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 eyepieces or finder
scope. Never use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid
designed for eyeglasses. Before cleaning with fluid and tis-
sue, however, 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.
Cleaning Mirrors
You should not have to clean your telescope’s mirrors very
often; normally once every year or so. Covering your tele-
scope when it is not in use will prevent dust from
accumulating on the mirrors. Improper cleaning can scratch
mirror coatings, so the fewer times you have to clean the mir-
rors, the better. Small specks of dust or flecks of 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 monoxide, which prevents the aluminum from
oxidizing. These coatings normally last through many, many
years of use before requiring re-coating (which is easily done).
To clean the secondary mirror, remove the mirror in its holder
from the 4-vaned spider in the tube. Do this by grasping the
secondary mirror holder with your fingertips while turning the
central bolt on the spider’s central hub counterclockwise.
Handle the mirror holder only; do not touch the mirror surface.
Then follow the same procedure described below for cleaning
the primary mirror. The secondary mirror is glued into its hold-
er, and should not be removed from the holder for cleaning.
To clean the primary mirror, carefully remove the mirror cell
from the telescope. This is done by first removing the three pri-
mary mirror collimation screws indicated in Figure 14. Next,
remove the primary mirror from the mirror cell; you will need
to remove the three mirror clips to do this. Completely
unthread the two Phillips head screws in each clip, and care-
fully lift the mirror from its cell. Be careful not to touch the front
surface of the mirror with your fingers! Set the mirror on a
clean, soft towel. Fill a clean sink, free of abrasive cleanser,
with room-temperature water, a few drops of liquid dishwash-
ing detergent, and if possible, a cap-full of rubbing alcohol.
Submerge the mirror (aluminized face up) in the water and let
it soak for several minutes (or hours if it’s a very dirty mirror).
Wipe the mirror under water with clean cotton balls, using
extremely 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 parti-
cles 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 paper towel. Water
will run off a clean surface. Cover the mirror surface with
Kleenex, and leave the entire assembly in a warm area until it
is completely dry before reassembling the telescope.
10. Specifications
Optical tube: Steel
Primary mirror diameter: 130mm
Primary mirror coating: Aluminized, silicon monoxide overcoat
Secondary mirror minor axis: 34mm
Focal length: 900mm
Focal ratio: f/7
Eyepieces: 25mm and 10mm Explorer II, fully coated, 1.25"
Magnification: 36x (with 25mm), 90x (with 10mm)
Focuser: Rack and pinion
Finder scope: 6x magnification, 30mm aperture, achromatic,
crosshairs
Mount: German-type equatorial
Tripod: Hardwood
Motor drives: Optional
One-Year Limited Warranty
This Orion SpaceProbe 130mm Equatorial Reflector is war-
ranted against defects in materials or workmanship for a
period of one year from the date of purchase. This warranty
is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. During
this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair
or replace, at Orion’s option, any 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, mishandled, or modified, nor
does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives
you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights,
which vary from state to state. For further warranty service
information, contact: Customer Service Department, Orion
Telescopes & Binoculars, P. O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA
95061; (800) 676-1343.
Figure 14. Remove the three
collimation screws indicated
to remove the mirror cell from
the tube.