User manual ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS 09036

[. . . ] INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion SpaceProbe 4. 5" EQ ® TM #9036 Equatorial Reflecting Telescope 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 IN 081 0998 Secondary mirror and three-vane spider (inside tube) Spider vane thumbscrew Finder scope Finder scope alignment screws Finder scope bracket Eyepiece Tube Rings Focuser Focus knob Declination slowmotion control Declination lock knob Declination (Dec. ) setting circle Counterweight shaft Counterweight Counterweight lock knob Retaining washer and knob Right ascension lock knob Right ascension (R. A. ) setting circle Tripod leg attachment bolt Primary mirror cell Collimation screws (3) Right ascension slow-motion control Azimuth lock knob Latitude lock knob Accessory tray Accessory tray bracket Leg lock bolts Tripod leg Figure 1. Space Probe 4. 5" EQ Parts Diagram 2 Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion telescope!Your new SpaceProbe 4. 5" EQ Reflector is designed for high-resolution viewing of astronomical objects. [. . . ] The goal is to center the primary mirror reflection in the secondary mirror, as depicted in Figure 3C. Don't worry that the reflection of the secondary mirror (the smallest circle with your eye in it) and spider are off-center (as also is the case in Figure 3C); you will fix that in the next step. Adjusting the Primary Mirror The final adjustment is made to the primary mirror. It will need adjustment if, as in Figure 3C, the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser and the reflection of the primary mirror is centered in the secondary mirror, but the small reflection of the secondary mirror (with your eye inside) is off-center. The tilt of the primary is adjusted with the three collimation thumbscrews on the back end of the optical tube. The Phillips-head screws adjacent to the collimation screws lock the mirror cell in place. Adjusting the tilt requires a "push-pull" technique involving adjustment of one collimation thumbscrew and its corresponding lock screw at a time. Loosen one of the lock screws one full turn, and then tighten the adjacent collimation thumbscrew until it is finger-tight. Then look into the focuser and see if the secondary mirror reflection has moved closer to the center of the primary mirror reflection. Or, loosen the collimation thumbscrew one turn and tighten the adjacent lock screw. Repeat this process on the other two collimation screws, if necessary. It will take a little trial and error to get a feel for how to tilt the mirror in this way to center the reflection. (It helps to have two people for primary mirror collimation, one to look in the focuser while the other adjusts the collimation bolts. ) When the adjustment is complete, make sure the three Phillips-head lock screws are tight (but do not overtighten), to secure the mirror tilt. The view through the Collimating Eyepiece should now resemble Figure 3D. The secondary mirror is centered in the focuser; the reflection of the primary mirror is centered in the secondary mirror, and the reflection of the secondary mirror is centered in the reflection of the primary mirror. A simple star test will tell you whether the optics are accurately collimated. Star-Testing Your Telescope When it is dark, point the telescope at a bright star. Look into the eyepiece and slowly rack the image out of focus with the focusing knob. If the telescope is correctly collimated, the expanding disk should be a perfect circle. In reflectors and Schmidt-Cassegrains, the dark shadow cast by the secondary mirror should appear in the very center of the out-of-focus circle, like the hole in a doughnut. If the "hole" appears off-center, the telescope is out of collimation. 7. Using the Telescope-- Astronomical Observing Choosing an Observing Site When selecting a location for observing, get as far away as possible from direct artificial light such as streetlights, porch lights, and automobile headlights. [. . . ] Then follow the same procedure described below for cleaning the primary mirror. To clean the primary mirror, carefully remove the mirror cell from the telescope. Do not attempt to remove the mirror from the cell--it has been secured in place by both clamps and adhesive. Be careful not to touch the front surface of the mirror with your fingers! [. . . ]