Orion 9814 Telescope User Manual
Contents
1. Some telescope manufacturers will use mis leading claims of excess magnification such as See distant galaxies at 640X While such magnifications are technically possible the actual image at that magnifica tion would be an indistinct blur Moderate magnifications are what give the best views It is better to view a small but bright and detailed image than a dim unclear oversized image What to Expect So what will you see with your telescope You should be able to see bands on Jupiter the rings of Saturn craters on the Moon the waxing and waning of Venus and many bright deep sky objects Do not expect to see color as you do in NASA photos since those are taken with long exposure cam eras and have false color added Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in deep sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones Remember that you are seeing these objects using your own telescope with your own eyes The object you see in your eye piece is in real time and not some conveniently provided image from an expensive space probe Each session with your telescope will be a learning experience Each time you work with your telescope it will get easier to use and stellar objects will become easier to find Take it from us there is big difference between looking at a well made full color NASA image of a deep sky object in a lit room during the daytime and seeing that same object in your telescope at night One can m2. Ganymede SATURN The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight when it is well positioned The tilt angle of the rings varies over a period of many years sometimes 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 see ing is necessary for a good view You will probably see a bright star close by which is Saturn s brightest 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 D The Stars Stars will appear like twinkling points of light Even powerful telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as more than a point of light You can however enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars The gorgeous two color double star Albireo in Cygnus is a 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 including gaseous nebulas open and glob ular star clusters and a v
3. any adjustments can be made Now try tightening or loosening one of the wide collimation thumbscrews with your fingers Figure 14 Look into the focuser and see if the secondary mirror reflection has moved closer to the center of the primary You can tell this easily with the collimation cap and mirror center mark by simply watching to see if the dot of the collimation cap is moving closer or fur ther away from being centered in the ring of the primary mirror mark When you have that dot centered as much as is possible in the ring your primary mirror is collimated The view through the collimation cap should resemble Figure 10e Re tighten the locking thumbscrews Figure 14 The tilt of the primary mirror is adjusted by turning one or more of the three wide collimation thumbscrews A simple star test will tell you whether the optics are accurate ly collimated Star Testing the Telescope When it is dark point the telescope at a bright star and accurate ly center it in the eyepiece s field of view Slowly de focus the image with the focusing knob If the telescope is correctly colli mated the expanding disk should be a perfect circle Figure 15 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 circle like the hole in a donut If the hole appears off center the telescope is out of colli
4. distant object at least 1 4 mile away such as a telephone pole or chimney and center it in the telescope s eyepiece Now turn the EZ Finder II on and look through it The object will appear in the field of view near the red dot Note Remember that the image in the eyepiece of the StarBlast will be upside down rotated 180 This is nor mal for Newtonian reflector telescopes Without moving the telescope use the EZ Finder Il s azimuth left right and altitude up down adjustment knobs to position the red dot on the object in the eyepiece When the red dot is centered on the distant object check to make sure that the object is still centered in the telescope s field of view If not recenter it and adjust the EZ Finder Il s alignment again When the object is centered in the eyepiece and on the red dot the EZ Finder II is properly aligned with the telescope Figure 7 shows how the view through the EZ Finder may look while you are aligning it Once aligned EZ Finder II will usually hold its alignment even after being removed and remounted Otherwise only minimal realignment will be needed Figure 7 The EZ Finder Il superimposes a tiny red dot on the sky showing right where the telescope is pointed Replacing the EZ Finder II Battery Replacement 3 volt lithium batteries for the EZ Finder II are available from many retail outlets Remove the old battery by inserting a small flat head screwdriver into the slot
