· C80-HD Refractor Telescope · C102-HD Refractor Telescope · C114-HD Reflector Telescope · C150-HD Reflector Telescope · CG-4 Equatorial Mount Models #21077 / #21016 / #31027 / #31056 / #91510 INSTRUCTION MANUAL 1 IDENTIFYING PARTS OF FIGURE 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Star Diagonal (Refractors only) Eyepiece Finderscope Finder Bracket Focuser Tube Rings Objective Cap Optical Tube Platform DEC Setting Circle R.A. Clamp R.A. Setting Circle Polar Finder (Optional) 13. Latitude Scale 14. Altitude Adjustment Screw 15. Tripod Mounting Head 16. Tripod 17. Tripod Support Brace 18. Counterweight Shaft 19. Counterweight(s) 20. Azimuth Adjustment Screw 21. R.A. Slow Motion Knob 22. DEC Clamp 23. DEC Slow Motion Knob 24. Accessory Tray 25. Accessory Tray Mounting Screws 3. 4. 6. 2. 1. 5. Figure 1A C80-HD & C102-HD 4. 2. 7. 3. 6. 5. Figure 1B 2 C114-HD & C150-HD 8. 23. 22. 9. 21. 10. 18. 11. 20. 12. 13. 19. . 15 14. 25. 16. 17. 24. Figure 1C CG-4 EQ Mount 3 INTRODUCTION Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the Celestron world of astronomy. If you're a newcomer to the hobby of astronomy, some of the terms and telescope components described in this instruction manual may be new to you. This manual is designed to instruct you in the proper use of your Celestron C80HD Refractor, C102-HD Refractor, C114-HD 4.5 Newtonian or C150-HD Newtonian as well as the CG-4 Equatorial Mount. To assist you in assembling and operating your telescope, take time to review this manual and the parts diagram listed in Figure 1. WARNING--NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN WITH YOUR TELESCOPE OR ITS FINDERSCOPE. PERMANENT AND IRREVERSIBLE EYE DAMAGE MAY RESULT AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO YOUR TELESCOPE. HOWEVER, YOU MAY ENJOY LOOKING AT THE SUN IF YOU HAVE A SAFE METHOD OF DOING SO--A SOLAR FILTER. IF USING THE SOLAR FILTER, MAKE SURE THE FINDERSCOPE IS COVERED. TELESCOPE ASSEMBLY The telescopes and all items are packed in one box. Included are: · Telescope Optical Tube · German Equatorial Mount · Adjustable Aluminum Tripod · 6x30 Finderscope and Bracket · Counterweight Shaft and Counterweights (3.6 Kg and 1.8 Kg for reflector models #31027, #31056 and refractor model #21016; 3.6 kg only for refractor model #21077 and CG-4 Eq Mount #91510) · Tripod Accessory Tray · Declination Slow Motion Knob · Right Ascension Slow Motion Knob · 20mm Plossl Eyepiece · 1 ¼" Mirror Diagonal (Except #31027 & #31056) Setting Up the Tripod: 1. Locate the tripod head (see figure 1). Attach each leg one by one to the tripod head by aligning the holes at the top of each leg with the holes in the tripod head. Slide a bolt through each of the legs and the tripod head and secure at the other end with a wing nut. NOTE: this may have been pre-assembled at the factory. Now that the tripod legs are attached, stand the tripod up and spread the legs until the center leg support is fully extended. The equatorial mount, which holds the telescope, attaches to the tripod head. On one side of the tripod head there is an "N" which signifies North. This side of the tripod will face north when setting up for an astronomical observing session. Above the "N" is a metal peg about 3/4" high that points straight up. Place the equatorial mount head on top of the tripod head so that the metal peg fits between the two 2. 3. 4 azimuth adjustment bolts. It may be necessary to partially unscrew the bolts to allow the metal peg to fully extend into the altazimuth housing. 4. Tighten the knob located on the underside of the tripod head. This will hold the equatorial mount firmly to the tripod head. Attaching the Accessory Tray Next, attach the accessory tray to the tripod. Locate the accessory tray and the three wingnut screws to attach the tray. 1. 2. Place the accessory tray on the center support brace of the tripod and align the holes on the tray with those on the support brace. Insert the wingnut screws through the bottom of the tripod support brace and thread them into the accessory tray holes. With the accessory tray in place, the tripod will be much more stable, making it easier to attach the telescope. Installing the Counterweight Bar With the mount securely in place, you are ready to attach some of the accessories (the telescope tube will be added last). Start with the Counterweight Bar and Counterweights. Used to balance the telescope, the Counterweight Bar attaches to the opposite side of the mount as the telescope. To install the Counterweight Bar: Retract the counterweight bar lock nut by turning it counterclockwise. This will expose the threads on the end of the Counterweight Bar. Thread the Counterweight Bar into the mount completely. It threads into the mount opposite the telescope. 