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Table of Contents

1. Unpacking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2. Parts List  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3. Assembly  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

4. Getting Started  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

5. Setting up and Using the 

Equatorial Mount  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

6. Using your Telescope  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

7. Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

8. Specifications  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Appendix A: Collimation 
(Aligning the Mirrors)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Appendix B: Cleaning the Optics  . . . . . 14

1. Unpacking

The entire telescope system will arrive in one box. Be careful
unpacking the box. We recommend keeping all original pack-
aging. In the event that the telescope needs to be shipped to
another location, or returned to Orion for warranty repair, hav-
ing the proper packaging will help ensure that your telescope
will survive the journey intact.

Make sure all the parts in the Part List are present. Be sure to
check the box carefully, as some parts are small. If anything
appears to be missing or broken, immediately call Orion
Customer Support (800-676-1343) for assistance.

2. Parts List

Qty.

Description

1

Optical tube assembly

1

Equatorial mount

3

Tripod legs with accessory tray bracket attached

2

Slow-motion control cables

1

Counterweight

1

Counterweight shaft

1

EZ Finder II with bracket

1

Accessory tray with attachment wing screws

3

Tripod attachment screws with wing nuts and
washers

3

Leg lock knobs

1

25mm Explorer II eyepiece

1

10mm Explorer II eyepiece

1

Dust cover

1

Collimation cap

3. Assembly

Assembling the telescope for the first time should take about
30 minutes. You will need a Phillips head screwdriver to
assemble the telescope. All screws should be tightened
securely to eliminate flexing and wobbling, but be careful not
to over-tighten or the threads may strip. Refer to Figure 1 dur-
ing the assembly process.

During assembly (and anytime, for that matter), DO NOT
touch the surfaces of the telescope mirrors or the lenses of
the finder scope or eyepiece with your fingers. The optical sur-
faces have delicate coatings on them that can easily be dam-
aged if touched inappropriately. NEVER remove any lens
assembly from its housing for any reason, or the product war-
ranty and return policy will be voided.

1. Lay the equatorial mount on its side. Attach the tripod legs,

one at a time, to the base of the mount by sliding a tripod
leg attachment screw through the top of a leg and through
the holes in the base of the mount. The washers should be

W

elcome to the exciting world of amateur astronomy! Your SpaceProbe 3 EQ is a high-quality optical

instrument designed for nighttime stargazing. With its precision optics and equatorial mount, you’ll be
able to locate and enjoy fascinating denizens of the night sky, including the planets, Moon, and a variety
of deep-sky objects. Lightweight and easy to use, this scope will provide many hours of enjoyment for the
whole family.

These instructions will help you set up, properly use, and care for your telescope. Please read them over
thoroughly before getting started.

Warning: Never look at the sun with your
telescope or its finderscope—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.

®

Summary of Contents for SpaceProbe 3 EQ 9844

Page 1: ...Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 Customer Support 800 676 1343 E mail support telescope com Corporate Offices 831 763 7000 P O Box 1815 Santa Cruz CA 95061 Orion SpaceProbe 3 EQ 9844 Equatorial Reflector Telescope ...

Page 2: ...b Declination setting circle Counterweight shaft Counterweight Counterweight lock knob Right Ascension lock knob not shown Leg lock knob Eyepiece Focuser Optical tube assembly Right Ascension setting circle Right Ascension slow motion control cable Latitude adjustment T bolt Tripod leg Accessory tray bracket Accessory tray ...

Page 3: ...hould be tightened securely to eliminate flexing and wobbling but be careful not to over tighten or the threads may strip Refer to Figure 1 dur ing the assembly process During assembly and anytime for that matter DO NOT touch the surfaces of the telescope mirrors or the lenses of the finder scope or eyepiece with your fingers The optical sur faces have delicate coatings on them that can easily be ...

