Focusing problems with new telescope

[Rich486]

Hi, can anyone give me advice about my telescope I brought for £20. Yes I knew there could be a problem when brought it but was desperate to fulfill a desire to start stargazin. It’s a reflector so only has a few parts but I can’t get it to focus except about 3-5 meters away which is always crystal clear. I can’t see out of open window and no matter what I try and set I can always see the window frame crystal clear.. could I have been given the wrong eye pieces or is there something missing. Can anyone help me with this. Many thanks 

[Cornelius Varley]

Hello and welcome to SGL. Could you upload a few photos of your telescope set up so that we might be able to diagnose the problem better. 

[Rich486]

Hi and thanks. Does these pictures help at all. I know the telescope could need collimating better, but what ever I adjust I can see a thunder bug on the window but nothing further. This can’t be right, can it?

[Cornelius Varley]

Do you know the focal length of the telescope (there should be a sticker on the focuser with something like D=nnm F=nnn, where D is the diameter of the mirror and F is the focal length) and also the overall length of the telescope tube ?

[Rich486]

Hi yes here’s the length. Could the eye pieces be wrong? Or is there anything missing after the pirmery and secondary mirrors as there’s screw thread at the bottom of focuser   Tube.

[Cornelius Varley]

 On this type of telescope there is a small lens at the bottom of the focuser. Is it there  ? 

[Rich486]

Ahh no it’s not. You’re a super star! That’s good news except how do I find one of those? 

[Cornelius Varley]

37 minutes ago, Rich486 said:

Ahh no it’s not. You’re a super star! That’s good news except how do I find one of those? 

You will probably not find one. 

[michael8554]

Should have something like the compound lens shown at the bottom of the focuser tube

This enables a 1400 mm Focal Length optical arrangement to be shoe-horned into a much shorter tube:

These scopes are sold under many brand names,  Meade, Bresser etc

Michael

[banjaxed]

Take a look at Amazon.

[vlaiv]

1 hour ago, Rich486 said:

Ahh no it’s not. You’re a super star! That’s good news except how do I find one of those? 

Your best bet is to find the same second hand / scrap scope with broken primary or damaged tube and salvage corrector.

[Rich486]

thanks for advice from everyone. Yes it’s not as easy as I thought to find a lens. It was always suspect at £20 but I am still hoping to get it to work. It’s an old telescope now. Not found on eBay or amazon as yet. Won’t be seeing any stars just yet

[Cornelius Varley]

58 minutes ago, Rich486 said:

thanks for advice from everyone. Yes it’s not as easy as I thought to find a lens. It was always suspect at £20 but I am still hoping to get it to work. It’s an old telescope now. Not found on eBay or amazon as yet. Won’t be seeing any stars just yet

Although you probably won't be able to find a replacement corrector lens for your telescope, you do have a mount and an eyepiece or two that you can reuse with another small telescope. Check out Astroboot which usually have a few small and cheap telescopes that will fit your mount.

[Rich486]

Yes good point and will take a look. Thanks