Please Help! I about to give up

[Lokilaufey]

Hi,

It’s my first post and I am unbelievable new to this and I’m already close to giving up.

I have a SW 130P AZ goto.

It’s my second clear night since buying it 2nd hand. I’ve been outside getting everything ready to try and view something tonight but I can’t focus on anything.

I’ve never been able to view anything with this scope? I have lined up the moon perfectly in the finder scope.

I then move to the eyepiece which I’ve tried with a BST 12mm SW 10mm and 12mm with and without a 2 x Barlow and everything looks smaller than through the finder scope????? and I can’t really focus it?

Please what am I doing wrong I’m so desperate to see something

Any help would be great

[Ags]

Is the finder scope aligned with the telescope? It is best to do this during the day: point the scope at a distant object and adjust the finder scope so it is pointing in the same direction.

[hemihaggis]

have you went through the alignment process ??

im sure there is nothing wrong with the scope ..

they just take a little time to get used to

[Lokilaufey]

have you went through the alignment process ??

I’m sure there is nothing wrong with the scope ..

they just take a little time to get used to

This time I didn’t go through the alignment as I just want to view the moon. I allign it just with the keypad by hand

I appreciate aligning the finder scope during the day, I’ll be sure to do that tomorrow.

Does anyone know what else I can try tonight to check everything is ok with the scope? I.e. simple test

I understand I'm asking stupid questions but I’m so desperate to view something.

PS I have removed the dust cover from the front and I can see all the way though to the rear mirror

[Ags]

1. Use your lowest power EP (the one with the biggest mm on it).

2. Sight along the top and side of your scope at a bright target - e.g. Mars. You need to sight along the top and side. Do this accurately enough and the target should be in your field of view.

[Alanmads]

Forget about the finder and try to aim the scope at a VERY low magnification at the moon (no barlow either) doesnt have to be in focus as long as you get it pretty much in the middle of your view. Once you have achieved this (tricky) the lok through finderscope. If you dont see moon, then it needs alligning. Adjust finder till you can see the moon but keep checking you still have it in your main scopes view.

Thi8s isnt perfect but will get a rough (very rough) allignment for tonight but for best results, do it in the daylight.

[Lokilaufey]

Ok,

Ill try now and report back shortly.

Thank you:)

[Geoffteeth]

Hi, Dont give up ! I went through a very similar feeling when I started a few weeks ago, try aligning the finderscope using a neighbours tv antenna I can do this at nighttime. It made the world of difference. also remember that focusing movements need to be very small, I found that the lowest mag eyepieces are much easier to get used to at first. That first time you get it right. WOW!!!

[Lokilaufey]

Ok some progress, I think we have focus using a 25mm eyepiece.

I’ve done the best job I can to align the finder scope and ill master this tomorrow in the daylight with a neighbours aerial as recommended

Now I just need to try and find something to view that’s within my scopes range.

I have good views to everywhere except south tonight.

Can someone please advise me on something I can try and view that’s a good beginner object that I can fill my eyepiece with?

Everything I'm looking at is just dots at the moment. I’m going to try and concentrate on one object tonight until I’ve cracked it.

Ill cheat and use Sky walk on my Ipad to see what I’m aiming for

I have 25mm, 12mm, 10mm, 2x & 3x Barlow

I'm grateful for the help and I’m starting to get excited

[Tinker1947]

Go for the 3 stars in Orions belt, then drop down to the little cluster on the left, there's some pretty looking gas there, if you get focused on any stars, aligne the finder to the same star...better than a distant object in day time..

[Catweazel]

Hi, try the Orion Nebula! Look for Orion, and below where the 3 stars that make up his belt are , you can make out a string of stars pointing down, this is Orions sword. In the middle of this is the Nebula, with 25mm it should fill the EP, it looks like 4 little stars close together with some others to the right, you can see the nebula looks like smoke or cloud all around these stars. Give it a try

Edit: Great minds Tinker

[hemihaggis]

loki at the start of this thread you said you "did not do alignment tonight " does that mean you have had the scope/mount aligned in the past nights viewing ?? that way you can use the tour function ..??

also stars will always just be dots of light .

yep go for m42 orion nebula .

[Lokilaufey]

Ok tonight is a night for fast learning.

I thought I had aligned my finder scope & main scope. I was wrong!

They are miles out, I’ve still not been able to magnify on anything yet as everything has dewed up. I was getting close though before I could see through the finder

Me and the scope are warming up again but I will be back out tonight and I will view something before sleep!

So more questions:-

When I align my finder & scope how do I keep them aligned so I don’t have to set them up again every time

[Tinker1947]

If your using the Red Dot Finder, it should just go back in the same place and alignment when you take it off and put it back....

[Lokilaufey]

No I'm using the 6 x 30 finder scope but I guess its the same principle

[Capricorn]

You will need something further away the neighbours aeriel. The finder scope might focus on that but the main scope will not - too close. You will need something a couple of miles away.

Also read the manual a few times, it is no use trying to work out what to do at night when dark and cold. Believe me a few times of knowing what you are asked to do will be very benifical.

[stolenfeather]

Could this have to do with collimation? Usually telescopes come perfectly alligned right out of the box when purchasing but there's always one that could beat the norm.

Isabelle

[Tiddles]

Post your location and if there's someone local I'm sure they'll help you out.

[rowan46]

what are you expecting to see? in one post it's just dots it may be you are expecting a little much as dots is pretty much what anyone sees when looking through a scope. the moon will magnify, the planets will magnify but the stars will not. Those lovely images you see on the web and tv are not what an astronomers eyes see when they look through a scope they are the result of long exposures taken with a camera.