Lending Telescope Collection
Dobsonian Telescope Instruction Manual
Warning: Never look directly at the Sun through any telescope or finder scope – even for an instant
– as permanent eye damage could result. Do not point the telescope at the Sun, as parts will melt.
Children should use this telescope only with adult supervision.
Transporting the Telescope.
The telescope kit comes in three parts:
i) The Optical tube assembly in a padded bag,
ii) The hard case containing eyepieces and accessories,
iii) And the timber base mount.
Special care needs to be taken while transporting the telescope. Please plan your transport of the
telescope to prevent it moving around and being damaged. The optic tube is quite heavy and over
1m in length. Please secure with a seat belt or other method if travelling with this across the back
seat of a car. The base mount is also quite large (50cm x 50cm x 70cm).
Care and Maintenance
Cleaning the lenses or mirrors
Do not clean the lenses or mirrors. Let the library know if they seem dirty. Eyepieces can get dirty
fairly quickly. Please don’t poke them, as it’s very easy to scratch the coatings. However in the case
of minor smudges, you might like to use the Lens pen, provided in the kit. First brush away any dust
with the Pen. Then use the cleaning tip on the pen to clean the eyepiece. Be sure to keep the dust
caps on the telescope when not in use.
Aligning the mirrors
Please don’t make any adjustment to the telescopes mirrors. If it seems the telescope is in need of
adjustment please contact the library.
Fog on the mirrors and eyepieces
It is normal for dew to form on all parts of the telescope while stargazing. The telescope is fitted
with a fan unit to help minimize dew formation. Eyepieces will often have dew form on them, and
are unusable until they warm up and dry out. If the eyepiece fogs up, wrap your hands around it for
a few moments. As it warms up the fog should disappear. DO NOT wipe the lens with a tissue or
cloth as it has special coatings on it that could be damaged if you do.
At the end of the night, you can take the telescope inside, and leave unpacked. This will allow any
moisture that is in the telescope to dry out.
Getting Started
Assembling the telescope.
Please refer to the video for assembling the telescope. It can be found on the library website:
www.library.camden.nsw.go.au
or on the DVD included in the telescope kit.
Using the telescope
It is best to get a feel for the basic functions of the telescope during the day, before observing
astronomical objects at night. This way you will be able to use the equipment with ease when it is
dark and make the most of the night sky. Find a spot outdoors where you have plenty of room to
move around the telescope, and where you have a clear view of an object or vista that is at least
500m away. It is not critical that the base be exactly level, but it should be place on flat ground or
pavement to ensure smooth movement of the telescope. Although we recommend familiarizing
yourself with the equipment during daylight hours, it is critical that you never point the telescope at
or near the Sun.
Altitude and Azimuth – base mount
The base allows the telescope to move along two axes: Altitude (up/down) and azimuth (left/right).
The telescope can be positioned by holding the optical tube and moving it left or right so the base
rotates. And up and down so altitude side bearing rotate in the base’s cradle.
Move the telescope gently. You can adjust / tighten the side movement, from the side of the base.
Please ensure it’s adjusted to move smoothly, but not be loose or unstable.
Viewing with eyeglasses
If you wear eyeglasses, you may be able to keep them on while you observe if the eyepieces have
enough eye relief to allow you to see the whole field of view. You can try this 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
refocusing the telescope the needed amount. If you suffer from severe astigmatism, however, you
may find images noticeably sharper with your glasses on. Then look through the telescope’s
eyepiece to see if that point is centered in the field of view. If it is, the job is done. If not, make the
necessary adjustments.
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