at least 200 yards away. If the distant object is not in focus, turn the focus lock ring counterclockwise to loosen the viewfinder front cell (Page 8, Fig 1, 3). Twist the front cell until focus is achieved and retighten the focus lock ring.
4.Unlock the RA lock (Page 8, Fig 1, 29) and the DEC lock (Page 8, Fig 1, 30) so that the telescope turns freely on both axes. Then point the main telescope at a tall,
5.Look through the viewfinder and loosen or tighten, as appropriate, one or more of the viewfinder collimation thumbscrews (Page 8, Fig 1, 2) until the viewfinder’s crosshairs are precisely centered on the object you previously centered in the main telescope’s eyepiece.
NEVER point the telescope or viewfinder directly at or near the Sun at any time! Observing the Sun, even for the smallest fraction of a second, will result in instant and irreversible eye damage, as well as physical damage to the telescope itself.
Check this alignment on a celestial object, such as a bright star or the Moon, and make any necessary refinements, using the method outlined above in steps 4 & 5.
With this alignment performed, objects first located in the
Choosing an Eyepiece
A telescope’s eyepiece magnifies the image formed by the telescope’s main optics. Each eyepiece has a focal length, expressed in millimeters, or “mm.” The smaller the focal length, the higher the magnification. For example, an eyepiece with a focal length of 9mm has a higher magnification than an eyepiece with a focal length of 26mm when used with the same OTA.
Your telescope comes supplied with an eyepiece which gives a wide, comfortable field of view with high image resolution.
telescope, always start with a lower power eyepiece such as the 26mm. When the object is located and centered in the eyepiece, you may wish to switch to a higher power eyepiece to enlarge the image as much as practical for prevailing seeing conditions. For information about optional eyepieces for the LX80 Series models, see OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES, Page 52.
The power, or magnification of a telescope is determined by the focal length of the telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece being used. To calculate eyepiece power, divide the telescope’s focal length by the eyepiece’s focal length. For example, a 26mm eyepiece is supplied with the LX80 Series. The focal length of the 8” LX80 Series SC model is 2034mm (see Specifications, Page 60).
Telescope Focal Length ÷ Eyepiece Focal Length
= Magnification (Power) |
|
|
Telescope Focal Length | = 2034mm | |
Eyepiece Focal Length | = | 26mm |
2034 ÷ 26 | = | 78 |
The eyepiece power, or magnification is therefore 78X (approximately).
Observing by Moving the Telescope Manually
After the telescope is assembled and balanced as described previously, you are ready to begin manual observations. View
•When you wish to locate an object to observe, first loosen the telescope’s RA lock (Page 8, Fig 1, 29) and DEC lock (Page 8, Fig 1, 30). The telescope can now turn freely on its axes. Unlock each axis separately and practice moving your telescope. Then practice with two unlocked axes at the same time. It is especially important to practice this step to understand how your telescope moves in equatorial configuration, as the movement of an equatorial mount are not intuitive.
•Use the aligned viewfinder to
Getting Started
21
