Telescope Maintenance; Care And Cleaning Of The Optics; Collimation - Celestron NexStar 114 Instruction Manual

While your NexStar telescope requires little maintenance, there are a few things to remember that will ensure your telescope
performs at its best.
C a r e a n d C l e a n
C a r e a n d C l e a n
Occasionally, dust and/or moisture may build up on the lens of your telescope. Special care should be taken when cleaning any
instrument so as not to damage the optics.
If dust has built up on the corrector plate, remove it with a brush (made of camel's hair) or a can of pressurized air. Spray at an
angle to the lens for approximately two to four seconds. Then, use an optical cleaning solution and white tissue paper to remove
any remaining debris. Apply the solution to the tissue and then apply the tissue paper to the lens. Low pressure strokes should
go from the center of the corrector to the outer portion. Do NOT rub in circles!
You can use a commercially made lens cleaner or mix your own. A good cleaning solution is isopropyl alcohol mixed with
distilled water. The solution should be 60% isopropyl alcohol and 40% distilled water. Or, liquid dish soap diluted with water (a
couple of drops per one quart of water) can be used.
To minimize the need to clean your telescope, replace all lens covers once you have finished using it. This will prevent
contaminants from entering the optical tube.
C o l l i m a t i o n
C o l l i m a t i o n
(For NexStar 114 and 130)
The optical performance of your NexStar telescope is directly related to
its collimation, that is the alignment of its optical system. Your NexStar
was collimated at the factory after it was completely assembled.
However, if the telescope is dropped or jarred severely during transport,
it may have to be collimated. The NexStar 60 and NexStar 80 are
refractor type telescopes that have fix optical systems that should not
come out of collimation. The NexStar 114 and 130, however has three
collimation screws that can be used to adjust the alignment of the
primary mirror.
To check if your telescope is in collimation the following diagram will
help you. If you look into the eyepiece adapter (without an eyepiece) at
the top of the focuser, this is what you should see. If the reflection of
your eye is off center, then collimation is necessary.
Adjustments to the collimation of the telescope can be made by turning
the collimation adjustment knobs located at the rear of the optical tube.
First loosen the three Phillips head screws on the rear cell of the tube.
Turn each collimation knobs, one at a time, until the reflected image of
your eye in the secondary mirror is centered in the primary mirror.
Once the telescope is collimated, tighten the Phillips head screws until
you feel a slight resistance. Do not over tighten the screw.
If your telescope is out of collimation, the best way to re-collimate it is with a good collimation tool. Celestron offers a
Newtonian Collimation Tool (#94183) with detailed instructions that make it an easy chore.
i n g o f t h e O p t i c
i n g o f t h e O p t i c
s
s
The view of a collimated telescope as seen through the
focuser of the NexStar 114/130 reflector models.
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