Orion STARMAX 9549, STARMAX 9909, STARMAX 9541 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Orion® TableTop

Telescopes

#9909 StarMax™ 90 TableTop Maksutov-Cassegrain

#9541 SkyScanner

#9549 GoScope

™

100 TableTop Reflector

™

80 TableTop Refractor

#9549

#9541

#9909

Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975

OrionTelescopes.com

Customer Support [phone] • E-mail: [e-mail]

Corporate Offices [phone] • 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

IN 375 Rev A 10/09

Focuser

20mm
eyepiece

Focus knobs

Secondary
mirror holder

Telescope
securing knob

Altazimuth
tabletop base

Figure 1a: The SkyScanner 100 TableTop Telescope

EZ Finder II
Reflex Sight

Optical tube

Primary
mirror cell

Photo tripod
adapter

Congratulations on your purchase of a TableTop
telescope. The TableTop will provide years of enjoy-

ment of many night-sky treasures including breath­taking views of the Moon, planets, and even some
bright deep sky objects. The Maksutov-Cassegrain
and refractor models are also suitable for exploring
terrestrial vistas.

Your new TableTop is easy to setup and use. It will arrive
almost fully assembled out of the box! Only the visual acces­sories need to be installed. These include the EZ Finder II
Reflex Sight, the eyepiece, and in the case of the GoScope
80 and StarMax 90, the diagonal.

The following instructions will help you to get the maximum
performance from your new telescope, please read them
thoroughly.

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TableTop Parts (refer to Figure 1a-d):

All TableTop Models:

25mm (20mm for #9541 and #9549) eyepiece: The eyepiece
is the part of the telescope that you actually 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 Your Telescope section

10mm eyepiece: The higher-power eyepiece that comes with
the TableTop. Eyepieces are discussed in the Magnification
section.

EZ Finder II reflex sight: This is a special “finder” that helps
you aim the telescope 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.

Altitude tension adjustment knob: By tightening and loos-

ening this knob, you can change the amount tension in the
altitude (up/down) motion of the telescope.

Corrector
plate

Optical tube

Finder scope
base

EZ Finder II
Reflex Sight

10mm
eyepiece

Telescope
securing knob

Altazimuth
tabletop base

Figure 1b: The StarMax 90 TableTop Telescope

Altazimuth base: This wooden base provides a stable base
for the telescope. It allows you to move the telescope in alti­tude (up/down) and azimuth (left/right).

Photo Tripod Adapter: This allows you to attach your
TableTop base to an optional photo tripod. It has a 3/8" female
thread and a pre-installed ¼"-20 adapter to fit virtually all
photo tripods.

Rubber feet: Three feet provide support for the TableTop and
are skid free. This allows you to place the TableTop on smooth
surfaces.

Focus Wheels: The focus wheels are used to bring objects
into focus. By turning them, you move the rack-and-pinion fo­cuser in and out.

Eyepiece securing thumbscrews: These thumbscrews are
used to keep the eyepiece secure in the focuser.

SkyScanner 100 TableTop:

Primary Mirror: The mirror at the rear of the optical tube
gathers incoming light and focuses it with its parabolic shape.

Star diagonal

25mm
eyepiece

Photo tripod
adapter

Secondary Mirror: The secondary mirror is located near the
opening of the optical tube and reflects the focused light
from the primary mirror into the eyepiece.

Focuser: This is where the eyepiece is inserted, and how
sharpness is adjusted. Details of the focuser are shown in
Figure 8.

StarMax 90 TableTop:

Corrector plate: The lens at the front end of the optical tube
designed to correct the aberration inherent in the design of
the spherical primary mirror.

Primary Mirror: The spherical mirror at the rear of the opti­cal tube gathers incoming light and reflects it.

Secondary Mirror: The secondary mirror is mounted on the
corrector plate and reflects the focused light from the primary
mirror into the eyepiece.

Focus Knob: This knob makes an internal adjustment to the

optics to adjust the sharpness of the image

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Finder scope
base

EZ Finder II
Reflex Sight

Objective
lens

Altazimuth
tabletop base

Optical tube

Telescope
securing knob

10mm
eyepiece

90° star
diagonal

20mm
eyepiece

Photo tripod
adapter

Figure 1c: The GoScope 80 TableTop Telescope

Dovetail Holder: Secures the telescope into the mini-Dob
style mount by holding the dovetail bar preinstalled on the
telescope tube.

90° Star Diagonal: An adapter used on refractor and cata­dioptric telescopes that positions the eyepiece to a more com­fortable viewing angle and provides a right side up image.

GoScope 80 TableTop:

Objective Lens: The glass lens or lens system at the front
end of the optical tube. This is the light-gathering source for
the telescope.

Focus Knob: This knob makes an internal adjustment to the
optics to adjust the sharpness of the image.

Dovetail Holder: Secures the telescope into the mini-Dob
style mount by holding the dovetail bar preinstalled on the
telescope tube.

90° Star Diagonal: An adapter used on refractor and cata­dioptric telescopes that positions the eyepiece to a more com­fortable viewing angle and provides a right side up image.

Assembly

Assembly of the TableTop is very easy. Carefully remove the
protective packaging. Your TableTop arrives from the factory
with the optical tube attached to the base – just install the
visual accessories and you will be ready to start viewing with
your new telescope! These accessories will be found in a box
within the main box. Please save all original packaging. This
will help protect your TableTop if you wish to transport it or in
the unlikely event repair service is necessary.

Parts List

1 EZ Finder II reflex sight with bracket

1 25mm eyepiece (90mm model)

1 20mm eyepiece (80mm & 100mm models)

1 10mm eyepiece

1 Diagonal (Refractor and Maksutov-Cassegrain models

only)

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Focus knob

Dovetail holder

Altitude
tension
knob

Dovetail holder

Thumbscrew

Dovetail bar
(attached to
telescope)

Figure 1d: Rear and side view of the TableTop Telescope

(90mm model shown)

When unpacking the telescope it is suggested that you save
the internal packaging. In the unlikely event the product needs
to be returned the shipping materials can be re-used to ensure
it arrives safely at its destination.

Installing the Optical Tube on the Base

Your new TableTop telescope arrives with the optical tube
already attached to the base. If for any reason you wish to
separate the components this is easily done. It may be helpful
to loosen the Altitude Tension Adjustment knob and rotate the
telescope so that the Telescope Securing Knob is in a more
accessible position. While holding the optical tube with one
hand loosen the Telescope Securing Knob until you can lift
the optical tube out of the Dovetail Holder. The included dove­tail is compatible with most other Orion mounts and many
other brands as well. The female threads on the bottom are
¼"-20 and will fit standard photo tripods.

To re-install the tube onto the base make sure the Dovetail
Bar is flush with the edge of the Dovetail Holder. Place the
Dovetail Bar into the Dovetail Holder so that one of the inden­tations in the bar aligns with the Telescope Securing Knob
and tighten until secure. We suggest using the center inden­tation to achieve the best balance point. Depending on your
accessories you may determine a different position best suits
your needs.

Figure 2: Detail of the Finder scope base

Figure 3: The EZ Finder II securing thumbnuts

Attaching the EZ Finder II

80 & 90mm Models

Slide the base of the EZ Finder II bracket into the dovetail
holder that is pre-installed on the optical tube. The EZ Finder
II should be oriented so that it appears as in Figure 1. Tighten
the thumbscrew on the dovetail holder to secure the EZ Finder
II in place. (See Figure 2.)

100mm Model

Remove the two metal thumbnuts from the optical tube. Place
the bracket of the Red-dot finder 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 thumbscrews back onto the posts to
secure the Red-dot finder in place. (See Figure 3.)

Operating the EZ Finder II Reflex Sight

The EZ Finder II reflex sight makes pointing your telescope
almost as easy as pointing your finger! It’s a non-magnifying
aiming device that superimposes a dot on the sky, showing
exactly where the telescope is pointed. The EZ Finder II works
by projecting a tiny red dot produced by a light emitting diode
(LED), not a laser beam, onto a lens mounted in the front of
the unit. When you look through the reflex sight, the red dot
will appear to float in space.

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