Celestron Powerseeker127EQ

[anachristina]

Hi! I am very new to SGL (just signed up a couple of mins earlier) and to astronomy as well, though I have been facinated with celestial bodies since I can remember.  I recently purchased a Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ but now I’m having troubles using it and I can’t seem to see anything through it. I also have a Celestron collimating eyepiece but I still can’t seem to make it work. Anyone here who has experience with the same scope? Would appreciate if we could chat a bit as I would be really interested in your experience and how you ultimately made it work!

[PeterCPC]

I don't know if this would be of any help

Peter

[anachristina]

PeterCPC thanks a lot!! I was actually able to set up my 127EQ a couple of times now but when I look through it I see nothing... I was thinking maybe it’s about the telescope not being collimated so I tried using Celestron collimating eyepiece but to no success.

[carastro]

I owned some years ago a similar scope but it was the 114 version.  I found the mount difficult to use but the optics great.

Are you by any chance trying to use the Barlow lens?  I could never see anything with the Barlow lens.  I would try initially using the lowest powered eye piece.  Point to something bright like the Moon and get it in focus.  Then if you want to increase the focus, replace the eye piece with a stronger one and re-focus.  But with this mount you will need to be quick as objects will pass out of the field of view (FOV) very quickly as the Earth rotates.  This is why the Barlow lens (doubling the magnification) makes it much more tricky.  

Once you have the Moon in focus you can move to other targets. 

HTH

Carole 

[John]

16 minutes ago, anachristina said:

PeterCPC thanks a lot!! I was actually able to set up my 127EQ a couple of times now but when I look through it I see nothing... I was thinking maybe it’s about the telescope not being collimated so I tried using Celestron collimating eyepiece but to no success.

If you can see nothing it's not the collimation, it's something else. Collimation improves the view in terms of resolution and sharpness but even an uncollimated scope will show reasonably good images of the stars, planets, the moon etc.

Perhaps you could give us more details of what you have been trying to view, the accessories you are using with the scope at the time and the results. We will then hopefully be able to diagonse the problem

[PeterCPC]

As John says, a bit more info needed but I am guessing that you are not focusing. Can you see something in the distance during the day - but stay well away from the Sun!!

Peter

[anachristina]

I can’t thank you guys enough for replying to me! Anyway here are a couple of photos I tried taking by putting the camera of my phone directly above my 20mm erecting eyepiece. That’s a fair representation of what I see when I peek through the eyepiece... when I took this I was in our living room with bright lights on, and I was trying to look outside the window...

[Ricochet]

It just looks far out of focus. Turn the focuser knobs and see if it starts to form an Image. Remember that your telescope is designed for observing the stars so it won't be able to focus on nearby objects, just those very far away. 

[knobby]

Agreed, just looks way out of focus.

[AstroSandy]

If you want to do quick focusing testing which I assembled scope for the first time

1) If you have bigger room size put your telescope at the other end of the room

2) On small piece draw a 10 cm rectangle or square on plane paper write couple of lines with height not more than 5-10 mm inside circle or square

3) Stick the paper on plain wall and distance between telescope and wall should be 3 to 4 meter

4) From finder scope try to focus on circle or square and gradually try to find text you have written

This technique is useful to find whether your scope is assembled properly and can do basic focusing

[Alan64]

5 hours ago, carastro said:

I owned some years ago a similar scope but it was the 114 version.  I found the mount difficult to use but the optics great.

Are you by any chance trying to use the Barlow lens?  I could never see anything with the Barlow lens.  I would try initially using the lowest powered eye piece.  Point to something bright like the Moon and get it in focus.  Then if you want to increase the focus, replace the eye piece with a stronger one and re-focus.  But with this mount you will need to be quick as objects will pass out of the field of view (FOV) very quickly as the Earth rotates.  This is why the Barlow lens (doubling the magnification) makes it much more tricky.  

Once you have the Moon in focus you can move to other targets. 

HTH

Carole 

Did you own the "PowerSeeker" 114mm reflector kit, and of the same series as that of the OP, or the "AstroMaster" 114mm?

[Alan64]

9 hours ago, anachristina said:

Hi! I am very new to SGL (just signed up a couple of mins earlier) and to astronomy as well, though I have been facinated with celestial bodies since I can remember.  I recently purchased a Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ but now I’m having troubles using it and I can’t seem to see anything through it. I also have a Celestron collimating eyepiece but I still can’t seem to make it work. Anyone here who has experience with the same scope? Would appreciate if we could chat a bit as I would be really interested in your experience and how you ultimately made it work!

