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Orion SKYQUEST XT10 User's Manual

1. This is normal for finder scopes and reflector telescopes see Figure 16 Now look through the finder scope Ideally the object should be within the field of view If not then coarse adjustments to the alignment thumbscrews will be needed Once the image is in the finder scope s field of view you will now use the align ment thumbscrews to center the object on the intersection of the crosshairs By loosening one alignment thumbscrew you change the line of sight of the finder scope Continue making adjustments to the alignment thumbscrews until the image in both the finder scope and the telescope s eyepiece is exactly centered Check the alignment by moving the telescope to another object and fixing the finder scope s crosshairs on the exact point you want to look at Then look through the telescope s eyepiece to see if that point is centered in the field of view If it is the job is done If not make the necessary adjustments until the two images match up The finder scope alignment should be checked before every observing session This can easily be done at night before viewing through the telescope Choose any bright star or planet center the object in the telescope eyepiece and then adjust the finder scope s alignment thumb screws until the star or planet is also centered on the finder s crosshairs The finder scope is an invaluable tool for locating objects in the night sky its usage for this purpose will be d
2. Minor axis of secondary mirror 47 0mm Optical tube weight 20 3 Ibs Base weight 21 3 Ibs Tube length 46 5 Tube outer diameter 9 25 IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator Optional SkyQuest XT10 IntelliScope Primary mirror 254mm diameter Pyrex parabolic center marked Focal length 1200mm Focal ratio f 4 7 Focuser Rack and pinion Accepts 2 and 1 25 eyepieces with included adapter Altitude bearing diameter 5 75 Optical tube material Rolled steel Azimuth pad material Teflon Altitude bearing material Ultra high molecular weight UHMW polyethylene Eyepieces 25mm amp 10mm Sirius Pl ssl multi coated 1 25 barrel diameter Eyepiece magnifications 48x and 120x Finder scope 9x power 50mm aperture achromat cross hair 5 field of view Eyepiece rack Holds three 1 25 eyepieces and one 2 eye piece Mirror coatings Aluminum with SiO overcoat Minor axis of secondary mirror 63 0mm Optical tube weight 28 9 Ibs Base weight 26 3 Ibs Tube length 47 25 Tube outer diameter 12 0 IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator Optional 19 20 One Year Limited Warranty This Orion SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonian Reflecting Telescope is warranted 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 amp Binoculars will re
3. the remaining retaining tensioning knob This knob will now be known as the retaining knob Push the shaft of the retaining knob through the hole in the side panel opposite the one the retaining knob is in Figure 11 Thread the knob into the altitude bearing as far as it will go The purpose of this knob is to allow the tube and base to be carried as a single unit as well as to engage the altitude encoder when using the IntelliScope controller There will be a gap of 1 2 between the side panel and the side bearing this was designed deliberately for use of the IntelliScope controller system Note Only the left side panel has a while nylon bushing in the hole for the tensioning knob The right side panel does not require this bushing The CorrecTension system is now installed If you wish to remove the optical tube from the base you will first need to unthread and remove both the knobs and spacers wash ers Once the optical tube is removed from the base thread the knobs back into the altitude bearings so you do not lose them Installing the Finder Scope SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians come with a high quality large aperture 9x50 6x30 for the XT6 achromatic crosshair finder scope Figure 12a as standard equipment This greatly aids in finding objects to view in the night sky To place the finder scope in the finder scope bracket first unthread the two black nylon screws until the ends are flush with the inside of the brack
