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Saddle
clamp knob
Dovetail Saddle
Dovetail bar
Figure 3.
The telescope optical tube is attached to the dovetail
saddle via a dovetail bar mounted on the telescope tube. StarMax
90 Mak-Cass pictured here.
II. Setting Up the Telescope
Your new TableTop telescope arrives with the optical tube
already attached to the base. Carefully remove the assembled
telescope from the shipping box and set it upright on its base.
Remove the plastic bag from the telescope.
Rotate the telescope tube so it is positioned somewhat like in
the pictures on the cover of this manual. You may note that the
saddle clamp knob (see Figure 3) is in a downward position.
That is fine if it is. But if you'd prefer to have it in the upward
position as shown in Figure 3, for more convenient access to
it, that's easy enough to do. Just hold the telescope tube in
one hand and loosen the saddle clamp knob with the other
until you can lift or slide the telescope tube's dovetail bar out
of the saddle. Then rotate the saddle until the clamp knob is
pointing up. Finally, reattach the telescope tube to the saddle
and tighten the saddle clamp knob.
Install the EZ Finder II
Slide the foot of the EZ Finder's bracket into the dovetail shoe
on the telescope tube (Figure 4). Make sure the EZ Finder II
is oriented with the sight tube facing the front end of the tele-
scope, as shown.
Install and Eyepiece and (for the StarMax 90) the
Diagonal
The TableTop telescopes come with two 4-element Bertele
eyepieces: one of 20mm focal length and the other of 10mm
focal length. More information about the eyepieces are pro-
vided later in this manual.
4
Thumbscrew
Shoe
Sight tube
Figure 4.
Slide the foot of the EZ Finder II bracket into the
dovetail shoe on the telescope tube, as shown. Then tighten the
thumbscrew.
For the SkyScanner 100 Reflector, insert an eyepiece directly
into the focuser (Figure 5A). First remove the cap from the
focuser and loosen the two thumbscrews to provide clearance
for the eyepiece barrel. Then insert the barrel of the eyepiece
into the focuser and lightly retighten the thumbscrews.
For the StarMax 90 Mak-Cass, you will first insert the star
diagonal into the visual back adapter. The diagonal deflects
the light exiting the telescope by 90 degrees, providing a more
convenient angle for viewing through the eyepiece. Once the
diagonal is secured in the visual back adapter with the two
thumbscrews, insert an eyepiece into the diagonal and secure
it with the thumbscrew on the diagonal (Figure 5B).
Tabletop or (Optional) Tripod?
One of the great assets of the TableTop telescopes is their
extremely compact, portable size. You may find that the most
comfortable way to use the telescope is while sitting down or
kneeling on the ground next to it. If you wish to raise the tele-
scope off the ground a bit so that it can be used while stand-
ing or sitting in a chair, then a platform such as a milk crate, a
camping table, or a picnic table might be just the ticket.
One other possibility for how to "mount" the telescope is on
an optional tripod. The TableTop telescopes are equipped with
a built-in photo tripod adapter (Figure 6), which features a
female 3/8"-16 threaded insert in the center, and a remov-
able 1/4"-to-3/8" thread adapter pre-installed in it. The adapter
allows the TableTop telescope base to be mounted on most
standard photographic tripods. Most photo tripods have either
a 3/8"-16 or a 1/4"-20 threaded post to allow attachment of a
pan head or ball head. Attaching the TableTop telescope to the
tripod's threaded post rather than to a pan head will provide
better stability. So we recommend removing any pan head or
ball head from the tripod and installing the telescope directly
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