Orion #9781 EON 72MM - Manual (Page 5)

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Connecting the Eon 72mm and 80mm to a
tripod or Mount
The EON 72mm and 80mm have a built-in mounting block
ready to connect to a sturdy camera tripod or telescope
mount (Figure 7). The mounting block is threaded to accept
a common 1/4"-20 stud found on almost any camera tripod.
To connect the EON 72mm or 80mm to a camera tripod,
simply screw the 1/4"-20 stud found on your camera tripod
to the underside of the EON’s mounting block. The EON
72mm has three different holes to choose from, and the
EON 80mm has two holes. Pick the 1/4"-20 hole that pro-
vides the best balance on your tripod.
The mounting block also functions as a dovetail plate which
is compatible with many Orion telescope mounts. The dove-
tail plate is also compatible with many other mounts. To con-
nect the EON 72mm or 80mm to a telescope mount, loosen
the attachment screw(s) on the mount’s dovetail holder until
the screw(s) provides enough clearance for the dovetail
mounting plate. Align the mounting block with the dovetail
holder and slide it forward (Figure 8). Tighten the attachment
screw(s) on the dovetail holder of the mount.
For the best stability and motion on your mount, the EON
should be balanced front to back. If you are using the mount-
ing block as a dovetail plate, then balancing the EON simply
requires sliding the telescope forward or backward in the
dovetail holder as needed. Loosen the attachment screw(s)
on your mount just enough to free the dovetail plate, then
reposition the telescope and retighten the screw(s).
If you are using a camera tripod or telescope mount and
need additional balance adjustment, the orientation of the
mounting block can be reversed. This is especially helpful
when using heavy accessories, such as 2” eyepieces or
DSLR cameras. To reverse the orientation of the mount-
ing block, remove the screw (using a 4mm hex key) that
attaches the mounting block to the telescope tube and turn
it around 180° (Figure 9). Once the mounting block orienta-
tion has been reversed, reattach the screw.
Connecting the Eon 120mm to a Mount
The EON 120mm refractor includes a preinstalled pair of
tube rings and a dovetail mounting plate, ready to attach to
a heavy-duty telescope mount. The dovetail plate is compat-
ible with many Orion telescope mounts. The dovetail plate is
also compatible with many other available mounts. To con-
nect the EON 120mm to a mount, loosen the attachment
screw(s) on the mount’s dovetail holder until the screw(s)
provide enough clearance for the dovetail mounting plate.
Carefully place the dovetail plate flat against the top surface
of the dovetail holder of the mount and tighten the attach-
ment screw(s) securely.
Balancing the EON 120mm can be achieved by sliding
the dovetail mounting plate forward or backward within the
mount’s dovetail holder. You can also move the telescope
forward or backward within the tube rings. The tube rings
offer the most adjustment range. Loosen the tube ring
clamps (Figure 1b) slightly and slide the telescope tube
forward or backward as needed to reach optimum balance,
then retighten the tube ring clamps.
Figure 8. Align the mounting block with the dovetail holder and
slide it forward. Tighten the attachment screw(s) on the dovetail
holder of the mount.
Figure 9. For a greater range of balance on the EON 72mm
and 80mm, switch the direction of mounting block using a 4mm hex
key.