4. then secure it by retightening the thumb screw on the 1 25 eyepiece adapter The other eyepiece can be placed in the eyepiece rack until it is needed For the XT6 Loosen the two thumbscrews on the eyepiece holder and insert the 25mm Sirius Pl ssl eyepiece Then secure it in place with the thumbscrews The other eyepiece can be placed in the eyepiece rack until it is needed The basic assembly of your SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonian is now complete It should appear as shown in Figure 1 The dust cap on the front of the telescope tube should always remain in place when the telescope is not in use It is also a good idea to store eyepieces in an eyepiece case and to replace the cover caps on the focuser and finder scope when the telescope is idle 1 25 eyepiece adapter Focus knobs w Figure 13 The 2 focuser of the SkyQuest IntelliScope XT8 and XT10 3 Using Your Telescope One of the great benefits of the SkyQuest XT IntelliScope Dobsonian is its ability to point to more than 14 000 celestial objects when used with the optional IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator Controller Use of the Controller is completely optional and your telescope will function perfectly well without it However the Controller will greatly enhance your observ ing experience by enabling you to quickly and precisely locate even very faint objects For more about IntelliScope Controller functionality see Section 6 Before using your S
5. tronically with a pair of high resolution 9 216 step digital encoders one of which will reside on one of the telescope s side bearings this encoder is included with the optional IntelliScope controller the other of which you installed dur ing assembly of the base The encoders allow highly precise positioning of the telescope to coordinates programmed into the IntelliScope controllers database for each object Since the telescope is not dependent on motors for movement you can point the telescope at your target much more quickly and quietly than other computerized telescopes can and with out guzzling all those batteries in the process The IntelliScope database includes e 7 840 objects from the Revised New General Catalog e 5 386 objects from the Index Catalog e 110 objects from the Messier Catalog e 837 selected stars mostly double multiple and variable stars e 8 planets e 99 user programmable objects With the user friendly IntelliScope controller there are many ways to locate an object If you know its catalog num ber NGC or Messier number for instance you can enter it using the illuminated keypad buttons Or you can press one of the object category buttons Cluster Nebula Galaxy etc to access a list of objects by type For a tour of the best objects visible in a given month you just press the Tour but ton Another great feature of the IntelliScope is the ability to identify an unknown object
6. The Planets The planets don t stay put like the stars so to find them you should refer to Sky Calendar at our website telescope com or to charts published monthly in Astronomy Sky amp Telescope or other astronomy magazines Venus Mars Jupiter and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and the Moon Your SkyQuest IntelliScope is capable of showing you these planets in some detail Other planets may be visible but will likely appear starlike Because planets are quite small in apparent size optional higher power eyepieces are recom mended and often needed for detailed observations Not all the planets are generally visible at any one time JUPITER The largest planet Jupiter is a great subject for observation You can see the disk of the giant planet and watch the ever changing positions of its four largest moon lo Callisto Europa and Ganymede Higher power eyepieces should bring out the cloud bands on the planet s disk and the Great Red Spot SATURN The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight The tilt angle of the rings varies over a period of many years some times they are seen edge on while at other times they are broadside and look like giant ears on each side of Saturn s disk A steady atmosphere good seeing is necessary for a good view Look closely and you should see the Cassini divi sion a thin dark gap in the rings You should also see one or more of Saturn s moons which look like f
7. and globular star clusters and a variety of different types of galax ies The large apertures of SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians are particularly well suited to gathering light which is critical 16 for observing these usually faint celestial entities For deep sky observing it is important that you find an observing site well away from light pollution Take plenty of time to let your eyes adjust to the darkness As you become more experi enced and your observing skills get sharper you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle details and structure from these fascinating objects Beginners are often surprised to discover that the deep sky objects they see through the eyepiece of a telescope are mostly grayish not colorful like those you see in long exposure photographs The reason is that our eyes are not sensitive to color in faint light Still there is something very special about seeing an astronomical object in real time with your own eyes live if not in living color Note About Astrophotography SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians are designed for visu al not photographic use The Dobsonian mount is not an equatorial type mount so it cannot be motor driven for long exposure astrophotography SkyQuests have also been opti cally optimized for visual use since photographic optimization degrades visual performance With that in mind however it is possible to do some simple astrophotography with a SkyQuest
