AstroMaster 130 EQ mirror mounts blocking viewer

[spudley999]

i have a AstroMaster 130 EQ and the eyepiece mirror mounts block most of the field of vision through the eyepiece, what's wrong?

please help:confused:

[Moonshane]

could you upload a pic? it sounds like your secondary mirror may have turned a little?

[spudley999]

Cannot upload a pic.

When viewing through the eyepiece it looks like a black circle with 3 lines coming from the centre that is blocking most of the object i am trying to see, it matches the plastic shape at the front of the light tube

[Peter Drew]

This seems like you're not quite in focus yet, what you describe is the image of the small mirror and its three support vanes.

[spudley999]

thats exactly what it is, does not matter what magnification or which eyepiece i use, it's still there!! how do i solve this problem, it was my first time using the telescope and i was disapointed with the experience

[Moonshane]

are you using a barlow eyepiece or just the eyepiece itself? try the 25 or 20mm eyepiece and point the scope at a clear bit of night sky. start with the focuser wound all the way in and then work all the way out. you should find focus. if not then with the focuser all the way out loosen the eyepiece and look through it as you draw it bit by bit out of the focuser. does it reach focus at all?

[Cornelius Varley]

If you can see the shadow of the secondary supports then you have not focused the telescope. Rotate the knurled knobs on the side of the focuser until you have a sharp image and the shadows will disappear. You will also need to refocus when you change eyepieces.

Peter

[spudley999]

If you can see the shadow of the secondary supports then you have not focused the telescope. Rotate the knurled knobs on the side of the focuser until you have a sharp image and the shadows will disappear. You will also need to refocus when you change eyepieces.

Peter

I have tried changing eyepieces but the shadows are still there, if i point at an object in daylight they disappear and I get a good clear image.

I looked towards jupiter tonight and all I could see was a white blob with the shadow across it so I assume its due to the lack of light.

I'll wait until the moon appears and try again

[Cornelius Varley]

Did you adjust the focus to get the sharpest image possible ?

Peter

[Batfink]

I get exactly the same thing when aiming the scope at say Jupiter. It sounds, like others have suggested, as though you haven't focused the object as sharply as possible. I see the shadow almost all the way upto completely focusing the scope.

I am also using the astromaster 130EQ

[spudley999]

The 2 eyepieces I have are 10mm and 20mm erecting eyepiece, I have turned the focus completely in and out and still cannot get an image without the shadow. Am I missing something?

[Probablynot]

This was ny first ever pic through my SW150P, taken about 6 weeks ago with my mobile phone held up to the eyepiece. The vague circle of light with a dark blob in the middle worried me no end! But I realised what was causing it (poor focusing) and to be honest I haven't even been able to reproduce the effect since!

Persevere!

[Atlas]

It really sounds like the colimation is way off. If you can't focus at all, that may be the issue. If it can't focus properly, your reflection in the eyepiece will be severely distorted when viewing at night due to the increase in direct light.