instruction Manual

Orion® Premium 190mm

f/5.3 Maksutov-Newtonian
Astrograph
#9978

Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975

OrionTelescopes.com

Customer Support (800) 676-1343 • E-mail: [email protected]

Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000 • 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

IN 370 7/09
 Finder scope
dovetail base

Corrector
lens

Dual-Speed
Focuser
Primary
mirror cell

Figure 1. The Premium 190mm f/5.3 Maksutov-Newtonian Astrograph optical tube assembly.

Congratulations on your purchase of an Orion ® We recommend keeping all of the original packaging. In the
Premium 190mm f/5.3 Maksutov-Newtonian unlikely event you should need to ship the telescope back to
Orion for warranty repair service, you should use the original
Astrograph. Your 190mm Mak-Newt Astrograph is packaging to ensure the telescope stays intact during shipping.
designed to deliver a flat field across the field of Take a moment to inspect the telescope and all of its parts.
view of an APS (advanced photo system) size cam-
era sensor, such as the StarShoot™ Pro or DSLR Using 1.25" and 2" Accessories
imager. Coma is reduced considerably when com- Your 190mm Mak-Newt can accommodate both 1.25" and
pared to a Newtonian of equivalent focal length. 2" accessories, including just about any eyepiece or camera.
The Crayford focuser has a 2" eyepiece holder with a 1.25"
The exceptional optical and mechanical quality eyepiece adapter installed. Both the 2" eyepiece holder and
of your 190mm Mak-Newt will provide you with a 1.25" eyepiece adapter feature a brass compression ring to
pleasing telescope experience. The optics are rig- hold your accessories in place. The brass compression ring
idly secured in place to reduce image shift; and dif- securely holds the 1.25" or 2" accessory in place without
fraction is minimal because the secondary mirror is marking up its metal barrel.
held by the corrector glass, eliminating the need for
Dual-Speed Crayford Focuser
spider vanes.
The 190mm Mak-Newt features a heavy-duty dual speed
Crayford focuser, designed to handle the weight of your
Parts List eyepieces and imaging systems. The Crayford design offers
smooth and gradual motion, free of image shift. If the draw-
Optical Tube Assembly tube slips under the weight of your equipment, simply increase
Optical tube dust cover the focus tension by tightening the focus tension setscrew
(Figure 2).
1.25" eyepiece adapter
Crayford focusers generally perform better than rack-and-pin-
Camera adapter ion models because the design eliminates “focus shift”. Focus
2.5mm hex key shift is when an image moves position in the eyepiece when
it is being focused. This is very hard to eliminate in rack-and-
Phillips screwdriver
pinion focusers due to slight gear and tolerance imperfections
Collimation cap which cause the drawtube to move slightly left or right when
focusing. For the Crayford design, the drawtube is constantly
Getting Started tensioned (by the focusing shaft and four “roller bearings”)
so the drawtube cannot move perpendicular to the desired
Your 190mm Mak-Newt arrives fully assembled from the fac- motion.
tory. The optics have been collimated, however you should The focuser provides the most focus range for accessories
check the telescope collimation to ensure the collimation held that require extra in-travel. With a minimum focus height of
after it was shipped to you (see “Collimation”). 58mm, this focuser is an excellent choice for any astro-imag-

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 Focus tension
set screw

Thumbscrew lock

Focus lock
thumbscrew

Figure 2. Use the focus tension setscrew to adjust the weight Figure 3. Slide the finder scope bracket into the finder scope
capacity of the focuser. Tighten the focus lock thumbscrew to lock dovetail base and secure it in place by tightening the thumbscrew
the focuser in place. lock.

ing system. The strong machined aluminum construction sup-

ports heavy 2" eyepieces as well as heavy camera bodies. Thumbscrews
The smooth focus motion and fine-focus wheel allow preci-
sion adjustments for critical focusing of eyepieces and cam-
eras. Once you have reached focus, you can lock the focuser
in place by tightening the focus lock setscrew (Figure 2).

Fine Focus
The focuser features dual speed adjustment with the fine
focus wheel. This small black wheel located on the side of the Figure 4a. Remove the Figure 4b. Four tapped
right-hand focus wheel allows precise focus adjustment at a cover plate on the primary holes are provided for an
ratio of 10:1, meaning one turn of the focus wheel equals ten mirror cell by unthreading the optional attachment of a
turns of the fine focus wheel. two thumbscrews that secure it. cooling accelerator fan.

