I think I need some help

[geoffers1]

Last night was the first chance I've had to get my scope out that I bought a couple of weeks ago, and I have to say I'm totally confused.

The scope is a Celestron 130eq with motor and just the standard eyepieces. I know, not brilliant but as a starter I want to know if I can justify the investment in something better later.

(Please bear in mind this is my first time). So I plonked the tripod in the garden about midnight last night/this morning and put the scope on top.

Firstly I tried to align the red dot pointer. No matter what I did I either focused on the red dot and couldn't see a star through it, or I focused on the start and got a massive out of focus red dot. Also, depending on what angle I looked through it, or tilted my head one way or another I got completely different views through it. Sometimes I was getting 2 red dots, one on the front glass the next on the rear glass. Could not for the life of me get the scope to see what the red dot was pointing at.

Plonk a star in the middle of the view finder and try reversing the above and could no way get the red dot to see what I was seeing in the eyepiece, again though depending where I tilted my head, what angle I was looking at. You need to be a contortionist to look down the barrel of the scope at the red dot!

Im assuming that I'm to try and use it the same way I would sight a gun? Look down the barrel of the scope and through the red dot?

Anyways, needless to say I gave up and thought I would just try and scan the sky. Well, what an effort that turned out to be. I gotnthenscope fairly well balanced after lots of trial and error, and I got the motion of the scope on the mount fairly well worked out. However it's not quite what I was expecting (here is where my niaivity comes in) you don't really get free movement around the sky to just look where you want to. The altitude (height, up/down, I'm really basic here) was at about 50 deg from what I could make from the wholly inaccurate scale on the mount. Highering and lowering it is a major effort, even when I figured out o loosen the clamp on the side.

The slow motion cables I understand, and one of them, the same that is attached to the motor works very well (at least it did do when I figured out to take the screw out of the motor side) but the other one (I'm lacking technical knowledge here ra or dec?) seems really un smooth for want of a better word for it. It also leaves very fine metal filings that drop from beneath it, however. One direction seems better than the other.

Now, the other scale markings befuddled me too. The upper one (ra/dec/please help me out with terminology) seems to have a mind of its own and moves with the scope, is it really supposed to? The lower one seems to stay put and one day I'll figure out what it's purpose is, just not yet.

So last night I just poked around and saw some stars really, pretty much looking the same as through my eyes really, just more of them.

I won't be beaten, I will figure it out at some point, but I could really do with a "total idiots guide" to using this type of mount/scope setup and what it all means. It really does have to be in baby language for me to read it as being dyslexic whatever I read doesn't get translated into anything meaningful in my head. I learn by doing not by reading, plus the fact I don't remember what I just read anyway.

Im waffling on. Are there any good YouTube videos that start from the get go? Or is anyone brave enough to try and help me out (do this, do that put that there and this there and it does that)

Asa a side issue I was out from about midnight until 2am this morning. I was really surprised how light it was! Not an orange street light glow either, a very white kind of light sky?? And I didn't see any of the meteorite shower either :-(

Thank you for reading if you got this far :-)

[bullettooth]

i got my first scope this christmas a skyhawk 114eq1. so not as good as yours and doesnt have a motor. i totally had no clue how to move it around on its mount. so when i first used it i was just pointing it at what i wanted to view (the moon). but then what i found helped me quite a bit was setting it up in the front room during the day and having a mess about with it.

i set the mount up facing north and set my altitude(mine is around 56degrees,googled my location) undid the clamps holding the ra/dec movements and just started swivelling it around to different positions to familiarise myself with how it moves.

sometimes i found that my focuser was at the top or underneath making it hard to look through so rotated my scope in its rings to where the focuser was at a comfortable position to look through.

as i dont have a motor im not sure but the grinding must be something to do with it not being balanced properly. there is some very good vids on youtube if you search 'setting up an EQ mount'

hth good luck and clear skies

[Philip.]

I made the same mistake regarding the red dot finder!

I found it best to set it up during the day, I focused the scope on a chimney pot way off in the distance and then adjusted the RDF accordingly, made all the difference!

Sorry can't help with the motor.

[valleyman]

This might help you witht he setting circles. http://www.astro-tom.com/telescopes/setting_circles.htm

However the best advice I can give is dont try and run before you can walk

Get the scope out during the day and play with the controls. get to know how to balance it.

Worse thing you can do is try and do it in the dark for the first time.

It will soon become second nature for you.

Pat

[Carbon Brush]

A good long 'play' in daylight solves difficulties much easier than in the dark.

Especially with a new set of kit.

That goes for anyone - not just a beginner.

As suggested have a go today looking at distant object and set up the finder.

You will also get the feel of the eyepieces and just how narrow a view the scope gives.

Straight through finders, whether red dot or scope, can be a bit of a problem.

My preference is a right angle.

If the sky permits, have a go this evening before it is properly dark. Just go for a few bright stars.

Start with your lowest power (biggest number) eyepeice.

On the EQ mount/tripod alignment. Forget the scales (setting circles) for now.

Plant the mount with the marked N leg northiish.

The tripod top should be level-ish.

The latitude adjustment should around your own.