8. circle like the hole in a doughnut 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 then the optics will always appear out of collimation even though they may be per fectly aligned It is critical to keep the star centered so over time you will need to make slight corrections to the telescope s position in order to account for the sky s apparent motion Note About the Collimatable 2 Focuser XT8 XT10 only The 2 focuser of the SkyQuest XT8 and XT10 can be col limated using three pairs of push pull screws located at the base of the focuser Figure 13 The focuser was collimated at the factory however and should never need to be adjusted Focuser collimation is only required under very rare circum stances but has been made available for this telescope should such a need arise 5 Astronomical Observing SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians provide prodigious capa bility for observing the many wonders of the heavens from the major planets to deep space nebulas and galaxies In this section we give you some observing tips and briefly summa rize what you can expect to see D Out of collimation Collimated Figure 24 A star test will determine if a telescope s optics are properly collimated An unfocused view of a bright star through the eyepiece should appear as illustrated on the righ
9. has two axes of motion altitude up down and azimuth left right Azimuth Setting the Altitude Tension Level The telescope should move smoothly with just gentle hand pressure While azimuth friction is not adjustable the altitude friction can be adjusted to the desired level by turning the alti tude tension knob Figure 10 Note that altitude tension knob is the knob just above the IntelliScope Controller Port The knob on the opposite side of the base is merely a retaining knob it does not affect altitude tension Adjustable tension is a feature of the SkyQuest s exclusive springless CorrecTension Friction Optimization system CorrecTension adds just the right amount of friction to keep the telescope tube in proper balance even when other acces sories are added on such as a barlow lens or a heavier eyepiece A good way to set the altitude tension is to point the telescope at about a 45 angle with the eyepiece and finder scope removed Loosen the altitude tension knob until the front of the optical tube starts to drift upward As it does so tighten the tension knob just enough to make the tube stop drifting Figure 15 When the eyepiece and finder scope are replaced the motion should be ideal not too stiff not too loose You will want to be able to track the motion of celestial objects while viewing them by making small movements of the telescope without experiencing jerking too much tension or oversh
10. in the eyepiece Seeing is best over head worst at the horizon Also seeing generally gets better later in the evening as much of the heat absorbed by the Earth during the day has radiated off into space In condi tions of bad seeing stars will twinkle and objects will appear unsteady and blurry in the telescope Transparency is the clarity of the atmosphere which can be adversely affected by the presence of moisture smoke and dust All tend to scatter light which reduces an object s brightness Good transparency is desirable for astronomical observing especially for viewing faint objects One good measure of transparency is by how many stars you can see with your unaided eyes If you cannot see stars of magnitude 3 5 or dimmer then transparency is poor Magnitude is a measure of how bright a star is The brighter a star the lower its magnitude A good star to remember for this is Megrez magnitude 3 4 which is the star in the Big Dipper that connects the handle to the dipper If you cannot see Megrez then you have fog haze clouds smog light pol lution or other conditions that are hindering your viewing see Figure 25 C Cooling the Telescope All optical instruments need time to reach thermal equilibrium to achieve maximum stability of the lenses and mirrors which is essential for peak performance Images will be unstable if the optics are not in equilibrium with the outdoor temperature When moved fr
