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IN 187 Rev. A  05/02

Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975

Customer Support (800) 676-1343
E-mail: [email protected]

Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000

P.O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Orion

®

ShortTube

™ 

4.5" EQ

#9849

Equatorial Reflecting Telescope

Summary of Contents for ShortTube 4.5 EQ 9849

Page 1: ...l Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 Customer Support 800 676 1343 E mail support telescope com Corporate Offices 831 763 7000 P O Box 1815 Santa Cruz CA 95061 INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion ShortTube 4 5 EQ 9849 Equatorial Reflecting Telescope ...

Page 2: ...g circle Right ascension slow motion control cable Latitude adjustment T bolt Tripod leg Leg lock knob Declination slow motion control cable Declination lock knob Declination setting circle Counterweight shaft Counterweight Counterweight lock knob Latitude lock T bolt not shown Azimuth lock knob Accessory tray bracket Accessory tray Tripod leg ...

Page 3: ...ews should be tightened securely to eliminate flexing and wobbling but be careful not to over tighten or the threads may strip Refer to Figures 1 and 2 during the assembly process During assembly and anytime for that matter Do not touch the surfaces of the telescope mirrors or the lenses of the EZ Finder II or eyepieces with your fingers The optical surfaces have delicate coatings on them that can...

Page 4: ...d the counterweight shaft into the equatorial mount at the base of the declination axis until tight 7 Remove the screw and washer on the bottom of the counterweight shaft and slide the counterweight onto the shaft Make sure the counterweight lock knob is ade quately loosened to allow the counterweight shaft to pass through the hole Position the counterweight about halfway up the shaft and tighten ...

Page 5: ...s first tighten the R A lock knob with the counterweight shaft still in the horizontal position 5 With one hand on the telescope optical tube loosen the Dec lock knob The telescope should now be able to rotate freely about the Dec axis Loosen the tube ring clamps a few turns until you can slide the telescope tube forward and back inside the rings this can be aided by using a slight twisting motion...

Page 6: ...your finger It s a non magnifying aiming device that superimposes a tiny red dot on the sky showing exactly where the telescope is pointed The EZ Finder II works by projecting a tiny red dot it s not a laser beam onto a lens mounted in the front of the unit When you look through the EZ Finder II the red dot will appear to float in space helping you locate even the faintest of deep space objects Th...

Page 7: ...aligned with the Earth s rotational polar axis a process called polar alignment Polar Alignment For Northern Hemisphere observers approximate polar alignment is achieved by pointing the mount s R A 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 rotation al axis out into space Stars in the Northern Hemisphere appear to revolv...

Page 8: ...d just turn the R A slow motion control cable clockwise The Dec slow motion control cable is not needed for tracking Objects will appear to move faster at higher magnifications because the field of view is narrower Optional Electronic Drives for Automatic Tracking An optional DC electronic drive can be mounted on the R A axis of the equatorial mount to provide hands free tracking Objects will then...

Page 9: ...telescope on the R A axis until the counter weight shaft is horizontal parallel to the ground Then loosen the Dec lock knob and rotate the telescope until it is pointing straight overhead The counterweight shaft is still horizontal Then retighten both lock knobs Similarly to point the telescope directly south the counter weight shaft should again be horizontal Then you simply rotate the scope on t...

Page 10: ...en the three small alignment setscrews in the cen ter hub of the 3 vaned spider several turns Now hold the mir ror holder stationary be careful not to touch the surface of the mirrors while turning the center screw with a Phillips head screw driver Figure 9 Turning the screw clockwise will move the secondary mirror toward the front opening of the optical tube while turning the screw counter clockw...

Page 11: ...e 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 and 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...

Page 12: ... dark adapted sensitivity As your eyes become dark adapted more stars will glimmer into view and you ll be able to see fainter details in objects you view in your telescope To see what you re 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 cov...

Page 13: ...omfort and also helps to bring out subtle features on 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 the ShortTube 4 5 EQ The primary attraction is sunspots which change shape appearance and location daily Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activity in the Sun Many o...

Page 14: ...f paint have virtually no effect on the visual performance of the telescope The large primary mirror and the elliptical secondary mirror of your telescope are front surface aluminized and over coated with hard silicon dioxide which prevents the aluminum from oxidizing These coatings normally last through many years of use before requiring re coating which is easily done To clean the secondary mirr...

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Page 16: ...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 registered 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 mishan dled or modified nor does it apply to normal wear and tear Thi...

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