Page 4: ...quately loos ened to allow the counterweight shaft to pass through the hole Position the counterweight about halfway up the shaft and tighten the lock knob Replace the screw and washer on the end of the shaft 8 Remove the two wingnuts from the optical tube assembly Place the optical tube assembly on top of the equatorial mount and secure it with the wing nuts Refer to Figure 1 for orientation of t...

Page 5: ... 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 the glasses do restrict the field of view you may be able to observe with your glasses off by just refocusing the telescope the needed amount If your eyes are astigmatic images will probably appear the best with glasses on This is because a...

Page 6: ...n allowing you to easi ly track the movement of astronomical objects thereby keep ing them from drifting out of the telescope s field of view while you re observing This is accomplished by slowly rotating the telescope on its right ascension R A axis using only the R A slow motion cable But first the R A axis of the mount must be aligned with the Earth s rotational polar axis a process called pola...

Page 7: ... to provide hands free tracking Objects will then remain stationary in the field of view without any manual adjustment of the R A slow motion control cable Understanding the Setting Circles The setting circles on an equatorial mount enable you to locate celestial objects by their celestial coordinates Every object resides in a specific location on the celestial sphere That location is denoted by t...

Page 8: ...as pictured in Figure 1 Again you have to rotate the scope in R A so the counterweight shaft is positioned horizontally Then rotate the scope in Dec so it points to where you want it near the horizon To point the telescope to the east or west or in other direc tions you rotate the telescope on its R A and Dec axes Depending on the altitude of the object you want to observe the counterweight shaft ...

Page 9: ...10mm These give magnifications of 28x and 70x respectively Other eyepieces can be used to achieve higher or lower powers It is quite common for an observer to own five or more eyepieces to access a wide range of magnifications This allows the observer to choose the best eyepiece to use depending on the object being viewed To calculate the magnification or power of a telescope and eyepiece combinat...

Page 10: ...isk of the giant planet and watch the ever changing positions of its four largest moons Io Callisto Europa and Ganymede SATURN The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight when it is well positioned The tilt angle of the rings varies over a period of many years sometimes they are seen edge on while at other times they are broadside and look like giant ears on each side of Saturn s disk A steady atmos...

Page 11: ...etails of how to clean your tele scope s optics 8 Specifications Optical tube Steel Primary mirror diameter 76mm Primary mirror coating Aluminum with silicon dioxide SiO2 overcoat Secondary mirror minor axis 19 9mm Focal length 700mm Focal ratio f 9 2 Focuser Rack and pinion accepts 1 25 eyepieces Eyepieces 25mm and 10mm Explorer II eyepieces 1 25 Magnification 28x with 25mm and 70x with 10mm Moun...

Page 12: ...ourself NOTE The center ring sticker need not ever be removed from the primary mirror Because it lies directly in the shadow of the secondary mirror its presence in no way ad versely affects the optical performance of the tele scope or the image quality That might seem counter intuitive but it s true Aligning the Secondary Mirror With the collimation cap in place look through the hole in the cap a...

Page 13: ...ack end of the optical tube Adjusting the tilt of the mirror requires a push pull technique involving adjustment of each set of collimation screws Loosen the flush screw one full turn and then tighten the adjacent raised screw until it is tight as in Figure 11 do not overtight en Look into the focuser and see if the secondary mirror reflection has moved closer to the center of the primary You can ...

Page 14: ... easily done To clean the secondary mirror it must be removed from the telescope Do this by holding the secondary mirror holder sta tionary with your fingers don t touch the mirror itself while unthreading the Phillips head screw in the center hub of the 3 vaned spider Completely unthread the screw from the holder and the holder will come loose in your fingers Be careful not to lose the spring on ...

Page 15: ...15 ...

Page 16: ...y Watsonville CA 95076 If the product is not registered proof of purchase such as a copy of the original invoice is required This warranty does not apply if in Orion s judgment the instrument has been abused mishan dled or modified nor does it apply to normal wear and tear This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state For further wa...

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