New telescope but no instructions!

[Pam0409]

Hi there. I'm very new to astronomy but very interested and keen to get started. A friend has lent me a refractor telescope so I can try it out before I buy but she has no instructions and no idea how it works. It's a Bresser Skylux, F=700mm / D=70mm. It's got a huge tripod with 3 dials. One goes from 0 to 9 then back to 0. The other dial has 2 rows of numbers. 0 to 23 and back to 0. The third dial goes from 0 to 90 and I'm assuming it's the angle you set it to.

Can't see a thing through it though. Been fiddling for hours. I've took the lens cap off and the wide end is pointing at the sky but nothing to be seen. I've got 4mm, 12mm and 20mm eye pieces and two longer ones that say 3x Barlow lens and 1.5x erecting eyepiece. Any help much appreciated. I've been keeping an eye on Venus and Jupiter recently and would love to see them close up. Also saw Mars the other night. Thanks very much and sorry if my questions are a bit dumb!

[mdstuart]

Those equatoral mounts take a bit of getting used to...

First in the daylight ensure the finder is lined up with the view through the scope with the 20mm eyepiece in. Use a local landmark like a church etc...

Now at night to start with just loosen the two dials enough so that they will turn and point the scope at Jupiter...Its to the left of the brighter Venus in the West..The two bright "stars" to the West after sunset..

Line up Jupiter using the finder and then look through the scope using the 20mm eyepiece..You may have to move about a bit but hopefully it will jump in to view...You should see a small disk with moons either side..If you are brave try putting in the 12mm and refocusing..

Thats a good beginners scope but as I say takes a lot of getting used to ...

Look up setting up an equatoral mount on you tube as really you should set it up with part pointing towards the North star but its not essential for a brief view of the planets..

Venus should look like a little half moon shape..

Good luck

Mark

[mdstuart]

This gives you some more info..

Mark

[Pam0409]

Thanks very much! I'll have another bash at it tomorrow. It's VERY frustrating though. I just want to point it at the sky and see everything!

[mdstuart]

It is...It will be worth it when you see the moons of Jupiter. I had that scope for a while. Its a very respectable starter scope.

Mark

[John]

... I just want to point it at the sky and see everything!

Once you have got used to how the mount moves around it's 2 axis and worked out which bit to point towards the north when you 1st set it up, you can just point the scope at things - you don't need to use all those dials etc, in fact I'd advise you not to - it's a recipe for even more frustration !

[Pam0409]

Thanks guys! Really looking forward to getting it set up properly. Knowing my luck it'll be cloudy tomorrow though! I will let you know how I get on and what I see! ;D