26
eyepieces. A wider field can be desirable for viewing extended
deep-sky objects that are too large to fit within a narrower
field of view.
Tube Balance
With the three counterweights installed on the back of the
rear cell, the XX14i optical tube will achieve proper balance
with its supplied accessories. For heavier front-end loads,
such as if you use a larger finder scope or a heavier eyepiece,
the CorrecTension system of the XX14i can be adjusted to
compensate for the added weight, to maintain good tube bal-
ance. Simply tighten the altitude tensioning knob on the left
side of the base as needed to keep the front of the tube from
spontaneously drifting downward.
Disassembling the Telescope for Transport
Despite being a large-aperture instrument, the XX14i has
been designed to be easy to transport. The optical tube
uncouples from the base, the optical tube disassembles into
manageable chunks, the base breaks down quickly into four
main components, and each component can be carried sepa-
rately.
Before disassembling the telescope, remove the finder scope
(with bracket) and any eyepieces from the optical tube, and
remove the IntelliScope Object Locator from the base. The
eyepiece rack can also be removed from the base, if you wish.
This will prevent these accessories from being damaged dur-
ing transport. These items can be placed in optional acces-
sory cases.
Disassembly of the Optical Tube
To remove the optical tube from the base, simply unthread the
altitude tensioning knob and altitude retaining knob from the
tube’s altitude side bearings until they are free of the tube and
base. (Be careful to not lose the small spacer on the altitude
retaining knob shaft; see
Figure 30
). Then, using both hands,
carefully lift the tube off the base and set it on the ground. It
is convenient to lift the tube by grasping opposing truss poles
(Figure 28).
The tube is somewhat heavy, so don’t hesitate to
have a friend help lift it, if necessary.
Note: If you choose to thread the knobs back into the altitude
bearings after removing the optical tube from the base, be
careful not to put weight or stress on the knobs when trans-
porting the telescope, or the knob shafts could bend.
To disassemble the optical tube, unthread the knobs in the
truss pole connectors from the upper truss support ring
while holding the upper tube section. Once all four knobs are
unthreaded, remove the upper tube section. Now, unthread
the eight knobs on the pole ends from the lower truss support
ring, and remove the truss pole assemblies from the lower
tube section. Place the dust covers on the tops of the upper
and lower tube sections. The telescope is now disassembled
and ready to be transported.
Note: In step 5 of Assembly of the Optical Tube, it was sug-
gested that the lower tube section could be installed on the
base before attaching the truss poles and upper tube section.
Likewise, to avoid having to lift the entire optical tube assem-
bly off the base, you could disassemble the top tube section
and then remove the truss poles while the lower tube section
is still mounted on the base. Then, remove the tensioning and
retaining knobs from the side bearings, grasp the tube by the
upper end ring with both hands, and lift it off the altitude bear-
ing cylinders and set it on the ground.
We recommend keeping the counterweights attached to the
rear cell. But if you wish to remove them for transport – which
will make the lower tube section about 7 lbs. lighter -- just be
sure to re-mount them before placing the optical tube on the
base the next time you reassemble the telescope, or else the
tube will be out of balance, i.e., front heavy, and could swing
forward.
If possible, we recommend transporting the lower optical tube
section in the upright position, with the mirror parallel to the
ground. This isn’t absolutely necessary, but doing so will mini-
mize the stress on the mirror’s edge from the retaining bolts
and retaining washers, especially when going over bumps in
the road.
Disassembly of the Base
When fully assembled, the XX14i’s base is somewhat bulky.
But is was cleverly designed to permit quick disassembly into
smaller components, allowing it to fit into a smaller space –
in a standard size car trunk or back seat, for instance – for
transport to a remote observing location. If you choose not
to disassemble the base, you can carry it with the convenient
carry handle.
Disconnect the azimuth encoder cable from the azimuth
1.
encoder jack in the top baseplate. Then disconnect the
altitude encoder cable from the altitude encoder jack on
the right side panel, and remove the cable from the cable
clip on the right side panel
(Figure 45).
If desired, you
could also completely disconnect both cables by also dis-
connecting them from the encoder connector board and
from the two cable clips on the left side panel.
Figure 45.
Before disassembling the base for transport, be sure
to disconnect the encoder cables from the encoder board jacks and
from any cable clips on surfaces other than the left side panel. To
remove the side panel/front panel structure from the top baseplate,
loosen the eight captive connecting bolts that attach the structure to
the baseplate. You’ll have to turn each hand knob at least seven full
turns to completely disengage the bolts.