
you wish to modify (01-28). Once you have ENTERed the  
number, the current coordinates are displayed (if defining  
for the first time, 2400-000will appear). Press ENTER  
once more and the first digit of the Right Ascension will  
begin flashing. Define the new coordinates one digit at a  
time, until the last is entered (if the Declination is three  
digits, the last is tens of arc minutes, not tenths of a  
degree). The display will stop flashing, and at this point you  
should review your coordinates to be sure they are correct.  
If you need to change them, simply press ENTER and  
repeat the process. When the coordinates are correct,  
press the MODE button to have the MAX computer store  
them in its memory.  
NGC4565 17163  
Notice that the direction-indicating arrow () has moved  
between the 6 and 3 to double as a decimal point.  
While entirely up to the user, it is probably easiest to move  
one axis of the telescope mount at a time, rather than both  
simultaneously. When the telescope is at the correct  
position, the display will show the following:  
NGC4565 00 00  
If the initial star sighting(s) were done properly, the object  
should now appear in your telescope's eyepiece.  
A
PLANETS (NGC-miniMAX and NGC-MAX)  
moderate power eyepiece is recommended when using the  
GUIDEmode, as the object is more likely to be within its  
field of view than in that of a high power eyepiece.  
Eyepieces yielding 1/4° to 1/2° field of view work best. (If  
you don't know the field of view of your eyepieces, try  
finding one which just fits the full moon into the field.)  
Upon ENTERing the PLANETS catalog, DATEwill flash on  
the display. Before selecting a planet for the first time in a  
viewing session, the current date should be set. For the  
most accurate guiding, use the current date for Greenwich,  
England (i.e. set the date based on Universal Time).  
To set the date, press ENTER while DATE is flashing.  
(The coordinates shown are those of the Sun for the last  
defined date. This may be useful for daytime alignments,  
however, you should take proper precautions when pointing  
your telescope near the Sun!) Press ENTER again, and  
you will see a display similar to the following:  
IDENTIFY (NGC-MAX only)  
If you are looking at an object you cannot identify, this mode  
will let the NGC-MAX try to identify it for you. Additionally,  
you might simply wish to point your telescope to an  
unfamiliar part of the sky and have the computer find nearby  
objects of interest.  
DATE 12-31-2000  
You may use the UP/DOWN and ENTER buttons to define  
the current date in the format MM-DD-YYYY. This setting is  
stored in non-volatile RAM, so if the unit is turned off the  
date will not be lost. The MAX computer does not update  
this setting with the passage of time (whether on or off), so  
it will be necessary to update it if the unit is used to locate  
planets at a later date.  
In either case, the NGC-MAX will search its databases for  
the object nearest the telescope's current position. The  
search can be performed regardless of object type, or  
limited to a specific type, such as planetary nebulae.  
A
limiting magnitude is also entered to eliminate objects from  
the search which might be too faint for the observer's  
circumstances.  
Once the date is defined, use the UP and DOWN buttons to  
select a desired planet.  
Upon entering the IDENTIFYmode, you are allowed to  
specify which type of object you wish to find. This type can  
be any of the following:  
GUIDE  
R (red star)  
2 (double star)  
NB(nebula)  
PN(planetary nebula) QSR(quasar)  
GX(galaxy)  
GC(globular cluster)  
ST(star)  
BK(black hole candidate)  
After selecting a desired object under CATALOG, entering  
GUIDEmode will show you how far to move the telescope  
in each axis to find that object. Following is an example  
display:  
NS(any non-stellar)*  
ANY(any of above)  
OC(open cluster)  
NGC4565 17129↓  
* The NS type is used to find a non-stellar object from any  
catalog, and should not be confused with the NS catalog.  
