message (such as the current tracking rate) for a few seconds and then will go blank.  For 

example, after a GoTo operation, the display will show   FINISHED   for a few seconds, 

and then go blank.  However, selecting some menu items such as   Show Date/Time   and 

  RA/DEC Display   will display the requested data (date/time or RA/Dec. coordinates), 

then go into Telescope Control Mode, but will 

not 

blank the display. 

2.3.2  Menu Structure/Navigation 

The Gemini menu system is organized as a series of menu items, many of which have 

sub menus.  A diagram of the full menu structure can be found in Appendix 8.1.  You can 

enter the Menu Mode at any time by pressing the MENU button on the Hand Controller.  

Once you are in Menu Mode, you can scroll through the menu items using the DEC +/  

buttons.  To select any displayed menu item, press the RA+ button.  If the selected menu 

item does not have any sub menu items associated with it, this will immediately execute 

the selected function.  However, if the selected item does have sub menu items, the Hand 

Controller will display the first item in the sub menu.  Pressing the DEC +/  buttons will 

now scroll through the items in the sub menu.  Pressing the RA  button will return you up 

one sub menu level. 

For some menu items, you will need to enter numeric data.  This is easily accomplished 

using the direction buttons on the Hand Controller.  When you come to such a menu item, 

the far left digit of the number will be flashing to indicate that it can be changed.  To 

change the digit, use the DEC+ and DEC  buttons to scroll through the digits 0 9.  When 

the digit you want to enter is displayed, press RA+ to move to the next digit to the right.  

RA  acts as a back arrow key to move back to the previous digit.  When you are finished 

entering the last digit, press the RA+ button again to enter the keyed in number. 

Important Note:

 You do not have to enter leading zeros.  If you want to enter fewer 

digits than Gemini allows (for example you want to look up M10 in the database, and 

it is expecting one more digit after the zero), simply choose the  

   character in the 

last digit and press RA+.  This character acts as an   Enter   key.  In our example, the 

display would look like   M10

   before pressing the RA+ button.  This selects M10. 

2.3.3  QuickMenu 

If you press and hold the MENU button for at least one second, a selection of useful 

menu items such as Centering Speeds, Hand Controller Modes, and a Telescope Park 

command scrolls through the display. The item that is displayed at the moment you 

release the button is selected, and the Gemini returns to the Telescope Control Mode.  

2.3.4  Moving the Mount Manually 

When you are in Telescope Control Mode, you can move the telescope with the buttons 

on the Hand Controller. There are three basic movement speeds: Guiding Speed (0.2 to 

0.8 of the tracking speed), Centering Speed (up to 255 times the tracking speed), and 

Slewing Speed, which can be adjusted separately for manual slewing (with the Hand 

Controller) and slews performed by a GoTo operation. Holding down a button causes the 

Gemini Users Manual 

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