Need help focusing old Tasco telescope.

[cpoc]

Recently my parents came over for a visit and dad brought me my grandfathers old telescope (as dad has bought his own new higher quality telescope).

I've had a few attempts to use it (albeit with cloud coming and going quite a bit locally making it hard to have any chance of prolonged focusing)

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the model I have... the sticker on the tube states:

"Tasco
Reg no: 512266
Astronomical Telescope
Coated Lenses
D = 60mm F = 800mm
Model No: 12TE-5
Japan"

I've read that Tasco aren't that great at making telescopes (or at least more recently they aren't) but I suspect that my grandfather bought this some time ago and at the time Tasco may have been making reasonable scopes.

The eyepieces are 6mm and 12.5mm if I recall correctly, it also has a 2X Barlow, a solar lense, a right angle view finder adapter and what I assume is an image corrector (ie an in between piece to allow for terrestrial viewing up the right way).

I know that at least one of the eyepieces is a little mucky inside and I've cleaned the primary lens but whenever I try and focus on the moon I just get a big bright blob.

Does anyone have any tips or advice? Am I better trying to sell this and get a new one (which I would love... but I suspect that selling this will not get me that close to affording a new scope).

Thanks for any help and advice.

[dannat]

here is a link to your scope - http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:1hMBV3ejr58J:www.rca-omsi.org/news/gazette_07/2007_02.pdf+tasco+512266&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=au&client=firefox-a
Usually anything japanese is good quality and it should be ok for you to have a look around the sky and test the waters. The refractor doesn't really go out of alignment / colimation - what did you clean the front lens with? Though i doubt you have done major damage as lenses were not coated as much as today.
Have you las cleaned the eyepiece /diagonal with something (get len cleaning fluid from good camera store/telescope shop)

When trying to focus what pieces do you have attached to the back of the scope?

Can you see the shape/light of the moon?

Does it come in/out of focus at all - or just lok the same?

Does the focuser move in/out hen you are adjusting it?

Genrally it is easier to set it up during the daylight hours when you can see everything clearly. Pick a target about a km away - and try with biggest mm eyepiece & the diagonal(right angles piece) to focus on the object.

Let us know how you go. Good luck

[erick]

Best to take it to someone that knows about refractors who can try to make it work better for you. Lots of guys and gals in Melbourne can help, I'm sure. Tell us your suburb so someone can offer. Eric :)

[cpoc]

Ok this is where I give my head a big hearty slap and say "Doy!"... turned out I hadn't pulled the focusing tube out as far as it could go.

I thought it was all set... and had extended all parts that could and should be extended... but nope... I was trying to focus on something 1km away and still getting rubbish results (thanks for the tip though... inspired me to get out and give it another try and lead to my discovery of the problem)... then I had a look at the finder scope and noticed there was a movable part (I'd previously taken apart everything I found I could in order to check for clear sight paths etc... and cleaning, which was done with a cotton bud or cotton wool... soft either way). So I unscrewed the finder scope some and noticed how much clearer it's image was... then I had another look at the telescope tube (the bit where the eyepiece itself or right angle view finder slots in) and that's when I noticed that it was separate to the part that is slid in and out by the dial... I pulled that out and what do you know... great focus!

The main problem here (I will claim at least) is that I received this telescope in it's wooden box in travel form... so I had to take it all out... screw the tripod mount together, the finder scope to the main scope etc etc... without instructions... but the sky looks like it may allow for some seeing patches tonight so I shall have it ready to go out and get some decent views... finally.

Again thanks everyone for your suggestions I am now very excited to get out there and have a good old look at the moon... to think I was lamenting the fact that it is nearly full again for the purpose of star gazing... now it couldn't be better as it provides a nice clear target :)

Thanks again!

[dannat]

so many solve the problem themselves - must be something about writing the problem down - good luck with tonight - it looks like being cloudy here ~60km SE melb - hopefully the cloud will part where you are & you can test it onto the moon. It it focuses saturn will be in the NW, and jupiter will be up in the E about 9pm.

[cpoc]

Well I managed to get the focus sorted so much that I was able to make out three of Jupiters moons the other night (16th June)... a rare clear night here in Melbourne... but perfect for me to finally get the focus right... viewed the lovely craters of the moon (some nice dark shadowy contrast around the edges)... then as I mentioned the view of Jupiter with the moons on a 45o angle around it... lovely!

Thanks everyone for your help... figures it would be something simple. :)