5. on the bat tery casing Figure 6 and gently prying open the case Then carefully pull back on the retaining clip and remove the old battery Do not overbend the retaining clip Slide the new bat tery under the battery lead with the positive side facing down and replace the battery casing Using your telescope Choosing an Observing Site When selecting a location for observing get as far away as possible from direct artificial light such as street lights porch lights and automobile headlights The glare from these lights will greatly impair your dark adapted night vision Avoid view ing over rooftops and chimneys as they often have warm air currents rising from them Similarly avoid observing from indoors through an open or closed window because the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor air will cause image blurring and distortion If at all possible escape the light polluted city sky and head for darker country skies You ll be amazed at how many more stars and deep sky objects are visible in a dark sky Light Pollution Most of us live where city lights interfere with our view of the heavens As our metropolitan areas have become more developed the scourge of light pollution has spread washing out many stars and nonstellar celestial objects from our sight Faint deep sky objects become difficult or impossible to see through the murk of light pol lution Even bright nebulas like the Orion and Lagoon Neb
6. stars are twinkling noticeably the seeing is bad and you will be lim ited to viewing with low powers bad seeing affects images at high powers more severely Planetary observing may also be poor In conditions of good seeing star twinkling is minimal and images appear steady in the eyepiece Seeing is best over head worst at the horizon Also seeing generally gets better after midnight when much of the heat absorbed by the Earth during the day has radiated off into space Especially important for observing faint objects is good trans parency air free of moisture smoke and dust All tend to scatter light which reduces an objects brightness Transparency is judged by the magnitude of the faintest stars you can see with the unaided eye 6th magnitude or fainter is desirable If you cannot see stars of magnitude 3 5 or dimmer then con ditions are poor Magnitude is a measure of how bright a star is the brighter a star is the lower its magnitude will be A good star to remember for this is Megrez mag 3 4 which is the star in the Big Dipper connecting the handle to the dip per If you cannot see Megrez then you have fog haze clouds smog or other conditions that are hindering your viewing See Figure 8 Big Dipper in Ursa Major 19 MEGREZ 24 19 25 MAGNITUDES Figure 8 Megrez connects the Big Dipper s handle to it s pan It is a good guide to how conditions are If
7. you can not see Megrez a 3 4 mag star then conditions are poor Tracking Celestial Objects The Earth is constantly rotating about its polar axis complet ing one full rotation every 24 hours this is what defines a day We do not feel the Earth rotating but we see it at night from the apparent movement of stars from east to west When you observe any astronomical object you are watching a moving target This means the telescope s position must be continuously adjusted over time to keep an object in the field of view This is easy to do with the StarBlast because of its smooth motions on both axes As the object moves off towards the edge of the field of view just lightly nudge the tel escope to re center it Objects appear to move across the field of view faster at high er magnifications This is because the field of view becomes narrower Eyepiece Selection By using eyepieces of different focal lengths it is possible to attain many magnifications or powers with the StarBlast Your telescope comes with two Kellner eyepieces Figure 9 a 17mm which gives a magnification of 26x and a 6mm which gives a magnification of 75x Other eyepieces can be used to achieve higher or lower powers It is quite common for an observer to own five or more eyepieces to access a wide range of magnifications Figure 9 The 17mm and 6mm Explorer II eyepieces To calculate the magnification of a telescope eyepiece combi nation si
8. INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion StarBlast 9814 4 5 Altazimuth Reflector Tabletop Telescope Customer Support 800 676 1343 ORIONI 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 201 Rev A 08 02 Figure 1 The StarBlast Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion StarBlast telescope Your new StarBlast is easy to use and requires very little assembly The StarBlast will give you breathtaking views of the Moon planets and even deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula These instructions will help you set up and use your StarBlast telescope please read them thoroughly StarBlast parts 6mm Explorer Il eyepiece The higher power eyepiece that comes with the StarBlast 17mm Explorer Il eyepiece The eyepiece is the part of the telescope that you actu ally look through to see things The focal length of the eyepiece and the telescope determines the magnifying power Magnification is discussed in more detail in the Using Your Telescope section Eyepieces are discussed in the Magnification section Rubber feet Three feet provide support for the StarBlast and are skid free This allows you to place the StarBlast on smooth surfaces 2 EZ Finder II reflex sight Figure 2 shows detail of the focuser This is a special finder that helps you aim the tele scope a
