User Manual Explore Scientific Truss Tube Dobsonian Telescopes DANGER! Never use a telescope for solar observing without a special filter! Immediate permanent damage to your eyes will occur as soon as you are pointing the telescope at or near the sun. Since eye damage will occur faster than your eye lid closing reflex and it is very often painless you will react too slow – and the permanent eye damage will already have taken place. Never point your telescope or the finder scope at or near the sun.
Contents Overview Telescope Parts Unboxing and checking for completeness Assembly Collimation Adjusting the Red Dot Finder Using a Dobsonian telescope Calculating magnification Observing Hints and tricks Maintaining the optics Specifications Accessory Explore Scientific service All Explore Scientific telescopes and telescope accessories are subject to constant technical improvement.
Figure 1 Figure 1: Telescope parts overview 1. Focusser with 10:1 reduction 2. Secondary cage unit with secondary mirror 3. Collimation-tool for the main mirror 4. Trusses 5. Altitude wheels 6. Rockerbox 7. Lid mirror box 8. Mirror box 9.
Unboxing and checking contents When you open the box you should see the following picture (figure 2): Figure 2 The trusses are already assembled in four pairs. At the bottom of the picture you will notice the collimation tool that will help you collimating the main mirror of the telescope. Carefully remove the parts from the box, unwrap them and remove the foam parts that secure the rest.
Figure 3 Now you can see two boxes – on the left side there ist he box that contains the mirror box and there ist he box that contains the rocker box to the right. On the outer left you can see one of the altitude wheels, the stray light cover for the secondary cage is visible in the upper part of the box. Remove all parts from the box and unwrap everything.
Inside the mirror box you will see a foam insert that contains some small parts and the red dot finder. This foam insert also serves as a transport securing device for the main mirror. It also gives you the opportunity to store/transport eyepieces or accessories. Remove the insert and also remove the protective paper from the main mirror. Please keep the protective paper and try to avoid the contamination with dirt – the soft paper is the ideal protection against dust without giving off fluff.
Now you have attached the altitude wheels onto the mirror box. Now place the rocker box onto the ground and insert the mirror box into the rocker box. Make sure that the two fans on the back of the mirror box are on the side of the rocker box that has the deep undercut (see figure 6). Figure 6 Now take a look at the mirror box from above. You will notice threaded rods that are sticking out of the corners of the mirror box. There is a wing nut riding on each of those inward pointing threaded rods.
If we have a look at figure 7, we see the picture that you would get when you are looking through a beginner telescope with long focal length (with the eyepiece removed). If the telescope is collimated the astronomer should see the concentric images of his eye, the secondary mirror, the main mirror and the focuser. However, your Explore Scientific dobsonian has a much faster f-ratio.
one of the collimation screws is doing. When you have centered all images as in figure 7 the rough collimation of your telescope is finished. Fine Collimation During fine collimation we watch Polaris with high magnification. Please take care that the telescope has time to adapt to the ambient temperature before starting collimation – this will need up to 30 minutes (otherwise you will not get a good star image). You may use the fans to speed up this process.
Using your Dobsonian Your Explore Scientific dobsonian is a optical precision instrument. Keep that in mind and use the telescope with care. Damage that is due to improper handling is not covered in the warranty. Try to avoid exposing your telescope to vibrations – this may cause the telescope to loose collimation. Aligning the viewfinder The red dot that is used by the finder scope is not readily visible during the day. For this reason you should align the viewfinder during during nighttime. 1.
Astronomical observations The first observations with the new telescope should be performed during dusk, so that you get familiar with your new telescope quickly. Always remember never to look at or near the sun! Choose a object that is easy to find and far away – a mountain top, a lighthouse or suchlike. Roughly point the telescope on the object. Now look through the finder scope and move the telescope until the red dot of light appears centered onto the object.
Tipps and Tricks Marking with luminous paint: As noted above in the section about assembly it is very helpful to mark the positions oft he altitude wheels and the trusses. This helps assembling the telescope at night, and keeps collimation issues at a minimum. There are only a few things that are as frustrating as loosing screws in the grass – you are spending time driving to a remote place, and then observation is not possible because a screw just made a escape into the grass and is hiding.
Specifications 10“ Model Tube: Open truss design Upper tube ring: Metal tubing, incl. secondary spider and holder, plus focuser and truss connectors. Mirror box: with main mirror and cell, fans and truss connectors Trusses: Powder coated aluminum with connectors. Secondary spider: 4-arm, steel Main mirror: 10” (254 mm), parabolic, BK-7 like glass, aluminum coated with protective layer, Focal length: 1270 mm Focal ratio: f/5 Resolving power: 0,51 arc seconds Visual limiting magnitude: approx.14.
Accessory There is a large portfolio of Explore Scientific accessories available for your telescope. All Explore Scientific accessories meet the high quality standard that has made our brand famous. For a complete overview of available Explore Scientific accessories please refer to our homepage at www.explorescientific.de! Explore Scientific eyepieces: Our eyepieces do not only provide the mangnification you desire, but also give you a comfortable eye distance.
Service and Maintenance General Your Explore Scientific truss dobsonian is a precision instrument that will provide many years of fun. When you are treating this telescope with the same care as for example a expensive camera, it is very unlikely that you will ever need to return it for service or maintenance.. Please notice the following rules: a) Try to avoid cleaning the optics. A little dust on the optical system will not deteriorate the performance of the optical system by any noticeable amount.
Warranty The warranty is valid for 5 years and starts at the day of the purchase. Please keep your invoice as proof of purchase. Should you encounter any problems with the telescope, please contact our service department – please do NOT send anything without contacting us in advance. In many cases we will handle the transport for you, and most of the problems can be dealt with on the phone without the need for you to send anything.
