Carson Optical RP-400 Telescope User Manual


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EverycelestialobjecthasacorrespondingR.A.andDec.coordinate.Given
thepropercoordinates,youcanusethesettingcirclesonyourtelescope
mounttolocateanycelestialobject.Thecoordinatescanonlybeusedifthe
telescopeisrstalignedwiththeNorth(orSouth)CelestialPole.
Polar Alignment:
Ifthetelescopeisaccuratelyalignedwiththecelestialpole,verylittledec-
linationadjustmentwillbenecessarytotrackacelestialobject.Mostofthe
trackingcanbedoneusingtheRightAscensioncable(Fig.1-8).
To line up your telescope with the pole:
•Makesuretheequatorialmountislockedinthe“home”position,
meaningthattheopticaltubeassemblyisparalleltothecorrespond-
ingportionofthemountbelowitandthatthedeclinationaxisis
straightupanddownwiththecounterweight(Fig.2-12)init’slow-
estposition.Forreference,theequatorialmountinFig.2isinthe
home position.
•Loosentheequatorialmountlockingscrew(Fig.3-25)sothatthe
entiretelescope(withmount)rotatesfreelyonthetripod.
•Rotatetheentiretelescopeuntilthepolaraxis(SeeFig.2)pointsdue
North.IfyouarenotsurewhichdirectionisNorth,locatePolaris
andpointthepolaraxistowardsit.Polarisislessthanonedegree
awayfromtheCelestialNorthPoleandisaccurateenoughforpolar
alignment.
•Ifneeded,levelthemountbyadjustingthetripodlegsaccordingly.
•Determinethelatitudeoftheareayouarein.Usethelatitudeturn
screws(Fig.3-18)totiltthetelescopeuntilthepointerindicatesthe
correctlatitudeontheLatitudeDial(Fig.3-23).
•Thennetunethelatitudeturnscrews(Fig.3-18)untilPolarisap-
pearsinthecenterofyourtelescopeeldofview.
•DonotmovethetelescopeinR.A.orDec.whilepolaraligning.
Theseadjustmentsshouldremainlocked.
•IfyouliveintheSouthernHemisphere,youshouldfollowthese
stepsbutpointthepolaraxisdueSouthandlocateSigmaOctantis
insteadofPolaris.
Yourtelescopeisnowpolaralignedfortheareayouareusingit.Youwill
needonlytopointthetelescopeNorth(orSouthintheSouthernHemisphere)
whenusingitfromnowon.Youwillonlyneedtorepeatthepolaralignment
ifyoumovetoadifferentlocationandyourlatitudehaschanged.
Using the Telescope:
Onceyouhaveproperlyassembled,balancedandalignedyourtelescopeyou
arenallyreadytostartusingit.
•Tolocateanobjectusingthetelescope,rstloosentheR.A.lock
(Fig.3-22)andDec.lock(Fig.3-24)allowingthetelescopetorotate
alongbothaxes.Lookthroughthenderscope(Fig.1-5)tosight
theobjectyouarelookingforandcenteritinthenderscopecross-
hairs.Youmayneedtofocusthenderscopebyturningthender
scopefocusknob(Fig.4-27).Thenre-tightentheR.A.andDec.
locks.
•Itisbesttousethelowestpowereyepiece(thePlossl20mmeye-
piece)atrst.Thisallowsforawidereldofviewmakingiteasier
tolocateobjects.Oncetheobjectiscenteredintheeldofviewyou
canswitchtheeyepiecetohighermagnications.
•Oncetheobjectiscenteredintheeldofview,turnthefocusknobs
(Fig.1-6)untiltheimageisclearandsharp.
•Youwillnoticethattheobjectyouareviewingwillslowlymove
acrosstheeldofview(causedbytherotationoftheEarth).You
willneedtoturntheR.A.exiblecable(Fig.1-8)tokeeptheobject
centered.
Image Orientation:
Whenlookingthroughthetelescopewiththe90°cornerlensinstalledyou
willnoticethattheimageyouseeisreversedfromlefttoright.Thisisnor-
mal for refractor telescopes.
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