This indicates that the telescope should be moved to the left  
171° and down 29° to locate NGC4565. As the telescope is  
moved, the display updates the angles and changes  
directions if the object is passed. When an angle is less  
After the type is ENTERed, use the UP/DOWN buttons to  
set the limiting magnitude as desired. If you enter a value  
Page 9  
 
of eight, then only objects of magnitude 8.0 or brighter will  
be found. The limiting magnitude range is from one (bright)  
to 17 (faint). Those objects which do not have a magnitude  
defined are only found with a limit of 17.  
the angular separation of the alignment positions is  
essentially equal to the separation of the objects. Note the  
distinction between alignments and objects. Relative to the  
Earth, an object's position is changing with time, however  
the alignment positions remain fixed.  
When both search parameters have been defined, press  
ENTER and the computer will display the name of the  
nearest object meeting your search criteria. Because the  
display is updated every few seconds to indicate the  
nearest object at that instant, you may move the telescope  
until an object you wish to observe is shown. Pressing  
ENTER will scroll the information available on the object.  
Any time a subsequent alignment is made, pointing  
accuracy in the neighboring region should be improved.  
However, it is possible for such an alignment to decrease  
pointing accuracy elsewhere, even to an extent worse than  
that observed prior to the new alignment.  
When a new alignment is made, one of the previous two  
alignment positions — that which is least desirable relative  
to the new — is discarded. Therefore, the angle of  
separation between the remaining previous alignment  
position and that of the new alignment becomes the critical  
factor. If this angle is too small or too great, the overall  
pointing accuracy will degrade.  
When no object fits the search parameters, the first item in  
the catalog is displayed (e.g. FOUND NGC0001).  
ALIGN  
This is similar to the ALIGN STARmode, except that an  
alignment may be done on any object in the MAX computer  
catalogs. This includes the planets and user defined  
objects.  
For the average user, this should not be a noticeable  
problem, but if you should experience degraded accuracy, it  
can probably be eliminated by following these steps in  
selecting subsequent alignment objects:  
1. Recall the positions of your last two alignment objects,  
relative to the Earth (these are not their current positions).  
The object used for the ALIGNmode is that last displayed  
in the ALIGN STAR, CATALOGor IDENTIFYmodes.  
Use one of these modes if you wish to select a different  
object.  
2. Try to make your subsequent alignment on an object  
which is as close to 90° (±30°) from either one of your last  
two alignment positions as possible.  
The ALIGN mode can be used in place of, or in  
conjunction with the ALIGN STAR mode to meet the  
initial alignment requirements, as well as for subsequent  
alignments, as outlined below.  
This process will maintain maximum pointing accuracy and  
should be followed with each subsequent alignment.  
Subsequent Alignments  
TIMER (NGC-miniMAX and NGC-MAX)  
If, in the course of an evening's viewing, you find that the  
accuracy of guiding has decreased, you may re-align the  
telescope on an additional object to restore this accuracy.  
Such a situation is normally caused by inaccuracies in the  
manufacture of the telescope's mount, affecting its  
orthogonality (meaning all axes are perpendicular). This  
introduces a pointing error when moving the telescope from  
one side of the sky to the other. The MAX computer  
assumes a perfectly orthogonal mount for its calculations.  
This is a 24 hour event timer which displays to the second.  
Possible uses for this mode include recording elapsed time  
between occultation contacts or other astronomical  
phenomena, and exposure times for astrophotography.  
Upon entering this mode, the display will read:  
00 00 00.0  
If your mount is very close to being orthogonal, you will  
probably never see such an error, and should not need to  
make additional alignments. If, however, you do wish to  
make an alignment subsequent to the initial two required,  
you should keep the following in mind. (This does not apply  
to users of the EP or GP settings.)  
(Tenths of a second are not displayed on the NGC-  
miniMAX.)  
While in this mode, use the MODE and ENTER buttons as  
follows:  
MODE  
This will exit the timer mode, permitting another  
mode to be chosen. The timer will continue in  
the background, so that returning to this mode  
will accurately show the current elapsed time.  
When making alignments, the MAX computer "sees" all  
such locations in terms of an Earth-based reference. In  
other words, the altitude and azimuth of an object, at the  
time of its alignment, determines its angular separation from  
another alignment object.  
