User manual ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS 09007

[. . . ] INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion SpaceProbe 130ST EQ ® Equatorial Newtonian Reflector Telescope #9007 Customer Support (800) 676-1343 E-mail: support@telescope. com Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000 Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 P. O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061 Alignment thumb screws(2) Finder scope Dovetail slot Eyepiece Spring-loaded tensioner Finder scope bracket Piggyback adapter Tube mounting rings Focuser Dec. setting circle Tube ring clamps Primary mirror cell Collimation screws(6) R. A. setting circle Latitude adjustment t-bolt Azimuth lock knob Counterweight lock knob Counterweight shaft R. A. [. . . ] Depending on the altitude of the object you want to observe, the counterweight shaft will be oriented somewhere between vertical and horizontal. Figure 7 illustrates how the telescope will look pointed at the four cardinal directions -- north, south, east, and west The key things to remember when pointing the telescope is that a) you only move it in R. A. and Dec. , not in azimuth or latitude (altitude), and b) the counterweight and shaft will not always appear as it does in Figure 1. Collimating the Optics (Aligning the Mirrors) Collimation is the process of adjusting the mirrors so they are precisely aligned with each other. Your telescope's optics were aligned at the factory, and should not need much adjustment unless the telescope was roughly handled during shipment. Accurate collimation is important to insuring the peak performance of your telescope, so it should be checked before each observing session. To check the collimation, remove the eyepiece and look down the focuser drawtube. You should see the secondary mirror centered under the drawtube, the reflection of the primary mirror centered in the secondary mirror, and the reflection of the secondary mirror (and your eye) centered in the reflection of the primary mirror, as in Figure 8a. It helps to put a piece of white paper on the inside of the optical tube opposite the focuser. (a) When the mirrors are properly aligned, the view down the focuser drawtube should look like this. (b) If the optics are out of alignment, the view might look something like this. (c) Here, the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser, but it needs to be adjusted (tilted) so that the entire primary mirror is visible. (d) The secondary mirror is correctly aligned, but the primary mirror still needs adjustment. When the primary mirror is correctly aligned, the eye will be centered, as in (a). 10 background behind the secondary mirror, making it easier to distinguish the mirror holder from the background. Use a Collimation Tool To aid in centering your line of sight down the focuser drawtube, and in centering the mirror reflections during collimation, it is very helpful to use a precision collimating tool containing crosshairs, such as the Orion Collimating Eyepiece (#3640). A laser collimator, like the Orion LaserMate (#5680), can also be employed to obtain very accurate optical alignment. We highly recommend that you purchase one of these devices in order to get the best performance out of your telescope. Aligning the Secondary Mirror With the eyepiece removed, look straight down the open focuser drawtube at the secondary mirror. (It helps to adjust the secondary mirror in a brightly lit room with the telescope pointed toward a bright surface, such as white paper or a wall. ) If the secondary mirror is not centered in the focuser drawtube (in the direction parallel to the length of the telescope), loosen the three set screws in the center hub of the secondary mirror holder several turns. Now grasp the secondary mirror holder with your fingers (be careful not to touch the surface of the secondary mirror) and keep it stationary while turning the central Phillips head screw (as in Figure 9). Turning the bolt If the entire primary mirror reflection is not visible in the secondary mirror (as it is not in Figure 8c), adjust the tilt of the secondary mirror by alternately loosening one of the three set screws a turn and tightening the other two (Figure 10). The goal is to center the primary mirror reflection in the secondary mirror, as depicted in Figure 8d. [. . . ] Then apply some cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any excess fluid with a fresh lens tissue. On larger lenses, clean only a small area at a time, using a fresh lens tissue on each area. Cleaning Mirrors You should not have to clean your telescope's mirrors very often; normally once every year or so. [. . . ]