having trouble seeing anything with my telescope

[O2B3]

I am new at this and tonight I set up my new dobsonian skyliner 200p, to look at the moon which was in clear view in the sky.

I lined up my telescope to the moon using my finderscope and got the moon in the centre of the Crosshairs and it looked fantastic but when it came to looking at the moon through the EP which is a 10m I couldn't see the moon even when I tried focusing up and down for 30 minutes still not seeing the moon so I changed EP to a wide angle and did the same still nothing, each time I look through the finderscope the moon look fantastic and right there looking big and bright.

Where am I going wrong? do I need to collimate my telescope even though it's new.

[weetooner]

Have you taken the dust caps off the scope and eyepieces? Relatively new to this myself so just going through the things I had to do. 

[lardy]

Collimate your finder to your scope, best done while daylight .... Try and use an object at distance  Then fine tune on a star at night. 

[wheresthetorch?]

Hello. It's not collimation that's the problem, it's lining up the finderscope with the telescope.

In daylight, find a distant object through the actual telescope and centre it in the field of view. Then look through the finder and adjust it using the screws on the finder until that distant object is in the middle of the finder's field of view.

Hey presto - when you put the moon in the finderscope it will be visible through the main telescope.

[O2B3]

Thank you for your help I will try that :-)

[ronin]

You need toalign the finder and the main scope.

During daylight point the scope at something that is distant - 2 miles or so away.

Centre whatever and then without moving the scope adjust the finder to have the same thing in the centre.

Then check that tha scope is still centered on whatever it was.

Start with the longest focal lengh eyepiece.

Likely will have to aim scope and adjust finder a few times to get it ideal.

Pick sonething to the North, reduces the chance of getting the sun in view

It will take a time so be patient.

[O2B3]

You need toalign the finder and the main scope.

During daylight point the scope at something that is distant - 2 miles or so away.

Centre whatever and then without moving the scope adjust the finder to have the same thing in the centre.

Then check that tha scope is still centered on whatever it was.

Start with the longest focal lengh eyepiece.

Likely will have to aim scope and adjust finder a few times to get it ideal.

Pick sonething to the North, reduces the chance of getting the sun in view

It will take a time so be patient.

thanks for that I will do that tomorrow in daylight :-)

[itmo]

one way to align to moon is to take off the eyepiece,  aim at the moon along the telescope tube, then move the tube around until you can see light in the eyepiece hole. Center the moon image in the eyepiece hole, then insert an eyepiece. Center the eyepiece on a recognizable feature then adjust your finderscope until it points to that feature. After this you should be in the ballpark. Recheck with a recognizable star like betelgeuse.  

[Moonshane]

I agree with the daylight suggestions as above. you might need to just tweak it though when you can on the moon. when you get the moon in the centre of the eyepiece, adjust the finder at that point as you need to get the finder to be aligned to what's in the eyepiece, not the other way around.  the above method with no eyepiece also works surprisingly well.

[moriniboy]

Also just check that you are using either the 1.25" or 2" eyepiece holder in the focuser tube not both, that was my first mistake (of many)

[Charic]

02B3.........Hi, you`ll soon be enjoying the excellent views offered from the telescope once you've  aligned the finder to the telescope. Your not the first to have this issue. 

[Swedeman2013]

Had all kinds of trouble with my finder scope at first but it gets easier with experience, like anything else! Picking up targets can be a big challenge with a 9x50 but can also help find clusters and nebulae.

[Astro Imp]

Had all kinds of trouble with my finder scope at first but it gets easier with experience, like anything else! Picking up targets can be a big challenge with a 9x50 but can also help find clusters and nebulae.

A lot of people new to the hobby look through the finder with one eye closed. This makes things very difficult. The way to go is keep both eyes open and move your scope 'til the image you see through the finder is superimposed on the image from the other eye. (This assumes you are using a straight through finder and not a RACI)

BTW this is also the way to use a Rigel/Telrad.

[O2B3]

Thankyou for all your advice will put it into practice :-)

[Gazetilludrop]

A lot of people new to the hobby look through the finder with one eye closed. This makes things very difficult. The way to go is keep both eyes open and move your scope 'til the image you see through the finder is superimposed on the image from the other eye. (This assumes you are using a straight through finder and not a RACI)

BTW this is also the way to use a Rigel/Telrad.

Couldn't agree more with this! I was one of those one eyed noobs until I tried this last night! Way easier!

Align in the day and problem solved. Enjoy!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Astro Imp]

Couldn't agree more with this! I was one of those one eyed noobs until I tried this last night! Way easier!

Align in the day and problem solved. Enjoy!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Glad to be of help.

I was also one of the one-eyed brigade until I was pointed in the right direction by another member.

[entropia]

The first time I used my telescope I had the same issue. I just got the telescope and was so excited so I took it outside and aimed at the moon. It was a full moon so I thought it would be easy. After 30 minutes I could not find it and when I did I could only see a part of it and then I lost it again.  I was so frustrated that I didn't use the telescope for almost 2 years until I joined this forum . 

My finderscope is not the greatest and I cannot calibrate the image to the center of the  cross hair. What I do, I pick an object and I see where it shows on the scope.I try that the image is on the Y axis (closest to the cross hair). I do that several times with different eyepieces and remember where that point is. When its time to see the stars I already know where the object has to be in the scope. It is kind of primitive but it works for me

[keithatrochdale]

Also you need to use the largest number of mm eyepiece you have and work down to lower numbers when you have it in the centre of your view.

[brucen]

Also, check that you have the rubber O ring fitted onto the finderscope correctly as, without it in place, you may not be able to get the two in line.

[Kirscovitch]

It's amazing how even under the slightest magnification, what you think you are pointed at is not even remotely close to where where you are actually looking! 

Most of my experience looking through any sort of optics before I got my first telescope was looking through a rifle scope. And though there are some differences between the 2 there is a lot that can be carried over.

With a rifle and a new scope, it is not uncommon to mount the scope for the first time, sight in at a 12" target only 150 feet away, and totally miss the target at only 3x magnification.

Telescopes are similar. You may see your target in the finderscope but if not aligned with the OTA, you will miss your target.