ASTRO-PHYSICS GTO Manuale utente
ASTRO-PHYSICS
GTO KEYPAD
Version v4.19.3
Flash RAM Updates
Keypad ash RAM updates can be accomplished through the Internet.
Check our web site www.astro-physics.com periodically for further information.
August 2018
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CONTENTS
ABOUT THIS MANUAL 5
GTO KEYPAD CONTROLLER 6
Layout and Buttons of the Keypad 6
Vacuum Fluorescent Display 6
N-S-E-W Directional Buttons 6
RA/DEC REV Button: 6
STOP Button 7
Number Buttons 7
<PREV and NEXT> Buttons 7
GoTo Button 7
± Button 7
MENU Button 7
FOC Button 7
Retractable Hanger 7
Keypad Protector 8
Installation: 8
Keypad Care and Warranty 8
Warranty 8
Keypad Battery for 256K Memory Boards 8
Keypad Battery for 512K Memory Boards 8
Cleaning Keypad Display 8
Temperature Ratings 8
GETTING STARTED – DO THIS AT HOME, IF POSSIBLE 9
Setup your Mount and Cable Connections 9
Gather Basic Information 9
Enter Your Location, Date and Time 9
Resetting Daylight Savings and Time in the Spring and Fall 11
Setting Keypad to GMT (aka UTC) 12
Practice Using your Keypad 13
YOUR FIRST OBSERVING SESSION & FOR PORTABLE MOUNTS 14
Normal Startup Sequence for Mounts that are in the eld 14
Assemble Your Mount 14
Startup sequence 14
Star Sync 14
Resume Last Position 15
New Setup → New Setup Start From Park Position (press 1, 2, 3, or 4) 15
Helpful Hints 15
AUTO-CONNECT SEQUENCE – FOR PERMANENT, POLAR-ALIGNED MOUNTS 16
Important Points 16
EXTERNAL STARTUP SEQUENCE – FOR COMPUTER CONTROLLED MOUNTS 17
Important Points 17
POLAR ALIGNMENT – WHICH METHOD TO CHOOSE? 18
N Polar Calibrate - Calibrating with Polaris 18
Two-Star Calibration 19
Polar Aligning in the Daytime – Northern Hemisphere 22
Polar Aligning in the Daytime – Southern Hemisphere 24
GTO Quick Star Drift Method of Polar Alignment 26
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GTO Quick Star Drift Method of Polar Alignment Quick Reference Sheet 29
How to Find Objects if You Have Less Than Perfect Polar Alignment or Non-Orthogonal Systems 30
What if I Lose My Calibration? 30
OBJECTS MENU – HAVE SOME FUN! 31
Tips for Using the Buttons and Menus 31
Procedures Common to all Slewing Commands 31
M, NGC, IC 32
Common Object Names 32
Solar System Objects (Sol) 32
Common Star Names - Non-scientic 33
Greek Star Names, organized by constellation 33
Abell Galaxy Clusters 33
ADS Double Stars (Aitken Double Star Catalog) 33
Search for Objects by Type, Magnitude, Catalog and All Sky vs. Current Constellation 34
What’s Up Now Function 34
Tour Objects within Constellations 35
Custom R.A. and Dec. Coordinates 35
Custom ALT / AZ Coordinates 35
Sun Warning 36
MAIN MENU FUNCTIONS 37
Brightness of the display screen 37
Directional buttons 37
Objects 37
Setup 37
Tools 37
Time/LST 37
Slew rate (S:) 37
Button rate (B:) 37
Guiding rate(A:) 38
Tracking rate (T:) 38
Casual observing 38
SETUP MENUS 39
Locations & Time Menu 39
Set Site Location 39
Set Date & Time 39
Get Time/Loc FrMnt 39
Mount Move Limits Menu 39
R.A. Backlash Adjustment (for Visual Observers) 39
Declination Backlash Adjustment (for Visual Observers) 40
Set Safe Zone Limits for Your Telescope 41
How to Determine Your Safe Zone 41
Set Your Safe Zone 41
Set Horizon Limits for Your Telescope 42
How to Determine Your Horizon Limit 42
How Horizon Limit Works 42
Set Your Horizon Limit 42
Keypad Options Menu 43
Auto-Connect 43
Reticle Illuminator Adjustment 43
Focus Adjustment 43
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Special note for the lead-free GTOCP3 control boxes 43
Keypad Update Menu 44
PARK OPTIONS 45
Park Your Telescope 45
Park – 5 Positions 45
Power Down Wherever You Want – (a power loss will not lose your position) 46
Parking and Power Considerations 46
Calibrate Menu 46
What if I lose my calibration? 47
Specify Mount Type 47
TOOLS MENU 48
