Orion 9968 Telescope User Manual
Contents
1. 2 Parts List Tripod Eguatorial mount Tripod support tray Counterweight shaft Large counterweight Small counterweight Slow motion control knobs Right ascension axis rear cover Latitude adjustment L bolt Optical tube assembly 25mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece 10mm Sirius Plossl eyepiece Star diagonal Finder scope Finder scope bracket with O ring SL Ce Ce CO Ce COs Cs Coe CO Wp SS AA AG AG M Dust cover 3 Assembly Assembling the telescope for the first time should take about 30 minutes No tools are needed other than the ones provid ed All screws should be tightened securely but be careful not to over tighten or the threads may strip Refer to Figure 1 during the assembly process During assembly and anytime for that matter do not touch the surfaces of the telescope s front meniscus lens or the lenses of the finder scope or eyepieces with your fingers The optical surfaces have delicate coatings on them that can eas ily be damaged if touched inappropriately Never remove any lens assembly from its housing for any reason or the product warranty and return policy will be voided 1 Stand the tripod legs upright and spread the legs out as far as they will go Keep the tripod legs at their shortest fully retracted length for now you can extend them to a more desirable length later after the scope is fully assembled Finder scope bracket Nylon alignment thumbscrews Finder scope Azimuth adjustme2. adjustment knobs ing an Figure 8 For polar alignment position the tripod so that the N label at the base of the mount faces north The azimuth fine adjustment knobs above it are used to make small adjustments to the mount s azimuth position Be certain to loosen the tripod attachment knob on the central support shaft before adjusting these knobs Observers in the Southern Hemisphere aren t so fortunate to have a bright star so near the south celestial pole SCP The star Sigma Octantis lies about 1 from the SCP but it is barely visible with the naked eye magnitude 5 5 For general visual observation an approximate polar align ment is sufficient 1 Level the equatorial mount by adjusting the length of the three tripod legs 2 There are two latitude adjustment L bolts see Figure 6 loosen one while tightening the other By doing this you will adjust the latitude of the mount Continue adjusting the mount until the pointer on the latitude scale is set at the latitude of your observing site If you don t know your lati tude consult a geographical atlas to find it For example if your latitude is 35 North set the pointer to 35 The lati tude setting should not have to be adjusted again unless you move to a different viewing location some distance away 3 Loosen the Dec lock lever and rotate the telescope s opti cal tube until it is parallel with the right ascension axis as it is in Figure 6 4 Move th
3. is not well suited for land viewing due to its motion about R A and Dec axes instead of altitude vertical and azimuth horizontal axes Because of this we recommend removing the optical tube from the SkyView Pro mount and placing it on an appropriate heavy duty photo style tripod Connect the optical tube to a photo tripod by threading the tripod s 1 4 20 shaft into one of the holes in the tube s mounting plate The included mirror star diagonal while preferred for astro nomical observing because of its viewing angle and better resolution is not optimal for land viewing because it inverts images from left to right We recommend purchasing an optional 45 correct image diagonal for terrestrial observing it provides a more comfortable viewing angle for land viewing and an image that is oriented the same as the naked eye In addition an optional correct image finder scope will be useful for aiming the optical tube For terrestrial viewing it s best to stick with low power eye pieces that yield a magnification under 100x At higher pow ers images rapidly lose sharpness and clarity due to heat waves caused by Sun heated air Remember to aim well clear of the Sun unless the front of the telescope is fitted with a professionally made solar filter and the finder scope is covered with foil or some other completely Opaque material 8 Astrophotography With an optional camera adapter the SkyView Pro 150mm EQ becomes a
4. 1800mm f 12 0 telephoto lens for a single lens reflex camera For long distance terrestrial or astronomical photography you need only a T ring for your specific camera model The I ring attaches to your camera and threads onto the eyepiece adapter first remove the eyepiece and diago nal coupling the camera body to the telescope Figure 15 Use the camera s viewfinder to frame the picture Use the telescope s focuser to focus the image You may want to consider using a remote shutter release instead of the shutter release on the camera Touching the ANDROMEDA _ Great Andromeda Galaxy UST aa 9110 Figure 14 Starhopping is a good way to locate hard to find objects Refer to a star chart to map a route to the object that uses bright stars as guideposts Center the first star you ve chosen in the finder scope and telescope eyepiece 1 Now move the scope carefully in the direction of the next bright star 2 until it is centered Repeat 3 and 4 The last hop 5 should place the desired object in the eyepiece camera can vibrate the system and blur the resulting photo graphic image 9 Care and Maintenance Storing If you give your telescope reasonable care it will last a lifetime Store itin aclean dry dust free place safe from rapid chang es in temperature and humidity Do not store the telescope outdoors although storage in a garage or shed is OK Small components like eyepieces diagonals and other acce
5. counterclockwise no more than 1 4 turn Locate the small screw that is 180 opposite the first screw Figure 19c and turn it clockwise no more than 1 4 turn Figure 20a Figure 20b Figure 20b Now with the 3mm Allen wrench turn the two adjacent large screws clockwise no more than 1 4 turn Figure 20a Using the 2mm Allen wrench turn the large screw counterclockwise a small amount no more than 1 4 of a turn Note Actual selected alignment screw will vary If the alignment screw is a small screw First using the 2 5mm Allen wrench turn the small screw counterclockwise a small amount no more than a 1 4 turn Figure 20a Now with the 4mm Allen wrench turn the two adjacent large screws Figure 20b clockwise no more than 1 4 turn Locate the large screw that is 180 opposite the first screw Figure 20c and turn it counterclockwise no more than 1 4 turn Figure 19c Figure 19d Figure 19d Turn the two large screws adjacent to the small screw counterclockwise no more than 1 4 turn Figure 19c Turn the small screw that is 180 opposite the first screw clockwise no more than 1 4 turn Turn the two large screws adjacent to the small screw Figure 19d counterclockwise no more than 1 4 turn Repeat the above steps until the front opening is centered in the direction you wanted it to go You may need to repeat this or the small screw adjustment process with other screws in order to align it in other direc
6. d This illustration show the telescope pointed in the four cardinal directions a north b south c east d west Note that the tripod and mount have been moved only the telescope tube has been moved on the R A and Dec axes The setting circles must be re calibrated every time you wish to locate a new object Do so by calibrating the setting circles for the centered object before moving on to the next one Confused About Pointing the Telescope Beginners occasionally experience some confusion about how to point the telescope overhead or in other directions In Figure 1 the telescope is pointed north as it would be during polar alignment The counterweight shaft is oriented down ward But it will not look like that when the telescope is pointed in other directions Let s say you want to view an object that is directly overhead at the zenith How do you do it DO NOT make any adjustment to the latitude adjustment L bolts That will spoil the mount s polar alignment Remember once the mount is polar aligned the telescope should be moved only on the R A and Dec axes To point the scope overhead first loosen the R A lock lever and rotate the tele scope on the right ascension axis until the counterweight shaft is horizontal parallel to the ground Then loosen the Dec lock lever and rotate the telescope until it is pointing straight overhead The counterweight shaft is still horizontal Then retighten both lock levers What i
