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instruction Manual
®
orion skyQuest
Xt6 classic, Xt8 classic
& Xt10 classic
Dobsonian Reflecting Telescopes
customer support (800)676-1343
E-mail: support@telescope.com
Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000
Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975
89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076
OrionTelescopes.com
IN 165 Rev. D 05/08
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Secondary mirror with 4-vane spider (not shown) EZ Finder II Eyepiece Focus knob Optical tube Altitude side bearing CorrecTension Friction Right side panel Optimization System Front brace Pull loop Handle Eyepiece Rack (optional) Left side panel Top baseplate Ground baseplate Figure 1. The SkyQuest XT Dobsonian (XT6 pictured) 2
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Welcome to an exciting new world of adventure! Your SkyQuest Dobsonian is a high-quality optical instrument designed to bring you dazzling views of the outer reaches of our universe. Easy enough for kids to use, and portable enough for any- one to carry, the SkyQuest will provide fun and entertainment for the entire family. Whether you are brand-new to amateur astronomy or a seasoned stargazer, get ready for many evenings of enjoyment and fascination. Before venturing into the night with your
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Figure 3. Set the optical tube on the “cradle” of the base so that the altitude side C bearings on the tube rest on the white plastic “pads,” and C the finder is facing away from B the front brace (Part B). L I H J E D K A 3. Attach the two sides (C) with the front brace attached to the top baseplate (D) with the remaining six base assembly screws in the predrilled holes. Tighten all six screws. F 4. Tighten the six side panel screws installed earlier. G 5. Insert the white nylon bushing
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a. b. Figure 4. Position the tube on the mount pointed vertical. Place Figure 5. Using the two supplied screws, install the optional the rubber bumper “stop” where the mirror cell contacts the front aluminum eyepiece rack in the predrilled holes about halfway down base to cushion the impact. the left side panel of the base. (XT6 eyepiece rack shown) Once in the cradle, the tube should pivot freely up and down with gentle hand pressure. Note that the tube will Power not yet be properly bala
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Altitude side bearing Black nylon Screw with spacers round knob Spring Phillips-head 1/4" washer screw (black) (black) Pull loop a. Figure 7. Close-up view of the CorrecTension system, which pulls the tube assembly down onto the altitude bearing pads. used under dark skies and a bright setting is used under light- polluted skies or daylight. At the end of your observing session, be sure to turn the power knob counterclockwise until it clicks off. When the white dots on the EZ Finder II
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2" eyepiece adapter 1.25" eyepiece Focus knobs adapter Focus lock thumbscrew Altitude Tension adjustment screw Figure 10. The 2" Crayford focuser (XT8 and XT10) trying to orient yourself in the dark! Find a spot outdoors where you have plenty of room to move around the telescope, and where you have a clear view of some object or vista that is at least 1/4-mile away. It is not critical that the base be exactly Azimuth level, but it should be placed on somewhat flat ground or pave- ment to e
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Once aligned, EZ Finder II will usually hold its alignment even after being removed and remounted. Otherwise, only minimal realignment will be needed. replacing the Battery Should the battery ever die, replacement 3-volt lithium bat- teries are available from many retail outlets. Remove the old battery by inserting a small flat-head screwdriver into the slot Naked-eye view on the battery casing (Figure 6) and gently prying open the case. Then carefully pull back on the retaining clip and r
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Figure 12. Picking up and carrying c. a. b. the SkyQuest as a single unit (with tube held captive on the base) requires some caution. (a) First, position the tube vertically. Then, grasp the handle on the base with one hand while supporting the tube with the other. (b) With knees bent, slowly lift the base while supporting the tube with one hand. This ensures that the tube will not swing down and impact the ground. (c) As you lift, the whole assembly will tilt down, becoming nearly
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drawtube Reflection of primary mirror clip b. c. e. a. d. Figure 13. Collimating the optics. (a) When the mirrors are properly aligned, the view down the focuser drawtube should look like this (b) With the collimation cap in place, if the optics are out of alignment, the view might look something like this. (c) Here, the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser, but it needs to be adjusted (tilted) so that the entire primary mirror is visible. (d) The secondary mirror is correctly align
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Figure 14. To center the secondary mirror under the focuser, hold the secondary mirror holder in place with one hand while Figure 16. The three small thumbscrews that lock the primary adjusting the center bolt with a Phillips screwdriver. Do not touch the mirror in place must first be loosened before any adjustments can be mirror’s surface! made. Figure 15. Adjust the tilt of the secondary mirror by loosening or Figure 17. The tilt of the primary mirror is adjusted by turning tightening the
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cooling the t elescope All optical instruments need time to reach “thermal equilibrium” to achieve maximum stability of the lenses and mirrors, which is essential for peak performance. When moved from a warm indoor location to cooler air outside(or vice-versa), a telescope needs time to cool (or warm) to the outdoor temperature. The bigger the instrument and the larger the temperature change, the more time will be needed. Out of collimation Collimated Allow at least 30 minutes for your Sk
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Eyepiece selection By using eyepieces of varying focal lengths, it is possible to attain many magnifications with the SkyQuest XT. The tele- scope comes with one high-quality Sirius Plössl eyepiece: a 1.9 25mm, which gives a magnification of 48x. Other eyepieces can be used to achieve higher or lower powers. It is quite com- mon for an observer to own five or more eyepieces to access 4.9 a wide range of magnifications. This allows the observer to 2.4 3.4 2.4 1.7 choose the best eyepiece to
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shadows fall on the craters and canyon walls to give them defi- No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which is always nition. While the full moon may look like a tempting target, it shrouded in dense clouds. is not optimal for viewing! The light is too bright and surface MARS The Red Planet makes a close approach to Earth definition is low. every two years. Observing Mars is most favorable at these Even at partial phases the Moon is very bright. Use of an times. You should see salmon-c
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give you inverted images, keep this in mind when you are star- hopping from star to star. note about astrophotography SkyQuest Dobsonians are designed for visual, not photo- graphic use. The Dobsonian mount is not an equatorial-type mount, so it cannot be motor driven for long exposure astro- photography. SkyQuests have also been optically optimized for visual use, since photographic optimization degrades visu- al performance. With that in mind, however, it is possible to do some simple astro
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rors, the better. Small specks of dust or flecks of paint have 7. specifications virtually no effect on the visual performance of the telescope. The large primary mirror and the elliptical secondary mirror of skyQuest Xt 6" your telescope are front-surface aluminized and overcoated Primary mirror with hard silicon dioxide, which prevents the aluminum from focal length: 1200mm, standard optical glass oxidizing. These coatings normally last through many years of Primary mirror diameter: 150
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skyQuest Xt 10" Primary mirror focal length: 1200mm Primary mirror diameter: 254mm, BK7 optical glass Focal Ratio: f/4.7 Focuser: Crayford, accepts 2" and 1.25" eyepieces with included adapter, collimatible Optical tube material: Rolled steel Eyepiece: 25mm Sirius Plössl, fully coated with multi-coatings, 1.25" barrel diameter Magnification with supplied eyepiece: 48x Reflex Sight: EZ Finder II Reflex Sight Bracket: Plastic bracket with dovetail base Mirror coatings: Aluminum wit
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one-Year limited Warranty This Orion SkyQuest XT telescope is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. During this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair or replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted instrument that proves to be defective, provided it is returned postage paid to: Orion Warranty Repair, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076.
