ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS VersaGo III Micro‑MotionAltazimuth Mount User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
IN 447 Rev. B 11/14
Customer Support [phone] • E-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Offices [phone] • 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
© 2014 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
Orion® VersaGo™ III Micro-Motion
Altazimuth Mount
#5779
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
OrionTelescopes.com

2
Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion
product. The VersaGo III Micro-Motion Altazimuth
Mount is a sturdy and versatile mount for small to
medium-sized telescopes, spotting scopes, and
binoculars.The simple design makes setting up and
using the mount very easy. Teflon bearing surfaces
for both axes of motion ensure smooth telescope
pointing, even when making very small, precise
positional adjustments. Whether you’re exploring
scenic daytime vistas or scanning the night skies,
you will find yourself observing more and fussing
with equipment less when using the VersaGo III.
These instructions will help you set-up, properly
use, and care for your mount. Please read them
over carefully before getting started.
Included Parts
ATripod
BAltazimuth head and arm
CAccessory tray/spreader
DCenter support shaft
EKnurled lock nut (for accessory tray)
FAltitude slow motion cable (short)
GAzimuth slow motion cable (long)
HHex key
I2 washers
J3 winged lock bolts
K2 lock levers
Unpack all of the parts and lay them out in your workspace.
Make sure all the parts shown in Figure 1 are present. Save
the shipping box and packaging material. In the unlikely event
that you need to return the mount, you must use the original
packaging. Initial assembly of the mount is easy and should
take about 15 minutes.
Assembly
1. Stand the tripod upright and spread the legs out as far
as they will go. Keep the tripod legs at their shortest (fully
retracted) length for now; you can extend them to a more
desirable length later, after the mount is fully assembled.
2. Thread the round, knurled lock nut onto the center support
shaft if it is not already threaded on.
3. Place ONE of the two thin washers onto the shaft.
4. Slide the Accessory tray, flat side up, onto the center sup-
port shaft. The order of parts can be seen in Figure 2.
5. Now place the thick washer, with wider bore facing down,
onto the top of the center support shaft as shown in Figure
2, and place the other thin washer on top of it.
Now you’re going to install the center support shaft on the tri-
pod and attach the E-clip retaining washer, which will hold the
center support shaft captive on the tripod base if the mount
head is removed. This is the trickiest part of the assembly pro-
cedure, so follow along closely. NOTE: If you plan to remove
the accessory tray and shaft when transporting or stor-
ing the mount, you may not want or need to install the
E-clip washer. In that case you can skip steps 5-7.
Figure 2. Make sure the correct parts are installed on the center
support shaft in the order they appear here, before the shaft is
threaded into the mount head.
Center support shaft
Thick washer
Thin washer
Groove (lowest)
Accessory tray/
spreader
Knurled lock nut
Thin washer
T-handle
Figure 1. Parts included with the VersaGo III.
T-handle
Thick
washer
E-clip washer
C
D
E
GF
JK I
B
A
H

3
6. Orient the tripod horizontally and place on a table or on
your lap. Insert the free end of the center support shaft
through the hole in the base of the tripod from underneath.
7. Tilt the threaded end of the shaft downward in the hole by
lifting the lower part of the shaft up slightly with your hand
(Figure 3). That makes room for the E-clip washer, which
you should place over the last groove below the threads
on the shaft.
8. Now, with a small flat screwdriver, press the E-clip into the
groove (Figure 4). It should snap right in place once you
apply sufficient pressure with the screwdriver. Now the
shaft with tray attached is held captive on the tripod and
cannot fall out.
9. Now place the VersaGo III head into the base of the tripod.
Orient the head so that the gap on its bottom collar lines
up with the vertical peg on the top surface of the tripod
base (Figure 5).
10.Thread the center support shaft into the VersaGo III head
until tight by turning the “barbell” shaped T-handle (Figure
6). Hold the mount head with one hand while tightening
the center support shaft with the other. This will secure the
VersaGo III head to the base of the tripod.
11.Now tighten the accessory tray against the tripod by
threading the knurled lock nut against the tray. The “arms”
of the tray should press against the tripod legs (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Thread the support shaft into the mount head and tighten
with the T-handle. Then tighten the knurled nut to secure the tray/
spreader, making sure the tray’s three arms are braced against the
three tripod legs.
T-handle
Knurled lock nut
Figure 5. Align the gap in the mount head with the vertical peg of
the tripod base.
Gap
Vertical peg
Figure 4. Set the E-clip washer on the last groove below the
threaded end of the shaft, then press it onto the shaft with a small
screwdriver.
Press
E-clip
retaining
washer
Figure 3. With the tripod on its side, insert the shaft through the
hole in the tripod base and tilt it upward. This will make it easier to
install the E-clip retaining washer.

