Orion #10105 instruction manual Assembly, VersaGo II HD Steel #10104

Congratulations on your purchase of a quality Orion product. Your VersaGo II Altazimuth Mount is a sturdy, yet highly portable observing platform for small telescopes, spotting scopes, and binoculars. The simple design makes setting up and using the mount very easy. Teflon bearing surfaces for both axes of motion insure smooth telescope pointing, even when making very small, precise positional adjustments. Great for exploring scenic daytime vistas or scanning the night skies, you’ll find your- self observing more and fussing with equipment less when using the VersaGo II.

These instructions will help you set-up, properly use, and care for your mount. Please read them over carefully before getting started.

1.Parts List (refer to Figure 1)

Qty. Description

1Aluminum Tripod with accessory tray bracket installed (10105 only)

1 Steel Tripod (10104 only)

1Center support shaft with knob (10104 only)

1Accessory Tray (10105 only)

1VersaGo II Mount Head

1Handle

2. Assembly

Carefully open all of the boxes in the shipping container. Make sure all the parts listed in the Parts List are present. Save the boxes and packaging material. In the unlikely event that you need to return the mount, you must use the origi-

nal packaging­ .

Initial assembly of the mount is extremely easy as the mount is mostly pre-assembled at the factory. Just install the head onto the tripod and attach the accessory tray. It is recom- mended to completely unpack all of the parts and lay them out in your workspace before beginning. All bolts should be tightened securely to eliminate flexing and wobbling, but be careful not to over-tighten or the threads may strip. Refer to Figure 1 during assembly.

A. VersaGo II HD (Steel) #10104

1.Stand the tripod upright and spread the legs out as far as they will go. Keep the tripod legs at their shortest (fully

VersaGo II HD

head assembly

Handle

Accessory

Tray

Tripod

Figure 2: Component parts of the VersaGo II HD mount

retracted) length, for now; you can extend them to a more desirable length later, after the mount is fully assembled.

2.The center support shaft arrives already installed in the tripod so you need to just secure the head and accessory tray.

3.Place the base of the VersaGo II head into the base of the tripod. Orient the VersaGo II head so that the post on the base (referencing north) of the tripod lines up with the notch on the VersaGo head (Figure 4).

4.Thread the center support shaft into the VersaGo II head until tight. Hold the mount head with one hand while tight- ening the lock bolt with the other. Be careful not to cross thread when assembling. This will secure the VersaGo II head to the base of the tripod.

5.Remove the knob and washer from the bottom of the cen- ter support shaft. Slide the tripod support tray up the bot- tom of the center support shaft until the three tray arms are touching the legs of the tripod. The flat side of the acces- sory tray should be facing up. Place the knob washer on the center support shaft against the tray, and follow it by threading the securing knob all the way up the center sup- port shaft until it is tight against the tray. The tripod support tray provides additional stability for the tripod, and holds up to five 1.25" eyepieces and two 2" eyepieces.

6.Thread the handle into the threaded receptacle of the VersaGo II head. Please note the handle threads in at a slight angle to position it at a more comfortable angle to use in the field. If you wish to have the handle in an alternate position you can remove the Phillips-head screw and thread the handle on the other side of the lock knob that secures the telescope. You can use the Phillips-head screw to cover the additional hole.

Your VersaGo II HD mount is now fully assembled, and should resemble Figure 1a. All that is left is to connect your telescope to the mount. Please skip ahead to section 3.

4