Orion warranties against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase for Orion brand products. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only. During this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair or replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted instrument that proves to be defective, provided it is returned postage paid to: Orion Warranty Repair, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076. If the product is not registered, proof of purchase (such as a copy of the original invoice) is required. This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment, the instrument has been abused, mishandled, or modified, nor does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives customer’s specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights, which vary from state to state. For further warranty service information, contact: Customer Service Department, Orion Telescopes & Binoculars, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076; (800) 676-1343.
Some items may be covered by a warranty period shorter or longer than the standard one year warranty. Specific warranty information is available on the product detail page of the website.

Collimation is the process of adjusting the telescope’s mirrors so they are perfectly aligned with one another. Your telescope’s optics were aligned at the factory, and should not need much adjustment unless the telescope is handled roughly. Mirror alignment is important to ensure the peak performance of your telescope, so it should be checked regularly. Collimation is relatively easy to do and can be done in daylight. To check collimation, remove the eyepiece and look down the focuser drawtube. You should see the secondary mirror centered in the drawtube, as well as the reflection of the primary mirror centered in the secondary mirror, and the reflection of the secondary mirror (and your eye) centered in the reflection of the primary mirror. If anything is off-center, proceed with the collimation procedure. The faster the f/ratio of your telescope, the more critical the collimation accuracy.

The Orion collimation cap is a simple cap that fits on the focuser drawtube like a dust cap, but has a hole in the center and a silver bottom. This helps center your eye so that collimation is easy to perform. Orion telescopes that have a collimation cap included also have a primary mirror that is marked with a circle at its exact center. This “center mark” allows you to achieve a precise collimation of the primary mirror; you don’t have to guess where the center of the mirror is. You simply adjust the mirror position until the reflection of the hole in the collimation cap is centered in the ring. The center mark is also required for best results when using other collimating devices, such as Orion’s LaserMate Collimator, obviating the need to remove the primary mirror and mark it yourself. Note: The center ring sticker need not ever be removed from the primary mirror. Because it lies directly in the shadow of the secondary mirror, its presence in no way adversely affects the optical performance of the telescope or the image quality. That might seem counterintuitive, but its true!

With the collimation cap in place, look through the hole in the cap at the secondary mirror. Ignore the reflections for the time being. The secondary mirror itself should be centered in the focuser drawtube, in the direction parallel to the length of the telescope. If it isn’t, it must be adjusted. Typically, this adjustment will rarely, if ever, need to be done. It helps to adjust the secondary mirror in a brightly lit room with the telescope pointed towards a bright surface, such as white paper or wall. Also placing a piece of white paper in the telescope tube opposite the focuser (in other words, on the other side of the secondary mirror) will also be helpful in collimating the secondary mirror. Using a 2mm Allen wrench, loosen the three small alignment set screws in the center hub of the 4-vaned spider several turns. Now hold the mirror holder stationary (be careful not to touch the surface of the mirror), while turning the center screw with a Phillips head screwdriver. Turning the screw clockwise will move the secondary mirror toward the front opening of the optical tube, while turning the screw counter-clockwise will move the secondary mirror toward the primary mirror. Note: When making these adjustments, be careful not to stress the telescope’s spider vanes or they may bend. When the secondary mirror is centered in the focuser draw-tube, rotate the secondary mirror holder until the reflection of the primary mirror is as centered in the secondary mirror as possible. It may not be perfectly centered, but that is OK. Now tighten the three small alignment screws equally to secure the secondary mirror in that position. If the entire primary mirror reflection is not visible in the secondary mirror, you will need to adjust the tilt of the secondary mirror. This is done by alternately loosening one of the three alignment set screws while tightening the other two. The goal is to center the primary mirror reflection in the secondary mirror. Don’t worry that the reflection of the secondary mirror (the smallest circle, with the collimation cap “dot” in the center) is off-center. You will fix that when aligning the primary mirror. Alternative: Some people prefer to remove the primary mirror completely from the telescope when aligning the secondary mirror, especially if the primary mirror needs to be removed anyway to be center-marked. It may help to have no reflections and align the secondary on the edge of the telescope wall.