ENTER  
This button cycles through a series of three  
functions: START, STOP, and RESET.  
Of course, if alignments are done near to each other in time,  
Page 10  
 
This indicates the direction and distance to Polaris. You  
should now move your telescope to the indicated position  
just like under GUIDE mode. When you have zeroed both  
angles, your display should look like this:  
The timer is started by pressing the ENTER button, which  
will temporarily cause the display to show the following:  
START  
POLARIS 00 00  
The elapsed time from the moment you pressed the ENTER  
button will then be displayed until you press ENTER to stop  
the timer or MODE to exit the timer mode.  
If your mount is polar aligned, Polaris will appear near the  
center of a moderately powered eyepiece. (Don't worry  
about the offset of Polaris from the actual pole — the MAX  
computer is accounting for this.*) If Polaris is not near the  
center of your eyepiece, you will need to adjust the altitude  
and azimuth adjustments of your mount until Polaris is  
centered in your eyepiece. Be sure not to move your  
telescope relative to your mount — the computer's display  
should remain as shown above. If you should accidentally  
move the telescope itself, you can zero the angles again so  
that the display does match that above.  
ENCODER  
This mode is primarily used for verifying proper operation of  
the encoders. The encoder angles (in whole degrees)  
relative to their startup positions is shown. For equatorial  
mounts, the first axis is Right Ascension and the second  
Declination; for Alt/Az mounts, the first axis is Azimuth, the  
second Altitude.  
Now press the ENTER button, and you will briefly see a  
reminder to adjust your altitude and azimuth, then a display  
similar to this:  
For more information on using this mode to test the  
performance of your encoders, see the Encoder Test  
section beginning on page 4.  
SIGHT PROCYON  
You should now point your telescope back at your reference  
star and center it in the eyepiece. Press ENTER and you  
will be instructed to guide back to Polaris. Repeat the  
above process from this point as many times as desired.  
With each iteration of the process, your telescope's polar  
alignment should become more and more accurate. Two or  
three iterations should be sufficient for most visual work,  
while up to five or six iterations may be required for long-  
exposure photographic work.  
POLAR (NGC-miniMAX and NGC-MAX)  
Although the MAX computer can be used without it, having  
your telescope polar aligned is desirable in many cases.  
The accuracy of a clock drive depends upon this alignment  
for visual and especially photographic purposes. The  
POLAR mode is used to achieve a highly accurate polar  
alignment.  
Users installing a mount permanently will find this procedure  
helpful for obtaining an accurate polar alignment, however  
one of the more time-consuming methods (star drift or  
photographic) should be used for fine tuning.  
Before using this mode, you must change your setup to  
reflect either an EP (Equatorial - Polar aligned), or GP  
(German - Polar aligned) mount. See SETUP, below, for  
help on doing this. If you do not do so, upon attempting to  
enter this mode nothing will happen or you will see:  
* While your telescope's optical tube is being aligned on  
Polaris, the mount's polar axis is actually being aligned on  
the pole, not Polaris.  
ONLY FOR EP GP  
Once you have ENTERed the POLAR ALIGNmode, use  
the UP and DOWN buttons to choose a reference star by  
name from the list of 30 to 40. The star you choose should  
be between 60º and 120º from the pole — with those near  
the celestial equator being best. Do not press any more  
buttons yet.  
SETUP or INSTALL  
This mode is used to tell the MAX computer some  
characteristics of your mount. The meaning of each of the  
setup parameters is defined here.  
The first display,  
showing the selected mount type, will be similar to the  
following:  
With your mount at least roughly on the pole (the closer you  
are to begin with, the faster the process), point the  
telescope at your chosen star and press ENTER once it is  
in the center of your eyepiece. A bright asterisk (*) may  
momentarily appear, followed by a display similar to the  
following:  
SCOPE EQ  
Mount. This setting informs the MAX computer of the  
type of mount your telescope is on. The six types to choose  
from are AZ, AV, EQ, EP, GQ, and GP (the NGC-  
POLARIS 7783↓  
Page 11  
 
microMAX does not have the EP or GP settings). These  
represent the following:  
correct values to use for your telescope mount. If you  
purchased your encoders with the MAX computer, the  
resolutions are already defined for your mount.  
