Vixen Great polaris gp-dx User manual

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1

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"GREAT

POLARIS"

"GP-DX"

EQUATORIAL

MOUNT

TELESCOPE

INSTRUCTION

MANUAL

CONTENTS

"GREAT

POLARIS"

AND

"GP-DX"

EQUATORIAL

MOUNTS.3

FOR

FIRST

TIME

TELESCOPE

USERS

.

4

]

Step

1

|

Proper

assembly

of

the

telescope.4

|

Step

2

]

Installation

of

an

eyepiece.4

1

Step

3

|

First

operation

of

the

telescope

4

I

Step

4

1

Your

first

look.5

Step

5

1

Changing

eyepieces.7

1

Step

6^

Use

of

the

finderscope

.

7

Step

7

|

Your

first

observation-the

Moon!

8

|

Step

8~~[

Observing

Jupiter

and

Saturn.9

1

Step

9

Observing

the

Sun.g

|

Step

10'

General

Cautions

.

10

HOW

TO

SET

UP

THE

EQUATORIAL

MOUNT

TELESCOPE.

i

i

Roughly

Aligning

the

Polor

Axis

of

the

Telescope

11

Using

your

Polor

Axis

Scope

in

the

Northern

Hemisphere

12

Using

your

Polor

Axis

Scope

in

the

Southern

Hemisphere

13

Aligning

the

Polor

Axis

Scope

13

HOW

TO

USE

THE

R.A.

AND

DECL.

GRADUATION

RINGS

(SETTING

CIRCLES).15

HOW

TO

COLLIMATE

THE

OPTICAL

SYSTEM

OF

A

NEWTONIAN

REFLECTOR

.

16

CAMERA

ADAPTERS.17

MOTOR

DRIVES

.

18

PRECAUTIONS

Do

not

touch

the

lens

or

mirror

with

a

finger.

Do

not

drop

or

subject

the

telescope

to

hard

knocks.

Never

wipe

the

lens

or

mirror

with

a

hard

cloth.

Use

a

soft

silicone

cloth

or

lens

cleaning

tissue.

Never

use

the

telescope

in

the

water

or

in

Avoid

setting

up

the

telescope

at

a

rough

NEVER

LOOK

DIRECTLY

AT

THE

SUN

WITH

THE

TELESCOPE.

FINDERSCOPE

OR

EYEPIECE.

EYE

DAMAGE

AND

OR

DAMAGE

TO

THE

INSTRUMENTS

MAY

RESULT.

VixenAmerica.com

"GREAT

POLARIS"

AND

"GP-DX"

EQUATORIAL

MOUNTS

"GREAT

POLARIS"

Mount

'GP-DX"

Mount

Safety

Screw

Dovetail-Tube-Plate

Lock

Screw

Decl.

Clamp

Built-in

Illuminator

Illuminator

R.A.

damp

(opposite

side)

Decl.

Graduation

Ring

R.A.

Slow-Motion

Control

Knob

Altitude

Graduation

Weight-Shaft

Lock

Ring

Decl.

Graduation

Ring

Weight-Shaft

■

i

Lock

Ring

v#

,

R.A.

Motor

Cover

R.A.

Motor

Cover

Altitude

Adjustment

Screw

-—

40

_

Altitude

Graduation

Altitude

Adjustment

Screw

Bubble

Level

Bubble

Level

W

Azimuth

Adjustmei

f

Knob

Azimuth

Adjustmei

Knob

ide

Adjustment

Cfttfnterweight

Counterweight

Counterweight

Lock

Screw

Counterweight

Lock

Screw

Weight

Shaft

Weight

Shaft

Stopper

Stopper

Dovetail-Tube-Plate

Lock

Screw

Safety

Screw

r

(opposite

side)

J

R.A.

Clamp

Decl.