The telescope’s primary mirror will need adjustment if the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser and the reflection of the primary mirror is centered in the secondary mirror, but the small reflection of the secondary mirror (with the “dot” of the collimation cap) is off-center. The tilt of the primary mirror is adjusted with the larger collimation screws on the back end of the telescope’s optical tube. The other smaller screws lock the mirror’s position in place; these thumbscrews must be loosened before any collimation adjustments can be made to the primary mirror. To start, loosen the smaller thumbscrews that lock the primary mirror in place a few turns each. Use a screwdriver in the slots, if necessary. Now, try tightening or loosening one of the larger collimation screws with your fingers Look into the focuser and see if the secondary mirror reflection has moved closer to the center of the primary. You can tell this easily with the collimation cap and mirror center mark by simply watching to see if the “dot” of the collimation cap is moving closer or further away from the “ring” on the center of the primary mirror mark. When you have the dot centered as much as is possible in the ring, your primary mirror is collimated. Re-tighten the locking thumbscrews. Alternative: If you loosen one or more of the bolts too much, it won’t move the mirror. Some people prefer to pre-load the collimation screws by tightening them all down and adjust by loosening each one in turn. This way you don’t run-out of threads and have a loose collimation screw. The disadvantage to this approach is that you have completely un-collimated the scope and are starting from the beginning.

You can, but it requires marking the center of the telescope’s secondary mirror in the same way the center of the telescope’s primary mirror was marked. This is generally undesirable due to the large area of the supplied collimation targets compared to the total area of the secondary mirror. Since centering the secondary mirror under the focuser is an adjustment that very rarely, if ever, needs to be done, we recommend simply making this adjustment by eye. We’ve tried it both ways and it is just as easy to do it without the Orion LaserMate.

The LaserMate emits laser radiation, so it is important not to shine the beam into your or anyone’s eye. During the collimation procedure, it is also important to avoid direct reflections of the laser beam into your eye. Rather, look only at off-axis reflections to determine the position of the laser spot on the mirrors. It is safe to view the laser when it is reflected off a surface that will diffuse the light, such as the bottom surface of the LaserMate. It is also safe to view the reflection off a mirror surface as long as the beam is not directed into your eye. Because of the potential danger from the laser beam, store your LaserMate out of the reach of children.

This procedure is complicated and it is not required for casual observing, but here it goes . . .

Remove the cover cap from the front opening in the R.A. axis of the telescope mount. Look through the polar finder at a distant object. Focus the polar finder so that the images and reticle are sharp by rotating the eyepiece end of the finder. Notice that the reticle pattern consists of a crosshair with a circle around the middle. On the circumference of this circle is a tiny circle; this is where Polaris will be placed for accurate polar alignment once the finder is properly aligned. Alignment of the polar finder is best done during the day, before going out into the field at night. Aligning the polar axis finder scope so that it will accurately point at the true north pole is a two-step procedure. First, the polar finder must be rotated in its housing so that the small circle in which Polaris will be placed in is in the proper initial position. Next, the polar axis finder must be adjusted so that it points directly along the mount’s R.A. axis.:

• 1. Loosen the R.A. setting circle lock thumb screw, located just above the R.A. setting circle. Rotate the R.A. setting circle until the line above the “0” on the setting circle lines up with the pointed indicator that is cast into the mount. Retighten the thumbscrew.
• 2. Rotate the date circle until the “0” line on the meridian off-set scale lines up with the time meridian indicator mark. The meridian offset scale is printed on the inner circumference of the date circle, and is labeled “E20” to “W20”. The time meridian indicator mark is an engraved line on the exterior of the polar finder’s housing. It is on the “ring” of the housing that is closest to the date circle.
• 3. The R.A. setting circle is labeled in hours, from “0” to “23” (military time). For Northern Hemisphere observers, refer to the top numbers on the setting circle. Each small line represents 10 minutes of R.A. The date circle is labeled from “1” to “12”, with each number representing a month of the year (“1” is January, “2” is February, etc.). Each small line represents a two-day increment.
• 4. Loosen the R.A. lock lever and rotate the mount about the R.A. axis until the March 1 indicating mark (the long line between the “2” and the “3”) on the date circle lines up with the 4 PM mark (the long line above the “16”) on the R.A. setting circle. You may find it convenient to remove both the counterweights and the telescope optical tube to do this.
• 5. Now, loosen the three thumbscrews on the polar finder housing and rotate the polar finder so the small circle where Polaris will be centered is located straight down from the intersection of the crosshairs. Retighten the thumbscrews. The polar axis finder scope is now properly set in its initial position. Next, you must align it so that it is exactly parallel to the mount’s R.A. axis.
• 6. Look through the polar finder at a distant object (during the day) and center it in the crosshairs. You may need to adjust the latitude adjustment T-bolts and the tripod position to do this.
• 7. Rotate the mount 180� about the R.A. axis. Again, it may be convenient to remove the counterweights and optical tube first.
• 8. Look through the polar finder again. Is the object being viewed still centered on the crosshairs? If it is, then no further adjustment is necessary. If not, then look through the polar finder while rotating the mount about the R.A. axis. You will notice that the object you have previously centered moves in a circular path. Use the three thumbscrews on the housing to redirect the crosshairs of the polar finder to the apparent center of this circular path. Repeat this procedure until the position that the crosshairs point to does not rotate off-center when the mount is rotated in R.A. Once this is accomplished, retighten the thumbscrews. The polar axis finder scope is now ready to be used. When not in use, replace the plastic protective cover to prevent the polar finder from getting bumped, which could knock it out of alignment.
  

