Might seem like a stupid question, but.....

[Raradir]

I'm new to all this and some of you more seasoned may laugh at this, but hey I need to learn. So I have set my new scope up (which arrived today, YAY) anyway, this Cap here do I remove it totally when I go out, or just remove that small cap?

[acey]

Take off the whole thing. (Same goes for the identical cap that should be on the top end).

Congrats on your new scope and good luck with it!

[BruceUK]

You should remove all of it. The small cap is a legacy thing that used to be used for solar viewing but definitely shouldn't be, you should get a proper solar filter if you want to try that

[Astro Imp]

There are no stupid questions so don't worry.

For normal viewing remove the cap completely, you can use your scope with just the small cap removed when you look at a nearly full moon if you find it too bright.

Looks like I'm slow as usual

[Raradir]

So just remove all of it, by other cap do you mean the dust cap?

[acey]

Both of them are dust caps (one on the bottom half of tube, other on top half). Assuming you've got one on the top half - my flextube has.

[Raradir]

Both of them are dust caps (one on the bottom half of tube, other on top half). Assuming you've got one on the top half - my flextube has.

I have one dust cap which looks like a shower cap, the other end hasn't got one its just like glass

[Rob L]

For normal viewing remove the cap completely, you can use your scope with just the small cap removed when you look at a nearly full moon if you find it too bright.

Agreed, I tried this the other night to increase the contrast on Jupiter as it was very bright in my dob.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I spent my first 6 months with a scope,observing with just the small cap removed. The day i noticed the whole cap comes off changed my observing life forever and nearly blinded me (not really) when i pointed the scope at the Moon. It was so much brighter.

[acey]

I have one dust cap which looks like a shower cap, the other end hasn't got one its just like glass

Ok, the big lid in your photo is a solid dust cap, and at the other end of that tube the glass you can see is presumably the reverse of the primary mirror (which is fine, it doesn't have a cover).

[Raradir]

Ok, the big lid in your photo is a solid dust cap, and at the other end of that tube the glass you can see is presumably the reverse of the primary mirror (which is fine, it doesn't have a cover).

Awesome, thanks. I'm hoping that work isn't very busy tonight so that they send me home early, so, if weather permitting I can test it out tonight. We had a super clear night last night, hoping its gonna be like that

[Raradir]

Alright another question lol, I just thought I'd try to attach one of the eyepieces, but where I attach them too, there a screw that screws out so you can hold them in place, now I havn't got a problem with that, what I have a problem is that theres another much smaller screw, that dosn't screw out, and I can't get my eyepieces in because of it?

[Raradir]

Anyone? ^^^^

[acey]

Can you post a pic?

[Raradir]

[Sarah]

Looks like the 'smaller' screw you refer to on the left is damaged. It should be the same as the screw to the right.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Looks like the 'smaller' screw you refer to on the left is damaged. It should be the same as the screw to the right.

Agreed.

You might try removing it with a pliers and get a replacement screw.

[moriniboy]

The eyepiece holder looks like its 1.25" and offset (i.e. not central)to me, did your scope come with any more eyepiece holders, I would expect a Skywatcher to have both 1.25" and 2" versions.

To get the best possible views you will need one which looks centrally down the focuser tube.

[TheThing]

The eyepiece holder looks like its 1.25" and offset (i.e. not central)to me...

I think that is just the angle of the shot.

[LukeSkywatcher]

The SW Skyliner 200P has a 1.25" focuser.

Thats according to the same scope specs that FLO sell.

I would have thought it to be 2".

[brantuk]

Looks like the knurled knob has sheared off the other eyepiece holder screw. Unscrew it from inside the focuser tube and get a replacement one