Permanent Error Memory Adjustment (PEM) 48
Record Permanent Error Memory 48
Playback PEM corrections 48
Special Features 48
Photographic Timer 49
SmartGuide 49
Why do I need SmartGuide? 49
How does SmartGuide work? 49
How do I use SmartGuide? 49
Is SmartGuiding better than Auto Guiding? 50
Status 50
SLEWING DURING THE DAY 51
Potential Dangers 51
How to Observe Safely 51
ORTHOGONALITY 52
Check Orthogonality 52
Effect of Non-orthogonality on Polar Alignment 53
Polar Alignment with Non-orthogonal Telescopes 53
Additional Tips for Non-Orthogonal Systems 54
ADVANCED FEATURES 55
Sync Function 55
Tweak Your Pointing Accuracy 56
Sync Explained in Detail and compared to Re-Calibrate 56
Meridian Delay / Advance Function 59
UNDERSTANDING THE KEYPAD AND GTO CONTROL BOX FUNCTIONS 60
Functions of the GTO Servo Control Box 60
Functions of the Keypad 60
Upgrading the GTO Servo Control Box 60
Upgrading the Keypad 61
Upgrading or Repairing the Keypad Database 61
TROUBLESHOOTING 62
APPENDIX A: COLLECTIVE RELEASE NOTES 66
Version 4.19.3 – 07-29-16 66
Version 4.19.2 – 01-19-16 66
Version 4.19.1 – 01-18-16 66
Version 4.19 – 01-18-16 66
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Version 4.18 – Not released 66
Version 4.17 – 10-20-08 66
Version 4.12 – 09-06-04 67
Version 4.11 – 08-28-04 67
Version 4.10 – 08-26-04 67
Version 4.07 – 02-16-04 68
APPENDIX B: REMAINING KNOWN KEYPAD ISSUES 70
Summary of Remaining Keypad Issues: 70
Eastern Longitude Values 70
Western Longitudes with Eastern Time Zones 70
Incorrect GMT Offsets When Polling the Mount from the Keypad 71
Western Longitudes at Time Zone Zero 71
Eastern Longitudes and Time Zone 12 71
Eastern Longitude Limit 71
The International Date Line 71
Fractional Time Zones 72
APPENDIX C: COMMON STARS – BY CONSTELLATION 73
APPENDIX D: ALPHABETICAL STAR LIST 77
APPENDIX E: CONSTELLATION ABBREVIATIONS 82
APPENDIX F: COMMON OBJECT NAMES 83
APPENDIX G: AITKEN’S DOUBLE STAR (ADS) LIST 84
APPENDIX H: THE GREEK ALPHABET 86
APPENDIX I: SUGGESTED STARS FOR THE GTO QUICK STAR DRIFT METHOD 87
APPENDIX J: MENU LAYOUT 90
5
ASTRO-PHYSICS
GTO Keypad
Version 4.19.3
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
Historically, we have always included a keypad with all of our GTO equatorial mounts. Starting in October of 2015 we
began offering the Keypad as an optional purchase. Many users, especially those with personal observatories and those
whose principle interest is imaging, are now controlling our mounts via computer software and increasingly nd that the
Keypad has been relegated to storage. We made the decision to offer the Keypad as an option in order to accommodate
all our customers. The Keypad is a multi-function, portable, hand-held computer which gives one total freedom to set up in
the eld or at Star Parties without being tethered to the extra bulk of power-hungry computers. Using it is the best way to
truly be “portable”!
The Keypad is used with all the GoTo mounts that we have ever produced and can be used with any of the control boxes
(GTOCP1, GTOCP2, GTOCP3 and GTOCP4).
You should note that this manual is actually one component of a three document system. Since you chose to purchase the
optional Keypad, you have received this manual. The Keypad Manual applies to all mounts, detailing the keypad’s many
features and extensively explains its operation. A second manual is the GTO Servo Motor Drive System. Like the Keypad
Manual, the GTO Servo Manual is universal to all mounts that use the Astro-Physics GTO Servo Motor Drive System
with the GTOCP4 (and earlier CPx units) Servo Control Box. The nal manual is the Mount Manual and is specic to the
individual mount that is chosen.
As always, we highly recommend the Technical Support Section of our Web site for the latest information and for future
updated versions of this and other manuals.