Before you use the finder scope, it must be precisely aligned with the telescope so they both point to exactly the same spot. Alignment is easiest to do in daylight, rather than at night under the stars. First, insert a low power telescope eyepiece (a 25mm eyepiece will work great) into the telescope’s focuser. Then point the telescope at a discrete object such as the top of a telephone pole or a street sign that is at least a quarter-mile away. Position the telescope so the target object appears in the very center of the field of view when you look into the eyepiece. Now look through the finder scope. Is the object centered on the finder scope’s crosshairs? If not, hopefully it will be visible somewhere in the field of view, so only small turns of the finder scope bracket’s alignment thumb screws will be needed. Otherwise you’ll have to make larger turns to the alignment thumb screws to redirect the aim of the finder scope. Use the alignment thumb screws to center the object on the crosshairs of the finder scope. Then look again into the telescope’s eyepiece and see if it is still centered there too. If it isn’t, repeat the entire process, making sure not to move the telescope while adjusting the alignment of the finder scope. Finder scopes can come out of alignment during transport or when removed from the telescope, so check its alignment before each observing session.

If, when looking through the finder scope, you notice that the image is fuzzy, you will need to focus the finder scope for your eyes. Different finder scopes focus differently; most Orion finder scopes include a lock ring near the objective and focus as follows:
1. Loosen the lock ring that is located behind the finder’s objective lens cell
2. Screw the objective lens cell in or out until the image appears sharp.
3. Tighten the lock ring behind the lens cell. If there is no lock ring the finder scope is focused by rotating the eyepiece.
Once the finder scope is now focused it should not need focusing again for your eyes..

Yes, but before taking this on, regardless of the orientation, the intersection of the crosshairs marks the center and that’s what important. However, should you feel the need to change the orientation of the finder scope’s crosshairs; you can do so by carefully rotating the finder scope in its bracket. Loosen the adjustment screws or pull on the tensioner (depending on the model) and rotate the finder scope tube in the bracket until the crosshairs are oriented the way you want. You should not need to rotate the finder scope tube more than 1/4 of a turn. For right-angle finder scopes, unthread the eyepiece to re-orient the crosshairs; gently turn the eyepiece until the crosshairs are oriented as you wish. You should not need to rotate the eyepiece more than 1/4 of a turn to do this. This may leave you with a loose eyepiece. If so, you can add an o-ring or shim to tighten it at the new orientation.

To calculate the magnification, or power, of a telescope with an eyepiece, simply divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece. Magnification = telescope focal length ÷ eyepiece focal length. For example, the Orion Sirius 8" EQ-G Telescope, which has a focal length of 1000mm, used in combination with the supplied 25mm eyepiece, yields a power of: 1000 ÷ 25 = 40x.
It is desirable to have a range of telescope eyepieces of different focal lengths to allow viewing over a range of magnifications. It is not uncommon for an observer to own five or more eyepieces. Orion offers many different eyepieces of varying focal lengths.
See this link to the eyepiece category on our website.
Every telescope has a theoretical limit of power of about 50x per inch of aperture (i.e. 400x for the Orion Sirius 8" EQ-G). Atmospheric conditions will limit the usefullness of magnification and cause views to become blurred. The highest useful magnification of a telescope of the Orion Sirius 8" EQ-G is 300x. Claims of higher power by some telescope manufacturers are a misleading advertising gimmick and should be dismissed. Keep in mind that at higher powers, an image will always be dimmer and less sharp (this is a fundamental law of optics). With every doubling of magnification you lose half the image brightness and three-fourths of the image sharpness. The steadiness of the air (the “seeing”) can also limit how much magnification an image can tolerate. Always start viewing with your lowest-power (longest focal length) eyepiece in the telescope. It’s best to begin observing with the lowest-power eyepiece, because it will typically provide the widest true field of view, which will make finding and centering objects much easier After you have located and centered an object, you can try switching to a higher-power eyepiece to ferret out more detail, if atmospheric conditions permit. If the image you see is not crisp and steady, reduce the magnification by switching to a longer focal length eyepiece. As a general rule, a small but well-resolved image will show more detail and provide a more enjoyable view than a dim and fuzzy, over-magnified image.

