Out of collimation | Collimated |
Figure 8. A star test will determine if the telescope's optics are properly collimated. A defocused view of a bright star through the eyepiece should appear as illustrated on the right if optics are per fectly collimated. If the circle is unsymmetrical, as illustrated on the left, the scope needs alignment.
A simple star test will tell you whether the optics are, in fact, accurately aligned.
Star-Testing the Telescope
When it is dark, point the telescope at a bright star and accu rately center it in the eyepiece’s field of view. Slowly
If you try the star test and the bright star you have selected is not accurately centered in the eyepiece, the telescope will appear to need optical alignment, even though the optics may be perfectly collimated. It is critical to keep the star centered, so over time you will need to make slight corrections to the telescope’s position in order to account for the sky’s apparent motion.
Care & Maintenance
If you give your telescope reasonable care, it will last a life time. Store it in a clean, dry,
Your telescope requires very little mechanical maintenance. The optical tube has a smooth painted finish that is fairly
Cleaning Mirrors
You should not have to clean the telescope’s mirrors very often; normally once every year or so is fine. Covering the front opening of the telescope with the dust cover when it is not in use will prevent dust from accumulating on the mirrors.
Keeping the dust cap on the focuser’s 1.25" opening is also a good idea. Improper cleaning can scratch the mirror coatings, so the fewer times you have to clean the mirrors, the better. Small specks of dust or flecks of paint have virtually no effect on the visual performance of the telescope.
The large primary mirror and the elliptical secondary mirror of your telescope are
To clean the secondary mirror, first remove it from the tele scope. Do this by keeping the secondary mirror holder sta tionary while completely unthreading the
To clean the primary mirror, first carefully remove the mirror cell from the telescope. For the 6" Imaging Reflector, you must completely unthread the four screws on the exterior perimeter of the mirror cell (Figure 9). Then pull the cell away from the tube.You will notice the primary mirror is held in the mirror cell with three clips held by two screws each. Loosen the screws and remove the clips.
You may now remove the primary mirror from its cell. Do not touch the surface of the mirror with your fingers. Lift the mirror carefully by the edges. Set the mirror on a clean soft towel. Fill a clean sink free with room temperature water, a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent, and if possible, a capfull of
Small
Figure 9. To remove the mirror cell from the telescope, the four small
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