Carson Optical Telescope RP-300 User's Manual
Contents
1. The internal optics of the telescope have already been collimated or aligned at the factory However rough handling of the telescope may Knock the opties out of collimation resulting in poor optical performance Please refer to Fig 10 to better understand the internal layout of your telescope To determine if your telescope needs collimation perform the following steps Remove the eyepiece Fig 1 3 from the focuser the focusing knob Fig 1 4 until the tube is at its innermost position Point the telescope at a plain background and then peer through the empty focuser You should see a series of concentric cielos See 11 The outer most cicle being a reflection of the primary mir or with three mirror clips The inner circle is the diagonal mirror which should be precisely centered inside the primary mirror You should see the reflection of your eye in the diagonal mirror Fig 10 Fig 11 E Ei g 1 2 and tum Adjusting the Diagonal Holder the telescope is properly collimated you should see the primary mirror See Fig 10 and thee clips in their entirety If the primary mirror is not centered properly See Fig 12 you will need to adjust the diagonal mirror See Fig 10 to correct this Loosen the diagonal mirror so that you can move the diagonal holder See Fig 10 with your hand Tilt the diagonal holder until the entire primary mirror is visible and carefully retighten the screws to lock it2. of view Do not move the telescope in R A or Dee while polar These adjustments should remain locked If you live in the Southern Hemisphere you should follow these steps but point the polar axis due South and locate Sigma Octantis instead of Polaris Your telescope is now polar need only to point the telescope North or South in the Southern Hemisphere When using it from now on You will only need to repeat the polar alignment if you move to a different location and your latitude has changed igned forthe area you are using it You will Using the Telescope Once you have properly assembled balanced and aligned your telescope you are finally ready o start using To locate an object using the telescope first loosen the R A lock 3 22 and Dec lock Fig 3 15 allowing the telescope to rotate along both axes Look through the finder scope Fig 1 1 to sight the object you are looking for and center it in the finder scope cross hairs You may need to focus the finder scope by turing the finder scope focus knob Fig 5 25 Then re tighten the R A and Dec locks It is best to use the lowest power eyepiece the Kellner 20mm eyepiece at first This allows for a wider field of view making it easier to locate objects Once the object is centered in the field of view you can switch the eyepiece to higher magnifications Once the object is centered in the field of view tum the focus knobs Fig 4 4 o
3. or more away Lock down the R A and Dec axes Turn the slow motion cables Fig 1 7 8 until the object is centered in the telescope field Now look through the finder scope and loosen or tighten the finder scope bracket screws Fig 5 24 until the crosshairs are centered on the same object Focus by turing the finder scope focus knob ig 5 25 until the image in the finder scope is sharp and clea ment at nighttime by repeating this process with a bright star or the moon Make any necessary adjustments Now that your finder scope is properly aligned any object centered in your finder scape should also be centered in your telescope Calculating Power The magnification of a telescope depends on both the focal length of your telescope as well as Ihe eyepiece you use There is a simple formula use to determine the magnification you are using at any given time Simply divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece For example if you are using the 20mm eyepiece with your TP 300 telescope the power would be Power MOram 200 Sx Using an eyepiece with a smaller focal length will increase the magnification of your telescope I is always best to start at the lowest magnification con figuration The wider field of view makes it easier to spot far away object Once an object is centered in your field of view you can switch to the higher power configurations Understanding Celestial Mov
4. 4 to secure the finder scope in place Attaching the Eyepieces Insert the Kellner 20mm eyepiece Fig 1 3 into the focuser Fig 1 2 and tighten down using the focuser locking serew Fig 4 23 You have now completed the assembly of your Red Planet telescope We will now need to make the necessary adjustments in order to use your telescope properly Balancing the Telescope Balancing the Mount in RAs To reduce stress on the mount the telescope should be balanced on the polar axis See Fig 2 Instructions on how to do so are as follows Loosen the R A lock knob Fig 3 22 and position the telescope off to one side of the mount you may need to remove the R A slow motion cable Fig 1 8 temporarily The counterweight bar Fig 2 11 should be parallel to the ground Release the telescope gradually and see which side it falls towards To avoid accidental damage do not let go of the telescope completly Loosen the counterweight Fig 2 12 and position the weight so that the telescope and counterweight remain stationary parallel to the Moor on their own Tighten the counterweight into place Balancing the Mount in De To prevent sudden movement when the Dec lock Fig 3 15 is loosened the telescope must be balanced on the declination axis See Fig 2 Instructions om how to do so are as follows Loosen the R A lock knob Fig 3 22 and position the telescope off to one side of the
5. CARSON Carson Optical 35 Gilpin Avenue Hauppauge NY 11788 4723 Phone 631 963 5000 Fax 631 427 6749 For information call toll free 1 800 967 8427 info carsonopiical com sales earsonoptical com www earsonoptica com SERIES RP 300 TELESCOPE Instruction Manual Table of Contents 49 10 1 B 1 1415 15 1617 18 22 2 2 2 22 23 Introduction Box Contents Figures 1 9 Figure Key Telescope Assembly Setting up Your Tripod Attaching the Equatorial Mount Auaching the Counterweight Attaching the Slow Motion Cables Attaching the Telescope Tube to the Mount Attaching the Finder Scope Attaching the Eyepieces Balancing the Telescope Balancing the Mount in R A Balancing the Mount in Dee Aligning the Finder Scope Calculating Power Understanding Celestial Movement A Brief Overview of Celestial Coordinates Polar Alignment Using the Telescope Image Orientation Setting Circles Care and Maintenance of Your Telescope Cleaning Collimation of Opties Adjusting the Diagonal Holder Adjusting the Primary Mirror Night Time Star Collimation Testing Specifications Warnings Customer Service Warranty Information Congratulations on your purchase of a Carson RP 300 Red Planet Series telescope This telescope features an easy to use design and high perfor mance opties that are perfect for amateur astronomers looking to explore the wonders of outer space Please r
6. Cradle Ring Lock Knobs Cradle Ring Attachment Cradle Ring Attachment Wing Nuts Tripod Tightening Ring Tripod Brace Eyepiece Holder Slots Tripod Hook Tripod Leg Lock Closed Tripod Leg Lock Open Diagonal Mirror Tilt Serews Diagonal Mirror Holder Primary Mirror Locking Serews Assembly of your Red Planet Telescope Setting Up Your Tripod The aluminum tripod comes preassembled and ready to use Remove the tripod from the box and pull apart the legs Gently push down the tripod braces Fig 7 35 until they are in the lowest position Turn the tightening ring Fig 7 31 located at the center of the Tripod Brace clockwise to lock the tripod in the open position You can then extend the legs to the desired height by pulling open the tab on each leg lock Fig 7 36 sliding the leg down the desired amount and then pushing the leg lock back against the leg into the locked position Fig 7 35 Repeat the process with each leg trying to keep the tripod as level as possible with the ground You will notice there are holes in the tripod leg braces Fig 7 33 These are designed to hold eye pieces when not in use For added stability you can hang a weight from the tripod hook Fig 7 34 located at the bottom middle portion of the tripod Attaching the Equatorial Mount Remove the equatorial mount Fig 2 10 from the box and twist into the position shown in Fig 3 Place the bottom of the mount Fig 3 20 into the hole in the t
7. arson Warranty Service 35 Gilpin Ave Hauppauge NY 11788 with a description of the problem Include your name address and telephone number Package the retum carefully Shippers will not reimburse for damages due 10 insufficient packaging even if the merchandise is insured Print the RA num ber prominently on the top ofthe package Prepay shipping Insure the package Send it to Carson Warranty Service 35 Gilpin Ave Hauppauge NY 11788 Merchandise must be shipped prepaid Carson will not accept merchandise C O D
8. dinate Re tighten the Dee Lock when finished Loosen the R A lock Fig 3 22 and move the telescope in R A un til the indicator points to the correct coordinate Re tighten the R A lock when finished Look through the finder scope Fig 1 1 o see if you have located the object you are looking for and center the object in the crosshairs of the finder scope Look through the telescope eyepiece and the object you are searching for should be centered in the field of view This process must be repeated every time you set up your telescope There are many conditions that may affect your ability to focus or observe celestial objects clearly Brightly lit areas light pollution will make it difficult to see faint objects in the sky It will also make it difficult for your eyes to adjust to the dark You should try and find a dark area and allow your eyes o adjust to the dark before making observations Using a red filtered flashlight to view charts and your telescope components is recom mended to preserve your night sight The best viewing conditions are when the sky is inky black Hazy skies pollution clouds and moisture can ll affect the clarity of your viewing image Avoid touching the eyepiece or optical tube while looking through the telescope The vibrations caused by this contact will cause the object you are looking at to move You should also make sure that the surface you place your telescope on does n
