What's wrong?

[Bolton rob]

After 2 weeks of struggling and help from great people on here I have finally learnt to line up the finderscope with the main reflector.

When I found Jupiter last night it just seemed like a white circle with a black circle inside. I'm guessing the black circle is centre of my main tube where the little mirror is. It's really frustrating me now. It's the skywatcher 200p I have.

thanks for the help.

[Steep]

I sounds like it's out of focus, looks like a doughnut? how do you have you 200p set up, what eyepiece and have you tried the full travel of the focuser?

[ItIsOnlyMe]

If it is the secondary you are seeing then you are well out of focus. What other equipment were you using e.g. eyepiece/barlow?

[cosmojaydee]

If its the 2" 28mm stock EP you will need to use the 2" extension tube that came with the scope to get focus

[ItIsOnlyMe]

If its the 2" 28mm stock EP you will need to use the 2" extension tube that came with the scope to get focus

Good advice, I think others on here have taken the 1.25 inch adapter out and then put a 2 inch ep straight in the hole rather than putting the 2 " adapter in first.

[ronin]

Nothing wrong just way out of focus.

Always strange that you get a doughnut not a blob. It will go from doughnut to blob to planet, getting a little smaller each time.

[Bolton rob]

I'm just useing the 1.25" eyepeice and putting it into the 1.25" adapter. Then I put the adapter into focuser and tighten it with those screw things.

Itsonlyme... I'm just using what came with scope. As I don't have a 2" eeyepeice i was under the impression I don't need the 2" adapter yet.

[rwilkey]

Hi, here is a picture of how the 1.25" adaptor should look, make sure you have this one only in the focuser, and not the 2" one as well!

[Bolton rob]

That's what I do. Just don't get why it's not focusing.

[cosmojaydee]

Is the draw tube moving as you turn the focus wheel?

[John]

Hi, here is a picture of how the 1.25" adaptor should look, make sure you have this one only in the focuser, and not the 2" one as well!

This is exactly how it should be. It's so easy to have the 2" adapter in the drawtube as well as the 1.25" one (which won't work), and not realise it. The 2" adapter can look just like part of the scope you see.

[freeflyjay]

make sure you don`t have the focus lock screw screwed in otherwise the focuser will not move when trying to focus, it`s the one at the bottom, make sure it is loose and the focus tube moves in and out, then you should be able to focus correctly, as stated above only use the 1.25 adapter and not with the 2" one as well.

[Bolton rob]

I screw the eyepeice into the adapter. I put the adapter into the focus tube. When I turn the wheels the focus tube comes out and vies versa depend which way I I move the wheels. Using the only the 1.25" adapter.

[John]

Do you have this problem with all your eyepieces or just one ?

[paul mc c]

Does the ''donut'' get smaller when you focus inwards or when you focus outwards ?

[Bolton rob]

Yes John. Both 25mm and 10mm.

Believe it or not Paul when the focus tube is halfway out it zooms right out and just looks a star you see with and naked I eye.

[nephilim]

All I can think of is that, even though u say u've managed to align the finder, its easy to knock it off, it sounds like ur actually viewing a star & not Jupiter, the 25mm & 10mm ep's should work fine (they do with my 200p) and you'd definatly know ur seeing a planet. I'd recommend re-aligning in the day time, first with the 25mm & the with the 10mm for more accuracy

Steve

[cantab]

Yes John. Both 25mm and 10mm.

Believe it or not Paul when the focus tube is halfway out it zooms right out and just looks a star you see with and naked I eye.

That's focus, definitely. At low power Jupiter looks like a small disc, at first glance you might take it for a star, or you could just have been off-target.

[rwilkey]

I screw the eyepeice into the adapter. I put the adapter into the focus tube. When I turn the wheels the focus tube comes out and vies versa depend which way I I move the wheels. Using the only the 1.25" adapter.

Usually, you should have the 1.25" adaptor already attached to the focuser, you then insert the eyepiece - push-fit, not screw in, sounds like you are doing something wrong here just based on the description of how you are doing it. See photo above again, the adaptor should already be fitted to the focuser before you insert the ep. If you are still having no luck try to take a photo of the adaptor with the ep inserted and post it here.

[John]

....Believe it or not Paul when the focus tube is halfway out it zooms right out and just looks a star you see with and naked I eye....

Perhaps it is a star then ?

Stars look pretty much the same though a scope as they do with the naked eye - just pinpoints of light.

[MorningMajor]

If it focuses into "just a star" that's probably what it is and you're not pointing at Jupiter - have you checked that your finder scope is properly aligned?

[Bolton rob]

Well Jupiter is the brightest thing in the night sky apart from the moon obvusley. So that's what I aimed for. Even through the finder scope it's the brightest thing in the sky.. When I say screw I don't mean screw as such. I mean it fits in the adapter perfectly I just tighten it with those silver screw things on the adapter so it's not lose. Am I ment to take the take the metal,rings of the eyepeice what screw on and off? I'll take a picture anyway.

[Bolton rob]

Here

[MorningMajor]

Even through the finder scope it's the brightest thing in the sky

It is indeed - BUT - if your finder scope isn't aligned with the main scope, what you see through the finder isn't what you see through the scope itself

[Bolton rob]

Yer but when I look through the eyepeice I can zoom far enough to see stars as well.