the tube so that the focuser is at a convenient height for
viewing. Close the tube rings and tighten them.
Installing the Finder Scope
To place the finder scope (Figure 3a) in the finder scope
bracket, unthread the two black nylon screws 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 mid-
dle of the finder scope. Slide the eyepiece end (narrow 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 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 screws
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 thumbscrews on the focuser and remove the small
dust cap. Insert the 25mm eyepiece into the focuser and
secure it with the thumbscrews.
Your telescope is now completely assembled and should
appear as shown in Figure 1.
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 axis, then the declination axis.
1. Keeping one hand on the telescope optical tube, loosen
the R.A. lock lever. Make sure the Dec. lock lever is locked,
for now. The telescope should now be able to rotate freely
about the right ascension axis. Rotate it until the counter-
weight shaft is parallel to the ground (i.e., horizontal).
2. Now loosen both counterweight lock knobs and slide the
weights along the shaft until they exactly counterbalance
the telescope (Figure 4a). That’s the point at which the
shaft remains horizontal even when you let go with both
hands (Figure 4b).
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 tight-
en 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 Dec. axis. Loosen the tube ring clamps 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 4c).
6. To check the declination balance of the telescope, position
the telescope so that the optical tube is horizontal. Let go
with both hands. If the optical tube does not move then you
have properly balanced the telescope with respect to the
declination axis (Figure 4d). If the optical tube does move,
then you must adjust the position of the optical tube in the
tube rings until it does balance in the declination axis.
The telescope is now balanced on both axes. When you
loosen the lock lever on one or both axes and manually point
the telescope, it should move without resistance and should
not drift from where you point it.
5. Using Your Telescope
Focusing the Telescope
With the 25mm eyepiece inserted in the focuser, move the tel-
escope so the front (open) end is pointing in the general direc-
tion of an object at least 1/4-mile away. Now, with your fingers,
slowly rotate one of the focusing knobs until the object comes
into sharp focus. Go a little bit beyond sharp focus until the
image just starts to blur again, then reverse the rotation of the
knob, just to make sure you’ve hit the exact focus point.
NOTE: The image in the telescope will appear rotated
180° (upside down and reversed left-to-right). This is nor-
mal for astronomical reflector telescopes. The finder
scope view will also be rotated 180° (see Figure 5).
5
®
Figure 4a-d.
Proper operation of the equatorial mount requires that the telescope tube be balanced on both the R.A. and Dec. axes. (a)
With the R.A. lock lever released, slide the counterweights along the counterweight shaft until it just counterbalances the tube. (b) When you let
go with both hands, the tube should not drift up or down. (c) With the Dec. lock knob released, loosen the tube ring lock clamps a few turns
ands 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.
a
b
c
d