9. ead this manual carefully to ensure that you assemble and use your telescope correctly When used properly your Red Planet telescope should provide years of exciting observations of the universe Please note that this Newtonian Reflector telescope was designed for astronomical viewing and is not recommended for terrestrial use IMPORTANT DO NOT USE YOUR RED PLANET TELESCOPE TO LOOK AT OR NEAR THE SUN DOING SO WILL CAUSE IN STANT AND PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE Each box contains the following Complete Optical Tube Assembly Equatorial Mount Heavy Duty Aluminum Tripod 9mm Kellner Eyepiece 1 25 0 D 20mm Kellner Eyepiece 125 0 D Cradle Rings with Lock Knobs 6x30mm Finder Scope Counterweight Bar with Counterweight Flexible Cable Controls for Both Axes Please unpack your telescope carefully and make sure that all accessories are included in the box Fig 5 Key to Figures 1 9 6x30mm Finder Scope Focuser Eyepiece Focus Knobs Optical Tube Assembly Cradle Rings Dee Flexible Cable R A Flexible Cable Optical Tube Saddle Plate Equatorial Mount Counter Weight Bar Counter Weight Counter Weight Locki Dee Setting Circle RA Setting Circle Latitude Dial Latitude Turn Serews Equatorial Mount Base Equatorial Mount Locki RA Lock Focuser Thumbscrew Finder Scope Bracket Thumbserew Finder Scope Focus Knob Finder Scope Bracket Finder Scope Bracket Mounting Bolts
10. eclination This will be discussed in more detail later Attaching the Telescope Tube to the Mount Remove the two cradle rings Fig 1 6 from the box There are two holes in the top of the equatorial mount called the optical tube saddle plate Fig 2 9 Place the threaded screw at the bottom of each eradle ring Fig 6 29 through one of these holes and secure it using the included washer and wing nut Fig 6 30 Attach and secure the other cradle ring in the same way Make sure that the cradle ring lock knobs Fig 6 28 are both on the same side Unscrew the locks Fig 6 28 on each cradle ring and open them both Care fully remove the optical tube assembly Fig 1 5 from the box Gently rest the optical tube into the cradle rings with the focuser Fig 1 2 towards the front The cradle rings should be roughly in the center of the tube We will balance this later Close the eradle rings around the telescope and secure by tightening the cradle ring lock knobs Fig 6 28 Attaching the Finder Scope There are two finder scope bracket mounting bolts Fig 5 27 located at the front end of the optical tube Remove the nuts and set aside Place the finder Scope bracket Fig 5 26 onto the mounting bolts and tighten down securely to the optical tube Make sure the bracket is facing forward as shown in 5 Slide the finder scope Fig 1 1 into the bracket facing forward Tighten down the finder scope bracket thumbscrews Fig 5 2
11. ement In order to get the most enjoyment out of your telescope it is necessary to Know the basics of how celestial objects move across the sky Due to the ation of the earth celestial objects appear 10 move from East to West across the sky much like the Sun You will notice this movement as an object in your telescope field of view will slowly move across the field and out of View Continuous adjustment is needed to keep an object in the field of view This will be explained in more detail later Many people choose to star hop when using a telescope a quick and rela tively easy way to start This is a method of using easily identifiable stars and constellations to serve as reference points to find other objects in the sky A more advanced and precise method of locating specific celestial objects is by using setting circles Fig 3 16 17 located on your equatorial mount Fig 2 10 to find the celestial coordinates of that particular object A Brief Overview of Celestial Coordinates Astronomers use a system of celestial coordinates similar to the Earth s latitude and longitude system to help locate objects in the sky All celestial objects are mapped on a celestial sphere an imaginary sphere of arbitrary size concentric with the Earth If you extend the Earth s rotational axis to infinity both North and South the points at which this axis intersects the celestial sphere are known as the North Celestial Pole and t
12. f concentrie circles Never use this telescope its viewfinder to lok directly at or near around a black center da Fig 13 C the sun Viewing the sim can cause instant and irreversible eye da a the circles are no concentric and the black dot is not centered a Always supervise children when using this telescope Fig 13A you will need to make adjustments to the primary miror Do not leave telescope unattended at any time Untrained adults or Loosen the primary mirror locking serews 1 R A and Dec cables to move the circles 9 39 and use the children may not be familiar with the correcting operating procedure of the telescope Do not point the telescope at the sun even when you are not lookir field of view Fig 13 B Then tum the primary mirror tilt serews through it This will cause internal damage to the telescope 9 40 until the black dot moves to the center of the image with Handle this telescope with care Rough handli concentric circles radiating from it Fi intemal optical components out of alignment hten down the locking serews might knock the 2 Customer Service We will be happy to help you with any problems you may experience While using your telescope Please call our toll free customer service line at 1 800 967 8427 Warranty Informatio This Carson product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase During this peri
