Ken, thanks for all the videos you've made over the years about Orion scopes. Nice seeing the improved video editing, and I like the new and improved hair style
Hi Sir, Thanks for the video. May I ask one question. Do I need to balance my telescope to 0 degree and point the scope to north first before starting to align using Synscan Hand controller? Thank you.
Hi Azrulnizua! No, you don't have to polar-align the telescope first. You can simply select which alignment method you want to use (bright star or 2 star alignment) and follow the instructions on the screen of the hand controller.
My wife got me the Orion star seeker IV for Xmas, I am using the app to control the scope. I have been trying nearly every night but still can’t see anything at all. The app works fine and I can see the star through the ez finder. Is there a helpline or some other source for help???
THanks for the video. I have a starmax 90mm telescope. WIll i be able to mount it on this starseeker mount ? And will i be able to control it via the wifi adapter ?
Here I am looking into buy telescopes thinking they’re going to be sold from some exotic location, when I realize that your coordinates check showed that your showroom is literally over the hill from me in Watsonville, 25 minutes drive away. (I’m in Morgan Hill.) This is the exact model I’m interested in! I’ll probably just order it online due to our Virus Shutdown, but this video works just fine as a showroom replacement.
Hi Ken! Thanks for the excelent video. 2 questions. Set and time must be done every time? and the most important... How can I buy it and ship it to Costa Rica?
The mount seems to be very loud and I have only a balcony and neighbours. May I limit the volume by limiting the speed? And how long last a speed limitation?
I just got my telescope yesterday and using it last night after calibration the telescope was no where near the object when it tried to find it by itself
The rather old manual I could find online (RevA 06/15) states "When centering an alignment star in the eyepiece, always end the procedure by using the UP and RIGHT direction keys. (Very important!)" I don't see you do that, is that not necessary with newer versions anymore?
Ken forgot to mention this in the video, but this feature still exists in the current firmware version. The reason to end the procedure in this direction is that this allows the computer to correct for backlash in the gears in the right directions. Without doing this the compensation will be off, it should still be able to approximately locate objects, but the accuracy will be reduced. The current manual has more information on pages 10, and 13: bit.ly/31d0olv
Hi Ken: Please tell me how can I use this mount in order to observe the Sun (I mean how to aling in daytime). I'm a solar astronomer and I want to use this mount in a Coronado PST solar telescope. Thanks. Marcelo
Hi there. You can find instructions for aligning to the sun starting near the bottom of page 9 of the hand controller manual. You can browse the manual on our website here: bit.ly/2N8j2Tn If you already have the mount and you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact our support staff: Phone: 1-800-447-1001 Email: support@telescope.com Live Chat: www.telescope.com
I've followed these steps exactly, but when I choose my 2nd star during alignment, it points to a blank patch of sky and is WAY off target. After I finish alignment I can't track anything because the mount doesn't correctly point to any object I choose. I have no idea what I could be doing wrong?? I've triple checked that I've done everything in this video correctly.
If the second star position is very far off then there is usually some sort of offset going on in the settings. One thing that can sometimes cause issues is having a + instead of - in the time zone setting, or the wrong hemisphere in latitude/longitude. If the issue persists please get in touch with us and we'd be happy to assist further!
@@D..S.. Either way can work, the secondary encoders keep track of manual movement so you can do the alignment manually. It's a bit more accurate to use the motors because of the backlash compensation feature, but it's not a large difference in accuracy. The compensation is correctly set by finishing the star alignment by slewing the motors up, and to the right.
I think it's awesome you guys make these videos to help us beginners get into the hobby, they are way better than any manual. My GF got me an Orion StarSeeker IV GoTo and after reading the manual I was a bit concerned the set up would be a hassle so I just manually located objects using an app (like you mentioned) but after finding this video set up was super easy. I have one question/concern, after setting it up I tend to use Vega and Polaris or Dubhe and doing my best to center the stars on multiple lenses, trying to really fine tune how centered the star is. I noticed that when I GoTo a planet, say Jupiter, it is never centered. I generally have to use the controls to center the planet, which it tracks just fine once I do. Is this expected to happen or am I doing something wrong? I have tried triple checking my coordinates and elevation and inputting my time to the second but it seems to never be able to center objects when I use GoTo.