AV Alt/az Vertical. For use with altitude/azimuth mounts  
initialized to a vertical* position.  
Under this setup, the first value is that of the Right  
Ascension, or Azimuth encoder. The second value is that of  
the Declination, or Altitude encoder. The correct resolution  
is that of the encoder multiplied by the number of turns it  
makes each time the telescope axis is rotated. For  
example, an encoder with a resolution of 5000 tics, when  
geared 2:1, yields an effective resolution of 10000.  
AZ Alt/az Zero. For use with altitude/azimuth mounts  
initialized to a level* (or 0°) position.  
EQ EQuatorial. For equatorial mounts using a two-star  
alignment. This must be used if you have a non-polar  
aligned, non-German, equatorial mount.  
SET DEC=0, LEVEL ME, and VERTICAL  
For non-polar aligned telescopes, or polar aligned  
telescopes using the two-star alignment method, the only  
case in which you can ignore the initial pointing instruction  
is when the MAX computer will not be used for actual  
viewing (such as when conducting the Encoder Test). At all  
other times, this step is vital to proper performance, and can  
greatly affect the accuracy of the unit (either beneficially or  
detrimentally). None of the above messages will appear if  
the MAX computer is set for use with a polar aligned  
telescope.  
EP Equatorial Perfect. Only for use with a non-German,  
equatorial mount which will be used in a perfectly  
polar aligned configuration.  
ET Equatorial Table. For use with a mount whose  
tracking motion is not apparent to the encoders (such  
as an altitude/azimuth mount utilizing a tracking  
platform). In this mode, the MAX computer assumes  
that the telescope is being driven at exactly sidereal  
rate, however it does not require that the mount be  
polar aligned.  
When the initial pointing instruction is displayed  
(immediately after the power-up version message), no  
button on the MAX computer should be pressed until that  
positional requirement has been met. This initial position  
tells the computer where your two encoder axes are  
perpendicular (or parallel) to each other. This point is not  
affected by polar aligning or leveling, so it does not matter  
how your mount is oriented relative to the Earth or sky.  
GQ German EQuatorial.  
Used with non-fork type  
equatorial mounts. If the telescope can be pointed in  
the same direction from two unique positions (as with  
German mounts), the computer assumes one of  
these positions.  
Refer to the addendum "Star Alignments with a  
German Equatorial Mount" for further information.  
The meaning of each of the three possible messages is  
outlined here:  
GP German Perfect. Used with non-fork type equatorial  
mounts which will be used in a perfectly polar aligned  
configuration.  
SET DEC=0or LEVEL ME  
The telescope should be pointed with the tube  
Refer to the addendum Star Alignments with a  
German Equatorial Mount for further information.  
perpendicular to the polar/azimuth axis.  
A
Declination setting circle, if set properly, may be  
used to find this point.  
* See the separate addendum The Importance of the Initial  
NGC Alignment for details.  
VERTICAL  
The telescope should be pointed with the tube  
parallel to the polar/azimuth axis. A Declination  
setting circle, if set properly, may be used to  
find this point.  
Scroll Rate. This determines how fast the information on  
objects is scrolled across the MAX computer display. The  
default value (that set prior to shipment) is 5, with the range  
being 0 (slowest) to 9 (fastest).  
It should be noted that improving this initial alignment can  
greatly increase the guiding accuracy without showing an  
improvement in the warp factor (which only measures the  
accuracy of the distance between the two alignment stars).  
Since factory marks are often off by a significant amount,  
you may wish to do the following test. First, adjust the initial  
position in one direction a few thousandths of an inch, finish  
the alignment, then test the guiding accuracy. If it is worse,  
try adjusting the initial alignment in the other direction. Do  
several more adjustments in the direction that showed  
improvement until you see the most accurate guiding. This  
process is time consuming but well worth the effort.  
