Orion SKYQUEST XT6 - Manual (Page 10)

ondary mirror (and your eye) centered in the reflection of the pri-
mary mirror, as in Figure 12a. If anything is off-center, as in
Figure 12b, proceed with the following collimation procedure.
The Collimation Cap and Mirror Center Mark
Your SkyQuest XT comes with a collimation cap. This is a sim-
ple cap that fits on the focuser drawtube like a dust cap, but
has a hole in the center and a silver bottom. This helps center
your eye so that collimation is easy to perform. Figures 12b
through 12e assume you have the collimation cap in place.
In addition to providing the collimation cap, you’ll notice a tiny
ring (sticker) in the exact center of the primary mirror. This
“center mark” allows you to achieve a very precise collimation
of the primary mirror; you don’t have to guess where the cen-
ter of the mirror is. You simply adjust the mirror position
(described below) until the reflection of the hole in the collima-
tion cap is centered inside the ring. This center mark is also
required for best results with other collimating devices, such
as Orion’s LaserMate Laser Collimator, obviating the need to
remove the primary mirror and mark it yourself.
Note: The center ring sticker need not ever be removed
from the primary mirror. Because it lies directly in the
shadow of the secondary mirror, its presence in no way
adversely affects the optical performance of the tele-
scope or the image quality.
That might seem
counterintuitive, but it’s true!
If you wish to carry the optical tube and base separately, sim-
ply disengage the CorrecTension springs by unhooking them
from the posts on the base, using the pull loops. The springs
remain captive on the telescope side bearings. Now the base
and tube are disengaged and can be transported separately.
Do not use the navigation knob as a carry handle!
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, disengage the springs and carry
the base and tube separately.
When putting the SkyQuest into a vehicle, common sense pre-
vails. It is especially important that the optical tube does not
knock around; this can cause the optics to become misaligned,
and could dent the tube. We recommend transporting and stor-
ing the tube assembly in a padded case for proper protection.
4. Collimation
Collimation is the process of adjusting the mirrors so they are
correctly aligned with one another. Your telescope’s optics were
aligned at the factory, and should not need much adjustment
unless the telescope is handled roughly. Accurate mirror align-
ment is important to ensure the peak performance of your
telescope, so it should be checked regularly. Collimation is rela-
tively easy to do and can be done in daylight.
To check collimation, remove the eyepiece and look down the
focuser drawtube.You should see the secondary mirror centered
in the drawtube, as well as the reflection of the primary mirror
centered in the secondary mirror, and the reflection of the sec-
10
Figure 12. Collimating the optics. (a) When the mirrors
are properly aligned, the view down the focuser drawtube
should look like this
(b) With the collimation cap in place, if
the optics are out of alignment, the view might look
something like this.
(c) Here, the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser, but it needs to be adjusted (tilted) so that the entire primary
mirror is visible. (d) The secondary mirror is correctly aligned, but the primary mirror still needs adjustment. When the primary mirror is correctly
aligned, the “dot” will be centered, as in (e) .
a.
b. c.
d. e.