Galileoscope Assembly Instructions

For those who have or will be getting a Galileoscope, the assembly instructions that come with the telescope are not quite complete. I suggest the following modifications or additions to those instructions. It is assumed that the reader has the original assembly instructions in hand when trying to make sense of what I've written below.

Step 5 -- Modify to read: Secure the two ends of the focuser assembly with the two smaller rubber 0-rings that fit into the grooves at the ends of the tube.

Step 8 -- Add the following to the supplied instructions for this step: Slide the two larger o-rings over the telescope body, positioning them over the two grooved rings.

Pay due attention to the photos as well as the Exploded View diagrams when assembling your Galileoscope.

When assembling the Galilean eyepiece/barlow (this is the two-lens eyepiece) take care to place the convex side of one lens against the concave side of the other. When placing this lens pair into the eyepiece halves be careful to place it so the concave side faces the wider part of the eyepiece body.

Note in the exploded view the plastic covering that fits over the eye end of the Galilean eyepiece. That covering is removed when the Galilean eyepiece assembly is placed into the barlow tube for use as a 2x barlow.

Hints and Suggestions for Using the Galileoscope:

The telescope works reasonably well with a photo tripod that can be extended high enough for the observer to comfortably look upward through the eyepiece without having to squat or crawl under the telescope. In other words, a tall tripod is better than a tripod that is too short.

If you have no tripod, rest the telescope on a wall, fence, tree branch, etc. in order to steady the view. You might even be able to use one of the included cradles in a creative manner. Anything that offers steady support is better than nothing.

The Galileoscope is easier to use with the 25x eyepiece. Always start your observing with that eyepiece. For closer (50x) views of bright objects use the 25x eyepiece along with the 2x barlow. You'll probably want to switch back to 25x before seeking a new target for observation. If you find the telescope too difficult to manage at 50x then use the telescope only at 25x. None of Galileo's actual telescopes could magnify as much as 50x.

If you own other telescopes and have 1.25-inch O.D eyepieces, you can use those eyepieces with the Galileoscope. Keep in mind that the magnification is equal to the focal length of the objective (500mm) divided by the focal length of the eyepiece.

Expect nothing when using an astronomical telescope! Your views will not look like the photos that are so easy to find all over the Internet. Similarly, when used at night for astronomy expect to see no color. You should be happy with whatever you can see. The Galileoscope is a far better telescope than anything Galileo actually used, but there are plenty of other telescopes around that are better. Nevertheless, for its price, the Galileoscope is tough to beat!

The Galilean eyepiece is perhaps best reserved for demostration purposes -- in order to get a better feel for what Galileo had to work with. I suspect you'll find yourself using the telescope primarily with the 25x Keplerian eyepiece.