ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS 07747d User manual

Orion®Film Solar Filters
IN 607 11/17
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
This Orion Film Solar lter is designed specically for safe
observation of the Sun through a telescope. It permits safe
observation of the Sun, allowing sharp, resolved views of
sunspots, penumbral detail, solar granulation, and lighter col-
ored faculae. They are also great for viewing solar eclipses
and planetary transits. You'll see the Sun in a neutral white
color, without any articial orange or blue tinting as with
some other types of lters. All processes connected to this
product have been thoroughly tested. Coatings are inspected
constantly for consistency to ensure your eye safety!
Do not use a lter that shows any hole or tear! If you
suspect a defect, please contact us for return instruc-
tions. All solar lters are covered by a limited liability
warranty from defects in material and workmanship.
Telescope Compatibility
Orion Film Solar filters are designed to fit specific Orion tele-
scope tubes. They are made from the dust covers for those
telescopes, which snap into the front opening of the tube. We
recommend these solar filters ONLY for the Orion telescopes
for which they were designed. (See the product descriptions
on www.OrionTelescopes.com for which filter fits which spe-
cific telescope models.) They may not fit properly on other
brands of telescope, which could result in eye damage
should the filter fall off during observation of the Sun or be
damaged when attempting to fit a filter on a telescope it was
not designed for.
Pinholes and Filter Safety
Despite the thin, exible nature of the Orion Film Solar lter
material, it is actually a high-strength polymer that stands up
to considerable abuse. The coating on the polymer cannot
easily be rubbed off. It is applied on both sides of the lm.
Since it is nearly impossible for any manufacturer to produce
a lter coating that is completely pinhole-free, a few pinholes
may be found. Even if you nd a pinhole on one side of the
lter, however, it is likely that the other side is still coated, pro-
viding sufficient protection. However, if you nd a pinhole that
goes completely through the lter, do not use it.
Check the lter’s optical surfaces for any possible damage
before each use. The view through your telescope should be
comfortable and not appear excessively bright. Stop looking
immediately if the view is excessively bright.
WARNING: Never look directly at the Sun with the
naked eye or with a telescope – unless you have
a proper solar lter installed over the front of the
telescope! Otherwise, permanent, irreversible eye
damage may result.
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Note that rippling or warping in the lm material is normal
with Film Solar lters and does not have any effect on the
image you will see or on the lter’s safety.
Using the Solar Filter
Make sure the lter ts securely onto the front opening of the
telescope. If it feels loose or comes off easily, DO NOT use it!
Keep the front of any nder scope covered with its opaque
objective cap or a couple layers of aluminum foil, if it is not
equipped with its own solar lter. Better yet, remove the nd-
er altogether when observing the Sun. An uncovered nder
scope is dangerous to look through. Even if you do not look
through it, however, unltered sunlight could melt internal
parts of a nder scope.
To aim the telescope with solar lter installed at the Sun with-
out aid of a nder scope equipped with a solar lter, you can
use the shadow cast by the telescope as a guide. Point your
telescope in the general direction of the Sun, and watch the
shadow cast by the telescope tube on the ground. Move the
tube gradually back and forth, up and down until the shadow
is the smallest it will get. The Sun should then be visible in
the eyepiece eld of view.
Allow the telescope and lter to equalize to the outside tem-
perature for at least 15 minutes. Direct sunlight may warm
the tube assembly enough to cause internal heat currents
that can degrade image quality, especially on dark-colored
telescopes.You might want to cover the tube assembly with a
light-colored cloth to help avoid this.
If possible, do not view over pavement or buildings, which
radiate heat. Those rising “heat waves” will reduce the sharp-
ness of the images you see through the telescope. Viewing
over grass will help avoid surface heat currents.
Removing the Solar Filter
Point the telescope away from the Sun before removing the
solar lter! Removing the lter while the telescope is aimed at
the Sun is dangerous if anyone is looking into the eyepiece,
and can damage the telescope if left pointed at the Sun for
too long.
Solar Photography
Orion Film Solar lters can be used for viewing and for pho-
tography. By attaching a camera body to a telescope, in effect
using the scope as a telephoto lens, you can take striking
photographs of the Sun. Only attempt this if the telescope is
equipped with the proper solar lter.
Depending on the aperture and focal length of your tele-
scope and “seeing” conditions, you will need to experiment
to nd the best exposure time for your equipment. Do not be
discouraged if your rst attempts at solar imaging are less
than “stellar.” The Sun is very difficult to image because of
poorer “seeing” conditions caused by unavoidable heat cur-
rents associated with daytime viewing. The highest possible
resolution for any land-based telescope, regardless of loca-

2
WARNING about Truss Tube Dobsonians:
When using a truss tube Dobsonian telescope for
solar observing, always use a light shroud and a
properly sized solar lter. When you install the light
shroud make certain there are no gaps between
the shroud and the telescope where direct sunlight
can reach the telescope mirror. When a truss tube
telescope (equipped with a solar lter but no shroud)
is pointing near the Sun, direct sunlight can hit the
mirror and focus on the solar lter or other portions
of the telescope. This can lead to eye injury or heat
damage to the telescope. Using a light shroud protects
your telescope from peripheral sunlight. Always install
protective caps on all optical instruments if left out
during daylight hours.
tion, is about 1 arc second. Ideal seeing for any location will be
available less than 5% of the time. It may be some consolation
to consider that your results could equal those at professional
observatories, as larger apertures and location have little, if
any, advantage. During bad seeing conditions, it may help to
“stop down” apertures over 5” with an off-axis mask.
Cleaning Film
We recommend storing the solar lter in the at box it came in
for protection, or in a plastic container of the proper size.
Occasionally, the lter may require cleaning after extended
exposure to the elements. If the dust is loose, you may be
able to blow it off with compressed air or a blower bulb of the
type that photographers use. Since the coating is harder than
regular aluminum coatings applied on mirror surfaces, it can
be cleaned with a solution of dishwater detergent and distilled
water. Use sterilized cotton wool (as used for eye application),
available in pharmacies. Normal cotton balls as used for cos-
metic purposes should NOT be used!
Use careful, gentle strokes. For each stroke, a new portion of
cotton is to be used, soaked with the cleaning solution. This
helps to avoid scratches in the lter’s coatings due to dust
grains picked up by the cotton.
One-Year Limited Warranty
This Orion product 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 war-
ranted instrument that proves to be defective, provided it is returned postage paid. Proof of purchase
(such as a copy of the original receipt) is required. This warranty is only valid in the country of purchase.
This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment, the instrument has been abused, mishandled, or
modified, nor does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives you specific legal rights. It is
not intended to remove or restrict your other legal rights under applicable local consumer law; your state
or national statutory consumer rights governing the sale of consumer goods remain fully applicable.
For further warranty information, please visit www.OrionTelescopes.com/warranty.
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
Corporate Offices: 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 - USA
Customer Support: www.OrionTelescopes.com/contactus
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All Rights Reserved. No part of this product instruction or any of its contents may be reproduced,
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