11. not to purchase the optional IntelliScope Controller your SkyQuest telescope will provide years of stargazing enjoyment thanks to its large aperture precision optics its innovative user friendly design and its complement of outstanding features and accessories We hope you enjoy your journey through the universe Please read these instructions thoroughly before beginning assembly and subsequent use of the telescope Table of Contents 1 UnpackNgis a lt ox6e s e Bet 269 0 2 ap 3 2 SASSOMDIY sk vee at a ee Sheek wk ERs 4 3 Using Your Telescope 8 4 Alignment Collimation of the Optical System 12 5 Astronomical Observing 14 6 Optional Intelliscope Computerized Object Location 17 7 Care and Maintenance 17 8 Specifications 06 19 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 1 Unpacking The telescope is packed 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
12. of the mirror cell Remove the mirror cell from the tube You will notice the primary mirror is held down with three clips four for the XT10 fastened by two screws each Loosen the screws and remove the clips 18 You may now remove the mirror from the mirror cell Do not touch the surface of the mirror with your fingers lift it care fully by the edge Set the mirror aluminized face up 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 capful of rubbing alcohol Submerge the mirror aluminized face up in the water and let it soak for a few minutes or hours if it s a very dirty mir ror Wipe the mirror under water with clean cotton balls using extremely light pressure and stroking in a straight line across the mirror Use one ball for each wipe across the mir ror Then rinse the mirror under a stream of lukewarm water Any particles on the surface can be swabbed gently with a series of 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 a tis sue and leave the mirror in a warm area until it is completely dry before reassembling the telescope 8 Specifications SkyQuest XT6 IntelliScope Primary mirror 150mm diameter parabolic c
13. the view down the focuser drawtube should look like this b With the collimation cap in place if the optics are out of alignment the view might look something like this c Here the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser but it needs to be adjusted tilted so that the entire primary mirror is visible d The secondary mirror is correctly aligned but the primary mirror still needs adjustment When the primary mirror is correctly aligned the dot will be centered as in e 12 Figure 19 TheSkyQuest IntelliScope properly set up for collimation Note the white paper placed across from the focuser and the level angle of the optical tube Ideally the telescope should be pointing at a white wall Aligning the Secondary Mirror With the collimation cap in place look through the hole in the cap at the secondary diagonal mirror Ignore the reflections for the time being The secondary mirror itself should be cen tered in the focuser drawtube in the direction parallel to the length of the telescope If it isn t as in Figure 18b it must be adjusted This adjustment will rarely if ever need to be done Using a 2mm hex key loosen the three small alignment set screws in the center hub of the 4 vaned spider several turns Now keep the mirror s holder stationary be careful not to touch the surface of the mirrors while turning the cen ter screw with a Phillips head screwdriver See Figure 20 Turning the
14. INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion SkyQuest IntelliScope XT6 XT8 XT10 9985 9986 9987 _ ORION Customer Support 800 676 1343 E mail support telescope com TELESCOPES amp BINOCULARS Corporate Offices 831 763 7000 Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 P O Box 1815 Santa Cruz CA 95061 IN 226 Rev E 03 05 Secondary mirror holder with 4 vane spider not visible ee Finder scope Finder scope bracket Eyepiece Focuser Navigation knob Optical tube Tensioning knob IntelliScope Controller we Port modular jack Retaining knob opposite side _____ Computerized Object Locator optional Right side panel Primary mirror cell Eyepiece rack Front brace Handle Top baseplate Ground baseplate iiiar o Figure 1 The SkyQuest XT8 IntelliScope Left side panel Foot 3 Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion SkyQuest XT IntelliScope Dobsonian It is a high perfor mance astronomical instrument designed to provide dazzling views of celestial objects and unprecedented ease of use With the addition of the optional IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator Controller you gain the ability to locate and view thousands of celestial objects with the push of a button Searching for objects is a thing of the past as the IntelliScope s high resolution digital encoders find them for you in seconds It s so easy Even if you decide
