Can see through the sighting scope but not in the eye piece.

[Cathey]

Hi,

 

I have just purchased a Zennox 76x700 reflector as my first telescope. I'm a complete novice so please be kind :-) My question is why can I focus on a distant object through the sighting scope but cant see it though the eyepiece? I'm using the H20mm without the Barlow.

Any suggestions help would be grateful :-) 

[Prador]

Hi Cathey and welcome to the forum

Would you be willing to post a picture of your setup? Sometimes a picture will show something obvious that a novice might not either notice or realise is wrong.

[domstar]

Hi and welcome. Have you tried looking at a distant tree during the day (stay away from the sun, of course)? If not, give it a try. It is easier to understand what is happening during the day. You are right to use the 20mm without the Barlow. Maybe your eye position isn't exact enough. Lastly, we've all tried to observe with the lens cap on ?. You can't be a real stargazer until you've made this mistake.

[steppenwolf]

Yes, a picture would be great but it could simply be that your finderscope is not aligned with the telescope?

[Louis D]

I would start by making sure the cover is off the front of the tube (that being the end nearest the eyepiece holder).  Next, look down the tube from few feet away.  You should see your face inverted in the mirror.  After that, point the scope at some trees and move it about while looking in the focuser without an eyepiece from about a foot above it.  You should see leaves moving across the field of view in the reflection of the primary mirror at the bottom of the tube created by the secondary mirror below the focuser tube.  All this is just to make sure your mirrors are reasonably aligned with each other and the axis of the tube.

[Cathey]

Thank you everyone.

Please see picture, and yes I have taken off the cap ? . 

How do I align it? 

 

 

[steppenwolf]

1 minute ago, Cathey said:

How do I align it? 

Having followed Louis D's advice, aim the telescope at a distant daytime object (NOT THE SUN!!) like trees or a church spire/telegraph pole and look though the telescope's eyepiece. Adjust the focus using the knobs below the eyepiece to move the eyepiece and its holder in and out until you can see something and then refine your pointing so that some obvious object is right in the centre of the view. Now switch to the finderscope and look though that - adjust the three knurled thumbscrews installed on the finderscope and you will see the view changing. Make adjustments with these three thumbscrews until the object you found in the main telescope is centred in the view of the finderscope. The telescope and finderscope are now aligned with one another.

[Cathey]

Thank you Steve, I will give that a go. I was focusing on a point at the top of a tower-block as its still. 

[Lurcher]

I personally find it easier to start to align the finder scope in the daytime when you can see what you're doing. See if you can find a distant tree or house roof through the main telescope and then use the two small finger screws on the finder scope to slowly bring the finder scope to the same point as the main scope. That'll get it fairly close. Then at night you can hopefully find a nice bright star through the finder scope which will hopefully also now be in the field of view of the telescope. Centre the star in the eyepiece and then use the star to fully align the finder scope.

So basically start with something large during the day and gradually use a smaller or further object until you can do it at night on a star.

It'll take a bit of practice moving the finder scope around with the finger screws but just a matter of playing. I once used the sea forts and ships out at sea to do mine from  the sea wall. It's always great seeing ships on the horizon upside down!

[Louis D]

6 minutes ago, Cathey said:

Thank you Steve, I will give that a go. I was focusing on a point at the top of a tower-block as its still. 

Try starting low and sweeping left-right to find the tower and then gradually move up to center the top of it for alignment.  You might not be able to reach focus, so you might have to settle for a blurry but centered image.

[Louis D]

@Cathey did you get your situation figured out?