7. levers must be tightened to use the slow motion control knobs Now look in the finder scope Is the object visible Ideally it will be somewhere in the field of view If not some coarse adjustment to the finder scope bracket s alignment thumb screws will be needed until the object comes into the finder scope s field of view With the image in the finder scope s field of view you now need to fine adjust the alignment thumbscrews to center the object on the intersection of the crosshairs Adjust the aim of the finder scope by turning the thumbscrews one at a time until the object is centered The finder scope alignment needs to be checked before every observing session This can easily be done at night before viewing through the telescope Choose any bright star or planet center the object in telescope eyepiece and then adjust the finder scope bracket s alignment thumbscrews until the star or planet is centered on the finder s crosshairs Focusing the finder scope If when you look through the finder scope the images appear somewhat out of focus you will need to refocus the finder scope for your eyes Loosen the lock ring located behind the objective lens cell on the body of the finder scope See Figure 3a Back the lock ring off by a few turns for now Refocus the finder scope on a distant object by threading the objec tive lens cell in or out of the finderscope body Precise focus ing will be achieved by focusing t
8. medium or low magnifications This is because many of them are quite faint yet have some extent apparent width Deep sky objects will often disappear at higher magnifications since greater magnification inherently yields dimmer images This is not the case for all deep sky objects however Many galax ies are quite small yet are somewhat bright so higher power may show more detail The best rule of thumb with eyepiece selection is to start with a low power wide field and then work your way up in magnifi cation If the object looks better try an even higher magnifica tion If the object looks worse then back off the magnification a little by using a lower power eyepiece What to Expect So what will you see with your telescope You should be able to see bands on Jupiter the rings of Saturn craters on the moon the waxing and waning of Venus and possibly hun dreds of deep sky objects A The Moon With is rocky and cratered surface the Moon is one of the most interesting and easy subjects for your scope The best time to view it is during its partial phases when shadows fall on the craters and canyon walls to give its features definition While the full Moon may look like a tempting target it is actu ally the worst time for viewing The light of a full Moon is too bright and lacks any decent surface definition Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very bright It simply threads onto the bottom of the ey
9. not in use replace the plastic protective cover to prevent the Figure 10 The optical tube must be at a 90 angle to the right ascension axis in order to view through the polar axis finder polar finder from getting bumped which could knock it out of alignment Using the Polar Axis Finder Scope 1 Approximately polar align the mount as outlined in the procedure above 2 Loosen the Dec lock lever and rotate the optical tube on the declination axis so that the tube is at a 90 to the right ascension axis Figure 10 Tighten the Dec lock lever 3 Remove the cap on the front of the eguatorial mount Figure 6 Focus the polar finder by rotating the eyepiece Now sight Polaris in the polar axis finder scope If you have followed the approximate polar alignment procedure accurately Polaris will probably be within the field of view If not move the tripod left to right and adjust the latitude up and down until Polaris is somewhere within the field of view of the polar axis finder scope 4 Shine a red flashlight down the front end of the polar finder to illuminate the reticle within the field of view Make sure the flashlight shines in at an angle so as not to block the polar finder s field of view It may be helpful to have a friend hold the flashlight while you look through the polar finder Note the constellation Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper in the reticle They do not appear in scale but they indicate the general pos
10. objects It simply means the air is free of moisture smoke and dust All tend to scatter light which reduces an object s brightness One good way to tell if conditions are good is by how many stars you can see with your naked eye If you cannot see stars of magnitude 3 5 or dimmer then conditions are poor Magnitude is a measure of how bright a star is the brighter a star is the lower its magnitude will be A good star to remem ber for this is Megrez mag 3 4 which is the star in the Big 11 Dipper connecting the handle to the dipper If you cannot see Megrez then you have fog haze clouds smog light pollution or other conditions that are hindering your viewing Figure 13 C Cooling the Telescope All optical instruments need time to reach thermal equilib rium to achieve maximum stability of the lenses and mirrors which is essential for peak performance When moved from a warm indoor location outside to cooler air or vice versa a telescope needs time to cool to the outdoor temperature The bigger the instrument and the larger the temperature change the more time will be needed Allow at least 30 minutes for your SkyView Pro 150mm EQ to equilibrate If the scope has more than a 40 temperature adjustment allow an hour or more In the winter storing the tele scope outdoors in a shed or garage greatly reduces the amount of time needed for the optics to stabilize It also is a good idea to keep
11. restrict the view to only a por tion of the full field If they do you can easily observe with your glasses off by just re focusing the telescope by the needed amount If you suffer from severe astigmatism however you may find images noticeably sharper with your glasses on Aligning the Finder Scope The SkyView Pro 150mm EQ comes with a 8x40 achromatic finder scope Figure 3a The number 8 means eight times magnification and the 40 indicates a 40mm diameter front lens The finder scope makes it easier to locate the subject you want to observe in the telescope because the finder scope has a much wider field of view The finder scope uses a spring loaded bracket that makes alignment of the finderscope very easy As you turn either of the thumbscrews the spring in the bracket s tensioner moves in and out to keep the finder scope secure in the bracket The finder scope must be aligned accurately with the tele scope for proper use To align it first aim the main telescope at an object at least a 1 4 mile away the top of a telephone pole a chimney etc First loosen the R A and Dec lock levers and move the telescope until it is pointing towards the desired object Then sight along the tube to aim the telescope Turn the focus knob until the object is properly focused Make sure to position the object in the center of the telescope s eye piece by turning the R A and declination slow motion control knobs the R A and Dec lock
12. started Table of Contents 1 Unpacking 00 a5 heck ati ned teed ana 3 2 OMG Lisl sie seen ri As pa oa ERS 3 3 Assembly 0 0 eee eee 3 4 Balancing the Telescope 5 5 Using Your Telescope 5 6 Setting Up and Using the Equatorial Mount 7 7 Astronomical Observing 11 8 Astrophotography 14 9 Care and Maintenance 14 10 Specifications 15 11 Appendix Collimating 16 1 Unpacking The entire telescope will arrive in one box Be careful unpack ing the box We recommend keeping the box and all origi nal packaging In the event that the telescope needs to be shipped to another location or returned to Orion for warranty repair having the proper box and packaging will help ensure that your mount will survive the journey intact Make sure all the parts in the Parts List are present Be sure to check each box carefully as some parts are small If anything appears to be missing or broken immediate ly call Orion Customer Support 800 676 1343 or email support telescope com for assistance WARNING Never look directly at the Sun through your telescope or its finder scope even for an instant without a professionally made solar filter that completely covers the front of the instrument or permanent eye damage could result Young children should use this telescope only with adult supervision
13. INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion SkyView Pro 150mm EQ 9968 Equatorial Maksutov Cassegrain Telescope Customer Support 800 676 1343 _ ORIONI E mail support telescope com TELESCOPES amp BINOCULARS Corporate Offices 831 763 7000 Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 89 Hangar Way Watsonville CA 95076 IN 258 Rev B 01 09 Optical tube Finder scope Finder scope bracket Declination lock lever opposite side Right ascension lock lever opposite side Declination slow motion control knob ea Safety thumbscrew r Mounting plate securing knob y Eyepiece bi 4 y Star diagonal i not shown Counterweight shaft Right ascension slow motion Counterweights control knob Right ascension axis rear cover Counterweight lock knobs Latitude scale Latitude adjustment L bolts Center support shaft Tripod support tray Tripod leg Leg lock knobs q y HH Figure 1 The SkyView Pro 150mm EQ Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion telescope Your new SkyView Pro 150mm EQ is designed for high resolution viewing and astrophotography of astronomical objects With its precision optics and sturdy equatorial mount you ll be able to enjoy hundreds of fascinating celestial denizens These instructions will help you set up properly use and care for your telescope Please read them over thoroughly before getting
14. al tube s mounting plate in the dovetail slot so that it is positioned midway in the dovetail slot Tighten the mounting plate securing knob and safety thumbscrew to secure the optical tube Figure 4a d Proper operation of the equatorial mount requires that the telescope tube be balanced on both the right ascension and Declination axes a With the R A lock lever released slide the counterweights along the counterweight shaft until it just counterbalances the tube b When you let go with both hands the tube should not drift up or down c With the Dec lock knob released loosen the mounting plate securing knob and safety thumbscrew a few turns and slide the telescope forward or backward d When the tube is balanced about the Dec axis it will not move when you let go 10 Place the right ascension rear axis cover on the equatorial mount Installing the Finder Scope To place the finder scope Figure 3a in the finder scope brack et unthread the two black nylon thumbscrews until the screw ends are flush with the inside diameter of the bracket Place the O ring that comes on the base of the bracket over the body of the finder scope until it seats into the slot on the middle of the finder scope Slide the eyepiece end narrow end of the finder scope into the end of the bracket s cylinder opposite the adjustment screws while pulling the chrome spring loaded tensioner on the bracket with your fingers Figure 3b Push the
15. ate look into rear opening of the tube If your telescope is out of collimation it will resemble Figure 17a A properly collimated scope will resemble Figure 17b The direction of the misalignment in your telescope may differ from Figure 17a but the diagram will give you the gen eral idea of how things will look Note there are six alignment screws on the back of the opti cal tube three large and three small You will need 4mm and 2 5mm Allen wrenches to turn these screws These alignment screws push and pull the mirror cell in order to tilt it When you loosen or tighten one of these screws the other five screws must be adjusted as well to keep the proper amount of pres sure on the back of the mirror cell By making slight adjustments to how much the screws are tightened and loosened you will change the alignment of the primary mirror Secondary mirror Reflection of your eye in secondary mirror Front of telescope Figure 17b Figure 17b With the optics properly aligned the view through the rear opening of the telescope will resemble Figure 2b Look into the rear opening of the tube and locate the black crescent that shows the telescope is out of alignment Figure 17a Note which way the front of the telescope would need to move in order to fill that black crescent and resemble Figure 17b Then look at the back end of the telescope and locate the alignment screw that is in the direction that the front of the telescop
16. ded and often needed for detailed observations Not all the planets are generally visible at any one time JUPITER The largest planet Jupiter is a great subject for observation You can see the disk of the giant planet and watch the ever changing positions of its four largest moons lo Callisto Europa and Ganymede Higher power eyepieces should bring out the cloud bands on the planet s disk SATURN The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight when it is well positioned The tilt angle of the rings varies over a peri od of many years sometimes they are seen edge on while at other times they are broadside and look like giant ears on each side of Saturn s disk A steady atmosphere good seeing is necessary for a good view You will probably see a bright star close by which is Saturn s brightest moon Titan VENUS At its brightest Venus is the most luminous object in the sky excluding the Sun and the Moon It is so bright that sometimes it is visible to the naked eye during full daylight lronically Venus appears as a thin crescent not a full disk when at its peak brightness Because it is so close to the Sun it never wanders too far from the morning or evening horizon No surface markings can be seen on Venus which is always shrouded in dense clouds MARS The Red Planet makes its closest approach to Earth every two years During close approaches you ll see a red disk and may be able to see the polar ice cap To
17. e needs to move For example if the view in your telescope resembled Figure 17a then you would want to move the front opening of the telescope scope to the right The align ment screw you would start with would be the screw on the right as shown in Figure 18 Your actions now depend on whether this alignment screw is a small or large screw Please note that you will be working to adjust the mirror cell by keeping all the screws not too loose and not too tight Follow the steps listed below carefully and refer to the figures that accompany them Figure 18 If the view through the rear opening of the telescope resembled Figure 17a then the alignment screw you would start with would be this one The actual first alignment screw you would pick will vary depending on which way the front opening would need to move in order to fill the black crescent Figure 3 17 Figure 19a Figure 19a Using the 3mm Allen wrench turn the large screw clockwise a small amount no more than 1 4 of a turn Note actual selected Figure 19b Figure 19b Now with the 2mm Allen wrench turn the two adjacent small screws counterclockwise no more than 1 4 turn alignment screw will vary If the alignment screw is a large screw First using the 4mm Allen wrench turn the large screw clock wise a small amount no more than a 1 4 turn Figure 19a Now with the 2 5mm Allen wrench turn the two adjacent small screws Figure 19b