15. IntelliScope With the use of afocal photography techniques where the camera is simply put right up to the eyepiece to take a picture and digital cam eras it is possible to take pictures of bright objects Certain photograph aids such as the Orion SteadyPix can help in taking photos by the afocal method 6 Optional IntelliScope Computerized Object Location Perhaps the most exciting feature of the SkyQuest XT IntelliScope is its compatibility with the optional IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator controller When plugged into the IntelliScope port on the telescope s base the IntelliScope controller enables the user to point the telescope quickly and effortlessly to more than 14 000 celestial object with the push of a button After a simple two star alignment procedure you just select an object to view from the intuitive keypad then read the guide arrows on the Controller s illuminated liquid crystal display and move the telescope in the corresponding direction In seconds the object will be waiting in the tele scope s field of view ready to observe It s that simple Even without the optional IntelliScope controller the SkyQuest IntelliScope provides a tremendous observing experience But addition of the controller provides a whole new level of convenience and capability as you re able to locate and view more objects in an evening than you ever could before The IntelliScope controller works by communicating elec
16. aint stars The brightest is the 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 Venus appears as a thin crescent not a full disk when at its peak brightness Because it is so close to the Sun it never wanders too far from the morning or evening horizon No surface markings can be seen on Venus which is always shrouded in dense clouds MARS The Red Planet makes a close approach to Earth every two years Observing Mars is most favorable at these times You should see salmon colored disk with some distinct dark patches and you may be able to spot a whitish polar ice cap To see surface detail on Mars you will need a high power eyepiece and very steady air D The Stars Stars will appear as tiny points of light Even powerful tele scopes cannot magnify stars to appear as anything more than pinpoints You can however enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars The famous Double Double in the constellation Lyra and the gor geous two color double star Albireo in Cygnus are favorites Defocusing a star slightly can help bring out its color E Deep Sky Objects Under dark skies you can observe a wealth of fascinating deep sky objects that is objects that reside outside of our solar system These include gaseous nebulas open
17. be careful not to strip the holes by over tightening If you use an electric screwdriver do final tightening with a standard screwdriver to avoid stripping 1 With a Phillips screwdriver screw the plastic feet into the underside of the ground baseplate A using the self tap ping wood screws provided Insert the screws through the feet and thread them into the predrilled starter holes 2 Loosely attach the front brace B to the two side panels C with six of the base assembly screws in the predrilled holes Use the 4mm hex wrench to tighten the screws The side panels should be oriented so the SkyQuest IntelliScope labels are facing outward The front brace should be orient ed so the threaded insert is facing the interior of the base Do not completely tighten the screws yet 3 Connect the two side panels C with the front brace attached to the top baseplate D with the remaining six base assembly screws in the predrilled holes The side of the baseplate with the pilot hole near the square shaped cutout should be facing downwards Tighten all six screws firmly Encoder board mounting screw Azimuth encoder board Figure 3 Installing the azimuth encoder board Line up the large hole in the encoder board with the central hole in the top baseplate 4 Tighten the six side screws installed earlier 5 Attach the azimuth encoder board E to the underside of the top baseplate D Figure 3 Insert the modular jack on the enco
18. der board into the square shaped hole in the baseplate and align the encoder board so that the small slotted hole in the board lines up with the predrilled starter hole and the large hole lines up with the central hole in the baseplate Thread an encoder board mounting screw into the predrilled starter hole with a Phillips screwdriver and tighten until just tight 6 Place one fender washer H onto the azimuth axis screw 1 Then push the screw up through the hole in the ground baseplate A Then slide the encoder disk J flat side down onto the azimuth axis screw 7 Place the brass bushing F onto the azimuth axis screw I so that the wide end of the bushing is closest to the encoder disk J Seat the bushing onto the encoder disk so that the registration feature on the bushing goes into the hole in the encoder disk You may need to move the encoder disk around on the azimuth axis screw a bit in order for the bushing to seat properly 8 Carefully position the top baseplate D over the ground baseplate A and lower it so the brass bushing F goes into in the center hole of the top baseplate Place the remaining fender washer K onto the shaft of the azimuth axis screw then thread the hex lock nut L onto the end of the azimuth axis screw and tighten it finger tight for now 9 To tighten the azimuth axis screw l and hex lock nut L tilt the assembled Dobsonian base at a slight angle to lift the ground baseplate o
