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1.    Find flat or gently sloping downhill grade. Must be level side to side.
2.    Block wheels
3.    Open and tie back door
4.    Unhitch from car
5.    Place a block under trailer post, and crank post up to level
6.   Unhitch bungee cords holding cage, and remove card table
7.   Remove all gear from under cage
8.   Check screws on secondary -should still be reasonably snug
9,   Place metal ramps ("rails" or "channels") on lip of trailer, and drop in bolts (one each) (found in toolbox). Bolts are unsecured,
       but sufficient,
10. Check sling placement under mirror. Adjust if necessary
11. Remove altitude bearing board on right side of rocker box (as viewed from rear of trailer) Careflilly, so not to mar the wood, loosen
       both bolts and remove board. (they prevent movement in altitude during transit)
12. Disconnect metal bar from rear of telescope (connects to winch)
13. While holding cage down (to prevent scraping along roof), let out about 5' of cable and push scope toward ramp.
14. Continue this process until trailer lip is reached. Lock winch each time you stop unless several people present to prevent a
      runaway scope.
15. Align wheels with rails (ramp) and lower away, slowly. Wheel alignment is accomplished by placing the long plank under the scope
      edge (the lever principle)     Recall that the scope weighs 750 lbs. and will crush anything in its way.
16. Allow cage to RISE as scope exits, OTHERWISE IT WILL PLOW DIRT.
17. Disconnect cable once scope is on the ground.
18. Push scope to desired position.
19. To change direction, use plank and lever it over (!) Primitive and slow, but eventually effective.
20. Loosen but do not remove nuts holding wheels on.
21. Place jack under either end (in slot at base)
22. Jack up either end, and remove wheels
23. Place blocks under scope at reinforced points (three of these underneath- short steel segments)
24. Repeat on other side, use shims and block to level it (level provided)
25. Find rectangular Teflon skid pad in tool box, and using a C-clamp (provided), clamp it to the lower frame, near the drilled holes,
      directly below (and in position to contact) the black ebony Formica ring when scope is lowered.
26. Using a wrench, lower the circular Teflon pads (4 of these, one on each comer) found on the underside
       of the scope. These suspend the scope while in transit. Lower untilpreviously mentioned skid pad contacts ebony Formica, and
       the 4 circular pads are well below the assembly, and not touching the scope as it turns.
27. Lubricate altitude bearings if necessary
28. Keep cam handles (just below bearing on sides of scope) in lowered position, as they are not necessary. I have never used them.
29. Put on shroud, start with snaps on bottom (bottom snaps are spaced further apart than top ones). Note that the slash cuts in shroud
       fit over the bearings.
30.  Connect shroud to cage, but leave bottom open for collimation/mirror cover.
31.  Add telrad
32.  Screw on finder rings with black plastic knurled knobs
33.  Insert 80-mm finder with 90 deg. Diagonal and eyepiece.
34.  Add 2" eyepiece and paracorr to 40" focuser before balancing.
35.  Insert metal guide handles into holes drilled into side of bearings
35.5  Remove wooden mirror blocks (teflon coated) located above and below mirror on back side.  These hold mirror in place during
          transit.
36.  Remove primary mirror cover CAREFULLY Bungee cords could potentially damage mirror.
37.  If necessary, wash mirror with 50% denatured alcohol and 505 distilled H20. Best done between 70 and 80 deg. F so that drops
        evaporate slowly, not spotting. John Hall of Pegasus knows how to remove H20 spots if needed.
38. Check scope balance. Add weights to back as needed. Use drilled holes in mirror box (insert long screws) to hold weights, if
       necessary. This will take awhile.
39. Loosen pole clamp screws at base of poles when scope is pointed overhead. Push down hard on poles to insure they are set
      to full depth in clamp slot. Tighten pole clamps.
40. Check that cage/pole contact points are flush and that knurly knobs are tight.
41. Collimate with laser. Observer behind the primary can sight above the mirror to facilitate this process, which goes quickest with
       three people.. CAREFULLY adjust secondary with screwdriver.
42. Lay out astro turf if desired.
43. Unscrew ladder from wall of trailer.
44. While allowing one hour to cool down for a night's viewing, align telrad and finder.
45. DO NOT cover scope with tarp unless shroud is in place. Tarp flapping in breeze could contact the secondary
46. It should not be necessary to adjust the sling unless major bumps have been encountered enroute. Since the longer sling was
       installed, images have been textbook, with no mirror pinching, and no sling adjustment has been necessary.
47. Enjoy the incredible light grasp and contrast of this monster.
 
 

since this page was moved 9/28/99