Syncing Handset HEQ5 Pro

[cepheus42]

Hi Guys,

I recently bought an HEQ5 Synscan Pro mount and the manual is soft, strong and throughly absorbent. It's very patchly in terms of usability and may have better applications (see above).

I'm trying to find out how to do the following.

After doing my 2 or 3 star alignment, I have noticed that there can still be a small error when slewing to an object. In the case of my Meade telescope, I am able to press a couple of buttons and update the handset to tell it that I am actually pointing to the object after I have made a small manual correction to the position.

I can't find the sequence of buttons to enter to do this on the HEQ5. When I do this on the Meade it makes the local positioning much more accurate.

Any ideas? It's probably something like "with the object centered in the eyepiece, press enter three times and dance around in a semi circular motion singing the third verse from The National Anthem", or something like that.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Peter Hutton.

[YKSE]

I'd recommend you download the manual from here

http://www.skywatcher.com/downloads/280313V3_SynScan%203.35.pdf

It's valid for the lastes V3.35, upgrade your firmware to V3.35 if you have an older version.

[Tinker1947]

I don't think there is a sync command, if you can run a laptop outside the EQMod will run the mount and along with sync'ing and a wireless gamepad , does need a dongle to work but does away with the handset.......

Dongle

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-cables-leads-accessories/hitecastro-eqdir-adapter.html

EQMod

http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/

[DeepThought]

You can use PAE to improve accuracy.  The manual says the following:

Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE)

The three 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 SynScanTM provides a Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) function to further improve the accuracy. The PAE can be performed in up to 85 zones to cover the whole sky. The area(s) where the chosen alignment star(s) is located should be already mapped out accurately by the SynScanTM. Further accuracy enhancement is not necessary.

The following provides a step-by-step procedure on how to perform PAE:

Choose a star as reference object from a star chart or planetarium software. This star should be a known, bright object that is currently located in the same part of the sky with the object of your interest.

Find the reference object in the SynScanTM hand control database and go-to the object. If the mount is under the control of the planetarium software, click on the object to slew to it.

Adjust the telescope so that the reference object is in the center of the eyepiece or CCD view.

Press and hold down the ESC key for 2 seconds. The hand control will display "Re-center" and the name of the reference object will appear in a blinking mode (3 times). If the go-to command is sent from the planetarium software, instead of the name of the object, the hand control will display "Last goto object".

Make sure that the reference object is still in the center of the view and press ENTER. If you do not wish to record the result, press ESC to abort the operation. After pressing ENTER, the SynScanTM will record the amount of pointing inaccuracy and recalculate the model of the sky. Now the pointing accuracy of this particular part of the sky should be greatly improved.

Reading between the lines, what that means is use goto to point to the object, centre the object, hold down escape, press enter.

[Steve Ward]

PAE bottom of page 7.

[carastro]

You can sync with synscan.  

Press ESC and hold it down for a few seconds then the window will start to flash, and then press enter and this will sync it.

I have a feeling I might have had to press ESC twice on occasions to make this happen.

It's on page 7 of the manual PAE (Pointing accuracy enhancement, 

I have copied it here:

.

Press and hold down the ESC key for 2 seconds. The hand control will display "Re-center" and the 

name of the reference object will appear in a blinking mode (3 times). If the go-to command is sent 

from the planetarium software, instead of the name of the object, the hand control will display "Last 

goto object".

Make sure that the reference object is still in the center of the view and press ENTER. If you do not 

wish to record the result, press ESC to abort the operation. After pressing ENTER, the SynScanTM

will record the amount of pointing inaccuracy and recalculate the model of the sky. Now the pointing 

accuracy of this particular part of the sky should be greatly improved. 

Carole 

[cepheus42]

Many thanks for all the replies. Sometimes it's difficult to sort out the information, especially when you're a novice like myself and the manuals can be very difficult to work through.

Here's hoping for greater things.

Peter Hutton