Orion VersaGo III User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
IN 447 Rev. A 04/12
Customer Support [phone] • E-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Offices [phone] • 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
© 2012 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars
Orion® VersaGo™ III Micro-Motion
Altazimuth Mount
#5779
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
OrionTelescopes.com

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Congratulations on your purchase of a qual-
ity Orion product. Your VersaGo III Micro-Motion
Altazimuth Mount is a sturdy and versatile mount
for a small to medium 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 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 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.
Parts List
Tripod assembly
Altazimuth head
Accessory tray
Center support shaft
Knurled lock nut (for accessory tray)
Altitude slow motion cable (short)
Azimuth slow motion cable (long)
Hex key
Carefully open all of the boxes in the shipping container.
Make sure all the parts listed in the Parts List are present.
Save the boxes 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 extremely easy as the mount
is mostly pre-assembled at the factory. Just install the head
onto the tripod and attach the accessory tray. Unpack all of the
parts and lay them out in your workspace before beginning.
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 knurled lock nut onto the center support shaft
(with barbell and end nuts).
3. Slide the Accessory tray, flat side up, against the knurled
lock nut on the center support shaft. The order of parts can
be seen in Figure 2.
4. Place the base of the VersaGo III head into the base of
the tripod. Orient the VersaGo III head so that the post on
the base (referencing north) of the tripod lines up with the
notch on the VersaGo head.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Altitude slow
motion cable
Azimuth slow
motion cable
Azimuth
lock knob
Altitude
lock knob

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5. Thread the center support shaft into the VersaGo III head
until tight. Hold the mount head with one hand while tight-
ening the center support shaft with the other. Be careful
not to cross thread when assembling. This will secure the
VersaGo III head to the base of the tripod.
6. Tighten the accessory tray against the tripod by threading
the knurled lock nut against the tray.
7. Attach the two slow motion control cables to the brass
fitting on the VersaGo III mount. Tighten the slow motion
cable with the thumbscrew to secure it in place. Typically
the shorter cable is used for altitude slow motion, and the
longer cable is used for the azimuth slow motion.
Setting Up the Mount
The VersaGo III mount configuration can be adjusted to suit
your intended use. The fork arm can be adjusted for daytime
terrestrial/multipurpose use when set vertically, or it can be
set to a 60° angle for star gazing. Not only does this balance
the telescope better, but it allows many optical tube to point
vertical to the zenith without running into the tripod.
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 star gazing and
usually supports angles higher than 60° with most telescopes.
For Star Gazing
1. Locate the two socket head screws that support the
fork arm and remove them with the provided hex key
(Figure 3).
2. Rotate the fork arm downward (towards the azimuth slow
motion cable) until the next two threaded holes are aligned
on the fork arm.
3. Reattach the two socket head screws
Adjust the Azimuth Slow Motion Cable Angle
When the fork arm is set for star gazing, 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 adjusting
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 4).
Figure 3.
Figure 4.

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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.
Refer to Figure 5.1 and 5.2 to see different mount configu-
rations. Note the angle of the azimuth slow motion cable
in Figure 5.2.
Connecting a Telescope
The VersaGo III mount was designed to be used with tele-
scopes of apertures 8" or less; telescopes larger than this
will not be able to point at 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 it may not provide
adequate stability.
To connect a telescope, a dovetail mounting 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 accessory 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 6). These accessories are avail-
able 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 mounting bar on your telescope
tube, connecting the telescope to the mount is easy. First,
unthread the knurled black plastic thumbscrew and safety
thumbscrew on the VersaGo III’s dovetail holder until the tips
are flush with the interior wall of the dovetail holder. Then,
insert the telescope’s dovetail bar into the mount’s dovetail
holder, and tighten the thumbscrews firmly. The telescope
and dovetail bar will be installed on the mount as shown in
Figure 7.
Note: If you have a telescope with a dovetail mount-
ing bar attached directly to the tube, or you are using
the 1/4"- 20 dovetail adapter), the finderscope 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
Figure 5.1. Daytime/All-purpose configuration. Figure 5.2. Stargazing configuration.

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uncomfortable. Contact Orion Customer Service or visit
our website (oriontelescopes.com) for additional prod-
uct information.
For best up-and-down motion, the telescope should be bal-
anced front-to-back when positioned horizontally. You can bal-
ance the telescope by loosening the thumbscrew slightly, and
moving the dovetail bar slightly forward or back in the dovetail
holder. If you are using tube rings, you can move the telescope
tube forward or back in the tube rings. When the telescope
doesn’t move up-and-down by itself when the arm’s tensioning
knob is not very tight, you have achieved good balance.
Using the VersaGo III Mount
The VersaGo III mounts allow motion of the telescope in
two axes: altitude (up-and-down) and azimuth (left-to-right).
Hence, the VersaGo III is an “altazimuth” mount. Loosen the
two lock levers, one for altitude and one for azimuth, then
move the telescope to your desired location.
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 star gazing. Tighten the two lock levers before using
the slow motion control cables. If you need to make larger
movements, loosen the lock levers and reposition the tele-
scope before tightening the levers again.
Unlike many altazimuth mounts, the VersaGo III can be set up
to point a telescope at zenith (straight up).This makes it espe-
cially 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
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 lock levers and 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 leg extension lock
screws (Figure 8) to allow the tripod leg to extend.
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.
Figure 7.
Figure 8.
Figure 6. 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
Telescope
dovetail
Dovetail attachment
thumbscrew
Safety
thumbscrew
Dovetail
mounting bar

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Your mount requires very little mechanical maintenance. The
mount 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
cleaning, 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"
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]
© 2012 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars