OK.......let's keep the thread going with this basic instruction on ALIGNMENT and SETUP.

1. Don't use the 8 internal batteries. Buy a separate 12 volt power source, either from Celestron or a good automotive 12 volt pack.

2. Download and install the latest firmware from the Meade web site...right now it is 43Eg for the 497 hand controller.

3. When you get your firmware on the scope do a RESET with the hand controller. Then setup the time, date, and SITE, and correctly setup Daylight Savings Time.......it's a YES right now (April). The PE version should do time and date automatically but check it anyway.

4. Do a Calibrate Motors.

5. Do a TRAIN drives........in both DEC and RA, the controller is a little tricky here and you can easily miss training on one of them.

6. You can do all of the above inside the house or in the backyard with a small TARGET on a tree or wall a distance away from the scope.

7. Setup the mount outside with a bubble level........LEVEL of course. PE version is different; read the manual.

8. Put the scope in the HOME position......read the manual!!

9. I made a boo boo on this one! and erased it!

10. Then do a TWO star alignment.........BRIGHTEST STAR should have already been selected in the hand controller.

11. The scope will NOT hit the alignment stars exactly......center the proper star and push ENTER.......do this again for the second alignment star.

12. Use a widefield eyepiece to align .......something greater than 20mm.........yes I know more magnification is better...........but for beginners this works first time AND they will be less frustrated finding the alignment star and centering it in the eyepiece.

13. As you noticed the factory finder is really useless! Buy a right angle finder or a Telrad style finder to use for alignment. Rigel makes a nice small telrad type finder. Google "Rigel Quickfinder".

Now GOTO something............you did download the TOURS ??? NO....... well no problem, just get a skychart off the internet and GOTO one of the open cluster MESSIER (M) objects. Pick a bright one like M44, or M42.......or GOTO a planet. There that was not very hard. Have fun!

By the way if you stay inside a certain constellation you can SYNC on a star or object in that constellation........then your gotos will be very accurate in that part of the sky. Center the star or object and hold down the ENTER key for 2 seconds, the hand controller will BEEP and ask you to press Enter again.......there ......now you are SYNCED!

GOTO wherever you like in that part of the sky........you can use this technique as you move from constellation to constellation and continue to have excellent GOTOS.

Provided by Joe Lalumia