Focusing Problemo...

[Steve Swancott]

Hi Guys. As some of you may know i have the skywatcher explorer 200p. i have had it for a good few 3 months now and this is my first proper use of it (due to bad weather eg cloud and basicly bussiness) Anyway i am looking at Vega at the moment and no matter how hard i try to focus the star with the focusing knobs it still looks like a polo mint?

Can you plz tell me what to do!

Steve

[cosmojaydee]

Have u tried the extension piece that came with the scope?, sounds like the focus point is further back than your focuser can reach ,so you will need to use the extension tube

[Steve Swancott]

no tube came with it. shall i leave it tonight and try with a bigger object the moon perhaps???

[cosmojaydee]

Did you buy brand new?

[Steve Swancott]

Yes. Sorry just to clarify you dont mean the barlow do you? other than that nothing came but a super 10

[cosmojaydee]

If it was Brand new, everything u need you will have , the 200p comes with a 25 and 10mm eye piece from new, seem odd you only have 10 and a barlow

[Steve Swancott]

Sorry i do have a super 25, super 10 and a barlow but no extension tube what-so-ever???

[cosmojaydee]

Try using the 25mm first , make sure the locking screw on the focuser is loose( silver screw) this is probably your issue, locked up the focus wheel will turn but the focuser will not move in or out . Once you focus on the star , then you can take out the 25mm on replace it with the 10, a little refocus will be needed

[Mikea]

Get the best focus you can with the 25mm and gently pull the ep out of the focuser while looking. If your polo mint gets smaller then you need an extension tube. If it gets bigger, you need more inward travel.

[dtr42]

make sure you dont have the 2" adaptor for 2" ep's in as well as the 2" to 1.25 adaptor as it can cause the focus pronlem it looks like this [fourth post down

[cosmojaydee]

make sure you dont have the 2" adaptor for 2" ep's in as well as the 2" to 1.25 adaptor as it can cause the focus pronlem

Sound advice

[Steve Swancott]

Thanks Guys, Your help is much appriciated

Steve

[brantuk]

In my experience the 200P will focus fine with both 25mm and 10mm eyepieces without the need for extension tube. I have also seen newbies having problems bringing it to focus cos the focus tube lock knob is too tight.

Adjust the silver knob under the focus tube till the tube moves when you turn the focuser wheel. The doghnut shape will appear to get larger or smaller as you move the wheel - somewhere in between is the focaus point.

The doughnut shape can be used with a bright star to judge accuracy of collimation - so long as the doghnut (or airy circles) are concentric both slightly in, and slightly out, of focus then the collimation is near to spot on. Otherwise your scope will require collimation. Hth