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. 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. Your new AstroView Equatorial Mount was developed to work with many different telescope optical tubes. [. . . ] The date circle is labeled from "1" to "12", with each number representing a month of the year ("1" is January, "2" is February, etc. ). axis until the March 1 indicating mark (the long line between the "2" and the "3") on the date circle lines up with the 4 PM mark (the long line above the "16") on the R. A. setting circle. You may find it convenient to remove both the counterweights and the telescope optical tube to do this. Now, loosen the three thumbscrews on the polar finder housing and rotate the polar finder so the small circle where Polaris will be centered is located straight down from the intersection of the crosshairs. 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. Again, it may be convenient to remove the counterweights and optical tube first. 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. 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. 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. Now, you must figure the difference between the longitude of your observing site and the closest standard time meridian. The standard time meridians are 75°, 90°, 105°, and 120° for the 48 continental states (150° and 165° for Hawaii and Alaska). Choose the standard time meridian that is closest in value to your local longitude, and then calculate the difference. If your local longitude has a value less than the closest standard time meridian, then you are east of the standard time meridian by the calculated amount. [. . . ] In Figure 1 the telescope is pointed north as it would be during polar alignment. But it will not look like that when the telescope is pointed in other directions. Let's say you want to view an object that is directly overhead, at the zenith. Remember, once the mount is polar aligned, the telescope should be moved only on the R. A. [. . . ]