eVscope Setup Checklist

Charging

Unistellar recommends the internal batteries of the eVscope be charged prior to using the scope. While the 5VDC AC Adapter may be plugged in while the scope is in use, care must be taken to avoid force being applied to the connector due to eVscope rotation or accidental pulling. A magnetic USB-C adapter reduces this risk and also reduces connector wear-and-tear.

Tripod

It is safest and easiest to setup and test your tripod completely before mounting your eVscope.

• While the tripod is horizontal, release the leg extension clamps, extend the legs to the desired length, and close the clamps. Tip: The lower the telescope, the less susceptible it is to wind and vibration
• Set the tripod up on firm ground and pull the legs out fully to the widest stance. Wooden decks and other surfaces prone to vibration will interfere with Enhanced Vision. (Note you can increase the angle the legs make with the head, refer to the link below.)
• Watching the bubble level, adjust leg lengths to level the tripod head. (This is essential for good sky tracking.)
• Double check that the legs are firmly locked into place and will hold the weight of the telescope by firmly pushing down on the top of the tripod.

Once the tripod is level and stable you can mount the eVscope. The eVscope On/Off button may be rotated to any convenient orientation. Holding the base of the telescope down on the tripod head, alternately tighten the mounting screws until just firm. Check the mounting screw tightness occasionally while the scope is on the tripod, they can work loose. The page EVscope tripod operation and maintenance will give you additional information and helpful advice.

Thermalization

Prior to beginning an observing session with an eVscope it is best to allow the telescope to acclimate to outdoor temperature.

• Changes in temperature cause the structure of the telescope to expand or contract, which changes the distance between the primary mirror and the sensor. The will change the focus.
• If different parts of the mirror or optical tube are at different temperatures, the image may be distorted or misaligned.
• Convective air currents inside the tube increase if the parts of the telescope are at different temperatures, causing the optical path to vary with time.

The amount of time needed for acclimation will vary based on the temperature change. Thirty minutes is suggested as sufficient time in all cases.

Connecting

Before setup

A good tip before setting up outside and then connecting to your smart phone app, is to try and connect inside whilst you are in a warm room and have good light and internet connectivity! Sometimes the app won't connect immediately due to, for example, either the scope or app wanting to update. This, and any other connection issue, is much easier to sort out inside. Once successful, you should have no problem connecting outside.

Back to connecting ...

When ready to observe, long press the eVscope power button. The light will be purple for a few seconds, and then will become steady red. For the meaning of other LED colors check here. Configure your controlling device per the manufacturers instructions to connect to the eVscope WiFi and then open the Unistellar app. The eVscope WiFi Service Set IDentifier (SSID) will look like "eVscopeX-YYYYYY," where Y stands for the eVscope model and YYYYYY is the eVscope unique identifier, part of the serial number.

You will first see the Catalog screen. Tap the Settings icon (gear). This page contains links to Instrument status, Preferences, Manufacturer information, and app Version number. Once the WiFi link is established, the My eVscope page contains important status information and provides access to many functions. Additional details may be viewed on the Functions page, and at this page on the Unistellar site.

Orientation

Orientation is an eVscope function that allows the scope to determine what direction it is pointing. Together with the time and location provided by the device, Orientation enables the eVscope to precisely point to any sky location and track that location by compensating for the Earth's rotation. If the scope is not tracking the user will be prompted to start Orientation with a button on the Observe (Telescope) screen. Orientation can also be started/re-started from the My eVscope page.

Orientation (formerly called Automatic Field Detection) is best performed with the eVscope pointing 45 degrees above the horizon in any direction. The exact elevation and azimuth of the scope is not critical. With stars visible on the Observe screen in Live View, turn the focus knob until stars are roughly in focus. Once begun, Orientation matches the positions of stars in the field against those in its database. It will then automatically point to another position and do the same. This process continues until it is able to calculate its alignment. A bright sky, haze, poor focus, and obstructions will prevent Orientation from completing.

Refer to the Orientation page for further details about this process. The Unistellar Help Center page What do you mean by Autonomous Field Detection? also describes this operation.

Focusing

Once Orientation has finished it is time to focus. For best results it is essential to focus the eVscope at the beginning of every session after thermal equilibrium is reached. This process minutely changes the distance between the eVscope mirror and image sensor. Refocusing will be needed during an observing session if the ambient temperature changes significantly. This is due to thermal expansion changing the mirror/sensor distance.

To precisely focus the telescope, use the Catalog to find and center a star of moderate brightness in the field of view. Most stars in the Catalog with common names will be suitable. The telescope's Bahtinov mask is used for focusing. It is separated from the dust cap and placed on the front end of the telescope. The mask will diffract the light of the target star into three lines. The process is to adjust the focus wheel at the bottom of the eVscope tube until the center line and the two diagonal lines intersect at the same point and the center line is centered between the two.

The Unistellar instructions for focusing your eVscope are here. Refer to the Focusing page for additional focusing process tips and advice.

Collimation

While focus optimizes the distance between the mirror and sensor, collimation ensures the mirror and sensor are exactly in line and the mirror point of focus is centered on the sensor. The mirror is held in place in the center of the eVscope tube by the mirror cell, so the only adjustment necessary is the mirror pointing. This is done by adjusting two screws (vertical and horizontal) at the bottom of the tube next to the focus wheel.

Collimation is performed during eVscope production but adjustment may be necessary due to impacts received during shipment and operation. A collimation check procedure will let you know if adjustments are needed. Collimation should be checked periodically or when star images become distorted.

The Collimation page contains step-by-step procedures and advice. In addition, instructions and tips from Unistellar are found here.

Sensor Calibration

Sensor Calibration is a procedure used to mitigate inevitable temporary and permanent flaws in the eVscope image sensor by identifying them and subtracting them from images. These sensor flaws are largely dependent on the temperature of the sensor and so may change due to the environment. Sensor Calibration should be performed if bright colored flaws appear on the image, and may be performed periodically to generally improve image quality.

In general the procedure is to place the dust cap firmly on the eVscope tube and tap the Sensor Calibration button on the My eVscope page. The eVscope will scan the sensor for bright cells to eliminate from subsequent images. The process takes about two minutes, and does not result in a saved image. This process was called "Taking a Dark Frame" in previous application versions.

The Unistellar Sensor Calibration page provides details on when and how to perform this procedure.