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Hi from Nevada & HELP!

Mustang281

By Mustang281
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Mustang281

Mustang281

Posted
Posted

Hi Everyone,

I’m new to the forum and just purchased our family’s first beginner telescope, and we can’t get it to focus at all. 
It’s a Meade S102. I’ve followed all of the instructions and videos for ensuring the focus knobs are functional, but everything I try to focus on is extremely blurry. Just a colored blob. 
 

I’ve read some of the threads on here and have tried everything. I’m trying to focus on mountains that are about 25 miles away as well as mountains and large building that are 5 to 10 miles away. Nothing is coming into focus regardless of how slowly I turn the focus knob. 
 

I realize this is an incredibly inexpensive and beginner’s telescope, but my kids are going to get zero experience with it if I can’t even get it to  perform a basic focus. 
 

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Thanks,

Erik

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Starwatcher2001

Starwatcher2001

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Hi Erik,

Don't panic, it's probably something simple. I've no experience with that scope (but I'm sure others have), but I see it comes with 2 eyepieces, a barlow and a diagonal.  As SeeLive said, make sure the diagonal is in the tube first, ignore the barlow for now, and put your biggest eyepiece (that's the one with the highest number on it) into the diagonal.  Make sure you're aiming at something a fair distance away - maybe just 1/2 a mile, and move the focus knob from all the way in, to all the way out.  Anything?

Does the big lens at the front of the scope look clear and secure?  (Don't put finger marks all over it when you check 🙂)  I suppose it's possible it's been damaged or moved in transit.

If not, take a piccie or two of how you've set it up and we'll look closer.

Oh, welcome aboard.

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Knighty2112

Knighty2112

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Posted (edited)

Hi and welcome. Sorry to hear of your scope problem. Make sure your scope is set up as in the diagram below with the diagonal fitted (7) into the scope first, then the eyepiece (5) next. Make sure you take of the front cap off the scope (6), then turn focus wheel (3) outwards or inwards between its maximum outwards position and maximum inwards position. You should see the diagonal and eyepiece move backwards or forwards in the telescope tube as you turn the focus wheel. Make sure your scope is aimed at something easy to focus on in the distance. As others have said use the eyepiece marked as MA26mm without the barlow. If all looks as though its working as it should and you still can’t get an image to focus there could be an issue with the lens at the front of the scope. Check that it is seated correctly in the front end of the telescope and not been knocked out or moved, And see if you can you can see a problem in the lens at the front.

HTH. :) 
 

Also, check that the diagonal has the optics inside it correctly with nothing blocking any view through it.

52F20579-B159-423D-B431-E79C3A8816C7.thumb.png.2904dbd9d6506c9d1277a82614a70b7d.png

 

Edited by Knighty2112
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Mustang281

Mustang281

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Hi everyone, and thank you for all the replies. As anticipated, it was something incredibly simple and an oversight on my part. I wasn’t using the diagonal mirror for the eyepiece. 

It’s amazingly clear now that I have all of the required parts installed 😉

Thanks again!

Erik 

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Marvin Jenkins

Marvin Jenkins

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Posted
2 hours ago, Mustang281 said:

Hi everyone, and thank you for all the replies. As anticipated, it was something incredibly simple and an oversight on my part. I wasn’t using the diagonal mirror for the eyepiece. 

It’s amazingly clear now that I have all of the required parts installed 😉

Thanks again!

Erik 

The sky is all yours now, and the family of course. Enjoy, the night sky is the best free show you can get.

Marv

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