ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS 51865 User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
#22115 (shown)
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Corporate Offices: 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 - USA
Toll Free USA & Canada: [phone]
International: [phone]
Customer Support: [email protected]
Copyright © 2019 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars. All Rights Reserved. No part of this
product instruction or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted,
without the prior written consent of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.
AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED COMPANY
Orion®U-Mount
#51865
Orion®U-Mount and Paragon
Plus XHD Package
#22115
IN 633 02/19

Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion product. Your Orion U-Mount is a sturdy, yet highly portable observing platform
for small telescopes, spotting scopes, and binoculars. The simple design makes setting up and using the mount very easy. Ultra low
friction bearing surfaces for both axes of motion insure smooth telescope pointing, even when making very small, precise positional
adjustments. Great for exploring scenic daytime vistas or scanning the night skies, you’ll nd yourself observing more and fussing
with equipment less when using the Orion U-Mount!
These instructions will help you set-up, properly use, and care for your mount. Please read them over carefully before getting started.
1. Parts List
U-Mount
3/8"-16 to ¼"-20 sleeve insert
Paragon Plus Tripod (in package #22115 only)
Instruction manual
2. Assembly
The Orion U-mount is mostly assembled out of the box, and
requires very little setup. If you only purchased the U-Mount
head, then it is ready to install on top of a sturdy photo tripod.
Look on the bottom of the U-mount where it will attach to the
tripod, and you’ll nd a 3/8-16" threaded hole, with a ¼"-20
threaded sleeve insert installed in that hole. Depending on your
tripod, you may need to remove this threaded insert using a at
head screwdriver. The U-Mount is designed to t on any photo
tripod, including those that use the larger 3/8"-16 studs. If your
tripod has a ¼-20" post, refer to the instruction below referenc-
ing the installation on the Paragon Plus XHD mount
NOTE: Do NOT use the U-mount in conjunction with a
photo head on top of your tripod. It is designed to attach
directly to the tripod elevator shaft and REPLACE the tri-
pod head (figure 1), not sit on top of the head. Attaching
the U-Mount on top of a tripod head may lead to instability.
Installing the U-Mount
onto the Paragon Plus
XHD tripod
Simply remove the tripod
head from your Paragon
Plus tripod to reveal the
¼"-20 tripod stud. To do this,
raise the elevator shaft and
look underneath the head.
You’ll find two small allen
screws spaced 180 degrees
apart, facing upward. You
may need to pull the rubber
gasket away from the tripod
head to gain access to these
two screw. Use a 2mm allen
wrench to loosen these two
screws (figure 2). They
do not need to be removed
completely. Tighten down
the left/right tension knob on
the head and rotate the entire
head counter-clockwise to
completely remove it from
the elevator shaft (figure 3).
The two allen screws must
be loosened rst in order for
the head to be unscrewed.
Figure 4 and figure 5
show installation of the
threaded sleeve insert on
top of the ¼-20 tripod stud.
Please install this threaded
insert on the tripod first,
before attaching the U-mount
on top, in order to verify
a secure connection. Once the tripod has the sleeve insert
installed, remove the pier section of the U-mount by loosening
the large azimuth tension hand knob (figure 1) and slipping
Figure 1. The U-Mount installed on top of the Paragon Plus XHD
tripod.
Figure 2. Loosen the two allen
screws in order to remove the
Paragon Head from the elevator
shaft.
Figure 3. The head has been
removed, revealing a ¼"-20
threaded post.
Altitude Tension knobs
Dovetail cradle
Paragon Plus tripod
(with head removed)
Azimuth
tension
knob
Safety stop
screws (both
ends)
Dovetail
locking
knobs
Paragon
Plus
Head
(needs
to be
removed)
Two allen
screws
located
beneath
the head
2