A nal note and an apology to our friends in the southern hemisphere. Many of the instructions in this manual are written
entirely from the point of view of those of us in the northern hemisphere. Since descriptive terms like left and right are
meaningless without a dened point of reference, we tend to use east and west to avoid ambiguity. The east and west
sides of a German equatorial mount are, of course, reversed in the southern hemisphere. At one point, our thought was to
always use phrases like the following: “... on the east side (west side in the southern hemisphere) ...” This quickly became
cumbersome and made the text more difcult to read. For simplicity, we decided to leave many of the explanations in their
northern hemisphere framework. To our southern hemisphere friends: We appreciate you no less and apologize for this
unintended slight. We know, however, that you are all smart enough to make the necessary translation to “down under”
appropriate instructions. Thank you for your understanding.
Please RecoRd the Following inFoRmation FoR FutuRe ReFeRence
Keypad Serial Number: _____________________________________________
Purchase Date: _____________________________________________
User Name _____________________ Password ______________________
6
GTO KEYPAD CONTROLLER
The GTO Keypad is the communication center for the operation of your GTO mount. We have designed this unit to be
as intuitive and easy to use as possible while lling it with terric features to make your observing session productive and
pleasurable. With a few keystrokes, you can slew to objects by their common name or catalog number, set up search
parameters to nd all the open clusters (in the Messier catalog) that are visible on a given night, focus your telescope
for astrophotography, set the countdown timer for the exposure, enter R.A. and Dec.
coordinates to nd the newest super nova, and much more.
Note: Please understand that the keypad is NOT the controller / brain of the mount.
The real control is in the GTOCPx Control Box. The keypad simply provides data
for the GTOCPx to do its job. Likewise, a computer with software can also duplicate
everything that the keypad does. The mount can be operated using only the keypad,
using only a computer, or using both.
The heart of the controller is the 4-line display screen that will guide you through all
operations. The alphanumeric Keypad itself is translucent and backlit with red LEDs
for easy visibility at night. The buttons are also made with a phosphoresce material
that will glow in the dark for a brief time.
Button functions are clearly dened on the button itself or as an instruction on the
display screen. You do not have to remember shift key patterns or complex keystroke
sequences. The directional buttons are shaped like arrows to help you nd them in the
dark without looking at your Keypad. The stop button is readily accessible if you need
to cancel any slewing request immediately.
The menu system is very easy to navigate. Each screen will display several choices,
which correspond to a number button. Simply press the number button to initiate the
command, e.g. “1=M, 2=NGC”. When you press “1” the Messier entry screen will
display and you can enter the number of the object that you wish to see. Press GoTo,
which will cause the mount to slew. The <PREV and NEXT> buttons will allow you to scroll quickly through the lists of
common names or to nd more data about the object you are viewing. To adjust most settings, you will press the number
indicated on the screen several times to scroll (toggle) through your choices and stop at the one you want.
Layout and Buttons of the Keypad
Vacuum Fluorescent Display
The Keypad features a four-line, 20 character alphanumeric display. The brightness of the display is adjustable with “dim”
and “bright” settings. Please refer to the section entitled “Brightness of the display screen”. If you are using the Keypad in
the daylight, you will need to shade the screen from the direct light with your hand in order to see it more clearly.
N-S-E-W Directional Buttons
These four buttons are arranged so that the “E” and “W” buttons control the movement in right ascension and the “N” and
“S” buttons control the declination. This is the “normal” orientation of objects in the eyepiece eld. When you press the “N”
button, the star should move in an upward direction toward the top of your eyepiece eld. In addition, you can press two
buttons simultaneously for diagonal movement, e.g. the “N” and “W” buttons will cause a “NorthWest” movement. Note:
north and south buttons can be misleading concepts in movement of the Dec. axis. The reality is that “N” moves the Dec.
axis counterclockwise and “S” moves the Dec. axis clockwise.
RA/DEC REV Button:
Press the RA/DEC REV button to access these functions, then press MENU to exit from this screen. This button serves
several functions:
●Reversing R.A. and Dec.: If the star moves down when you push the “N”
button, press the RA/DEC REV button in the lower right corner of the Keypad.
A reversing menu will appear on the screen. If you want to reverse direction
of the “N” and “S” button, press “2” on the Keypad and the display will change
from “normal” to “reverse”. You can make the same adjustment with the “E”
and “W” buttons. When properly set up, the direction buttons will cause the
object to move according to your orientation at the eyepiece.
1=Rev RA :Normal
2=Rev DEC:Normal
9=Re-Calibrate
Meridian < 0W >
RA / DEC Reverse Screen
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●Re-Calibrate: If you wish to tweak your pointing accuracy, slew to an object, use the N-S-E-W directional buttons to
center the object, then press the RA/DEC REV button and select “9”. This will re-calibrate your mount. Refer to the
section later in the manual that for more detailed information.
