Summary of the content on the page No. 1
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
NexStar 80GTL
NexStar 80GTL
Summary of the content on the page No. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................................4 W Wa ar rn niin ng g...........................................................................................................................................................................4 ASSEMBLY............................................................................................
Summary of the content on the page No. 3
Observing the Sun .................................................................................................................................................24 Solar Observing Hints ...........................................................................................................................................25 Observing Deep Sky Objects.................................................................................................................................25 Terrestrial
Summary of the content on the page No. 4
Congratulations on your purchase of the Celestron NexStar! The NexStar ushers in a whole new generation of computer automated technology. Simple and friendly to use, the NexStar is up and running after locating just two alignment stars. It’s the perfect combination of power and portability. If you are new to astronomy, you may wish to start off by using the NexStar's built-in Sky Tour feature, which commands the NexStar to find the most interesting objects in the sky and automatically s
Summary of the content on the page No. 5
1 12 11 10 2 9 3 4 8 5 7 6 The NexStar 80GTL Refractor Telescope 1 Objective Lens 7 Focuser Knob 2 Fork Arm 8 Erect Image Diagonal - 90˚ 3 Power Outlet 9 Eyepiece 4 Tripod 10 Star Pointer Finderscope 5 Hand Control 11 Optical Tube 6 Accessory Tray w/ hand control holder 12 Tube Ring Clamp 5
Summary of the content on the page No. 6
The NexStar comes partially assembled and can be operational in a matter of minutes. The NexStar is conveniently packaged in one reusable shipping carton that contains the following accessories: NexStar 80 GTL 25mm & 10mm Eyepieces – 1¼" 1¼" Erect Image Diagonal Star Pointer Finderscope and Mounting Bracket Deluxe Accessory Tray Battery Pack Solar Filter The Sky™ Level 1 Astronomy Software Telescope Control Software NexStar Hand Control w/ Object Database Assembling the NexStar Y
Summary of the content on the page No. 7
3. From underneath the tripod support brace, thread the locking bolt into the hole in the center of the accessory tray. Do not over tighten. The accessory tray has a built-on hand control holder protruding from the side. The back of the hand control has an opening that slides over the clip on the inside of the holder. It is a good idea to adjust the height of the tripod before attaching the fork arm and tube. Minor adjustments can be made later. To adjust the height of the tripod legs:
Summary of the content on the page No. 8
T Th he e E Ey ye ep piie ec ce e The eyepiece, is the optical element that magnifies the image focused by the telescope. The eyepiece fits either directly into the focuser or into the diagonal. To install the eyepiece: Star Pointer Eyepiece 1. Loosen the thumbscrew on the diagonal so it does not obstruct the inner diameter of the barrel. Remove the protective dust cap from the diagonal's barrel. 2. Slide the chrome portion of the low power 25mm eyepiece into the diagonal. Focus Knob
Summary of the content on the page No. 9
not damage the glass window or your eye. The Star Pointer comes equipped with a variable brightness control, two axes alignment control and mounting brackets. Before the Star Pointer is ready to be used, it must be attached to the telescope tube and properly aligned: Star Pointer Installation Star Pointer Installation 1. Slide the Star Pointer bracket into the dovetail mounting platform on top of the focuser assembly (see figure 2-6). 2. Orient the Star Pointer so that the sight tube is facin
Summary of the content on the page No. 10
Using your Solar Filter Using your Solar Filter Solar observing is one of the most rewarding forms of celestial observations. Yet, because the Sun is so bright, special precautions must be taken to ensure your safety and protect your equipment. Therefore, read these instructions through completely BEFORE you attempt to use your solar filter. A Word of Caution Never look through the StarPointer finderscope when pointed at the Sun. About the Filter ™ The Celestron AstroSolar solar filter by
Summary of the content on the page No. 11
Attaching the Hand Control Attaching the Hand Control The NexStar GT hand control has a phone jack type connector at the end of its cord. Plug the phone jack connector into the outlet at the base of the telescope’s fork arm. Push the connector into the outlet until it clicks into place and place the hand control into its holder as described previously in the Assembly section of the manual. Power Outlet Hand Control Outlet Battery Pack Figure 3-1 – The NexStar GT Outlets P Po ow we er r