the pier off of the U-Mount. Thread the pier section directly to
the top of your tripod (figure 6). Finally, slide the U-Mount into
the pier section and snug down on the Azimuth tension knob to
secure it in place.
3. Attaching equipment to
the U-Mount
The top the U-Mount accepts a Vixen dovetail rail, and we also
include a ¼-20" adapter in order to attach any camera, spot-
ting scope, or other device that is designed to t on a standard
photo tripod. To use the Vixen dovetail cradle, loosen the two
dovetail locking knobs (figure 1), and take the ¼-"-20 plate
out of the cradle. Slide the telescope or binocular that has a
vixen dovetail rail attached into the cradle, and tighten down the
dovetail locking knobs, verifying the rail is secure in the dovetail
cradle before letting go of the optical tube. Slide forward and
backwards to nd a good balance point.
NOTE: in order to insert a long dovetail rail, you may
need to remove the two safety stop socket head cap
screws on each end of the dovetail cradle (figure 1).
These screws are only there in order to prevent the ¼"-20
or other short dovetail bar from sliding out and falling to
the floor in case the dovetail locking knobs are loosened.
They can be removed and the mount used as normal, just
be careful not to loosen the dovetail cradle without first
holding onto the equipment bolted in.
To use the ¼"-20 adapter with any camera/spotter/binocular
that accepts ¼"20 threaded studs, rst ip the ¼"-20 adapter
upside down and remove one of the two ¼"-20 studs from the
adapter (figure 7). You may use both screws IF your device
has two threaded ¼"20 sockets spaced apart front to back for
a more secure connection, but typically, most devices only use
one thread. Thread the adapter onto the bottom of your device
and tighten it down, then slide the device into the dovetail cradle
and tighten down with the locking knobs.
The U-Mount and Paragon Plus tripod have a total weight
capacity of 25 lbs. If you are using the U-mount on a stronger
tripod, the weight capacity of the head alone is up to 50 lbs
depending on tube dimensions, but please be careful that the
tripod you use can also handle this amount of weight.
4. Use
The U-Mount is extremely easy to use. Adjust the vertical ten-
sion knobs on the side walls, and the horizontal tension knob
on the vertical pier near the bottom of the U-Mount head. Your
equipment is always balanced since it sits in the center of grav-
ity, no matter where the optics are pointed in the sky. Refer to the
instructions included in the Paragon Plus Tripod box for details
on how to adjust the tripod legs.
5. Care and Maintenance
If you give your U-Mount reasonable care, it will last a lifetime.
Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place. Do not store the mount
Figure 4. Thread the 3/8"-20
sleeve onto the ¼"-20 post.
Figure 5. The 3/8"-20 sleeve
installed.
Figure 6. Thread the U-mount pier onto the top of the elevator
shaft and tighten until snug.
Figure 7. The bottom of the ¼"-20 adapter plate, showing two
¼"-20 screws. Remove one for normal use.
Remove one screw if your equipment
only uses one 1/4" -20 socket. The screw
unthreads from each end of the slot.
3

outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is OK. Your
mount requires very little mechanical maintenance. The mount
is constructed of aluminum and has a black anodized nish that
is fairly scratch-resistant. 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
cleaning, use a household surface cleaning uid.
6. Specifications
Mount: Altazimuth fork U-mount
Material: Machined aluminum, black
anodized throughout
Maximum load capacity: Approximately 25 lbs with
Paragon Plus tripod
Maximum tube diameter: Approximately 11.25 wide
Bearing surfaces: Ultra low friction surfaces
Axis tensioning: Via large metal thumb knobs
Telescope connection: Via dovetail rail or ¼"-20 adapter
Assembled weight: 11 lbs (U-Mount head only),
19 lbs (with Paragon Plus
Tripod)
Assembled height: 34" (retracted) to 68.5" (extend-
ed) with Paragon Plus Tripod
Corporate Offices: 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 - USA
Toll Free USA & Canada: [phone]
International: [phone]
Customer Support: [e-mail]
Copyright © 2019 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars. All Rights Reserved. No part of this product instruction or any of its contents may be
reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of Orion Telescopes & Binoculars.
AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED COMPANY
4
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 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.
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.