possible fault

[louis jaques]

i assembled my astromaster 130EQ as per instructions and yet, when i tried to look at stars, they all appeared to look not too different from one of those satellite dishes with a dish and four structural supports?

is anyone able to help me with this?

am i doing it wrong or am i seeing multiple satellites?

thank you.

[Cosmic Geoff]

It sounds like the telescope is simply not in focus. Try focusing it through the whole range of the focus mechanism.  A star should look like a point of light.

If that doesn't work, check that various bits such as extension tubes, 2" to 1.25" adapter etc are positioned as they should be, and you don't have too much extension or not enough. One you get the feel of how the telescope responds, sorting out this sort of thing should become much easier.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Hi,

I am a relative newbie so no expert by any means. But sounds like you are just way out of focus.

Is what you are seeing something similar to this (This is with a telescope with 3 spider vanes whilst yours will have 4)

Steve

[louis jaques]

thank you teoria 

you're right that's what i see 

do you have any clue how to fix it because i have tried moving the focus knob by the eyepiece the whole way

thank you so much

Edited June 30, 2019 by louis jaques
mistake

[louis jaques]

whoops

sorry

thank you steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Because it is not focused correctly you are seeing the 4 thin vanes that hold the secondary mirror.

Are you using eye pieces that were supplied with the scope?

If so then I would imaging they should be suitable and you should be able to achieve focus. If supplied with more than one eyepiece start with the highest mm eyepiece. These telescopes usually supplied with 10 and 20 mm EP's so then start with the 20 mm, or the highest supplied.  Start with the focusser wound fully inwards and whilst looking through it wind it out and see it things start to get more into focus as it winds out. If so then looks like you are winding in correct direction (hope so as you cannot go any further in).

Hopefully you will achieve focus before you wind it out fully. 

Make sure the locking screw is loose a little on the focusser as if this is tight then you will be able to wing the focusser knobs but it may not move. To get focus the focusser will move in and out of the scope.

You could try before it gets fully dark to focus on a distant object on the earth, such as a tree or pylon etc as far away as possible. If you can get focus on that then although you will need to change focus a little to focus on a star but it will be somewhere near.

If you do try to use it before dark make sure is is not a sunny day and scope is pointing well (well away) from the sun. I would always wait until sun has gone down or a real cloudy day.  I never get it out on a sunny day and look through eye piece (NEVER) even if I think it is pointing away from sun as it is too easy to forget and move scope whilst looking through it 😞 

Steve

 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Hi,

Sorry I am doing your trick and not reading all your post. You say you have wound your focusser fully in and out and not achieved focus ?

In the end of the focusser is there another tube that can be pulled out to extend the focusser tube, i.e. makes the eyepiece come further out of the scope ? If so it may need this tube extending.

Maybe if you can take a good photo of the focusser with eyepiece and put in your post it might help.

Steve

[Geoff Lister]

The rack-and-pinion driven focuser draw tube on my Astromaster 130 has about 4cm of travel. It is a basic 1.25" unit with no diagonal or 2" to 1.25" converter supplied or required. I have not noticed any problems achieving focus with the 20mm erecting or 10mm normal eyepieces supplied with the kit, or with others, mostly Plossls.

I would suggest trying a daytime view of a distant building, tree or hilltop. It should be possible to get a good focus, close to the point that you will need to get a sharp focus on stars.

Geoff