Use the focus wheels to achieve rough focus on your target with an APS size sensor, such as the Orion StarShoot™ Pro
object, then use the fine focus wheel to coax out even more or a DSLR camera.
detail. You’ll be amazed at the amount of detail fine focus
adjustments allow you to view on targets such as the lunar sur- Cooling the Telescope
face, planets, double stars, as well as other celestial objects. All optical instruments need time to reach “thermal equil­
Alternatively, this focuser is also compatible with the Orion ibrium”. The bigger the instrument and the larger the tempera-
AccuFocus when used with the Dual Speed Bracket (#5049). ture change, the more time is needed. Allow at least 30 min-
utes for your telescope to cool to the temperature outdoors. In
Finder Scope Compatibility very cold climates (below freezing), it is essential to store the
The included finder scope dovetail base on the 190mm Mak- telescope as cold as possible. If it has to adjust to more than
Newt is ready to accept any Orion finder scope. a 40°F temperature change, allow at least one hour. You can
To insert the finder scope onto your 190mm Mak-Newt, slide use the telescope while it’s cooling down, just note that you
the finder scope bracket into the finder scope dovetail base and may see “tube currents” which interfere with the telescope’s
secure it in place by tightening the thumbscrew lock (Figure 3). ability to resolve a sharp image. Tube currents are essential-
ly heat waves exiting both the optical components (such as
the primary mirror) and the telescope itself. The effect seen
Operating the 190mm through the eyepiece is much like looking above a hot surface
Mak‑Newt or fire.
The 190mm Mak-Newt primary mirror cell is compatible with an
Your 190mm Mak-Newt is suitable for both visual use and optional cooling accelerator fan (available from Orion). Using
imaging. We recommend using high quality eyepieces to the fan significantly decreases the amount of time required for
take full advantage of the 190mm Mak-Newt’s optical quality. the telescope to reach thermal equilibrium. Remove the cover
For imaging applications, the telescope is optimized for use plate on the back of the primary mirror cell (Figures 4a and 4b)

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 b. c.

a. d.

Figure 5. Collimating the optics. (a) When the mirrors are properly aligned, the view down the focuser drawtube should look like this
(b). Here, the secondary mirror is centered under the focuser, but it needs to be adjusted (tilted) so that the entire primary mirror is visible
(c). 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 (d).

to gain access to the threaded holes for the cooling accelera- (Figure 2) will increase the amount of weight the focuser can
tor fan attachment. handle. Install your camera onto the supplied camera adapter
on the focuser during the day. Check the focuser for any slip-
Connecting the 190mm Mak-Newt to a Mount page. If the focuser drawtube slides under the weight of the
The 190mm Mak-Newt requires a pair of tube rings and a camera, you will need to add more tension to the focuser.
dovetail mounting plate compatible with large Orion mounts,
such as the Sirius or Atlas EQ-G. The optical tube is compat- Using a DSLR Camera
ible with 235mm I.D. tube rings (available from Orion). To attach a DSLR camera, all you will need is the appropri-
Balancing the 190mm Mak-Newt can be achieved by sliding ate T-ring for the make and model of your camera, and the
the dovetail mounting plate forward or backward within the supplied camera adapter. Simply attach the T-ring to the cam-
mount’s dovetail holder. You can also move the telescope for- era body and thread the 2" prime focus camera adapter into
ward or backward within the tube rings. The tube rings offer the T-ring. Insert the barrel of the camera adapter into the
the most adjustment range. Loosen the tube ring clamps focuser’s 2" eyepiece holder and secure it with the eyepiece
slightly and slide the telescope tube forward or backward as thumbscrew.
needed to reach optimum balance, then retighten the tube
Using a CCD Imager
ring clamps. Rotating the telescope to achieve a comfortable
eyepiece angle is done in the same fashion. Simply loosen the Most CCD imagers will have a 1.25" or 2" barrel ready to
tube ring camps just enough to allow the optical tube to rotate attach directly to your telescope like an eyepiece. No adapter
within the tube rings. Tighten the tube ring clamps securely is required. Simply insert the barrel of the CCD camera into
once you have reached the desired eyepiece orientation. the 1.25" or 2" eyepiece holder and secure the camera with
the silver thumbscrew lock.
Imaging with the 190mm Mak-Newt
The Premium 190mm Maksutov-Newtonian Astrograph is
ideal for just about any imaging camera, from small webcam
Collimating the Optics
or planetary imagers, to DSLRs and large CCD cameras. The (Aligning the Mirrors)
Maksutov-Newtonian optics reduce the coma and field cur-
vature, which allows you to utilize the entire imaging area of Collimating is the process of adjusting the mirrors so they are
your camera without the need to crop the edges of your astro- aligned with one another. Your telescope’s optics were aligned
images. at the factory, and should not need much adjustment unless
the telescope is handled roughly. Accurate mirror alignment is
Imaging equipment is often much heavier than an eyepiece. important to ensure the peak performance of your telescope,
The Crayford focuser is capable of handling the weight of your
CCD or DSLR camera. Adding tension to the focuser drawtube

