How to Use a Hand Controller with a Telescope

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Telescopes are sold with a variety of features that affect price. Besides aperture size and magnification, the telescope's movement controller plays a big part in the product's performance and price. Telescopes that use manual hand controls generally have one or two levers that must be physically shifted for visual tracking. These are rapidly being replaced by more expensive, but easier-to-use, high-tech mechanical or computerized telescope hand controls.

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Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Telescope
Object to view

Prepare Your Telescope

Step 1

Set up your telescope and tripod according to your owner's manual.
Step 2

Plug in the hand controller. Use the telephone-type jack and connecting wire provided with your telescope.
Step 3

Load any necessary software in order to use a remote computer.
Step 4

Align your telescope in its fixed location according to manufacturer directions. This may include adjusting the viewing scope by day and fixing on a celestial object at night.

Control Views by Hand Controller

Step 1

Operate hand controls for visual centering or slewing. Use the four directional arrows, which are usually found at the center of your hand controller.
Step 2

Use corresponding manual hand controls. To center objects, move the viewing scope lever while looking through the optical tube. To move the telescope and change the frame of your viewing area, adjust the larger lever on the body.
Step 3

Operate hand controls using the numeric keypad. Your owner's manual will list the codes for an extensive list of celestial objects or instructions for how to calculate longitudinal and latitudinal movement.

Tips & Warnings

A fully automated, computerized hand control is nicknamed a "Go To" controller. Using internal software on a location-adjusted telescope, "Go To" controls can find celestial bodies that have been digitally preprogrammed into the system.
Telescopes with the computerized controller are also called Go To units.
Hand controls vary greatly from model to model, so be sure you're using yours according to the manual for your specific telescope model.
Some models use a self-contained digital control and others allow you to input telescope movements remotely by laptop or desktop computer.
Consider purchasing an additional monitor for your hand controller that gives a digital readout of celestial information for your viewing area. Find these online or through an optics vendor.
Keep extra batteries on hand to control your telescope during a power outage. It's the perfect time to view the dark sky!
Computerized hand controls will require a power source, whether it's AA batteries, an AC adapter and electrical outlet or a car battery/AC plug.