Think I have messed up with skyliner 200p

[JamesGlasgow]

Bought skywatcher skyliner 200p of eBay, for my son's  Christmas thinking I got a good deal and think I have been shafted.

The screws at thebottom to collimate it are missing. It has Philips headed screws which I believe are locking screws and then 3 holes were I believe the adjustment screws go. Have tried to look to see if I can buy them, but am new to all this, any hep is appreciated on possible size I need. Please be easy on me.

Edited November 16, 2023 by JamesGlasgow

[Albir phil]

You can probably find screws to fit at your local hardware store,as long as you get the right thread .They won't be the same as the original screws but if you look you will find something which looks the part,I have done this in the past.Hope you get a result 😃

[Paul M]

Providing everything else is in order you can fix this easily as said above.

This is a popular telescope and I'm sure a member here who has one also will be able to advise on what size screws they are. 

Once you've got the screws then you can check the collimation  Lots of great videos on Youtube to show you how to do that. Just remember, you don't need perfect collimation to enjoy that scope. You can develop that skill going forward.

Good luck and keep us updated!

[John]

I have one just like that. There should be hex screws in the 3 holes next to the 3 philips holes. They might be in those holes so don't panic !

The philips ones are the primary tilt adjusting ones and the hex screws are the locking ones. 

The other 3 smaller holes should be empty.

So just to reassure you, mine looks just the same as yours and collimates fine 🙂

Edited November 17, 2023 by John

[Sunshine]

When I zoom in I believe i can see the hex screws in those holes next to the Phillips screws, this is correct as they only serve to lovk the mirror in place once collimated using the Phillips screws. The bottom of your scope is identical to how my Celestron starsense dobsonian looks. 

[JamesGlasgow]

Thanks for all the help. Looks like panic is over.  That’s the problem being new to all this and watching YouTube, when something doesn’t look the same, panic sets in. Then I didn’t want to touch anything in case I made it worse. 

[Starflyer]

On 17/11/2023 at 07:50, JamesGlasgow said:

Thanks for all the help. Looks like panic is over.  That’s the problem being new to all this and watching YouTube, when something doesn’t look the same, panic sets in. Then I didn’t want to touch anything in case I made it worse. 

Don't be tempted to overtighten the locking screws, you can distort the mirror cell and get odd star shapes. All they need is the lightest touch.

[John]

1 minute ago, Starflyer said:

Don't be tempted to overtighten the locking screws, you can distort the mirror cell and get odd star shapes. All they need is the lightest touch.

That's sound advice 👍

[MartianHill]

@JamesGlasgow

That scope is a good choice 👍

Edited November 18, 2023 by MartianHill

[Dark Vader]

From memory I think the locking screws are 2.5mm hex. I ordered few of them recently for my 200P. The scope generally holds collimation quite well so you could just undo them unless you plan on moving the scope around a bit. 

Andy

[Spile]

The Phillips screws tilt the mirror and the hidden Allen bolts lock the mirror. Undo these before you try and tilt the mirror. More details with labels at https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/

[JamesGlasgow]

Again thanks for all the tips and using the guide. Have now managed to collimate the scope. Not as hard as I thought it would be.

17 hours ago, Spile said:

The Phillips screws tilt the mirror and the hidden Allen bolts lock the mirror. Undo these before you try and tilt the mirror. More details with labels at https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/