19. der field of view than standard 1 25 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 To use 2 eyepieces simply loosen the two large thumbscrews on the 2 adapter that are just in front of the thumbscrew that holds the provided 1 25 adapter in place Figure 13 Once these thumbscrews are loosened the adapter comes off exposing the 2 diameter focuser drawtube Now insert your 2 eyepiece into the drawtube and secure with the two thumb screws loosened previously and you re ready to observe Tube Balance SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians are designed to balance with standard supplied accessories such as an eyepiece and a finder scope But what if you want to use a larger finder scope or a heavier eyepiece Traditional Dobsonian designs require the user to compensate by adding weight to the oppo site end of the telescope tube Such counterweighting systems can be expensive and unwieldy The CorrecTension system of the SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians however solves the finicky balance problem The brake pads press against the altitude bearings on the optical tube and increase the friction With CorrecTension the added weight of front end loads will not adversely affect the balance of the telescope Simply tight en the tensioning knob to balance any extra load Carrying the Telescope Transporting the SkyQuest is easy to do The tube uncouple
20. e dot of the collimation cap is moving closer or further away from the ring on the center of the primary mirror If turning that one thumbscrew does not seem to be bringing you closer to collimation try using one of the other collimation thumbscrews It will take some trial and error using all three thumbscrews to adjust the telescope properly Over time you will get the feel for which collimation screws to turn to move the image in a given direction Figure 22 The three small thumbscrews that lock the primary mirror in place must first be loosened before any adjustments can be made Figure 23 The tilt of the primary mirror is adjusted by turning one or more of the three larger thumbscrews When you have the dot centered as much as is possible in the ring your primary mirror is collimated The view through the collimation cap should resemble Figure 18e Re tighten the locking thumbscrews A simple star test will tell you whether the optics are accu rately collimated Star Testing the Telescope When it is dark point the telescope at a bright star high in the sky and center it in the eyepiece s field of view Slowly defocus the image with the focusing knob If the telescope is correctly collimated the expanding disk should be a perfect circle Figure 24 If the image is unsymmetrical the scope is out of collimation The dark shadow cast by the secondary mirror should appear in the very center of the out of focus
21. e pieces and one 2 eyepiece three 1 25 eyepieces on the XT6 in a convenient place on the base within easy reach while you re observing A 1 25 barlow lens also can be held in the rack A few inches down from the top of the front brace panel you will notice two predrilled starter holes about 6 apart Thread the black wood screws into the starter holes with a Phillips screwdriver Then you can keyhole the eye piece rack onto the wood screws and continue tightening the screws Figure 8 If you want to be able to remove the rack do not tighten the screws too tightly Be certain that the screws are loose enough that you can lift the rack and remove it from the screws through the larger part of the keyhole If you want to have the rack permanently attached tighten the screws You may find it easier to carry the base by the handle if the eyepiece rack is removed Placing the Optical Tube on the Dobsonian Base Lift the optical tube and gently place it into the Dobsonian base so that the altitude bearings on either side of the tube rest on the bearing cylinders Orient the optical tube as shown in Figure 9 Make certain that the optical tube does not get hung up on the vertical bumper stop or the CorrecTension pads as you put it in place Be careful when placing the tube on the bearings since if it is inserted at the wrong angle the hub can strike the encoder connector board and potentially if Figure 7 The vertical stop F