18. e tripod so the telescope tube and right ascen sion axis point roughly at Polaris If you cannot see Polaris directly from your observing site consult a compass and rotate the tripod so the telescope points north There is a label bearing a large N at the base of the equatorial mount Figure 8 it should be facing north The equatorial mount is now polar aligned for casual observ ing More precise polar alignment is recommended for astro photography For this we suggest using the optional polar axis finder scope From this point on in your observing session you should not make any further adjustments to the latitude of the mount nor should you move the tripod Doing so will undo the polar alignment The telescope should be moved only about its R A and Dec axes Eyepiece Focus focus ring Alignment setscrews 3 Objective lock ring lens Figure 9 The optional polar axis finder scope Polar Alignment Using an Optional Polar Axis Finder Scope The SkyView Pro 150mm EQ mount can be equipped with an optional polar axis finder scope Figure 9 which goes inside the right ascension axis of the mount When properly aligned and used it makes accurate polar alignment quick and easy to do To install the polar axis finder scope remove the cover at the rear of the mount s right ascension axis Figure 9 and thread the polar axis finder scope into the equatorial mount until tight The reticle of the polar axis finde
19. elescope is handled roughly This manual contains information on how to test the collimation of your telescope and instructions for prop er alignment should that be needed Star Testing the Telescope Before you start adjusting the primary mirror of your telescope make certain that it is actually out of collimation by performing a star test Take your telescope out at dusk and let it acclimate to the out side temperature this usually takes 30 60 minutes When it is dark point the telescope upwards at a bright star and accu rately center it in the eyepiece s field of view Slowly de focus the image with the focusing knob If the telescope is correctly collimated the expanding disk should be a circle Figure 16 If the image is unsymmetrical the scope is out of collimation Also 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 donut If the hole appears off center the telescope is out of collimation If you try the star test but the bright star you have selected is not accurately centered in the eyepiece the optics will always appear out of collimation even though they may be perfectly aligned It is critical to keep the star centered so over time you will need to make slight corrections to the telescope s position in order to account for the sky s apparent motion Figure 16 A star test will determine if a telescope s optics are properly co
20. epiece from the focuser you must first remove the eyepiece from the focuser to attach the filter You ll find the Moon filter improves viewing comfort and helps bring out the subtle features if the lunar surface B The Sun You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun viewer by installing an optional full aperture solar filter over the front opening of a SkyView Pro 150mm EQ The primary attraction is sunspots which change shape appearance and location daily Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activ ity in the Sun Many observers like to make drawings of sun spots to monitor how the Sun is changing from day to day Important Note Do not look at the Sun with any optical instrument without a professionally made solar filter or permanent eye damage could result Also be sure to cover the finder scope or better yet remove it altogether C The Planets The planets don t stay put like the stars so to find them you should refer to Sky Calendar at our website OrionTelescopes com or to charts published monthly in Astronomy Sky amp Telescope or other astronomy magazines Venus Mars Jupiter and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and the Moon Your SkyView Pro 150mm EQ is capa ble of showing you these planets in some detail Other planets may be visible but will likely appear starlike Because plan ets are quite small in apparent size optional higher power eyepieces are recommen
21. erweight shaft into the equatorial mount at the base of the declination axis until tight Make sure the casting at the top of the counterweight shaft is threaded clockwise as far as it will go before attaching the shaft Once the shaft is installed turn the casting counter clock wise until the top of the casting is flush with the mount Remove the knurled toe saver retaining screw on the bottom of the counterweight shaft and slide both counter weights onto the shaft Make sure the counterweight lock knobs are adequately loosened to allow the counterweight shaft to pass through the hole Position the counterweights about halfway up the shaft and tighten the lock knobs Replace the toe saver at the end of the bar The toe saver Figure 3b Pull back on the tensioner and slide the finder scope into its bracket until the O ring is seated in the bracket ring prevents the counterweights from falling on your foot if the lock knobs happen to come loose Attach the slow motion control knobs to the right ascen sion and declination worm gear shafts of the equatorial mount by sliding them onto the shaft Line up the flat on the end of the shaft with the corresponding feature on the interior of the knob The knobs can be attached to either end of the shafts use whichever end is most convenient Loosen the black mounting plate securing knob as well as the metal safety thumbscrew on the top of the equato rial mount Place the optic
22. f you need to aim the telescope directly north but at an object that is nearer to the horizon than Polaris You can t do it with the counterweights down as pictured in Figure 1 Again you have to rotate the scope in right ascension so that the counterweight shaft is positioned horizontally Then rotate the scope in declination so it points to where you want it near the horizon To point the telescope directly south the counterweight shaft should again be horizontal Then you simply rotate the scope on the declination axis until it points in the south direction To point the telescope to the east or west or in other direc tions you rotate the telescope on its right ascension and dec lination axes Depending on the altitude of the object you want to observe the counterweight shaft will be oriented some where between vertical and horizontal Figure 12 illustrates how the telescope will look when pointed at the four cardinal directions north south east and west 7 Astronomical Observing For many users the SkyView Pro 150mm EQ telescope will be a major leap into the world of amateur astronomy This section is intended to get you ready for your voyages through the night sky Observing Tips A Site Selection Pick a location away from street lights and bright yard light ing Avoid viewing over rooftops and chimneys as they often have warm air currents rising from them which distort the image seen in the eyepiece Similarly
23. finder scope through the bracket until the O ring seats just inside the front opening of the bracket cylinder Release the tensioner and tighten the two black nylon thumbscrews a couple of turns each to secure the finder scope in place Insert the base of the finder scope bracket into the dovetail holder on the top of the focuser Lock the bracket into position by tightening the knurled thumbscrew on the dovetail holder Inserting the Star Diagonal and Eyepiece Remove the dust cap from the eyepiece adapter and insert the chrome barrel of the star diagonal into the eyepiece adapter and secure it with the thumbscrews Remove the dust cap from the star diagonal and insert the 25mm Plossl eyepiece into the star diagonal and secure it in place with the thumbscrews on the diagonal Always loosen the thumbscrews before rotating or removing the diagonal or an eyepiece Your telescope is now completely assembled and should appear as shown in Figure 1 4 Balancing the Telescope To ensure smooth movement of the telescope on both axes of the equatorial mount it is imperative that the optical tube is properly balanced We will first balance the telescope with respect to the right ascension R A axis then the declination Dec axis 1 Keeping one hand on the telescope optical tube loosen the R A lock lever Make sure the Dec lock lever is locked The telescope should now be able to rotate freely about the right ascension axis Rotate it u
