First timer - focus questions with pictures

[JohnJ]

I've braved the snow this morning to attempt to align my finder scope to my new SW 150pds in day light.

I'm aligning using a church spire about quarter mile away.

I have some questions.

My view in the finder scope is sharp and clear but when I look through the EP 25mm the image is blurry. I've turned the focus wheels every which way and can't get the church spire in focus. It remains blurry.

1.How do I get focus using the wheel. I.e which ones and which way do I turn?

2. The right side wheel has a black cap what is it for/do I remove it?

3. The church spire seems slightly more clear when I move my eye back from the EP, with my eye up close the image is blurry again?

4. Does it matter how far the focus tube is pushed in or pulled out?

View in finder scope:

View through 25mm EP:

Sorry about all the questions but the manual is rubbish!

Thanks

[steppenwolf]

If your focuser is a dual speed one then the cap on the right hand wheel protects the slow motion mechanism in transit and should be removed to use the focuser.

Sent from my iPhone from somewhere dark .....

[JohnJ]

So I just turn the small black wheel under the cap only?

[steppenwolf]

The small wheel gives you a 10 to 1 drive reduction for fine adjustment once you have got 'nearly there' with the larger wheel.

Sent from my iPhone from somewhere dark .....

[Steve Ward]

Have you loosened the silver screw that locks the focuser . . . ?

It's the screw through the black plate between the focuser wheels pointing down on your photo .

[Dude_with_the_tube]

is it me or its the image,but it seems that your eye piece is 2" and you have inserted the EP straight into focuser without the adapter ? if it is so,then you will be unable to get the Ep in focus as the EP is too close to the secondary mirror.

you should have this piece in your set:

and the whole set up should look like this:

[JohnJ]

is it me or its the image,but it seems that your eye piece is 2" and you have inserted the EP straight into focuser without the adapter ? if it is so,then you will be unable to get the Ep in focus as the EP is too close to the secondary mirror.

you should have this piece in your set:

and the whole set up should look like this:

It does look like I have placed the EP straight into the focuser, I found this adapter. So by using this I should be able to get focus?

[Dude_with_the_tube]

yes mate.

[JohnJ]

Cheers. How do you decide how much to 'slide' the focuses tube in and out? I can loosen the 'tube' with the thumb screw between the focused wheels and to adjust the length but not sure how to leave it.

[fat-tony]

Cheers. How do you decide how much to 'slide' the focuses tube in and out? I can loosen the 'tube' with the thumb screw between the focused wheels and to adjust the length but not sure how to leave it.

The thumb screw (at the bottom of the focuser between the wheels) is for locking the focuser tube if you have a camera or heavy eyepiece attached and you don't want the focus to change. Normally the screw is left slightly loose and you focus using the wheels which move the tube in and out to achieve proper focus. 2" eyepieces would go straight into the focuser and you need the 1.25" adapter for the majority of the eyepieces you would be using.

[fat-tony]

2" eyepieces would go straight into the focuser and you need the 1.25" adapter for the majority of the eyepieces you would be using.

correction - 2" eyepieces would go into the 2" adapter which then fits into the focuser - can't seem to edit posts on this board

[mrjolly]

If your focuser is a dual speed one then the cap on the right hand wheel protects the slow motion mechanism in transit and should be removed to use the focuser.

Sent from my iPhone from somewhere dark .....

I wondered why my new 80ed had a black cap on one focuser, never even though of pulling it off and taking a look underneath...!