Hello,

The Celestron "PowerSeeker" 127mm f/8 catadioptric is an economical alternative to a Celestron C5 or 5SE, a Schmidt-Cassegrain.  It's quite popular among the entry-level kits for that very reason.  I don't have one myself, not quite yet, but I will be getting one in future, and for an overhaul as I would want to get the best out it as well.

As with all reflectors, even the modified-Cassegrains(Schmidt and Maksutov), collimation, alignment of the optical system, is necessary, to be checked upon its arrival from the factory overseas, and occasionally thereafter as it's moved about and used.

The "PowerSeeker" 127mm sports a barlowing lens assembly at the end of the drawtube of the focusser, and may prove problematic when attempting to collimate the telescope...

http://www.whichtelescope.com/images/CatadioptricNewtonian2.gif

The telescope is not a conventional, traditional Newtonian, although "Newtonian" is at times included within vendor advertisements.  The telescope is, rather, a loose simulation of a rare design known as a Jones-Bird, which was developed in the U.S. back in the 1940s and '50s.  The lens assembly, as noted above, makes collimating the telescope a bit difficult for those first starting out.  It's not impossible, however.  If you intend to keep the kit, I would strongly suggest researching online the methods used to collimate one, and for sharp and pleasing images throughout its range of magnifications.  Use the phrase "Bird Jones collimation" when searching with your favourite web-browser.  There are also a few YouTube videos available on the subject.

Best of luck, and enjoy.

[carastro]

Quote

Did you own the "PowerSeeker" 114mm reflector kit

Yup that one.  No idea regarding series but the principal should be the same.

Carole 

[John]

11 hours ago, anachristina said:

....  Anyway here are a couple of photos I tried taking by putting the camera of my phone directly above my 20mm erecting eyepiece. That’s a fair representation of what I see when I peek through the eyepiece... when I took this I was in our living room with bright lights on, and I was trying to look outside the window...

What were you trying to view through the window and how far away was it ?

 

[anachristina]

1 hour ago, John said:

What were you trying to view through the window and how far away was it ?

 

I was first trying to view the rooftop of the house accross us, then I also tried pointint at the sky... I’ll try adjusting the focuser again to get a better view. I was trying to adjust it last night but I still had a hard time seeing clear pics. I will try again this morning though!

[Alan64]

7 hours ago, carastro said:

Yup that one.  No idea regarding series but the principal should be the same.

Carole 

Yes, that's the long-focus Newtonian, a true Newtonian, and the same 114mm f/8 OTA as I have within this Meade kit...

The OP's OTA however, whilst of the "PowerSeeker" series, is, as evident by now, quite different.

Incidentally, Meade did one better with that kit, as they included a sturdier EQ2-class mount.

[Researcher]

On 30/12/2018 at 10:30, Alan64 said:

Hello,

The Celestron "PowerSeeker" 127mm f/8 catadioptric is an economical alternative to a Celestron C5 or 5SE, a Schmidt-Cassegrain.  It's quite popular among the entry-level kits for that very reason.  I don't have one myself, not quite yet, but I will be getting one in future, and for an overhaul as I would want to get the best out it as well.

As with all reflectors, even the modified-Cassegrains(Schmidt and Maksutov), collimation, alignment of the optical system, is necessary, to be checked upon its arrival from the factory overseas, and occasionally thereafter as it's moved about and used.

The "PowerSeeker" 127mm sports a barlowing lens assembly at the end of the drawtube of the focusser, and may prove problematic when attempting to collimate the telescope...

http://www.whichtelescope.com/images/CatadioptricNewtonian2.gif

The telescope is not a conventional, traditional Newtonian, although "Newtonian" is at times included within vendor advertisements.  The telescope is, rather, a loose simulation of a rare design known as a Jones-Bird, which was developed in the U.S. back in the 1940s and '50s.  The lens assembly, as noted above, makes collimating the telescope a bit difficult for those first starting out.  It's not impossible, however.  If you intend to keep the kit, I would strongly suggest researching online the methods used to collimate one, and for sharp and pleasing images throughout its range of magnifications.  Use the phrase "Bird Jones collimation" when searching with your favourite web-browser.  There are also a few YouTube videos available on the subject.

Best of luck, and enjoy.

i know it was years ago but... how was your experience with that telescope?