ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS SpaceProbe 3 Altaz 9845, SpaceProbe 3 Altaz 9841 Instruction Manual
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INSTRUCTION MANUAL
IN 172 Rev. A 0801
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 Altaz
#9845 and #9841
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Finder scope
Finder scope bracket
Eyepiece
Focuser
Altitude micro-motion
control thumbwheel
Yoke knobs
Altitude lock knob
Altitude micro-motion
control rod
Accessory tray bracket
attachment point
Leg lock knob
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Figure 1.
Welcome to the exciting world of amateur astronomy! Your SpaceProbe 3 Altazimuth Reflector is a
high-quality optical instrument designed for nighttime stargazing.With its precision optics and intuitive
altazimuth 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 f or your telescope.Please read them over
thoroughly before getting started.
Micro-motion rod attachment post
“Yoke”
Azimuth lock knob
Tripod leg
Accessory tray bracket
Accessory tray
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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.
Table of Contents
1. Unpacking............................................................................................................................. 3
2. Parts List............................................................................................................................... 3
3. Assembly.............................................................................................................................. 4
4. Getting Started...................................................................................................................... 5
5. Using your Telescope–Astronomical Observing ..................................................................... 6
6. Care and Maintenance............................................................................................................ 8
7. Specifications.......................................................................................................................... 8
Appendix A: Collimation (Aligning the Mirrors)............................................................................ 9
Appendix B: Cleaning the Optics............................................................................................... 11
1. Unpacking
The entire telescope system will arrive in one box.
Be careful unpacking the box.We recommend
keeping the original shipping container.In the
event that the telescope needs to be shipped to
another location, or returned to Orion for warranty
repair, having the proper shipping container will
help ensure that your telescope will survive the
journey intact.
Make sure all the parts in the Parts 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 Altazimuth mount
1 Altitude micro-motion rod with thumbwheel
3 Tripod legs
1 Accessory tray bracket
1 Finder scope
1 Finder scope bracket
1 Accessory tray
3 Tripod attachment screws with wing nuts and washers
3 Accessory tray attachment screws with
lock nuts and washers
3 Leg lock knobs
2 Yoke knobs
1 25mm Explorer II eyepiece
1 10mm Explorer II eyepiece
1 Dust cover
1 Collimation cap
2 Assembly tools (Philips head screwdriver,
triangular assembly tool)
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3. Assembly
Assembling the telescope for the first time should take about
30 minutes.No tools are needed other than the ones provided.
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 during 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 eyepieces with your fingers.The optical
surfaces have delicate coatings on them that can easily be
damaged if touched inappropriately. NEVER remove any lens
assembly from its housing for any reason, or the product warranty and return policy will be voided.
1. Lay the altazim uth mount on its side.Attach the tripod legs,
one at a time, to the base of the mount by sliding a tripod
attachment screw through the top of a leg and through the
holes in the base of the mount.The washers should be on
the outside of the tripod legs. Secure the wing nuts fingertight. Note that the accessory tray bracket attachment
point on each leg should face inward.
2. Install and tighten the leg lock knobs on the bottom braces
of the tripod legs. For now, keep the legs at their shor test
(fully retracted) length;you can extend them to a more desirable length later, after the tripod is completely assembled.
3. With the tripod legs now attached to the mount, stand the
tripod upright (be careful!) and spread the legs apart
enough to connect each end of the accessory tray bracket
to the attachment point on each leg. Use the screw and
lock nut that come installed in each attachment point to do
this.First remove the screw using the supplied screwdriver
and triangular assembly tool; hold the lock nut with the triangular assembly tool while turning the screw with the
screwdriver. Then, line up one of the ends of the bracket
with the attachment point and reinstall the screw. Make
sure the end of the accessory tray bracket is oriented so
that its flat side is facing up.
4. Stand the tripod and mount upright and spread the tripod
legs apart as far as they will go, until the bracket is taut.
Connect the accessory tray to the accessory tray bracket
with the three wing screws already installed in the tray. Do
this by pushing the wing screws up through the holes in the
accessory tray bracket and threading them into the holes in
the accessory tray.
5. Tighten the screws at the tops of the tripod legs, so the legs
are securely fastened to the mount. Use the Phillips head
screwdriver and your fingers to do this.
6. Attach the altitude micro-motion rod to the optical tube
assembly by first removing the flat head screw from the
micro-motion rod attachment post on the side of the optical
tube Use the flattened corner of the triangular assembly tool
to do this.Slide the screw through the hole at the end of the
micro-motion rod and rethread the screw into the attachment
post.Make sure the screw is securely tightened.
7. To install the optical tube in the “yoke” of the altazimuth
mount, first slide the altitude micro-motion rod into its receptacle on the side of the yoke. Make sure the altitude lock
knob is adequetely loosened.Then, with the rod in place in
the receptacle, place the optical tube assembly into the yoke
so that the metal altitude castings on the side of the optical
tube slide into the grooves in the top of the yoke. (Figure 2).
To secure the optical tube to the mount, slide the yoke knobs
through the holes in the top of the mount and thread them
into the altitude castings on the optical tube.Tighten the altitude lock knob.
8. Place the finder scope in the finder scope bracket.Do this by
loosening the three alignment thumbscrews until the are
flush with the inside of the bracket.Then insert the small end
(the eyepiece end) of the finder scope into the end of the
bracket that does not have the alignment thumbscrews next
to it. Bring the finder scope through the bracket until an inch
of finder scope's tube is through the bracket.Secure the finder scope in the finder scope bracket by tightening the three
finder scope alignment thumbscrews evenly until it is secure .
Micro-motion
rod attachment
post
“Yoke”
Altitude
casting
Altitude lock knob
Altitude
micro-motion rod
Altitude
Azimuth
Figure 3.
Figure 2.
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9. Loosen and remove the two finder scope bracket securing
thumbnuts from the optical tube assembly. Place the holes
on the bottom of the finder scope bracket over the two
threaded shafts coming out of the optical tube. Replace
the thumbnuts to secure the finder scope bracket to the
optical tube. The finder scope and finder scope bracket
should be oriented as they appear in Figure 1.
10.Insert the 25mm Explorer II eyepiece into the focuser
drawtube and secure it in place with the thumbscrew.
Your telescope is now fully assembled and should appear as
it does in Figure 1. Keep the dust cover on until you are ready
to observe.
4. Getting Started
Altitude and Azimuth
The SpaceProbe 3 Altaz permits motion along two axis: altitude (up/down) and azimuth (left/right) as shown in Figure 3.
This is very convenient, since up/down and left/right are the
most “natural” ways that people aim. As a result, pointing the
telescope is easy.
To move the telescope in the azimuth direction, loosen the
azimuth lock knob, tak e hold of the telescope by the end of the
optical tube, and gently rotate the telescope to the desired
position.Then re-tighten the azimuth lock knob.To move the
telescope in the altitude direction, loosen the altitude lock
knob, take hold of the end of the optical tube and move the
tube up or down to the desired position.Then re-tighten the
altitude lock knob.If the telescope moves too freely in the in
the altitude direction, then tighten the yoke knobs.
Note about the Altitude Micro-Motion Rod
and Thumbwheel
Since making fine-adjustments to the altitude of the telescope
can be difficult, the SpaceProbe 3 Altaz comes with an altitude
micro-motion rod and thumbwheel.By turning the thumbwheel,
the telescope will move slightly either up or down, depending
on which direction you turn the thumbwheel.You do not loosen
the altitude lock knob to make adjustments with the thumbwheel. There is a limit to how far the thumbwheel can turn in
either direction, so if you need to make any large altitude
adjustments to the telescope it is best to simply loosen the altitude lock knob and move the scope b y hand.
Focusing the Telescope
Insert the 25mm Explorer II eyepiece into the focuser and
secure it with the thumbscrew .Move the telescope so the front
(open) end is pointing in the general direction 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 starts to blur
again, then reverse the rotation of the knob, just to make sure
you’ve hit the exact focus point.
Do You Wear Eyeglasses?
If you wear eyeglasses, you may be able to keep them on
while you observe. In order to do this, your eyepiece must
have enough “eye relief” to allow you to see the entire field of
view with glasses on.You can tr y 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 the glasses do restrict the field of view, you may be
able to observe with your glasses off by just ref ocusing the telescope the needed amount.
If your eyes are astigmatic, images will probably appear the
best with glasses on.This is because a telescope’s focuser can
accommodate for nearsightedness or farsightedness, but not
astigmatism. If you have to wear your glasses while observing
and cannot see the entire field of view, you may want to purchase additional eyepieces that hav e longer eye relief.
Aligning the Finder Scope
The finder scope must be aligned accurately with the telescope for proper use.To align it, aim the main telescope in the
general direction of an object at least 1/4-mile away, such as
the top of a telephone pole, a chimney, etc. Now, look in the
finder scope.Is the object visible? Ideally, it will be some where
in the finder’s field of view. If it is not, some coarse adjustments of the three black nylon finder scope alignment
thumbscrews will be needed to get the finder scope roughly
parallel to the main tube.If this does not work, loosen the two
thumbnuts that secure the finder scope bracket to the optical
tube and slide the bracket left or right to get the object in the
finder’s field of view. Retighten the thumbnuts.
Note:The image in both the finder scope and the main
telescope will appear upside-down (rotated 180°).This is
normal for finderscopes and reflector telescopes (see Figure 4).
By loosening one alignment thumbscrew and tightening the others, you change the line of sight of the finder scope. Use the
three alignment thumbscrews to center the object on the
Naked-eye view
View through finder scope and telescope
Figure 4. The view through any standard finder
scope and reflector telescope is upside down.
This is true for the SpaceProbe 3 and its finder
scope as well.
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crosshairs of the finder scope. Look again into the telescope’s
eyepiece and see if the object is still centered there as well.If it
isn’t, repeat the entire process, making sure not to move the
main telescope while adjusting the alignment of the finderscope.
The finder scope alignment needs to be checked before every
observing session. This can easily be done at night, before
viewing through the telescope.Choose any bright star or planet, center the object in the telescope eyepiece, and then
adjust the finder scope’s alignment thumbscrews until the star
or planet is also centered on the finder’s crosshairs.The finder scope is an invaluable tool for locating objects in the night
sky since it has a much wider field-of-view than the main telescope tube.
Focusing the Finder Scope
If, when looking through the finder scope, the images appear
somewhat out of focus, you will need to refocus the finder
scope for your eyes.Turn the viewing end of the finder scope
clockwise or counter-clockwise as needed to focus the finder
scope on a distant object (1/4 mile away or more).
5. Using Your Telescope -
Astronomical Observing
Choosing an Observing Site
When selecting a location for observing, get as far away as
possible from direct artificial light such as street lights, porch
lights, and automobile headlights.The glare from these lights
will greatly impair your dark-adapted night vision. Set up on a
grass or dirt surface, not asphalt, because asphalt radiates
more heat. Heat disturbs the surrounding air and degrades
the images seen through the telescope. Avoid viewing over
rooftops and chimneys, as they often have warm air currents
rising from them. Similarly, avoid observing from indoors
through an open (or closed) window, because the temperature difference between the indoor and outdoor air will cause
image blurring and distortion.
If at all possible, escape the light-polluted city sky and head
for darker country skies.You’ll be amazed at how many more
stars and deep-sky objects are visible in a dark sky!
“Seeing” and Transparency
Atmospheric conditions vary significantly from night to night.
“Seeing” refers to the steadiness of the Earth’s atmosphere at
a given time.In conditions of poor seeing, atmospheric turbulence causes objects viewed through the telescope to “boil”.If,
when you look up at the sky with just your eyes, the stars are
twinkling noticeably, the seeing is bad and you will be limited to
viewing with low powers (bad seeing affects images at high
powers more sev erely).Planetary observing may also be poor.
In conditions of good seeing, star twinkling is minimal and
images appear steady in the eyepiece. Seeing is best overhead, worst at the horizon. Also, seeing generally gets better
after midnight, when much of the heat absorbed by the Earth
during the day has radiated off into space.
Especially important for observing faint objects is good “trans-
parency” - air free of moisture, smoke, and dust. All tend to
scatter light, which reduces an object’s brightness.One good
way to tell if conditions are good is by ho w many stars y ou can
see with your naked ey e .If you cannot see stars of magnitude
3.5 or dimmer then conditions are poor.Magnitude is a measure of how bright a star is, the brighter a star is, the lower its
magnitude will be.A good star to remember for this is Megrez
(mag. 3.4), which is the star in the ‘Big Dipper’connecting the
handle to the ‘dipper’. If you cannot see Megrez, then you
have fog, haz e, clouds, smog, or other conditions that are hindering your viewing.(See Figure 5)
Tracking Celestial Objects
The Earth is constantly rotating about its polar axis, completing one full rotation every 24 hours; this is what defines a
“day”.We do not feel the Earth rotating, but we can still tell that
it is at night by seeing the apparent movement of stars from
east to west.
When you observe any astronomical object, you are watching
a moving target.This means the telescope’s position must be
continuously updated over time to keep an object in the field of
view. When viewing the with the SpaceProbe 3 Altaz, you will
need to give the tube a light tug or push in azimuth as well as
an occasional turn of the altitude micro-motion thumbwheel to
keep the object in the field of view. (Make certain the azimuth
lock knob is slightly loosened before moving the scope in the
azimuth position). Objects will appear to move faster at higher
magnifications, when the field of view is narrower. Remember
that objects are inverted in the telescope, so when you move
the telescope in one direction, the object in the eyepiece will
move in the opposite direction than you would normally expect.
This takes some getting used to, but becomes second nature
after a few nights out with the telescope.
Cooling the Telescope
All optical instruments need time to reach “thermal equilibrium.”The bigger the instrument and the larger the temperature
change, the more time is needed.Allow at least 30 minutes for
your telescope to cool to the temperature outdoors.
Figure 5. Megrez connects the Big Dipper’s
handle to it's “pan”. It is a good guide to how
conditions are. If you can not see Megrez (a
3.4 mag star) then conditions are poor.
1.9
4.9
2.4
1.9
2.4
1.7
3.4
2.5
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if you wish. This is especially recommended for small and
bright objects, like planets and double stars.The Moon also
takes higher magnifications well.
The best rule of thumb with eyepiece selection is to start with
a low power, wide-field eyepiece, and then work your way up
in magnification. If the object looks better, try an even higher
magnification. If the object looks worse, then back off the
magnification a little by using a lower-power eyepiece.
What to Expect
So what will you see with your telescope? You should be able
to see bands on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, craters on the
Moon, the waxing and waning of Venus, and many bright
deep-sky objects.Do not expect to see any color as you do in
NASA photos, since those are taken with long-exposure cameras and have ‘false color’ added. Our eyes are not sensitive
enough to see color in deep-sky objects except in a fe w of the
brightest ones.
Remember that you are seeing these objects using your own
telescope with your own eyes! The object you see in your eyepiece is in real-time, and not some conveniently provided
image from an expensive space probe. Each session with
your telescope will be a learning experience. Each time you
work with your telescope it will get easier to use, and stellar
objects will become easier to find.Take it from us, there is big
difference between looking at a well-made full-color NASA
image of a deep-sky object in a lit room during the daytime,
and seeing that same object in your telescope at night. One
can merely be a pretty image someone gave to you.The other
is an experience you will never forget!
Objects to Observe
Now that you are all set up and ready to go, one critical decision must be made: what to look at?
A. The Moon
With its rocky surface, the Moon is one of the easiest and most
interesting targets to view with your telescope.Lunar craters,
marias, and even mountain ranges can all be clearly seen from
a distance of 238,000 miles away! With its ever-changing
phases, you'll get a new view of the Moon e v ery night.The best
time to observe our one and only natural satellite is during a
partial phase, that is, when the Moon is NOT full.During partial
phases, shadows are cast on the surface, which reveal more
detail, especially right along the border between the dark and
light portions of the disk (called the “terminator”). A full Moon is
too bright and devoid of surface shadows to yield a pleasing
view .Make sure to observe the Moon when it is well above the
horizon to get the sharpest images.
Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very
bright. It simply threads onto the bottom of the eyepieces (you
must first remove the eyepiece from the focuser to attach a filter).You’ll find that the Moon filter improves viewing comfort,
and also helps to bring out subtle features on the lunar surface.
B. The Sun
You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun
viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar filter over
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Let Your Eyes Dark-Adapt
Don’t expect to go from a lighted house into the darkness of
the outdoors at night and immediately see faint nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters - or even very many stars, for that matter .
Your eyes take about 30 minutes to reach perhaps 80% of their
full dark-adapted sensitivity. As your eyes become dark-adapted, more stars will glimmer into view and you'll be able to see
fainter details in objects you view in your telescope.
To see what you’re doing in the darkness, use a red-filtered
flashlight rather than a white light. Red light does not spoil
your eyes’ dark adaptation like white light does. A flashlight
with a red LED light is ideal, or you can cover the front of a
regular incandescent flashlight with red cellophane or paper.
Beware, too, that nearby porch and streetlights and car headlights will ruin your night vision.
Eyepiece Selection
By using eyepieces of varying focal lengths, it is possible to
attain many magnifications with the SpaceProbe 3 Altaz.The
SpaceProbe 3 Altaz comes with two Explorer II eyepieces, a
25mm and a 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 combination, simply divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece:
Magnification = (focal length of telescope) ÷ (focal
length of eyepiece)
For example, the SpaceProbe 3 Altaz, which has a focal
length of 700mm, used in combination with the 25mm eyepiece, yields a power of:
700mm ÷ 25mm = 28x
Every telescope has a useful limit of power of about 2x per
mm of aperture (about 152x for the SpaceProbe 3 Altaz.)
Claims of higher power by some telescope manufacturers are
a misleading advertising gimmick and should be dismissed.
Keep in mind that at higher powers, an image will always be
dimmer and less sharp (this is a fundamental law of optics.)
The steadiness of the air (the “seeing”) will also limit how
much magnification an image can tolerate.
Whatever you choose to view, always start by inserting your
lowest-power (longest focal length) eyepiece to locate and
center the object. Low magnification yields a wide field of
view, which shows a larger area of sky in the eyepiece.This
makes acquiring and centering an object much easier.If you
try to find and center objects with high power (narrow field of
view), it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack!
Once you’ve centered the object in the eyepiece, you can
switch to higher magnification (shorter focal length eyepiece),
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the front opening of the SpaceProbe 3 Altaz. The primary
attraction is sunspots, which change shape, appearance, and
location daily.Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activity in the Sun. Many observers like to make drawings of
sunspots to monitor how the Sun is changing from day to day.
Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any
optical instrument without a professionally made solar
filter,or permanent eye damage could result. Also
remove or cover the finder scope when solar viewing.
C. The Planets
The planets don’t stay put like the stars, so to find them you
should refer to Sky Calendar at our website (telescope.com),
or to charts published monthly in Astronomy, Sky &
Telescope, or other astronomy magazines. Venus, Mars,
Jupiter, and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after
the Sun and the Moon.Your SpaceProbe 3 Altaz is capable of
showing you these planets in some detail. Other planets may
be visible but will likely appear star-like. Because planets are
quite small in apparent size, optional higher-power eyepieces
are recommended and often needed for detailed observations.Not all the planets are generally visible at any one time.
JUPITER: The largest planet, Jupiter, is a great subject for
observation. You can see the disk of the giant planet and
watch the ever-changing positions of its four largest moons Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede.
SATURN: The r inged 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 atmosphere (good seeing) is necessary for a good view. You will probably see a
bright “star” close by, which is Saturn's brightest moon, Titan.
VENUS: At its brightest, Venus is the most luminous object in
the sky, excluding the Sun and the Moon. It is so bright that
sometimes it is visible to the naked eye during full daylight!
Ironically, Venus appears as a thin crescent, not a full disk,
when at its peak brightness.Because it is so close to the Sun,
it never wanders too far from the morning or evening horizon.
No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which is always
shrouded in dense clouds.
MARS: The Red Planet makes its closest approach to Ear th
every two years. During close approaches you’ll see a red
disk, and may be able to see the polar ice cap.
D. The Stars
Stars will appear like twinkling points of light. Even powerful
telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as more than a
point of light.You can, however, enjoy the different colors of
the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars.
The famous “Double-Double” in the constellation Lyra and the
gorgeous two-color double star Albireo in Cygnus are
fav orites.Defocusing a star slightly can help bring out its color.
E. Deep-Sky Objects
Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of fascinating
deep-sky objects, including gaseous nebulas, open and globular star clusters, and a variety of different types of galaxies.
Most deep-sky objects are very faint, so it is important that
you find an observing site well away from light pollution.Take
plenty of time to let your eyes adjust to the darkness.Do not
expect these subjects to appear like the photographs you see
in books and magazines; most will look like dim gray
smudges. Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in
deep-sky objects except in a few of the brightest ones. But as
you become more experienced and your observing skills get
sharper, you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle
details and structure.
To find deep sky objects in the sky, it is best to consult a star
chart or Planisphere, such as the Orion DeepMap 600 or the
Orion Star Target planisphere. These guides will help you
locate the brightest and best deep-sky objects for viewing with
your SpaceProbe 3 Altaz.
6. Care and Maintenance
If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a lifetime. Store it in a clean, dry, dust free place, safe from rapid
changes in temperature and humidity. Do not store the telescope outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is OK.
Small components like eyepieces and other accessories
should be kept in a protective box or storage case. Keep the
caps on the front of the telescope and on the focuser drawtube when not in use.
Your SpaceProbe 3 Altaz telescope requires very little
mechanical maintenance.The optical tube is steel and has a
smooth painted finish that is fairly scratch resistant. If a
scratch does appear, it will not harm the telescope. Refer to
Appendix B at the end of this manual for details of how to
clean your telescope’s optics.
7. 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)
Tripod: Aluminum
Weight:9 lbs.
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Appendix A:
Collimation Aligning the
Mirrors
Collimation is the process of
adjusting the mirrors so they are
perfectly aligned with one another. Your telescope’s optics were
aligned at the factory, and should
not need much adjustment
unless the telescope is handled
roughly. Accurate mirror alignment is important to ensure the
peak performance of your telescope, so it should be checked
regularly. Collimation is relatively
easy to do and can be done in
daylight.
To check collimation, remove the
eyepiece and look down the
focuser drawtube.You should see
the secondary mirror centered in
the drawtube, as well as the
reflection of the primary mirror
centered in the secondary mirror,
and the reflection of the secondary mirror (and your eye)
centered in the reflection of the
primary mirror, as in Figure 6a. If
anything is off-center, proceed
with the following collimation procedure.
The Collimation Cap and
Mirror Center Mark
Your SpaceProbe 3 comes with a
collimation cap. This is a simple
cap that fits on the focuser drawtube like a dust cap, but has a
hole in the center and a silver
bottom. This helps center your
eye so that collimation is easy to
perform. Figures 6b through 6e
assume you have the collimation
cap in place.
In addition to providing the collimation cap, you'll notice a tiny
ring (sticker) in the exact center
of the primary mirror.This “center
mark” allows you to achieve a
very precise collimation of the primary mirror ; you don’t have
to guess where the center of the mirror is.You simply adjust
the mirror position (described below) until the reflection of the
hole in the collimation cap is centered inside the ring. This
center mark is also required for best results with other colli-
mating devices, such as Orion’s
LaserMate Collimator, obviating
the need to remove the primary
mirror and mark it yourself.
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 adversely affects the optical
performance of the telescope or
the image quality. That might
seem counterintuitive, but it’ s true!
Aligning the Secondary
Mirror
With the collimation cap in place,
look through the hole in the cap at
the secondary (diagonal) mirror.
Ignore the reflections for the time
being.The secondary mirror itself
should be centered in the focuser
drawtube, in the direction parallel
to the length of the telescope. If it
isn’t, as in Figure 6b, it must be
adjusted. It helps to adjust the
secondary mirror in a brightly lit
room with the telescope pointed
toward a bright surface, such as
white paper or wall. Placing a
piece of white paper in the telescope tube opposite the focuser
(i.e., on the other side of the secondary mirror) will also be helpful
in collimating the secondary mirror. Use a small Phillips head
screwdriver to loosen the three
small alignment screws in the
center hub of the 3-vaned spider
several turns.Now hold the mirror
holder stationary (be careful not
to touch the surface of the mirrors), while turning the center
screw with a larger Phillips head
screwdriver (see Figure 7).
Turning the screw clockwise will
move the secondary mirror
toward the front opening of the
optical tube, while turning the
screw counter-clockwise will
move the secondary mirror
toward the primary mirror.
When the secondary mirror is
centered in the focuser drawtube, rotate the secondary mirror
holder until the reflection of the primary mirror is as centered
in the secondary mirror as possible. It may not be perfectly
centered, but that is OK. Now tighten the three small alignment screws equally to secure the secondary mirror in that
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Figure 6. Collimating the optics. (a) When
the mirrors are properly aligned, the view
down the focuser drawtube should look
like this. (b) With the collimation cap in
place, if the optics are out of alignment,
the view might look something like this.
(c) Here, the secondary mirror is centered
under the focuser, but it needs to be
adjusted (tilted) so that the entire primary
mirror is visible. (d) The secondary mirror
is correctly aligned, but the primary mirror
still needs adjustment. When the primary
mirror is correctly aligned, the “dot” will
be centered, as in (e).
Page 10
position.This adjustment will rarely, if ever need to be done.
If the entire primary mirror reflection is not visible in the sec-
ondary mirror, as in Figure 6c, you will need to adjust the tilt of
the secondary mirror. This is done by alternately loosening
one of the three alignment screws while tightening the other
two, as depicted in Figure 8.The goal is to center the primary
mirror reflection in the secondary mirror, as in Figure 6d.Don’t
worry that the reflection of the secondary mirror (the smallest
circle, with the collimation cap “dot”in the center) is off-center.
You will fix that in the next step.
Adjusting the Primary Mirror
The final adjustment is made to the primary mirror.It will need
adjustment if, as in Figure 6d, the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser and the reflection of the primary
mirror is centered in the secondary mirror, but the small reflection of the secondary mirror (with the “dot” of the collimation
cap) is off-center.
The tilt of the primary mirror is adjusted using the three sets
of two collimation screws on the back 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
one of the screws a full turn, and then tighten the adjacent
screw until it is tight (Figure 9) (do not overtighten). Look into
the focuser and see if the secondary mirror reflection has
moved closer to the center of the primary .Y ou can tell this easily with the collimation cap and mirror center mark by simply
watching to see if the “dot” of the collimation cap is moving
closer or farther away from the ring on the center of the primary mirror. Repeat this process on the other two sets of
collimation screws, if necessary. It will take a little trial and
error to get a feel for how to tilt the mirror in this way. When
you have the dot centered as much as possible in the ring,
your primary mirror is collimated. The view through the collimation cap should resemble Figure 6e. Make sure all the
collimation screws are tight (but do not ov ertighten), to secure
the mirror tilt.
A simple star test will tell you whether the optics are accurately collimated.
Star-Testing the Telescope
When it is dark, point the telescope at a bright star and accurately center it in the eyepiece’s field of view. Slowly de-focus
the image with the focusing knob.If the telescope is correctly
collimated, the expanding disk should be a perfect circle
10
Figure 7. To center the secondary mirror under
the focuser, hold the secondary in place with
your fingers while adjusting the primary screw
with a Phillips head screwdriver. Do not touch
the mirror’s surface.
Figure 8. Adjust the tilt of the secondary mirror
by loosening or tightening the three alignment
screws with a small Phillips head screwdriver.
Figure 9. Loosen one screw on the back of the
optical tube one full turn and tighten the other
screw “in the set” until tight to adjust the primary mirror.
Page 11
(Figure 10). If the image is unsymmetrical, the scope is out of
collimation. The dark shadow cast by the secondary mirror
should appear in the very center of the out-of-focus circle, like
the hole in a donut. If the “hole” appears off-center, the telescope is out of collimation.
If you try the star test and the bright star you have selected is
not accurately centered in the eyepiece, the optics will always
appear out of collimation, even though they may be perfectly
aligned.It is critical to keep the star centered, so o ver time y ou
will need to make slight corrections to the telescope’s position
in order to account for the sky’s apparent motion.
