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guide star on the illuminated eyepiece’s crosshairs. Once the
object is centered in the camera and a guide star is centered
in the reticle eyepiece, you’re ready to shoot.
Deep-sky objects are quite faint, and typically require expo-
sures on the order of 10 minutes. To hold the camera’s shutter
open this long, you will need a locking shutter release cable.
Set the camera’s shutter to the “B” (bulb) setting. Depress the
locking shutter release cable and lock it. You are now expos-
ing your first deep-sky object.
While exposing through the camera lens, you will need to
monitor the accuracy of the mount’s tracking by looking
through the illuminated reticle eyepiece in the main telescope.
If the guide star drifts from its initial position, then use the
hand controller of the motor drive to “move” the guide star
back to the center of the crosshairs. Any drifting along the
Dec. axis is a result of improper polar alignment, so if the
guide star drifts greatly in Dec., the mount may need to be
polar aligned more accurately.
When the exposure is complete, unlock the shutter release
cable and close the camera’s shutter.
Astrophotography can be enjoyable and rewarding, as well
as frustrating and time-consuming. Start slowly and consult
outside resources, such as books and magazines, for more
details about astrophotography. Remember….have fun!
10. 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 protective box or storage case. Keep the
dust cover on the front of the telescope when not in use.
Your SkyView Pro 100mm ED EQ requires very little mechan-
ical maintenance. The optical tube is aluminum and has
a smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch-resistant. If a
scratch does appear on the tube, it will not harm the tele-
scope. Smudges on the tube can be wiped off with a soft cloth
and a household surface cleaner.
Cleaning lenses
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean-
ing fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be
used to clean the exposed lenses of your telescope’s objec-
tive lens, eyepieces, or finder scope. Never use regular glass
cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses. Before
cleaning with fluid and tissue, blow any loose particles off the
lens with a blower bulb or compressed air. Then apply some
cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe
the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any excess
fluid with a fresh lens tissue. Oily fingerprints and smudges
may be removed using this method. Use caution; rubbing
too hard may scratch the lens. On larger lenses, clean only a
small area at a time, using a fresh lens tissue on each area.
Never reuse tissues.
11. Specifications
Objective lens: Apochromatic, rear element made of ED
glass, air-spaced
Objective lens coating: Fully multi-coated
Objective lens diameter: 100mm (3.9")
Focal Length: 900mm
Focal Ratio: f/9.0
Optical tube: Seamless aluminum
Lens cell: Machined aluminum
Focuser: Crayford, accepts 1.25" or 2" accessories and cam-
era T-ring (with adapter)
Eyepieces: 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plössls, fully coated with
multi-coatings, 1.25", accept Orion filters
Magnification: 36x (with 25mm) and 90x (with 10mm)
Finder Scope: 8x40 Achromatic, 5.33° field of view, cross-
hairs
Mount: SkyView Pro, German equatorial
Counterweight: 7.5 lbs.
Tripod legs: Steel
Tripod support tray: Aluminum, provides additional stability,
holds five 1.25" eyepiece and two 2" eyepieces
Weight: 40 lbs. (Mount 30 lbs., optical tube 10 lbs.)
Polar axis latitude adjustment: 8° to 70°
Polar axis finder: Optional
Motor Drives: Optional