To determine what telescope eyepieces you need to get powers in a particular range with your telescope, see our Learning Center article: How to choose Telescope Eyepieces

For viewing craters on the Moon, the rings of Saturn, and Jupiter with its four bright moons, a 60mm or 70mm refractor or a 3-inch reflector telescope does a good job. An 80mm to 90mm refractor or 4.5-inch or 6-inch reflector will show more planetary and lunar detail as well as glowing nebulas and sparkling star clusters. Under dark, non-light-polluted skies, a big scope—8-inch diameter or more—will serve up magnificent images of fainter clusters, galaxies, and nebulas. The larger the telescope, the more detail you will see. But don’t bite off more than you can chew, size-wise. Before you buy, consider carefully a telescope’s size and weight. Make sure you can comfortably lift and transport it, and that you have room indoors to store it. For more detailed information on this topic see our Learning Center article: Choosing a Telescope for Astronomy - The long Version

Atmospheric conditions play a huge part in quality of viewing. In conditions of good “seeing”, star twinkling is minimal and objects appear steady in the eyepiece. Seeing is best over-head, worst at the horizon. Also, seeing generally gets better after midnight, when much of the heat absorbed by the Earth during the day has radiated off into space. Typically, seeing conditions will be better at sites that have an altitude over about 3000 feet. Altitude helps because it decreases the amount of distortion causing atmosphere you are looking through. A good way to judge if the seeing is good or not is to look at bright stars about 40 degrees above the horizon. If the stars appear to “twinkle”, the atmosphere is significantly distorting the incoming light, and views at high magnifications will not appear sharp. If the stars appear steady and do not twinkle, seeing conditions are probably good and higher magnifications will be possible. Also, seeing conditions are typically poor during the day. This is because the heat from the Sun warms the air and causes turbulence. Good “transparency” is especially important for observing faint objects. It simply means the air is free of moisture, smoke, and dust. These tend to scatter light, which reduces an object’s brightness. One good way to tell if conditions are good is by how many stars you can see with your naked eye. If you cannot see stars of magnitude 3.5 or dimmer then conditions are poor. Magnitude is a measure of how bright a star is, the brighter a star is, the lower its magnitude will be. A good star to remember for this is Megrez (mag. 3.4), which is the star in the “Big Dipper” connecting the handle to the “dipper”. If you cannot see Megrez, then you have fog, haze, clouds, smog, light pollution or other conditions that are hindering your viewing. Another hint: Good seeing can vary minute to minute. Watch the planets for a while to pick-up those moments of good seeing.

Do not expect to go from a lighted house into the darkness of the outdoors at night and immediately see faint nebulas, galaxies, and star clusters—or even very many stars, for that matter. Your eyes take about 30 minutes to reach perhaps 80 percent of their full dark-adapted sensitivity. Many observers notice improvements after several hours of total darkness. As your eyes become dark-adapted, more stars will glimmer into view and you will be able to see fainter details in objects you view in your telescope. So give yourself at least a little while to get used to the dark before you begin observing. To see what you are doing in the darkness, use a red light flashlight rather than a white light. Red light does not spoil your eyes’ dark adaptation like white light does. A flashlight with a red LED light is ideal, or you can cover the front of a regular flashlight with red cellophane or paper. Beware, too, that nearby porch and streetlights and automobile headlights will spoil your night vision. Your eyes can take at least 1/2 hour to re-adjust.

Most deep-sky objects are very faint, so it is important that you find an observing site well away from light pollution. Take plenty of time to let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Don’t expect these objects to appear like the photographs you see in books and magazines; most will look like dim gray “ghosts.” (Our eyes are not sensitive enough to see color in deep-sky objects except in few of the brightest ones.) But as you become more experienced and your observing skills improve, you will be able to coax out more and more intricate details. And definitely use your low-power telescope eyepieces to get a wide field-of-view for the largest of the deep-sky objects.

