a little dissapointed with my telescope

[iwols]

hi guys youve probably heard all this before but here goes,had my skywatcher 130 out the past two nights(first time i havent had the moon to look at as it wasnt there),and must say im struggling to get a good image of anything else,i was using a 2x barlow with a 10mm ep,and looking at venus,but it just looked like a small blurrish white spot in my ep,so i tried what i thought was saturn but couldnt see nothing,i know my red dot is set up ok,but really i was dissapointed at what i saw.maybe im expecting too much,sorry for the whine..........does anyone else have a 130 and could post a few pics of what i should be expecting thanks:icon_scratch:

[tms48]

Have you checked the collimatiom, I have a 130 heritage and can easily see the rings of Saturn and the gap between them and the planet using your described set up. Venus is just a white half moon shape but definitely clearly defined.

[iwols]

hi tms no not sure what that is,the telescope was new and its only the third time ive used it,although ive had it awhile

[Alastair Rae]

I would have thought you should be able to see some phase on Venus at the moment (like a last quarter moon). Maybe you should start with a lower mag (did it come with a 25mm EP?) and without the 2x then work upwards.

Also you can use the free PC program Stellarium to check where the planets are before you go out. Saturn would be about 25deg above the horizon in the SE.

I don't use a reflector but somebody will probably come along soon and mention collimation.

Ed: Crossed in the post!

[NGC404]

Try using the lower power eyepiece for a start

If it comes with a 25mm, use that one.

Getting best results with high magnifications depends on many factors, like

Scope not cooled down enough

Atmospheric turbulence

Collimation

Target being too low in the sky

[tms48]

Collimation is getting the two mirrors to line up correctly, with each other and the eyepiece. If your telescope is out of collimation you will not see clear images. Look at Astro Babys site she explains how it is done, I used this when I started. It just seems more complicated than it really is, so just take it slowly step by step. There are lots of threads here on collimation, so worth a look at them.

[Moonshane]

hi guys youve probably heard all this before but here goes,had my skywatcher 130 out the past two nights(first time i havent had the moon to look at as it wasnt there),and must say im struggling to get a good image of anything else,i was using a 2x barlow with a 10mm ep,and looking at venus,but it just looked like a small blurrish white spot in my ep,so i tried what i thought was saturn but couldnt see nothing,i know my red dot is set up ok,but really i was dissapointed at what i saw.maybe im expecting too much,sorry for the whine..........does anyone else have a 130 and could post a few pics of what i should be expecting thanks:icon_scratch:

Hi and welcome to SGL.

Many people are initially disappointed with the views through their telescope. It really depends on what your expectations are. Assuming you have the shorter tube 130 then it has a focal length of 650mm. Your 10mm without the barlow will give 65x magnification and this would be more than enough for Venus. All you will see is a tiny half moon currently - you never really see any (much) detail on Venus. with the barlow this becomes 130x.

A few things to consider:

• You need to ensure your telescope is cooled down outside for about 30 minutes before use. This ensures the optics are in equilibrium with the temperature outside.
  
• Collimation can be roughly checked by looking down the focuser - can you see the whole primary mirror reflected in it, and is the doughtnut centred on your pupil when you can see the whole primary? If so then you are pretty close. You do need to consider buying a collimation tool though as this is a skill you need to hone a little to get the most from your scope - a little like tuning a guitar.
  
• Make sure you align your red dot finder with the telescope - use Venus as a starting point - using your 25mm eyepiece, get venus central in the eye piece - it should be relatively easy to do so. Then adjust the RDF to the poijnt where Venus is central in the window of the RDF. then check the eyepiece (it will probably have moved off centre) and repeat until when you point at Venus, it is central in the eyepiece.
  

When you have done all this, look at Saturn and then get it central, then change the eyepiece to the 10mm. This will be adequate to show Saturn's rings but with the Barlow the image will be a little bigger and possibly still OK.

Not sure how dark your skies re but a 130mm newtonian in decent conditions can provide good results.

Hope this helps.

[Space Bat]

Have you allowed sufficient cooling down for your scope...allow an hour...

As others said try using lower magnification at first to get used to focus and seeing conditions....

Seeing conditions with proper scope temperature makes a huge difference when observing....

The weather has been rather windy and the visibility in upper atmosphere hasn't been great where I am and guess possibly elsewhere in the UK...

This means any planet viewing will suffer greatly because of this....

Just seen Moonshanes post - beat me to the cooldown period....and other good advice

[keithatrochdale]

For collimation and how to do it, do a search on youtube.

Where are you? If you are near us you could bring it over for us to give it a check-up.

[iwols]

thanks guys but i can hardly see venus with the high mag so ide be struggling with the lower i think,has anyone got any pics with the 130 please,wouldnt cillimatiom be done when the telescope was purchased

[iwols]

i presume cool down means leave outside one hour before use,im in rotherham by the way

[iwols]

i also have the longer tube 900 guys

[Azure]

It's easy to look at pictures on TV from hubble etc. and expect to get the same definition and standard from amateur telescopes, however when buying an amateur telescope you must take into account the limitations of such equipment.

But here are some points that should resolve your queries:

1) The smaller the lens, the higher the magnification. A 10mm eyepiece will give a smaller field of view than a 20mm one, and will give higher magnification. However, at higher magnifications, clarity is sacrificed in favor of size. A 2X barlow lens simply doubles magnification, so size would be increased but clarity lost. When looking at objects its often easier to first align with your red dot, and then use your biggest eyepiece to view the object. Once it is centered, you can switch to higher magnifications to view a larger image.

