Care And Maintenance - Orion 23013 Instruction Manual

double star Albireo in Cygnus are favorites. Defocusing a star
slightly can help bring out its color.
Deep-sky objects
Premium Deep Space Explorers are short-focal-length, "fast"
Newtonians that are ideally suited for wide-field viewing of deep-sky
objects. Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of such
objects, including gaseous nebulas, open and globular star clus-
ters, and a variety of different types of galaxies. 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 subjects to appear
like the photographs you see in books and magazines; most will
look like dim gray smudges. (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 get
sharper, you will be able to ferret out more and more subtle details.
Consult a star atlas or deep-sky observing guide for information
on finding and identifying deep-sky objects. Some good sources
to start with are the Edmund Mag 6 Star Atlas, Turn Left at Orion,
and The Universe From Your Backyard.

8. care and Maintenance

care of the tube and Base
Give your telescope reasonable care and it will last a lifetime. Store
it indoors or in a dry garage or observatory; DO NOT leave it out-
side where it is exposed to rain, humidity, or direct sunlight. When
the telescope is not in use, keep it covered with a plastic tarp or
drop cloth or an Orion Scope Saver to keep dust and dirt off.
An important design characteristic of your telescope is the con-
trolled friction of the bearing surface materials. To preserve the
optimum friction, never lubricate the bearings! Oil, wax, grease,
silicone, or graphite will greatly impair the mechanical performance
of the telescope, as the tube will swing wildly at the slightest touch.
Simply keep the bearing surfaces clean with a dry cloth. Any
household spray cleaner will work fine to clean any foreign mate-
rial or oil from the surfaces. The base is made of cabinet-grade
"Melamine" laminate, and will take quite a bit of wear and tear.
The optical tube is a "Sonotube," a thick spiral-wound paper
bonded with waterproof glue. Sonotubes are used for pouring
concrete columns, so they are very strong. The material is quite
stable even with variation in humidity. Sonotubes are far and
away the most popular tubes for Dobsonian telescopes. However,
10
if stored outside for long periods, exposed to the elements,
Sonotube can warp and begin to unravel.
transporting your Premium Deep space Explorer
When transporting your telescope, separate the base from the
tube and put the tube on a soft surface (back seat, blanket, etc.)
to keep it from getting banged around.
When shipping your telescope, should you have to, you must
protect the first-surface primary mirror.
1. Remove the primary mirror cell and mirror from the telescope
tube assembly.
2. Blow any dust or particles from the mirror. It is best to use a
blower bulb. Do not use canned air or hair dryers. Blowing
with your breath is better than not doing anything.
3. Protect the surface of the mirror. Do not touch it. The mirror
MUST be covered with a soft, nonabrasive material. In order
of preference: original tissue wrap, lots of lens cleaning tissue,
a clean 100% cotton cloth or shirt, facial tissue, or toilet paper.
4. Pack the mirror assembly and telescope well. Always use the
original packing material if possible. If not, you should "double
box" the mirror assembly to insure adequate protection.
care of the optics
Any quality optical lens cleaning tissue and optical lens cleaning
fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be used to
clean the exposed lenses of your eyepieces or finder scope. Never
use regular glass cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglass-
es. Always apply the fluid to the tissue, never directly on the optics.
Gently wipe the lens, taking care not to rub too hard. Use lots of
tissue on larger lenses. Don't take eyepieces apart for cleaning!
cleaning First-surface Mirrors
Cleaning is seldom needed (perhaps once a year) and is best
done only when definitely needed. Covering your telescope will
prevent the mirrors from getting dirty. Small specks of dust or
flecks of paint have virtually no affect on performance, so don't
clean your mirror too often; it's too much trouble for little reason!
Improper cleaning can scratch mirror coatings.
The primary mirror and secondary mirror of your telescope are
front-surface aluminized and overcoated with hard silicon monox-
ide, which prevents the aluminum from oxidizing. These coatings
normally last through many, many years of use before requiring
recoating (which is easily done).