Celestron 114EQ - any help please?

[Skywise]

Hi

We're just trying to set up my new Celestron 114EQ.  We've been setting up the "viewfinder" and that works fine - the object we've picked (a tree on a hill across the valley - about 4 miles away) appears to be perfectly centred in the crosshairs, but when we put a lens in (either of the lenses that came with the 'scope) we can't see a thing.  There's a white circle so we know that light is coming in, but there's absolutely no image at all.  When you take the lens out and just look down the lens tube, you get a lovely image of your own eye in the inside circle of the mirror and some rose leaves waving gently in the breeze in the outside circle of the mirror, but whatever we do we can't seem to get an image with the lens in.  Does anyone know what we're doing wrong please?  It's forecast to be absolutely clear tonight and Orion rises directly above our house so I'd love to get the thing working.  Any help gratefully accepted

[Zuben Elgenubi]

It sounds like the telescope is not in focus. Have you turned the focuser wheel from fully in to fully out while looking through the eyepiece? If you do this, not too quickly, you should be able to find focus - make sure the scope is pointing at something to focus on (not the sun though!).

Once focused on your tree in the eyepiece, you then adjust the finder scope to line up with the object in view in the main scope.

Hope this helps.

[Starlight 1]

1  Move focuser all the way in  then all the way out.  If you still can't see anything just pull the eyepiece out slowly while looking in it.  If you see it you need to add an extension between the eyepiece and the focuser.

2  If all the way in and still can't see anything check to make sure you haven't got an extension between the eyepiece and the focuser.

[Skywise]

Thank you guys, we've tried pulling the lens out further as you've suggested and it's working perfectly.  That's always been my problem - too much enthusiasm and not enough knowledge or common sense LOL.  Anyway, look out Orion, here I come . . . . . . . .

[Starlight 1]

You Welcome  all the best on tonight.

[Starlight 1]

Remember what you do by day is likely to be opposite by night as Orion is over 4 miles away. LOL

[Astro Imp]

Great to hear you've overcome your problem, have fun to-night and let us all know how you get on.

Remember any problems just ask, we all started knowing nothing.

[knobby]

Also don't forget to get your eyes used to the dark before looking at Orion, it will be a big disappointment if you look at it straight away from being in doors