setting up findascope - can't see red dot

[huggy]

Hi,

I'm really new and stupid so please be gentle with me...….. and accept I'm about to ask a really dumb question.....

My other half bought me a telescope for my birthday (good girl I hear you mutter) - which came as a surprise, so I've got caught unawares!

I'm struggling with the set up of the findascope…..

I get the whole idea of pointing at something you can see and twiddling the adjustment knobs until its centered on the same thing you can see throughthe eyepiece

but my problem is seeing the red dot . I should say, I can see the led is lit, and I can see that led right at the bottom of the findascope eyepiece by looking directly at it. But no amount of adjustment moves that to the middle as that is rigidly attached to the same base as the eyepiece. so i'm assuming (fatal I know) that I'm supposed to see another red dot that's somehow reflected on the lens and responds to the adjustment?

 

thanks,

 

Andy

 

[MimasDeathStar]

They can be a bit fiddly at first.

The easiest way is to take your finderscope (pedantic - you have a Red Dot Finder - RDF - not a finderscope 😉)  off the telescope to test. Adjust all of the adjustment knobs so that they are about halfway through their range of motion. Take the finder scope to a relatively dark / dimly lit place (doesnt have to be pitch black) - and then switch on. Turn the knob all the way round to full power and make sure the little LED is illuminated.

Hopefully with it now just in your hands you can wiggle it around and then eventually you'll be able to close in on the red dot on the screen. You have to remember that it aligns with the line of the telescope tube so it can actually be quite tricky and require a wee bit of contortion to get your eye in the right place the first couple of times. But once you;ve found it then it should be easier to know where to put your head/eye when on the scope. 

And then you can adjust it to a bright star point.

NB - a light will only show on one side of the screen (eg the side facing the led) I only say that in case you have tried turning it round to line it up and look straight through - cos it wont work...

Best of luck.

[Neil H]

Hi Andy the red dot will stay in the middle of the glass at the front of you put a tube on the end to shield it from the light outside a little the red dot should be visible 

Line up the telescope on a target about 1/4 of a mile if you can then adjust the red dot finder so the dot is on the target you can see in the eyepiece , if the red dot finder won't adjust far enough you have to loosen the mount that it sits on  move it a little then tighten up refit red dot finder so the red dot finder will adjust to the target  

Edited March 30, 2020 by Neil H

[Davey-T]

Hi and welcome to SGL, it can be tricky spotting the red dot on the screen, takes a bit of head waving around and usually end up with my chin on the scope.

Some need a bit of fettling as all the adjustment seems to be in the wrong direction.

Dave

Edited March 30, 2020 by Davey-T

[huggy]

Ah...….. thanks everyone for the reply.....mimasdeathstar was spot on ……. I had the scope the wrong way round!!!!!

now I feel REALLY silly!

I think my dad is now turning faster in his grave than a pulsar

thanks everybody

[MimasDeathStar]

22 hours ago, huggy said:

Ah...….. thanks everyone for the reply.....mimasdeathstar was spot on ……. I had the scope the wrong way round!!!!!

now I feel REALLY silly!

I think my dad is now turning faster in his grave than a pulsar

thanks everybody

Don't worry about it glad you are sorted. If it helps I have done the exact same thing more than once (and much worse)!

[huggy]

Thanks - this has made thing a lot better!

[stikflote]

Too had samec questions aboutRDF,  Scope is a celestron Astro 130EQ

Has the telescope tube  got be  set up so rRDF is on top  ,because after balancing scope if i point scope it puts finder on side

thats if i have the balancing right 

[DaveL59]

Assuming the scope OTA is in tube rings what you'd do is loosen the ring clamps a little and turn the tube to get the finder and focuser into a more comfortable position then tighten the clamps to keep the scope secure. You may need to do that a few times as you switch targets around the various parts of the sky.

[Neil H]

Hi make up some Wilcox rings so you can have the main telescope rings loose , all there are some plastic trunking 16mm from screwfix then from eBay some cut to length jubilee clips , you only use the top of the trunking wrap this around the tube held tight with the jubilee clip make one for each outer side of the rings this will stop the telescope from dropping out of balance when main rings are loose if you want photos let me know