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Power
knob
Altitude
adjustment
knob
Thumbscrews
Figure 27.
The EZ Finder II reflex sight.
on the battery casing (Figure 27) and gently prying open the
case. Then carefully pull back on the retaining clip and remove
the old battery. Do not over-bend the retaining clip. Then slide
the new battery under the battery lead with the positive (+)
end facing down and replace the battery casing.
Using Eyepieces
The final step in the assembly process is to insert an eyepiece
into the telescope's focuser. First, take the cover cap off the
focuser drawtube. To use the 2" DeepView eyepiece, loosen
the two thumb screws on the 2" accessory collar (on the end
of the focuser drawtube) and remove the 1.25" adapter. Then
place the 2" eyepiece directly into the 2" accessory collar
and secure it with the two thumb screws loosened previously
(Figure 28). The other eyepiece and 1.25" adapter can be
placed in the eyepiece rack until they are needed.
To install the 1.25" Illuminated Plössl eyepiece instead of the
2" DeepView eyepiece, keep the 1.25" adapter in the focuser,
and make sure the two thumb screws on the 2" adapter are
tightened. Now, loosen the thumb screw on the 1.25" adapt-
er, do not loosen the two thumb screws on the 2" adapter.
Insert the 1.25" eyepiece into the 1.25" eyepiece adapter, and
secure it by retightening the thumb screw on the 1.25" eye-
piece adapter (Figure 28). The other eyepiece can be placed
in the eyepiece rack until it is needed.
The basic assembly of your SkyQuest XXg Dobsonian is now
complete. It should appear as shown in Figure 1. Keep the
dust cap in place on the bottom tube section when the tele-
scope is not in use, to minimize the accumulation of dust on
the primary mirror. It is also a good idea to store eyepieces in
an eyepiece case and to replace the cover cap on the focuser
when the telescope is idle.
3. Tips for Transporting
Your XXg
The SkyQuest XX12g and XX14g GoTo Truss Dobsonians
are big scopes, but they were designed with portability in
mind. For both telescopes, the optical tube and the GoTo base
break down without tools into easily manageable components
Azimuth
adjustment
knob
Battery
casing
Dovetail
mounting
bracket
Figure 28.
for transporting to and from your favorite observing site in a
standard-sized vehicle, or for more convenient storage in your
home or garage.
A fit individual should have no trouble setting up, dismantling,
or carrying the components of an XX12g or XX14g Dobsonian
short distances without assistance. Of course, having a helper
will facilitate these activities, but if or when you find yourself on
your own for an evening observing session, you'll be just fine!
The truss tube disassembles into a small front tube section
including the secondary mirror and focuser, rear tube sec-
tion housing the primary mirror cell, and four truss-pole pairs.
The base disassembles into four separate components: the
baseplate assembly (top and bottom baseplates with azimuth
motor and encoders installed), left side panel (with altitude
motor and encoders installed), right side panel, and front
panel. All the hardware has hand knobs for tool-free manipu-
lation and is captive so that nothing will drop off and get dirty
or lost in the dark.
Before transporting the telescope, remove the EZ Finder II
(with bracket) and any eyepiece from the focuser. The eye-
piece rack can also be removed from the base, if you wish.
This will prevent these accessories from getting damaged
during transport. These items can be placed in an optional
accessory case.
To remove the optical tube from the base, first orient the tube
so it is horizontal. Then unthread the tube connecting knob
(see Figure 25) until it disengages from the metal dovetail
trunnion on the base. You needn't unthread it completely from
the telescope side bearing. Grasp the rear end ring of the
tube with one hand and one of the truss poles with your other
hand (see Figure 26). Then, using both hands, carefully lift
the tube upward and off the base.
If possible, transport the bottom tube section containing the
primary mirror in an upright position, i.e., with the rear end ring
resting on the ground. Doing so will reduce stress on the mirror
support system. We recommend transporting the tube assem-
bly in the optional padded case set for proper protection.
Each time you assemble the optical tube for an observing
session, you should check the optical collimation. It may not
need any adjustment, but it could require a minor tweak to
1.25" adapter
2" accessory
collar
2" collar
thumbscrews
Coarse
focus knob
Drawtube tension setscrews
Detail of the dual-speed focuser.
1.25" adapter
thumbscrew
Focus lock
thumbscrew
Fine
focus
knob
Coarse
focus knob
15
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