Getting frustrated....

[Louise]

Hi guys

Not been on for a while ect

Got my scope out tonight as its real clear skys.

Is the x2 barlow too powerfull to veiw the moon?

I cant get a clear view even with focus and im getting quiet annoyed.

Come to my conclusion that Seben are a waste of money - the veiw finder never matches up - tried for a while in the day, its just not impossible.

I can see Saturn with the naked eye but no way I can find in the scope

Cant even remember what eye peice my scope come with - I have the x2barlow here and another but no matter how I put it into the scope its not correct

Im about to give up - and its such a lovely night as well.....

[ashenlight]

Hi Louise,

I have recently received my scope, and cannot focus on the Moon with a 10mm lens and a 2x barlow. I have just been using the 10mm lens, which is giving me lovely views. It's always best to view the moon when it isn't full though, the shadows pick up loads more detail.

So you are not alone in not being able to view the moon with a 2x barlow Hopefully someone with a bit more technical knowledge can help you out.

Amanda

[Louise]

Hey

Finnaly managed to go back to when I first got the scope. Got a nice veiw of the moon.

How ever the swivle has just snaped on me (no force) this is the 2nd set ive gone through in less then 4 months.

Take it easy if you have a seben - complaint going to them

[ashenlight]

Oh dear complaint needed I think. Glad you got a good view of the Moon though

Amanda

[CELESCOPE]

Hi Louise,

not sure what scope u have there , model i mean , but basically any scope should give you fairly good views of the Lunar,

when you say your view finder is hopeless,i dont really understand what you mean ,

you have to get the main scope working with the view finder before doing anything else simplest way is to do it in the day .swing the scope to a distant object,say a chimmey pot or something like that , centre it in the scope ,then adjust the viewfinder so that the cross hairs are on the subject you are viewing , once done , you can now swing the scope to a known object , say Saturn get the cross hairs on Saturn , then look back into the scope and it should be in the eyepiece , use an eyepiece ,say of 25 mm , and gently focus in , once that is done try some other eye pieces say 12 or 10 mm .get used to focussing ,

As for the moon it should be just a simple tweak with the focus ,remember the more power you put on ,the more critical focus is ,and of course the whole image will darken down.

I,m sure witha little practise you will get there .

Rog

[Louise]

Hi Rog

Yes, the veiw finder is really a hard task to master on this scope.

I done it today - focus on a distant object.

But, I found it really difficult to get them both spot on.

Each time I got the scope on an object - i would get the veiw finder onto the same object but by then the scope has moved.

Again its to do with the swivel - its not 'solid' no matter how tight I have it.

And as I mentioned tonight that it snaped with no force on it what so ever - so im peed at Seben.

New scope time I think

[Astro_Baby]

What scope is it Louise ? What model ?

[CELESCOPE]

Not familar with those scopes Louise, but for sure if in doubt,then upgrade, you dont have to pay mega bucks for a scope to view the Moon and Planets and constellation and even a few Galaxies,as said the 130 SW is a neat little scope and can give hours of enjoyment, and easily set up, for me i never use a view finder , i always put on a rod dot finder, so much easier to find an object.

Have a think over easter , this hobby can be disapointing by having something that does,nt work correctly.

Rog:)

[SteveP]

Louise

Follow Roger's advice about aligning the main scope with the finder scope. I'm a little concerned when you say that the main scope then moves. Do you mean that the focus changes or that the scope moves on the mount?

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but Seben are, how can I say it politely, are not the best at their price point. They are widely available via ebay and haven't developed a very good reputation. Any chance of getting your money back? Seben are Chinese made but don't let that fact put you off other Chinese made scopes. There are some excellent makes manufactured by Chinese companies.

My advice would be to cut your losses with the Seben and try to get your money back. You are going to have endless frustrating nights with it. Have a look at the FLO site. I'm sure you'll find something there to match your budget. Have a look at the Skywatcher ranges. You could always ring FLO to talk through what you'd need to buy. From my own experience, they're incredibly knowledgable, friendly and not at all pushy

Steve

[dark knight]

Wonder if using the barlow and 10mm eyepiece exceeds the usable magnification for you telescope. Also have a look at replacing the finder with a Telrad or similar finder.

What location are you in (just the town or city) maybe someone lives close enough to you who can help you out a bit.

[Louise]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1200-90-Seben-Comet-Maksutov-Cassegrain-Telescope-New_W0QQitemZ330318745982QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Telescopes?hash=item330318745982&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

This is the scope I have.

Thanks for the advice guys - no chance of getting my money back now but a complaint letter will be going to them.

Do you mean that the focus changes or that the scope moves on the mount?

The mount moves so its never spot on. Which is a pain but can do with out - just takes a little longer.

Am very disapointed as the nights are getting warmer now

Will take a look over to FLO and I will also post on here in the future when I have the cash to see people's recomendations.

[John]

....Thanks for the advice guys - no chance of getting my money back now but a complaint letter will be going to them.