●Meridian Delay: Advanced astro-photographers will appreciate this feature. Refer to the “Advanced Features”
section of the manual that discusses “Meridian Swap” and the section on the “GTO Quick Star Drift” method of polar
alignment. Do not change this setting unless you understand the consequences.
STOP Button
Press the STOP button to cancel a slewing command and stop the movement of the telescope immediately. The mount
will know where it is, so you can proceed to your next command. If you move the telescope by hand, you must follow the
re-calibration procedure.
Number Buttons
The buttons labeled 1–9 and 0 are used to enter numerical data and to make menu choices.
<PREV and NEXT> Buttons
These buttons are used for the following functions depending on the commands you are entering: move from one menu
level to another, backspace to make corrections to number entry or scroll through lists of objects. The “<“ and “>“ symbols
appear on many screen displays. They signify that you can press the <PREV and NEXT> buttons for more choices or
additional information. These buttons are also used in conjunction with the FOCUS button as described below.
GoTo Button
Press the GoTo button after you have selected the object that you want to view. The mount will slew to the object. This
button is also used for other functions, i.e. saving location data.
± Button
This button has two different functions:
● Use it to toggle between “+” and “-“ when entering R.A. and Dec. coordinates.
● To change the rate of the N-S-E-W directional buttons, press the “±” button to display a selection screen. Use the
<PREV and NEXT> buttons to scroll through the rates. Also you can change the guiding rate on this menu by
pressing the “7=Guide Rate” button to scroll through the rates. These features can be accessed whenever the N-S-
E-W buttons are active.
MENU Button
Press this button to move to a previous menu level or to cancel a prompt.
FOC Button
To use this function, you must have an electric focuser with a 6–9V DC motor (available from JMI and others) plugged into
the GTO Control Panel (not available in the CP4) and the corresponding attachment to your focuser. Hold the FOCUS
button with one nger and press the <PREV and NEXT> buttons to change focus. You can change the speed of the focus
adjustment to either “High” or “Low”. Please refer to the Focus Adjustment section for detailed instructions and further
information. Note: This button does not function with modern stepper-motor focusers which have their own software. Also,
the CP4 control box does not offer a focus option.
Retractable Hanger
On the back of the controller, look for a slot with a thumb rest area. Push up to extend the hanger. A lanyard can be
attached here to allow you to hang your Keypad on one of the lanyard posts or base knobs of the mount when it is not in
use.
8
Keypad Protector
The Keypad protector is a heavy-duty molded rubber casing with a full 1/4” thickness on all impact surfaces. If you
accidentally drop your Keypad, the rubber casing will absorb much of the blow. Your display, Keypad, electronics and the
case itself will be protected from damage. In addition, the rubber prevents the Keypad from sliding when placed on a table
or other at surface and the Keypad will feel secure in your hands as your observe. The KEYPRO also offers protection
during transport and storage.
Installation:
Caution: The KEYPRO ts closely around the Keypad controller. You must work it gently into place. If you force the
rubber casing while it is being installed on your Keypad, you may tear the rubber.
1. Insert the connector and thread the cable through the opening at the bottom of the KEYPRO. Do not insert the cable
and the bottom of the Keypad all the way at this time.
2. First, insert the top portion of the Keypad (the display end) into the KEYPRO.
3. Second, gently work the bottom portion with the cable connection into place.
Keypad Care and Warranty
Warranty
Keypad: Three (3) years parts and labor.
Battery: 90 days.
The Keypad manufacturer warrants that the product is free of defects in materials and/or workmanship from the date
of shipment for a period of three years. This warranty does not apply to any products which have been subject to
misuse, accident, alteration or if the unit has been serviced by anyone other than an authorized representative. During
the warranty period, the manufacturer will, at its discretion, (1) repair the product to full working order; (2) replace the
product with a comparable product. Replacement products will be new or serviceably used, comparable in function and
performance to the original product. The product will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty or ninety (90)
days from the date of shipment of the product, whichever is longer. DO NOT open a Keypad that is within its warranty
period or you may void the warranty!
Keypad Battery for 256K Memory Boards
Keypads with serial number 1565GTO or earlier that have the original 256K circuit board have a 3V Lithium battery that
powers the memory so that information is retained from one session to the next. Battery life is estimated 5 years at room
temperature. You can purchase replacement batteries from Astro-Physics (part # E0310) or from alternate sources.
