3
Getting Started
The ShortTube 80 comes nearly fully assembled from the
factory. The telescope’s optics have been installed and col-
limated, so you should not have to make any adjustments to
them. Open the box and inspect the contents to make sure
all of the items in the parts list are present.
Please keep the original shipping box. In the unlikely event
you should need to ship the telescope back to Orion for war-
ranty repair service, you should use the original packaging.
The box also makes a very good container for storing the
telescope when it is not in use.
Installing the Finder Scope
To place the finder scope in the finder scope bracket, first
unthread the two black nylon thumbscrews until the screw
ends are flush with the inside diameter of the bracket. 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 (nar-
row end) of the finder scope into the end of the bracket’s
cylinder opposite the adjustment screws while pulling the
chrome, spring-loaded tensioner on the bracket with your
fingers (Figure 2b.) Push the finder scope through the
bracket until the O-ring seats just inside the front opening
of the bracket’s cylinder. Now, release the tensioner and
tighten the two black nylon screws a couple of turns each to
secure the finder scope in place. Secure the bracket to the
dovetail mount on the optical tube with the knurled thumb-
screw provided.
Installing the Diagonal and Eyepiece
Insert the 45° diagonal into the focuser tube and secure with
the knurled thumbscrew. Then insert the 25mm Plössl eye-
piece into the 45° diagonal and secure it in place with the
thumbscrews on the diagonal. (Always loosen the thumb-
screws before rotating or removing the diagonal or an
eyepiece.)
Mounting the Telescope on a Tripod
The ShortTube 80 can be mounted on any standard cam-
era tripod that has a 1/4”-20 stud. The stud threads into the
small block on the underside of the telescope’s optical tube.
Alternatively, the telescope can be attached to an equatorial
mount equipped with a 1/4”-20 adapter. An equatorial mount
is desirable for astronomical viewing because it allows easy
manual tracking of celestial objects as the Earth rotates. Also,
the setting circles on the mount enable you to locate objects
by their celestial coordinates (right ascension and declination),
which can be found in many observing books and star atlases.
Focusing
The ShortTube 80mm is equipped with a precision rack-
and-pinion focuser. When you first look in the eyepiece, the
image you see may be fuzzy, or out of focus. If so, gently
turn one of the large focusing wheels with your fingers until
the image becomes sharp. You will have to readjust the
focus when aiming at subjects of varying distances, or after
changing eyepieces. Make sure the focus lock screw is loos-
ened before focusing. After focusing, you can tighten it to
lock the telescope’s focus into place.
Do You Wear Eyeglasses?
If you wear eyeglasses, you may be able to keep them on
while you observe, if your eyepieces have enough “eye
relief” to allow you to see the whole field of view. You can
find out by looking through the eyepiece first with your
glasses on and then with them off, and see if the glasses
restrict the view to only a portion of the full field. If they do,
you can easily observe with your glasses off by just refocus-
ing the telescope the needed amount.
Aligning the Finder Scope
The ShortTube 80 comes with a 6x26 correct-image achro-
matic finder scope. (The 6x means six-times magnification,
and the 26 indicates a 26mm aperture.) The finder scope
makes it easier to locate the subject you want to observe in
the telescope, because the finder scope has a much wider
Figure 2a
The 6x26 correct-image finder scope and bracket
Focus
lock-ring
Alignment thumbscrews
Tensioner
Figure 2b.
Inserting the finder scope into the finder scope bracket
Summary of Contents for ShortTube 80 9386
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