For visual use no precision is needed on any of these.

When you are happy that you are moving the scope and (reasonably) easily finding objects, then go for a target.

But make it an easy target.

Only then consider increasing magnification.

With the rough polar alignment described, the motor drive should keep any object should in the viewfinder for at least a couple of minutes.

As you learn more, and improve alignment, this time will increase.

But that is all for another night. start easy and work up from there.

Enjoy the scope and remember that we all take time to learn.

A dark classroom (soon to be cold) is not the easiest place!

Hope this helps. David.

[AlBoning]

I got into this hobby two years ago with the same scope as you. I never did mount the motor. The finder causes problems for lots of people, in my case the front LED was out of position so there was no second red dot to be seen. Didn't help that the manual didn't mention two red dots, only one, in the instructions. I replaced it with a Telrad.

Yep, EQ mounts baffle the first time user. It would really have helped if you had practiced with the scope before it got dark. Generally one aligns a finder in daylight, though chances are the red dots aren't visible even if you shade the finder. An EQ mount is meant to have the RA axis set so that it is pointing at a celestial pole, in your case you'd point to Polaris. First place the tripod with one leg pointing north and then level the tripod, this will minimize how much adjustment is necessary to the altitude setting the next time you setup. Then align the scope and mount so they both point north, make adjustments by rotating the mount on the tripod (azimuth) and setting the latitude scale (altitude) until Polaris is centered in the field of the telescope. From then on you either use the slow motion controls, or release one or both axis locks to point the scope.

It is hard to find a mount that has setting circles large enough to be useful no matter how much they cost, and the ones on the CG3 are no different. The pointers aren't close enough to get an accurate reading, nor are the pointers pointy enough. I spent some time trying to bend the pointers closer but just gave up altogether when I discovered the metal the pointers are made of is much too hard to file to a point by hand, at least in my lifetime. Even at their best settings circles are a pain to use, you wind up trying to hold the tube, hold a flashlight, take a reading, turn an axis lock, all at the same time, and do it all while in some position that is uncomfortably close to standing on one's head. So just forget them...they look nice though don't they?

I'm guessing it is the upper, DEC axis that you're having trouble with. The RA axis has a 360 degree range of motion, the DEC axis range of motion is considerably less, something like 60 degrees. It could be you're at one end of the range of motion and you're grinding the gears against the stop. Figure out where the center point is in the range of motion, center it, and mark the mount so that you can find it at need.

The scope will deliver very nice views but it suffers from all the compromises made to bring it in at the price it sells for. You'll find the mount is much more steady if you set up the tripod with the legs retracted and view while seated. Come to think of it that scope was the first with which I saw the Andromeda Galaxy and the Double-Double.

My tongue in cheek comment about this scope is that the best thing about it was that it led to my discovery that I have a passion for astronomy, and here I am two years later with three more scopes and three more mounts.

You'll need to eventully learn how to collimate the scope, i.e. align the mirrors, so that the scope can deliver to its full potential. Here is a link ..

http://www.astro-baby.com/collimation/astro%20babys%20collimation%20guide.htm

The rule of thumb for maximum magnification is 50X per inch of aperture so this scope should work all the way out to 250X, but you'll likely find not much opportunity to use more than 150X unless the sky is very steady. Because of the short focal length just reaching 150X is a challenge, I'd suggest a 10 mm eyepiece in a 2X Barlow, although considering the scope comes with 10 mm and 20 mm eyepieces a 3X Barlow would be a better choice to get the most out of what you already have. In combination with a 3X Barlow you'd have the choice of four different eyepiece focal lengths producing four different magnifications 32X, 65X, 98X and 195X. Magnification = focal length of scope divided by focal length of eyepiece. A Barlow is a specialized lens used in combination with an eyepiece to multiply the magnification.

If I remember correctly the 20 mm is a correct image eyepiece, this is meant for terrestrial use, bird watching for instance, no reason you can't use it for astronomical purposes, but the other eyepiece will present an image upside down in comparison, which is the way all astronomical eyepieces are. So don't get confused by how the view changes when going from one to the other.

You're going to find there is a lot to learn just to use the scope and mount, much less finding your way around the sky. Don't let it discourage you. Before long you'll be the one giving advice.

[JamesM]

Sorry to hear about your frustrations with your scope. Some good advice above to get you started and to settle you in to some decent observing. The Celestron scope is actually not a bad performer but the red dot finder is a bit of a goose for sure as it is such a fuss to align and the red dot itself is way too bright. For the size of your scope, a Rigel Quikfinder (FLO £34 and can be viewed here) might look better than a Telrad though either would be a vast improvement. If this was coupled with a right angled finder as well (as per David's suggestion above) then you would have the ultimate finder combo! To be honest the setting circles are there for show to make the mount look 'scientific but in reality are way too small to be of any practical help so I wouldn't worry about them moving about.

James

[geoffers1]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. I'll certainly start to play with it during the day to get used to things too. I might actuallyntakenthe motor off too asnitndid seem to get in the way a bit. Cheers all!

[Ganymede12]

I would suggest buying Phillips: Stargazing with a Telescope if your having trouble.