Muttley76 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 HiI just spent about 20 minutes outside trying to get my powerseeker 76 to actually bring a star into it's field of vision and failed miserably. I only had the 20mm eye piece in as well so should have had a decent field of vision...what am I doing wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houston Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hi muttley. Are all the caps off your telescope, have you aligned your finder scope, have you tried focusing-sometimes the focus lock nut is tight and stops the focuser from moving. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 All the caps are off, I can see "stuff", I thought the finder scope was aligned but may well be out...just got really annoyed as I had my 2 kids itching to see something out there lol. May have to try aligning the finder scope again tomorrow. It may have helped if the moon was up as I would have had something bigger to look at first time out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damnut Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Hi Muttley,Firstly I would align your scope properly with the finder in daylight tomorrow.Try to use something at least half a mile away, an aerial maybe. Use your longest focal length eyepiece, and make note which way you turn the focusser in order to achieve a viewable image. I think you will be ok after that, else it sounds like collimation time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 collimation time??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichM63 Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Nah not yet!As per above, use the telescope during the day and focus on a point distant object to align the finder.Then hit Jupiter, but it will be a focusing challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 I'm used to focusing challenges on a low end DSLR that I whacked some old Olympus glass on so that should be ok, it's just finding the item in the first place that I am struggling with. If the moon had bothered to show it's face earlier, I could have tried on a significantly larger (closer) object. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronin Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Check the finder alignment as has been said.Also the 20mm will give a mag of 37x with your scope (76/700 scope).I assume the eyepieces are not plossl's, they do not hand out plossl's thesse days, so the eyepiece may be 45 degrees not 50, it may be less then 45.So the field of view is likely about 1.2 degrees. That is not actually a lot especially on a reflector as you are looking into the scope at some odd angle. At least on a refractor and SCT you tend to be positioned to look along the scope, it is a lot easier to have an idea of where the scope is actually aimed on these, not so easy on a reflector.Cannot suggest much other then check finder alignment, practise or/and a 32mm plossl for as wide a view as reasonably possible. I went for the last option on a Mak I have. Found I couldn't align the thing and next day bought a 40mm plossl. If I recall the view through a 40mm is about 0.1 degree wider then with a 32mm, and all I wanted was as wide as I could get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks for the help, I think I have aligned the finder scope finally. I struggled understanding how to get it to line up with the main scope. Does it have to be 100% bang on to the main scope? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterCPC Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 It's best to line it up during the day with a far off object BUT NOT THE SUN. Stay well away from the Sun.If it's to be any use it must be accurately aligned.Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thank you, I believe it is aligned to within a few feet (I used a pylon on the horizon so finder scope cross hairs are on the 2 pylons roughly whereain scope is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charic Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Hi Mutley76...... using your largest Eyepiece, put that in the telescope and search for something far away in the distance, the further away the better. When you find a suitable target, lock the telescope in that position. once locked, just ensure the image is still central.Now its time to look through the finder scope, using the adjusters on the finder scope, adjust the finder so that you see the exact same image as the telescope is showing. Once the two images are centred and look the same, the telescope is aligned with the finder, or vice versa.The more accurate the alignment of both the telescope and the finder, the easier targeting will become. See how it fares with the shortest local length eyepiece/highest power. There may still be some scope for adjustment. Once its set, anything you find with the focuser will be central in the eyepiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpius Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 After performing an initial daylight alignment on a distant object, start with a wide FOV illuminated reticle EP and the brightest star you can see. Center the star in the finder then check what you see in the EP. Even if the star isn’t centered or focused, looking through the EP will often reveal the “grey edge of a donut” indicating an out of focus star (may be quite dim initially). Start adjusting focus and the donut will either begin to shrink or grow. If it’s shrinking and getting brighter you’re focusing in the right direction but you’ll need to slowly slew the scope as if trying to center the “donut hole” in the crosshairs as the outer edge moves from the FOV. If you happen to spot a brighter “donut” nearby, go for that one instead since you already know you’re trying to align on the brightest star you can see. Eventually, the brightening disc will resolve into a point of light at which time you should center it in the crosshairs of the reticle EP.Now quickly check the view in the finder and center the star in its crosshairs by adjusting the thumbscrews. Now quickly look back through the EP and the star will have moved and how much it moved will depend on how well the mount is tracking. Patiently keep going back and forth between OTA and finder while keeping the star centered in the OTA’s reticle EP and adjusting the finder until it and the OTA are as perfectly aligned as you can get them. In this way you can be confident - if the finder is aligned with the OTA and the object is centered in the finder– it’s also in the EP's FOV even if you can’t see it and that’s what happens when the focus is way off. After completing this process is also a good time to align your laser pointer (if you use one) with the finderscope since for manual slewing – a laser/finderscope combo is hard to beat.Hope this makes sense as it has really helped me. Getting your finder and OTA as perfectly aligned as possible will make everything you do much easier and will put the question of “Am I really pointing at the target?” to rest once and for all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks for that, if this cloud clears later, I will give it a go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 I have been out in the back garden today, could see hundreds of stars with the naked eye, but nothing at all through my telescope (yes all the caps were off). I seriously think I need help with this, surely if I can see stars all over the sky, I should be able to see them through the scope... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damnut Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Hi Muttley,Can you see anything through the viewfinder??. Also if you point the scope at a bit of sky you should see lots of stars, take some time to make sure you are focussing correctly... After that if you still cannot see anything its time to find your local astro group and find someone who can give you a bit of hands on help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 All I could see through the view finder and finder scope was darkness. So annoyed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ags Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The telescope only shows a tiny section of the sky so it will show fewer stars than you might expect. When far out of focus, you may well see nothing. The moon is now up early in the evening, it might be a good idea to try that as a target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 I think I might have to start on the moon. I just spent more time out there, changed from a 15th to a 20th and still couldn't see anything. I did try the moon but that is currently to the front of my house and a street light interfered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Right, I have FINALLY got my telescope and finder scope aligned (realised it was so much easier to align them once the finder scope was actually focused!) Now, what is the betting that tonight is cloudy and I won't see a thing?Also got stelarium on my phone so that should help a bit too shouldn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 forgive me if this is too obvious, but when you turn the focus knob does the tube actually move? I only ask this because if the locking screw is tight, the knobs will turn without actually moving the tube (on some crayford focusers anyway). Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 It's quite a tight fit for the focuser on the finder scope so I focused it before I aligned it properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 It's quite a tight fit for the focuser on the finder scope so I focused it before I aligned it properly.Sorry, I ment the focuser on the main scope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Oh, no the focuser on the main tube is fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttley76 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Finally saw the moon through the scope tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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