24. he finder scope on a bright star Once the image appears sharp retighten the locking ring behind the objective lens cell The finder scope s focus should not need to be adjusted again Magnification amp Eyepieces Magnification or power is determined by the focal length of the telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece Therefore by using eyepieces of different focal lengths the resultant magnification can be varied Magnification is calculated as follows Telescope Focal Length ee Magnification Eyepiece Focal Length The SkyView Pro 150mm EQ has a focal length of 1800mm which when used with the supplied 25mm eyepiece yields 1800mm 25mm 72x The magnification provided by the 10mm eyepiece is The maximum attainable magnification for a telescope is directly related to how much light it can gather The larger the aperture the more magnification is possible In general a fig ure of 2x per millimeter of aperture is the maximum attain Dec slow motion control knob Dec TN Front opening N x Latitude scale L bolts Id QUE j able for most telescopes Your SkyView Pro 150mm EQ has an aperture of 150 millimeters so the maximum magnification would be about 300x This level of magnification assumes you have ideal conditions for viewing Keep in mind that as you increase magnification the bright ness of the object viewed will decrease this is an inherent principle of the laws
25. is finder optional Latitude adjustment Dec lock lever 4 R A lock lever R A slow motion 4 control knob Figure 6a b The SkyView Pro 150mm EQ mount Little Dipper in Ursa Minor Big Dipper in Ursa Major Polaris Cassiopeia Figure 7 To find Polaris in the night sky look north and find the Big Dipper Extend an imaginary line from the two Pointer Stars in the bowl of the Big Dipper Go about five times the distance between those stars and you ll reach Polaris which lies within 1 of the north celestial pole NCP from drifting out of your telescope s field of view while you re observing This is accomplished by slowly rotating the telescope on its right ascension axis using only the R A slow motion knob But first the R A axis of the mount must be aligned with the Earth s rotational polar axis a process called polar alignment Polar Alignment For Northern Hemisphere observers approximate polar align ment is achieved by pointing the mount s right ascension axis at the North Star or Polaris It lies within 1 of the north celes tial pole NCP which is an extension of the Earth s rotational axis Out into space Stars in the Northern Hemisphere appear to revolve around the NCP To find Polaris in the sky look north and locate the pattern of the Big Dipper Figure 7 The two stars at the end of the bow of the Big Dipper point right to Polaris Azimuth
26. itions of Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper relative to the north celestial pole which is indicated by the cross at the center of the reticle Rotate the reticle so the constellations depicted match their current orienta tion in they sky when viewed with the naked eye To do this release the R A lock lever and rotate the main tele scope around the R A axis until the reticle is oriented with sky You may need to remove the tube from the mount to prevent it from bumping into the mount Once the reticle is correctly oriented use the right ascension lock lever to secure the mount s position 5 Now use the azimuth adjustment knobs Figure 8 and the latitude adjustment L bolts Figure 6 on the mount to position the star Polaris inside the tiny circle marked Polaris on the finder s reticle You must first loosen the knob underneath the equatorial mount on the center sup port shaft to use the azimuth adjustment knobs Once Polaris is properly positioned within the reticle you are precisely polar aligned Retighten the knob underneath the equatorial mount Note From this point on in your observing session you should not make any further adjustments in the azimuth or the latitude of the mount nor should you move the tripod Doing so will undo the polar alignment The tele scope should be moved only about its right ascension and declination axes Additional Note Regarding Focusing the Polar Axis Finder Scope The polar axis finde
27. ity Sirius Plossl eye pieces a 25mm which gives a magnification of 72x and a 10mm which gives a magnification of 180x Other eyepieces can be used to achieve higher or lower powers It is quite com mon for an observer to own five or more eyepieces to access a wide range of magnifications This allows the observer to choose the best eyepiece to use depending on the object being viewed At least to begin with the two supplied eye pieces will suffice nicely Whatever you choose to view always start by inserting your lowest power longest focal length eyepiece to locate and center the object Low magnification yields a wide field of view which shows a larger area of sky in the eyepiece This 12 Big Dipper in Ursa Major MEGREZ MAGNITUDES Figure 13 Megrez connects the Big Dipper s handle to it s pan It is a good guide to how conditions are If you can not see Megrez a 3 4 mag star then conditions are poor makes acquiring and centering an object much easier If you try to find and center objects with high power narrow field of view it s like trying to find a needle in a haystack Once you ve centered the object in the eyepiece you can switch to higher magnification shorter focal length eyepiece if you wish This is especially recommended for small and bright objects like planets and double stars The Moon also takes higher magnifications well Deep sky objects however typically look better at
28. lestial coordinates Every object resides in a specific location on the celestial sphere That location is denoted by two numbers its right ascension R A and declination Dec In the same way every loca tion on Earth can be described by its longitude and latitude Right ascension is similar to longitude on Earth and declina tion is similar to latitude The R A and Dec values for celestial objects can be found in any star atlas or star catalog The R A setting circle Figure 11 is scaled in hours from 1 through 24 with small marks in between representing 10 minute increments there are 60 minutes in 1 hour of right ascension The lower set of numbers apply to viewing in the Northern Hemisphere while the numbers above them apply to viewing in the Southern Hemisphere The Dec setting circle Figure 11 is scaled in degrees with each mark representing 2 increments Values of declination coordinates range from 90 to 90 The 0 mark indicates the celestial equator When the telescope is pointed north of the celestial equator values of the declination setting circle are positive when the telescope is pointed south of the celes tial equator values of the declination setting circle are nega tive So the coordinates for the Orion Nebula listed in a star atlas will look like this R A 5h 35 4m Dec 5 27 That s 5 hours and 35 4 minutes in right ascension and 5 degrees and 27 arc minutes in decli
29. llimated An unfocused view of a bright star through the eyepiece should appear as illustrated on right if optics are perfectly collimated If circle is unsymmetrical as in illustration on left scope needs collimation 16 Secondary mirror Reflection of your eye in secondary mirror Front of telescope Reflection of inside of tube misalignment Secondary reflection of inside of tube Figure 17a Figure 17a If the telescope s optics are out of alignment the view through the rear opening of the telescope will resemble Figure 2a Collimating To collimate your telescope remove the diagonal and eyepiece and look into rear opening of the tube also remove the dust cover from the front of the tube This should be done indoors with the telescope pointed at a white wall in a well lit room Try to keep your eye centered with respect to the rear opening of the tube as best as possible Using an Orion Collimating Eyepiece will aid greatly in keeping your eye centered and is strongly recommend Alternatively you can make a crude collimating tool out of an empty black plastic 35mm film canister It will not have cross hairs so it won t be as precise but it will be better than noth ing Cut 1 2 from the top lip of the canister and put a 1 16 to 1 8 diameter hole in the center of its bottom Insert the film canister collimating tool into the focuser like an eyepiece with the bottom end out Once you are ready to collim
30. manual clutch on the R A and Dec for dual axis drives gear shaft before using the slow motion control knob The object should now be visible somewhere in the tele scope s finder scope If it isn t use the slow motion knobs to scan the surrounding area of sky When the object is visible in the finder scope use the slow motion knobs to center it Now look in the telescope s eyepiece If the finder scope is properly aligned the object should be visible somewhere in the field of view Once the object is visible in the eyepiece use the slow motion knobs to center it in the field of view Tracking Celestial Objects When you observe a celestial object through the telescope you ll see it drift slowly across the field of view To keep it in the field if your equatorial mount is polar aligned just turn the R A slow motion control knob clockwise The Dec slow motion control knob is not needed for tracking Objects will appear to move faster at higher magnifications because the field of view is narrower Optional Motor Drives for Automatic Tracking An optional DC motor drive can be mounted on the R A axis of the eguatorial mount to provide hands free tracking Objects will then remain stationary in the field of view without any manual adjustment of the right ascension slow motion control knob Understanding the Setting Circles The setting circles on an equatorial mount enable you to locate celestial objects by their ce
31. nation there are 60 arc minutes in 1 degree of declination Before you can use the setting circles to locate objects the mount must be accurately polar aligned and the setting cir cles must be calibrated Calibrating the Declination Setting Circle 1 Loosen the Dec lock lever and position the telescope as accurately as possible in declination so it is parallel to the R A axis as shown in Figure 1 Re tighten the lock lever 2 Loosen one of the thumbscrews on the Dec setting circle this will allow the setting circle to rotate freely Rotate the Dec setting circle until the pointer reads exactly 90 Re tighten the setting circle thumbscrew 10 Dec _ gt setting circle R A setting circle Dec setting circle thumbscrew 2 Dec indicator arrow R A indicator arrow R A s iting circle thumbserew 2 Figure 11 The RA and Dec setting circles Calibrating the Right Ascension Setting Circle 1 Identify a bright star in the sky near the celestial equa tor declination 0 and look up its coordinates in a star atlas 2 Loosen the R A and Dec lock levers on the equatorial mount so the telescope optical tube can move freely 3 Point the telescope at the bright star whose coordinates you know Lock the R A and Dec lock levers Center the star in the telescope s field of view with the slow motion control knobs 4 Loosen one of the R A setting circle thumb
32. nd the brightest star in the constellation that is near the object you are trying to find Using the finder scope point the telescope at this star and center it on the crosshairs Next look again at the star chart and find another suitably bright star near the bright star cur rently centered in the finder Keep in mind that the field of view of the finder scope is approximately 5 so you should choose another star that is no more that 5 from the first star if possible Move the telescope slightly until the telescope is centered on the new star 13 Continue using stars as guideposts in this way until you are at the approximate position of the object you are trying to find Figure 14 Look in the telescope s eyepiece and the object should be somewhere within the field of view If it s not sweep the telescope carefully around the immediate vicinity until the object is found If you have trouble finding the object start the starhop again from the brightest star near the object you wish to view This time be sure the stars indicated on the star chart are in fact the stars you are centering in the eyepiece Remember the finder scope and main telescope eyepiece for that matter gives an inverted image so you must keep this in mind when starhopping from star to star Terrestrial Viewing The SkyView Pro 150mm not only excels at astronomical observing it s great for terrestrial land viewing too The equatorial mount however
33. nt knobs Post Tensioner Figure 2 Orient the eguatorial mount so that the post on the tripod head lines up between the azimuth adjustment knobs on the equatorial mount Focus lock ring 2 Place the base of the equatorial mount into the tripod head Figure 3a The 8x40 finder scope Orient the equatorial mount so that the post on the tripod head lines up between the azimuth adjustment knobs on the equatorial mount Figure 2 You may need to loosen the azimuth adjustment knobs on the equatorial mount in order to fit the mount onto the tripod head Thread the central support shaft into the equatorial mount until tight This will secure the equatorial mount to the tri pod head Remove the knob and washer from the bottom of the cen ter support shaft Slide the tripod support tray up the bot tom of the central support shaft until the three tray arms are touching the legs of the tripod The flat side of the accessory tray should be facing up Make sure the V of each tray arm is against a tripod leg Place the washer back on the center support shaft against the tray and thread the securing knob all the way up the center support shaft until it is tight against the tray The tripod support tray provides additional stability for the tripod and holds five 1 25 eyepieces and two 2 eyepieces Thread the latitude adjustment L bolt into the rear of the equatorial mount as show in Figure 1 Thread the count
34. ntil the counterweight shaft is parallel to the ground i e horizontal 2 Now loosen the counterweight lock knobs and slide the weights along the shaft until they exactly counterbalance the telescope Figure 4a That s the point at which the shaft remains horizontal even when you let go of the tele scope with both hands Figure 4b 3 Retighten the counterweight lock lever 4 Loosen the metal safety thumbscrew on the top of the equatorial mount Then with one hand on the optical tube loosen the mounting plate securing knob Figure 4c 5 Slide the optical tube into the dovetail slot until the mount ing plate is positioned midway in the dovetail slot Retighten the mounting plate securing knob 6 Loosen the Dec lock lever and test the balance of the opti cal tube by letting go with both hands If the optical tube does not move in either direction Figure 4d then the tube is balanced in declination If the optical tube does move then retighten the Dec lock lever and repeat from step 4 above this time sliding the optical tube to a new position and testing the balance again 7 When the tube is balanced in declination retighten the metal safety thumbscrew The telescope is now balanced in both axes When you loos en the lock lever on one or both axes of motion and manually point the telescope it should not drift from where you point it 5 Using Your Telescope Focusing the Telescope With the 25mm eyepiece inser
35. of physics and cannot be avoided If mag nification is doubled an image appears four times dimmer If magnification is tripled image brightness is reduced by a factor of nine Always start with your lowest power eyepiece and work your way up Start by centering the object being viewed in the 25mm eyepiece Then you may want to increase the magni fication to get a closer view If the object is off center i e it is near the edge of the field of view you will lose it when you increase magnification since the field of view will be narrower with the higher powered eyepiece To change eyepieces first loosen the securing thumbscrews on the diagonal Then care fully lift the eyepiece out of the holder Do not tug or pull the eyepiece to the sides as this will knock the telescope off its target Replace the eyepiece with the new one by sliding it gently into the holder Re tighten the diagonal thumbscrews and refocus for your new magnification 6 Setting Up and Using the Equatorial Mount When you look at the night sky you no doubt have noticed that the stars appear to move slowly from east to west over time That apparent motion is caused by the Earth s rotation from west to east An equatorial mount Figure 6 is designed to compensate for that motion allowing you to easily track the movement of astronomical objects thereby keeping them A Pi H i s ii jn i F j f aig i i i a R A setting circle Polar ax
