Star watcher AZ-GTe - help with set up

[Mandy1966]

Hi folks and thank you in advance for reading and hopefully help here.  
I am new to astronomy and the telescope is new.  I have put it all together and now I’m trying to get the finder scope and the telescope aligned.  Unfortunately I can’t see anything in the telescope.  Day and night it’s all white.  
I have missed something - is anyone able to advise please.

Thank you

Mandy

[Nikolai De Silva]

Hi @Mandy1966! Welcome to this forum!🖐️

Is that Sky-watcher or Star watcher? And what type is your scope? if can post a picture😁

If Sky-watcher maybe you have a red dot finder. Aligning the red dot finder is easy. You will find two small knobs (like two plastic flowers), one back in the bottom and another front in the right side. You have to adjust the finder with the scope using these two knobs until you find your view right in the centre as in the finder. (Aim at a terrestrial object, because celestials are running in a hurry😂)

I think maybe you have not focused the scope to get the view clear. That is why you see white. But if your scope is a Newtonian, it may have gone out of collimation.

First try to adjust the secondary mirror (the small oval mirror at the front) and see whether it'll get right. If not, keep some of your time on this! It is not such easy to fix it in your scope, because it doesn't come with a collimateble mirror, But of course you can! Then you'll have to strip all and fix it again. You will have to spare little time for it. Careful and soft hands will make it easier🙂.

 

Hope you will get this done!

Nikolai

[Mandy1966]

Hi Nikolai

yes it has a red dot finder and I can adjust that.  But I can’t see ANYTHING in the eye pice in order to align them. Photos attached 

thank you

Mandy

[Nikolai De Silva]

2 hours ago, Mandy1966 said:

But I can’t see ANYTHING in the eye pice in order to align them. Photos attached 

Just try looking at a farther object, like a far away tree. 

And rotate this knob shown in the picture. You rotate this by looking through the eyepiece and you will find a point where the image is clear. Focusing is needed to any object. That's all!🙂 

Remember to take off the front cap when using😉

Hope this helps!

Edited December 17, 2023 by Nikolai De Silva

[bosun21]

First point to use your telescope which is a Maksutov design. Take it outside or to a window with a distant view. Remove the plastic cover on the front of the telescope. Place your 25mm supplied eyepiece into the diagonal. Turn the focus knob until an image appears in focus. The eyepiece doesn't move in this type of telescope as it's the mirror inside which actually moves. You may have to make many turns on the focuser with this design of scope.

[Cornelius Varley]

9 minutes ago, Nikolai De Silva said:

And rotate this knob shown in the picture. Then your eyepiece will move front and back from the scope.

The eyepiece won't move with this type of telescope. The focussing is by the movement of the internal primary mirror. 

@Mandy1966 point the telescope at a tree/building about 1km away and then rotate the focussing knob to obtain a focused image in the eyepiece. This type of telescope requires many turns of the focussing knob to reach focus from close to infinity.

[Mandy1966]

Hi Cornelius 

I have done that to and taken the knob from one extreme to the other without any change.

Mandy

[Nikolai De Silva]

40 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

The eyepiece won't move with this type of telescope. The focussing is by the movement of the internal primary mirror. 

Sorry!😔 Thanks for correcting.

[Cornelius Varley]

13 minutes ago, Mandy1966 said:

Hi Cornelius 

I have done that to and taken the knob from one extreme to the other without any change.

Mandy

This may indicate that the primary mirror has slipped off the focussing mechanism and is not moving. If this is the case, the telescope will need to be returned to the retailer.

[Mandy1966]

Thank you. I’ll give them a call tomorrow.

[bosun21]

2 hours ago, Mandy1966 said:

Thank you. I’ll give them a call tomorrow.

Sounds silly but make sure you have a target in the telescopes field of view. It’s deceiving when you point the scope at a tree for instance, for it not to actually be in the telescope view. Especially with a Maksutov with a small field of view. Try pointing it at something really large like a brick wall or even the ground of a distant field then try focusing. Can you hear anything moving inside the scope while handling it?