Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Cleaning the Objective Lens
Use the bulb blower to remove any visible dirt and dust particles from the telescope's objective lens.
Mix distilled water and glass cleaner in equal parts. Dip a cotton ball in the solution and squeeze out any excess liquid. The cotton ball should be moist, but not soaking wet.
Wipe the front of the objective lens with the moistened cotton ball. Use the slightest pressure possible so that the cotton ball barely touches the lens surface. Remove any excess solution from the lens by lightly pressing a dry cotton ball against the wet surface.
Use several wet and dry cotton balls until the lens appears clean. Remove any cotton lint from the lens using the bulb blower.
Checking the Collimation
Star test the Antares telescope to check whether it requires collimation. Wait for a clear night with steady atmospheric conditions. Leave the telescope outside for at least a half an hour to let it warm or cool to ambient temperature.
Point the telescope toward a bright star. Insert a medium-power eyepiece into the focuser.
Adjust the focus knob until the star is as close to focus as possible. Slowly turn the focus knob toward you until the star is slightly outside of focus. Examine the image in the eyepiece. You should see several circular, evenly spaced rings if the telescope is collimated.
Refocus the star in the eyepiece. Slowly turn the focus knob away from you until the star is slightly outside of focus. Study the image. Again, you should see a series of evenly spaced rings if the telescope is collimated.
Collimate the telescope if the defocused star does not resemble several evenly spaced, concentric circles when inside and outside of focus.
Collimating the Telescope
Loosen the thumbscrew securing the dew shield to the front of the Antares telescope. Remove the dew shield and set it aside. Examine the objective lens. Around the objective lens, you should see three Phillips-head screws and Allen screws.
Loosen all three Allen screws slightly. Tighten the Phillips-head screws to adjust the collimation.
Star test the telescope again. If the defocused star images still do not resemble evenly spaced, concentric rings, you will need to continue adjusting the collimation screws around the objective lens and repeat the star test until you achieve proper alignment.
Loosen the Phillips-head screws and then tighten the Allen wrench screws if the image actually worsens after loosening the Allen screws and then tightening the Phillips-head screws. This will shift the objective lens in the opposite direction.
Continue adjusting the Phillips-head and Allen screws and star testing the telescope until defocused stars resemble evenly spaced, circular rings.