Summary of the content on the page No. 12
Planets - All 8 planets in our Solar System plus the Moon. Stars – A compiled list of the brightest stars from the SAO catalog. List – For quick access, all of the best and most popular objects in the NexStar database have been broken down into lists based on their type and/or common name: Named Stars Common name listing of the brightest stars in the sky. Named Objects Alphabetical listing of over 50 of the most popular deep sky objects. Double Stars Alphabetical listing of the mos
Summary of the content on the page No. 13
10. Scroll Keys: Used to scroll up and down within any of the menu lists. A double arrow symbol on the right side of the LCD indicates that the scroll keys can be used to view additional information. 11. Rate: Instantly changes the rate of speed of the motors when the direction buttons are pressed. 12. RS-232 Jack: Allows use with a computer and software programs for point and click slewing capability. Hand Control Operation This section describes the basic hand control procedures needed
Summary of the content on the page No. 14
Use the Up and Down scroll keys to choose between City Database and Custom Site. City Database will allow you to select the closest city to your observing site from a list of either international or U.S. location. Custom Site allows you to enter the exact longitude and latitude of your observing site. Select City Database and press ENTER. The hand control will allow you to choose from either U.S. or international locations. For a listing of U.S. locations by state and then by city, pre
Summary of the content on the page No. 15
1. Once the NexStar is powered on, use the Up and Down scroll keys to select Two Two Two Two----Star Al Star Al Star Al Star Align ign ign ign, and press ENTER. 2. The NexStar display will ask you to move the telescope tube until it is horizontal to the ground. To do this, use the direction keys (3) to move the telescope until it is roughly level with the ground. Press ENTER. 3. The SSSSELECT STAR 1 ELECT STAR 1 ELECT STAR 1 ELECT STAR 1 message will appear in the top row of the display. Use
Summary of the content on the page No. 16
Object Catalog Selecting an Object Selecting an Object Now that the telescope is properly aligned, you can choose an object from any of the catalogs in the NexStar's database. The hand control has a key designated for each of the catalogs in its database. There are two ways to select objects from the database; scrolling through the named object lists and entering object numbers: • Pressing the LIST key on the hand control will access all objects in the database that have common names or ty
Summary of the content on the page No. 17
• To slew to the object displayed, press ENTER. • To see the next tour object, press the Down key. Direction Buttons The NexStar has four direction buttons in the center of the hand control which controls the telescope motion in altitude (up and down) and azimuth (left and right). The telescope can be controlled at nine different speed rates. 1 = 2x 6 = .5º / sec 2 = 4x 7 = 1º / sec 3 = 8x 8 = 2º / sec 4 = 16x 9 = 4º / sec 5 = 32x Nine available slew speeds Rate But
Summary of the content on the page No. 18
Alt-Az This is the default tracking rate and is used when the telescope has been properly aligned. EQ North Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar aligned using an equatorial wedge in the Northern Hemisphere. EQ South Used to track the sky when the telescope is polar aligned using an equatorial wedge in the Southern Hemisphere. Off When using the telescope for terrestrial (land) observation the tracking can be turned off so that the telescope never moves. Note: The EQ No
Summary of the content on the page No. 19
objects are relative to the location of the telescope, they are only valid for that exact location. To save land objects, once again center the desired object in the eyepiece. Scroll down to the "Save Land Obj" command and press ENTER. The display will ask you to enter a number between 1-25 to identify the object. Press ENTER again to save this object to the database. Enter R.A. - Dec: You can also store a specific set of coordinates for an object just by entering the R.A. and declinat
Summary of the content on the page No. 20
Slew Limits – Sets the limits in altitude that the telescope can slew without displaying a warning message first. The NexStar hand control will warn you before allowing the telescope tube to slew to an object below the horizon or slew to an object that is high enough that the tube might hit one of the tripod legs. However, the slew limits can be customized depending on your needs. For example, if you would like to slew to an object that is close to the zenith and are certain that the tu