9. RI OR SRE SRS BORA SARE SRSA RI a HEMT HEED eAATHEHA TEA ERT TEER si ae ia a Le Ee a a R Mane Rey SYN iy VE IEICE T FS LA One Year Limited Warranty This Orion StarBlast 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 pur chaser only During this warranty period Orion Telescopes amp 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 mishan dled 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 war ranty service information contact Customer Service Department Orion Telescopes amp Binoculars P O Box 1815 Santa Cruz CA 95061 800 676 1343 an Wan i K i ale HNL ON Bales VARY E WRU a NIN ES Ge uy Y SAN Ga Gah 4 ix a ea WA ea Wy AY n F E n MAY OAK iY AU KIRN OR j i i iy x VN A HAG Go NE Oh UM ERYN ea F W NA N ea NIN ES MAN E MIN ES a Y NNE ATA Orion Telescopes amp Binoculars Post Off
10. ariety of different types of galaxies Most deep sky objects are very faint so 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 Do not expect these subjects to appear like the photographs you see in books and magazines most will look like dim gray smudges Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in deep sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones But as you become more experienced and your observing skills get sharper you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle details and structure To find deep sky objects in the sky it is best to consult a star chart or Planisphere These guides will help you locate the brightest and best deep sky objects for viewing with your StarBlast You can also try low power scanning of the Milky Way Use the 17mm eyepiece and just cruise through the star clouds of our galaxy You ll be amazed at the rich fields of stars and objects you ll see The Milky Way is best observed on summer and winter evenings 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 temperature changes and humidity Do not store the telescope outdoors although storage in a garage or shed is OK Small components like eyepiece and other accessories should be kept in a protective box or storage case Keep the dust caps on th
11. arp focus until the image starts to blur again then reverse the rotation of the knob just to make sure you ve hit the exact focus point Do You Wear Eyeglasses If you wear eyeglasses you may be able to keep them on while you observe In order to do this your eyepiece must have enough eye relief to allow you to see the entire field of view with glasses on You can try looking through the eyepiece first with your glasses on and then with them off to see if the glasses restrict the view to only a portion of the full field If the glasses do restrict the field of view you may be able to observe with your glasses off by just refo cusing the telescope to your unaided vision If your eyes are astigmatic images will probably appear best with glasses on This is because a telescope s focuser can accommodate for nearsightedness or far sightedness but not astigmatism If you have to wear your glasses while observing and cannot see the entire field of view you may want to purchase additional eyepieces that have longer eye Short eye relief restricts the field of view for eyeglass wearers Long eye relief allows full field of view to be seen with or without eyeglasses Operating the EZ Finder II reflex finder The EZ Finder Il reflex finder 2 Figure 6 works by project ing a tiny red dot onto a lens mounted in the front of the unit When you look through the EZ Finder Il the red dot will appear to float i
12. bject or vista that is at least 1 4 mile away It is not critical that the tele scope be exactly level but it should be placed on something relatively flat to ensure smooth movement The StarBlast was designed specifically for visual observation of astronomical objects in the night sky Like all Newtonian reflec tor telescopes it is not well suited for daytime terrestrial usage because the image in the eyepiece is inverted upside down Placing the StarBlast One of the great assets of the StarBlast is its extremely portable size Due to its overall short height you will find that viewing while sitting down on the ground next to the telescope is the most comfortable If you wish to raise the telescope off the ground so that it can be used while standing or sitting in a chair then a platform such as a milk crate or table can be used Altitude and Azimuth Aiming the Telescope The StarBlast altazimuth base 5 permits motion along two axes altitude up down and azimuth left right See Figure 4 Moving the telescope up down and right eft is the natural way people aim objects which makes pointing the telescope intuitive and easy Simply take hold of the telescope tube Figure 5 and move it left or right so that the base rotates Move it up or down in the same manner Both motions can be made simultaneously and in a continuous manner for easy aiming This way you can point to any position in the night sky from horizon to hor
