Help, I can't see

[Mowbs]

Hello

What a bummer, the weather has been miserable since I took delivery of my Skywatcher 200p lasrt week but I managed to get a couple of glimpses of Jupiter and even the moon a few days back. Imagine my delight after another cloudy miserable day when just as darkness descended the heavens cleared and the stars came out. I hurriedly took my scope outside to cool, had something to eat and then came outside to wonder at the marvels up there. Everything looked great from my finder scope but when I tried to focus the EP I can't see a thing except for some light (I'm definatelty pointing at Jupiter) I can see the circle on my primary mirror (I can't remember seeing that before) and I can see a bracket that holds my primary mirror on.

Could my collimation be that far out, is this what would happen if it was? I can't think of anything else, I've tried with both my EP's and my Barlow on and off. The stars are begging to be observed and my scope has let me down.

Any help gratefully recieved

Thanks

[nightfisher]

start with no barlow and the 25mm ep, and play about with the focus to see what you get

[Mowbs]

Hi, thanks. I did that and it's much the same. It's just like the focuser (is that what it is?) doesn't go near the point where anything would come into focus

[floppygoose]

Silly question, but have you just got the 1.25" eyepiece adaptor fitted? It sounds as if something is preventing your focuser from covering the range correctly

Phil

[Astro Imp]

When you turn the focus adjuster is the tube moving in or out. If it isn't moving slacken the middle screw underneath the focuser.

Don't worry we will get to the bottom of this, there won't be anything wrong with your scope.

HTH.

[Mowbs]

Thank you so much Floppygoose!!!!!

That's exactly what had happened. When I took it in last time it was dewed up so I fitted all the covers I could find and one of them was a camera adapter (I think thats what it is) and it was on before my eyepiece.

I really can't thank you enough, I was close to tears there for a minute

[floppygoose]

Thank you so much Floppygoose!!!!!

That's exactly what had happened. When I took it in last time it was dewed up so I fitted all the covers I could find and one of them was a camera adapter (I think thats what it is) and it was on before my eyepiece.

I really can't thank you enough, I was close to tears there for a minute

No problem, glad to help - good luck with the scope

Phil

[Mowbs]

Thanks everyone!

I actually found that out the last time I used it Astro Imp, I was lucky that I sussed out what I'd done before I had to come on here then, I found a screw that was slack so I tightened it as you might.

I hope all your skies are as clear as mine, it's bloomin freezing though. I might need a new wardrobe for this hobby!

[Astro Imp]

Great to hear you're up and running again.

SGL to the recue again 

[Mowbs]

Wow!

Thanks so much guys, especially Floppygoose.

I joined SGL because so many of the questions I asked our good friend Google were answered on the forums here but tonight your help was invaluable.

Tonight was a starry night around Aberdeenshire which was quite a surprise to me after watching the weather forecasts and as my hobby is only around a week old it would have been very disappointing to have missed it because of technical issues.

I have previously briefly focused on Jupiter and our moon and was suitably impressed to the point I wasn't disappointed with the money I have spent so far on my equipment but tonight was in a different league.

I'm sure everyone else on the forum has experienced a similar night to the one I had tonight but I'm sure you all still enjoy to hear about it from a beginner.

I find it hard to leave Jupiter as it's so bright in the sky at the moment and an easy target for a beginner but the second target I couldn't wait to explore was Orion's Nebula, and it was stunning! But the thing that really blew me away tonight was Andromeda. I've never been able to find it before with my binoculars despite looking for it many times but once I'd located it I could find it with my eyes and easily with my binoculars but every time I went back to my eyepiece I was in awe. It looked like a photograph surrounded with stars. I'll never forget the experience and I really appreciate the assistance of my fellow SGL's for helping me resolve the problem I had with my scope tonight.

I just can't wait until my new eyepieces arrive now so I can see it all even clearer.

It took me 5 or 6 times of setting up my SynScan goto before I got it fairly accurate, mostly because of my lack of knowledge of the stars but I've learned so much in the last week or two thanks to the good people on this forum and I'm sure it'll be much easier in future.

Thanks to everyone with the patience to help us beginners with the first small steps into astronomy.

I look forward to many more discoveries ahead, especially Saturn. I'm sure it won't be long now!

[LeeWilky]

Sounds like you did what i did and had the 2 inch adapter fitted before you 1.25 inch adapter  

[HumptyMoo]

Yup, I did that exact same thing on the first night I used my scope "Hmmm.....now I know why the dob is so cheap...you can't see anything..." Luckily, due to the temperature, my red face wasn't out of the ordinary when I finally figured out what was going on

Another thing I'd check is that you've removed the main dust cap..."I don't understand, finder scope is working perfectly but nothing in the scope...."

D'oh.

[Mowbs]

Glad to hear I'm not the only idiot

It really was a magical night in the end, it feels like it was a dream peering so far into space with my own eyes. It would have taken the edge off somewhat to be using the finder scope all night

At least it's one of those mistakes that we won't make again!

It's not looking good for gazing tonight (ooh err, that sounds like a euphemism)

[Astro Imp]

At least it's one of those mistakes that we won't make again!

Don't worry there are plenty more to trip you up.