SW 130p-ds focussing

[xs2man]

So, 

I picked up a Skywatcher 130p-ds, and don't appear to be able to achieve focus with it using my Revelation 1.25" EP's within the focusers range.  The night sky was too cloudy last night to try it on a celestial object admittedly, but for a land based object, around 1-2 miles away, for setting up my finderscope, I just couldn't get it to focus.  

It did focus with the 2" 28mm EP I got with the scope though, so I managed a rough alignment.  Is there something I am missing here?  Like an extension tube or something?

[ronin]

Makes some sense, the PDS was/is produced for attaching a DSLR and so the focuser will in effect get closer to the prime image plane. What I suspect is that a DSLR can now get to the prime image but an eyepiece cannot. I suspect you may or will need a small extender to get the eye piece to the right position.

If correct I guess a 2" extender would be about right.

[xs2man]

Good to know.  I thought it would be something simple like that.  I'll try with my DSLR next time there are clear skies, and see what I can come up with...

[Welrod50]

There should be an attachment with it for using 1.25" eyepieces and if I remember rightly, it does extend the focal plane slightly which is why it wont focus with the smaller EP's but will with the 2" EP.  I sold my 130 PDS last year, but do recall it will prime focus with DSLR straight into the focuser tube with no adapters etc.

Oh and another thing, stars are a lot further off than 2 or 3 miles so I think you'll find it will focus fine with a little bit of travel  remaining left too.

[ronin]

Some eyepieces will focus and others will not because the image formed by the main mirror is equally the object plane for the eyepiece, and different designs have this eyepiece object plane at different locations.

In some instances this is inside the eyepiece so those eyepieces need to get close in, like the DSLR, so they could/would work, even if only just. Then next one may not. All adds to the fun.

[Tinker1947]

Get a few extension tubes and other bits and bob's you never know when you may need them....

[xs2man]

Ha ha ha.  That's quite a collection...

[xs2man]

Well, I have some more things to get then.  Had a reasonably clear hour or so tonight.  For the life of me I couldn't get my 3 star alignment to work on the EQ6.  More practice, and learning the skies I think will be required.

Anyway, I picked a nice easy target.  The moon.  However, the ONLY way I could get my camera to focus on it was with a x2 Barlow.  Which would have been fine, but for the fact there was too much magnification there.  So I couldn't frame it properly.  Darn.

Anyway, my first semi-decent pic below.  My first actual pic though a telescope was an attempt at Jupiter, on my 114EQ on the worst mount known to man.  I won't count that.

Anyway, here is the picture I took.  First one is as shot, the second was after probably the worst play about with PS ever.

[xs2man]

Forgot to add details.

Camera : Sony A200

Telescope : SW 130p-ds

Mount : SW NEQ6

Barlow : x2

Moon Filter

Exposure : 1/40

ISO : 400

[happy-kat]

Nice full Moon.