Vixen FL55SS User manual

Instruction Manual for

2
PREFACE
Thank you very much for your purchase of a Vixen astronomical telescope.
This manual applies to FL55SS refracting telescope. You may occasionally find descriptions in the text not relevant to your model. Read
instructions for your mount along with this manual if you purchase the telescope as a complete package.
Never look directly at the sun with the telescope or its finder scope or eyepiece. Permanent and irreversible eye
damage may result.
Thank you very much for your purchase of a Vixen astronomical telescope.
WARNING
Do not leave the optical tube uncapped in the daytime. Sunlight passing through the telescope or finder scope may
cause a fire.
Do not use the product while moving or walking, injuries could result from a collision with objects or from stumbling or
falling.
Keep small caps, plastic bags or plastic packing materials away from children. These may cause a danger of
swallowing or suffocation.
CAUTION
HANDLING AND STORAGE
Do not leave the product inside a car in bright sunshine, or in other hot places. Keep away strong heat source away from the product.
When cleaning, do not use solvents such as paint thinner or similar products.
Do not expose the product to rain, water, dirt or sand.
Avoid touching any lens surfaces directly with your hands. In case a lens becomes dirty with fingerprints or general smears, gently
wipe it using a commercially available lens cleaner and lens cleaning paper or cloth, or consult your local Vixen dealer.
Blow off dust on lenses using a commercially available blower brush.
For storage, keep the product in a dry place and do not expose to direct sunlight.

3
CONTENTS
The FL55SS shipping box contains the items listed below. Check if all the items are included.
FL55SS Optical Tube
Extension Tube VC
Allen wrench of 5mm on a side
Dovetail Slide Bar M (Already attached)
M4X12mm screws for Finder Bracket Shoe
Instruction Manual (This booklet)
①
②
③
④
⑤
⑥
1
1
1
1
2
1
①
②
②
③
⑤
④
⑥Instruction Manual (This booklet)
FL55SS Optical TubeExtension Tube VC
Allen wrench of 5mm on a side
M4X12mm screws for Finder Bracket Shoe
Extension Tube VC
Dovetail Slide Bar M
(Already attached)

35mm
1/4 inch x 2
3/8 inch
40mm
54mm
Eyepiece Setscrew
Threaded holes for 1/4”
camera-tripod screw
A threaded hole for 3/8”
camera-tripod screw
Dew Shield
It avoids generating ghost
from surrounding lights.
Focus Knob
Drawing in or out the drawtube
to focus. An optional Dual
Speed Focuser is available.
Dovetail Slide Bar M
It fits directly to the
Dovetail Mounting Block.
Drawtube Lock Screw
It is used to hold the drawtube.
Extension Tube VC
It is attached to the 60mm drawtube
in diameter.
Removing the Dovetail Slide Bar M with a 5mm
Allen wrench will reveal the threaded holes for a
camera tripod. The threaded holes are
applicable to 1/4” and 3/8” camera-tripod screws.
Eyepiece Adapter 31.7mm
Insert an eyepiece with
31.7mm barrel sold separately.
M60 to 43AD Ring
It is attached to the Extension
Tube VC to convert the 60mm
drawtube to 43mm in diameter.
M4X12mm screws for Finder Bracket Shoe
These screws are used to attach a finder bracket shoe sold
separately. Be sure to use the M4x12mm screws instead of
the ones originally supplied to the finder bracket shoe.
Objective Lens (Inside)
4
NAME OF EACH PART
Focuser
FL55SS Finder Bracket Shoe (Optional)
The supplied
M4X12mm screws
AttachingtheFL55SSto
acommerciallyavailable
cameratripod.
Mounting block on the bottom

D=55mm f=300mm
VixenCo.,Ltd. MADEIN JAPAN
5
SETTING UP THE TELESCOPE
The Finder bracket shoe is available for the 50mm Finder
Bracket II or XY Red Dot Finder II.
Finder Scope
Caution:Never use the screws that are provided the finder
bracket shoe. The long screws will exceed the allowable
depth of the thread and this could result in damage to the
drawtube.
Loosen both the dovetail plate lock screw and safety screw
until the tips of these screws no longer extended into the inner
part of the dovetail block.
Slide the dovetail slide bar M on the optical tube into the
dovetail mounting block as shown in the figure and tighten the
dovetail lock screw until snug. First tighten the dovetail lock
screw, and then tighten the small chrome safety screw.
Attaching the Optical Tube to a Mount
Be sure to use the two M4x12mm screws included in the package
of the FL55SS to attach the finder bracket shoe that is sold
separately.
Place the finder bracket shoe so that the sunken part on the
attachment surface of the finder bracket shoe faces the
eyepiece side of the FL55SS. Securely tighten the screws
with a Philipps head screw driver.
Attaching the Finder Bracket Shoe (Optional)
Dovetail
Slide Bar M
Sunken part
Sunken
Setscrew
Safety Screw
Lock Screw
Finder Bracket Shoe
(Optional)
Finder Bracket Shoe
Finder Bracket
(Optional)
M4x12mm screws
(two pieces)
Finder Setscrew
7X50mm Finder with illuminated
reticle (Optional)
The FL55SS and AP Mount are shown by way of example.
Refer to your mount instructions along with this manual.
The AP Mount is shown by way of example.
1
2

6
D=55mm f=300mm
VixenCo.,Ltd. MADEIN JAPAN
D=55mm f=300mm
VixenCo.,Ltd. MADEIN JAPAN
VISUAL OBSERVING
The telescope requires an eyepiece to view images. The
eyepiece determines magnification of your telescope.
The telescope may come with the eyepiece as standard
accessory when you purchase it as a package including a mount.
Eyepiece Visual Observing Configuration
Focusing the Telescope
Dividing the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the
eyepiece gives the magnification.
Example: Using the FL55SS with SLV20mm or SLV5mm eyepiece.
Look though the FL55SS with an
eyepiece of low magnification.
Turn the focus knob forward or
backward as shown in the
figure until images in the
eyepiece’s field of view come
to focus clearly.
Begin with an eyepiece with long focal length (large number
in millimeters). When using an eyepiece with short focal
length, the image becomes dimmer and the range of field of
view becomes narrower. Also, the range of sharp focus
becomes smaller.
Magnification of the Telescope
Eyepiece
SLV20mm
SLV5mm
Magnification
15x
60x
Telescope’s
focal length
300mm
300mm
Telescope’s
focal length
20mm
5mm
合 焦 ハ ンド ル
（フォーカスノブ）
Focus Knob
FL55SS Visual Back
Extension Tube VC
60mm to 43mm
AD Ring
Eyepiece Adapter 31.7
45mm DC Ring
45mm DC Ring
Eyepiece
31.7mm
(Optional)
Eyepiece
31.7mm
(Optional)
Prism Diagonal
31.7mm
(Optional)

7
Some of the optional accessories shown in this diagram will be needed if you take pictures with a
DSLR camera, a compact camera or a CCD video camera.
Photographic Configuration
T-C Ring
CCD Video Camera
T-Ring (appropriate to your camera)
T-Ring (appropriate to your camera)
Remove the inner ring
Smartphone
Camera
Adapter
LCD Monitor
Eyepiece Projection Adapter
Eyepiece 31.7mm
Eyepiece
31.7mm
FL55SS OTA EA42mm to
31.7mm SX
Flattener HD for FL55SS
*2
Filter 52mm
*1
*1 A filter may cause ghost if it is attached.
*2 It is included either in a Flattener HD Kit for FL55SS or a Reducer HD Kit for FL55SS.
Focal Reducer HD5.5
*2
EX Tube 66
*2
Wide Photo Adapter 60mm
Wide Photo Adapter 60DX for EOS
60mm Ring with
T-thread Adapter
DSLR Camera Body
DSLR Camera
Body
Canon EOS
(Canon Rebel)
Camera Body
Smartphone
Extension Tube VC
D=55mm f=300mm
VixenC o.,Ltd. MADEIN JAPAN

68キ-9-(DC1450GA)(M)
5-17-3 H i gashitokorozawa,Tokorozawa,Saitama359-0021, Japan
Phone [phone](International)
F a x [phone](International)
https://www.vixen.co.jp
Specifications
Objective Lens
Lens coatings
Effective Aperture
Focal Length
Focal Ratio
Light Gathering Power
Resolving Power
Limiting Magnitude
Focuser Design
Threads
Push-fit
Optical Tube Length
Outer Diameter
Weight
Dovetail Slide Bar M, Extension Tube VC, M4X12mm screws for attaching an
optional finder bracket shoe and 5mm Allen wrench
Objective Lens
Focuser
Dimensions and Weights
Accessories
Fluorite apochromatic lens
Multi-coated
55mm
300mm
f/5.5
62X unaided eye
2 .11 a r c s e c .
10.5
Rack-and-pinion focuser with drawtube lock screw
60mm, 43mm and 36.4mm
31.7mm
282mm
80mm
1.5 kgs / 3.3 lbs
Model FL55SS