Orion #10105, #10104 Using the VersaGo II Mount, Care and Maintenance, Tracking Celestial Objects

¼"-20 Dovetail adapter

Tube rings

Dovetail mounting bar

Figure 5: Orion sells a variety of optional mounting bars and tube rings that will couple your telescope to the VersaGo II mount.

offers a dovetail “L-bracket” that will fit the dovetail receptacle of the VersaGo II and thread into this hole.

Once you have a dovetail mounting bar on your telescope tube, connecting the telescope to the mount is exceptionally easy. First, unthread the knurled black plastic thumbscrew on the VersaGo II’s dovetail holder until the tips are flush with the interior wall of the dovetail holder. Then, insert the telescope’s dovetail bar into the mount’s dovetail holder, and tighten the thumbscrew firmly.

Note: If you have a telescope with a dovetail mounting bar attached directly to the tube, or you are using the 1/4"- 20 dovetail adapter), the finderscope may be oriented in an awkward position when connected to the VersaGo

II.In most cases, this should not cause any problems in actual usage but may be awkward or uncomfortable. Contact Orion Customer Service or visit our website (oriontelescopes­.com) for additional product information.

For best up-and-down motion, the telescope should be bal- anced front-to-back when positioned horizontally. You can bal- ance the telescope by loosening the thumbscrew slightly, and moving the dovetail bar slightly forward or back in the dovetail holder. If you are using tube rings, you can move the telescope tube forward or back in the tube rings. When the telescope doesn’t move up-and-down by itself when the arm’s tensioning knob is not very tight, you have achieved good balance.

4.Using the VersaGo II Mount

The VersaGo II mounts allow motion of the telescope in two axes: altitude (up-and-down) and azimuth (left-to-right). Hence, the VersaGo II is an “altazimuth” mount. Simply move the tele- scope up-or-down and left-to-right. The handle provides a con- venient way to adjust the position of the mounted telescope.

If the motion of one or both of the axes is too loose or too tight, you can adjust the bearing tensioning by tightening or loosen- ing the knobs. You should be able to adjust these knobs so that even the smallest motions of the mount are very smooth. If the motion on the altitude axis is not smooth no matter how the altitude tensioning knob is adjusted, then you will need to better balance the telescope front-to-back.

Unlike many altazimuth mounts, the VersaGo II can be used to point a telescope at zenith (straight up). This makes it espe- cially well suited for astronomical observing.

When pointing a longer telescope tube, like a refractor, at zenith, extending the tripod legs will help better position the eyepiece. For heavier telescopes, we recommend extending the tripod legs in order to give the mount a wider stance; this will help to stabilize the mount and minimize the chances it could tip over.

Tracking Celestial Objects

Celestial objects appear to move slowly across the sky because of the rotation of the Earth on its polar axis. When you observe an object through your telescope, you’ll see it drift gradually across the field of view. To keep the object centered in the field, use the handle to move the VersaGo

IIas needed. For these small, precise movements, you may need to readjust the axis tensioning knobs. Keep in mind that objects will appear to move faster at higher magnifications, when the field of view is narrower.

5. Care and Maintenance

If you give your VersaGo II mount reasonable care, it will last a lifetime. Store it in a clean, dry, dust-free place. Do not store the mount outdoors, although storage in a garage or shed is OK.

Your mount requires very little mechanical maintenance. The mount is constructed of aluminum and has a black anodized finish that is fairly scratch-resistant. If a scratch does appear, it will not harm the mount. Dust, dirt, or moisture on the mount should be wiped off with a soft cloth. If the mount needs more extensive cleaning, use a household surface cleaning fluid.

When transporting the mount to an observing location, we recommend removing the handle in order to prevent it from being damaged. You can also fold the tripod legs together once the accessory tray is removed. For extra portability, you can also remove the VersaGo II mount entirely from the tri- pod; simply unthread the knob under the tripod head. To pro- tect your mount during transport, Orion offers optional soft padded carry cases.

6