Clamp

((Specifications

of

"GREAT

POLARIS"

Mount})

/

~

”"7

c

-

•

R.A.

and

Decl.

axes

whole-circle

micro-move¬

ment,

1

44-tooth

worm

gears

•

R.A.

graduation

10'increment

•

Decl.

graduation

2

increment

•

R.A.

slow-motion

control

knob

attachable

to

either

side,

2.5

per

revolution

•

Decl.

slow-motion

control

knob

attachable

to

either

side,

2.5'per

revolution

•

Altitude

adjustment

0

to

62

,

about

2

per

revolution

of

adjustment

screw

•

Azimuth

adjustment.±5

about

1

per

revolution

of

adjustment

knob

•

R.A.

shaft

maximum

diameter

62mm

•

Decl.

shaft

maximum

diameter

62mm

•

Weight

shaft

diameter

20mm

•

Maximum

loading

weight

about

7kg

Polar

Alignment

Graduations

R:A.

Indicator

Graduatii

R.A.

and

Hod

Graduation

Rii

Date

Graduation

Diopter

Adjust]

Ring

I

Polar

Axis

Scopl

Built-in

Type

Illuminator

Optional

Batteries

■

((Specifications

of

"GP-DX"

Mount*

•

R.A.

and

Decl.

axes

whole-circle

micro-move¬

ment,

1

44-tooth

worm

gears

•

R.A.

graduation

10'increment

•

R.A.

and

Decl.

motor

drives

±1,5x

±2x

±32x

•

Altitude

adjustment

0

to

62

,about2

perrevo-

lution

of

adjustment

screw

•

Azimuth

adjustment

±20

,

about

1

per

revolu¬

tion

of

adjustment

knob

•

R.A.

shaft

maximum

diameter

62mm

•

Decl.

shaft

maximum

diameter

62mm

•

Weight

shaft

diameter

20mm

•

Maximum

loading

weight

about

10kg

VixenAmerica.com

FOR

FIRST

TIME

TELESCOPE

USERS

This

manual

will

provide

you

with

a

better

understanding

of

your

new

telescope

—including

its

features,

hardware

and

capabilities.

As

with

many

things,

the

better

you

understand

the

workings

of

the

equipment,

the

more

enjoyment

you

will

get

from

it.

This

is

particularly

true

of

telescopes.

So

take

a

few

moments

now

to

become

thoroughly

acquainted

with

your

new

telescope.

Mastering

an

astronomical

telescope

is

a

key

to

the

success

in

astronomical

observation.

Step

1

Proper

assembly

of

the

telescope

'

■

.

,'

Pay

particular

attention

to

the

following

when

assembling

the

telescope.

Make

sure

extension

clamps

that

fix

the

tripod

legs

and

a

fixing

knob

for

the

mount

on

the

underside

of

the

tripod

head

are

firmly

fastened.

They

provide

the

stability

which

is

so

important

to

quality

observation.

Step

2

Installation

of

an

eyepiece

©The

magnification

of

your

telescope

is

determined

by

the

eyepiece

you

use.

It

can

be

computed

with

the

following

formula.

Magnification

=

Focal

Length

of

Obj

ective

(

mm)

Focal

Length

of

Eyepiece

(mm)

©Read

the

writing

on

the

eyepiece,

and

you

may

find

characters

such

as

"K20mm",

"HMl2.5mm"

or

"LV5mm".

The

first

letter

represents

the

type

of

eyepiece

design,

the

number

that

follows

represents

the

focal

length

of

the

eyepiece.

As

the

number

gets

smaller,

the

magnification

power

of

the

eyepiece

becomes

greater,

thereby

allowing

the

viewer

to

observe

close-up

detail.

©Eyepieces

are

classified

into

three

sizes

of

barrel

diameter,

24.5mm,

31

7mm

and

50.8mm.

@To

set

a

24.5mm,

31.7mm

or

50.8mm

eyepiece,

insert

it

in

a

proper

24.5mm,

31.7mm

or

50.8mm

eyepiece

adapter

and

securely

tighten

the

eyepiece

setscrew.

Step

3

First

operation

of

the

telescope

©Unfasten

the

R.

A.

and

Decl.

clamps

and

you

can

move

the

optical

tube

in

a

full

range

of

motion.

