Orion 5228 instruction manual Changing the eyepiece clamp

a. b. c.

Figure 5. Several different cameras attached to SteadyPix. Figure 5a shows a digital camera with its adapter in line with the camera's lens. 5b shows a digital camera that has its adapter off to one side of the camera lens. 5c shows a 35mm film camera attached to the SteadyPix.

You may find it handy to use a camera shutter release to take the picture, as this will result in minimal disturbances to the camera or telescope when snapping the photo. The move- ment of pressing the shutter button may be enough motion to lose the picture.

4.Changing the eyepiece clamp

Some eyepieces may have barrels that are too large for the regular eyepiece clamp to go around. For these eyepieces you should remove the regular eyepiece clamp and replace it with the large eyepiece clamp. You will need a crescent wrench to change clamps.

1.Remove the shaft from the camera support plate by loos- ening the shaft knob and sliding the shaft out of the camera support plate.

2.Hold the shaft securely in one hand and use the crescent wrench to turn the lower nut (the nut underneath the eye- piece clamp) clockwise until it is loose. Thread the nut clockwise a couple more turns.

3.Hold the upper nut securely between your finger and thumb so that it does not move. With your other hand, rotate the

shaft clockwise until the upper nut comes loose from the threads of the shaft. Put the nut aside for the moment.

4.Remove the upper washer and the clamp from the shaft, leaving the lower nut and washer in place.

5.Put the shaft through the bottom of the large eyepiece clamp with the SteadyPix. Then place the upper washer on the shaft and thread the upper nut clockwise with your fin- gers onto the threaded portion of the shaft. If there is not enough exposed thread to hold the upper nut, remove the washer and clamp and turn the lower nut clockwise until it is about an 1/4" further down the threaded part of the shaft. Then replace the clamp and washer and start threading the upper nut onto the shaft again. Thread the upper nut as far as you can with your fingers (it will still be loose). You may also find it helps to hold the nut with your finger and thumb and turn the shaft counterclockwise to thread the upper nut.

6.Hold the shaft securely with one hand while turning the lower nut counter-clockwise with the crescent wrench until it is secure against the washer and eyepiece clamp.

7.Remove the eyepiece securing knob from the regular eye- piece clamp by turning it counter-clockwise until it is unthreaded from the top of the eyepiece clamp.

a. b. c.

Figure 6. The same cameras in Figure 5, but with the SteadyPix attached to a telescope and ready to shoot. Note how the camera support plate must be adjusted for different camera designs.

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