13. he South Celestial Pole If you project the Earth s equator outward to the celestial sphere this would be known as the Celestial Equator The equivalent to latitude lines on the celestial sphere are known as lines of Declination or Dec for short These lines are measured in degrees min utes and seconds Declination readings north of the celestial equator carry a sign while readings south of the celestial equator carry a sign Ob jects located on the celestial equator have a 0 0 0 Declination The North Celestial Pole has a 490 0 0 Declination while the South Celestial Pole has a 90 0 0 Declination The star Polaris is located very near the North Celes tial Pole and has 89 2 Declination The equivalent to longitude lines on the celestial sphere are known as lines of Right Ascension or R A for short These lines are measured in hours minutes and seconds starting at the zero line of R A which passes through the constellation Pegasus There are 24 primary lines of R A located at 15 intervals along the celestial equator Right Ascension coordinates range from Ohr Omin Osec to but not including 24hr Omin Osec Every celestial object has a corresponding R A and Dee coordinate Given the proper coordinates you can use the setting circles on your telescope mount to locate any celestial object The coordinates can only be used if the telescope is first aligned w
14. into place If necessary turn the three screws slightly to make fine adjustments Fig 12 Fig 13 Sa mer Ae Q Q Adjusting the Primary Mirro the telescope is properly collimated you should see the diagonal mirror See Fig 10 at the exact center of the primary mirror If the di mirror appears off center See Fig 12 you will need to adjust the primary Aperture Hmm 4 497 mal Newtonian Reflector mirror See Fig 10 located on the outside lower end of the main tube To Focal Length 900mm 35 43 do this you will first need to loosen the primary mirror locking serews Fig Focal Ratio 789 9 39 These are the serews that are flush against the surface of the telescope Finder Scope 6x30mm Then alternately loosen and tighten the Primary Mirror Tilt Screws until the Eyepiece 1 Kellner 20mm al mirror is centered inside the primary mirror The primary mirar Magnification t 45x Screws are easily identified because they sick out fron the surface of the Eyepiece 2 Kellner omm telescope Once the adjustment is complete re ighten the primary mir Magnification 2 100x locking screws Equatorial 1971 To test the accuracy of your collimation quip your telescope with the 20mm eyepiece and focus on a moderately bright sar With the star centered in the field of view slowly tur the focus Warnings Wheel Fig 1 4 until the tars out of focus f properly collimated you should see a series o
15. ith the North or South Celestial Pole Polar Alignment the telescope is accurately aligned with the celestial pole very little dec lination adjustment will be necessary to track a celestial object Most of the tracking can be done using the Right Ascension cable Fig 1 8 To line up your telescope with the pole Make sure the equatorial mount is locked in the home position meaning that the optical tube assembly is parallel to the correspond ing portion of the mount below it and that the declination axis is straight up and down with the counter weight Fig 2 13 in it s lowest position For reference the equatorial mount in Fig 2 is in the home position Loosen the equatorial mount locking serew Fig 3 21 so that the entire telescope with mount rotates freely on the tripod Rotate the entire telescope until the polar axis points due North If you are not sure which direction is North locate Polaris and point the polar axis towards it Polaris is les than one degree away from the Celestial North Pole and is accurate enough for polar alignment If needed level the mount by adjusting the tripod legs accordingly Determine the latitude of the area you are in Use the latitude tum screws Fig 3 19 to tilt the telescope until the pointer indicates the correct latitude on the latitude dial Fig 3 18 Then fine tune the latitude turn screws Fig 3 19 until Polaris appears in the center of your telescope field
16. mount you may need to remove the R A slow motion cable Fig 1 8 temporarily The counterweight bar should be parallel to the ground Tighten the R A lock knob Fig 3 22 t hold the telescope in place Loosen the Dec lock knob Fig 3 15 and rotate the telescope until the tube is parallel with the ground Release the telescope gradually and see which way it will rotate To avoid accidental damage do not let go of the telescope completely Loosen the cradle rings Fig 1 6 and slide the optical tube forward or backward as needed until it remains stationary and parallel to the ground on its own Tighten the cradle rings securely around the optical tube Loosen the R A lock knob return the telescope to its upright position and retighten Aligning the Finder Scope The low power and wide field of view provided by the 6x30mm finder scope Fig 5 1 provides a quick and easy way to sight an object prior to looking through the high power telescope The finder scope must first be properly aligned with the telescope in order to work properly This alignment is best performed during the daylight Follow the steps below to align your finder scope properly Place the Kellner 20mm eyepiece Fig 4 3 into the focuser Fig 42 of the telescope Loosen both the R A lock Fig 3 22 and the Dec lock Fig 3 15 so that the telescope swings freely along both axes Point the main telescope at a specifie land object 200 yards
