Telescope shake

[Ju123]

Hi,

I have been given a PowerSeeker 60 EQ refractor telescope. It pretty much a begginers scope but seems to be fairly nice. However, when I use it with anything above the minimum magnification I get bad wobble on the telescope. I have locked everthing down and its on a firm surface but as soon as I look into the eyepiece and make any physical contact with it it shakes so much it's hard to see anything.

Any tips?

[Casus belli]

It might be that your mount isnt good enough. Cheap scopes tend to suffer badly from wobbles but I dont know anything about your scope.

You are using your scope outside arent you? If you use it from say an open window the warm and cold air mix, causing severe wobbles. For the same reason some scopes require to cool down for half an hour or so.

[geoff_k]

I see the Powerseeker has an aluminium tripod and my recollection from when I had one that they had terrible delirium tremens.

Some people put sand inside the legs, but it might make the tripod a bit heavy.

My advice is to only use the scope when drunk as you won't notice the wobbles

More seriously, Celestron and others do sell anti-vibration pads but I don't know how effective they are.

[The Warthog]

I suffered with a cheap aluminum tripod and mount for years. Eventually I invested in a better mount and deliberately bought it with a wooden tripod. The difference in vibration was astounding. A little later, I made a wooden tripod for use with my refractor. At the moment, it's in pieces because I'm going to modify the design a little later. It wasn't difficult to make with simple hand tools, and I would advise getting or building one if possible. Skywatcher makes a wooden tripod for its mounts.

Here is the link to my incomplete project: http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,17169.0.html

[robert_l]

telescope shake ! quite common with small scopes 2 suggestions , once you focus the object remove hands from telescope and then let shaking dye down then after a few seconds you can observe !

2nd get an empty bottle fill it with watter place it on the instrument tray or tie it with string suspended from under top of tripod

Robert :saturn:

[SteelRat]

get an empty bottle fill it with water place it on the instrument tray or tie it with string suspended from under top of tripod

8)

[Starflyer]

2nd get an empty bottle fill it with watter place it on the instrument tray or tie it with string suspended from under top of tripod

I find a four-pack of beer placed on the tray works wonders

Ian

[Roy Batty]

I find a four-pack of beer placed on the tray works wonders

Ian

Surely that's going to get lighter during the course of the evening due to "human evaporation" :rolleyes:

RB

[radioactive]

Speaking solely from the point of view of the converted cheap tripods will always give you shake its a sad fact even a slight breeze make the scope blow about as if in a force 8 whilst using dampening techniques will help a little it wont cure your problems and with this in mind you will my friend (and we have all been there!) But you will figure out that what is the most important part of your astronomical set-up is a good steady mount with a good mount even a half good scope can be very rewarding the thing is I figure by now you will be pretty well hooked on stargazing and you will be able to see the benefits the way people build up their kit try to save your hard earned money and spend wisely a lot of good used mounts are out there from very satisfied astronomers who are wanting to move up into another league of this great hobby therefore they need to help finance this by letting their very satisfactory pieces of kit go their loss is your gain as you are picking up stuff at a fraction of the price it would be new

I hope these comments are read in the same light as they were written. that is to help you not trying to say anything bad or insulting just trying in my own way to bring newbies along in their chosen hobby by using straight talk