Hi Brian, what you're describing is common. After aligning the GoTo system, when you target and move to an object it may land just outside of center or generally within the field of view and you may need make a small manual adjustment. For even more accuracy during alignment, you could use a centering eyepiece which has an illuminated double-crosshair reticle that helps you center the objects with precision: bit.ly/2YOpFyD Also, when centering the objects during alignment be sure to use the up/right keys to get it centered as detailed in the instruction manual. If you overshoot, it's best to bring it back and attempt to use the up/right keys again. This is to help accommodate for any slack in the gears and help keep them engaged. If you have any other questions or if you need more assistance, feel free to contact us: Phone: 1-800-447-1001 Email: support@telescope.com Live Chat: www.telescope.com
Lenses used to view planets often have a very small field of view. I use a 26mm Plössl to view them and I encounter this issue a lot. I think it is just that to get it centred, it needs insane accuracy and this mount doesn't have that. I know I still love mine, as long as it can track and get me close.
Hi Bob! The StarSeeker IV GoTo Mount has 3 automatic tracking speeds. This is taken from page 15 of the instruction manual, which you can find here: bit.ly/2yoB90S Sidereal Rate: This activates tracking in Sidereal rate (for viewing stars and deep-sky objects). Lunar Rate: This activates tracking in Lunar rate (for viewing the Moon). Solar Rate: This activates tracking in Solar rate (for viewing the Sun).
The StarSeeker IV does not have an autoguider input, since it's designed primarily with visual use in mind. If you have a computer controlling the mount via a serial connection it might be possible to interface PHD but we haven't tested this before.
You can attach a small point-and-shoot or a smartphone for quick snapshots using one of our SteadyPix adapters. We have a great universal smartphone adapter here: bit.ly/2JIgOay
Hi Jimngu, you sure can. If you have the tube rings and dovetail already (as found on the StarBlast 4.5 EQ) then you're all set - the dovetail can attach right to the StarSeeker mount. If you have the StarBlast 4.5 Astro, you'll need the tube rings and dovetail. You can find them here: Rings: bit.ly/2QMWjjC Dovetail: bit.ly/2XsKI8W
Is the Orion StarSeek app still maintained and recommended? It looks like it hasn't been updated in several years.
Ken, thanks for all the videos you've made over the years about Orion scopes. Nice seeing the improved video editing, and I like the new and improved hair style
Lol
Ken Sablinsky: Oh why thank you!
Great Tutorial!! Thanks, Im Getting The Starseeker IV 130!!
Do you sell the carry case for this scope? I can't find one on the site. Im hoping I just overlooked it. Thankyou
I was wondering the same thing...
Are there any download app for this scope or do you have to use the provided stuff ?
Hi Sir,
Thanks for the video. May I ask one question. Do I need to balance my telescope to 0 degree and point the scope to north first before starting to align using Synscan Hand controller?
Thank you.
Hi Azrulnizua! No, you don't have to polar-align the telescope first. You can simply select which alignment method you want to use (bright star or 2 star alignment) and follow the instructions on the screen of the hand controller.
Says 50m is 100ft
Me: Try 30m
My wife got me the Orion star seeker IV for Xmas, I am using the app to control the scope. I have been trying nearly every night but still can’t see anything at all. The app works fine and I can see the star through the ez finder. Is there a helpline or some other source for help???
THanks for the video. I have a starmax 90mm telescope. WIll i be able to mount it on this starseeker mount ? And will i be able to control it via the wifi adapter ?
Does this have tracking capability ??
Here I am looking into buy telescopes thinking they’re going to be sold from some exotic location, when I realize that your coordinates check showed that your showroom is literally over the hill from me in Watsonville, 25 minutes drive away. (I’m in Morgan Hill.) This is the exact model I’m interested in! I’ll probably just order it online due to our Virus Shutdown, but this video works just fine as a showroom replacement.
Hi Ken! Thanks for the excelent video. 2 questions. Set and time must be done every time? and the most important... How can I buy it and ship it to Costa Rica?
The mount seems to be very loud and I have only a balcony and neighbours. May I limit the volume by limiting the speed? And how long last a speed limitation?
I just got my telescope yesterday and using it last night after calibration the telescope was no where near the object when it tried to find it by itself
Excellent video. What fixation do I need to mount a dslr on the Orion Starseeker IV?
The rather old manual I could find online (RevA 06/15) states "When centering an alignment star in the eyepiece,
always end the procedure by using the UP and RIGHT direction keys. (Very important!)"
I don't see you do that, is that not necessary with newer versions anymore?
