User manual ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS EQ-2 MOUNT

[. . . ] INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion EQ-2 Equatorial Mount ® #9828 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 168 Rev. setting circle Latitude lock t-bolt Latitude adjustment t-bolt Dec. slow-motion control cable Counterweight shaft Azimuth lock knob R. A. [. . . ] If you don't know your latitude, consult a geographical atlas to find it. For example, if your latitude is 35° North, set the pointer to 35. Then retighten the latitude lock t-bolt. The latitude setting should not have to be adjusted again unless you move to a different viewing location some distance away. This is because the telescope cannot be repositioned as it can when tube rings are used. Assuming you will be using tube rings, we will first balance the telescope with respect to the R. A. Keeping one hand on the telescope optical tube, loosen the R. A. The telescope should now be able to rotate freely about the R. A. Rotate it until the counterweight shaft is parallel to the ground (i. e. , horizontal). Now loosen the counterweight lock knob and slide the weight along the shaft until it exactly counterbalances the telescope (Figure 3a). That's the point at which the shaft remains horizontal even when you let go of the telescope with both hands (Figure 3b). If you position the counterweight all the way at the end of the shaft (near the retaining bolt and washer) and it still does not counterbalance the telescope, you will need to purchase an additional counterweight. Understanding the Setting Circles The setting circles on an equatorial mount enable you to locate celestial objects by their "celestial coordinates". Every object resides in a specific location on the "celestial sphere". That location is denoted by two numbers: its right ascension (R. A. ) and declination (Dec. ). In the same way, every location on Earth can be described by its longitude and latitude. is similar to longitude on Earth, and Dec. values for celestial objects can be found in any star atlas or star catalog. setting circle is scaled in hours, from 1 through 24, with small marks in between representing 10-minute increments (there are 60 minutes in 1 hour of R. A. ). The lower set of numbers (closest to the plastic R. A. gear cover) apply to viewing in the Northern Hemisphere, while the numbers above them apply to viewing in the Southern Hemisphere. coordinate indicator arrow is between the "R" and the "A" on the plastic R. A. [. . . ] so the counterweight shaft is positioned horizontally. so it points to where you want it near the horizon. Celestial equator (Dec. coordinate indicator arrow Use these numbers on the R. A. setting circle (Northern Hemisphere) Plastic R. A. [. . . ]