Chart Reference. Whenever information on an object  
is scrolled across the display, the last item shown is the  
chart number on which that object can be found. With the  
NGC-MAX you may select between two popular star  
atlases: Sky Atlas 2000 or Uranometria. The appropriate  
chart number will appear after "SA=" or "UA=" respectively.  
Encoder Resolution. These values tell the MAX  
computer what the final output resolutions of the encoders  
are. A separate sheet, JMI Encoder Setup Specifications,  
which was included with your encoders, specifies the  
Page 12  
 
Appendix A — Specifications  
NGC-MAX  
NGC-miniMAX*  
NGC-microMAX  
Size:  
14.6cm x 9.1cm x 3.7cm (5.75"  
x 3.60" x 1.44")  
7.0cm x 11.7cm x 3.0cm  
(2.75" x 4.60" x 1.18")  
6.1cm x 9.9cm x 3.0cm  
(2.40" x 3.88" x 1.18")  
Weight:  
233g (8.2 oz.)  
155g (5.4 oz.)  
122g (4.3 oz.)  
Temperature:  
Display:  
-10°C to +50°C (14°F to 122°F)  
-10°C to +50°C (14°F to 122°F)  
-10°C to +50°C (14°F to 122°F)  
16 character, 5x5 dot matrix red  
LED (four brightness levels)  
8 character, 5x5 dot matrix red  
LED (four brightness levels)  
8 character, 5x5 dot matrix red  
LED (four brightness levels)  
Coordinates:  
Sensors:  
Epoch AD 2000.0  
Epoch AD 2000.0  
Epoch AD 2000.0  
Two high-resolution, shaft- type,  
incremental optical encoders  
Two high-resolution, shaft- type,  
incremental optical encoders  
Two high-resolution, shaft- type,  
incremental optical encoders  
Sampling rate:  
Database:  
2.5KHz (2500 samples/sec)  
1.95KHz (1950 samples/sec)  
2.5KHz (2500 samples/sec)  
9 Planets (including Sun)  
28 User definable  
110 Messier  
9 Planets (including Sun)  
28 User definable  
80 Stars  
17 Non-stellar/deep-sky  
28 User definable  
90 Stars  
386 Non-stellar/deep-sky  
928 Stars  
86 Non-stellar/deep-sky  
110 Messier  
110 Messier  
2852 IC  
960 IC  
7840 NGC  
2745 NGC  
12153 Total object count  
12047 Non-duplicated  
4018 Total object count  
3912 Non-duplicated  
245 Total object count  
245 Non-duplicated  
Modes:  
ALIGN STAR  
RA DEC  
CATALOG  
GUIDE  
STAR FIX (ALIGN STAR)  
RA DEC  
CATALOG  
GUIDE  
STAR FIX (ALIGN STAR)  
RA DEC  
CATALOG  
GUIDE  
ALIGN  
ALIGN  
ALIGN  
ENCODER  
SETUP  
ENCODER  
SETUP  
ENCODER  
INSTALL (SETUP)  
TIMER  
TIMER  
POLAR  
POLAR  
IDENTIFY  
Power:  
6.5 to 15 volts DC  
6.5 to 15 volts DC  
6.5 to 15 volts DC  
17mA, display fully dim  
60mA, display fully bright  
(reverse polarity protected)  
17mA, display fully dim  
45mA, display fully bright  
(reverse polarity protected)  
14mA, display fully dim  
44mA, display fully bright  
(reverse polarity protected)  
Battery:  
9 volt alkaline  
9 volt alkaline  
9 volt alkaline  
(25 hour life with display fully  
dimmed)  
(25 hour life with display fully  
dimmed)  
(30 hour life with display fully  
dimmed)  
* Discontinued Product  
Page 13  
 
Appendix B — NS/DS Catalog Abbreviations  
AB Abell  
AN Antalova  
CZ Czernik  
DD Dolidze-Dzimselejsvili  
DO Dolidze  
FR Frolov  
GU Gum  
MA Markarian  
ME Melotte  
MF Maffei  
MK Minkowski  
MR Merrill  
SP Stephenson  
ST Stock  
TO Tombaugh  
TR Trumpler  
TZ Terzian  
B
Barnard  
BA Basel  
BD Baade  
BI  
Biur  
H
Harvard  
NE New  
U
Upsala  
BK Berkley  
BL Blanco  
BO Bochum  
CE Cederblad  
CR Colinder  
HA Haffner  
HB Hubble  
HU Humason  
PA Palomar  
VB Van Den Burgh  
PI  
Pismis  
RO Roslund  
RU Ruprecht  
SH2 Sharpless  
KI  
King  
LY Lynza  
Appendix C — RS-232 Cable Assembly  
The NGC-MAX computer unit has an RS-232 serial port which may be used to provide encoder position information to a  
personal computer (PC). This can be used with the sample BASIC program provided in Appendix D, or with a commercial  
software program which supports the NGC-MAX protocol (such as Software Bisque's THESKY™).  