13. d look down the focuser 4 You should see the secondary mirror 16 centered in the drawtube as well as the reflection of the primary mirror 15 centered in the secondary mirror and the reflection of the secondary mirror and your eye cen tered in the reflection of the primary mirror as in Figure 10a If anything is off center as in Figure 10b proceed with the fol lowing collimation procedure The Collimation Cap and Mirror Center Mark Your StarBlast comes with a collimation cap 17 This is a simple cap that fits on the focuser like a dust cap but has a hole in the center and a silver bottom This helps center your eye so that collimating is easy to perform Figures 10b c d and e assume you have the collimation cap in place In addition to the collimation cap the primary mirror is marked with a ring with the hole exactly at the center of the primary mirror This is of great help in collimating the primary mirror since you can center the dot of the collimation cap in the mid dle of the ring Note The center ring sticker need not ever be removed from the primary mirror Because it lies directly in the shadow of the secondary mirror its presence in no way adversely affects the optical performance of the tele scope or the image quality That might seem counterintuitive but it s true Bottom end of focuser Reflection of your eye Mirror center mark not shown for clarity Edge of secondary r D mirror O A Re
14. e front of the scope and on the focuser when it is not in use The telescope requires very little mechanical maintenance The optical tube is made of steel and has a smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch resistant If a scratch does appear on the tube it will not harm the telescope Smudges on the tube can be wiped off with e soft cloth and a household clean er such as Windex or Formula 409 Refer to Appendix B for detailed instructions on how to clean the optics of the StarBlast Specifications Primary mirror Parabolic center marked Primary mirror diameter 113mm Secondary mirror minor axis 34 3mm Mirror coatings Aluminum with Siop overcoat Focal length 450mm Focal ratio f 4 0 Focuser Rack and pinion accepts 1 25 eyepieces Eyepieces 17mm and 6mm Explorer Il 1 25 Magnification 26x with 17mm 75x with 6mm Finder EZ Finder II reflex sight Mount Altazimuth wood base eyepiece rack integral carry handle Weight 13 Ibs Tube Length 18 Tube Outer Diameter 5 5 Appendix A Aligning the Mirrors Your telescope s optics were aligned at the factory and should not need much adjustment unless the telescope is handled roughly Accurate mirror alignment is important to ensure the peak performance of your telescope so it should be checked regularly Collimating aligning the mirrors is relatively easy to do and can be done in daylight To check collimation mirror alignment remove the eyepiece an
15. erely be a pretty image someone gave to you The other is an experience you will never forget Objects to Observe Now that you are all set up and ready to go one critical deci sion must be made what to look at The Moon With its rocky surface the Moon is one of the easiest and most interesting targets to view with your telescope Lunar craters marias and even mountain ranges can all be clearly seen from a distance of 238 000 miles away With its ever changing phases you ll get a new view of the Moon every night The best time to observe our one and only natural satel lite is during a partial phase that is when the Moon is NOT full During partial phases shadows are cast on the surface which reveal more detail especially right along the border between the dark and light portions of the disk called the ter minator A full Moon is too bright and devoid of surface shadows to yield a pleasing view Make sure to observe the Moon when it is well above the horizon to get the sharpest images Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very bright It simply threads onto the bottom of the eyepieces you must first remove the eyepiece from the focuser to attach a fil ter You ll find that the Moon filter improves viewing comfort and also helps to bring out subtle features on the lunar sur face B The Sun You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun viewer by installing an optional full ape
16. flection of Reflection of a secondary mirror holder with spider vanes _ Primary mirror clip a Secon mirror primary mirror Figure 10 Collimating the optics a When the mirrors are properly aligned 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 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 10b it must be adjusted This adjustment will rarely if ever need to be done It helps to adjust the secondary mirror in a brightly lit room with the telescope pointed towards a bright surface such as white paper or wall Also placing a piece of white paper in the tele scope tube opposite the focuser in other words on the other side of the secondary mirror will also be helpful in collimating the