CAUTION

:

DO

NOT

FORCE

THE

OPTICAL

TUBE

TO

MOVE

WHEN

THE

R.

A.

CLAMP

OR

DECL.

CLAMP

IS

FULLY

ENGAGED.

THIS

MAY

DAMAGE

PRECISION

PARTS

OF

THE

MOUNT.

VixenAmerica.com

To

eliminate

undue

stress

on

the

mount,

the

telescope

should

be

properly

balanced

after

all

the

standard

accessories

(i.

e.,

star

diagonal,

eyepiece,

etc.)

have

been

attached

to

the

telescope.

An

unbalanced

telescope

may

cause

possible

damage

to

the

mount.

In

addition,

proper

balancing

is

crucial

for

accurate

tracking

if

using

a

motor

drive.

®To

balance

the

mount,

release

the

R.

A.

clamp

and

position

the

telescope

off

to

one

side

of

the

mount.

The

counterweight

bar

will

extend

horizontally

to

the

opposite

side

of

the

mount.

Without

tightening

the

R.

A.

clamp,

gradually

let

go

of

the

telescope

to

see

which

way

it

rolls.

Loosen

the

counterweight

and

move

it

to

a

point

where

it

balances

the

telescope.

Re-tighten

the

counterweight.

®The

telescope

should

also

be

balanced

on

the

declination

axis

to

prevent

any

sudden

motions

when

the

Decl.

clamp

is

released.

To

balance

the

telescope

in

Decl.,

release

the

R.

A.

clamp

and

rotate

the

telescope

so

that

it

is

on

one

side

of

the

mount

(i.

e.,

as

described

above

for

balancing

the

mount).

Once

this

is

done,

lock

the

R.

A.

clamp

to

hold

the

telescope

in

place.

Now,

hold

the

telescope

tube

with

one

hand

while

releasing

the

Decl.

clamp

with

the

other.

The

telescope

will

most

likely

rotate

around

the

declination

axis.

Slightly

loosen

the

tube-ring

screws

and

slide

the

telescope

either

forward

or

backward

in

the

tube

rings

until

it

remains

stationary

when

the

Decl.

clamp

is

released.

Re-tighten

the

tube-ring

screws.

|

Step

4

Your

first

look

Your

first

look

should

be

done

in

the

daytime

when

it

will

be

easier

to

locate

adjustment

knobs

and

clamps.

This

will

help

to

familiarize

you

with

your

telescope,

thus

making

it

easier

to

use

at

night.

©Attach

a

low-power

eyepiece

having

a

long

focal

length.

A

high-power

eyepiece

having

a

short

focal

length

will

make

the

field

of

view

darker

and

will

make

it

more

difficult

to

bring

into

focus.

©Remove

lens

caps

from

the

objective

and

eyepiece.

©Look

through

your

telescope.

5

VixenAmerica.com

@Try

to

find

a

clear

object

more

than

200m

away.

Point

the

telescope

toward

the

object

after

unfastening

both

the

R.

A.

and

Decl.

clamps.

[Note]

Eyepiece

angle

can

be

adjusted

for

your

telescope

by

rotating

the

optical

tube

in

the

tube

rings

after

unfastening

the

tube-ring

screws.

©In

the

beginning,

everything

may

blur.

Gradually

turn

the

focusing

knob

until

your

object

comes

into

sharp

focus.

©Whoops!

The

view

is

upside

down,

and

backward!

But

that's

OK

—all

astronomical

telescopes

operate

this

way

as

it

really

doesn't

matter

in

space.

There

are

special

prisms

that

correct

the

condition,

but

they

dim

the

image

slightly.

r

How

to

use

a

Porro

Prism

or

45

Erect-lrhage

Diagonal

Prism))

To

correct

the

upside-down

view

on

the

refractors,

use

a

36.4mm

porro

prism

or

24.5mm

45

erect-image

diagonal

prism

fora

24.5mm

eyepiece

and

a

31.7mm

45

erect-image

diagonal

prism

for

a

31

.

7mm

eyepiece.