36. oo hard may scratch the lens On larger lenses clean only a small area at a time using a fresh lens tissue on each area Never reuse tissues 10 Specifications Optical design Maksutov Cassegrain Aperture 150mm Effective focal length 1800mm Focal ratio f 12 0 Central obstruction diameter 47mm Primary mirror coating Aluminum with Si0 overcoat Meniscus lens coating Anti reflection multi coatings on both sides of lens Eyepiece adapter Accepts 1 25 accessories camera I threads Eyepieces 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossls fully coated with multi coatings 1 25 format Magnification with supplied eyepieces 72x with 25mm and 180x with 10mm Diagonal 90 mirror star diagonal 1 25 format Finder scope 8x magnification 40mm aperture chromatic 5 33 field of view Finder scope bracket Dovetail base spring loaded X Y alignment Optical tube mounting plate Fits standard photo style tripods and SkyView Pro equatorial mount Mount SkyView Pro German equatorial Tripod Steel adjustable height includes support tray Counterweights 4 0 j and 7 5 Ibs Polar axis latitude adjustment 8 to 70 Polar axis finder Optional Motor drives Optional Weight 50 3 Ibs tube 13 3 lbs mount 37 0 Ibs 15 Appendix Collimating Collimating is the process of aligning a telescope s optics Your Maksutov Cassegrain s primary mirror was aligned at the fac tory and should not need adjustment unless the t
37. other stars closer and closer to the object until it is in the field of view of the eyepiece It is a very intuitive technique that has been employed for hundreds of years by professional and amateur astronomers alike Keep in mind as with any new task that starhopping may seem challenging at first but will become easier over time and with practice To starhop only a minimal amount of additional equipment is necessary A star chart or atlas that shows stars to at least magnitude 5 is required Select one that shows the positions of many deep sky objects so you will have a lot of options to choose from If you do not know the positions of the constel lations in the night sky you will need to get a planisphere to identify them Start by choosing bright objects to view The brightness of an object is measured by its visual magnitude the brighter an object the lower its magnitude Choose an object with a visual magnitude of 9 or lower Many beginners start with the Messier objects which represent some of the best and bright est deep sky objects first catalogued about 200 years ago by the French astronomer Charles Messier Determine in which constellation the object lies Now find the constellation in the sky If you do not recognize the constella tions on sight consult a planisphere The planisphere gives an all sky view and shows which constellations are visible on a given night at a given time Now look at your star chart and fi
38. r scope for the SkyView Pro has a tiny star map printed on it that makes precise polar alignment quick and easy If you do not have a clear view of Polaris from your observing site you will not be able to use the polar axis finder to precisely polar align the telescope To align the mount using the polar axis finder scope follow these instructions Alignment of the Polar Axis Finder Scope 1 Look through the polar finder at a distant object during the day and center it in the crosshairs You may need to adjust the latitude adjustment L bolts and the tripod posi tion to do this 2 Rotate the mount 180 about the R A axis Again it may be convenient to remove the counterweights and optical tube first 3 Look through the polar finder again Is the object being viewed still centered on the crosshairs If it is then no further adjustment is necessary If not then look through the polar finder while rotating the mount about the R A axis You will notice that the object you have previously centered moves in a circular path Use the three align ment setscrews on the polar axis finder to redirect the crosshairs of the polar finder to the apparent center of this circular path Repeat this procedure until the position that the crosshairs point to does not rotate off center when the mount is rotated in R A Once this is accomplished snug the setscrews so the alignment is secure The polar axis finder scope is now ready to be used When
39. r scope is normally focused by simply rotating the eyepiece focus ring However if after adjusting the focus ring you find that the image of the reticle is sharp but the stars are out of focus then you must adjust the focus of the polar axis finder s objective lens To do this first remove the polar axis finder from the mount Look through the polar axis finder at a star at night or distant object at least 1 4 mile away during daylight Use the eyepiece focus ring to bring the reticle into sharp focus Now loosen the focus lock ring Figure 9 and thread the entire objective end of the finder inwards or outwards until images appear sharp Re tighten the focus lock ring Once the polar axis finder s objective lens is focused it should not need to be adjusted again Use of the Right Ascension and Declination Slow Motion Control Knobs The right ascension R A and declination Dec slow motion control knobs allow fine adjustment of the telescope s position to center objects within the field of view Before you can use the knobs you must manually slew the mount to point the telescope in the vicinity of the desired target Do this by loos ening the R A and Dec lock levers and moving the telescope about the mount s right ascension and declination axes Once the telescope is pointed close to the object to be viewed retighten both lock levers Note If you have an optional motor drive attached you will need to loosen the
40. rion Telescopes amp Binoculars will repair or replace at Orion s option any warranted instrument that proves to be defective provided it is returned postage paid to Orion Warranty Repair 89 Hangar Way Watsonville CA 95076 If the product is not regis tered proof of purchase such as a copy of the original invoice is required This warranty does not apply if in Orion s judgment the instrument has been abused mishandled or modified nor does it apply to normal wear and tear This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state For further warranty service infor mation contact Customer Service Department Orion Telescopes amp Binoculars 89 Hangar Way Watsonville CA 95076 800 676 1343 Orion Telescopes amp Binoculars 89 Hangar Way Watsonville CA 95076 Customer Support Help Line 800 676 1343 Day or Evening 19
41. screws this will allow the setting circle to rotate freely Rotate the set ting circle until the R A indicator arrow points to the R A coordinate listed in the star atlas for the object Re tighten the setting circle thumbscrew Finding Objects With the Setting Circles Now that both setting circles are calibrated look up in a star atlas the coordinates of an object you wish to view 1 Loosen the Dec lock lever and rotate the telescope until the declination value from the star atlas matches the read ing on the Dec setting circle Remember that values of the Dec setting circle are positive when the telescope is point ing north of the celestial equator Dec 0 and negative when the telescope is pointing south of the celestial equa tor Retighten the lock lever 2 Loosen the R A lock lever and rotate the telescope until the right ascension value from the star atlas matches the reading on the R A setting circle Remember to use the lower set of numbers on the R A setting circle Retighten the lock lever Most setting circles are not accurate enough to put an object dead center in the telescope s eyepiece but they should place the object somewhere within the field of view of the find er scope assuming the equatorial mount is accurately polar aligned Use the slow motion controls to center the object in the finder scope and it should appear in the telescope s field of view a An b Ah Tn Figure 12a
