9
DISCOVERY SPARK TRAVEL TELESCOPES
CAUTION!
Never look directly at the Sun — even for an instant — through your telescope or finderscope without
a professionally made solar filter that completely covers the front of the instrument, or permanent eye damage
may result. To avoid damage to the internal parts of your telescope, make sure the front end of the finderscope
is covered with aluminum foil or another non-transparent material. Children should use the telescope under
adult supervision only.
Discovery Spark Travel telescopes installed on simple alt-azimuth mounts make a wonderful present for beginning astronomers of
all ages. With these models, you can explore craters on the Moon, observe details on surfaces of different planets, as well as enjoy the
views of bright deep-sky objects. These instructions will help you set up, properly use, and care for your telescope. Please read them
thoroughly before getting started.
All parts of the telescope will arrive in one box. Be careful when unpacking it. We recommend keeping the original shipping containers.
In the event that the telescope needs to be shipped to another location, having the proper shipping containers will help ensure that
your telescope survives the journey intact. Be sure to check the box carefully, as some parts are small. All screws should be tightened
securely to eliminate flexing and wobbling, but be careful not to overtighten them, as that may strip the threads. During assembly
(and anytime, for that matter), do not touch the surfaces of the optical elements with your fingers. The optical surfaces have delicate
coatings on them that can easily be damaged if touched. Never remove lenses or mirrors from their housing, or the product warranty
will be null and void.
Tripod assembly
•
Slowly loosen the tripod locking knobs and gently pull out the lower section of each tripod leg. Tighten the clamps to hold the legs
in place (except for Discovery Spark Travel 50) (fig. 2).
•
Spread the tripod legs apart to stand the tripod upright.
•
Adjust the height of each tripod leg until the tripod head is properly leveled. Note that the tripod legs may not be the same length
when the mount is leveled (except for Discovery Spark Travel 50).
•
Place the accessory tray on top of the bracket, and secure it with thumbscrews from underneath or secure the accessory tray with
one screw in the middle of the tray (except for Discovery Spark Travel 50).
Mount assembly
Mount without a fork (fig. 3a):
•
Remove the altitude lock knob from the mount head.
•
Place the telescope optical tube on the altazimuth mount so that the hole in the optical tube lines up with the hole in the mount
head.
•
Insert the altitude lock knob through the mount head and optical tube. Make sure the hole is clear all the way through before
tightening the knob. Secure the altitude lock knob.
Fork mount (fig. 3b):
•
Remove the locking screw from the slow-motion control rod.
•
Insert the rod into the hole on the side of the fork mount.
•
Place the telescope tube between fork arms so that holes on the tube match the arm holes. Fasten the telescope tube to the
mount with thumbscrews.
•
Fasten the other end of the rod to the telescope tube by inserting the screw through shaft and tube holes and tightening it.
Optical accessories assembly
Your telescope can be equipped with additional accessories, such as eyepieces, diagonal mirror or prism, or a Barlow lens. The
accessories should be installed in well-defined ordering.
Refractors (fig. 1a, 1b): Loosen the focuser thumbscrew. Insert the diagonal mirror into the focuser tube and retighten the thumbscrew
to hold the diagonal mirror in place (fig. 5a). Then, insert the desired eyepiece into the diagonal mirror and secure it by retightening the
thumbscrew. If a Barlow lens is needed, install it between the diagonal mirror and the eyepiece. You can use the erecting eyepiece to
get a direct image.
Reflectors (fig. 1c): Loosen the focuser thumbscrew and take off the plastic cap from the focuser tube. Insert the selected eyepiece and
secure it by retightening the thumbscrew (fig. 5b). If a Barlow lens is needed, install it between the focuser and the eyepiece.
Barlow lens
A Barlow lens increases the magnifying power of an eyepiece, while reducing the field of view. It expands the cone of the focused
light before it reaches the focal point, so that the telescope’s focal length appears longer to the eyepiece. In addition to increasing
magnification, the benefits of using a Barlow lens include improved eye relief, and reduced spherical aberration of the eyepiece. For
this reason, a Barlow plus a lens often outperform a single lens producing the same magnification. And the best advantage is that a
Barlow lens can potentially double the number of eyepieces in your collection.
Optical finderscope assembly and alignment
Unthread two screws in the back of the telescope tube. Place the finderscope base above the holes on the tube. Lock the finderscope base
into position by tightening the screws (fig. 4).
Optical finderscopes are very useful accessories. When they are correctly aligned with the telescope, objects can be quickly located and
brought to the center of the view. Turn the scope end in and out to adjust focus (fig. 7).
To align the finderscope, choose a distant object that is at least 550 yards (500 meters) away and point the telescope at the object. Adjust
EN
Summary of Contents for Spark Travel 50
Page 1: ......
Page 2: ......
Page 3: ...3 1a Discovery Spark Travel 50 ...
Page 4: ...4 1b Discovery Spark Travel 60 ...