A special cable is required between the NGC-MAX and your PC. You may use the information here to assemble your own  
cable, or you may purchase one from JMI. While a 12 foot (3.6m) cable is standard, a custom length may be special  
ordered.  
The connector at the NGC-MAX side of the cable is an RJ11 or RJ12 phone-type plug using the center four contacts.  
Reference the following diagram when inserting the wires from a flat 4-conductor cable:  
YEL GRN RED BLK  
Wire insertion end of RJ11 or RJ12 male connector  
The connector at the PC can be one of three varieties, depending upon your PC. Check the size of the PC's serial, or COM  
port connector which you plan to use with the NGC-MAX. On IBM-compatible systems, it should be a 9 or 25 pin male  
connector with two rows of pins. On Macintosh systems, it will be a round 8 pin female connector.  
Once you have determined the proper connector, use the appropriate pinout below to complete the cable.  
9-socket D-subminiature (female)  
25-socket D-subminiature (female)  
8-pin mini-DIN (male)  
2
3
5
YEL  
GRN  
RED  
TX  
RX  
GND  
2
3
7
GRN  
YEL  
RED  
RX  
TX  
GND  
3
4
5
8
GRN  
RED  
YEL  
RX  
GRN  
TX  
RED  
GND  
1
2
1 2 3 4 5  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13  
6 7 8 9  
14 15 16 17 18 29 20 21 22 23 24 25  
3
4
5
6
7
8
Solder side of connectors  
Page 14  
 
Appendix D — Sample BASIC Program Listing  
The following program listing has been tested on numerous MS-DOS compatible computers using both GW-BASIC and Q-  
BASIC. While all efforts have been made to ensure error-free code, the user is solely responsible for the accurate entry  
and operation of this program.  
100 '***************************************************************************  
110 '** This BASIC program reads and displays encoder positions directly  
120 '** from the RS-232C serial port of the JMI NGC-MAX v3.50 or later  
130 '** Copyright 1996-2005 by Jim's Mobile Inc.  