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 Knurled
retaining ring
Metal cap
Figure 7. Loosen the knurled retaining ring on the secondary
mirror holder to allow the secondary mirror holder to rotate.

Figure 6. Unthread the metal cap that covers the secondary

mirror collimation screws. Secondary
mirror alignment
so it should be checked regularly. Collimating is a relatively screws
easy process and can be done in daylight.
To check collimation, remove the eyepiece and look down the
focuser drawtube. You should see the secondary mirror cen-
tered in the drawtube, as well as the reflection of the primary
mirror centered in the secondary mirror, and the reflection of
the secondary mirror (and your eye) centered in the reflection
of the primary mirror, as in Figure 5a. If anything is off-center,
proceed with the following collimating procedure.
Figure 8. Use a Phillips head screw driver to make adjustments
to the three secondary mirror alignment setscrews.
The Collimation Cap and Mirror Center Mark
Your 190mm Mak-Newt comes with a collimation cap. This is cuser, the mirror rotation will need to be adjusted. Typically,
a simple cap that fits on the focuser drawtube like a dust cap, this adjustment will rarely, if ever, need to be done. It helps to
but has a hole in the center and a silver bottom. This helps adjust the secondary mirror rotation in a brightly lit room with
center your eye so that collimating is easy to perform. Figures the telescope pointed toward a bright surface, such as white
5b through 5d assume you have the collimation cap in place. paper or wall.
In addition to providing the collimation cap, you’ll notice a tiny To adjust the secondary mirror rotation:
ring (sticker) in the exact center of the primary mirror. This
“center mark” allows you to achieve a very precise collima- 1. Remove the metal cap that covers the secondary mirror
tion of the primary mirror; you don’t have to guess where the collimation screws by carefully unthreading it (Figure 6).
center of the mirror is. You simply adjust the mirror position Be careful not to touch the corrector glass.
(described below) until the reflection of the hole in the collima- 2. Loosen the knurled retaining ring on the secondary mirror
tion cap is centered inside the ring. holder (Figure 7) about ¼ turn, or enough to free the ten-
NOTE: The center ring sticker need not ever be removed sion in the ring.
from the primary mirror. Because it lies directly in the 3. Carefully grab the inside of the secondary mirror holder
shadow of the secondary mirror, its presence in no way with your thumb and index finder and rotate the second-
adversely affects the optical performance of the tele- ary mirror holder as needed so that the secondary mirror
scope or the image quality. That might seem counterintui- faces the focuser.
tive, but it’s true! 4. Retighten the knurled retaining ring and make sure it does
not cause the secondary mirror to shift or rotate.
Aligning the Secondary Mirror
The tilt of the secondary mirror may very occasionally require
With the collimation cap in place, look through the hole in the
adjustment. If the entire primary mirror reflection is not visible
cap at the secondary (diagonal) mirror. Ignore the reflections
in the secondary mirror when using the collimation cap, as in
for the time being. The secondary mirror itself should be cen-
Figure 5c, you will need to adjust the tilt of the secondary mir-
tered in the focuser drawtube, in the direction parallel to the
ror. Using a Phillips head screwdriver, loosen one of the three
length of the telescope. The secondary mirror should face the
alignment setscrews while tightening the other two (Figure 8).
focuser. If the mirror appears to be tilted away from the fo-

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 Figure 9. The
tilt of the primary
mirror is adjusted
with three pairs
of collimation
screws.
Primary collimation
adjustment screws

Out of collimation Collimated

Figure 10. A star test will determine if a telescope’s optics are

properly collimated. An unfocused view of a bright star through
the eyepiece should appear as illustrated on right if optics are
perfectly collimated. If circle is unsymmetrical, as in illustration on
left, scope needs collimation.

