Orion SPACEPROBE 130ST EQ Manual page 4

1. Lay the equatorial mount on its side. Attach the tripod
legs one at a time to the mount by sliding the screws
installed in the tops of the tripod legs into the slots at the
base of the mount and tightening the wing nuts finger-
tight. Note that the accessory tray bracket attachment
point on each leg should face inward.
2. Tighten the leg lock knobs on the bottom braces of the
tripod legs. For now, keep the legs at their shortest (fully
retracted) length; you can extend them to a more desir-
able length later, after the telescope is completely assem-
bled.
3. With the tripod legs now attached to the equatorial
mount, stand the tripod upright (be careful!) and spread
the legs apart enough to connect each end of the acces-
sory tray bracket to the attachment point on each leg.
Use the screw that comes installed in each attachment
point to do this. First remove the screw using the supplied
screwdriver, then line up one of the ends of the bracket
with the attachment point and reinstall the screw. Make
sure that the ribs in the plastic molding of the accessory
tray bracket face downward.
4. Now, with the accessory tray bracket attached, spread
the tripod legs apart as far as they will go, until the brack-
et is taut. Attach the accessory tray to the accessory tray
bracket with the three wing screws already installed in the
tray. This is done by pushing the wing screws up through
the holes in the accessory tray bracket, and threading
them into the holes in the accessory tray.
5. Next, tighten the screws at the tops of the tripod legs, so
the legs are securely fastened to the equatorial mount.
Use the larger wrench and your fingers to do this.
6. Orient the equatorial mount as it appears in Figure 2,
at a latitude of about 40°, i.e., so the pointer next to the
latitude scale (located directly above the latitude lock
T-bolt) is pointing to the mark at "40." To do this, loosen
the latitude lock T-bolt, and turn the latitude adjustment
T-bolt until the pointer and the "40" line up. Then retighten
the latitude lock T-bolt. The declination (Dec.) and right
ascension (R.A.) axes may need re-positioning (rotation)
as well. Be sure to loosen the RA and Dec. lock knobs
before doing this. Retighten the R.A. and Dec. lock knobs
once the equatorial mount is properly oriented.
7. Slide the counterweight onto the counterweight shaft.
Make sure the counterweight lock knob is adequately
loosened to allow the counterweight shaft to pass through
the hole in the counterweight.
8. Now, with the counterweight lock knob still loose, grip the
counterweight with one hand and thread the shaft into
the equatorial mount (at the base of the declination axis)
with the other hand. When it is threaded as far in as it will
go, position the counterweight about halfway up the shaft
and tighten the counterweight lock knob. The retaining
screw and washer on the bottom of the shaft prevent the
counterweight from falling off (and onto your foot!) if the
counterweight lock knob becomes loose.
4
R.A. setting
circle
Latitude
scale
Latitude lock
T-bolt
Latitude
adjustment
T-bolt
Azimuth lock knob
Figure 2.
The SpaceProbe 130 ST's equatorial mount.
9. Attach the two tube rings to the equatorial head using
the hex head screws that come installed in the bottom of
the rings. First remove the screws, then push the screws,
with the washers still attached, up through the holes in
the tube ring mounting plate (on the top of the equato-
rial mount) and rethread them into the bottom of the
tube rings. Tighten the screws securely with the smaller
wrench. Open the tube rings by first loosening the knurled
ring clamps. One of the tube rings has a piggyback cam-
era adapter on top (the knurled black ring); it can be used
to mount a camera for "piggyback" astrophotography.
10. Lay the telescope optical tube in the tube rings at about
the midpoint of the tube's length. Rotate the tube in the
rings so the focuser is angled somewhere between hori-
zontal and straight up. Close the rings over the tube and
tighten the knurled ring clamps finger-tight to secure the
telescope in position.
11. Now attach the two slow-motion cables to the R.A. and
Dec. worm gear shafts of the equatorial mount by posi-
tioning the thumbscrew on the end of the cable over the
indented slot on the worm gear shaft and then tightening
the thumbscrew. We recommend that the shorter cable
be used on the R.A. worm gear shaft and the longer
cable on the Dec. worm gear shaft. The Dec. worm gear
shaft and cable should extend toward the front (open)
end of the telescope optical tube. If it does not, you will
need to remove the tube from the mounting rings, rotate
the mount 180° about the Dec. axis (first loosen the Dec.
lock knob), and then replace the tube.
12. To place the finder scope in the finder scope bracket, first
unthread the two black nylon screws until the screw ends
are flush with the inside diameter of the bracket. Place
the O-ring that comes on the base of the bracket over
the body of the finder scope until it seats into the groove
on the middle of the finder scope. Slide the eyepiece end
(narrow end) of the finder scope into the end of the brack-
et's cylinder opposite the alignment screws while pulling
the chrome, spring-loaded tensioner on the bracket with
Dec. slow-motion
control cable
Dec. lock knob
Dec. setting circle
R.A. setting circle
lock thumbscrew
R.A. slow-motion
control cable