**  
**  
**  
140 '***************************************************************************  
150 ENC(1)=4096: 'Defines telescope Azm/RA encoder resolution  
160 ENC(0)=4000: 'Defines telescope Alt/DEC encoder resolution  
170 PORT$="COM1": 'Defines which serial port is connected to the NGC-MAX  
180 CLS:PRINT "Make sure the NGC-MAX is on - then press the SPACE bar."  
190 K$=INKEY$:IF K$="" THEN GOTO 190: 'Waits for user to press a key  
200 IF K$=CHR$(27) THEN GOTO 370: 'If ESC is pressed, jumps to line 370  
210 OPEN PORT$+":9600,N,8,1,RS,CS,DS" AS #3: 'Opens serial port  
220 DEFP$="+00000"+CHR$(9)+"+00000": 'Defines the default position response  
230 P$="":PRINT #3,"Q";: 'Asks NGC-MAX for encoder positions  
240 K$=INKEY$:INPUT #3,P$: 'Reads keyboard/serial port  
250 IF K$ = CHR$(27) THEN GOTO 370: 'If ESC is pressed, jumps to line 370  
260 IF P$="" THEN GOTO 230: 'Waits for input from keyboard or serial port  
270 IF LEN(P$)<8 THEN P$=DEFP$: 'If input not complete, sets to default  
280 AZM$=LEFT$(P$,6): 'Extracts the Azimuth/R.A. encoder position  
290 ALT$=MID$(P$,8,6): 'Extracts the Altitude/Dec. encoder position  
300 A=-VAL(AZM$):GOSUB 400: 'Jumps to line 400 to interpret Azimuth angle  
310 RA$=A$: 'Sets variable RA$ equal to the Azimuth angle  
320 A=VAL(ALT$):GOSUB 400: 'Jumps to line 400 to interpret Altitude angle  
330 DEC$=A$: 'Sets variable DEC$ equal to the Altitude angle  
340 LOCATE 10,19:PRINT "Azm/R.A.= ";RA$: 'Displays the Azimuth/R.A. angle  
350 LOCATE 10,46:PRINT "Alt/DEC.= ";DEC$: 'Displays the Altitude/Dec. angle  
360 GOTO 230: 'Goes back to line 230 to check positions again  
370 CLOSE #3:LOCATE 20:PRINT "Exiting program.": 'Closes the serial port  
380 SYSTEM: 'and EXITS the program  
390 '*** This subroutine changes the raw encoder data into angular form. ***  
400 AX=(AX=0): 'Toggles variable AX to indicate which axis  
410 A=A*360/ENC(-AX): 'Changes raw encoder tic value to an angle  
420 IF A>359 THEN A=A-360:GOTO 420: 'Makes sure angle is less than 360  
430 IF A<-359 THEN A=A+360:GOTO 430: 'Makes sure angle is greater than -360  
440 IF NOT AX AND A>180 THEN A=A-360: 'Makes sure Altitude is within -180 to 180  
450 IF A<0 AND AX THEN A=360+A: 'Makes sure Azimuth is greater than zero  
460 A=A+.0051:A=INT(A*10000)/10000: 'Puts angle in a 2 decimal place format  
470 S=SGN(A):A$="000"+MID$(STR$(A),2): 'Temporarily adds leading zeros  
480 A=0:FOR X=1 TO LEN(A$): 'Starts looking for decimal place in angle  
490 IF MID$(A$,X,1)="." THEN A=X: 'When decimal found, marks with variable A  
500 NEXT X:IF A=0 THEN A$=A$+".0":A=LEN(A$)-2: 'Adds decimal value if absent  
510 A$=MID$(A$,A-3,6): 'Extracts the angle in proper format  
520 IF LEN(A$)<6 THEN A$=A$+"0": 'Makes sure second decimal place is present  
530 S$="+":IF S<0 THEN S$="-": 'Sets the sign as plus or minus for angle  
540 IF NOT AX THEN A$ = S$ + A$: 'Adds sign to the Altitude angle only  
550 RETURN: 'Returns the program to line 310 or 330  
Page 15  
 
Appendix E — MAX Quick-Start Guide  
NOTE: For best results, the following steps should be followed while using the telescope under actual observing conditions.  
Simulated star alignments may be used for the purpose of familiarizing yourself with the operation of the computer, however, the  
user should be aware that under these conditions the coordinate display and GUIDEmode will behave unpredictably.  
1. Turn unit ON. A message will appear briefly.  
2. Use the DIM button to set the brightness of the LED display as desired. If at any time during these steps a single, bright  
asterisk (*) is shown on your display, it is an indication of an encoder error. It can also be indicated by the display showing  
ENCODER ERROR. This can be caused by turning the telescope too rapidly or a bad electrical connection (including not  
having the encoders plugged in).  