2) Aligning your red dot with an object in the night sky is not easy. It still takes me a few tried to get it right. Remember, you are trying to aim your scope at something that is millions, or even billions of miles away.

3) Patience is key. Finding objects and tracking them takes time, and movements done with tracking and focusing wheels should be small. Don't be heavy handed.

4) Finally, to see images taken by a 130 scope, simply search these forums, google images, or even youtube, which is what I did prior to my purchase. Remember images you see on the internet may have been long exposure shots/and or stacked, giving them greater depth of colour and detail than what you would see through the eyepiece.

5) Get a program or app like Stellarium, which is free and fantastic for exploring the night sky. It will tell you what you are looking at and where t find things. Good planetary things to look at this time of year include Venus (which can be found bright in the West), Mars (which arcs high above in Leo, to the South), and Saturn (which rises to the South East next to the blue star Spica). Saturn in particular is a sight to see, stunning through a 130 scope, and my favorite sight right now. Star clusters also make good seeing, as do some galaxies. Do not feel like your scope is bad - a 130 can show you a lot if you put in the effort.

Hope this helps!

- AZ

[iwols]

ive also got the spc900 webcam would this help any

[Urgentemente]

I have the 114EQ ,slightly smaller version of your 130, and I've had good views of Saturn and most recently Venus (first time last weekend). I could clearly see the phase on Venus when using the higher magnification, was quite suprised to be honest how defined it looked (obviously varies with atmospheric conditions etc).

Saturn and Jupiter I've also had good views of, Saturns rings were easily seen,tho not the divisions, and Jupiter (when it was higher in the sky whilst dark), I was just about able to make out a couple of the cloud bands, but the moons were very easy to spot alongside/around it.

I'm suprised to here you're having problems finding Venus with it being so bright. I know that reddot finder scope isn't great tho, I used it more for a general aim to be honest, then used the lowest magnification eyepiece to get on target before moving up to higher magnifications (mine had a 20mm erecting eyepiece as part of the kit, I'm assuming the 130 does as well).

I personally never got around to trying to collimate my 114EQ, despite best intentions, but I think I might have benefitted from it.

As the others have already said, I'd definately get Stellarium , great piece of free software, I normally check it each time I go outside just to be sure I'm looking at what I really think I'm looking at , hehe

[Beardy30]

i have the same scope Iwols, i agree with what your saying 100%. The 25mm is brilliant but the planets look just like bright pin sharp dots, the 10mm and barlow are hopless , so much so i would just forget about them. Shots of the moon are great but i understand what your saying about the planets, perhaps our scope is limited , not sure if different eps would help, tyr cooling the scope and aim to find a couple of things, Jupiter is a good staring point as Venus and mars are always a bit hard to get much from.

[richbyers]

strange....my 10mm is great on my 130

[Beardy30]

Hi rich, i have to say my is not fit to use, it is hopless and i really do need invest in something better

[richbyers]

Hi rich, i have to say my is not fit to use, it is hopless and i really do need invest in something better

perhaps they supply a slightly different one these days?...my heritage is a couple of years old

[Moonshane]

there is nothing (almost certainly) inherently wrong with a 130mm scope. It will provide good views of many objects and be far better than e.g. a cheap 120mm f5 refractor in my opinion. the eyepiece though is at least half of the equation when it comes to observing and better ones (from the standard issue) will make a real difference I think.

[Beardy30]

agreed Moonshane. well said.

[knobby]

there is nothing (almost certainly) inherently wrong with a 130mm scope. It will provide good views of many objects and be far better than e.g. a cheap 120mm f5 refractor in my opinion. the eyepiece though is at least half of the equation when it comes to observing and better ones (from the standard issue) will make a real difference I think.

I'd love a cheap 120mm refractor.!

[Mr TamiyaCowboy]

myself somewhat let down with a 2x barlow and 10mm. this is on a heritage 76mm dobson. but if i drop down to 25mm and a 2x barlow, i can just about make out saturn and its rings. my scope is 76mm x F300.

i think your pushing the scope to hard and yourself. pop in a 25mm and line it up centre. then pop in the barlow with the 25mm fitted and recentre.

it took me a while with careful fine movements on focuser to get a image. then a while to train eye to focus on image.

if i can just about make out saturn in my 76mm am sure you could with your 130mm. just take your time do not let yourself be pushed into thinking a higher mag will be better, i found out a higher mag sometimes makes things worse

[Csuka]

With a 2x barlow you should be able to see Saturn no problem, are you sure you were looking at the right thing? And was your red dot aligned properly? From my personal experience using a barlow lens and a finderscope, being a tiny bit off target (as little as a mm) you wont see anything.

As for Venus don't expect to see much detail, i have a 150p and i can see it clearly but it just looks like a small crescent moon, i'm not sure on the capability's of the 130p but i'm sure you would be able to see a few DSO's, try taking your scope to an area with little to no light pollution and try to locate some and have another go at Saturn. The only other thing i can think of is that your scope isn't collimated properly. That's all that i can think of, I'm new to astronomy myself so can't really say anymore, hope this helps =)

[Beardy30]

the stock barlow is pants, a tal x2 should help