18 • The C8 Optical Tube Assembly
Setting Up Your C8 OTA
Installing the Finder
The C8 Optical Tube Assembly attaches to any photographic tripod with a 1/
4x20 threaded screw. The telescope attaches to the tripod via a balance
bracket which has two 1/4x20 holes. The two holes are on either end of the
bracket. The bracket is held to the C8 by a small thumbscrew.
Be sure the
thumbscrew is tight BEFORE you attempt to attach your C8 Optical Tube
Assembly to a tripod.
To attach the C8 optical tube to a photographic tripod:
1.
Place either of the 1/4x20 holes in the balance bracket over the 1/4x20
screw on your photographic tripod.
2.
Tighten the screw to hold the bracket in place.
Once this is done you are ready to attach the finder and accessories. Attach-
ing the finder is described in the following section, while attaching the accesso-
ries is described under “Telescope Basics.”
WARNING:
Never loosen the balance bracket thumbscrew unless you have a firm hold of
the telescope tube. Also, be sure that the corrector end of the telescope is
pointing away from the ground at all times.
The C8 Optical Tube Assembly (#11023-1) comes standard with a 6x30mm
finder. To ensure the finder and bracket are not damaged during shipping, they
are
NOT
attached to the telescope. Begin by removing the finder and mount-
ing hardware from the plastic shipping wrapper. Included with the finder are five
Allen head screws: two hold the bracket to the telescope and three hold the
finder in place inside the bracket. The three that hold the finder in place are
easy to identify since they are nylon. In addition, there is also a rubber O-ring.
This will slide over the finder to keep it secure in the bracket. Mounting the
finder and bracket is a two step process; first mount the bracket to the tele-
scope, then mount the finder in the bracket.
Attaching the Finder Bracket to the Telescope
1.
Locate the two holes in the rear cell of the telescope just left of center
(when looking from the back of the tube).
2.
Remove the tape covering the two holes. The tape prevents dust and
moisture from entering the optical tube.
3.
Place the finder bracket over the holes. The bracket should be oriented so
that the ring with the holes for the adjustment screws is closer to the rear
cell of the telescope.
4.
Thread the screws in by hand and then tighten with one of the Allen
wrenches provided.
Figure 3-2