22. eak off or damage the tube Note The SkyQuest may be too heavy for some users to lift and carry as one unit Do not strain yourself If the load seems too heavy carry the base and tube separately When putting the SkyQuest into a vehicle common sense prevails It is especially important that the optical tube does not get knocked around this can cause the optics to become misaligned and could dent the tube We recommend trans porting and storing the tube assembly in an optional padded case for proper protection Figure 17 Picking up and carrying the SkyQuest IntelliScope as a single unit with tube held captive on the base requires some caution a First position the tube vertically Then grasp the handle on the base with one hand while supporting the tube with the other This ensures that the tube will not swing down and impact the ground b With knees bent slowly lift the base while supporting the tube c As you lift continue to support the tube with one hand to keep it parallel with the ground Make sure you are comfortable with the weight of the whole assembly before attempting the carry it 11 4 Alignment Collimation of the Optical System To get the sharpest images your telescope s optical system must be in precise alignment The process of aligning the primary and secondary mirrors with each other and with the mechanical axis of the telescope is called collimation Your telescope s optical sys
23. enter marked Focal length 1200mm Focal ratio f 8 0 Focuser Rack and pinion 1 25 eyepieces Altitude bearing diameter 5 75 Optical tube material Rolled steel Azimuth pad material Teflon Altitude bearing material Ultra high molecular weight UHMW polyethylene Eyepieces 25mm amp 10mm Sirius Plossl multi coated 1 25 barrel diameter Eyepiece magnification 48x and 120x Finder scope 6x power 30mm aperture achromat cross hair 7 field of view Eyepiece rack Holds three 1 25 eyepieces Mirror coatings Aluminum with SiO overcoat Minor axis of secondary mirror 34 5mm Optical tube weight 13 5 Ibs Base weight 20 9 Ibs Tube length 45 5 Tube outer diameter 7 25 IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator Optional SkyQuest XT8 IntelliScope Primary mirror 203mm diameter parabolic center marked Focal length 1200mm Focal ratio f 5 9 Focuser Rack and pinion Accepts 2 and 1 25 eyepieces with included adapter Altitude bearing diameter 5 75 Optical tube material Rolled steel Azimuth pad material Teflon Altitude bearing material Ultra high molecular weight UHMW polyethylene Eyepieces 25mm amp 10mm Sirius Plossl multi coated 1 25 barrel diameter Eyepiece magnifications 48x and 120x Finder scope 9x power 50mm aperture achromat cross hair 5 field of view Eyepiece rack Holds three 1 25 eyepieces and one 2 eye piece Mirror coatings Aluminum with SiO overcoat
24. et Place the rubber O ring that comes on the base of the bracket over the body of the finder scope until it seats into the slot on the middle of the finder scope Slide the eyepiece end narrow end of the finder scope into the bracket as shown while pulling the chrome spring loaded tensioner on the bracket with your fingers Figure 12b Push the finder scope through the bracket until the O ring seats just inside the front opening of the bracket Now release the tensioner and tighten the two black nylon screws a couple of turns each to secure the finder scope in place Insert the base of the finder scope bracket into the dovetail holder located adjacent to the focuser Lock the bracket into position by tightening the knurled thumbscrew on the dovetail holder Finder scope Finder scope bracket Nylon alignment thumbscrew 2 Eyepiece Tensioner Figure 12a The 9x50 finder scope and bracket 6x30 for the XT6 7 Figure 1 2b Pull back on the tensioner and slide the finder scope into its bracket until the O ring is seated in the bracket ring Inserting an Eyepiece The final step in the assembly process is to insert an eye piece into the telescope s focuser First take the cover cap off the focuser drawtube For the XT8 and XT10 Loosen the thumbscrew on the 1 25 eyepiece adapter Figure 13 Do not loosen the two thumb screws on the 2 eyepiece adapter Insert the supplied 25mm Sirius Pl ss eyepiece
25. ff the ground Now with one wrench or pliers hold the head of the azimuth axis screw still while turning the hex lock nut with the other wrench Figure 4 shows this being done Tighten the hex lock nut a i Figure 4 To connect the baseplates tilt them only slightly as shown Do not place them on their side a Use one wrench to hold the hex nut steady b while turning the other end of the azimuth axis screw Correct Tension pads Bearing cylinders Figure 5 Attaching the bearing cylinders XT10 Shown just until the top fender washer is no longer moving freely then tighten the hex nut a 3 16 1 4 turn beyond that This ensures proper spacing between the encoder disk and the azimuth encoder board 10 Attach the handle M to the front brace B with the two handle mounting hex head screws Place one washer on each screw then press the handle against the front brace the end of the handle with the logo should be up Then thread the screws from the inside of the base into the han dle until tight using the supplied crescent wrench 11 Line up one of the altitude bearing cylinders with the inside of one of the four bearing cylinder holes on the side pan els Push a bearing cylinder screw through the side panel and bearing cylinder Then thread it into the built in hex nut on the cylinder with a Phillips head screwdriver Figure 5 The beveled end of the cylinder should be facing away from the side panel Repeat
