Orion 6/6I Observing With Your Telescope, Aligning the EZ Finder, Choosing an Observing Site

	Azimuth
	adjustment
	knob
	Slot for
	battery
Power knob	removal

Battery casing

Mounting bracket

Altitude adjustment knob

Figure 18. The EZ Finder II reflex sight. If it is present, remove the thin plastic battery shield (not shown) from the battery casing prior to use and discard it.

At the end of your observing session, be sure to turn the power knob counterclockwise until it clicks off. When the two white dots on the EZ Finder II’s rail and power knob are lined up, the EZ Finder II is turned off.

Aligning the EZ Finder II

When the EZ Finder II is properly aligned with the telescope, an object that is centered on the EZ Finder II’s red dot should also appear in the center of the field of view of the telescope’s eyepiece. Alignment of the EZ Finder II is easiest to do dur- ing daylight, before observing at night. Aim the telescope at a distant object at least 1/4 mile away, such as a telephone pole or chimney and center it in the telescope’s eyepiece. Now, turn the EZ Finder II on and look through it. The object will appear in the field of view near the red dot.

Note: The image in the eyepiece of the StarBlast 6/6i will not be oriented right-side-up, but rather will be upside-down or rotated somewhat from a correctly oriented, naked-eye view. This is normal for Newtonian reflector telescopes.

Without moving the telescope, use the EZ Finder II’s azimuth (left/right) and altitude (up/down) adjustment knobs (Figure 18) to position the red dot on the object in the eyepiece.

When the red dot is centered on the distant object, check to make sure the object is still centered in the telescope’s field of view. If not, recenter it and adjust the EZ Finder II’s alignment again. When the object is centered in the eyepiece and on the red dot, the EZ Finder II is properly aligned with the telescope. Figure 19 simulates the view through the EZ Finder II.

Once aligned, the EZ Finder II will usually hold its alignment even after being removed and remounted. Otherwise, only minimal realignment will be needed.

Replacing the EZ Finder II Battery

Replacement 3-volt lithium batteries for the EZ Finder II are available from many retail outlets. Remove the old battery by inserting a small flat-head screwdriver into the slot on the bat- tery casing (Figure 18) and gently prying open the case. Then

Figure 19. The EZ Finder II superimposes a tiny red dot on the sky, showing right where the telescope is aimed.

carefully pull back on the retaining clip and remove the old bat- tery. Do not over-bend the retaining clip. Slide the new battery under the battery lead with the positive (+) side facing down and replace the battery casing.

7.Observing With Your Telescope

This section applies to both the StarBlast 6 (#9926) and StarBlast 6i IntelliScope (#27126). Specific instructions on how to use the IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator with the StarBlast 6i IntelliScope are provided in the section entitled “Using the IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator.”

Choosing an Observing Site

When selecting a location for observing, get as far away as possible from direct artificial light such as street lights, porch lights, and automobile headlights. The glare from these lights will greatly impair your dark-adapted night vision. Avoid viewing over rooftops and chimneys, as they often have warm air cur- rents rising from them. Similarly, avoid observing from indoors through an open (or closed) window, because the tempera- ture difference between the indoor and outdoor air will cause image blurring and distortion.

If at all possible, escape the light-polluted city sky and head for darker country skies. You’ll be amazed at how many more stars and deep-sky objects are visible in a dark sky!

“Seeing” and Transparency

Atmospheric conditions vary significantly from night to night. “Seeing” refers to the steadiness of the Earth’s atmosphere at a given time. In conditions of poor seeing, atmospheric turbulence causes objects viewed through the telescope to “boil.” If, when you look up at the sky with your naked eyes, the stars are twinkling noticeably, the seeing is bad and you will be limited to viewing with low powers. This is because bad

13