Orion STARBLAST 9814 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

IN 201 Rev. A 08/02

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Orion

®

StarBlast

™

#9814 4.5" Altazimuth Reflector Tabletop Telescope

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Figure 1.

The StarBlast.

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StarBlast parts:

17mm Explorer II eyepiece

The eyepiece is the part of the telescope that you actu-

ally look through to see things.The focal length of the
eyepiece and the telescope determines the magnifying
power. Magnification is discussed in more detail in the
Using Y our T elescope section.

EZ Finder II reflex sight

This is a special “finder” that helps you aim the tele-

scope and locate objects in the sky for viewing. The EZ
Finder II generates a red LED “dot” that shows where
your telescope is aimed.The use of the EZ Finder II is
discussed in the Getting Started section.

Optical tube

This is the main component of the telescope.

Focuser

This is where the eyepiece is placed, and it is where

you focus.Details of the focuser are shown in Figure 2.

Tube clamp

This clamp connects the optical tube to the wood base.

Altitude tension adjustment knob

By tightening or loosening this knob, you can change

the amount tension in the altitude (up/down) motion of
the telescope.

Mirror cell

This contains the primary mirror as well as the colli-

mation thumbscrews that are used to optically align the
primary mirror. This is explained in Appendix A:
Aligning the Mirrors.

Altazimuth base

This wooden base provides a stable mount for the tele-

scope. It allows you to move the telescope in altitude
(up/down) and azimuth (left/right).

Carrying handle

This convenient handle built into the base allo ws you to

easily carry the StarBlast to your viewing location.The
carrying handle is also a handy place to put your other
hand when aiming the telescope. See Using Your
Telescope for more details.

Eyepiece rack

A handy metal rack in which to store your e xtra ey epieces.

6mm Explorer II eyepiece

The higher-power eyepiece that comes with the StarBlast

Eyepieces are discussed in the Magnification section.

Rubber feet

Three feet provide support for the StarBlast and are

skid free. This allows you to place the StarBlast on
smooth surfaces.

Figure 2 shows detail of the focuser

Focus Wheels

The focus wheels are used to bring objects into focus.

By turning them, you move the rack-and-pinion
focuser (4) in and out.

Eyepiece securing thumbscrews

These thumbscrews are used to keep the eyepiece (1)

secure in the focuser (4).

Items not shown

Primary Mirror

The parabolic mirror at the rear of the optical tube (3)

gathers incoming light and focuses it with its parabolic
shape.The primary mirror has a small center-mark that
is explained in Appendix A. This center-mar k should
not be removed.

Secondary Mirror

The secondary mirror is located near the opening of the

optical tube (3) and reflects the focused light from the
primary mirror into the eyepiece (1).

Collimation cap

This small cap fits in the focuser and is used to aid in

aligning of the optics. This process is explained in
Appendix A.

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Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion StarBlast telescope.Your new StarBlast is easy to use

and requires very little assembly.The StarBlast will giv e y ou breathtaking views of the Moon, planets , and
even deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula. These instructions will help you set up and use your
StarBlast telescope, please read them thoroughly.

Figure 2.

Details of the

focuser.

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Table of Contents

Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

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

Using Your Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Care and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Appendix A:Aligning the Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Appendix B:Cleaning the Optics . . . . . . . . . .11

Assembly

Assembly of the StarBlast is very easy.You just remove it from
its packaging, place the telescope on a table or other flat sur­face and locate the follo wing accessories:

1 EZ Finder II reflex sight (2)
1 17mm Explorer II eyepiece (1)
1 6mm Explorer II eyepiece (11)

Attaching the EZ Finder II

Remove the two metal thumbnuts from the optical tube
(Figure 3). Place the bracket of the EZ Finder II (2) on the
tube so that the holes in the bracket slide over the two thread­ed posts on the tube. The EZ Finder should be oriented so
that it appears as in Figure 1.Thread the thumbnuts back onto
the posts to secure the EZ Finder II in place.

Inserting the Eyepiece

Loosen the eyepiece securing thumbscrews (14).Insert the
chrome barrel of the 17mm Explorer II eyepiece (1) into the
focuser (4) and secure it with the thumbscrews.You can place
the 6mm Explorer II eyepiece (11) in the eyepiece rack (10)
for use later.

Your telescope is now fully assembled and should resemble
Figure 1. Remove the dust cap from the front of the telescope
when it is in use.Replace it when you are finished observing.

Getting Started

It’s best to get a feel for the basic functions of the StarBlast dur­ing the day, before observing astronomical objects at night. This
way you won’t have to orient yourself in the dark! Find a spot
outdoors where you’ll have plenty of room to move the tele­scope, and where you’ll have a clear view of some object or
vista that is at least 1/4 mile away. It is not cr itical that the tele­scope be exactly level, but it should be placed on something
relatively flat to ensure smooth movement.

The StarBlast was designed specifically for visual observation of
astronomical objects in the night sky. Like all Newtonian reflec­tor telescopes, it is not well suited for daytime terrestrial usage
because the image in the eyepiece is inv erted (upside-down).

Placing the StarBlast

One of the great assets of the StarBlast is its extremely portable
size. Due to its overall short height, you will find that viewing
while sitting down on the ground next to the telescope is the
most comfortable. If you wish to raise the telescope off the
ground so that it can be used while standing or sitting in a chair,
then a platform, such as a milk crate or table, can be used.

Altitude and Azimuth (Aiming the Telescope)

The StarBlast altazimuth base (5) per mits motion along two
axes: altitude (up/down) and azimuth (left/right). See Figure 4.
Moving the telescope up/down and right/left is the “natural”way
people aim objects which makes pointing the telescope intuitive
and easy.

Simply take hold of the telescope tube (Figure 5) and move it left
or right so that the base rotates.Move it up or down in the same
manner. Both motions can be made simultaneously and in a
continuous manner for easy aiming.This way you can point to
any position in the night sky, from horizon to horizon.

You may find it convenient to hold one hand near the carrying
handle (9) to steady it while moving and aiming the telescope.

If you find that it is too hard to put your eye up to the eyepiece

(1), you can rotate the tube by loosening the knob on the tube
clamp (5) and rotating the optical tube (3) until the focuser (4)

is in a convenient position.
When aiming the telescope in altitude, you may find that the

optical tube (3) is either too hard to move or does not stay in
place. Use the altitude adjustment tension knob (6) to
change the amount of tension between the tube clamp (5) and
the altazimuth base (8) to find the right level of tension to prop­erly move and balance the telescope.

Figure 3. The EZ Finder II securing thumbnuts.

WARNING: Never look directly at the

Sun through your telescope or its finder
scope—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.