Instructions for replacement are in the Technical Support section of our website. Battery Number: CR1632
Keypad Battery for 512K Memory Boards
This includes Keypads with serial number 1568GTO or later (and some earlier Keypads that have been repaired or
upgraded with a new 512K memory board). These Keypads also have a 3V Lithium battery with an estimated life of 5
years at room temperature. However, this battery has been wired into a special assembly, so the replacement battery
must be purchased from Astro-Physics (part # E0334), but it can be installed by the customer. If the battery fails within the
3-year warranty period, it is best to have the manufacturer replace it. Opening the unit to replace the battery within the rst
three years may void the warranty.
Cleaning Keypad Display
The display window is made with a Mylar material. It is recommended to use a commercial glass cleaner to wipe down the
display. Spray the cleaner on a cloth and rub the display lightly. Do not use solvents of any kind. Note: It is a good idea to
leave in place the protective plastic cover that ships with the Keypad, it will extend the display window’s lifespan.
Temperature Ratings
The real time clock, battery-backed RAM, Extended Temperature Vacuum Fluorescent display, and backlit panel are all
rated to –40 degrees C (-40 degrees F).
9
GETTING STARTED – DO THIS AT HOME, IF POSSIBLE
Setup your Mount and Cable Connections
Refer to the instructions in the mount assembly manual to set up your mount. The following cables must be connected:
R.A. and Dec. cables, and Keypad controller cable and power cable, preferably in that order. You do not need the
mounting plate or telescope tube assembly for these setup procedures.
Gather Basic Information
You will need to enter your local parameters to ensure that the mount functions properly. The mount needs to know the
local time (and if you are on daylight savings) and the longitude and latitude of your observing site. You can enter up to
nine observing sites to be stored in memory.
To determine your longitude and latitude, do an internet Google search or use a GPS unit. The closer you can get the
better, however, it is not necessary to be exact to the seconds (last two number entry elds) since the purpose of these
entries is to calculate which objects are above your local horizon. Please make sure that your location information is in
“Degrees: Hours: Seconds” format (i.e.: 42:22:00 Lat. 89:01:07 Long.), rather than “Decimal” format (i.e. 42.3667° Lat.
89.0186° Long.). Information on converting the format is in the Troubleshooting Section.
The time zone is determined from the Greenwich meridian. An excellent reference is the Standard Time Zones chart in
Norton’s 2000.0 Star Atlas. The Keypad will automatically determine if you are east or west of the Greenwich meridian
based on your entered longitude, so entering a positive or negative number is not needed. If you live in the eastern
hemisphere and observe daylight savings time, please consult “Using the Keypad and The Sky Together” for special
instructions about your time zone. For your reference, these are the US time zones.
US Eastern standard time 05
US Central standard time 06
US Mountain standard time 07
US Pacic standard time 08
US Hawaii standard time 10
Most of this information will be entered only once and will be remembered by the Keypad. We recommend that you make
these entries at home before you go to your observing session to ensure that you have the information that you need. If
you have a GPS (Global Positioning System) device, you may want to enter the coordinates once you reach your site and
have the proper numbers. Longitude and Latitude MUST be in degrees, minutes and seconds format. Decimal values
must be converted – see the Troubleshooting Section. We also recommend keeping a “cheat sheet” with each location’s
relevant data.
Enter Your Location, Date and Time
1. If the Location Selection Screen appears the rst time you start up your mount,
press “1” and GoTo, then proceed to step 2. If the Main Menu appears, begin
these instructions with step 3.
2. Select option “3=ResumeLastPosition”, which will allow you to bypass this
screen.
3. Main Menu should now be on the display. You will need to enter all of your Loca-
tion, Time, Daylight Savings and Date settings.
4. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SLEW TO ANY OBJECTS AT THIS POINT. You must rst
setup your location and time as described below and follow the instructions for Your
First Observing Session.
5. Go to Keypad Options selection screen (Main Menu → 2=Setup → 3=Keypad
Options). The top line displays “1=Auto-Connect”. Press “1” to toggle to “NO” if it is
not set to “NO” already.
6. Press Menu to go back to the Setup Menu.
7. Press “1=Locations & Time”. Then, select “1=Site Location Data”.
1=Locations & Time
2=Mount Move Limits
3=Keypad Options
4=Park / Mount Opt.
Setup Menu
1=Object 5=S:1200
2=Setup 6=B:600
3=Tools 7=A:1
4=Time/LST 8=T:Side
Main Menu
1=Star-Sync
2=Polar Alignment
3=ResumeLastPosition
4=New Setup
Sync, Align, and Resume Menu
Location Selection
Enter number, then
Press GoTo to select
Location <1-9>: __
Location Selection Screen
Indice
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