Orion OBSERVER 70MM AZ User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
IN 210 Rev. B 02/09
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
Customer Support [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Corporate Offices [phone]
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
Orion®
Observer™70mm AZ
#9881 Altazimuth Refractor Telescope

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Table of Contents
1. Unpacking........................ 3
2. Parts List......................... 3
3. The Basic Components of
Your Telescope .................... 5
4. Assembly ....................... 10
5. Getting Started ................... 10
6. Using Your Telescope .............. 12
7. Care and Maintenance ............. 15
8. Specifications .................... 16
1. Unpacking
The entire telescope system will arrive in one box. Be careful
unpacking the box since some of the contents are small and
easy to overlook. We recommend keeping all the original
packaging. In the event you need to ship the telescope to
another location, or return it to Orion for warranty repair, hav-
ing the proper packaging will help ensure that your telescope
will survive the journey intact.
Make sure all the parts in the parts list are present. Familiarize
yourself with their features and compare them to the callouts
on Figures 1, 2, and 3 when possible. If anything appears to
be missing or broken, immediately call Orion Customer
Support (1-800-676-1343) for assistance.
2. Parts List
Qty. Description (Figure callout #)
1 Optical tube assembly (1)
1 Altazimuth yoke mount (5)
1 Altitude micro-motion control rod and thumbwheel
(13)
3 Tripod legs (6) with attached accessory tray bracket
(22)
1 Accessory tray (7)
1 EZ Finder II reflex sight (4)
1 EZ Finder II mounting bracket (11)
3 Tripod attachment screws (21) with wingnuts and
washers
3 Accessory tray attachment wing screws
3 Leg lock knobs (23)
2 Yoke knobs (18)
1 25mm Explorer II eyepiece (3)
1 10mm Explorer II eyepiece (24)
1 90° mirror star diagonal (2)
1 Dust cover (25)
Welcome to the exciting world of amateur astronomy. Your new Observer 70 Altazimuth Refractor is a
quality optical instrument that will deliver countless hours of exciting stargazing, from magnified views of
the Moon, star clusters and nebulas to glimpses of Jupiter’s moons and Saturn’s rings. The Observer 70
includes everything you need to go from box to backyard in less than half an hour.
These instructions will help you set up, use and care for your new telescope.
Warning: Never look directly at the Sun through
your telescope or its finder scope—even for an
instant—without a professionally made solar
filter that completely covers the front of the
instrument, or permanent eye damage could
result. Young children should use this telescope
only with adult supervision.
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Figure 1. Observer 70 Components.
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1
4
3
2
6
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Observer 70 Refractor

1Optical tube
This is the main optical component of the telescope. The
glass lens at the front of the tube gathers incoming
light and focuses it by bending (or refracting) the light
rays. The tube assembly has several parts built into it,
which are shown and discussed in detail in the next
section.
290° Mirror star diagonal
The diagonal contains a mirror that reflects the light gath-
ered through the optical tube to the eyepiece. The diag-
onal is angled to allow for viewing objects that are high
in the sky from a comfortable position.
325mm Explorer II eyepiece
The eyepiece is the part of the telescope that you actually
look through to see things. The focal length of the eye-
piece and the telescope determines the magnifying
power of the telescope. Magnification is discussed in
more detail in the Using Your Telescope section.
4EZ Finder II reflex sight
This is a special “finder” that helps you aim the telescope
and locate objects in the sky for viewing.The EZ Finder
II generates a red LED “dot” that shows where your
telescope is aimed. The use of the EZ Finder II is dis-
cussed in the Getting Started section.
5Altazimuth yoke mount
The mount couples the telescope to the tripod and allows
you to move the optical tube easily both up and down
and right and left.
6Tripod legs
These aluminum tripod legs support the telescope and
can extend from 27" to 50" long.
7Accessory tray
This tray is a convenient place for holding extra eyepieces
and other small pieces of equipment.
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3. The Basic Components of Your Telescope
Figure 1 shows the fully assembled Observer 70. All the major components of the telescope are described and numbered to
help you identify each part and understand its use. Refer back to this figure when assembling the telescope.

Figure 2a. Optical tube components.
Figure 2b. Observer 70 focuser detail.
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9
10
11
12
14 15
16
1
3
13
18
Observer 70 Telescope Tube
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15 14
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17
2
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8Objective lens
This is the main optical component of the telescope. It is
an achromatic, fully coated 70mm diameter lens.
9Glare/Dew shield
This is a simple hood for the objective lens (8) that pre-
vents dew formation and stray light from hitting the
lens.
10 Altitude castings
These castings are built into the optical tube (1). The yoke
knobs (18) thread into these castings through the holes
in the top of the yoke altazimuth mount (5) to secure
the two parts together.
11 EZ Finder II mounting bracket
This secures the EZ Finder II (4) to the optical tube (1).
12 Micro-motion rod attachment post
This post is where the micro-motion rod (13) attaches to
the optical tube (1).
13 Altitude micro-motion control rod and thumb-
wheel
This allows fine adjustment of the telescope in the alti-
tude (up-down) direction. For more details, see the
Getting Started section.
14 Focuser drawtube
This is where the 90° mirror star diagonal (2) is inserted.
The drawtube is adjusted by the turning the focus
wheel (15), which adjusts a rack-and-pinion gear sys-
tem to bring objects into focus.
15 Focus wheels
These wheels, when turned, move the focuser drawtube
(14) in or out. Use it to bring things into focus when you
are looking in the eyepiece (3).
16 Diagonal holder thumbscrews
These two thumbscrews secure the 90° mirror star diago-
nal (2) into the focuser drawtube (14). These should
only be loosened to remove or rotate the star diago-
nal.
17 Eyepiece holder thumbscrews
These thumbscrews hold the eyepiece in position. Tighten
them after inserting an eyepiece (3); loosen them
before removing or changing eyepieces.
18 Yoke knobs
These knobs secure the optical tube to the altazimuth
yoke mount (5). They should always be securely tight-
ened.
Details of the Optical Tube and Components
Figure 2a shows the details of the optical tube (1) and its various parts. The optical tube is shown attached to the mount for clar-
ity. Figure 2b is a close up of the focuser with even more detail.
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Figure 3b. Observer 70 Tripod leg and mount attachment detail.
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Figure 3a. Tripod and mount detail.
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21
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Observer 70 Tripod and Mount
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19
21
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20
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19 Altitude lock knob
This locks the telescope in the altitude (up/down) direction.
Keep this knob tightened unless you are moving the
telescope a significant distance in the altitude direction.
For smaller altitude adjustments, use the altitude micro-
motion control rod and thumbwheel (13).
20 Azimuth lock knob
This locks the telescope in the azimuth (left/right) direc-
tion. Keep this knob tightened unless you are adjusting
the telescope in the azimuth direction.
21 Tripod leg attachment screws
These screws attach the tripod legs (6) to the altazimuth
yoke mount (5). Each screw has a wingnut and two
washers.
22 Accessory tray bracket
This bracket holds the accessory tray (7).
23 Leg lock knobs
These knobs lock the tripod legs into place. Loosen them
to lengthen or shorten the tripod legs. Tighten them
once you have the leg at the desired length. Be certain
that all three tripod legs are equally extended to assure
your telescope is level.
Items not shown.
These items are included with your telescope, but are not
shown in Figure 1, 2 or 3.
10mm Explorer II eyepiece
This is a second, high-powered eyepiece, providing 70x magni-
fication. For more details see the Using your Telescope section.
Dust cover
Use this to cover the objective lens (8) when the telescope is
not in use. It will prevent dust from collecting on the objective
lens.
Details of the Tripod and Mount
Figure 3a shows a close up of the telescope’s mount and tripod. Important features are pointed out for greater clarity and detail.
Figure 3b shows a close-up detail of the tripod legs (6) attached to the altazimuth yoke mount (5).

4. Assembly
Assembling the telescope for the first time should take about
30 minutes. The only tools you will need are a Phillips head
screwdriver and a flat head screwdriver. As a general note,
tighten all screws securely to eliminate flexing and wobbling,
but be careful not to over-tighten and thereby strip the threads.
Refer to Figures 1 through 4 during the assembly process.
During assembly (and any other time, for that matter), do not
touch the surfaces of the telescope objective lens or the lens-
es of the reflex sight and eyepieces with your fingers. These
optical surfaces have delicate coatings that can easily be
damaged if touched. Never remove any lens assembly from
its housing for any reason, or the product warranty will be
voided.
Begin set-up of the telescope by assembling the tripod and
mount first:
1. Lay the altazimuth yoke mount (5) on its side. Attach the
tripod legs (6), one at a time, to the base of the mount by
sliding a tripod leg attachment screw (21) through the top
of a leg and through the holes in the base of the mount.
The washers should be on the outside of the tripod legs.
Secure the wing nuts finger-tight. Figure 3b shows a close-
up detail of the screws attaching the tripod legs to the
altazimuth mount.
2. Install and tighten the leg lock knobs (23) on the bottom
braces of the tripod legs (6). For now, keep the legs at their
shortest (fully retracted) length; you can extend them to a
more desirable length later, once the tripod is completely
assembled.
3. Stand the tripod and mount upright and spread the tripod
legs (6) apart as far as they will go, until the accessory tray
bracket (22) is taut. Connect the accessory tray (7) to the
accessory tray bracket (22) with the three wing screws
already installed in the tray. Push the wing screws up
through the holes in the accessory tray bracket and thread
them into the holes in the accessory tray.
4. Tighten the tripod leg attachment screws (21) at the tops
of the tripod legs so the legs are securely fastened to the
mount. Use the Phillips head screwdriver and/or your fin-
gers to do this.
5. Attach the altitude micro-motion rod and thumbwheel (13)
to the optical tube (1) by first removing the flat-head screw
from the micro-motion rod attachment post (12) on the
side of the optical tube. Slide the screw through the hole at
the end of the micro-motion rod and rethread the screw
into the attachment post. Make sure the screw is tight-
ened.
The tripod is now completely assembled and the altazimuth
yoke mount is ready for the installation of the optical tube:
6. To install the optical tube (1) in the altazimuth yoke mount
(5), first slide the altitude micro-motion control rod into its
receptacle, at the same location as the altitude lock knob
(19)) on the side of the yoke. (Figure 4). Then, with the rod
in place in the receptacle, gently drop the optical tube into
the yoke so that the holes in the altitude castings (10) on
the side of the optical tube line up with the holes in the top
of the altazimuth yoke mount (5). Slide the yoke knobs
(18) through the holes in the top of the mount and thread
them into the altitude castings on the optical tube. Tighten
the altitude lock knob (19) securely.
7. Unthread the two knurled metal thumbnuts located on the
optical tube (1) and place the holes in the base of the EZ
Finder II mounting bracket (11) over the two threaded
shafts. Then thread the metal thumbnuts back on the
shafts to secure the mounting bracket to the optical tube.
8. Attach the EZ Finder II reflex sight (4) to the EZ Finder II
mounting bracket (11). Loosen the two securing thumb-
screws on the EZ Finder II (Figure 6) and slide it onto the
mounting bracket. Tighten the two securing thumbscrews.
You will align the EZ Finder II later, in the Getting Started
section.
9. Insert the chrome barrel of the 90° mirror star diagonal (2)
into the focuser drawtube (14). See Figure 3. Secure the
star diagonal with the diagonal holder thumbscrews (16).
10. Insert the chrome barrel of the 25mm Explorer II eyepiece
(3) into the 90° mirror star diagonal (2). Secure the eye-
piece in the diagonal with the eyepiece holder thumb-
screws (17). The eyepiece and diagonal properly installed
should resemble Figure 2b.
Your telescope is now fully assembled and should resemble
Figures 1-3.
5. Getting Started
Now that your Observer 70 is assembled, you’re ready to
begin observing. This section will instruct you on using your
telescope effectively.
Altitude and Azimuth (Aiming the Telescope)
The Observer 70 altazimuth mount (5) permits motion along
two axes: altitude (up/down) and azimuth (left/right) (Figure
5). Moving the telescope up/down and right/left is the “natural”
way people aim objects and this makes pointing the telescope
intuitive and easy.
Figure 4. Installing the optical tube in the “yoke” altazimuth mount.
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