Appendix B: Cleaning
the Optics
Cleaning Lenses
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens cleaning fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be
used to clean the exposed lenses of your eyepieces or finderscope. Never use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid
designed for eyeglasses
Before cleaning with fluid and tissue, blow any loose particles
off the lens with a blower bulb or compressed air. Then apply
some cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics.
Wipe the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any
excess fluid with a fresh lens tissue. Oily fingerprints and
smudges may be removed using this method. Use caution;
rubbing too hard may scratch the lens.On larger lenses, clean
only a small area at a time, using a fresh lens tissue on each
area. Never reuse tissues.
Cleaning Mirrors
You should not have to clean the telescope’s mirror v ery often;
normally once every year or so.Covering the telescope with
the dust cap when it is not in use will help prevent dust from
accumulating on the mirrors. Improper cleaning can scratch
mirror coatings, so the fewer times you have to clean the mirrors, the better.Small specks of dust or flecks of paint have
virtually no effect on the visual performance of the telescope.
11
The large primary mirror and the elliptical secondary mirror of
your telescope are front-surface aluminized and over coated
with hard silicon dioxide, which prevents the aluminum from
oxidizing.These coatings normally last through many years of
use before requiring re-coating, which is easily done.
To clean the secondar y mirror, it must be removed from the
telescope.Do this by holding the secondary mirror holder stationary with your fingers (don’t touch the mirror itself) while
unthreading the Phillips head screw in the center hub of the 3vaned 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 the Phillips head cap screw.
Handle the mirror and its holder carefully.You do not need to
remove the secondary mirror from its holder for cleaning.
Follow the same procedure described below for cleaning the
primary mirror.
To clean the primar y mirror, carefully remove the mirror cell
from the telescope. To do this, you must loosen the three
screws from the end of the optical tube that are flush with the
end of the tube. Completely loosen all three of the flush
screws (do not loosen the other three screws) until the mirror
cell comes out of the telescope.
Now, remove the mirror from the mirror cell by removing the
three mirror clips that secure the mirror in its cell. Use a
Phillips head screwdriver to unthread the mirror clip anchor
screws.Next, hold the mirror by its edge, and remove it from
the mirror cell. Be careful not to touch the aluminized surface
of the mirror with your fingers.Set the mirror on a clean, soft
towel. Fill a clean sink, free of abrasive cleanser, with roomtemperature water, a few drops of liquid dishwashing
detergent, and if possible, a capful of rubbing alcohol.
Submerge the mirror (aluminized face up) in the water and let
it soak for several minutes (or hours if it is a very dirty mirror).
Wipe the mirror underwater with clean cotton balls, using
extremely light pressure and stroking in straight lines across
the surface. Use one ball for each wipe across the mirror.
Then rinse the mirror under a stream of lukewarm water. Any
particles on the surface can be swabbed gently with a series
of clean cotton balls, each used just one time. Dry the mirror
in a stream of air (a “blower bulb”works great), or remove any
stray drops of water with the corner of a paper towel.Water
will run off a clean surface.Dry the bottom and the edges with
a towel (not the mirror surface!) Cover the mirror surface with
Kleenex, and leave the entire assembly in a warm area until it
is completely dry before reassembling the telescope.
Out of collimation Collimated
Figure 10. A star test will determine if a
telescope’s optics are properly collimated. An
unfocused view of a bright star through the
eyepiece should appear as illustrated on right if
the optics are perfectly collimated. If the circle
is unsymmetrical, as in the illustration on left,
the telescope needs collimation.
Page 12
12
One-Year Limited Warranty
This Orion SpaceProbe 3 telescope is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship
for a period of one year from the date of purchase.This warranty is for the benefit of the original
retail purchaser only. During this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair or
replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted instrument that proves to be defective, provided it is
returned postage paid to: Orion Warranty Repair, 89 Hangar W ay, 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 ha ve other rights, which vary from state to state.For further warranty service information, contact: Customer Service Department, Orion Telescopes &
Binoculars, P. O.Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; (800)676-1343.
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
Post Office Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061
Customer Support Help Line (800)676-1343 • Day or Evening
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