Ken forgot to mention this in the video, but this feature still exists in the current firmware version. The reason to end the procedure in this direction is that this allows the computer to correct for backlash in the gears in the right directions. Without doing this the compensation will be off, it should still be able to approximately locate objects, but the accuracy will be reduced. The current manual has more information on pages 10, and 13: bit.ly/31d0olv
Can this telescope also be placed on a a table-top rather than the tripod?
is the 150mm one normal newtonian or bird jones
Hi Ken: Please tell me how can I use this mount in order to observe the Sun (I mean how to aling in daytime). I'm a solar astronomer and I want to use this mount in a Coronado PST solar telescope. Thanks. Marcelo
Hi there. You can find instructions for aligning to the sun starting near the bottom of page 9 of the hand controller manual. You can browse the manual on our website here:
bit.ly/2N8j2Tn
If you already have the mount and you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact our support staff:
Phone: 1-800-447-1001
Email: support@telescope.com
Live Chat: www.telescope.com
I've followed these steps exactly, but when I choose my 2nd star during alignment, it points to a blank patch of sky and is WAY off target. After I finish alignment I can't track anything because the mount doesn't correctly point to any object I choose. I have no idea what I could be doing wrong?? I've triple checked that I've done everything in this video correctly.
If the second star position is very far off then there is usually some sort of offset going on in the settings. One thing that can sometimes cause issues is having a + instead of - in the time zone setting, or the wrong hemisphere in latitude/longitude. If the issue persists please get in touch with us and we'd be happy to assist further!
@@oriontelescopes also, do you have to move the telescope with the hand controller only or can you move it manually to find the 1st star?
@@D..S.. Either way can work, the secondary encoders keep track of manual movement so you can do the alignment manually. It's a bit more accurate to use the motors because of the backlash compensation feature, but it's not a large difference in accuracy. The compensation is correctly set by finishing the star alignment by slewing the motors up, and to the right.
I think it's awesome you guys make these videos to help us beginners get into the hobby, they are way better than any manual. My GF got me an Orion StarSeeker IV GoTo and after reading the manual I was a bit concerned the set up would be a hassle so I just manually located objects using an app (like you mentioned) but after finding this video set up was super easy. I have one question/concern, after setting it up I tend to use Vega and Polaris or Dubhe and doing my best to center the stars on multiple lenses, trying to really fine tune how centered the star is. I noticed that when I GoTo a planet, say Jupiter, it is never centered. I generally have to use the controls to center the planet, which it tracks just fine once I do. Is this expected to happen or am I doing something wrong? I have tried triple checking my coordinates and elevation and inputting my time to the second but it seems to never be able to center objects when I use GoTo.
Hi Brian, what you're describing is common. After aligning the GoTo system, when you target and move to an object it may land just outside of center or generally within the field of view and you may need make a small manual adjustment. For even more accuracy during alignment, you could use a centering eyepiece which has an illuminated double-crosshair reticle that helps you center the objects with precision:
bit.ly/2YOpFyD
Also, when centering the objects during alignment be sure to use the up/right keys to get it centered as detailed in the instruction manual. If you overshoot, it's best to bring it back and attempt to use the up/right keys again. This is to help accommodate for any slack in the gears and help keep them engaged.
If you have any other questions or if you need more assistance, feel free to contact us:
Phone: 1-800-447-1001
Email: support@telescope.com
Live Chat: www.telescope.com
Lenses used to view planets often have a very small field of view. I use a 26mm Plössl to view them and I encounter this issue a lot. I think it is just that to get it centred, it needs insane accuracy and this mount doesn't have that. I know I still love mine, as long as it can track and get me close.
Could you describe the tracking function that I found on the handset?
Hi Bob! The StarSeeker IV GoTo Mount has 3 automatic tracking speeds. This is taken from page 15 of the instruction manual, which you can find here:
bit.ly/2yoB90S
Sidereal Rate: This activates tracking in Sidereal rate (for
viewing stars and deep-sky objects).
Lunar Rate: This activates tracking in Lunar rate (for viewing
the Moon).
Solar Rate: This activates tracking in Solar rate (for viewing
the Sun).
Can I connect a guide scope to this mount?
The StarSeeker IV does not have an autoguider input, since it's designed primarily with visual use in mind. If you have a computer controlling the mount via a serial connection it might be possible to interface PHD but we haven't tested this before.
Can I attach a camera to this telescope
You can attach a small point-and-shoot or a smartphone for quick snapshots using one of our SteadyPix adapters. We have a great universal smartphone adapter here: bit.ly/2JIgOay
can I mount my starblast 4.5 eq on it ? thanks
Hi Jimngu, you sure can. If you have the tube rings and dovetail already (as found on the StarBlast 4.5 EQ) then you're all set - the dovetail can attach right to the StarSeeker mount. If you have the StarBlast 4.5 Astro, you'll need the tube rings and dovetail. You can find them here:
Rings: bit.ly/2QMWjjC
Dovetail: bit.ly/2XsKI8W
@@oriontelescopes Ok thanks a lot
In German? :(
Hi, unfortunately we don't have videos available in German, but the instruction manual for this model is available in German: bit.ly/2Y1QwJY