Manual Telescope
Manual Telescope
Manual Telescope
FOR 707AZ2
Eyepiece
Accessory Tray
Tripod Leg
Height Adjustment
Clamp
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tripod Set up 3
Telescope Assembly 3
Finderscope Assembly 4
Eyepiece Assembly 4
Alligning the Finderscope 4
Sky Conditions 8
Selecting an Observing Site 8
Choosing the Best Time to Observe 8
Chooling the Telescope 8
Using Your Eyes 8
Suggested Reading 9
1) Gently push middle section of each tripod leg at the top so that the
pointed foot protrudes below the tripod clamp.
2) Insert tripod lock screws into the thread holes on the side of the tripod and
clamp without over-tightening.
Fig. 2
3) Fasten the top of each tripod leg to the bottom of the yoke mount
using the machine screws with the washers and wingnuts. Align each
leg so that the hinge for the accessory tray faces inwards. Be careful
not to over-tighten the wingnuts and damage tripod legs.
Fig. 3
TELESCOPE ASSEMBLY
Fig. 5
Fig. 4.
ATTACHING TELESCOPE MAIN
TUBE TO MOUNT (Fig. 4, 5, 6, 7)
3
FINDERSCOPE ASSEMBLY
Fig. 8
ATTACHING THE FINDERSCOPE (Fig. 8, 9)
1) Locate finderscope optical assembly.
2) Remove the two knurled thumbscrews
near the end of the telescope main tube.
3) Position the finderscope bracket over
the screws in the telescope main body. Fig. 9
4) Secure the finderscope bracket with the
two knurled thumbscrews.
EYEPIECE ASSEMBLY
FINDERSCOPE ALLIGNMENT
These fixed magnification scopes mounted on the optical tube are very Fig. 11
useful accessories. When they are correctly aligned with the telescope,
objects can be quickly located and brought to the centre of the field.
Alignment is best done outdoors in day light when it's easier to locate
objects. If it is necessary to refocus your finderscope, sight on an object
that is at least 500 yards (metres) away. Twist the end of the finderscope
until focus is reached (Fig.11).
Fig. 12
1) Choose a distant object that is at least 500 yards away
and point the main telescope at the object. Adjust the
telescope so that the object is in the centre of the view
in your eyepiece.
2) Check the finderscope to see if the object centred in the
main telescope view is centred on the crosshairs.
3) Use the three alignment screws to centre the finderscope
crosshairs on the object (Fig.12).
4
OPERATING YOUR TELESCOPE
In addition to increasing magnification, the benefits of using a Barlow lens include improved eye relief,
and reduced spherical aberration in the eyepiece. For this reason, a Barlow plus a lens often outperform
a single lens producing the same magnification. However, its greatest value may be that a Barlow can
potentially double the number of eyepiece in your collection.
Focusing Fig.c
Slowly turn the focus knobs under the focuser, one way
or the other, until the image in the eyepiece is sharp
(Fig.c). The image usually has to be finely refocused over
time, due to small variations caused by temperature changes,
flexures, etc. This often happens with short focal ratio
telescopes, particularly when they haven't yet reached
outside temperature. Refocusing is almost always
necessary when you change an eyepiece or add or
remove a Barlow lens.
5
Pointing your telescope
Pointing an altitude-azimuth (alt-az) mounted telescope is relatively easy. With the mount level, you can swivel
the telescope around on a plane parallel to your horizon and then tilt it up and down from there (Fig.c). You can
think of it as turning your telescope in azimuth until it is facing the horizon below a celestial object and then
tilting it up to the object's altitude. However, the Earth rotates and therefore the stars are constantly moving,
so to track with this mount you need to constantly nudge the optical tube in both azimuth and altitude to keep
the object in the field.
In reference material for your local position, the altitude will be listed as ±degrees (minutes, seconds) above
or below your horizon. Azimuth may be listed by the cardinal compass points such as N, SW, ENE, etc., but
it is usually listed in 360 degree (minutes, seconds) steps clockwise from North (0°), with East, South and
West being 90°, 180° and 270 °, respectively (Fig.d).
Zenith
Fig.d
Meridian
Line
Tilt in
Altitude
(270°) W
N (0°/360°)
(90°)
Nadir
6
Calculating the magnification (power)
The magnification produced by a telescope is determined by the focal length of the eyepiece that is used
with it. To determine a magnification for your telescope, divide its focal length by the focal length of the
eyepieces you are going to use. For example, a 10mm focal length eyepiece will give 80X magnification
with an 800mm focal length telescope.
When you are looking at astronomical objects, you are looking through a column of air that reaches to the
edge of space and that column seldom stays still. Similarly, when viewing over land you are often looking
through heat waves radiating from the ground, house, buildings, etc. Your telescope may be able to give
very high magnification but what you end up magnifying is all the turbulence between the telescope and
the subject. A good rule of thumb is that the usable magnification of a telescope is about 2X per mm of
aperture under good conditions.
To put this in perspective, the moon is about 0.5° or 30 arc-minutes in diameter, so this combination would
be fine for viewing the whole moon with a little room to spare. Remember, too much magnification and too
small a field of view can make it very hard to find things. It is usually best to start at a lower magnification
with its wider field and then increase the magnification when you have found what you are looking for. First
find the moon then look at the shadows in the craters!
For example, a 200mm f/5 telescope with a 40mm eyepiece produces a magnification of 25x and an exit
pupil of 8mm. This combination can probably be used by a young person but would not be of much value
to a senior citizen. The same telescope used with a 32mm eyepiece gives a magnification of about 31x and
an exit pupil of 6.4mm which should be fine for most dark adapted eyes. In contrast, a 200mm f/10 telescope
with the 40mm eyepiece gives a magnification of 50x and an exit pupil of 4mm, which is fine for everyone.
7
OBSERVING THE SKY
Sky conditions
Sky conditions are usually defined by two atmospheric characteristics, seeing, or the steadiness of the air,
and transparency, light scattering due to the amount of water vapour and particulate material in the air. When
you observe the Moon and the planets, and they appear as though water is running over them, you probably
have bad "seeing" because you are observing through turbulent air. In conditions of good "seeing", the stars
appear steady, without twinkling, when you look at them with unassisted eyes (without a telescope). Ideal
"transparency" is when the sky is inky black and the air is unpolluted.
Observing through a window is not recommended because the window glass will distort images considerably.
And an open window can be even worse, because warmer indoor air will escape out the window, causing
turbulence which also affects images. Astronomy is an outdoor activity.
8
SUGGESTED READING
Amateur Astronomy
Beginner's Guide to Amateur Astronomy: Astrophotography for the Amateur: by Michael
An Owner's Manual for the Night Sky by David J. Covington (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
Eicher and, Michael Emmerich (Kalmbach Publishing UK, 2nd edition,1999).
Co., Books Division, Waukesha, WI, 1993).
Splendors of the Universe: A Practical Guide to
NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Photographing the Night Sky by Terence Dickinson
Universe by Terence Dickinson, (Firefly Books, and Jack Newton (Firefly Books, Willowdale, ON,
Willowdale, ON, Canada, 3rd edition, 1999). Canada, 1997)
Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Ultimate Wide-Field Astrophotography by Robert Reeves
Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes (Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, VA, 2000).
and Accessories by Philip S. Harrington (John Wiley
& Sons, New York, 1998 ).
The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Terence Observational References
Dickinson and Alan Dyer (Firefly Books Ltd.,
Willowdale, ON, Canada, revised edition, 1994). A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets by Jay M.
The Beginner's Observing Guide: An Introduction Pasachoff, (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999).
to the Night Sky for the Novice Stargazer by Leo Atlas of the Moon by Antonín Rükl (Kalmbach
Enright, (The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Publishing Co., Books Division, Waukesha, WI, 1993).
Toronto, ON, Canada, 1999).
Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's
The Deep Sky: An Introduction by Philip S. Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System
Harrington (Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, by Robert Burnham (Dover Publications, New York;
MA, Sky & Telescope Observer's Guides Series, ed. Leif 3- volume set, 1978).
J. Robinson, 1997).
Observer's Handbook by The Royal Astronomical
The Universe from Your Backyard: A Guide to Society of Canada, (University of Toronto Press,
Deep Sky Objects by David J. Eicher (Kalmbach Toronto, ON, Canada, published annually).
Publishing Co., Books Division, Waukesha, WI, 1988).
Sky Atlas 2000.0 by Wil Tirion and Roger W. Sinnott
Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky (Sky Publishing Corp., Cambridge, MA, 2nd edition,
Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and how 1998)
to Find Them by Guy J. Consolmagno and Dan M.
Davis, (Cambridge University Press, New York, 3rd
edition, 2000) Magazines
Astronomy Magazine (Kalmbach Publishing Co.,
Astrophotography Waukesha, WI)
A Manual Of Advanced Celestial Photography by Sky & Telescope Magazine (Sky Publishing Corp.,
Brad D. Wallis and Robert W. Provin (Cambridge Cambridge, MA)
University Press; New York; 1984) SkyNews Magazine: The Canadian Magazine
Astrophotography An Introduction by H.J.P. Arnold of Astronomy & Stargazing (SkyNews Inc., Yarker,
(Sky Publishing Corp., Cambridge, MA,Sky & Telescope ON, Canada)
Observer's Guides Series, ed. Leif J. Robinson, 1995).
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
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