Hello can anyone help?

[Bizibilder]

Hello Jim and welcome to SGL!!

[Orion_the_Hunter]

Hi & welcome Jim!

[glowjet]

Hi Jim and welcome to SGL

John.

[JamesM]

Hi Jim and welcome to the forum

Clear skies

James

[ScubaMike]

Hi Jim,

Welcome to the forums

[saturn4me]

Hi Jim and welcome to SGL!

Another vote for the 200p dob!!

[michigander]

Welcome to SGL, Jim!

Dana

[JimRymer]

Thanks to all of you for the great advice I am in the process of doing some research and will let you know what I get. I nhave about £500 to spend. Living in Norfolk we are blessed with great dark skys , forgive any spelloing mistakes I am dyslexic so writing is a bit of a chore! again thanks for the feedback and good star gazing to all

Regards

Jim R

[JimRymer]

So again thanks for all the great support and advise I settled on the following a

Sky-Watcher Explorer-200 (EQ5) 200mm (8") f/1000 Parabolic Newtonian Reflector Telescope.

I have had it out tonight and the vew finder is clear as day but the main telescope is blured , I changed the lenses I have just to see if I could focus on the moon but all I got was a blur, I have a moon filter but again after making sure it was clean still a blur. Can anyone please tell me what I am doing wrong , its the first time I have the telescope out and I know I am doing something wrong but canot figure it out... very frustrating because I know that you will tell me and then I will kick myself for being so stupid...very frustating!!!!!!

I have decided to join the local astronomy group as not being great with technical stuff I realy want to get the most out of the experience.

thanks again for the help

jim r.

[182570]

sounds like it needs collimating,your idea about joining a local local group is excellent,you will learn lots by joining and many will let you look through there own scopes,so you can compare with your own:rolleyes:

[JimRymer]

Thanks I will do that realy frustrated and a little down had great expectations and a little dissapointed wih myself for not being able to work it out but I am just getting it that this is a long road ofnlearning and I must not forget that I am very very new at all this with so much to learn.

thanks for the support all the best

Jim R

[JamesM]

Hi Jim, have you checked out this blurring effect during the day? I just want to make sure that you have utilised the full range of focuser movement and doing this during the day is easier as you can find a known distant target to aim at to try ascertain this. I would use an eyepiece that has the largest number on it e.g 20mm rather than a 10mm or 5mm etc. Pop it in the focuser and wind the whole focuser so that the end of the tube (where you attached they eyepiece) travels inwards towards the scope making sure not to force it. There will be some resistance when you turn the knobs on the side but you shouldn't need to get any wrenches out to assist! (standing on the scope is not allowed!!) When you have reached the bottom, reverse the action all the while till it reaches the top remebering to take a peek every quarter of a turn until there is no more vertical travel to be had. If the image starts to get better and better but you never quite get it to pin sharp focus, then as suggested above, you will need to collimate (align) the mirrors of the scope. The reason for suggesting the above method is that often the focuser has either been locked off and the new owner assumes that is is just a matter of popping the eyepiece in and taking a look, without realising that you have to 'bring' the object to focus. Alternatively, the new owner may not realise how much you might need to turn the focsuing knobs to obtain a focussed image.

Anyhow ,give this a go and let us know how you get on.

Clear skies

James