4
12.Install the altitude and azimuth lock levers by threading
their shafts clockwise into the corresponding holes (see
Figure 7).
13.Attach the two slow motion control cables to the brass
axles on the azimuth and altitude axes (Figure 8). Tighten
the slow motion cable with the thumbscrew to secure it in
place, making sure that the thumbscrew mates to the flat
section of the axle. Typically the shorter cable is used for
altitude slow motion, and the longer cable is used for the
azimuth.
14.If desired, screw a second winged lock bolt into the
threaded hole just under the identical pre-installed winged
lock bolt on each leg (Figure 9). The second lock bolts are
not necessary to maintain the desired leg length, but are
provided for extra rigidity for those that want it.
Setting Up
the Mount
The VersaGo III mount con-
figuration can be adjusted
to suit your intended use.
For daytime terrestrial/mul-
tipurpose use a vertical ori-
entation of the arm may be
best. For stargazing, when
the telescope will be pointed
upward most of the time, it’s
recommended to set the arm
angle to 60°. Not only does
this balance the telescope better, but it “offsets” the telescope
from the center of the tripod, allowing many optical tubes to
point vertically (to the zenith) without interference by the tri-
pod.
Refer to Figure 10a and 10b to see the different mount con-
figurations. Note the angle of the azimuth slow motion cable
in Figure 10a.
For Daytime Terrestrial or Multipurpose Viewing
The fork arm ships with the angle set vertically for daytime or
all-purpose use. This is most useful for terrestrial observing
near the horizon, but it can still be used for stargazing and
usually supports angles higher than 60° with most telescopes.
For Stargazing
1. Locate the two socket head screws that support the fork
arm and remove them with the provided hex key located
on the arm (Figure 11).
2. Rotate the fork arm downward (towards the azimuth
slow motion cable) until the next two holes in the arm are
aligned with those of the mating disc on the mount base.
3. Then reattach the two socket head screws.
Adjust the Azimuth Slow Motion Cable Angle
When the fork arm is offset for stargazing, the telescope may
be pointed at steep angles above 60°. The normal position of
the azimuth slow motion cable points in the same direction as
the back of the telescope. Because of this, the telescope may
run into the slow motion cable. This can be avoided by adjust-
ing the angle of the azimuth slow motion cable.
1. Locate and remove the four socket head screws that sup-
port the base of the fork arm (Figure 12).
2. Rotate the fork arm to the desired angle against the azi-
muth slow motion cable.
3. Match the four threaded holes, then reattach the screws.
Figure 9. Screw the three
additional winged leg lock bolts
into the holes below the pre-
installed winged bolts.
Figure 8. The slow-motion cables attach to the brass axles of the
altitude and azimuth gears.
Slow-motion
cables
Figure 7. The altitude and azimuth lock levers can be loosened
for coarse aiming and slewing of the telescope.
Azimuth
lock level
Dovetail
saddle
Altitude
lock lever
Allen
wrench

5
Connecting a Telescope
The VersaGo III mount was designed to be used with tele-
scopes with apertures of 8" or less; telescopes larger than
this may be too heavy or bulky, and may not be able to point
to the horizon (horizontal) or zenith (vertical). Also, for best
results, the telescope optical tube assembly should not weigh
more than approximately 18 lbs. – less for longer optical tubes
– otherwise the mount may not provide adequate stability.
To connect a telescope, a narrow (Vixen style) dovetail mount-
ing bar is required. Some telescopes have this bar directly
attached to the tube. Telescopes with a ¼"-20 mounting block
require a dovetail bar with a ¼"-20 stud built in. This acces-
sory is available from Orion (#7388).
For telescopes that do not have a dovetail bar or ¼"-20
mounting block attached, you will need a set of tube rings
to attach a dovetail bar (Figure 13). These accessories are
available through Orion. Additionally, if your telescope has
a ¼"-20 threaded mounting hole, Orion offers a dovetail
“L-bracket” that will fit the dovetail receptacle of the VersaGo
III and thread into this hole. Once you have a dovetail mount-
ing bar on your telescope tube, connecting the telescope to
Figure 10a. For daytime/all-purpose use, the mount’s arm is set
in the vertical position.
Figure 10b. For stargazing, the arm should be tilted back to
allow more clearance between the telescope and tripod when the
scope is pointed upward.
the mount is easy. First, unthread the knurled black lock knob
and safety thumbscrew on the VersaGo III’s dovetail saddle
until the tips are flush with the interior wall of the dovetail hold-
er. Then, insert the telescope’s dovetail bar into the saddle
and tighten the lock knob and safety thumbscrew firmly. The
telescope and dovetail bar will be installed on the mount as
shown in Figure 14.
Note: If you have a telescope with a dovetail mounting bar
attached directly to the tube, or you are using the 1/4"-
20 dovetail adapter), the finder scope may be oriented
in an awkward position when connected to the VersaGo
III. In most cases, this should not cause any problems
in actual usage but may be awkward or uncomfortable.
Contact Orion Customer Service or visit our website (ori-
ontelescopes.com) for additional product information.
For best up-and-down motion, the telescope should be bal-
anced front-to-back when positioned horizontally. You can
balance the telescope by loosening the lock knob and safety
thumbscrew slightly, then moving the dovetail bar slightly for-
ward or back in the saddle. If you are using tube rings, you
can move the telescope tube forward or back in the tube rings.
When the telescope doesn’t drift up or down by itself when the

