User manual ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS ASTROVIEWEQ MOUNT

[. . . ] INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion AstroViewTM Equatorial Mount ® #9822 AstroView Equatorial Mount Customer Support (800) 676-1343 E-mail: support@telescope. com Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000 Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 P. O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061 IN 192 Rev. A 05/02 Declination slow-motion control cable Right ascension slow-motion control cable Declination lock lever Right ascension lock lever Large counterweight Small counterweight Counterweight lock knobs Counterweight shaft "Toe saver" Polar axis finder scope Latitude scale Latitude adjustment T-bolts Tripod leg Accessory tray bracket Accessory tray Leg lock knob Figure 1. The AstroView Equatorial Mount. 2 Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion mount. [. . . ] The polar axis finder scope is now properly set in its initial position. Next, we must align it so that it is exactly parallel to the mount's R. A. Look through the polar finder at a distant object (during the day) and center it on the crosshairs. You may need to adjust the latitude adjustment T-bolts and the tripod position to do this. Rotate the mount 180° about the R. A. Again, it may be convenient to remove the counterweights and optical tube first. Is the object being viewed still centered on the crosshairs?If it is, then no further adjustment is necessary. If not, then look through the polar finder while rotating the mount about the R. A. You will notice that the object you have previously centered moves in a circular path. Use the three thumbscrews on the housing to redirect the crosshairs of the polar finder to the apparent center of this circular path. Repeat this procedure until the position that the crosshairs point to does not rotate off-center when the mount is rotated in R. A. Once this is accomplished, retighten the thumbscrews. The polar axis finder scope is now ready to be used. When not in use, replace the plastic protective cover to prevent the polar finder from getting bumped, which could knock it out of alignment. Using the Polar Axis Finder When using the polar finder in the field at night, you will need a red flashlight to illuminate the finder's reticle. Shine the flashlight at an angle into the front opening in the R. A. Do not shine it directly into the opening, or the light will be too bright, and you will also obstruct the view of the polar finder. It may be helpful to have a friend hold the flashlight while you look through the polar finder. For most accurate polar alignment, you will need to know the approximate longitude of your observing site. This information can be obtained by looking at a local map. Now, you must figure the difference between the longitude of your observing site and the closest standard time meridian. [. . . ] The counterweight shaft is still horizontal. What if you need to aim the telescope directly north, but at an object that is nearer to the horizon than Polaris?You can't do it with the counterweights down as pictured in Figure 1. Again, you have to rotate the scope in R. A. [. . . ]