ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS Solar StarSeeker 10382 User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
IN 605 10/17
Orion® Solar StarSeeker™Tracking
Altazimuth Mount
#10382
Figure 1. The Orion Solar StarSeeker Tracking Altazimuth Mount
Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion product. Your
new Solar StarSeeker Tracking Altazimuth Mount allows high per-
formance locating and tracking of the solar disk during the day-
time. The mount utilizes a Vixen style dovetail cradle, which is
compatible with any small telescope that uses a Vixen dovetail bar.
When booted up, the mount will automatically nd, locate and track
the sun, without needing any manual star alignment. The mount
uses a built in GPS receiver, coupled with a small CCD sensor to
locate the position of the sun in the sky. The weight of the attached
telescope should not exceed 7 lbs., so small solar telescopes such
as the PST, SolarMax 40, 60, or Orion Short Tube 80 with white
light lter would be appropriate for this mount.
These instructions will help you set up and properly use your Solar
StarSeeker Tracking Altazimuth Mount. Please read them over
thoroughly before getting started and keep this manual handy until
you have mastered your mount’s operation.
Warning: Do not attempt to attach any telescope to this mount
that does not already have a properly mounted solar lter attached
securely over the front optics. Attach the lter to scope BEFORE
mounting and BEFORE powering on the mount. Remove any opti-
cal nderscope that is not ltered as well! This mount will automati-
cally point to the sun, and if any telescope is attached that does
not have a proper solar lter in place, damage can occur to the
telescope, and injury to the user, as concentrated sunlight will be
focused through the telescope. Burns and blindness can occur in a
fraction of a second, so please be aware of the proper procedure
before using this mount.
1. Parts List
Qty Description
1 Mount Head
1 Adjustable Tripod
1 Accessory Tray
1 Extension pier 2. Assembly
The mount assembly procedure is quick and easy, as there are
very few parts, and can be completed in a matter of minutes. The
individual components are packed in several boxes inside the
shipping box. Please remove all parts from all boxes, and make
sure all the component pieces are accounted for. Remember to
save all the shipping material so that they can be used to transport
the mount in the future. In the unlikely event that you need to return
the mount, you must use the original packaging.
Refer to the Figure 1 during assembly.
WARNING: Never look directly at the Sun through your
telescope—even for an instant—without a professionally
made solar lter that completely covers the front of
the instrument, or permanent eye damage could result.
Young children should use this telescope only with adult
supervision.
Camera
Battery
housing
Extension pier
locking knobs
Extension pier
Accessory
tray
Tripod leg
spreader
Tripod
Leg height
adjustments
Dovetail
locking knob
Vixen dovetail
cradle
Corporate Offices: 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 - USA
Toll Free USA & Canada: [phone]
International: [phone]
Customer Support: [email protected]
Copyright © 2020 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.All Rights Reserved. No part of this product instruction or any of its contents
may be reproduced, copied, modied or adapted, without the prior written consent of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.
AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED COMPANY

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Figure 2. Accessory tray.
Figure 3.
Extension pier. Figure 4. Extension pier adapter attached to bottom of mount head.
1. Remove the tripod from its box, and note that each leg
has a telescoping section. To extend each leg, loosen the
leg lock lever by rotating it counterclockwise, then extend
the leg. When it has been extended to the desired length,
rotate the leg lock lever clockwise until tight. Before placing
an instrument on the mount, it is a good idea to press down
on the tripod to make sure the legs are locked securely
and will not give way under the instrument’s weight.
2. Open the legs until the center support tripod spreader is at
its widest (Figure 1).
3. Attach the accessory tray to the leg spreader by placing
the hole in the tray over the center of the leg spreader and
rotating the tray into the locking position. The tabs on the
end of the triangular tray will lock underneath the channel
in each arm of the tripod spreader when properly locked in
place (Figure 2).
4. Attach the extension pier to the top of the tripod and thread
the central bolt up into the extension pier using the thumb
knob underneath the top of the tripod (Figure 3).
5. Loosen the three locking knobs on the top wall of the
extension pier and remove the top adapter from the exten-
sion (Figure 4). Attach this top adapter piece into the bot-
tom of the Starseeker mount head, using the large thumb
knob.
6. Place the entire mount with the installed pier adapter back
onto the pier, and tighten down the three locking knobs to
secure the head in place on the pier (Figure 5).
7. You are now ready to install a telescope into the Vixen
style dovetail cradle on the side of the mount. WARNING:
Before attaching the telescope, make sure a properly
secure solar lter is installed on your optical tube.
ALSO: Make sure any optical nderscope is removed
unless it has a solar lter as well! Make note of where
balance of the tube is (it can be difficult once the tube is
installed on the mount to gauge where balance is), and
insert the dovetail bar into the cradle (making sure the
front of the telescope is pointing the same direction as the
camera housing on the mount, Figure 6). Tighten down
the dovetail locking knob to secure the optical tube.
8. Install 8 AA batteries into the battery holder behind the bat-
tery cover on the side of the mount head. Please note the
direction of each battery in the holder (Figure 7).
You are now ready to start an observing session with the
Starseeker Mount.
A note on optical tube alignment: The accuracy of the system
depends on how well aligned the optical tube is in relation
to the cradle. If you have a small scope such as a PST that
uses a ¼"-20 tripod socket, and a dovetail mounting bar is
threaded into that socket, you must make sure the dovetail bar
is aligned as close to parallel to the optical tube as you can
make it. The further away from parallel, the worse the posi-
tioning accuracy of the system will be.
3. Powering up and Using the Starseeker Mount
Do not attempt to move the mount head in the Azimuth (left
and right) direction by hand. Doing so can damage the gears.

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Figure 6. Telescope and Camera housing
Figure 5.
Mount head
installed on
extension pier
Figure 7.
Battery compartment.
Figure 8. Home position
Figure 9. Control Panel
There is a slip clutch in the Altitude (up and down) direction,
so it is ok to move the scope up and down by hand. For best
results and the quickest way to nd the sun, rotate the scope
in Altitude so it is horizontal, and pick up the tripod and rotate
the entire unit around until the scope is facing the horizon
directly below where the sun is in the sky. It’s ok to start in any
other azimuth position, but it will take longer for the mount to
acquire the sun, and drain a bit more battery life as it slews
around left to right.
1. Make sure the solar lter is properly attached to your
scope, and any optical nderscope is removed or t-
ted with a solar lter. Do not proceed to step 2 until
this is veried.
2. Verify the tripod is level: there is a small bubble level in the
top of the mount to help. Adjust each leg until level.
3. Verify the telescope is inserted into the dovetail cradle
in the proper orientation: it should be pointing the same
direction as the lens of the camera in the middle of the
mount.
4. Manually move the telescope up or down until it is point-
ed roughly horizontal. The system will nd level once it’s
turned on, so you want to scope to be close to level for this
to occur. This is the “home” position (Figure 8).
Telescope and
camera facing the
same direction

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5. Press the power button for approximately 1 second to turn
the system on. The red light will appear when on (Figure 9).
6. Wait for the scope to nd the horizontal position for the
tube, and then the red light will begin blinking, indicating
the GPS signal is being acquired. This may take a few
moments, and if it doesn’t begin to nd the sun after a min-
ute or two, there may be interference from the GPS signal.
Move to a new location away from buildings or trees, and
try again.
7. When the GPS location is found, the mount will automati-
cally direct the scope up to the proper altitude angle for the
sun, and then begin a horizontal sweep using the camera,
in order to acquire the sun. If you previously positioned the
tripod so the scope was facing the horizon directly below
the sun, the mount should acquire the sun quickly, without
having to sweep in a wide circle.
8. When the mount stops moving, the sun should be some-
where within the field of a low power eyepiece. Look
through the eyepiece (verifying you have a solar filter
attached rst!) to nd the sun. It may not be centered,
based on the alignment of your dovetail bar, cradle and
optical path, so slide the large button labeled CENTER on
the control panel towards one of the four arrows around
the button in order to calibrate the unit and center the sun
(Figure 9). Once centered, the mount will continue to track
the sun!
9. When you are nished with your observing session, press
the power button for approximately 3 seconds to power the
unit down. Return the scope to the horizontal position so
you’re ready for the next outing!
4.Care and Cleaning of the Starseeker Mount
If your mount accumulates dirt/dust while operating, wipe with
a soft cloth after use. Clean the mount with mild household
detergent and a soft cloth. Keep the mount in a clean and
dry environment when not in use, and do not store the mount
outdoors.
To prevent damage, we recommend removing your telescope
or optical instrument from the mount when transporting.
5.Technical Specifications
Mount: Altazimuth fork arm
Tripod: Aluminum
Tripod Height: Range of 37.5" - 57" from ground to
center of dovetail cradle
Total Weight: 8 lbs.
Motor Drives: Dual-axis geared go-to, internally
housed
Power requirement: 8 AA batteries
Tracking Rate: Solar
Alignment method: GPS data, plus CCD sensor
acquisition
Corporate Offices: 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 - USA
Toll Free USA & Canada: [phone]
International: [phone]
Customer Support: [email protected]
Copyright © 2020 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.All Rights Reserved. No part of this product instruction or any of its contents
may be reproduced, copied, modied or adapted, without the prior written consent of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.
AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED COMPANY
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 benet of the original retail purchaser only. During this war-
ranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair or replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted instru-
ment 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
modied, nor does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives you specic 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.