The planets don’t stay put like stars do (they don’t have fixed R.A. and Dec. coordinates), so you will need to refer to the Orion Star Chart on our website. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are among the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. All four of these planets are not normally visible in the sky at one time, but chances are one or two of them will be.

JUPITER: The largest planetJupiter, is a great subject to observe. You can see the disk of the giant planet and watch the ever-changing positions of its four largest moons, Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede. If atmospheric conditions are good, you may be able to resolve thin cloud bands on the planet’s disk.

SATURN: The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight when it is well positioned. The tilt angle of the rings varies over a period of many years; sometimes they are seen edge-on, while at other times they are broadside and look like giant “ears” on each side of Saturn’s disk. A steady atmosphere (good seeing) is necessary for a good view. You may probably see a tiny, bright “star” close by; that’s Saturn’s brightest moon, Titan.

VENUS: At its brightest, Venus is the most luminous object in the sky, excluding the Sun and the Moon. It is so bright that sometimes it is visible to the naked eye during full daylight! Ironically, Venus appears as a thin crescent, not a full disk, when at its peak brightness. Because it is so close to the Sun, it never wanders too far from the morning or evening horizon. No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which is always shrouded in dense clouds. Sometimes using a color filter will lessen the glare of Venus and help you see the crescent.

MARS: If atmospheric conditions are good, you may be able to see some subtle surface detail on the Red Planet, possibly even the polar ice cap. Mars makes a close approach to Earth every two years; during those approaches its disk is larger and thus more favorable for viewing. For more detailed information on this topic see our Learning Center article: What Will You See Through a Telescope

If you wear eyeglasses, you may be able to keep them on while you observe, if your telescope eyepieces have enough “eye relief” to allow you to see the whole field of view. You can find out by looking through the eyepiece first with your glasses on and then with them off, and see if the glasses restrict the view to only a portion of the full field. If they do, you can easily observe with your glasses off by just refocusing the telescope the needed amount. If your eyes are astigmatic, images will probably appear the best with glasses on. This is because a telescope’s focuser can accommodate for nearsightedness or farsightedness, but not astigmatism. If you have to wear your glasses while observing and cannot see the entire field of view, you may want to purchase additional eyepieces that have longer eye relief.

We carry correct-image prism diagonals which provide right-side up non-reversed images in refractor and cassegrain telescopes. It is not possible to correct the image orientation in a reflector telescope.

You should not have to clean the telescope’s mirrors very often; normally once every other year or even less often. Covering the telescope with the dust cover when it is not in use will prevent dust from accumulating on the mirrors. Improper cleaning can scratch 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 front-surface aluminized and over-coated with hard silicon dioxide, which prevents the aluminum from oxidizing. These coatings normally last through many years of use before requiring re-coating. To clean the secondary mirror, first remove it from the telescope. Do this by holding the secondary mirror holder stationary while turning the center Phillips-head screw. Be careful, there is a spring between the secondary mirror holder and the phillips head screw. Be sure that it will not fall into the optical tube and hit the primary mirror. Handle the mirror by its holder; do not touch the mirror surface. Then follow the same procedure described below for cleaning the primary mirror. To clean the primary mirror, carefully remove the mirror cell from the telescope and remove the mirror from the mirror cell. If you have an Orion telescope, instructions to remove the primary mirror are included in your instruction manual. Do not touch the surface of the mirror with your fingers. Lift the mirror carefully by the edges. Set the mirror on top, face up, of a clean soft towel. Fill a clean sink, free of abrasive cleanser, with room-temperature water, a few drops of mild liquid dishwashing soap, and, if possible, a capful of rubbing alcohol. Submerge the mirror (aluminized face up) in the water and let it soak for a few minutes (or hours if it’s a very dirty mirror). Wipe the mirror under water with clean cotton balls, using extremely light pressure and stroking in straight line across the mirror. Use one ball for each wipe across the mirror. Then rinse the mirror under a stream of lukewarm water. Before drying, tip the mirror to a 45° angle and pour a bottle of distilled water over the mirror. This will prevent any tap water dissolved solids from remaining on the mirror. Any particles on the surface can be swabbed gently with a series of cotton balls, each used just one time. Dry the mirror in a stream of air (a “blower bulb” works great), or remove any stray drops of water with the corner of a paper towel. Water will run off a clean surface. Cover the mirror surface with tissue, and leave the mirror in a warm area until it is completely dry before replacing in the mirror cell and telescope.

