Thanks for the input, I found this review on what looks to be the same scope. Here is the link http://www.vcastro.com/reviews/helios/. The primary is crap (spherical), pity as the rest of the assembly is quite solid. Luckily its worth what I paid for it in parts.
Rick
Buy a quality primary and secondary and replace them in the existing hardware and you'll have a pretty sweet newt. It looks solid.
The sad part is there are probably thousands of these scopes in use and the users think they are good. Galileo might have been impressed but you have to feel sorry for the rest. The views of the moon are ok but if you have a look through a "proper" 8" scope its chalk and cheese. If the manufacturer would have put an other 10% in the mirror it would have been a good scope.
A friends family had one of these things and I foolishly suggested we take it out back for a spin , poor views, weird mount, and collimation didn't look to far off , was looking at the pool close by and seriously considering giving it a nudge when nones looking and heading back inside
I'd start again ,(hate to say it ),than try to make a silk purse out of that sows ear or parts like you say.
The odd looking into your star images is due to the MASSIVE intrusion of the focuser into the light path. No amount of collimation will fix that. I have to agree with the other posters, you need to euthanise this sad scope - to end your own suffering as much as the scopes.
I think that link answered the main problem with this scope , the secondary , its made from an 'ordinary hand mirror' eg. a second surface mirror like I mentioned earlier , a telescope's secondary should be 'first surface' that is aluminised on the front ( first surface) not behind like a normal bathroom mirror , the reflected image has to pass thru normal ( not optical ) glass twice before the image hits the eyepiece , bad practice !!! , this and a spherical primary well .....
I just pulled the secondary out and it is a front surface coated mirror. I think the problem is still mainly with the curve of the primary, which can't focus the light properly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bkm2304
The odd looking into your star images is due to the MASSIVE intrusion of the focuser into the light path. No amount of collimation will fix that. I have to agree with the other posters, you need to euthanise this sad scope - to end your own suffering as much as the scopes.
Richard.
Visually the focuser tube is not blocking the light it is only there when the camera is attached. I could move the primary forward to increase the back focus.
I think that link answered the main problem with this scope , the secondary , its made from an 'ordinary hand mirror' eg. a second surface mirror like I mentioned earlier , a telescope's secondary should be 'first surface' that is aluminised on the front ( first surface) not behind like a normal bathroom mirror , the reflected image has to pass thru normal ( not optical ) glass twice before the image hits the eyepiece , bad practice !!! , this and a spherical primary 
well .....