[Note]

©The

other

porro

prisms

cannot

be

used

for

this

purpose

on

the

refractors

because

these

cannot

close

focus.

©Any

prism

cannot

be

used

on

Newtonian

reflectors.

24.5mm

Eyepiece

Screw

in.

36.4mm

Porro

Prism

Push

in.

Adapter

36.4mn

,7mm

Eyepiece

131

[:7pihi

45

Erect-Image

Diagonal

Prism.

IHow

to

use

a

Terrestrial

Eyepiece))

Although

the

upside-down

view

can

be

corrected

with

a

ter¬

restrial

eyepiece,

it

makes

the

field

of

view

narrow.

Also,

the

magnification

power

of

the

terrestrial

eyepiece

cannot

be

changed.

The

method

of

calculating

the

magnification

of

the

terrestrial

eyepiece

is

the

same

as

those

of

other

eyepieces.

[Note)The

terrestrial

eyepiece

cannot

be

used

on

Newtonian

reflectors.

>=

3

>

Eyepiece

Adapter

Push

in.

m

—

Insert

Barrel

Terrestrial

Eyepiece

(f

=

18mm)

VixenAmerij:a.com

Step

5

Changing

eyepieces

©To

remove

the

eyepiece,

loosen

the

eyepiece

setscrew

and

slide

the

eyepiece

out.

Slide

the

chrome

barrel

of

a

higher-power

eyepiece

into

the

eyepiece

adapter

and

re-tighten

the

setscrew

to

hold

the

eyepiece

in

place.

[Note]As

the

high-power

eyepiece

makes

it

more

difficult

to

bring

into

focus,

turn

the

focusing

knob

slowly

and

carefully.

©The

size

of

the

image

you

now

observe

through

the

telescope

is

larger.

Step

6

Use

of

the

finderscope

How

does

a

terrestrial

view

look

through

a

finder

?

Upside-down

and

backwards

—just

as

through

the

main

telescope.

However,

there

are

points

of

slight

difference.

(a)

A

crosshair

reticle

is

seen.

This

is

for

pinpoint

accuracy.

(b)

A

wider

view

is

seen

than

when

the

main

telescope

is

used.

The

finderscope

is

simply

to

help

you

easily

locate

objects

and

bring

them

within

the

view

of

the

main

telescope.

As

your

telescope

—

even

on

"low"

power—is

still

extremely

powerful,

finding

the

objects

can

be

difficult.

This

is

why

telescopes

are

equipped

with

finderscopes.

Prior

to

serious

observations,

make

sure

both

the

telescope

and

the

finderscope

are

aligned—targeted

on

the

same

object.

If

the

same

object

is

not

centered

in

the

crosshairs

of

the

finderscope

and

centered

in

the

main

telescope,

adjust

the

finderscope,

using

the

position

setscrews.

{(Aligning

the

Finderscope!

©Attach

a

low-power

eyepiece

to

the

eyepiece

adapter

of

your

telescope.

©Point

the

telescope

at

a

clear

object

about

1

km

away

and

center

it

in

the

field

of

view.

©Bring

the

same

object

to

the

center

of

the

crosshairs

of

the

finderscope,

using

the

position

setscrews.

({How

to

align

the

Finderscope);

©

and

@

show

how

to

fasten

the

Position

Setscrews

finderscope

with

the

position

set-

(3pieces)

screws.

VixenAmerica.com

(g)Put

a

low

power

eyepiece

in

the

telescope.

At

low

power

(about

50

magnification),

you

will

be

able

to

see

the

entire

lunar

disk

at

one

time.

(NoteOOne

of

the

best

times

to

observe

the

Moon

is

during

its

partial

phases.

Long

shadows

reveal

a

great

amount

of

detail

on

the

lunar

surface.

3

)If

you

later

desire

a

close-up

of

a

lunar

region,

use

a

higher

power

eyepiece.

®Keep

in

mind

that

the

rotation

of

the

earth

will

cause

the

Moon

to

drift

out

of

the

field

of

view.

You

will

have

to

manually

adjust

the

telescope

using

the

R.