6
arm’s altitude tensioning lever is loosened, you have achieved
good balance.
Using the VersaGo III Mount
The VersaGo III allows motion of the telescope in two axes:
altitude (up and down) and azimuth (left and right). Hence, the
VersaGo III is an “altazimuth” mount. To move the telescope
to your desired target, simply loosen the two altitude and azi-
muth lock levers and push the telescope, then retighten the
levers.
Slow Motion Control
After you have pointed the telescope at the direction or object
you want, you can use the slow motion cables to make more
precision movements. This is especially helpful when center-
ing an object, or tracking a celestial object if you are using the
mount for stargazing. Tighten (yes, tighten) the two lock levers
before using the slow motion control cables. If you need to
make larger movements, loosen the lock levers and reposi-
tion the telescope manually before tightening the levers again.
Unlike many altazimuth mounts, the VersaGo III can be set
up to point a telescope at the zenith (straight up). This makes
it especially well suited for astronomical observing. Refer to
“Setting Up the Mount” to change the fork arm angle for star-
gazing.
Tracking Celestial Objects
Celestial objects appear to move slowly across the sky
because of the rotation of the Earth on its polar axis. When
Figure 11. The orientation of the mount arm can be changed by
removing the two socket head screws shown here with the included
Allen wrench.
Figure 12. The mount arm’s orientation relative to the azimuth
slow-motion cable can be changed by removing the four socket head
screws shown here and rotating the base of the arm.
Figure 13. Orion sells a variety of optional mounting bars and
tube rings that will couple your telescope to the VersaGo II mount.
Tube
rings
¼"-20 Dovetail
adapter
Dovetail
mounting bar

7
you observe an object through your telescope, you’ll see it
drift gradually across the field of view. To keep the object cen-
tered in the field, turn the slow motion cables for both altitude
and azimuth as needed to keep the object centered. Make
sure the altitude and azimuth lock levers are tightened before
using the slow motion cables.
Tripod Height Adjustment
There is a leg extension segment on each tripod leg to allow
quick height adjustment. Simply loosen the winged leg lock
bolts half a turn (Figure 9), extend the leg to the desired
length, then retighten the winged bolts.
Care and Maintenance
If you give your VersaGo III mount reasonable care, it will last
a lifetime. Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place. Do not store
the mount outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is
OK.
The mount requires very little mechanical maintenance. It is
constructed of aluminum with a paint finish to protect it from
the elements. If a scratch does appear, it will not harm the
mount. Dust, dirt, or moisture on the mount should be wiped
off with a soft cloth. If the mount needs more extensive clean-
ing, use a household surface cleaning fluid. For transport, you
can remove the head and fold the tripod legs together once
the center support shaft and accessory tray are removed. To
protect your mount during transport, Orion offers optional soft
padded carry cases.
Specifications
Mount: Altazimuth
Material: Die-cast aluminum head,
stainless steel tripod
Maximum load capacity: Approximately 18 lbs.
Bearing surfaces: Ball bearings and Teflon washers
Assembled weight: 19 lbs.
Height range: 35.5"-52"
Figure 14. A telescope tube installed in the dovetail saddle of the
VersaGo III.
Telescope
dovetail
Dovetail attachment
thumbscrew
Safety
thumbscrew

8
One-Year Limited Warranty
The Orion VersaGo III Micro-Motion Altazimuth Mount is warranted against defects in materials or work-
manship 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 Way, Watsonville, CA 95076. Proof of purchase (such as a copy of
the original receipt) is required.
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, and you
may also have other rights, which vary from state to state. For further warranty service information, con-
tact: Orion Customer Service [phone]; suppor[email protected].
Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
OrionTelescopes.com
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076
Customer Support Help Line [phone]
© 2014 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars