Orion STARBLAST 6/6I - Manual (Page 17)

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it level? If so, thread the jam nut tight against the back of the
L-bracket to secure the vertical stop knob in that exact posi-
tion. If the top of the optical tube is not level, thread the vertical
stop bolt in or out as needed until the top of the tube is level
when the end ring comes in contact with the vertical stop knob.
Then secure the vertical stop bolt in place with the jam nut.
Once the vertical stop bolt is accurately adjusted, it should not
need adjustment again. The base does not need to be level
for the IntelliScope system to function properly; the base only
needs leveling when initially setting the vertical stop.
Simple Two-Star Alignment
After setting the vertical position of the optical tube, a simple
two-star alignment process is all that is needed to ready the
IntelliScope system for operation. This is a great simplification
from many other computerized systems, which require you to
enter data such as your longitude, latitude, and time zone. For
the IntelliScope controller to accurately find objects, you only
need to center two bright stars in your telescope and indicate
to the controller which two stars you have centered. This is
quite easy to do. For your convenience, we have provided
finder charts for the alignment stars in Appendix D. Use the
finder chart to locate and identify two bright stars in your cur-
rent night sky. For best results, choose two stars that are at
least 60˚ apart from each other. (The width of your fist at arm’s
length is about 10˚, so you want the stars to be at least six fist-
widths apart.)
So, the optical tube is now in the vertical position and you’ve
chosen two bright stars in the sky to use for alignment. The
telescope should have a high-power eyepiece, such as the
10mm Sirius Plössl, in the eyepiece holder and the finder
scope should be properly aligned with the telescope (these
procedures are described elsewhere in this manual). The LCD
screen will state on its top line “ALIGN STAR 1,” with the name
of a star flashing on the second line.
Figure 23. Place a carpenter’s level on the altazimuth
base as shown. Add shims under the three feet as needed
so that the base stays level through a 180-degree rotation
in azimuth. Once the vertical stop is set, the base does not
need to be level to function properly.
Figure 22. Once the vertical stop is adjusted and set
initially, pointing the optical tube vertically is as easy as
rotating the tube until the bottom end ring contacts the
vertical stop knob, as shown. Make sure the middle of the
end ring – not the rounded bottom edge – contacts the
vertical stop knob.
Jam nut
Vertical
stop
knob
Rear end
ring
Vertical stop
L-bracket
Figure 24. Once the base is leveled, point the optical tube
up until the mirror cell (bottom end ring) contacts the vertical
stop knob. Then place the carpenter’s level across the top of
the tube as shown and adjust the vertical stop knob until the
tube is level. After each adjustment of the vertical stop knob,
make sure to re-establish contact between the telescope end
ring and the knob before checking the carpenter’s level.