ORION TELESCOPES & BINOCULARS GoScope III User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
IN 585 06/17
Orion® GoScope III 70mm
Refractor Travel Telescope
#10276
Customer Support:
www.OrionTelescopes.com/contactus
Corporate Offices:
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 – USA
Copyright © 2017 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.
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
®

2
Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion telescope. Your new GoScope III 70mm Refractor Travel
telescope is a terric starter instrument for exploring the world by day and countless celestial wonders at
night. Designed to be compact and easy to take with you wherever you go, it will provide many hours of
enjoyment for the whole family.
These instructions will help you set up, properly use, and care for your telescope. Please read them over
thoroughly before getting started.
SOLAR WARNING: Never Use the GoScope III, or
its nder scope, to look at the Sun without a proper,
safe solar lter. Using an unltered telescope to
observe the Sun can cause instant eye damage or
blindness. Kids should use only under appropriate
adult supervision.
Table of Contents
1. Parts List .................................2
2. Assembly .................................4
3. Preparing the Telescope for Operation...........5
4. Viewing with the GoScope III 70mm ............7
5. Useful Optional Accessories ..................9
6. Telescope Care and Maintenance ..............9
7. Specications ..............................9
1. Parts List
Open the backpack (A) and remove and identify all parts,
using the list below and Figure 1 for reference.
Included Parts
A – Backpack
B – Tripod and pan head
C –Clear plastic strip
D – Finder scope bracket
E – 5x24 nder scope tube
F – Optical tube
G – 45-Degree correct-image diagonal, 1.25"
H – 20mm Kellner eyepiece
I – 9mm Kellner eyepiece
J – Dust cap

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Figure 1. The included components of the GoScope III 70mm Travel Refractor.
A
HI
J
F
CD
B
E
G

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2. Assembly
1. After removing and identifying all the parts from the back-
pack (A), spread the legs of the tripod (B) and then tighten
the center post lock collar at the bottom of the post by turn-
ing the collar clockwise (Figure 3).
2. Extend the tripod legs to the desired length by ipping
open the leg lock clamps, extending the leg section, then
closing the leg lock clamps. The tripod should now appear
as in Figure 4.
3. To attach the optical tube (F) to the pan head, rst you
will need to remove the pan head’s quick-release plate
(Figure 5). To do that, push the lock lever outward 90
degrees. That unlocks the plate, which can then be lifted
out.
4. Attach the quick-release plate to the dovetail mounting
plate on the bottom of the optical tube (F), by screwing the
threaded post of the quick-release plate into the socket on
the optical tube mounting plate (Figure 6a). Use the small,
hinged D-ring on the underside of the quick-release plate
to turn the threaded post until tight.
5. Now with the quick-release plate installed on the tele-
scope optical tube, insert the plate into the pan head,
making sure the lock lever is in the unlocked, or open,
position. You may have to tilt the plate as shown in Figure
6b while inserting it into the pan head, in order to seat it
properly. Once the plate is fully seated, the lock lever can
be pressed back to the closed position, as shown in 6c.
6. Now you’ll assemble the nder scope. First locate the
clear plastic strip (C). Curl it and insert it into the nder
scope bracket (D), as shown in Figure 7. Then slide the
nder scope tube (E) eyepiece end rst, into the bracket
and inside the curled plastic strip. (Note that you should
make sure the three thumbscrews on the bracket are
loosened enough to allow the nder scope tube to pass
through freely.) When it is correctly inserted, the tube
should appear as in Figure 8, with the edge of the clear
plastic strip just showing. The plastic strip encircling the
nder scope tube stabilizes the front portion of the nder
scope in the bracket. Without the strip, the nder scope
would move around inside the bracket, which is not desir-
able.
7. Now remove the two thumbnuts on the telescope tube
to expose the two threaded posts. Then place the nder
scope bracket over the posts as shown in Figure 9. Then
thread on the thumbnuts and lightly tighten them to secure
the nder scope bracket in place.
8. Next, insert the 45-degree correct-image diagonal acces-
sory (G) into the focuser drawtube, making sure the two
thumbscrews are loosened enough to allow the diagonal’s
barrel to be fully inserted (Figure 10). Then tighten the two
thumbscrews.
9. Now insert the 20mm Kellner eyepiece (H) into the diag-
onal and tighten the thumbscrew to lock the eyepiece in
place (Figure 11).
The telescope is now completely assembled! Before it can be
effectively used, however, there are a couple of things to do to
prepare the telescope for operation.
Figure 2. The GoScope III 70mm Travel Refractor telescope fully
assembled, with key parts identied.
A
E
H
D
B
F
G
Figure 3. Setting up the tripod.
Ballast
hook
Leg lock
clamps
Center
post lock
collar

