Results of new eyepieces and re-collimation of SkyWatcher 130P

[woodward2]

Hi all,

After seeking advice on the purchase of new eyepieces [http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/159716-advice-starter-scope-upgrade.html] I just wanted to share my experiences.

I bought the Meade 4000's ( a bit before Christmas, I couldn't wait ... ). We actually had a relatively clear night soon afterwards, but to my horror when I viewed Jupiter, though it was a little crisper, there were still fuzzy blue and orange fringes on opposite sides of the planetary disk

OK, don't panic, let's recheck the collimation... I had previously checked it following the instruction that came with the scope and it seemed to be OK as delivered.

A quick search here took me to Astro Baby's guide [Astro Babys Guide to Collimation]. So I printed it out and read through it. It was easy to follow and, using white card and a collimation cap made from an old 35mm film cannister, I quickly found that the main mirror was out by a couple of millimetres. I mean the dot appeared about 2mm offset from the centre of the doughnut, I don't know how much that translates to in actual movement of the mirror - probably not much.

I must say that I also found that the adjustment on the scope's primary mirror was very easy - there are three pairs of thumbscrews, a longer thin one which is a lockscew, and a shorter fat one to adjust the mirror. All were readily accessible and no tools were needed.

Of course, having re-collimated, the weather then closed in for over a week However, between Christmas and the New Year, we had several clear or partially clear nights. The views were amazing! Even crisper and no coloured fringes Some great views of Jupiter and the Moon. I even managed to get my Mom (89) and Dad (82) out observing one night when they came to visit. Can't wait to see Saturn!

[brantuk]

Great stuff Woodward - collimation isn't as frightening as a lot of newbies think. You can allways check if it goes out of line by focusing as best you can on a star. Then defocus outwards just slightly - you'll see a few "airy" rings around the view - if they are concentric then defocus inwards and you should see the same. If they're not concentric then the collimation needs a small tweak. Smashing that you got your folks into it

[bullettooth]

great stuff. saturn is the most amazing sight ever!!! really impressive.

[Astro Imp]

Glad to see you've got to grips with your scope.

You've got some great nights to look forward to.

Enjoy.

[woodward2]

I'm very impressed with this SkyWatcher 130P, both the build quality and the images it produces. I was initially a little unsure because of the (relatively) cheap price, but it certainly does the job for me at the moment.

It was nice to have three generations looking through the scope, from my parents to my youngest (7 year-old). It was quite the family star party.

I'm looking forward to future observing sessions. The only downside is the abysmal light pollution from my backyard. There are no street lamps directly visible, but even on a "clear" night there is not a lot to see. I've read/heard somewhere that the square of Pegasus is a test of how good the seeing is - well on a clear night I can see no stars inside the square with the naked eye

But on the upside, we are going away for a few days at the end of next week to Herefordshire for my wife's birthday. If the forecast is decent I may take the scope with me...