15
some cleaning uid to a tissue, never directly on the optics.
Wipe the lens gently in a circular motion, then remove any
excess fluid with a fresh lens tissue. Oily fingerprints and
smudges may be removed using this method. Use caution;
rubbing too hard may scratch the lens. On larger lenses, clean
only a small area at a time, using a fresh lens tissue on each
area. Never reuse tissues.
Cleaning Mirrors
You should not have to clean the telescope’s mirrors very
often, if ever. Covering the telescope with the dust cover when
it is not in use will help prevent dust from accumulating on the
mirrors. Improper cleaning can scratch mirror coatings, so the
fewer times you have to clean the mirrors, the better. Small
specks of dust or ecks of paint have virtually no effect on the
visual performance of the telescope.
The large primary mirror and the elliptical secondary mirror of
your telescope are front-surface aluminized and overcoated
with hard silicon dioxide, which prevents the aluminum from
oxidizing.
To clean the secondary mirror, it must be removed from the
telescope. Do this by holding the secondary mirror holder sta-
tionary with your ngers (don’t touch the mirror itself) while
unthreading the Phillips head screw in the center hub of the
4-vaned spider. Completely unthread the screw from the hold-
er, and the holder will come loose in your ngers. Be careful
not to lose the spring on the Phillips head screw.
Handle the mirror and its holder carefully. You do not need to
remove the secondary mirror from its holder for cleaning. To
clean the secondary mirror, follow the procedure described
below for cleaning the primary mirror.
To clean the primary mirror, carefully remove the mirror cell
from the telescope. To do this, you must remove the screws
that connect the entire mirror cell to the steel tube. These
screws are located on the outer edge of the mirror cell.
Now, remove the mirror from the mirror cell by removing the
three mirror clips that secure the mirror in its cell. Use a Phillips
head screwdriver to unthread the mirror clip anchor screws.
Next, hold the mirror by its edge, and remove it from the mirror
cell. Be careful not to touch the aluminized surface of the mir-
ror with your ngers. Set the mirror on a clean, soft towel. Fill
a clean sink, free of abrasive cleanser, with room-temperature
water, a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent, and if pos-
sible, a capful of rubbing alcohol. Submerge the mirror (alumi-
nized face up) in the water and let it soak for several minutes
(or hours if it is a very dirty mirror). Wipe the mirror under-
water with clean cotton balls, using extremely light pressure
and stroking in straight lines across the surface. Use one ball
for each wipe across the mirror. Then rinse the mirror under
a stream of lukewarm water. Any particles on the surface can
be swabbed gently with a series of clean cotton balls, each
used just one time. Dry the mirror in a stream of air (a “blower
bulb” works great), or remove any stray drops of water with
the corner of a paper towel. Water will run off a clean surface.
Dry the bottom and the edges with a towel (not the mirror
surface!). Cover the mirror surface with tissue, and leave the
entire assembly in a warm area until it is completely dry before
reassembling the telescope.
7. Specifications
SkyQuest XT6 Classic
Focal length: 1178mm
Aperture: 152mm
Focal ratio: f/7.7
Focuser: 2" Crayford, with
1.25" adapter
Optical tube material: Rolled steel
Mirror figure: Paraboloid
Mirror coatings: 90% reflectivity, with
SiO2 overcoat
Minor axis of secondary mirror: 37.5mm
Eyepiece: 25mm Plössl, fully
multi-coated, 1.25"
Magnification with supplied eyepiece: 47x
Finder scope: Red dot scope (LED)
Base handle: Yes
Eyepiece height at zenith: 44.5"
Optical tube weight: 11 lbs., 14.3 oz.
Base weight: 19 lbs., 6 oz.
Tube length: 44.1"
Tube outer diameter: 7.3"
SkyQuest XT8 Classic
Focal length: 1219mm
Aperture: 205mm
Focal Ratio: f/5.9
Focuser: 2” Crayford, with
1.25" adapter
Optical tube material: Rolled steel
Mirror figure: Paraboloid
Mirror coatings: 90% reflectivity, with
SiO2 overcoat
Minor axis of secondary mirror: 46mm
Eyepiece: 25mm Plössl, fully
multi-coated, 1.25"
Magnification with supplied eyepiece: 49x
Finder scope: Red dot scope (LED)
Base handle: Yes
Eyepiece height at zenith: 44.5"
Optical tube weight: 19 lbs., 15.5 oz.
Base weight: 18 lbs., 11 oz.
Tube length: 45.5"
Tube outer diameter: 10"
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