A.

and

Decl.

slow-motion

control

knobs

to

keep

the

Moon

centered.

This

effect

will

be

more

noticeable

at

higher

power.

|

Step

71

Your

first

observation—the

Moon

!

Now,

you

are

ready

to

point

the

telescope

toward

celestial

objects!

Although

observation

may

start

with

any

celestial

object,

it

is

advisable

to

start

with

the

brightest

objects

first

and

work

your

way

to

fainter

ones.

Here

is

a

good

beginner

s

viewing

order.

1.

Moon

2.

Jupiter

3.

Saturn

4.

Sun

(with

proper

filter)

5.

Venus

6.

Mars

7.

Mercury

8.

Multiple

Stars

9.

Nebulae

and

Star

Clusters

Now,

let's

look

at

the

Moon.

®Locate

the

Moon

in

the

finderscope

and

center

it

on

the

crosshairs.

SHow

to

use

a

Moon

Filter!

If

you

find

that

the

lunar

image

is

too

bright

for

comfortable

viewing,

attach

a

moon

filter

to

the

eyepiece.

It

will

reduce

the

brightness

and,

atthe

same

time,

increase

contrast

on

the

lunar

surface.

How

to

use

a

Diagonal

Prism!

A

diagonal

prism

lets

you

view

objects

at

a

right-angle

(90

)

from

the

direction

where

the

refractor

telescope

is

pointing,

thereby

allowing

comfortable

viewing

when

the

telescope

is

pointed

at

or

near

the

zenith

(directly

overhead).

Newtonian

reflectors

do

not

require

such

a

diagonal

prism

since

objects

are

always

viewed

from

the

side

of

the

main

tube

of

the

telescope.

Eyepiece

9H

CNote)

The

resulting

image

BMI

is

right-side-up,

but

reversed

j=|

left-to-right.

Diagonal

Prism

1-Eyepiece

Adapter

(Not

usable

on

Newtonian

reflectors)

8

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[

Step

81

Observing

Jupiter

and

Saturn

Planets

such

as

Jupiter

and

Saturn

appear

to

steadily

move

across

the

sky

from

east

to

west.

They

appear

as

bright

stars.

Most

astronomy

publications

tell

where

the

planets

can

be

found

in

the

sky

each

month.

©Use

a

low

power

eyepiece-about

50

magnification.

Jupiter

will

be

seen

like

a

small

disk.

You

will

also

be

able

to

see

four

moons

of

Jupiter.

(These

satellites

are

not

always

visible

because

their

orbits

carry

them

behind

the

planet.)

Saturn,

with

its

beautiful

rings,

is

easily

visible.

©When

seeing

conditions

are

good

(the

atmosphere

is

steady),

raise

the

magnification

greater

than

100.

You

will

be

able

to

see

the

cloud

belts

of

Jupiter

and

the

great

Red

Spot

(if

it

is

visible

at

the

time

you

are

observing).

The

rings

of

Saturn

and

even

the

small

dark

division

(Cassini's

Division)

in

the

rings

will

be

visible.

1

Ste

p

9

Observing

the

Sun

CAUTION:

NEVER

POINT

A

TELESCOPE

AT

THE

SUN

AND

NEVER

LOOK

DIRECTLY

AT

THE

SUN

WITHOUT

TAKING

ALL

PROPER

PRECAUTIONS.

READ

THIS

PARAGRAPH

CAREFULLY

BEFORE

UNDERTAKING

ANY

SOLAR

OBSERVATION.

All

telescopes

collect

light—much

more

light

than

the

human

eye.

Therefore,

viewing

the

Sun

through

a

telescope

must

only

be

undertaken

carefully,

with

all

proper

precautions

observed.

Fa

ilure

to

take

the

proper

preca

uti

ons

may

result

in

perma

n

ent

blindness

and

dam

age

to

your

teles

cope.

T

o

observe

t

he

Sun

safely,

always

f

it

the

eyepiece

w

it

h

a

sun

filter.

In

a

ddition,

always

place

the

obj

ective

cap

on

the

telescope

with

only

the

s

mall

solar

aperture

open

.

