INSTRUCTION MANUAL Orion SkyQuest IntelliScope XT6, XT8, XT10 ® ™ ™ #9816, #9918, #9950 Customer Support (800) 676-1343 E-mail: support@telescope.com Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000 Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975 P.O. Box 1815, Santa Cruz, CA 95061 IN 226 Rev.
Secondary mirror holder with 4-vane spider (not visible) Finder scope Finder scope bracket Eyepiece Focuser Navigation knob Optical tube Tensioning knob IntelliScope Controller Port modular jack Retaining knob (opposite side) Computerized Object Locator (optional) Primary mirror cell Right side panel Eyepiece rack Front brace Left side panel Handle Top baseplate Foot (3) Ground baseplate Figure 1.
Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion SkyQuest XT IntelliScope Dobsonian. It is a high-performance astronomical instrument designed to provide dazzling views of celestial objects and unprecedented ease of use. With the addition of the optional IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator (Controller), you gain the ability to locate and view thousands of celestial objects with the push of a button.
1 Azimuth encoder board 1 Encoder connector board 5 Encoder board mounting wood screws 1 Brass bushing 1 Encoder disk 1 Azimuth axis hex-head screw (length 2.
the baseplate. Thread an encoder board mounting screw into the predrilled starter hole with a Phillips screwdriver and tighten until just tight. Correct Tension pads 6. Place one Teflon bearing pad (G) into each recessed hole on the ground baseplate (A). The bearing pads will be loose in the recessed hole and should remain that way. Do not attempt to permanently secure the bearing pads by any means as this will interfere with the motion of the telescope. 7.
Encoder connector board Screws Figure 6. Attaching the encoder connector board. (XT10 Shown) by adding or removing washers. This is important when using the optional IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator, since the optical tube must be exactly vertical during the two-star alignment procedure. Installing the Eyepiece Rack The aluminum eyepiece rack is a standard accessory on SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonians. It holds three 1.25" eyepieces and one 2" eyepiece (three 1.
down much too freely. This causes problems when the observer tries to accurately center and track an object for viewing, especially at higher powers. Also, the telescope becomes very sensitive to balance, requiring additional equipment such as counterweight systems or springs to compensate. SkyQuest Intelliscope Dobsonians employ a simple yet effective remedy for the friction problem that obviates the need for such cumbersome countermeasures.
O-ring For the XT6: Loosen the two thumbscrews on the eyepiece holder and insert the 25mm Sirius Plössl eyepiece. Then secure it in place with the thumbscrews. The other eyepiece can be placed in the eyepiece rack until it is needed. The basic assembly of your SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonian is now complete. It should appear as shown in Figure 1. The dust cap on the front of the telescope tube should always remain in place when the telescope is not in use.
(left/right) (Figure 14). For altitude motion, the altitude bearings on the telescope tube glide on pairs of bearing cylinders made from ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene. For azimuth motion, the top baseplate moves on three Teflon bearing pads embedded in the ground baseplate. To move the telescope, simply take hold of the navigation knob and gently move the tube up or down and left or right as desired. Both motions can be made simultaneously and in a continuous manner for easy aiming.
Note: The image in both the finder scope and the main telescope will appear upside-down (rotated 180°). This is normal for finder scopes and reflector telescopes (see Figure 16). Now look through the finder scope. Ideally, the object should be within the field of view. If not then coarse adjustments to the alignment thumbscrews will be needed. Once the image is in the finder scope’s field of view, you will now use the alignment thumbscrews to center the object on the intersection of the crosshairs.
1200 mm = 120x 10 mm The maximum attainable magnification for a telescope is directly related to how much light its optics can collect. A telescope with more light-collecting area, or aperture, can yield higher magnifications than a smaller-aperture telescope. The maximum practical magnification for any telescope, regardless of optical design, is about 60x per inch of aperture. This translates to about 360x for the SkyQuest XT6, 480x for the XT8, and 600x for the XT10.
rethread the knobs back into the bearings so that you do not lose them. Do not use the navigation knob as a carry handle! It is not designed to support the weight of the telescope tube and could break off or damage the tube. Note: The SkyQuest may be too heavy for some users to lift and carry as one unit. Do not strain yourself! If the load seems too heavy, carry the base and tube separately. When putting the SkyQuest into a vehicle, common sense prevails.
Figure 19. The SkyQuest IntelliScope properly set up for collimation. Note the white paper placed across from the focuser, and the level angle of the optical tube. Ideally, the telescope should be pointing at a white wall. Preparing the Telescope for Collimation Once you get the hang of collimation, you will be able to do it quickly even in the dark. For now, it is best to collimate in daylight, preferably in a brightly lit room and aimed at a white wall.
Adjusting the Primary Mirror The final adjustment is made to the primary mirror. It will need adjustment if, as in Figure 18d, the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser and the reflection of the primary mirror is centered in the secondary mirror, but the small reflection of the secondary mirror (with the “dot” of the collimation cap) is off-center.
Note About the Collimatable 2" Focuser (XT8, XT10 only) The 2" focuser of the SkyQuest XT8 and XT10 can be collimated using three pairs of push-pull screws located at the base of the focuser (Figure 13). The focuser was collimated at the factory however, and should never need to be adjusted. Focuser collimation is only required under very rare circumstances but has been made available for this telescope should such a need arise. 5.
night vision for days. So give yourself at least a little while to get used to the dark before you begin observing. To see what you are doing in the darkness, use a red-filtered flashlight rather than a white light. Red light does not spoil your eyes’ dark adaptation like white light does. A flashlight with a red LED light is ideal, or you can cover the front of a regular incandescent flashlight with red cellophane or paper. Dim light is preferable to bright light.
dark patches, and you may be able to spot a whitish polar ice cap. To see surface detail on Mars, you will need a high power eyepiece and very steady air! D. The Stars Stars will appear as tiny points of light. Even powerful telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as anything more than pinpoints. You can, however, enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars.
location, the numbers get progressively smaller. When the navigation numbers reach 0, the telescope will be pointed right at the object! You just look into the eyepiece and enjoy the view! The IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator is a wonderful convenience for both the novice and experienced observer. It can be added at any time to turn you SkyQuest IntelliScope into a fully computerized “smart scope” that will expand you observing horizons in ways you never imagined.
8. Specifications SkyQuest XT6 IntelliScope Primary mirror:150mm diameter, parabolic, center-marked Focal length: 1200mm SkyQuest XT10 IntelliScope Primary mirror: 254mm diameter, Pyrex, parabolic, centermarked Focal ratio: f/8.0 Focal length: 1200mm Focuser:Rack-and-pinion. 1.25" eyepieces Focal ratio: f/4.7 Altitude bearing diameter: 5.75" Focuser: Rack-and-pinion. Accepts 2" and 1.
One-Year Limited Warranty This Orion SkyQuest IntelliScope Dobsonian Reflecting Telescope is warranted against defects in materials or workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase. This warranty is for the benefit of the original retail purchaser only.
