Finder Scope

[RickFirst Team Sir]

Hello, i'm just getting back into Astronomy after many years. I just purchased a Celestron Powerseeker 50AZ telescope and i would like some help with adjusting the Finder Scope. Which knobs center the windage and elevation? Should i remove my glasses when using the Finder Scope and telescope lens? Also, i lose my balance easily and fall over. What should i do about that, perhaps get an adjustable chair? Thank you for any help.

[PeterCPC]

Do your adjustments during the day. Get a far off target such as a telegraph pole in the scope and then adjust your finder to show the same view. Don't look towards the Sun. Can't help with the balance issue but a chair sounds sensible to me.

Peter

[RickFirst Team Sir]

Which knobs on the finder scope adjust the elevation and windage, please?

[PeterCPC]

The rear one should be elevation.

Peter

[rwilkey]

Hi Rick, welcome to SGL, the adjustment knobs can be seen in the following picture:

Looking at the finder, it is the two silver thumb screws to the top and bottom; one alters the elevation (altitude) and the other alters the the horizontal plain, not sure which is which as I have not used this scope, but when you line up during the day aim the telescope towards a distant object such as a pylon or aerial and then adjust the finder to view the same object - the telescope will then be 'aligned' with the finder.

Yes, remove your glasses if you can.

On your other comment, I am also very unsteady on my feet, in fact I fell over last time I was out, so an adjustable chair sounds a good idea but shop around, they can be expensive.  I use a stool, with the wife (SWMBO) to help me up and down. 

Hope that makes sense!

[RickFirst Team Sir]

Thanks  White Dwarf. I'm in Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.A. BTW

[RickFirst Team Sir]

On 15/12/2018 at 06:04, PeterCPC said:

Do your adjustments during the day. Get a far off target such as a telegraph pole in the scope and then adjust your finder to show the same view. Don't look towards the Sun. Can't help with the balance issue but a chair sounds sensible to me.

Peter

Thanks Peter. Don't worry, i won't look at the sun, i value my vision. I'm going to get a Sun Viewer as soon as i can afford one but, i really don't think they cost that much. I'm in Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.A. BTW.

[Astro-Geek]

On 15/12/2018 at 11:01, RickFirst Team Sir said:

Hello, i'm just getting back into Astronomy after many years. I just purchased a Celestron Powerseeker 50AZ telescope and i would like some help with adjusting the Finder Scope. Which knobs center the windage and elevation? Should i remove my glasses when using the Finder Scope and telescope lens? Also, i lose my balance easily and fall over. What should i do about that, perhaps get an adjustable chair? Thank you for any help.

Telescope finderscopes and rifle sights are similar, but finderscopes have no specific "windage" and "elevation" adjusters because most have three adjustment points arranged as a triangle, rather than a gunsight's elevation and windage, ( up/down and left/right).

The three adjustment points are arranged as a triangle, so moving any of them moves the target diagonally, so sideways movement requires two to be adjusted.

Also, the third adjuster is usually spring loaded, or you would need to slack one off manually each time the opposite adjusters were moved inwards.

[RickFirst Team Sir]

Thank you Nebula.