17. n the eyepiece focuser Fig 4 2 until the image is clear and sharp You will notice that the object you are viewing will slowly move across the field of view caused by the rotation of the Earth You will need 10 tum the R A flexible cable Fig 1 8 to keep the object centered Normal view when looking Inverted image normal when with unaided eye Viewing with Newtonian Reflector telescopes Using Setting Circles The setting circles Fig 3 16 17 on your equatorial mount can be used to locate hard to find celestial objects Follow the instructions below to use the setting cireles effectively Make sure your telescope is assembled properly and polar aligned Look up the celestial coordinates of an easy to spot object located nearby to the object you seek on a star chart or atlas not included Center this casy to spot object in the field of view of your telescope Rotate the R A setting cicle Fig 3 17 on your telescope s mount by hand until the proper coordinate lines up with the R A indicator You will notice that the R A setting circle has two sets of numbers The top numbers are for the Northern hemisphere The bottom numbers are for the Southern hemisphere Once complete your setting circles are now calibrated You are now ready to locate the hard to find object Loosen the Dec lock Fig 3 15 and move the telescope in Declination until the indicator points to the correct coor
18. od Carson will at its option and without charge either repair any part or assembly of parts found to be defective in material or workmanship or replace this Carson produet with a Carson product of comparable value and condition subject to the limitations and exclusions noted herein This warranty extends to the original purchaser only and is not assignable or transferable It shall not apply to any product that has been subject 10 misuse abuse negligence or accident or to any defects or damage directly or indirectly caused by the use of unauthorized replacement parts andor service performed by unauthorized personnel This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which could vary from state to state Some states do not allow li tations on the life of an implied warranty and or do not allow excluding or limiting incidental or consequential damages If so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you Warranty Procedure Provide proof of purchase A receipt or other dated proof of purchase must be included with merchandise being returned for a warranty claim to be pro cessed Call or write for authorization Before returning any product for a warranty claim a Return Authorization RA number must be obtained No merchan dise will be accepted without an RA and failure to obtain an RA will prevent or delay processing of the warranty claim To obtain an RA call 631 963 5000 or write to C
19. op of the tripod head and secure with the mount locking screw Fig 3 21 Please be careful to make sure that the mount is securely at tached 10 the tripod Attaching the Counterweight Attach the threaded end of the counterweight bar Fig 2 11 into the threaded hole in the equatorial mount Fig 2 10 Remove the safety screw from the end of the counterweight bar and set aside for a moment Slide the counter weight Fig 2 12 onto the bar and tighten down using the screw on the side of the counterweight Fig 2 13 Be careful not to drop the counterweight Itis quite heavy and could harm you or damage your floor if dropped Do not worry about the position of the counterweight just yet We will position it properly later Replace the safety serew at the end of the counterweight bar Attaching the Slow Motion Cables Locate the two slow motion cables Fig 1 7 8 Loosen the screw at the end fof each cable so that it does not protrude through the hole Slide the short cable onto either side of the R A shaft Fig 1 8 located at the bottom of the mount and tighten down with the locking screw You can place the cable on either side depending on which side is most comfortable for you to use Slide the longer cable onto the Dec shaft Fig 1 7 locate at the top ofthe mount and tighten down with the locking screw These slow motion cables will allow you to make fine pointing adjustments to the telescope in both R A and d
20. ot vibrate or move as this will also cause your viewing object to move You should avoid setting up your telescope inside a room looking through an open window The difference in air temperatures may result in a blurry image Viewing through a closed window might also result in a distorted im age ducto the varying densities of window glass Avoid viewing objects that are low on the horizon Objects that are higher up in the sky will appear much sharper Sudden changes in temperature may cause condensation to appear on the optical components of the telescope Its best to set up your telescope ahead of time and then wait while the telescope adjusts to the new temperature before using it Care and Maintenance of Your Telescope Cleaning Always replace dust covers and lens caps when not in use This will minimize the amount of dust and debris hat gets into your telescope Cleaning should be performed only if absolutely necessary If dust has built up on the opties use a soft camel s hair brush or pressurized ai to gently remove it If dew collects on the opties of your telescope or moisture condenses inside the optics remove all accessories and place the telescope in a dry dust free environment and point the telescope downward This should help eliminate the moisture Avoid touching the surface of the mirror Do not attempt to take apart your telescope to clean it Coltimation of the Opties
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