26. igure 8 Using the two supplied screws install the aluminum eyepiece rack in the predrilled holes near the top of the front baseplate damage it Once on the bearing cylinders the tube should pivot freely up and down with gentle hand pressure Note that the tube will not yet be properly balanced since the eyepiece and finder scope are not in place and the CorrecTension sys tem has not been installed Figure 9 Lift the optical tube and place it into the Dobsonian base so that the altitude bearings rest on the bearing cylinders Orient the optical tube as shown Do not bump the encoder connector board or vertical stop when installing the optical tube Installing the CorrecTension Friction Optimization System An exciting feature of the SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonian is the redesigned CorrecTension XT system Because of their relatively light weight smaller Dobsonians under 16 have always been plagued by insufficient friction on the altitude bearing surfaces As a result such telescopes move up and down much too freely This causes problems when the observ er tries to accurately center and track an object for viewing especially at higher powers Also the telescope becomes very sensitive to balance requiring additional equipment such as counterweight systems or springs to compensate SkyQuest Intelliscope Dobsonians employ a simple yet effec tive remedy for the friction problem that obviates the need for such cumbers
27. in the field of view just press the ID button You can even add up to 99 objects of your own choosing to the IntelliScope controller s database The backlit two line liquid crystal display on the controller shows you the object s catalog number its common name if it has one the constellation in which it resides its right ascen sion and declination coordinates the object type magnitude angular size as well as a brief description in scrolling text The two guide arrows and associated navigation numbers tell you in what direction to move the telescope to pinpoint an object s location As the telescope approaches the object s location the numbers get progressively smaller When the navigation numbers reach 0 the telescope will be pointed right at the object You just look into the eyepiece and enjoy the view The IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator is a wonderful convenience for both the novice and experienced observer It can be added at any time to turn your SkyQuest IntelliScope into a fully computerized smart scope that will expand your observing horizons in ways you never imagined It is well worth the modest investment 7 Care and Maintenance If you give your telescope reasonable care it will last a lifetime Store it in a clean dry dust free place safe from rapid chang es in temperature and humidity Do not store the telescope outdoors although storage in a garage or shed is OK Small componen
28. iscussed later Focusing the Finder Scope The finder scope with your SkyQuest IntelliScope has adjust able focus If the images in the finder appear somewhat out of focus you will need to refocus the finder scope for your vision Loosen the lock ring located behind the objective lens cell on the body of the finder scope see Figure 12a Back the lock ring off by a few turns for now Focus the finder scope on a distant object by threading the objective lens cell in or out on the finder scope body Precise focusing will be achieved by focusing the finder scope on a bright star Once the image appears sharp retighten the lock ring behind the objective lens cell The finder scope s focus should not need to be adjusted again Aiming Pointing the Telescope With the finder scope aligned the telescope can be quickly and accurately pointed at anything you wish to observe The finder scope has a much wider field of view than the tele scope s eyepiece and therefore it is much easier to find and center an object in the finder scope Then if the finder scope is accurately aligned the object will also be centered in the telescope s field of view CALIFORNIA A123456 Naked eye view G VINYOSITVO G View through finder scope and telescope Figure 16 The view through a standard finder scope and reflector telescope is upside down This is true for the SkyQuest Intelliscope and its finder scope as well Start by once again movi
29. ith the dust cover 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 mirrors the better Small specks of dust or flecks of paint have virtually no adverse 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 nor