The mount moves so its never spot on. Which is a pain but can do with out - just takes a little longer.

Am very disapointed as the nights are getting warmer now

Will take a look over to FLO and I will also post on here in the future when I have the cash to see people's recomendations.

Assuming that you bought this new, if the mount cannot be tightened enough to be stable without breaking (if I understand your earlier posts correctly) then it might be worth trying to get a refund on the basis that the scope is unfit for purpose - to quote from their advert "The extremely sturdy, vertically-adjustable Tripod enables best observation conditions....."

It might be worth a try - shame to have your money tied up in something that does not do the job claimed.

John

[jgs001]

I think that 5mm (10mm plus barlow) is going to be overpowering that scope a lot. That gives 240x, the useable max is about 180x, this will probably explain why it appears you can't get focus, as seeing is going to make it wobble like a tall jelly on one of those balancing circus plate thingies. I've tried a 5mm on my 102mm Mak and the view isn't great. It actually worked better using a 13mm barlowed.

I would suggest getting something like the SkySurfer III red dot finder from FLO, they work very well. What kind of mount did it come with, it looks like a photo tripod in that auction listing, and if so, it's going to be hard to track the moon at high powers, at about 160x on a static tripod the moon will sail through the fov in about 30 seconds.

I hope that helps

[SteveP]

Louise

The tripod/mounting head in the ebay advert looks more like a photographic tripod than one suitable for astronomy. I can now understand why the scope is moving. I suspect that you can't get enough tension on the retaining screw to hold the scope firmly. Not the best design!

There would be nothing lost in following John's advice

[Wobbly Bob]

Hiya Louise, I have just written a huge reply to you but lost the lot when I was logged out:cool:. So I will be quick and keep it simple.

1st buy the best mount you can afford, look on the buy and sell sites for an HEQ5, a good solid mount which you can lug around. 2nd do as Rog and John have suggested, get a Red Dot Finder, just point and view, easy peasy. 3rd and last, use the forum to find your next scope, there is loads of experiance here.

[MikeP]

Bob,

When you log in, tick the "remember me" box and you won't get logged out.

Mike

[dark knight]

If you used paypal there should be some protection against faulty goods/goods not fit for purpose etc. Use your consumer rights and get a refund.

[The Warthog]

The best advice for anyone thinking of buying a Seben scope is - DON'T! As far as using it while you are waiting for the refund, the 10mm ep is going to give you the best images you can expect from a scope of this size in average conditions. That's a magnification of 120, which is not bad. I wouldn't expect much of the eps you got with the scope, but if you can get a nice view of the Moon, that's a nice reward.

If you can't get a refund, but the image through the scope is reasonable - stars appear as points, not as wavy lines, comets or little seagulls, then consider getting a decent tripod and mount. An EQ3-2 will hold this scope very firmly, and anythng up to a 6" newt. I use my EQ3-2 satisfactorily with both of my scopes. Then you can get another telescope later. Check the used market. Both my scopes were used, and they are fine.

[northcanadian]

I am certainly learning lots on this great site. Could you please explain what exactly a red dot finder is???

Thanks

[CELESCOPE]

simply it replaces a viewfinder , not expensive ,fit on top of the scope puts a red dot in the sky ,u can use both eys if you wish making it very easy to pin point your object. see here,

Finders

[Wobbly Bob]

Bob,

When you log in, tick the "remember me" box and you won't get logged out.

Mike

Thanks Mike, I have written quite a few huge tomes on this forum only to loose the whole flipping lot

[RichieJarvis]

These Seben scopes are the 'ebay scopes' that someone wrote a very good article on the forum a while ago. The upshot was 'waste of money'

I have no idea of your budget, and how much you paid for this scope, but I believe it is pot-luck whether you get one with anything near decent optics. Take Warthog's advice - if you can't get a refund, check the optics - maybe even take it to your local Astronomy Society to get some other views on it.

Your enjoyment of this hobby is going to be limited severely if you can't see things (but I guess you know that already!)

Good luck!

Cheers,

Richie

[Doc]

What a shame Louise.

We see this time and time again with e-bay scopes. The scope mentioned would make a good birding scope but is not really up there as a celestral scope.

I would definetly inform the person you bought it from that you want a refund as the scope is broken and tell them you are informing paypal and exercising your consumer rights.

It's worth a shot and if doesn't work, save up and come here for some advice on your next purchase.

Take care and chin up.

[jgs001]

Assuming all that doesn't work, I did read somewhere, not that I can find it now, that the seben mak's aren't made by the same company as the reflectors, but outsourced and rebadged. So it would be worth getting someone to check the optics out. The only thing I can find about that mount is, it's too wobbly and tricky to use. If you have a decent camera tripod or can borrow one, try mounting it on there and see what you can see...

Do you know anyone locally who could mount it on a tracking mount and see how that goes ? Perhaps there's someone on here nearby who could check it out ?

[dark knight]

A spotting scope in disguise I think.