As a general rule, telescopes should be allowed to cool down (or warm up) before they are used. If you bring optics from a warm air to cold air (or vice versa) without giving it time to reach thermal equilibrium, your telescope will give you distorted views. Allow your telescope 30 minutes to an hour to reach the temperature of the outdoors before using. When brining your telescope from cool temperatures to warm temperatures, leave any protective caps off until the telescope has warmed-up to prevent condensation. Storing your telescope in the garage or shed where the temperature is closer to the outside temperature will reduce cool down times.

For Northern Hemisphere observers, approximate polar alignment is achieved by pointing the mount’s R.A. axis at the North Star, or Polaris. It lies within 1° of the north celestial pole (NCP), which is an extension of the Earth’s rotational axis out into space. Stars in the Northern Hemisphere appear to revolve around Polaris. To find Polaris in the sky, look north and locate the pattern of the Big Dipper. The two stars at the end of the “bowl” of the Big Dipper point right to Polaris. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere aren’t so fortunate to have a bright star so near the south celestial pole (SCP). The star Sigma Octantis lies about 1° from the SCP, but it is barely visible with the naked eye (magnitude 5.5). For general visual observation, an approximate polar alignment is sufficient: 1. Level the equatorial mount by adjusting the length of the three tripod legs. 2. Loosen one of the latitude adjusting T-bolts and tighten the other to tilt the mount until the pointer on the latitude scale is set at the latitude of your observing site. This may vary depending on the mount, some have one bolt and a tightening screw instead. If you don’t know your latitude, consult a geographical atlas to find it. For example, if your latitude is 35° North, set the pointer to +35. The latitude setting should not have to be adjusted again unless you move to a different viewing location some distance away. 3. Loosen the Dec. lock lever and rotate the telescope optical tube until it is parallel with the R.A. axis. The pointer on the Dec. setting circle should read 90°. Retighten the Dec. lock lever. 4. Move the tripod so the telescope tube (and R.A. axis) points roughly at Polaris. If you cannot see Polaris directly from your observing site, consult a compass and rotate the tripod so the telescope points north. Using a compass is a less desirable option, a compass points about 16° away from true north and requires you to compensate foe accurate polar alignment. The equatorial mount is now approximately polar-aligned for casual observing. More precise polar alignment is required for astrophotography and for use of the manual setting circles. From this point on in your observing session, you should not make any further adjustments to the latitude of the mount, nor should you move the tripod. Doing so will undo the polar alignment. The telescope should be moved only about its R.A. and Dec. axes.

Periodic Error Correction, or PEC for short, is a system that improves the track accuracy for the drive by reducing the number of the user corrections. PEC is designed to improve photographic quality by reducing the amplitude of the worm errors. Using the PEC function is a two-step process. First you guide for at least 5 ½ minutes (the time it takes the worm to make one revolution) during which the system records the corrections you make. This “teaches” the PEC chip the characteristics of the worm. The second step is to play back the corrections you made during one recording phase. Keep in mind, this feature is for the advanced astrophotographer and requires careful guiding.

These filters improve contrast between sky and object but will not actually make the object brighter. Expect a very dark sky background and a somewhat dimmer but high-contrast image. Our SkyGlow and UltraBlock filters improve the contrast of most objects by increasing the blackness of the night sky. The UltraBlock Narrowband filter will have a negative affect on viewing galaxies and stars; the coatings on the filters are specifically formulated for emission-type objects like nebula. Remember to use low power and longer focal-length eyepieces. Also allow your eyes to dark-adapt is the key to getting the most from these filters. Allow your eyes to dark-adapt for about 20-30 minutes before you use the filter. Once the pupil in your eye opens up, you’ll be able to take full advantage of the benefits of these filters.

One of the problems with a solar filter on a telescope is that it’s a bit tricky to aim it at the sun. You can’t look through the finder to point the scope or you’ll cause injury to your eye. So, cap off or remove the finder. Also, because with the very dark filter on the front if the sun is slightly outside the field of view of the eyepiece you’ll see pitch blackness in the field. With the solar filter properly mounted, try looking at the shadow of the optical tube on the ground, move the tube until the shadow is at a minimum. You’ll be pointed at the sun, or at least close enough to find it with a little sweeping and a low-power eyepiece to bring it into view. It can be difficult, even with the shadow method. An other trick to try after you’ve got it close with the shadow if your still not having any luck getting the sun in the field. . . take the eyepiece out of the focuser. Then look into the focuser...you won’t see an image but when the sun gets close you’ll see a flicker of brightness coming through the mirrors. Then pop the eyepiece back in and you should have it.