C5 Spotting Scope - #52291 Instruction Manual
A spotting scope is nothing more than a telescope that is designed to look around the Earth. Unlike astronomical telescopes, which produce inverted or reverted images, spotting scopes produce correctly oriented images. Celestron offers several different models, each of which uses the highest quality optics to produce the best possible images. All models have rugged, durable housings to give you a lifetime of pleasure with a minimal amount of maintenance.
Assembly This section covers the correct set up and operating procedures for your Celestron C5 spotting scope and includes information on visual and photographic observations. The C5 spotting scope uses a combination of mirrors and lenses to produce an image. Such an optical system is known as a compound lens. This particular design, known as a Schmidt-Cassegrain, is one of the most compact and rugged optical systems on the market today.
The Eyepiece The eyepiece, or ocular, is the optical element that magnifies the image focused by the spotting scope. The eyepiece fits into either the visual back directly or the erect image diagonal. To install an ocular: 1. Loosen the thumbscrew on the star diagonal (or erect image diagonal) so it does not obstruct the inner diameter of the eyepiece end of the diagonal. 2. Slide the chrome portion of the eyepiece into the star diagonal (or erect image diagonal). 3.
2. Slide the rubber O-ring onto the back (eyepiece end) of the finder. 3. Position the O-ring on the main body of the finder so that it is toward the front (i.e., objective) end of the finder. 4. 5. Finderscope Nylon Adjustment Screw Slide the finder, eyepiece end first, into the front ring of the bracket. Push it back until the O-ring is snug inside the front ring of the bracket. Hand tighten the three set screws until snug.
• • • • • • • • • 6x30 finder Highest useful magnification — 300x Lowest useful magnification — 23x Limiting magnitude (visual) — 13 Near Focus — Approximately 20' Angular field of view with standard eyepiece: 1.04° Angular field of view using optional Reducer/Corrector lens: 1.
power and has a 30mm objective lens. Incidentally, power is always compared to the unaided human eye. So an 8 power finder magnifies images eight times more than the human eye. To make the alignment process a little easier, you should perform this task in the daytime when it is easier to locate objects in the spotting scope without the finder. To align the finder: 1. Choose a conspicuous object that is in excess of one mile away. This will eliminate any possible parallax effect. 2.
To use your C5 spotting scope visually: 1. Find a distant object that is fairly bright. 2. Insert a low power eyepiece (one with a long focal length — 25 to 30mm) into the spotting scope. 3. Adjust the tripod until the C5 is pointed in the direction of the object you selected. 4. Locate the object in your finder. 5. Move the C5 until the object is centered in the finder. 6. Look through the main optics and the object will be there (if you aligned the finder first).
between 20 to 35 power for every inch of aperture which is 100 to 175 times for the C5. Determining the field of view is important if you want to get an idea of the angular size of the object you are observing. To calculate the actual field of view, divide the apparent field of the eyepiece (supplied by the eyepiece manufacturer) by the magnification.
• When using your C5 as a telephoto lens, the split screen or microprism focuser of the 35mm SLR camera may “black out.” This is common with all long focal length lenses. If this happens, use the ground glass portion of your focusing screen. To achieve a very sharp focus, consider using a focusing magnifier. (These are readily available from your local camera store.) • If you wear corrective lenses (specifically glasses), you may want to remove them when observing with an eyepiece attached to your C5.
should be 60% isopropyl alcohol and 40% distilled water. Or, liquid dish soap diluted with water (a couple of drops per one quart of water) can be used. Occasionally, you may experience dew build-up on the corrector plate of your C5 during an observing session. If you want to continue observing, the dew must be removed, either with a Celestron Lens Shade / Dew Cap or by pointing the spotting scope at the ground until the dew has evaporated.
To verify collimation, view a star near the zenith. Use a medium to high power ocular — 12mm to 6mm focal length. It is important to center a star in the center of the field to judge collimation. Slowly cross in and out of focus and judge the symmetry of the star. If you see a systematic skewing of the star to one side, then re-collimation is needed. To accomplish this, you need to tighten the secondary collimation screw(s) that move the star across the field toward the direction of the skewed light.
Conversely, if the collimation screw gets too tight, then loosen the other two screws by the same amount. 7. Once the star image is in the center of the field of view, check to see if the rings are concentric. If the central obstruction is still skewed in the same direction, then continue turning the screw(s) in the same direction. If you find that the ring pattern is skewed in a different direction, than simply repeat steps 2 through 6 as described above for the new direction.
The following is a partial list of optional accessories available for your Celestron C5 spotting scope. You will find that additional accessories enhance your viewing pleasure and expand the usefulness of your spotting scope. Barlow Lens - A Barlow lens is a negative lens that increases the focal length of a telescope. Used with any eyepiece, it doubles the magnification of that eyepiece. Celestron offers two Barlow lens in the 1-1/4" size for the C5.
Night Vision Flashlight - (#93588) - Celestron’s premium model for astronomy, using two red LEDs to preserve night vision better than red filters or other devices. Brightness is adjustable. Operates on a single 9 volt battery (included). Moon Filter (94119-A) - Celestron’s Moon Filter is an economical eyepiece filter for reducing the brightness of the moon and improving contrast, so greater detail can be observed on the lunar surface. The clear aperture is 21mm and the transmission is about 18%.
your C5 into a 1250mm telephoto lens perfect for terrestrial photography and short exposure lunar photography. T-Ring - The T-Ring couples your 35mm SLR camera body to the T-Adapter, radial guider, or tele-extender. This accessory is mandatory if you want to do photography through the telescope. Each camera make (i.e., Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, etc.) has its own unique mount and therefore, its own T-Ring. Celestron has 8 different models for 35mm cameras.
Celestron 2835 Columbia Street Torrance, CA 90503 U.S.A. Tel. (310) 328-9560 Fax. (310) 212-5835 Web site at http//www.celestron.com Copyright 2006 Celestron All rights reserved. (Products or instructions may change without notice or obligation.) Item #52291-INST 01-07 $10.
