This is advice
for newbies,
by a newbie:
No matter where you got your new scope, and no matter how carefully you handled it when using for the 1st time - check your collimation!
I bought a new 10" dobsonian a couple of months ago. Got it home, set it up, and got some reasonably good first light views.
Decided to bite the bullet, and checked the optics, using a home-made collimator I crafted (!) out of a 35 mm camera canister. Had a heck of a time finding a good site to guide me thru the process, in language I could understand, but finally did. I've attached the article.
Finally got everything reasonably lined up (ie - as best I could, given my lack of skill in this area). Took the scope out that night, and - WOW! The views were just awesome, far better than those first few uncollimated viewings! I was amazed at how much difference in sharpness and quality, simply by making very minor adjustments to my secondary.
So - it's a REAL good idea to collimate very very soon after acquiring a new scope. If you're uncertain on how to do it, check the Internet for related articles, or PM me. It can - and will - make a big difference in what and how you see objects in the sky.
Mick