17. gure 3 Place the bracket of the EZ Finder II 2 on the tube so that the holes in the bracket slide over the two thread ed posts on the tube The EZ Finder should be oriented so that it appears as in Figure 1 Thread the thumbnuts back onto the posts to secure the EZ Finder Il in place 7 Figure 3 The EZ Finder II securing thumbnuts Inserting the Eyepiece Loosen the eyepiece securing thumbscrews 14 Insert the chrome barrel of the 17mm Explorer Il eyepiece 1 into the focuser 4 and secure it with the thumbscrews You can place the 6mm Explorer Il eyepiece 11 in the eyepiece rack 10 for use later Your telescope is now fully assembled and should resemble Figure 1 Remove the dust cap from the front of the telescope when it is in use Replace it when you are finished observing 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 Getting Started It s best to get a feel for the basic functions of the StarBlast dur ing the day before observing astronomical objects at night This way you won t have to orient yourself in the dark Find a spot outdoors where you ll have plenty of room to move the tele scope and where you ll have a clear view of some o
18. ice Box 1815 Santa Cruz CA 95061 Customer Support Help Line 800 676 1343 Day or Evening 12
19. ing the other two as depicted in Figure 12 The goal is to center the primary mirror reflection in the secondary mirror as in figure 10d Don t worry that the reflection of the secondary mirror the smallest circle with the collimation cap dot in the cen ter is off center You will fix that in the next step Figure 12 Adjust the tilt of the secondary mirror by loosening or tightening the three alignment set screws with a 2mm hex key N Alignment set screws 3 10 Aligning the Primary Mirror The final adjustment is made to the primary mirror It will need adjustment if as in Figure 10d the secondary mirror is cen tered under the focuser and the reflection of the primary mirror is centered in the secondary mirror but the small reflec tion of the secondary mirror with the dot of the collimation cap is off center The tilt of the primary mirror is adjusted with three spring loaded collimation thumbscrews on the back end of the optical tube bottom of the primary mirror cell these are the wide thumbscrews The other three thin thumbscrews lock the mir rors position in place these thin thumbscrews must be loosened before any collimation adjustments can be made to the primary mirror To start turn the thin thumbscrews that lock the primary mir ror in place a few turns each Figure 13 Figure 13 The three thin thumbscrews that lock the primary mirror in place must first be loosened before
20. izon You may find it convenient to hold one hand near the carrying handle 9 to steady it while moving and aiming the telescope If you find that it is too hard to put your eye up to the eyepiece 1 you can rotate the tube by loosening the knob on the tube clamp 5 and rotating the optical tube 3 until the focuser 4 is in a convenient position When aiming the telescope in altitude you may find that the optical tube 3 is either too hard to move or does not stay in place Use the altitude adjustment tension knob 6 to change the amount of tension between the tube clamp 5 and the altazimuth base 8 to find the right level of tension to prop erly move and balance the telescope 1 Altitude 7 4 4 I Ar m m m sy TEI E Azimuth Ss Bs e m Figure 4 The StarBlast has two axes of motion altitude up down and azimuth left right Figure 5 Try grasping the telescope as shown for easiest pointing One hand moves the telescope from the front of the tube while the other hand remains on the handle to keep the telescope steady Focusing the Telescope With the 17mm Kellner eyepiece 1 inserted into the focuser 4 and secured with the thumbscrews aim the opti cal tube 3 so the front open end is pointing in the general direction of an object at least 1 4 mile away With your fingers slowly rotate one of the focus wheels 15 until the object comes into sharp focus Go a little bit beyond sh
21. mation Figure 15 A star test will determine if the telescope s optics are properly collimated An unfocused view of a bright star through the eyepiece should appear as illustrated on the right if optics are perfectly collimated If the circle is unsymmetrical as illustrated on the left the scope needs collimation Collimated Out of collimation If you try the star test and the bright star you have selected is not accurately centered in the eyepiece the optics will always appear out of collimation even though they may be perfectly 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 Appendix B Cleaning the Optics 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 Never use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eye glasses 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 Never reuse tissue
22. mount for the tele scope It allows you to move the telescope in altitude up down and azimuth left right Carrying handle This convenient handle built into the base allows you to easily carry the StarBlast to your viewing location The carrying handle is also a handy place to put your other hand when aiming the telescope See Using Your Telescope for more details Eyepiece rack A handy metal rack in which to store your extra eyepieces 16 Secondary Mirror The secondary mirror is located near the opening of the optical tube 3 and reflects the focused light from the primary mirror into the eyepiece 1 17 Collimation cap This small cap fits in the focuser and is used to aid in aligning of the optics This process is explained in Appendix A Table of Contents ASSEN coccvineeeses es ews geeeuea t 4 Getting Started 00005 4 Using Your Telescope 4 6 Care and Maintenance 9 Specifications 0 9 Appendix A Aligning the Mirrors 9 Appendix B Cleaning the Optics 11 Assembly Assembly of the StarBlast is very easy You just remove it from its packaging place the telescope on a table or other flat sur face and locate the following accessories 1 EZ Finder II reflex sight 2 1 17mm Explorer Il eyepiece 1 1 6mm Explorer Il eyepiece 11 Attaching the EZ Finder II Remove the two metal thumbnuts from the optical tube Fi