3. If display shows:  
Then do this:  
DEC=0  
Point your telescope such that the Declination setting circle is at the zero degree mark*.  
Press the ENTER button and proceed to step 4.  
MODE ALIGN STAR  
The computer is set up for polar alignment. If the telescope is not polar aligned,  
the POLAR ALIGNmode may be used as an aid to this end. Proceed to step 4.  
or STAR FIX  
VERTICAL  
(Used with Altitude/Azimuth mounts)  
Position the telescope tube such that it is pointed directly perpendicular to the bottom of  
the rocker box*. Press the ENTER button and proceed to step 4.  
LEVEL ME  
(Used with Altitude/Azimuth mounts)  
Position the telescope tube such that it is pointed exactly parallel with the bottom of the  
rocker box*. Press the ENTER button and proceed to step 4.  
* This initial setting needs to be as accurate as possible. The maximum tolerable error is one half of a degree. Any error larger  
than this will result in poor pointing accuracy. Please see the addendum The Importance of the Initial NGC Alignment for  
additional help on this setting.  
4. Choose a bright star to use as an initial alignment. (Do not use Polaris with an Equatorial mount or a star at Zenith with an  
Alt/Az mount.) After entering ALIGN STARor STAR FIXmode (by pressing ENTER when this is shown on the LED  
display), use the UP and DOWN buttons to scroll through the star list until your chosen star's name is displayed.  
5. With the star from step 4 centered in your telescope's eyepiece, press the ENTER button to align on the star. If a Wor WARP  
value is shown, it may be ignored at this point (only the warps on alignments after the first have real meaning).  
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 using a second star which is at least 60 degrees from the first to complete the alignment procedure  
(Polaris may be used for this alignment). At this point the warp value should be ±0.50 or less for accurate alignment.  
7. To view an object, press the MODE button to enter the mode selection, and use the UP and DOWN buttons to locate the  
CATALOGmode (this is two presses of the UP button from ALIGN STARor STAR FIX).  
8. Press the ENTER button to select CATALOGmode. If you followed the above steps properly, the display will now show a  
flashing STnext to a three digit number. This is indicating that you are currently working with the STar catalog, the number  
being that of the alignment star from step 5.  
9. To select an object, you must first define which catalog it is in. Use the UP and DOWN buttons to set the catalog  
(ST=STARS, M=Messier, NGC=New General Catalog, IC=Index Catalog, NEW=User definable objects), then press ENTER.  
10. You will now see the first digit of a 2-4 digit number flashing. Use the UP and DOWN buttons to select the first digit of the  
catalog number you wish to observe. (If your catalog number is of fewer digits than that displayed, you must use preceding  
zeros. For example, to enter M-42, your display would look like this: M042.)  
11. With the first digit set, press ENTER and the second digit will be flashing. Continue this process until you have all digits set  
as needed. Pressing ENTER once more will display the Right Ascension and Declination for that object.  
12. If you would like to see the information which the MAX has on this object, press ENTER again. The display will scroll the  
catalog number, magnitude, (size, common name, constellation), type of object, and Sky Atlas (SA) or Uranometria (UA) chart  
reference.  
13. Press the MODE button to return to mode selection. Press the UP button then ENTER to select GUIDEmode.  
14. Displayed is the angular distance and direction to that object from the telescope's current location. The first angle is that of  
Right Ascension/Azimuth, and has a left or right facing arrow to indicate direction. The second angle is that of  
Declination/Altitude, and has an up or down facing arrow to indicate direction.  
15. Moving the telescope in the direction indicated (one axis at a time if desired), the angles will decrease toward zero.  
Whenever an angle is less than ten degrees, that angle is shown to tenths of a degree with the arrow doubling as a decimal  
point. Zeroing both angles results in pointing the telescope at the selected object.  
JMI Telescopes  
Jim's Mobile, Inc. y 8550 W 14th Ave y Lakewood, CO 80215 y USA y 303-233-5353 y Fax 303-233-5359 y jmitelescopes.com  
 

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