Do not loosen the center screw. The goal is to center the pri- secure the mirror tilt. A simple star test will indicate how well
mary mirror reflection in the secondary mirror, as in Figure the telescope optics are collimated.
5d. Don’t worry that the reflection of the secondary mirror (the
smallest circle, with the collimation cap “dot” in the center) is Star-Testing the Telescope
off-center, since that adjustment is made when aligning the When it is dark, point the telescope at a bright star and accu-
primary mirror in the next step rately center it in the eyepiece’s field of view. Slowly de-focus
the image with the focusing knob. If the telescope is correct-
Aligning the Primary Mirror ly collimated, the expanding disk should be a perfect circle
The final adjustment is made to the primary mirror. It will need (Figure 10). If the image is unsymmetrical, the scope is out
adjustment if, as in Figure 5d, the secondary mirror is cen- of collimation. The dark shadow cast by the secondary mirror
tered under the focuser and the reflection of the primary mir- should appear in the very center of the out-of-focus circle, like
ror is centered in the secondary mirror, but the small reflection the hole in a donut. If the “hole” appears off-center, the tele-
of the secondary mirror (with the “dot” of the collimation cap) scope is out of collimation.
is off-center. If you try the star test and the bright star you have selected is
The tilt of the primary mirror is adjusted with three pairs of not accurately centered in the eyepiece, the optics will always
collimation screws (Figure 9). The collimation screws can be appear out of collimation, even though they may be perfectly
turned with a Phillips head screwdriver and a 2.5mm hex key. aligned. It is critical to keep the star centered, so over time you
Each pair of collimation screws work together to adjust the tilt will need to make slight corrections to the telescope’s posi-
of the primary mirror. The allen-head screw pushes the mir- tion in order to account for the sky’s apparent motion. Point
ror forward while the Phillips head screw pulls the mirror cell the telescope at Polaris (the north star) if you do not have a
back. One must be loosened and the other tightened by the mount that tracks.
same amount in order to adjust the tilt.
Lateral Support System
To adjust the primary mirror tilt:
One of the exciting new features of this telescope is lateral
1. Tighten and loosen one of the pairs of collimation screws support screws to secure the position of both the primary mir-
by one turn. ror and corrector plate which will further stabilize the optics.
2. Look into the focuser using the collimation cap and see if These screws are visible around the perimeter of the tube on
the secondary mirror reflection has moved closer to the both front and back (Figures 11a and 11b) and have been
center of the primary. You can tell this easily with the col- set at the factory. The Phillips-head screws pictured in Figure
limation cap and mirror center mark by simply watching 11b are cover screws. The Lateral Support screws can be
to see of the “dot” of the collimation cap is moving closer accessed by adjusting these screws (Figure 11c). No adjust-
or farther away from the ring on the center of the primary ment of this component is necessary when performing routine
mirror. collimation. If larger adjustments do need to be made simply
3. Repeat this process on the other two pairs of collimation loosen these support screws slightly. When finished re-tighten
screws, if necessary. It will take a little trial and error to get just tight enough that you feel the slightest resistance when
a feel for how to adjust the mirror to center the “dot” of the tightening. Do not over-tighten these screws as pinched-
collimation cap in the ring of the mirror mark. optics or other distortions could result.