You

will

enjoy

seeing

sun

spots—huge

nuclear

sun

storms

that

constantly

change

position

and

size.

/'

t

V

/

<,

\

x

y

/

~Ser6w

in.

Eyepiece

’Using

the

Sun

Diagonal

Prism

When

the

sun

filter

is

used

with

the

telescope

for

long

observation,

it

may

sometimes

break

from

the

heat.

If

a

sun

diagonal

prism

is

added,

it

exhausts

96%

of

sunlight

and

heat

outside,

so

that

only

the

remaining

4%

of

sunlight

is

used

to

observe

the

Sun,

allowing

long

observation

with

safety.

A

special

sun

filter

to

be

screwed

in

the

eyepiece

belongs

to

the

sun

diagonal

prism.

Use

the

special

sun

filter

together

with

the

sun

diagonal

prism.

Its

colour

density

is

somewhat

lighter

than

the

ordinary

sun

filter.

Only

when

using

the

sun

dia

g

onal

prism

and

the

special

sun

filter,

take

off

the

objective

lens

cap

to

expand

the

effective

diameter

of

the

objective

lens

and

to

enhance

its

resolving

power.

VixenAmerica.com

9

Step

10

General

Cautions

(T)Try

never

to

view

through

glass

windows

when

observing.

Clear

as

window

glass

seems,

compared

to

the

fine

optical

glass

of

your

telescope,

it

produces

very

distorted

images.

If

the

observation

is

undertaken

through

an

open

window,

air

movement

through

the

window

(owing

to

the

temperature

difference

between

the

inside

and

outside

air)

may

cause

image

instability,

resulting

in

distortion.

(2)Be

sure

the

optical

axis

of

the

telescope

is

centered.

If

the

optical

axis

of

the

telescope

is

out

of

center,

the

image

of

an

object

is

lengthened

or

is

unnecessarily

coloured.

3)Stars

other

than

the

Sun

can

not

be

observed

in

an

enlarged

image,

because

they

are

very

far

from

the

earth

as

compared

with

the

Sun

or

other

planets.

However,

your

telescope

can

show

you

millions

of

stars

not

visible

to

the

naked

eye.

(DTrain

your

eye

for

observation.

The

figure

of

a

celestial

object

observed

through

a

telescope

looks

different

depending

upon

the

experience

of

the

observer.

With

repeated

observation

experience,

you

will

begin

to

see

objects

that

you

could

not

earlier

observe.

Sometimes

averted

vision-glancing

slightly

away

from

an

object

will

help

you

see

more

detail.

©Stars

appear

to

move

very

fast.

Because

a

telescope

tracks

an

object

at

high

magnification

for

observation,

the

apparent

movement

of

an

object

seems

rapid.

For

instance,

when

observing

Jupiter

at

a

magnification

of

100,

the

moving

planet

takes

only

about

one

minute

and

thirty

seconds

from

the

time

when

it

first

appears

in

the

eyepiece

to

the

time

when

it

disappears.

We

call

this

apparent

motion

because

most

of

the

motion

is

really

the

earth

rotating

under

us

!

((Newtonian

Reflector

Primary-Mirror

Cell

|

Seco

ndary-Mirror

Support

Arm

a

nd

Adjustment

Screws

The

secondary

mirror

is

of

critical

importance

to

the

proper

operation

of

your

telescope.

Never

turn

the

adjustment

screws

except

when

you

correct

the

optical

axis.

There

are

three

pairs

of

screws

on

the

back

of

the

primary-mirror

cell.

Never

turn

these

screws

except

when

you

cor¬

rect

the

optical

axis.

When

observing

an

object

soon

after

taking

the

telescope

outside,

you

can

sometimes

see

the

object

appear

to

fluctuate.

This

is

because

warm

air

and

cold

air

are

mixing

in

the

tube.

If

possible,

expose

the

telescope

to

the

open

air

for

20

to

30

minutes

before

observing,

so

that

tube

tempera¬

ture

stabilizes.

10

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