23. mply divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece Telescope Focal Length mm Eyepiece Focal Length mm Magnification For example the StarBlast which has a focal length of 450mm used in combination with the 17mm eyepiece yields a magnification of 450mm 17mm 26x Whatever you choose to view always start by inserting your lowest power longest focal length eyepiece to locate and center the object Low magnification yields a wide field of view which shows a larger area of sky in the eyepiece This makes finding and centering an object much easier Trying to find and center objects with a high power narrow field of view eyepiece is like trying to find a needle in a haystack Once you ve centered the object in the eyepiece you can switch to a higher magnification shorter focal length eye piece if you wish This is recommended for small and bright objects like planets and double stars The Moon also takes higher magnifications well The best rule of thumb with eyepiece selection is to start with a low power wide field eyepiece and then work your way up in magnification If the object looks better try an even higher magnification eyepiece If the object looks worse then back off the magnification a little by using a lower power eyepiece Magnification Limits Every telescope has a useful magnification limit of about 2X per millimeter of aperture This comes to 226X for the StarBlast
24. n space The red dot is produced by a light emitting diode LED not a laser beam near the rear of the sight A replaceable 3 volt lithium battery provides the power for the diode Azimuth adjustment Knob Power m lt Battery casing Altitude r adjustment Knob Figure 6 The EZ Finder II reflex sight To use the EZ Finder II turn the power knob clockwise until you hear a click indicating that power has been turned on With your eye positioned at a comfortable distance look through the back of the reflex sight with both eyes open to see the red dot The intensity of the dot can be adjusted by turn ing the power knob For best results when stargazing use the dimmest possible setting that allows you to see the dot with out difficulty Typically a dim setting is used under dark skies and a bright setting is used under light polluted skies or in daylight At the end of your observing session be sure to turn the power knob counterclockwise until it clicks off When the two white dots on the EZ Finder Il s rail and power knob are lined up the EZ Finder II is turned off Aligning the EZ Finder II When the EZ Finder Il is properly aligned with the telescope an object that is centered on the EZ Finder II s red dot should also appear in the center of the field of view of the telescope s eyepiece Alignment of the EZ Finder Il is easiest during day light before observing at night Aim the telescope at a
25. nd locate objects in the sky for viewing The EZ Finder Il generates a red LED dot that shows where your telescope is aimed The use of the EZ Finder II is discussed in the Getting Started section Focus Wheels The focus wheels are used to bring objects into focus By turning them you move the rack and pinion focuser 4 in and out 14 Eyepiece securing thumbscrews These thumbscrews are used to keep the eyepiece 1 secure in the focuser 4 Optical tube This is the main component of the telescope 0 Focuser er ieee as Figure 2 This is where the eyepiece is placed and it is where Details of the you focus Details of the focuser are shown in Figure 2 focuser Tube clamp This clamp connects the optical tube to the wood base Q Altitude tension adjustment knob By tightening or loosening this knob you can change the amount tension in the altitude up down motion of the telescope Q Mirror cell This contains the primary mirror as well as the colli mation thumbscrews that are used to optically align the primary mirror This is explained in Appendix A Aligning the Mirrors Items not shown Primary Mirror The parabolic mirror at the rear of the optical tube 3 gathers incoming light and focuses it with its parabolic shape The primary mirror has a small center mark that is explained in Appendix A This center mark should not be removed 8 Altazimuth base This wooden base provides a stable
26. rture solar filter over the front opening of the StarBlast The primary attraction is sunspots which change shape appearance and location daily Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activity in the Sun Many observers like to make drawings of sunspots to monitor how the Sun is changing from day to day Important Note Do not look at the Sun with any optical instrument without a professionally made solar filter or permanent eye damage could result Do not use the EZ Finder when solar viewing either C The Planets Planets being in our own solar system and having their own orbits do not stay at fixed locations like the stars do So to find them you should refer to Sky Calendar at our website tel escope com or to charts published monthly in Astronomy Sky amp Telescope or other astronomy magazines Venus Jupiter and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and the Moon Your StarBlast is capable of showing you these planets in some detail Other planets may be visible but will likely appear star like 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 moons lo Callisto Europa and
27. s Cleaning Mirrors You should not have to clean the telescope s mirror very often normally once every year or so Covering the telescope with the dust cap when it is not in use will help 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 dioxide which prevents the aluminum from 11 oxidizing These coatings normally last through many years of use before requiring re coating which is easily done To clean the secondary mirror it must be removed from the telescope Do this by holding the secondary mirror holder sta tionary with your fingers don t touch the mirror itself while unthreading the Phillips head screw in the center hub of the 4 vaned spider Completely unthread the screw from the holder and the holder will come loose in your fingers Be careful not to lose the spring on the Phillips head screw Handle the mirror and its holder carefully You do not need to remove the secondary mirror from its holder for cleaning Follow the same procedure described below for cleaning the primary mirror To clean the primary mirror carefully remove the mirror cell from the tele
28. scope To do this you must remove the three screws that connect the mirror cell to the steel tube These screws are located on the outer edge of the mirror cell Now remove the three mirror clips that secure the mirror in its cell use a Phillips head screwdriver to unthread the mirror clip anchor screws Next hold the mirror by its edge and remove it from the mirror cell Be careful not to touch the aluminized 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 is a very dirty mirror Wipe the mirror underwater 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 particles 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 Dry the bottom and the edges with a towel not the mirror surface Leave the entire assembly in a warm area until it is complete ly dry before reassembling the telescope CORI IE S
29. secondary mirror Using a 2mm hex key loosen the three small alignment set screws in the center hub of the 4 vaned spider several turns Now hold the secondary mirror holder sta tionary be careful not to touch the surface of the secondary mirror while turning the center screw with a Phillips head screwdriver See Figure 11 Turning the screw clockwise will move the secondary mirror toward the front opening of the optical tube while turning the screw counter clockwise will move the secondary mirror toward the primary mirror Figure 11 To center the secondary mirror under the focuser hold the secondary mirror holder in place with your fingers while adjusting the center screw with the Phillips head screwdriver Do not touch the mirror s surface Note When making these adjustments be careful not to stress the spider vanes or they may bend When the secondary mirror is centered in the focuser draw tube rotate the secondary mirror holder until the reflection of the primary mirror is as centered in the secondary mirror as possible It may not be perfectly centered but that is OK Now tighten the three small alignment screws equally to secure the secondary mirror in that position If the entire primary mirror reflection is not visible in the sec ondary mirror as in Figure 10c you will need to adjust the tilt of the secondary mirror This is done by alternately loosening one of the three alignment set screws while tighten
30. ulas lose much of their delicate detail The Moon and planets are not affected they require steady air more than dark skies so they remain good targets for city dwelling observers The International Dark Sky Association is waging the fight against light pollution The IDSA was founded in 1988 with the mission of educating the public about the adverse impact that light pollution has on the night sky and astronomy Through educational and scientific means the nonprofit IDA works to raise awareness about the problem and about measures that can be taken to solve it Do you need help dealing with local officials to control street or building lighting in your area The IDA s exten sive support materials can show you how Help preserve dark skies join the IDA today For information write to IDA 3225 N First Ave Tuscon AZ 85719 2103 or visit their website www darksky org The best way to avoid immediate problems with light pol lution however is to take you telescope to where there are dark skies You will be amazed at how many stars you can see when you get away from the city lights Seeing and Transparency Atmospheric conditions vary significantly from night to night Seeing refers to the steadiness of the Earth s atmosphere at a given time In conditions of poor seeing atmospheric turbu lence causes objects viewed through the telescope to boil If when you look up at the sky with your naked eyes the
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