stjustpaul Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 I am not sure I am in the right place for my query but I am sure someone will direct me if I am not. I have just been given a Celestro Astromaster 114 by my son, it is all set up for use but i have no idea what to do now. I look through the viewfinder and see only a cross and my own face.!! i am 83 years old and not particularly stupid but cannot get the hang of the instruction book. Can someone please help? stjustpaul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornelius Varley Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Hello and welcome to SGL. This might seem a silly question, but have you put an eyepiece into the focuser ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stjustpaul Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 Thanks for the welcome Cornelius, yes i have an eye piece in it is marked 20mm and I have several others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOC Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Has the view finder got a cover on the end of it? For that matter bits of the telescopes and the eyepieces might also have covers on them - you need to take the covers off everything and some of the might be quite tight. Please don't think this is a daft suggestion, I left the covers on bits of my own telescope before spotting them. You then need to align the telescope with the sight during the day time when you can see a distant tree or spire (the view might be upside down in the eyepiece view, just as a marksman lines up a gunsight - the finder will have knobs that adjust its position. Also, you wouldn't be the first to have possibly managed to get the finder on back to front!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockystar Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 can I suggest a couple of things to helps is to help you? post in the Getting Started forum, one level up, you are in Primers and probably won't get as many views post a picture of your set up, exactly as you are using it. hopefully we can help you. first thing to say is, your telescope is a reflector, so point the large open hole at the sky, at look through the eyepiece on the side, check it in the day time at a distant house, much easier than at night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy-kat Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Hi and welcome. Looks like your post was moved for you into the help getting started section. Your telescope is a reflector. There is a mirror at the bottom and you point the open end at the sky (do NOT look at the sun). During the day you should be able to focus on a very distant object tree building use the eyepiece with the biggest number probably 25 this is your lowest magnification. Magnification is telescope focal length, your one is 1000mm, divide my eyepiece focal length, 25, gives x40 magnification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laudropb Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL. As suggested, try to focus on a distant object in daylight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Ju_ju Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Hi welcome to the lounge, I agree with trying to use your scope during the day, but just a word of caution, DON'T pint it anywhere near the Sun, stick to terestial targets.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dwarfer Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 Is it possible you are looking into the optical tube and seeing your reflection in the primary mirror , rather than looking into the eyepiece itself ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOC Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 I've just had a thought here - is it possible the OP has installed a Cheshire collimating eyepiece or a Collimation cap and has maybe confused this for an eyepiece? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westmarch Posted June 11, 2017 Share Posted June 11, 2017 Hi there, If you can see your face then I think I agree with Red dwarfer, you are probably looking down the main barrel of the telescope towards the mirror. This video is a fairly basic explanation of how a similar reflector telescope works. It might help to have your son look at it with you or you may both want to take a trip to a local astronomy club - they will be only too pleased to help you out. Clubs in Cornwall can be found here: http://www.astronomyclubs.co.uk/Clubs/Default.aspx?CountyId=18 I hope you get it sorted out. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOC Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 There is a difference between the finderscope (the baby telescope) on the top of the main tube and the eyepiece. The finderscope may well have a cross in it and if you look at it oddly there is a chance you might see you face in it. It has adjustable screws on it too. The eyepiece goes into the other holder on the side of the tube. On a clear day (though no where near the sun!) find a tree or spire or telegraph pole in the distance and put the eyepiece in the other holder on the side of the tube. Move the telescope so that you can tell you've hit the area of the horizon where your object is located and move the focus wheel on the eyepiece unit (possibly a lot - until the shadow of the mirror disappears (you might see this if its really out of focus) and until the object comes into focus (things may be back to front and upside down, but don't worry that's OK). Then run the telescope along the horizon objects until you locate your telegraph pole, for example, and get the top of the telegraph pole in the centre of the eyepiece. Then go to the baby finderscope and peep through this and twiddle the adjustment screws until the cross hairs line up on the top of the same telegraph pole without moving the telescope anymore. Keep checking until the view through the eyepiece and the view through the finder line up on the same bit of the telegraph pole. Now if you find a planet in space in the baby finderscope you should get the same view in the EP - just closer. Remember that this will repeating whenever you set up the telescope as things will move slightly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronl Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 The two big knobs below were you are looking down is the focuser, turn one of them very slowly, the reflection you are looking at should get smaller, keep turning until you reach focus, hope this is the problem? If it doesn't, turn the knob the other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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