When you have the dot centered as much as possible in the

ring, your primary mirror is collimated. The view through the Care & Maintenance
collimation cap should resemble Figure 5d. Make sure all
the collimation screws are tight (but do not over tighten), to Give your telescope reasonable care and it will last a lifetime.
When not in use, keep its dust cover on as well as the dust

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 Cleaning Optical Surfaces
In general, your telescope will only need to be cleaned on
a very minimal basis. Dust particles on the corrector lens
will not affect the optical quality of your 190mm Mak-Newt.
Fortunately, because the 190mm Mak-Newt is a closed tube
design, the primary and secondary mirrors will barely accumu-
late any dust (if dust caps are kept on during storage). Loose
dust can simply be blown off with air, using a compressed air
can or blower bulb (available from Orion). Any remaining dust
is best left alone, unless the build up is extreme. Finger prints
and water marks should be cleaned from your telescope’s
corrector lens. Any quality optical lens tissue and cleaning
fluid specifically designed for multi-coated optics can be used
to clean the telescope’s corrector lens as well as the lenses
11a 11b of the eyepieces and finder scope. Never use regular glass
cleaner or cleaning fluid designed for eyeglasses. Before
cleaning with fluid and tissue, however, blow any loose par-
Figure 11a. The corrector ticles off the lens with a blower bulb or compressed air, or
plate Lateral support
11c adjustment screws (one of lightly brush the lens with a soft camel hair brush. Apply some
three shown). cleaning fluid to a tissue, never directly on the optics. Wipe the
lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any excess fluid
Figure 11b. The primary with a fresh lens tissue. Oily fingerprints and smudges may
mirror Lateral support cover be removed using this method. Use caution; rubbing too hard
screw (two of three shown). may scratch the lens! Clean only a small area at a time, using
a fresh lens tissue on each area. Never reuse tissues.
Figure 11c. Detail of the
primary mirror Lateral support
adjustment screw (one of three
shown). Specifications
Premium 190mm (7.5") f/5.3
cap on the eyepiece opening. Keep the telescope inside the
Maksutov-Newtonian Astrograph
hard storage carrying case when not in use. Store it indoors
or in a dry garage. Do not leave the telescope outside except Optical configuration: Maksutov-Newtonian
when using it. The optical tube is aluminum and has a smooth Aperture 190mm (7.5")
anodized surface that should resist scratches and smudges.
Focal length: 1000mm (39.37")
If a scratch does appear on the tube, it will not harm the tele-
scope. Smudges on the tube can be wiped off with standard Focal ratio: f/5.3
household cleaners such as Windex or Formula 409. Secondary
mirror minor axis: 64mm
Dew
Baffles: 5 knife-edge baffles
The 190mm Mak-Newt’s corrector lens is exposed at the front
of the telescope. Without using a dew shield and/or heated Focuser: Machined aluminum dual-speed
dew zapper (available from Orion), dew can easily form on the (10:1) Crayford, accepts 1.25" or 2"
corrector glass. We recommend using the Orion Dew Zapper accessories, brass compression ring
Pro™ with the medium aperture heating band (made for 6-8" fitting
telescopes) to completely prevent dew from forming on the Drawtube travel: 30mm
corrector glass.
Primary mirror: Low thermal expansion glass
When you are ready to pack up your telescope at the end
Mirror coatings: Enhanced aluminum (94%) with
of the night, avoid immediately storing it if you encountered
SiO2 overcoat
heavy dew and the telescope is damp. Instead, bring the tele-
scope inside and allow the moisture on the telescope to evap- Meniscus
orate. If dew forms on the inside or outside of the corrector corrector lens: BK-7 Schott glass, fully multi‑coated
lens, then leave the dust cover off of the telescope until all the Lens cell: Machined aluminum
moisture has evaporated. Once the telescope has completely
dried out, place the dust cap on the telescope and store it in Optical tube: Seamless aluminum
a dry location. Outside diameter: 235mm (9.25")
Weight: 10 kg (22 lbs.)
Length: 95.25cm (37.5")

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 One-Year Limited Warranty
The Orion Premium 190mm f/5.3 Maksutov-Newtonion Astrograph is warranted against defects in materi-
als 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. During this warranty period Orion Telescopes & Binoculars will repair or
replace, at Orion’s option, any warranted instrument that proves to be defective, provided it is returned
postage paid to: Orion Warranty Repair, 89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076. Proof of purchase (such
as a copy of the original receipt) is required.
This warranty does not apply if, in Orion’s judgment, the instrument has been abused, mishandled, or
modified, nor does it apply to normal wear and tear. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you
may also have other rights, which vary from state to state. For further warranty service information, con-
tact: Orion Customer Service (800) 676-1343; [email protected].

Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

89 Hangar Way, Watsonville CA 95076

Customer Support Help Line (800) 676-1343 • Day or Evening