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3. Preparing the Telescope
for Operation
Aligning and Using the Finder Scope
The included 5x24 nder scope provides a wide eld of view at
5x magnication (the “24” in 5x24 is the diameter of the nder’s
front lens in millimeters). This makes it easier to nd your observ-
ing target and center it for viewing in the main telescope.
Before you can use the nder scope, it must be aligned with the
main telescope.
1. First, remove the dust cap (J) from the front of the tele-
scope.
2. Then, with the 20mm eyepiece (H) already in the focuser
from step 9 above, point the telescope at a well-dened
land target (e.g., the top of a telephone pole) that’s at least
a quarter mile away. When pointing the telescope, be sure
to loosen the azimuth lock knob and twist the pan handle
counterclockwise to allow the telescope to rotate freely about
both axes horizontal and vertical axes (see Figure 12).
3. Center the target in the main telescope’s eyepiece. (You
can get even a more precise alignment by switching to the
9mm eyepiece and centering the target object in it.)
4. Now look in the nder scope. Use the three thumbscrews
on the nder scope bracket to center the target object on
the intersection of the crosshairs in the nder’s eld of
view. Start by loosening one thumbscrew a half turn or so,
then lightly tightening one or both of the others and see of
the target object moves closer to the crosshairs, or farther
away. Keep adjusting the thumbscrews accordingly until
the target object is centered.
5. Now make sure the object is still centered in the tele-
scope’s eyepiece. If it isn’t, re-center it then adjust the nd-
er scope’s alignment again. When the object is centered
in the telescope eyepiece and in the nder scope, the
nder scope is properly aligned with the telescope. The
nder scope’s alignment should be checked before every
observing session.
Operating the Tripod and Pan Head
The GoScope III 70mm refractor features a standard, “altaz-
imuth” pan head mount, which permits motion along two per-
pendicular axes: altitude (up/down) and azimuth (left/right). This
makes pointing the telescope easy and intuitive. To move the
telescope in the azimuth direction, loosen the azimuth lock knob
a turn or so (Figure 12), then take hold of the pan handle and
gently move it left or right. To move the telescope in altitude, twist
the pan handle counterclockwise then move the tube up or down
to the desired position. You can then re-tighten the azimuth lock
knob and the pan handle, or you can leave them slightly loose so
that you can freely move the tube in any direction when desired.
The top plate of the pan head can also be tilted 90-degrees
laterally by loosening the tilt lock knob (see Figure 12). While
this feature may not be particularly useful when viewing with the
telescope, it can come in handy if you replaced the telescope
Figure 4. The assembled tripod with pan head.
Figure 5. Remove the quick-release plate from the pan head by
rotating the lock lever to the open position.
Wing nut
Quick-release plate
Lock
lever

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on the pan head with a DSLR camera, allowing quick switching
between landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical) camera
orientations.
The tripod also comes equipped with a geared center column,
which provides additional height for the scope when needed.
(See Figure 13.) To extend the column, rst loosen the center
column lock knob a half turn or so. Then pull the crank handle
outward and rotate it clockwise. When you reach the desired
height, retighten the lock knob. To lower the center column, loos-
en the lock knob then rotate the crank handle counterclockwise.
Eyepiece Selection
Magnication, or power, is determined by the focal length of
the telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece being used.
Therefore, by using eyepieces of different focal lengths, the
resultant magnication can be varied. It is quite common for an
observer to own ve or more eyepieces to access a wide range
of magnications. This allows the observer to choose the best
eyepiece to use depending on the object being viewed and
viewing conditions. Your GoScope III 70mm refractor comes
with 20mm and 9mm Kellner eyepieces, which will suffice nice-
ly to begin with. You can purchase additional eyepieces later if
you wish to have more magnication options.
Magnication is calculated as follows:
Telescope Focal Length (mm)
= Magnication
Eyepiece Focal Length (mm)
For example, the GoScope III 70mm has a focal length of
400mm, which when used with the supplied 20mm eyepiece
yields:
400 mm
= 20x
20 mm
The magnication provided by the 10mm eyepiece is:
400 mm
= 44x
9 mm
The maximum attainable magnication for a telescope is directly
related to how much light it can gather. The larger the aperture,
the more magnication is possible. In general, a gure of 50x per
inch of aperture is the maximum attainable for most telescopes.
Going beyond that will yield simply blurry, unsatisfactory views.
Your GoScope III 70mm has an aperture of 70mm, or 2.8 inches,
so the maximum magnication would be about 140x (2.8 x 50).
Figure 6. a) Attach the quick-release plate to the dovetail
mounting plate on the telescope. b) Slide the quick-release
plate into the pan head’s saddle by tilting it and then pressing
downward. c) Finally, close the lock lever to secure the telescope
on the pan head.
“D” Ring
Dovetail
mounting
plate
Lock lever
in open
position
Lock lever in
locked position
Quick-
release
plate
Threaded
post
Figure 7.Curl the plastic strip and slide it into the open tube of
the nder scope bracket.
Clear plastic
strip
a
b
c