1. 2. 3. Tighten the lock nut fully for added support. The Counterweight Bar is now installed. Installing the Counterweights With the counterweight bar in place, you are ready to attach the counterweights. 1. Remove the safety thumbscrew on the end of the counterweight bar. 2. 3. 4. 5. Loosen the counterweight lock screw (on the counterweight itself) so that the central hole of the counterweight is unobstructed. Slide the counterweight onto the counterweight bar. Move it high enough to allow room for the second weight (if included). Tighten the counterweight lock screw to hold it in position. Repeat this process for the second weight. 6. Replace the thumbscrew on the end of the counterweight bar. The thumbscrew will prevent the counterweight(s) from sliding off the bar should they ever become loose. Attaching the Optical Tube 5 Before you attach the optical tube, make sure that the declination and right ascension clamps are tight. The optical tube attaches to the mount via two rings that are mounted on the tube of the telescope. To mount the telescope tube: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Loosen the knobs on the side of the rings. This will allow you to slide the mounting rings the length of the optical tube. Locate the two screws on either end of the platform for the optical tube (#8). Hold the telescope up to the mount and slide the mounting rings until they are over the screws on the mounting platform. Place the flat portion of the ring over the mount so that the hole in the ring is over the screw protruding out of the mounting platform. Tighten the knobs underneath the mounting platform to secure the rings. 6. Tighten the knobs on the side of the mounting rings to prevent the telescope from sliding forward or backward. These can be loosened later to reposition the telescope during the balancing process. Balancing the Telescope To eliminate undue stress on the mount, the telescope should be properly balanced around the polar axis. In addition, proper balancing is crucial for accurate tracking if using a clock drive. To balance the mount: 1. 2. Release the R.A. Clamp and position the telescope off to one side of the mount (see figure 2a). GRADUALLY release the telescope to see which way it "rolls." 3. Loosen a counterweight lock screw and slide the counterweight to a point where it balances the scope (i.e., the telescope remains stationary when the R.A. clamp is released). 4. Tighten the counterweight lock screw. The scope is properly balanced in right ascension. Figure 2a Figure 2b The telescope should also be balanced in declination to prevent any sudden movement when the Declination clamp is released. To balance the telescope in Declination: 1. Release the R.A. clamp and rotate the telescope so that it is on one side of the mount (i.e., as described above for balancing the mount in R.A.). 6 2. Lock the R.A. clamp to hold the telescope in place. 3. 4. 5. 6. Release the DEC clamp and position the telescope so that it is parallel to the ground. GRADUALLY release the telescope tube to see which way it "rolls." Loosen the screws that hold the telescope inside the mounting rings and slide the telescope either forward or backwards until it remains stationary when the DEC clamp is released (see figure 2b). Tighten the screws that hold the telescope in the mounting rings. The telescope is now properly balanced in declination. Attaching the Finderscope (for #21077, #21016 & #31056) To install the finderscope onto the telescope you must first mount the finderscope through the finder bracket and then attach it to the telescope. Toward the front of the telescope tube, near the focusing assembly, there is a small bracket with a set screw in it. This is where the finderscope bracket will be mounted. To install the finderscope: 1. 2. 3. Slide the rubber O-ring over the eyepiece end of the finderscope and roll it 2/3 of the way up the finderscope. Insert the eyepiece end of the finderscope through the bracket until the O-ring presses tightly between the finder and the inside of the bracket. Tighten the three adjustment screws until they make contact with the finderscope body. 4. Locate the mounting bracket near the front (open) end of the telescope. 5. 6. 7. 8. Loosen the set screw on the mounting bracket on the telescope. Slide the finder bracket (attached to the finderscope) into the mounting bracket on the telescope. The finderscope bracket will slide in from the back. The finderscope should be oriented so that the objective lens is toward the front (open) end of the telescope (see figure 3). Tighten the set screw on the mounting bracket to hold the finderscope in place. Figure 3 Attaching the Finderscope (for #31027) 1. Remove the nuts from the studs where the finderscope will mount (see figure 4). 7 2. 3. 4. 5. Mount the finderscope bracket (#4) by mounting the bracket over the studs protruding from the tube and tightening it down with the supplied nuts. Slide the rubber O-ring over the eyepiece end of the finderscope and roll it 2/3 of the way up the finderscope. Insert the eyepiece end of the finderscope through the bracket until the O-ring presses tightly between the finder and the inside of the bracket. Tighten the three adjustment screws until they make contact with the finderscope body. The finderscope is now installed and only needs to be aligned before it is used. Figure 4 Attaching the Accessories In order to use your telescope there are some standard accessories which must first be installed: The installation of each is described 1 ¼" Diagonal (for #21077 & #21016): Loosen the thumb screw on the eyepiece holder located on the focuser draw tube. Slide the smaller end of the diagonal (without the thumb screw) into the focuser tube. Tighten the thumb screw to hold the diagonal in place. Ocular: Loosen the thumb screw on the eyepiece holder (or 1 ¼" diagonal for #21077 & #21016). Slide the barrel of the eyepiece into the eyepiece holder and tighten the thumb screw to hold the eyepiece in place. Aligning the Finderscope Accurate alignment of the finderscope makes it easy to find objects with the telescope, especially celestial objects. To make aligning the finderscope as easy as possible, this procedure should be done in the daytime when it is easy to find and identify objects. To align the finder: 1. 2. 3. 4. Choose a target that is in excess of one mile away. This will eliminate any possible parallax effect between the telescope and finderscope. Point the telescope at your target and center it in the main optics of the telescope. You may have to move the telescope slightly to center your target. Adjust the screws on the finderscope bracket, tightening one while loosening another, until the cross hairs are centered on the target seen through the telescope. Tighten the lock nuts to secure the position of the finderscope. 8 Image orientation through the finder will be inverted (i.e., upside down and backwards left-to-right). This is normal for any finderscope that is used straight-through. Because of this, it may take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the directional change each screw makes on the finderscope. Telescope Basics Calculating Magnification The magnification (or power) of a telescope is variable depending upon the focal length of the eyepiece being used along with the focal length of the telescope. To calculate the magnification we use the following formula: Magnification = FL(telescope) FL(eyepiece) where FL(telescope) is the focal length of the telescope and FL(eyepiece) is the focal length of the eyepiece. For example, if the focal length of the telescope is 910mm and you use a 20mm eyepiece your magnification is 910/20 = 46x. There are numerous optional eyepieces that are available to expand your range of magnification. There are various types of eyepieces of varying quality to choose from. The Celestial - Coordinate System. The celestial-coordinate system is an imaginary projection of the Earth's geographical coordinate system onto the celestial sphere which seems to turn overhead at night. This celestial grid is complete with equator, latitudes, longitudes and poles. The Earth is in constant motion as it rotates on its axis. Actually the celestial-coordina ...