42. see surface detail on Mars you will need a high power eyepiece and very steady air D Deep Sky Objects Stars will appear like twinkling points of light Even powerful telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as more than a point of light You can however enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars The famous Double Double in the constellation Lyra and the gor geous two color double star Albireo in Cygnus are favorites Defocusing a star slightly can help bring out its color Under dark skies you can observe a wealth of fascinating deep sky objects including gaseous nebulas open and glob ular star clusters and a variety of different types of galaxies Most deep sky objects are very faint so it is important that you find an observing site well away from light pollution Take plenty of time to let your eyes adjust to the darkness Do not expect these subjects to appear like the photographs you see in books and magazines most will look like dim gray smudg es But as you become more experienced and your observing skills get sharper you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle details and structure How to Find Deep sky Objects Starhopping Starhopping as it is called by astronomers is perhaps the simplest way to hunt down objects to view in the night sky It entails first pointing the telescope at a star close to the object you wish to observe and then progressing to
43. ssories can be kept in an optional eyepiece case Keep the dust cover on the front of the telescope and cap the rear opening of the eyepiece adapter Also keep the finder scope caps on if you leave it attached to the optical tube Eyepiece adapter Figure 15 A 35mm SLR camera connects directly to the eyepiece adapter with only the addition of a T ring for your camera model 14 Cleaning the Tube Your SkyView Pro 150mm EQ telescope requires very little mechanical maintenance The optical tube is aluminum and has a smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch resistant If a scratch does appear on the tube it will not harm the tele scope Smudges on the tube can be wiped off with a soft cloth and a household cleaning fluid Cleaning Lenses Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean ing fluid specifically designed for multi coated optics can be used to clean the telescope s meniscus lens or the exposed lenses of your eyepieces and finder scope Never use regu lar glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses Before cleaning with fluid and tissue however blow any loose particles off the lens with a blower bulb or compressed air 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 Oily finger prints and smudges may be removed using this method Use caution rubbing t
44. ted in the star diagonal move the telescope so the front open end is pointing in the general direction of an object at least 1 4 mile away Now with your fingers slowly rotate the focus knob until the object comes into sharp focus Go a little bit beyond sharp focus until the image just starts to blur again then reverse the rotation of the knob just to make sure you ve hit the exact focus point NOTE The image in the telescope will appear reversed from left to right This is normal for telescopes that utilize 9Sp zlV VINGOTITV View through finder scope LAIMAOTIJAI De RESTA View through the SkyView Pro 150mm EQ Figure 5 Images through the finder scope will appear upside down and backwards rotated 180 Images through the SkyView Pro 150mm EQ with its diagonal in place will be reversed from left to right a star diagonal The finder scope view will be rotated 180 see Figure 5 If you have trouble focusing rotate the focus knob counter clockwise as far as it will go Look through the eyepiece while slowly rotating the focus knob clockwise You should soon see the point at which focus is reached Viewing with Eyeglasses If you wear eyeglasses you may able to keep them on while you observe if the eyepiece has enough eye relief to allow you to see the whole field of view You can try this by looking through the eyepiece first with your glasses on and then with them off and see if the glasses
45. the scope covered until the Sun sets so the tube does not heat greatly above the temperature of the outside air D Let Your Eyes Dark Adapt Do not expect to go from a lighted house into the darkness of the outdoors at night and immediately see faint nebulas gal axies and star clusters or even very many stars for that mat ter Your eyes take about 30 minutes to reach perhaps 80 of their full dark adapted sensitivity Many observers notice improvements after several hours of total darkness As your eyes become dark adapted more stars will glimmer into view and you will be able to see fainter details in objects you view in your telescope Exposing your eyes to very bright daylight for extended periods of time can adversely affect your night vision for days So give yourself at least a little while to get used to the dark before you begin observing To see what you are doing in the darkness use a red filtered flashlight rather than a white light Red light does not spoil your eyes dark adaptation like white light does A flashlight with a red LED light is ideal or you can cover the front of a regular incandescent flashlight with red cellophane or paper Beware too that nearby porch and streetlights and automo bile headlights will spoil your night vision Eyepiece Selection By using eyepieces of varying focal lengths it is possible to attain many magnifications with the SkyView Pro 150mm EQ The telescope comes with two high qual
46. tions Figure 20c Figure 20d Figure 20d Turn the two large screws adjacent to the Figure 20c Turn the large screw that is 180 opposite the first screw counterclockwise no more than 1 4 turn small screw clockwise no more than 1 4 turn Turn the two small screws adjacent to the large screw Figure 20d clockwise no more than 1 4 turn Repeat the above steps until the front opening is centered in the direction you wanted it to go You may need to repeat this or the large screw adjustment process with other screws in order to align it in other directions Repeat these two procedures as needed until the view through the scope resembles Figure 17b Finishing Collimation Once you have finished adjusting your telescope you will need to perform another star test described earlier to check the collimation If your telescope appears collimated after star test ing it should not need adjustment again unless it is roughly handled If you have gone through this process and your telescope is still out of collimation please contact Orion customer support You may need to return the telescope for repair covered on warranty for 1 year after purchase 18 One Year Limited Warranty This Orion SkyView Pro 150mm EQ is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only During this warranty period O
47. you should not observe through an open window from indoors Better yet choose a site out of town away from any light pollution You ll be stunned at how many more stars you ll see Most importantly make sure that any chosen site has a clear view of a large portion of the sky B Seeing and Transparency Atmospheric conditions play a huge part in quality of viewing In conditions of good seeing star twinkling is minimal and objects appear steady in the eyepiece Seeing is best over head worst at the horizon Also seeing generally gets bet ter after midnight when much of the heat absorbed by the Earth during the day has radiated off into space Typically seeing conditions will be better at sites that have an altitude over about 3000 feet Altitude helps because it decreases the amount of distortion causing atmosphere you are looking through A good way to judge if the seeing is good or not is to look at bright stars about 40 above the horizon If the stars appear to twinkle the atmosphere is significantly distorting the incom ing light and views at high magnifications will not appear sharp If the stars appear steady and do not twinkle seeing conditions are probably good and higher magnifications will be possible Also seeing conditions are typically poor during the day This is because the heat from the Sun warms the air and causes turbulence Good transparency is especially important for observing faint
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