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This level of magnication assumes you have ideal atmospheric
conditions for observing (which is seldom the case).
Keep in mind that as you increase magnication, the brightness
of the object viewed will decrease; this is an inherent principle
of the laws of physics and cannot be avoided. If magnication is
doubled, an image appears four times dimmer. If magnication is
tripled, image brightness is reduced by a factor of nine!
So start by using the lower-power 20mm eyepiece, then try
switching to the 10mm eyepiece later if you want to boost the
magnication.
Focusing the Telescope
To focus the telescope, turn the focus wheels (Figure 12) for-
ward or back until you see your target object in the eyepiece.
Then make ner adjustments until the image is sharp. If you’re
having trouble achieving initial focus, rack the focuser draw-
tube all the way in using the focus wheels, then while look-
ing into the eyepiece slowly turn the focus wheels so that the
drawtube extends outward. Keep going until you see your tar-
get object come into focus. Note that when you change eye-
pieces you may have to adjust the focus a bit to get a sharp
image with the newly inserted eyepiece.
What’s That Hook?
You may have noticed a hook at the bottom of the tripod’s center
post (see Figure 3). That’s called a ballast hook, and it allows
you to hang a weight on the tripod to help stabilize it if, say, it’s
windy outside. Carry a plastic bag with you and ll it with what-
ever is at hand, such as rocks or sand. Then hang the bag from
the hook.
4. Viewing with the GoScope
III 70mm
The Orion GoScope III 70mm is equipped with the optics
to give you a “correct-image” view, similar to what you can
see with binoculars. Because of this, the GoScope III is an
excellent terrestrial telescope for viewing terrestrial scenes
during daylight hours. But it also excels for nighttime viewing,
enabling you to see hundreds of craters on the Moon, the four
major moons of Jupiter, the major cloud bands on Jupiter and
Figure 8. Slide the nder scope tube, eyepiece end rst, into
the bracket, making sure the plastic strip surrounds the tube. The
strip should be just barely visible when the nder scope is fully
inserted, as shown.
Figure 9. To
install the nder
scope bracket,
remove the two
thumb nuts on
the optical tube
to expose the
threaded posts,
then place the
bracket over the
posts. Replace the
two thumbnuts to
secure it.
Edge of plastic strip
Threaded post
Figure 10.Insert the 45-degree correct-image diagonal into the
focuser drawtube and secure it with the two thumbscrews.
Figure 11.Insert the eyepiece into the diagonal and secure it
with the thumbscrew.
Thumbscrews
Thumbscrew

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the rings of Saturn. When Mars is in the sky, you’ll be able to
see its form, but surface details are likely too faint and small to
see in this telescope. If you take the GoScope III to a location
away from city lights (the darker, the better) a telescope of this
size can show you a lot! For example, most of the famous “M
objects,” or Messier objects, can be found with this telescope.
You’ll need a star map and patience, but this scope can show
you open star clusters, globular star clusters, gaseous nebu-
las, and even galaxies outside our own Milky Way galaxy.
Best Targets
Best targets for city users:
• Daytime, terrestrial views
• The Moon
• Venus
• Jupiter
• Saturn
Best targets for rural users (everything above, plus):
• The Great Nebula in Orion – a spectacular glowing cloud
of gas in Orion’s sword; this is a “stellar maternity ward,”
a place where new stars are forming.
• The Summer Milky Way – the GoScope is well suited
to scanning the Milky Way to “discover” dozens of star
clusters.
• The Pleiades (M45) – a bright open star cluster
• The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) – the brightest external
galaxy
• The Double Cluster in Perseus
• M11, M6 & M7 – three bright, summer star clusters
• The Beehive Cluster – A big, open star cluster in the spring
sky
• The Great Cluster in Hercules M13 – a wonderful globular
star cluster, spring & summer
• M22 – another grand globular star cluster in Sagittarius,
a summer constellation
Where Can I Use My GoScope?
Terrestrial viewing: Anywhere you can take it! The 70mm
GoScope III is a powerful “spotting” scope or terrestrial tele-
scope that is more powerful than binoculars to give you real
close-ups. For best results, DO NOT VIEW OUT WINDOWS.
The glass in a window is approximately 1000 times less accu-
rate than the optics of your GoScope – so it will soften your
views, and things will seem to be slightly out of focus. If you
must view through a window, use the lowest power available.
For nighttime, astronomical viewing: Again, use the GoScope
anywhere, but if you want to see objects outside our solar
system (“deep sky objects”) you’ll need to get away from city
lights. We know this isn’t practical for many people most of the
time, but that’s why the GoScope is made to be so portable –
take it with you on vacation or to a remote “star party.”
Figure 13.Use
the crank handle to
move the geared
center column up or
down, making sure to
rst loosen the center
column lock knob a
bit.
Figure 14.The
GoScope optical
tube, tripod, and
accessories all t
conveniently and
securely in the
rugged backpack,
ready to travel to
your next adventure.
Figure 12.
Use the pan
handle to
smoothly move
the telescope
horizontally and
vertically.
Pan handle
Tilt lock knob
Center
column
lock knob
Center
column
Crank
handle
Azimuth lock knob

