background image

3

1. Unpacking

The telescope will arrive in two boxes, one containing the
optical tube assembly and accessories, the other containing
the unassembled Dobsonian base. Be careful unpacking the
boxes. We recommend keeping the original shipping contain-
ers. In the event that the telescope needs to be shipped to
another location, or returned to Orion for warranty repair, hav-
ing the proper shipping containers will help ensure that your
telescope will survive the journey intact.

Make sure all the parts in the Parts List below are present. Be
sure to check boxes carefully, as some parts are small. If any-
thing appears to be missing or broken, immediately call Orion
Customer Support (800-676-1343) for assistance.

Parts List

Box #1: Optical Tube Assembly and Accessories

Qty.

Description

1

Optical tube assembly

1

Dust cover

1

25mm Plössl eyepiece, 1.25" barrel diameter

1

9mm Plössl eyepiece, 1.25" barrel diameter

1

8x50 finder scope

1

Finder scope bracket

6

Finder scope alignment thumb screws with 
knurled lock nuts  

1

Moon filter

1

Eyepiece rack

2

Eyepiece rack mounting wood screws (length 3/4")

2 Spring 

coils 

2

Pull loops 

4

Nylon spacers (black)

2

1/4" washers (black)

2

Phillips-head screws (black, length 1-3/4")

2

Screws with round knobs attached

1

Handle

2

Socket head cap screws, 5/16" (black)

2

5/16" washers (black)

2

5/16" nuts (black)

1

Large Allen wrench (6mm)

Box #2: Dobsonian Base

Qty.

Description

1

Left panel

1

Right panel

1

Front brace

1

Top baseplate

1

Ground baseplate

12

Base assembly screws (length 2")

1

Small Allen wrench (size 4mm)

3

Plastic feet

3

Feet attachment wood screws (length 1")

1

Self-adhesive rubber bumper

1

Large hex-head bolt (length 3")

2

3/8" washers

1

3/8" lock nut

1

Nylon spacer (white)

1

T-nut

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.

Table of Contents

1. Unpacking............................................................................................................................. 3

2. Assembly .............................................................................................................................. 4

3. Using Your Telescope ........................................................................................................... 7

4. Collimation (Aligning the Mirrors) ....................................................................................... 10

5. Astronomical Observing ....................................................................................................... 12

6. Care and Maintenance ......................................................................................................... 15

7. Specifications........................................................................................................................ 16

Summary of Contents for SkyQuest XT10 9990

Page 1: ...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 SkyQuest XT10 Dobsonian Reflector 9990 ...

Page 2: ...ap forward in the evolution of the Dobsonian Whether you are brand new to amateur astronomy or a seasoned stargazer the SkyQuest XT10 Dobsonian will provide many evenings of enjoyment and fascination Secondary mirror holder with 3 vane spider not visible Right side panel Front brace Handle Top baseplate Ground baseplate Finder scope Finder scope bracket Eyepiece Focus knob Optical tube Altitude si...

Page 3: ...nurled lock nuts 1 Moon filter 1 Eyepiece rack 2 Eyepiece rack mounting wood screws length 3 4 2 Spring coils 2 Pull loops 4 Nylon spacers black 2 1 4 washers black 2 Phillips head screws black length 1 3 4 2 Screws with round knobs attached 1 Handle 2 Socket head cap screws 5 16 black 2 5 16 washers black 2 5 16 nuts black 1 Large Allen wrench 6mm Box 2 Dobsonian Base Qty Description 1 Left panel...

Page 4: ...nsert the T nut K into the center hole of the ground base plate A so the nut s flanged top is on the same side of the baseplate as the Teflon pads Thread the large hex head bolt G with a 3 8 washer F attached up through the ground baseplate and through the T nut until it is tight Now position the top baseplate D with side panels attached over the ground baseplate and lower it so the bolt goes thro...

Page 5: ...the altitude bearing surfaces As a result such telescopes move up and down much too freely This causes problems when the observer tries to accurately center and track an object for viewing especially at higher powers Also the tele scope becomes very sensitive to balance requiring additional equipment such as counterweight systems or adjustable side bearings to compensate SkyQuest XT10 Dobsonians e...

Page 6: ...ects to view in the night sky which will be discussed in detail later Before attaching the finder scope bracket to the telescope tube it is convenient to first install the finder in the bracket Thread the six finder scope alignment thumb screws with knurled lock nuts attached into the holes on the outside of the finder bracket s rings Slide the finder scope through the bracket s rings and secure i...

Page 7: ...cope to any position in the night sky from horizon to horizon When moving the telescope it may be convenient to grasp the front end of the telescope tube so that your fingers just protrude into it this provides a convenient handle Focusing the Telescope Insert the low power 25mm eyepiece into the focuser and secure it with the thumb screw on the 1 25 adapter Move the telescope so the front open en...

Page 8: ...ble tool for locating objects in the night sky its usage for this purpose will be discussed later Focusing the Finder Scope If when looking 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 8 Back the lock ring off by a few tu...

Page 9: ...th standard supplied accessories such as an eyepiece and a finder scope But what if you want to use other accessories such as a barlow lens or a heavy 2 eyepiece Traditional Dobsonian designs expect the user to compensate for heavier accessories by adding weight to the opposite end of the telescope tube Such counterweighting systems can be expensive and unwieldy The CorrecTension Friction Optimiza...

Page 10: ...ser It forms a bright background behind the secondary mirror making it easier to distinguish the mirror holder from the background Use a Collimating Tool To aid in centering your line of sight down the focuser drawtube and in centering the mirror reflections during collimation it is very helpful to use a precision collimating tool containing crosshairs such as the Orion Collimating Eyepiece 3640 W...

Page 11: ...cted in it is off center 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 14d the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser and the reflection of the pri mary mirror is centered in the secondary mirror but the small reflection of the secondary mirror with your eye inside is off center The...

Page 12: ...ut of town away from any light pollution You ll be stunned at how many more stars you ll see Most important ly 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 view ing In conditions of good seeing star twinkling is minimal and objects appear steady in the eyepiece Seeing is best overhead w...

Page 13: ... Eyepiece Selection By using eyepieces of varying focal lengths it is possible to attain many magnifications with the SkyQuest XT10 Dobsonian The telescopes come with two high quality Plossl eyepieces a 25mm which gives a magnification of 50x and a 9mm which gives a magnification of 139x Other eyepieces can be used to achieve higher or lower powers It is quite common for an observer to own five or...

Page 14: ...side and look like giant ears on each side of Saturn s disk A steady atmosphere good see ing 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 Ironically V...

Page 15: ...ince photographic optimization degrades visual performance 6 Care and Maintenance If you give your telescope reasonable care it will last a life time Store it in a clean dry dust free place safe from rapid changes in temperature and humidity Do not store the tele scope outdoors although storage in a garage or shed is OK Small components like eyepieces and other accessories should be kept in a prot...

Page 16: ...tremely light pressure and stroking in straight lines across the surface Use one ball for each wipe across the mirror Then rinse the mirror under a stream of lukewarm water Any particles on the surface can be swabbed gently with a series of clean cotton balls each used just one time Dry the mirror in a stream of air a blower bulb works great or remove any stray drops of water with the corner of a ...

Reviews: