INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion Atlas 10 EQ ® TM #9874 Equatorial Reflector Telescope 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 214 Rev. A 12/02 Finder scope Finder scope bracket Eyepiece Focus knob Tube rings Tube ring mounting plate Tube ring mounting plate lock knobs (2) Declination setting circle Declination lock lever Counterweight shaft lock lever Counterweight shaft Counterweights Right ascension setting circle Right ascension lock lever Counterweight lock knobs "Toe Saver" Mirror cell Latitude scale Latitude adjustment L-bolts Center support shaft (not shown) Hand controller Tripod leg Tripod support tray Leg lock lever Figure 1a. The Atlas 10 EQ. 2 Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion telescope. Your new Atlas 10 EQ is designed for high-resolution viewing of astronomical objects. With its precision optics, and its superb Atlas mount, you'll be able to locate and enjoy thousands of fascinating celestial denizens, including planets, Moon, and a variety of galaxies, nebulas and star clusters. The built in dual internal DC stepper motor drives will easily track these objects as they move through the night sky. These instructions will help you set up and properly use your telescope. Please read them over thoroughly before getting started. Table of Contents 1. Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2. Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3. Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4. Balancing the Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 5. Using Your Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6. Setting Up and Using the Equatorial Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 7. Collimating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 8. Astronomical Observing . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 9. Astrophotography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 10. Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 11. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 If anything appears to be missing or broken, immediately call Orion Customer Support (800-676-1343) or email support@telescope.com for assistance. 2. Parts List Box #1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 Tripod Counterweights Tripod support tray Equatorial mount Hand controller Battery pack Nylon hook-and-loop adhesive strip Optical tube Tube rings Tube ring mounting plate 25mm Sirius Plössl eyepiece 10mm Sirius Plössl eyepiece 9x50 Finder scope Finder scope bracket with O-ring Collimation cap Camera adapter Dust cover Box #2 Box #3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1. Unpacking The entire telescope will arrive in three boxes, one containing the tripod, one containing the equatorial mount, and the third box containing the optical tube. Be careful unpacking the boxes. We recommend keeping the boxes and original packaging. In the event that the telescope needs to be shipped to another location, or returned to Orion for warranty repair, having the proper packaging will ensure that your telescope will survive the journey intact. Make sure all the parts in the Parts List are present. Be sure to check each box carefully, as some parts are small. 3. Assembly 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. 1. Stand the tripod legs upright and spread the legs out as far as they will go. Make certain that the leg lock levers are tightened. Assembly should take no more than 30 minutes. Refer to Figure 1 during assembly. Assembling the telescope requires no tools other than the ones provided. 2. Place the base of the equatorial mount onto the tripod head. Orient the equatorial mount so that the post on the tripod head lines up with the azimuth adjustment knobs on 3 Finder scope Azimuth adjustment knobs Finder scope bracket Nylon alignment thumbscrew (2) Post Focusing lock ring Eyepiece Tensioner Figure 2. Orient the equatorial head so that the post on the tripod lines up with the azimuth adjustment knobs on the equatorial mount. Figure 3a. The 9x50 finder scope and bracket. the equatorial mount (Figure 2). You may need to loosen the azimuth adjustment knobs on the equatorial mount in order to fit the mount onto the tripod head. 3. Thread the central support shaft into the equatorial mount until tight. This will secure the equatorial mount to the tripod head. 4. Remove the knob and washer from the bottom of the center support shaft. Slide the tripod support tray up the bottom of the central support shaft until the three tray arms are touching the legs of the tripod. The flat side of the support tray should be facing up. Make sure the "V" of each tray arm is against a tripod leg. Place the knob washer on the center support shaft against the tray, and follow it by threading the securing knob all the way up the center support shaft until it is tight against the tray. The tripod support tray provides additional stability for the tripod, and holds up to five 1.25" eyepieces and two 2" eyepieces. 5. Loosen the counterweight shaft lock lever and let the counterweight shaft extend into its downward position. Retighten the lock lever. 6. Remove the knurled "toe saver" retaining screw on the bottom of the counterweight shaft and slide all three counterweights onto the shaft. Make sure the counterweight lock knobs are adequately loosened to allow the counterweight shaft to pass through the hole. Position the counterweights about halfway up the shaft and tighten the lock knobs. Replace the toe saver at the end of the bar. The toe saver prevents the counterweights from falling on your foot if the lock knobs happen to come loose. 7. Loosen and open the tube rings on the optical tube and remove the optical tube from the tube rings. Attach the tube rings to the mounting plate with the provided screws. Loosen the two mounting plate securing knobs. Place the mounting plate, with the tube rings attached, in the dovetail slot on top of the equatorial mount. Position the mounting plate so that it is centered on the dovetail slot. Re-tighten the mounting plate securing knobs until the mounting plate is secure. 8. Open the tube rings and lay the telescope optical tube in the rings at about the midpoint of the tube's length. Rotate Figure 3b. Pull back on the tensioner and slide the finder scope into its bracket until the O-ring is seated in the bracket ring. the tube so that the focuser is at a convenient height for viewing. Close the tube rings and tighten them. 9. Insert the plug on the end of the control cable from the hand controller into its jack on the side of the equatorial mount. 10. Insert eight D-cell batteries into the battery pack. Orient the batteries as indicated on the white plastic battery holder. Plug the battery cord into its jack on the mount. 11. Two strips of nylon adhesive (one strip of "hooks" and one strip of "loops") have been provided so you can create a place to keep the hand controller out of the way when not in use. Place the "hooks" strip of nylon adhesive on the back of the hand controller and the "loops" strip on a tripod leg or on the mount where it will be in a conveniently reached spot. Simply hang the hand controller by the nylon adhesive when it is not in use. Make certain when you attach the nylon adhesive to the mount that the hand controller's position will not interfere with the motion of the mount. Installing the Finder Scope To place the finder scope (Figure 3a) in the finder scope bracket, unthread the two black nylon thumbscrews until the screw ends are flush with the inside diameter of the bracket. 4 1.25" eyepiece adapter 2" eyepiece adapter Focus lock thumbscrew a. b. Focus knobs Collimation screw pair (3) c. d. Figure 5a-d. Proper operation of the equatorial mount requires that the telescope tube be balanced on the R.A. and Dec. axes. (a) With the R.A. lock lever released, slide the counterweights down the counterweight shaft until they just counterbalance the telescope tube. (b) When you let go with both hands, the tube should not drift up or down (c) with the Dec. lock lever released, loosen the tube ring lock clamps a few turns and slide the telescope forward or back in the tube rings. (d) When the tube is balanced about the Dec. axis, it will not move when you let go. Figure 4. The 2" focuser of the Atlas 10 EQ. Place the O-ring that comes on the base of the bracket over the body of the finder scope until it seats into the slot on the middle of the finder scope. Slide the eyepiece end (narrow end) of the finder scope into the end of the bracket's cylinder opposite the alignment screws while pulling the chrome, spring-loaded tensioner on the bracket with your fingers (Figure 3b). Push the finder scope through the bracket until the O-ring seats just inside the front opening of the bracket cylinder. Release the tensioner and tighten the two black nylon thumbscrews a couple of turns each to secure the finder scope in place. Insert the base of the finder scope bracket into the dovetail holder on the top of the focuser. Lock the bracket into position by tightening the knurled thumbscrew on the dovetail holder. Inserting the Eyepiece Loosen the thumbscrew on the 1.25" adapter (Figure 4) and remove the small dust cap. Insert the 25mm eyepiece into the focuser and secure it with the thumbscrew. Your Atlas 10 EQ is now fully assembled and should resemble Figure 1. Note about the Atlas 10 EQ Mount Weight The Atlas 10 EQ mount is very heavy. Alone it weighs 54 lbs. With the optical tube and counterweights it weighs over 120 lbs. Keep this in mind when moving the telescope even small distances, and use assistance when needed. It is best to remove the optical tube and counterweights when moving the mount, or adjusting the length of the tripod legs. for now. The telescope should now be able to rotate freely about the right ascension axis. Rotate it until the counterweight shaft is parallel to the ground (i.e., horizontal). 2. Now loosen the counterweight lock knobs and slide the weights along the shaft until they exactly counterbalance the telescope (Figure 5a). That's the point at which the shaft remains horizontal even when you let go with both hands (Figure 5b). 3. Retighten the counterweight lock knobs. The telescope is now balanced on the right ascension axis. 4. To balance the telescope on the declination axis, first tighten the R.A. lock lever, with the counterweight shaft still in the horizontal position. 5. With one hand on the telescope optical tube, loosen the Dec. lock lever. The telescope should now be able to rotate freely about the declination axis. 6. Loosen the knurled ring clamps on the tube rings a few turns, until you can slide the telescope tube forward and back inside the rings (this can be aided by using a slight twisting motion on the optical tube while you push or pull on it) (Figure 5c). 7. Position the telescope in the tube rings so it remains horizontal when you carefully let go with both hands. This is the balance point for the optical tube with respect to the Dec. axis (Figure 5d). 8. Retighten the knurled rings clamps. The telescope is now balanced on both axes. When you loosen the lock lever on one or both axes and manually point 4. Balancing the Telescope To ensure smooth movement of the telescope on both axes of the equatorial mount, it is imperative that the optical tube is properly balanced. We will first balance the telescope with respect to the right ascension (R.A.) axis, then the declination (Dec.) axis. 1. Keeping one hand on the telescope optical tube, loosen the R.A. lock lever. Make sure the Dec. lock lever is locked, 5 Naked-eye view Aligning the Finder Scope The Atlas 10 EQ Deluxe comes with a 9x50 achromatic finder scope (Figure 3a). The number 9 means six-times magnification and the 50 indicates a 50mm diameter front lens. The finder scope makes it easier to locate the object you want to observe in the telescope, because the finder scope has a much wider field-of-view. The Atlas 10 EQ's finder scope uses a spring-loaded bracket that makes alignment of the finderscope very easy. As you turn either of the thumbscrews, the spring in the bracket's tensioner moves in and out to keep the finder scope secure in the bracket. The finder scope must be aligned accurately with the telescope for proper use. To align it, first aim the main telescope in the general direction of an object at least a 1/4 mile away-- the top of a telephone pole, a chimney, etc. Loosen the R.A. and Dec. lock levers and move the telescope until it is pointing toward the desired object. Then sight along the tube to precisely aim the telescope. Turn the focus knob until the object is properly focused. Ret ...