9
You wouldn’t be able to nd a new city without a map, so how
do you nd a new object in the sky? Use a planisphere and/or
a star map; Orion offers several. To nd an object, rst locate
it on the map and note its position relative to several bright
stars. Then nd the bright star with your unaided eye and “hop”
from star to star to where the object should be located. We
also recommend you check out Orion’s Community webpage
for videos and articles on how to nd objects in the sky and
how to use star charts and planispheres.
The GoScope III 70mm includes a rugged backpack for taking
the telescope, tripod, and all accessories with you wherever
you go (Figure 14). So get out there and enjoy the views!
5. Useful Optional
Accessories
• Moon Filter – A 1.25” Moon lter will cut down the strong
glare of sunlight reected from the Moon, making Moon
viewing more comfortable and revealing more surface
detail. The lter threads into the bottom of the Kellner eye-
pieces that came with your telescope.
• Barlow Lens – A 2x Barlow lens doubles the magnify-
ing power of any eyepiece it’s used with, giving you a big
power boost to get in closer to your target object. You just
insert it between the diagonal and the eyepiece.
• Planisphere – A nifty “star wheel” that shows what stars
and constellations are visible in the sky at any time of any
night. Just set the date and time see a mini representation
of your local night sky. Great for identifying what you see
and planning an evening’s observing session.
• Star Map – More detailed than a planisphere, a star map is
essential for locating interesting celestial objects to observe
with your telescope. Nowadays many mobile astronomy
apps feature customizable star maps that you can access
on your smartphone or tablet while you’re at the telescope.
6. Telescope Care and
Maintenance
If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a lifetime.
Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place, safe from rapid changes
in temperature and humidity. Do not store the telescope outdoors,
although storage in a garage or shed is OK. Small components
like eyepieces and other accessories should be kept in a protec-
tive box or storage case. Keep the dust cover on the front of the
telescope when it is not in use.
Your refractor telescope requires very little mechanical mainte-
nance. The optical tube has a smooth painted nish that is fairly
scratch-resistant. If a scratch does appear on the tube, it will not
harm the telescope. If you wish, you may apply some auto touch-
up paint to the scratch. Smudges on the tube can be wiped off
with a soft cloth and household cleaning uid.
Cleaning Optics
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens clean-
ing uid specically designed for multi-coated optics can be used
to clean the lenses of your telescope and eyepieces. Never use
regular glass cleaner or cleaning uid designed for eyeglasses.
Before cleaning, remove any loose particles or dust from the lens
with a blower bulb or soft brush. Then apply some cleaning uid
to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the lens gently in a
circular motion, then remove any excess uid with a fresh lens
tissue. Oily ngerprints and smudges may be removed using this
method. Use caution; rubbing too hard may scratch the lens. On
larger lenses, clean only a small area at a time, using a fresh lens
tissue on each area. Never reuse tissues.
When bringing the telescope inside after an evening’s viewing it
is normal for moisture to accumulate on the lenses due to the
change in temperature. We suggest leaving the telescope and
eyepieces uncovered overnight to allow the condensation to
evaporate.
7. Specifications
Objective lens: 70mm (2.8") diameter, achromatic
Effective focal length: 400mm
Focal ratio: f/5.7
Lens coatings: Antireection coated
Focuser: Rack-and-pinion, accepts 1.25" accessories
Eyepieces: 20mm and 9mm Kellner, antireflection coated,
1.25" barrel diameter, threaded for Orion lters
Eyepiece magnication: 20x (with 20mm eyepiece) and 44x (with
9mm eyepiece)
Finder scope: 5x24 achromatic
Mount: Altazimuth, pan head
Tripod: Aluminum
Telescope tube length: 14"
Tripod length, collapsed: 18"
Tripod height, minimum: 17-3/4"
Tripod height, maximum: 43-1/2"
Backpack dimensions: 17" high x 11" wide x 6" deep
Total weight, including backpack: 4 lbs., 4 oz.

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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 defec-
tive, 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.
Orion®Telescopes & Binoculars
Corporate Offices: 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076 - USA
Customer Support: www.OrionTelescopes.com/contactus
Copyright © 2017 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.