18
locking shutter release cable and lock it. You are now expos-
ing your first deep-sky object.
While exposing through the camera lens, you will need to
monitor the accuracy of the mount’s tracking by looking
through the illuminated reticle eyepiece in the main telescope.
If the guide star drifts from its initial position, then use the
hand controller of the motor drive to “move” the guide star
back to the center of the crosshairs. Any drifting along the
Dec. axis is a result of improper polar alignment, so if the
guide star drifts greatly in Dec., the mount may need to be
polar aligned more accurately.
When the exposure is complete, unlock the shutter release
cable and close the camera’s shutter.
Astrophotography can be enjoyable and rewarding, as well as
frustrating and time-consuming. Start slowly and consult out-
side resources, such as books and magazines, for more
details about astrophotography. Remember … have fun!
10. Care and Maintenance
If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a life-
time. Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place, safe from rapid
changes in temperature and humidity. Do not store the tele-
scope outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is OK.
Small components like eyepieces and other accessories
should be kept in a protective box or storage case. Keep the
dust cover on the front of the telescope when not in use.
Your SkyView Pro 6 EQ requires very little mechanical main-
tenance. The optical tube is steel and has a smooth painted
finish that is fairly scratch-resistant. If a scratch does appear
on the tube, it will not harm the telescope. Smudges on the
tube can be wiped off with a soft cloth and a household clean-
er such as Windex or Formula 409.
Cleaning Lenses
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean-
ing fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be
used to clean the exposed lenses of your eyepieces or finder
scope. Never use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid
designed for eyeglasses. Before cleaning with fluid and tissue,
however, blow any loose particles off the lens with a blower
bulb or compressed air. Then apply some cleaning fluid to a
tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the lens gently in a
circular motion, then remove any excess fluid with a fresh lens
tissue. Oily fingerprints and smudges may be removed using
this method. Use caution; rubbing too hard may scratch the
lens. On larger lenses, clean only a small area at a time, using
a fresh lens tissue on each area. Never reuse tissues.
Cleaning Mirrors
You should not have to clean the telescope’s mirrors very
often; normally once every year or so. Covering the telescope
with the dust cover when it is not in use will prevent dust from
accumulating on the mirrors. Improper cleaning can scratch
mirror coatings, so the fewer times you have to clean the mir-
rors, the better. Small specks of dust or flecks of paint have
virtually no effect on the visual performance of the telescope.
The large primary mirror and the elliptical secondary mirror of
your telescope are front-surface aluminized and over-coated
with hard silicon dioxide, which prevents the aluminum from
oxidizing. These coatings normally last through many years of
use before requiring re-coating (which is easily done).
To clean the secondary mirror, first remove it from the tele-
scope. Do this by holding the secondary mirror holder station-
ary while turning the center Phillips-head screw. Be careful,
there is a spring between the secondary mirror holder and the
Philips-head screw. Be sure that it will not fall into the optical
tube and hit the primary mirror. Handle the mirror by its hold-
er; do not touch the mirror surface. Then follow the same pro-
cedure described below for cleaning the primary mirror. You
do not need to remove the secondary mirror from its holder
when cleaning.
To clean the primary mirror, carefully remove the mirror cell
from the telescope. For the SkyView Pro 6 EQ, this means you
must loosen the four screws on the side of the tube near the
primary mirror. You do not need to remove the collimation
screws on the bottom of the mirror cell. Remove the mirror cell
from the tube. You will notice the primary mirror is held down
with three clips held by two screws each. Loosen the screws
and remove the clips.
You may now remove the mirror from the mirror cell. Do not
touch the surface of the mirror with your fingers. Lift the mirror
carefully by the edges. Set the mirror on a clean soft towel. Fill
a clean sink free of abrasive cleanser, with room-temperature
water, a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent, and if pos-
sible, a capfull of rubbing alcohol. Submerge the mirror (alu-
minized face up) in the water and let it soak for a few minutes
(or hours if it’s a very dirty mirror). Wipe the mirror under water
with clean cotton balls, using extremely light pressure and
stroking in straight line across the mirror. Use one ball for each
wipe across the mirror. Then rinse the mirror under a stream
of lukewarm water. Any particles on the surface can be
swabbed gently with a series of cotton balls, each used just
one time. Dry the mirror in a stream of air (a “blower bulb”
works great), or remove any stray drops of water with the cor-
ner of a paper towel. Water will run off a clean surface. Cover
the mirror surface with Kleenex, and leave the mirror in a
warm area until it is completely dry before reassembling the
telescope.
